Chapter 17. The sunlight washed over Lucy as she stepped toward Hannah

T he sunlight washed over Lucy as she stepped toward Hannah. Her orange hair was secured tightly in a bun. Her eyes locked on Hannah’s.

“Lucy—why did you poison us?” Hannah blurted out, panting for breath. “Why?”

“What?” Lucy’s mouth dropped open.

“Do not play innocent!” Hannah cried angrily. “Why did you poison our lunch?”

“I have no idea what you are talking about, miss,” Lucy replied, turning up her sharp nose.

“You murdered my dog!” Hannah shrieked.

“What is all the noise in here?” Mrs. MacKenzie bustled in from the hallway. “Hannah, what is the matter?” the housekeeper asked with concern.

“Lucy tried to poison us!” Hannah cried, pointing at the maid, who took another step back. “She poisoned the meat pies!”

“What?” Mrs. MacKenzie narrowed her eyes at Hannah. “What are you saying about meat pies? The meat pies for your picnic?”

“Yes,” Hannah cried. “They were poisoned! Lucy has been trying to harm us since she arrived. And today—”

“No!” Lucy screamed, interrupting. “No! You are telling lies, miss!”

Ignoring her protests, Hannah turned to Mrs. MacKenzie. “I must get my father. He must know at once. Lucy poisoned the pies!”

“No, she did not,” Mrs. MacKenzie said firmly, placing her hands on the sides of her long apron.

“What?” Hannah had started to the door but stopped short.

“As I am a witness, Lucy did not poison the pies,” Mrs. MacKenzie repeated, frowning, her round cheeks a bright pink. “Lucy had nothing to do with your lunch, Miss Hannah. Your sister Julia prepared the lunch.”

Hannah felt dazed. The room suddenly tilted. The bright sunlight washing over her made everything go white. “Julia?”

“Miss Julia made the pies,” Mrs. MacKenzie insisted. “Lucy asked if Julia needed help. But Miss Julia ordered Lucy to stay out of the kitchen.”

“Julia?” Hannah gasped weakly. “No. Please. Not Julia. Not Julia.”

“Miss Hannah, are you feeling ill?” Mrs. MacKenzie demanded, tugging on the sides of her apron. “Perhaps I should summon your father?”

But Hannah was already running through the back pantry and out the door.

Her heart pounding, her head spinning from what she had just learned, she ran past the flower garden and across the lawn. She saw her brothers first, coming out of the woods. Their faces were drawn. Julia must have told them about Fluff. The boys nodded solemnly at Hannah, then continued on in silence toward the house.

Julia appeared next. As she stepped out of the woods, she stopped a few yards from Jenkins’s coffin.

She was carrying the picnic basket, but set it down when she saw Hannah hurrying toward her. “Hannah, did you find Father? Did you tell him about Lucy?”

Panting hard, struggling to catch her breath, Hannah stared intently at her sister, studying her face, searching for the truth in Julia’s small gray eyes.

“Julia—it was you!” Hannah finally managed to choke out.

As she stared back at Hannah, Julia’s eyes turned cold. She nodded.

“You tried to poison me,” Hannah accused, her voice just above a whisper.

Julia didn’t deny it. She stared back, emotionless, her expression a blank.

“Why, Julia?” Hannah demanded. “Why?”

“I hate you, Hannah,” Julia replied quietly, calmly. “I want you to die.”

“But why? Why? Why?” Hannah shrieked. She realized she was more horrified by Julia’s coldness than by her action.

“Why should you be the hostess?” Julia demanded, her black curls falling forward. She made no attempt to push them back. “Why should I not be the pretty one? The charming one? Why should I not be Father’s favorite? Why should I not take Mother’s place? I am the oldest—and the smartest. And—and—”

Her normally pale face was scarlet now. Her eyes burned into Hannah’s. Her shoulders trembled. Julia’s hands were balled into tight, angry fists at her sides.

Hannah shrank back, suddenly frightened. “Julia, you— you put the snake in my bed! You put the glass in my shoe. You—” Hannah’s terrified voice caught in her throat.

Julia didn’t deny it. “I wanted you to be scared. I wanted you to bleed. I want you to die!”

With a furious cry Julia attacked Hannah, leaping onto her, wrapping her hands around Hannah’s throat.

Startled, caught completely off guard, Hannah stumbled and fell backward. She landed hard on her elbows and cried out from the pain.

Julia landed on top of her, her hands still at Hannah’s throat.

Crying and groaning, the two girls wrestled on the ground—until Hannah broke free, climbed to her feet, and started to run.

But Julia was faster and tackled her sister hard from behind.

Hannah landed on her stomach on top of the pine coffin. She groaned and tried to pull herself up.

But Julia was on top of her again, pressing her down onto the hard coffin. And again Julia’s hands wrapped around Hannah’s throat.

“Die! Die! Die!” Julia shrieked at the top of her lungs as her hands tightened viciously around Hannah’s throat.

Hannah struggled to roll free, to get off the coffin.

But Julia held tight as she choked off Hannah’s air.

Дата добавления: 2015-07-20