but never anything like this.â
Georgette was clearly on the verge of tears. âI should have made you listen.â
The first moving van was pulling into the driveway. Two men jumped out and ran behind it to open the door and begin to unload.
âAlex, tell them to stop,â I demanded, then was frightened to hear my voice rising to a near shriek. âTell them to turn around and go back to New York right now. I canât live under this roof.â Too late, I realized that Alex and the real estate agent were staring at me, their expressions shocked.
âMrs. Nolan, donât think like that,â Georgette Grove protested. âI am so sorry this has happened. I canât apologize enough. I assure you that some kids did this as a joke. But theyâll know itâs not a joke when the police get through with them.â
âHoney, youâre overreacting,â Alex protested. âThis is a beautiful home. Iâm sorry I didnât listen to Georgette about what happened here, but I would have bought the house for you anyhow. Donât let some stupid kids spoil it for you.â He put his hands on my face. âLook at me. I promise that before the day is over, this mess will be gone. Come on around the back. I want to show Jack the surprise I have for him.â
One of the moving men was heading for the house, Jack scampering behind him. âNo, Jack, weâre going around to the barn,â Alex called. âCome on, Ceil,â he urged. âPlease.â
I wanted to protest, but then I saw the blinking lights of a patrol car rushing up the road.
When they pulled my arms away from my motherâs body they made me sit in the patrol car. I was wearing my nightgown and someone got a blanket and tucked it around me. And then the ambulance came and they took Ted out on a stretcher.
âCome on, honey,â Alex coaxed. âLetâs show Jack his surprise.â
âMrs. Nolan, Iâll take care of talking to the police,â Georgette Grove volunteered.
I couldnât bear having to come face-to-face with the police, so to avoid an encounter with them, I walked quickly along the path with Alex. We headed to the spacious grounds behind the house. I realized that the blue hydrangeas Mother had planted along the foundation of the house were gone, and then I was startled to see that in the month since I had been here, a riding enclosure had been built.
Alex had promised Jack a pony. Was it here already? The same thought must have occurred to Jack because he began running across the lawn toward the barn. He pulled open the door, and then I heard a whoop of joy. âItâs a pony, Mom,â he shouted. âAlex bought me a pony!â
Five minutes later, his eyes shining with delight, his feet firmly secure in the stirrups of his new saddle, and Alex at his side, Jack was walking the pony around the enclosure. I stood at the split-rail fence, watching them, taking in the expression of pure bliss on Jackâs face and the satisfaction in Alexâs smile. I realized that Jack had the reaction to his pony that Alex had expected of me about the house.
âThis is another reason why I knew this place would be perfect, sweetheart,â Alex said as he passed me. âJack has the makings of being a terrific rider someday. Now he can ride every single day, right, Jack?â
There was somebody clearing his throat behind me. âMrs. Nolan, Iâm Sergeant Earley. I very much regret this incident. This is no way to welcome you to Mendham.â
I hadnât heard the police officer and Georgette Grove approaching me. Startled, I turned around to face them.
He was a man who appeared to be in his late fifties, with an outdoorsmanâs complexion and thinning sandy hair. âI know just which kids to question,â he said grimly. âTrust me. Their parents will pay for whatever has to be done to restore the house and lawn.â
Earley, I
Elizabeth Amelia Barrington