Free The House on Olive Street by Robyn Carr

us. Don’t add guilt to it. We already find it hard to believe you can do all you do.”
    It wasn’t unusual for Sable to offer warmth and understanding. One of her rare gifts was that she could do that even with someone who, just a few minutes earlier, had been chewing her ass and accusing her of arrogance. But Barbara didn’t take any special note of Sable’s gesture. In fact, she wanted to snap back a question. Are you going to do that damned conference or aren’t you? She wisely did not open that subject again. Instead, she nodded.
    Eleanor looked at Sable and the eyes of Beth and Barbara followed. “Of course I’ll be there,” Sable said. “I’m not planning any kind of retrospective, but I care about Gabby’s work as much as any of you. Maybe I can get something that’s out of print looked at again. There could be a few bucks added to her estate for the kids.”
    “Good,” Elly said. “I’m glad you’re all going to have input. Gabby had more faith in me than I have in myself.I’ll look at my class schedule, talk to the kids and give you an exact date for when I’m going to open the house.” She sighed. “Maybe in a couple of months, this won’t seem so emotional.”
    “Aren’t we going to see each other?” Beth asked, moving to the edge of her chair with a panicked rise to her voice. She was answered by indecisive, mute stares. Her eyes began to water. “Oh God, don’t tell me we’re not going to see each other!”
    Elly took off her glasses and began cleaning them with a napkin. “Beth, I don’t feel like critiquing manuscripts. And I’m not very social to begin with.” Her voice sounded tired. Worn. She was feeling her age; her spirit was injured.
    “I don’t care! We don’t have to read to each other! Can we have lunch? Dinner? Meet for coffee or something?”
    “Oh, Beth, of course,” Sable said quickly, recognizing the fear in the young woman’s voice—another thing she should have foreseen, but in her own grief had not thought of. Elly had the college; Barbara Ann had that brood and many friends—she spent hours on the phone chatting away, long distance—Sable’s life appeared hectic and full, despite the fact that it was filled with many acquaintances and business associates, and no friends. But Beth needed them. She had only her husband, and he was often out of town. Her family was in Kansas, and she was so painfully shy. Sable had guessed that Beth’s life with her pilot husband was lacking. Troubled. “We can get together. At least I can, I know that. What would you like to do? Lunch? Dinner one night?”
    Beth visibly relaxed. Now that she’d made her panicked plea, she was unable to go the next step, takecontrol and arrange their meeting. Everyone waited. “Anything,” she said quietly. And everyone knew that someone else would have to decide.
    Barbara was tired. She sighed.
    Elly was unmotivated. She didn’t want to think anymore.
    “Okay,” Sable said, “I’ve got that conference in New York next month…it’s actually three weeks from now. Let’s meet for dinner two weeks from Tuesday. Maybe you can give me some pointers on my speech.” Barbara’s mouth dropped open and she stared at Sable. “Yes, Barbara Ann, I’ll go. You and Elly are both going, so I’ll go. And I’ll be charming. And you can call that friend of yours at her hotel tonight and tell her that you spoke to me and I said I wasn’t expecting anything to come up. Only an emergency would keep me away.”
    “Thank God,” Barbara said, hand to her breast. She had been the one, after all, to deliver Sable. She would stand humiliated if Sable suddenly reneged.
    “Let’s meet in Fair Oaks anyway, hmm? It’s halfway between me and the rest of you. Beth, pick a place. Let’s have a nice dinner. Let us know where.”
    “I’ll have to check Jack’s schedule. You know he likes me to be home when he’s home. He’s gone so much….”
    Sable wanted to ask what would happen if she