Meg at Sixteen (20 page)

Nick put his fingers on her mouth to shush her. “Don't say that,” he murmured. “There's no need to. Don't you know? We're never going to die.”

C
HAPTER
F
OURTEEN

The doorbell rang. “I'll get it,” Evvie said. “It's probably Sam.”

And it was. “Twin delivery,” he said, wheeling the babies in. “Where do you want them?”

“The floor will do,” Evvie replied. Sam unstrapped the babies, and soon they were crawling in opposite directions. Rob paddled his way toward the kitchen, while Mickey began tugging at Claire's calf. Claire laughed, and picked him up.

“A real ladies' man, I see,” she said. “You know, he looks like Nicky.”

“Megs thinks so,” Evvie said.

Thea scooped Rob up off the floor. “He looks healthy enough,” she admitted. “Although I still say you weaned them too soon.”

“Not again,” Sybil said. “I can't take another breastfeeding war.”

“Where's Megs?” Sam asked. “I'd have thought she'd be down here visiting with you.”

“She's in the attic,” Evvie replied. “Reading Nicky's old love letters, I think.”

“She's sorting things out,” Thea said. “She wanted some time alone before the wedding tomorrow.”

“She'd better hurry, then,” Sam said. “Clark called me right before I left. He's planning to pick Megs up at six.”

“When's Duncan getting there?” Claire asked as Mickey contentedly yanked at her hair.

“Closer to seven,” Sam said. “He wanted to finish everything at the office, so he could go on his honeymoon with a clear conscience.”

Claire laughed. “Not the sort of thing Nicky ever worried about,” she said.

“I wonder how Megs is going to like being married to a doctor,” Thea said. “It's going to be so different from what she's used to.”

“Duncan's a good man,” Sam declared. “And he's crazy about Megs. I think they'll be very happy together.”

“Sam's such a romantic,” Evvie said.

“I'm predisposed to like doctors,” Sam replied. “My grandfather was one. My sister-in-law is one. Besides, if Megs marries Duncan, it means she won't marry Clark. Which cuts down considerably on the amount of time I'd have to spend with Schyler.”

“What if I marry Schyler?” Claire asked. “There's more than one way to get him into the family.”

“He already is in our family,” Sybil said. “He's our half cousin, remember.”

“He's a half-wit, you mean,” Sam said.

Evvie laughed. “Sam hates people who are twenty times better-looking than he is. Fortunately for me, I'm only ten times.”

“Clark's going to be here in half an hour,” Thea said. “Don't you think we should make Megs get a move on? She'll need a shower after all that time in the attic.”

“I'll go,” Claire said. “Here, Sam, take your firstborn.” She handed Mickey over to him.

“I'll go with you,” Sybil declared.

“Are you sure?” Claire asked.

Sybil nodded. “I can manage the stairs,” she replied. She grabbed her cane, and walked out of the parlor with Claire.

Thea shook her head. “I wouldn't have dared ask,” she said. “Sybil bites my head off if I mention her legs.”

“She's that way with us too,” Evvie said. “Claire's the only one who can really talk to her.”

“It works out well,” Sam said. “Sybil's the only one who can really talk to Claire.” He frowned. “Do you think Claire's serious about marrying Schyler?” he asked.

Evvie laughed. “Just tell Claire it's what Nicky would have wanted,” she said. “That'll stop her cold.”

“Is this what Nicky would have wanted?” Thea asked. “Megs remarrying?”

“I think so,” Sam said. “I really think he would have been happy. He spent a lot of his life looking out for Megs. He wouldn't have wanted her to be unprotected.”

Evvie smiled. “I love you,” she said to her husband. “Come on, let's change the babies before Clark gets here.”

“I'll help,” Thea said. “I am a professional, you know.”

Claire and Sybil climbed the back staircase, which led to the attic door.

When Claire opened the door and looked up, they could see Megs was propped against an old chair, letters in her hand. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing deep, but the expression on her face was peaceful, and she was smiling.

Claire stared at the furniture and the boxes and the dust. “What a dump,” she whispered. “Should I go up there to wake her?”

Sybil shook her head. “Leave her alone,” she said. “She only looks that way when she's dreaming of Nicky.”

About the Author

Susan Beth Pfeffer wrote her first novel,
Just Morgan
, during her last semester at New York University. Since then, she has written over seventy novels for children and young adults, including
Kid Power, Fantasy Summer, Starring Peter and Leigh
, and
The Friendship Pact
, as well as the series Sebastian Sisters and Make Me a Star. Pfeffer's books have won ten statewide young reader awards and the Buxtehude Bulle Award.

All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 1990 by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Cover design by Mimi Bark

ISBN: 978-1-4532-0219-7

This edition published in 2014 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.

345 Hudson Street

New York, NY 10014

www.openroadmedia.com

THE SEBASTIAN SISTERS EBOOKS

FROM OPEN ROAD MEDIA

Available wherever ebooks are sold