Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (166 page)

The
child
would
have
been
oblivious
to
the
amusement
she
created
had
Aggie
and
Luke
managed
not
to
catch
one
another’s
eyes.
She
snickered;
he
choked.
Kenzie
glanced
back
and
forth
between
them,
obviously
trying
to
understand
what
amused everyone
.
The
realization
dawned
seconds
later.
“Oh
,
glory,
Lorna.
Oh,
glory
!
Gory
is
like
blood
and
guts
and
stuff—you
know,
like
the
movies
we
can’t
see.”

“What’s
glory?”

“It’s
like
cool
—
but
sp
iritual
coolness
,
not
the
regular
kind.”

“Oh.
um
…”
the
child
thought.
“I’ll
fly
away
oh
cool—ie.
I’ll
fly
away…”

Luke’s
choked
chortle
became
unrestrained
laughter
as
Aggie
tried
not
to
laugh
and
succeeded
only
in
dissolving
in
near-silent
hyena
chuckles.
Ellie
danced
downstairs
and
stopped
at
the
bottom,
staring
at
the
group.
“What
did
I
miss?”

Laird
called
out
from
the
library,
“Lorna
is
modernizing
Aunt
Aggie’s
hymns.
Just
ignore
them.”

“Ok.”
She
beckoned
her
sister
to
follow.
“Vannie,
can
you
come
help
me
with
something?”

“I’m
going
to
make
a
skirt.
Maybe
later.”

“I’ll
help
you,”
Aggie
offered.

Ellie
looked
panicked
and
backed
up
the
stairs.
“I—I’ll
be
fine.
Thanks.”

As
Ellie
hurried
away,
Aggie
turned
to
Luke.
“I
don’t
understand.
She’s
different
lately—even
before
Geraldine’s
little
stunt,
but
now
it’s
worse.
She’s
always
holed
up
in
her
room
and
if
I
come
near
her,
she
acts
like
she
wants
me
to
go
away.”

“Want
me
to
talk
to
her?”

Ian
dove
for
his
toys
and
Aggie
dragged
the
basket
near
the
couches,
collapsing
on
one
as
he
began
pulling
them
out.
“I
don’t
know.
What
do
you
think?”

Seeing
the
trouble
in
her
eyes,
Luke
started
for
the
stairs,
but
then
heard
Laird
call
him
from
the
library.
He
stepped
inside,
pulling
the
doors
closed
behind
him.
“Something
wrong?”

“I
think
you
shouldn’t
worry
about
Ellie.”

“Why
would
you
say
that?”

“I
know
Aunt
Aggie
is
bothered
,
but
there’s
nothing
wrong—really.
I think if she—well both of you—thought about it, you’d remember.
Since you don’t, I’m not going to say anything
,
but I know you’ll agree
.”

“You
thought
I
would
agree
with
you
about
Aggie
and
going
to
town.”

Laird
shook
his
head.
“No,
I
thought
you
should
agree.
I
already
knew
you
wouldn’t
do
it.
Aunt
Aggie
comes
first—even
if
she’s
wrong.
I
get
that.”

That
“even
if
she’s
wrong”
was
nearly
Luke’s
undoing,
but
he
managed
to
keep
a
straight
face.
“And
what
would
Vannie
say
about
Ellie?”

“Same
thing.
We
all
would.
Just
trust
us.
She’s
fine.
She
doesn’t
even
get
that
what
Grandmother
did
was
wrong.
She
thinks
it’s
a
big
misunderstanding.
I’ve
heard
her
pray
that
Josh
won’t
get
into
trouble
for
helping
Grandmother.”
The
disgust
in
the
boy’s
voice
told
Luke
Laird’s
opinion
of
the
idea.