Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (143 page)

The
young
man
helped
Mr.
Stuart
into
a
comfortable-looking
wingback
chair
and
promised
to
send
up
something
to
drink
.
Just
as
he
left,
he
caught
Aggie’s
eye.
“I’ll
be
back
in
about
ten
minutes.
I’m
afraid
that’s
all
the
time
Mr.
Stuart
has.
We
keep
a
strict
routine
here…”

“Thank
you.”

Aggie
waited
until
the
young
man
left
and
then
turned
her
attention
back
on
Douglas
.
“Did
you
have
a
nice
Christmas,
Mr.—Douglas?”

The
faraway
look
in
the
man’s
eyes
disappeared
as
if
on
command.
With
perfect
clarity
of
mind,
he
shook
his
head.
“They
try
here,
of
course,
but
it
isn’t
home.
I
don’t
know
when
Geraldine
will
be
finished
with
her
project
and
come
to
visit
again.
Sometimes
it’s
nice
to
have
the
reprieve
but—”

A
gentle
knock
sounded
on
the
door
and
a
plump
woman,
dressed
too
nicely
to
be
a
maid
or
a
nurse
stepped
in
with
a
very
small
tray
holding
two
mugs
and
a
covered
bowl
.
“Hot
chocolate?”

“That
was
fast!”

The
woman
smiled
but
didn’t
respond.
Instead,
she
lifted
the
lid
of
the
bowl
and
offered
Aggie
the
spoon.
“Marshmallows?”

“I’m
fine,
thank
you.”

“I
know
you
don’t
want
them,
do
you
,
Mr.
Stuart?”

“What?”
The
man
stared
blankly
at
his
cup
as
if
unsure
what
he
was
to
do
with
it.
“I—”
He
frowned
and
glanced
at
the
two
women
in
his
room.
“What
are
you
doing
in
here?
I
am
tired
of
strangers
wandering
through
my
quarters.
It’s
bad
enough
that
I’m
trapped
in
this
strange
place;
you’d
think
I’d
at
least
be
left
alone.”
His
face
grew
stony
as
he
threatened,
“My
wife
won’t
tolerate
me
being
disturbed.
You
should
leave.
She’ll
be
here
any
minute
and
will
not
like
to
find
you
here.”

Without
taking
a
single
sip
of
her
hot
chocolate,
Aggie
gave
the
man
a
brief
hug
and
hurried
out
of
the
room.
Across
the
house,
down
the
stairs,
and
out
the
door
she
flew,
anxious
to
get
away
from
such
a
disturbing
scene.
He
was
going
downhill
rapidly!
The
young
man
chased
after
her,
catching
her
just
as
she
reached
Tina’s
car.
“Are
you
all
right?”

“He’s
just
so
different
than
even
six
months
ago.
I
never
saw
a
hint
of
any
kind
of
dementia
then,
and
now
he
is
in
and
out
of
lucidity
within
seconds.
”

“He
started
going
downhill
just
after
Thanksgiving.
Once
his
wife
quit
visiting,
he
couldn’t
hold
onto
reality.
”
He
opened
her
door
for
her
as
Aggie
punched
the
unlock
button
on
the
key
fob
.
“Will
you
be
back?”