Free That Summer by Joan Wolf Page B

him an affronted stare. “How can you ask me such a question? Of course not.”
    “You must be pretty sure that I didn't do it.”
    My stare became even more affronted. “Of course you didn't do it.”
    He put his teacup down. “The thing is, Annie, someone did. And it had to be someone who was at the party. Leslie went out to the summerhouse with someone; I'm sure she didn't just wander out there by herself.”
    I shivered a little. “I know.”
    He sighed. “I've thought and thought and I just cannot imagine anyone I know doing such a terrible thing.”
    I said again, “I know.”
    We were quiet for a while. Then Liam said, “Enough of such depressing conversation. We should be happy. Pennyroyal has once again given birth to a beautiful baby.”
    I lifted my teacup. “To Pennyroyal.”
    Liam touched my cup with his. “To Pennyroyal.”
    We drank.
    He said, “So tell me about this guy you almost got engaged to.”
    “There's nothing to tell. He was a very nice man and I liked him a lot. I just didn't love him like he loved me. It wouldn't have been fair of me to marry him, feeling the way I did.”
    “I almost got engaged once myself,” Liam offered.
    My heart plummeted. “You did? To whom?”
    “A girl I met at the University of Virginia. She was a cheerleader.”
    I immediately pictured a beauty with blue eyes and long straight hair, like Jennifer Aniston's. “What stopped you from getting engaged?” I asked.
    “Same thing that stopped you. It just didn't feel right.”
    I nodded.
    There came a step at the door and my mother, wearing pajamas and slippers, peered into the kitchen. “I thought I heard voices down here.”
    “We didn't mean to wake you, Mom,” I said.
    “I woke up on my own, and then I heard the voices. Hello, Liam. How are you?”
    “Fine, Nancy. Annie just delivered a foal for me, that's why we're up so late.”
    My mother came further into the kitchen. “Was there trouble?”
    “A little. Pennyroyal's foal was coming out with only one foot. Annie turned the baby so that both feet could come out at once. Both mother and daughter are doing well, I'm happy to report.”
    “Would you like a cup of tea, Mom?”
    “No thank you, honey. I'm going back to bed.”
    “I'll be up in a few minutes.”
    She nodded and disappeared into the hallway. Liam got to his feet. “I should be getting back home. You need your beauty rest.”
    I smiled at him in reply.
    He came over to where I was sitting, bent and kissed me on the cheek. He was so near that I could feel the warmth from his skin. “Thank you for helping out tonight.”
    “You're welcome,” I returned a little breathlessly.
    “By the way, tell your mother if she wants to move herself, I'll be happy to help out with one of the horse vans.”
    “Thanks, I'll tell her.”
    “Well… I'll see you tomorrow.”
    He seemed strangely reluctant to leave.
    “Oh, Liam. Can you tell Kevin that I'm not going to ride with him tomorrow morning—actually this morning. I think I'll try to catch an extra hour of sleep.”
    “Are you and Kevin riding out in the mornings?”
    “Yes, didn't he tell you?”
    He scowled. “He didn't say a word.”
    “Oh. Well, we're just exercising the hunters. It's good for them.”
    His scowl didn't lift. “I like to be informed of these things.”
    “Sorry. I thought Kevin had told you.”
    “Kevin doesn't tell me anything.”
    He sounded very stiff.
    “Do you want us to stop riding?”
    He said through his teeth, “I didn't say that. I just said I like to know when my horses are being ridden.”
    “Fine,” I replied. “So now you know. But I don't want to ride this morning. Will you tell Kevin, please?”
    “Yes.”
    “Goodnight, Liam.”
    “Goodnight.” He paused. “Thanks for helping with Pennyroyal.”
    “I was happy to be of assistance.”
    He nodded. “Well… goodnight.”
    “Goodnight.”
    He went.
    I sat back down at the kitchen table and stared into my empty teacup. Well, this looked