Baby Dolly by Ruby Jean Jensen

Author:Ruby Jean Jensen [Jensen, Ruby Jean]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-951580-10-0
Publisher: Ruby Jean Jensen
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

Gertrude tapped lightly on the door before she opened it. The light was on, she had seen it shining in a narrow strip beneath the door.

“Did we wake you, Gertrude?” Jenny asked.

“I thought I heard someone crying.” Gertrude took a quick glance around the room, hoping she didn’t look as if she were snooping. Jenny was sitting on the side of the bed, but Ted was not there.

Jenny said, “You must have heard Annie. She had a nightmare, and she’s got a slight fever. I didn’t think it was enough to get alarmed about, but Ted is such a worrier where Annie is concerned he stayed with her. She’s okay now, Gertrude. Sorry we disturbed you.”

Gertrude’s heartbeat accelerated so much she felt it throbbing in her temples. She resisted an urge to run to Annie’s room and see for herself that Annie was all right. “Maybe I could sit with her, so you two can get your rest.”

“Ted wouldn’t hear of it. They’ll be okay.”

Gertrude stepped back out of the room and closed the door. She waited, and the ribbon of light shining beneath the door turned dark as Jenny went back to bed

Walking quietly and slowly, Gertrude went on down the hall to the room Annie was occupying while he room was being redecorated. The door stood a few inches open.

She could see only a tangle of curls on the pillow beyond Ted’s shoulder. But Annie lay very still as if she were sleeping comfortably now, whatever terrors she’d had in her sleep salved. Gertrude felt vastly relieved that Ted was with her.

Ted looked over his shoulder. He sat on the chair at the side of the bed. He had been leaning forward, his head down.

“Can I bring you something?” Gertrude asked in a loud whisper without entering the room. “Hot cocoa or coffee?”

Teddy shook his head.

He looked sleepy, his face long and serious, the dark mustache drooping at the corners. At that moment with his face shadowed, he looked just like some of those old portraits of family men from earlier times.

“You need to get some sleep,” Gertrude whispered.

He nodded. “I’ll take a nap here.”

“If you need me . . .”

“Sure,” he whispered.

The child lay so still. Gertrude watched her, and felt uneasy.

“Is she asleep?” Gertrude whispered, leaning farther into the room.

“Yes. Finally.”

Gertrude nodded and backed away, pulling the door slowly closed.

As she returned to her own room it occurred to her she had not seen the doll on the dresser where she had put it earlier. She stood still, closed into her room, and tried in her memory to picture the dresser exactly as it was minutes ago when she had leaned into the room whispering to Ted. She could not recreate the dresser with the doll lying on the old scarf. She was sure it was not there.

What did it matter? Ted was with Annie.

There was no curse. No South American voodoo curse, or any such thing. Only a weird series of coincidences.

She went

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.