Fabulous Creature by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

Author:Zilpha Keatley Snyder [Snyder, Zilpha Keatley]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 978-1-4804-7155-9
Publisher: Open Road Media

CHAPTER 10

I’M AWFULLY SORRY about yesterday, Jamesy.” Diane took hold of his hand and squeezed it hard. He squeezed back and pulled her to a stop. They had been walking across the patio towards the Jarretts’ kitchen door, and now when James bent to kiss her, she rolled her eyes towards the house. The top half of the Dutch door was open, and from inside the sound of women’s voices drifted out into the patio.

“It’s my mother and aunt,” she whispered, “having their daily gossip session. You know—who’s not invited to whose party, who’s hitting on whose wife, who ought to join Weight Watchers—that sort of thing.”

“Let’s not go in,” James said.

“Oh, come on. I’m thirsty. Then we can go on down to the trophy room and be—” she rolled her eyes “—alone.”

In the kitchen, Jill Jarrett and another woman were sitting at the breakfast bar drinking coffee. Angela Jarrett was smaller and darker than her sister-in-law, but there seemed to be a similarity about them. It wasn’t so much in their actual features, as in their clothing and mannerisms and the sound of their voices. They both said hello with an exceptional amount of warmth and enthusiasm, and then immediately turned their backs and went on with their conversation. Diane was busy rummaging around in the refrigerator.

“It’s not the little boy that worries me,” Angela was saying. “It’s that older child—Griffin, they call her. Laurel seems to absolutely idolize her. She’d spend every waking hour with the two of them if I’d let her. I’ve been trying to discourage it, and Dunc agrees with me, for once. He thinks there’s something very strange about both of them.”

“With good reason,” Jill Jarrett said. “Coming from that background.”

“Well, as far as family background goes, you couldn’t do much better than the Griffiths, or the Westmorelands for that matter. But I know what you mean. The Alexandra thing.”

“Ethel says they both drink like fishes, and that the children are allowed to run wild. Apparently they do have them in very good schools during the year, but here at The Camp they just allow them to run wild in the woods day after day.”

“Considering what goes on at some of those marathon parties, the woods might be the safest place for them. You know the Arthurs were asked once, and afterwards Caroline told me…” Angela glanced over her shoulder and lowered her voice.

“Would you like Pepsi or apple cider?” Diane stuck a couple of cold bottles in James’ hands and led the way out of the room. He followed, but the kitchen conversation, and some questions it brought up, were still on his mind. All the way down the stairs and across the dozen or so yards of trophy room to the leather couch by the coffee table, he mulled over possible answers and implications.

“About the Westmorelands,” he said when they were settled on the couch.

Tipping her head back against his shoulder, Diane took a long drink from her Pepsi before she answered.

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