This Calder Sky by Janet Dailey

Author:Janet Dailey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pocket Books
Published: 1981-08-18T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter XVIII

The doorbell rang. Maggie smoothed a hand over the black skirt of her dress. It was the second occasion she’d had reason to wear black in the last two weeks. The first time had been in June to attend Dad Hogan’s funeral. The second was to attend the funeral of Mother Hogan, who had willed herself to die a week after her husband.

Maggie hadn’t cried when her father died, and she had shed no tears with the passing of this elderly couple. She silently wondered if there was something wrong with her—if Chase had taken away her ability to feel things. The strain of keeping it all bottled up inside showed in the tautness of her features, made whiter by the black dress she wore and the jet-black color of her hair.

When she entered the living room of her aunt’s house, Cathleen had already answered the door. Maggie watched with an outward impassivity while her aunt submitted to the compassionate and comforting embrace of Phillip Gordon, then dabbed at her tear-red eyes with a lace handkerchief. Pamela was with him in her wheelchair and hugged Cathleen when the older woman bent to greet her.

Phillip crossed the room, resplendent in a gray suit. He smiled at Maggie in that quiet way of his and took the hands she had unconsciously clasped in front of her. “How are you, Maggie?” he asked and studied the stillness of her features. He knew perfection when he saw it: the balanced contours of bone structure, everything in proper proportion. In no way could his surgical skills improve on the gift of natural beauty.

“I’m fine, thank you,” she replied in an emotionless voice.

His gaze ran over her purposely blank expression. He’d seen this wall erected before the few times she had visited his home. Mostly, it came when she was asked an innocent question about her parents, her childhood, or the father of her illegitimate child. The latter he could understand she would be reluctant to discuss. Yet she didn’t want to talk about her parents, especially her father, or what her life had been like prior to moving to California.

“This must be difficult for you. It is a lot to deal with for someone as young as you are,” Phillip sympathized.

Maggie withdrew her hands, refusing the comfort he offered. “Dying is only hard for those who live.” Her wisdom and experience belied her age.

“Pamela and I stopped to offer our condolences and see if there was anything we could do to help.” He was aware of her rejection. Phillip could not recall meeting anyone so young who had this much pride and independence. “I have already told Cathleen that she should feel free to consult with my attorney if there are any legal questions regarding the estate of her late husband’s parents. As for any medical bills or—”

Maggie stopped him before he could offer any financial assistance. “I believe there was sufficient life insurance to take care of their bills and pay for the funerals.

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