Free Forever Fall by Elizabeth Sinclair Page A

this was a summer house and had to wonder what Catherine’s year-round residence looked like. While Mandy continued to take in her surroundings, she, Luc and the young girl followed Catherine down the hall.
    When they arrived at the family room, Mandy was again taken aback. While the rest of the rooms boasted antique, Victorian style furniture, this room looked as if it had fallen from the pages of this month’s Better Homes and Gardens . While large, the room was furnished in a very laid-back style with a huge fieldstone fireplace as its focal point. Beside the fireplace, recessed in a bookcase holding books and what appeared to be a combination DVD and satellite TV box, was a jumbo, flat-screen TV. Surrounding the fireplace, a grouping of occasional tables, overstuffed sofas and chairs formed a cozy conversation area and provided the perfect place for a family to gather in informal comfort at the end of a day. In a far corner, in front of a wall of French doors, a pool table took up most of that end of the floor.
    Catherine motioned them to the sitting area. “I had this room redecorated strictly with creature comfort and family in mind,” she said, taking a seat in a large chair with a footstool. “I never liked the straight back Victorian sofas and chairs my mother favored.”
    Mandy and Luc took seats on the sofa facing Catherine, and the young girl plopped cross-legged on the ottoman at her grandmother’s feet.
    “This young lady,” Catherine motioned to the girl, “is my granddaughter, Shannon Cameron. Shannon lives in Carson, but attends a private school in Charleston. She’ll be the teenager taking part in this experiment. Her mother and father have given their written consent.” She removed a sheet of paper from the table to her right and handed it to Mandy. “Shannon, this is Lucas Michaels and Amantha James. I’m sure they won’t object to you calling them Luc and Mandy.” She looked to Mandy for affirmation. Receiving a nod, Catherine went on. “While they’re here with you, you will afford them the same respect you would your parents.”
    The girl nodded, lowered her feet to the floor and leaned toward Mandy. “May I see the baby now?”
    “It’s in the car—”
    “I’ll get it.” Luc jumped to his feet. Before Mandy could reply, he was out of the room. Moments later, they heard the front door close.
    While Shannon glanced expectantly at the door, and they waited for Luc to come back, Catherine told Mandy that she had filled the pantry and fridge with provisions and had the electric, water and phone turned on. All the time, Shannon, who appeared to be ready to jump out of her skin, continued to monitor the empty doorway. Mandy could tell by the excited expression on the girl’s face that she was really looking forward to getting started. Having seen the effect of the baby simulator on young girls initially, and then after a few days of baby-care confinement, she felt certain that the excitement would soon wane.
    If all went as she expected, the school board and Lucas Michaels were in for a big eye-opener.
    Thankful to be out of that room, Luc stepped onto the wide porch and drew in a long breath of the lake air. Slowly, the tightness that had gathered in his chest eased away.
    Sitting there with those three women had brought back stifling memories of scenes from his childhood. His mother’s twice-weekly “teas” were nothing more than her way of holding court and lording it over the wives of officers who served under Luc’s father.
    It had been bad enough that she’d insisted five-year-old Luc be present, washed, combed and wearing his Sunday best. Added to that was her insistence that he sit quietly, hands folded in his lap for what seemed to him like days, while she alternately fussed over him like some well-deserved trophy and soaked up the phony compliments from her so-called friends, and then totally ignored him.
    Sometimes the officers’ wives brought their kids, and Luc was