Revelation of Hearts (Stacey and Shane Mcleod, #3) (51 page)

Shane took Nicky and put him in his bed, then took Stacey’s hand and guided her to their bedroom. Stacey turned toward the door, “Where are you going, sweetheart?” Shane asked.

“To check the balcony doors, to make sure they’re locked.”

“I’ve already checked the doors, sweetheart. I can assure you they are locked.”

Stacey stood with her hand on the door handle, looked back at Shane and said, “I’ll be right back, ‘I have to go check.”

When Stacey didn’t return, Shane went downstairs to look for her. He was a little concerned about her odd behavior. As he came downstairs, he saw Stacey pushing the piano across the French doors. “What are you doing Stacey?”

“I’m barring the door, so it can’t be opened.”

Shane understood her worry and said, “Here, sweetheart, let me help you.” After pushing the piano across the French doors and locking the legs, Shane took her hand and said, “It’s getting late love, let’s go back upstairs.”

Upstairs, Stacey went back to check on the children again before coming to bed. Shane didn’t know how long he had been asleep when he woke to find himself alone.  He found Stacey sitting on the chaise lounge cross-legged watching her children sleep.

He finally coaxed her back to bed again. Shane realized Stacey was in an emotional state; having witnessed her daughters near fall from the balcony as well as the strain of weeks of worrying about the anonymous phone caller, and then finding out it was Miranda and confronting her, had all taken its toll.

Shane had no surgeries scheduled, just a few appointments. He called Rhonda to reschedule his appointments, then called Mrs. Wyatt and gave her the day off. Stacey had fed the children and they were playing in the playroom. Shane came into the kitchen, sat down and asked Stacey to have coffee with him.

Stacey looked at him as if he was transparent, “Yes, I will,” she answered, “but first I must check on the kids.”

“I was with the children only a moment ago, sweetheart. They are fine. Come sit down, I want to have a word with you.”

Stacey ignored him and went to check on the children. When she returned, she asked, “What do you want to talk to me about, Shane?”

“I want to explain to you about yesterday, sweetheart.”

“No, I don’t ever want to talk about yesterday again.”

“Why not? You said you wanted to know my reasoning for not telling you about Miranda’s involvement, that’s what I want to talk to you about now.”

“No, Shane, No. I will not discuss that woman with you ever again. We were arguing about her when our daughters almost fell from the balcony. I don’t want to hear her name again, not now, not ever.”

Shane was at a loss as to what to say. He understood Stacey’s anger and blamed himself. They made it through the day with no conflict. Keeping everything normal for the children was Stacey’s main goal. As long as the children were around things seemed normal, but when they went down for their naps, Stacey became withdrawn and aloof. Shane tried discussing neutral topics, but Stacey answered with one-syllable words.

The night brought new terrors. Stacey still insisted on checking the doors and the children time and time again. Shane was concerned about her compulsive behavior, but was not prepared for her night terrors. Stacey had been exhausted from no sleep the night before and the trauma of days past. Shane was sound asleep when he was jerked awake by a blood-curdling scream from Stacey. She bounded from the bed and ran into the kids, room. The children were safe and sleeping blissfully. Shane took her in his arms and held her shaking body tight to his and asked, “What’s amiss sweetheart, did you have a bad dream?”

“Yes,” She said, as she turned and walked back to their bedroom.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Shane asked.

“No.” she said, as she struggled into her robe.

“Sweetheart, its three o’clock in the morning, where are you going?”

“To get a cup of hot chocolate, go on back to sleep.” 

Shane was waiting for Stacey to come back to bed. He must have dozed off, because the alarm woke him at five. Stacey’s side of the bed was still empty. He slipped on his robe and went downstairs. Stacey was not there, so back upstairs he went. He found her sitting on the chaise lounge again watching the children sleep.

Shane sat down beside her and said, “Sweetheart, you can’t keep doing this. You need to get some sleep and rest.”

Stacey turned to him with pleading eyes and said, “I can’t Shane. When I close my eyes I see the dream all over again.”

Shane didn’t want to leave, but he had surgeries scheduled. Stacey was busy with the children when Mrs. Wyatt arrived. Right away, she noticed the piano across the balcony doors, and asked, “Is there a special reason for the piano to be across the French doors, Mrs. McLeod?”

Stacey gently took her by the arm and moved a few feet away from the children and told her about the near mishap on the balcony and how she was still terrified that they might get out on the balcony again.

“Bless your heart, ma’am, to be sure, that piano will stay right where it is until you say it is to be move.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Wyatt, it’s such a relief that you understand.”

“To be sure, ma’am. You are a mother and mother’s worry. Why, I remember when my Maggie was about ten. Santa brought her a big girl bike. She wanted to ride it to school. I was afraid she would get hurt or hit by a car. My husband said I was a worrywart, so I went right out and bought myself a bicycle and taught myself to ride. I rode that bike right beside my Maggie every morning. I rode it to work here for Mrs. Morgan, then I met my Maggie after school, and rode home with her. It only took a couple of months for me to know she could do right well by herself.”

“You worked here for Mrs. Alexandria Morgan, Shane’s aunt?”

“Yes ma’am, to be sure, I did. I worked for the family many years, up until that awful tragedy. The family closed the flat after that, but when they came to London, I would open the flat and tidy up. Then about five years ago, Doctor McLeod came to the city to work with Doctor Fein. I took care of him and now I take care of his little family.”

Stacey hugged Mrs. Wyatt and said, “Thank you for telling me all this. I didn’t know, and thank you for helping me the way you have. I really appreciate it.”

“Your welcome, ma’am, to be sure.” Mrs. Wyatt stood with her dust cloth in her hand and said, “You know Doctor Grant lived here too, until he married that awful Hancock woman. It was a righteous day when he divorced her, now he’s married to that lovely lady of quality.”

Stacey smiled and agreed, “Yes, Annie is a fine woman. She and I have been friends for some time now. We met years ago on an archaeology dig in Greece. As I’m sure you remember, she and Hugh are Nicky’s godparents.”

“Yes, ma’am, to be sure, our Nicky is a very lucky lad. Well, if you’ll excuse me ma’am, I’ll get on with me chores.”

Stacey managed to stay awake and busy with the children. After Mrs. Wyatt left, Stacey fed the children lunch and put them down for a nap. She wanted to take a nap herself, but was afraid she would start dreaming that god-awful dream again. Stacey knew she was being psychotic but didn’t want to involve other people with her problems. She had almost dozed off when the doorbell rang. She hurried to the door before it woke the kids. She peeked through the spy hole and there stood Annie and Matthew.

“Why are you not answering your phone?” Annie asked.

Stacey looked dumbfounded and said, “My phone, I don’t know where my phone is.” Stacey knelt down on her knees to hug and say hello to Matthew, “Hi, sweetheart, how’s my best buddy.”

Matthew hugged Stacey and asked, “Furs my gullfin?”

Stacey smiled, as she remembered a few weeks ago, when Matthew informed them that he was going to marry Jackie when he got big. His mommy asked him why Jackie and not Jessie? He had told them very seriously, “I mawe Jackie, not Jessie, her too bossy.”

As Stacey hugged her godson, she said, “Jackie’s taking a nap. She’ll be up soon.” She then asked Matthew, “Would you fancy a little hot chocolate with your mommy and me?”

Matthew nodded his head and followed to the kitchen. He kept looking back at the living room. In the kitchen he asked, “Aunt Tacey, why de piano acoss de dowa?”

Stacey took a deep breath and told him why, “I’m afraid for the kids to play on the balcony, so I put the piano across the doors.”

Matthew stood and looked at her. Stacey knew how feeble that sounded, but it was the truth. Soon the kids woke from their naps and were busy playing; this gave Annie a chance to talk with Stacey. Stacey told her about confronting Miranda and threatening her bodily harm if she didn’t cease meddling in her affairs. She also told her about how she and Shane were arguing and how near the twins came to falling from the balcony. Stacey confided, how she felt it was her fault for not being more vigilant where the children were concerned, and now, how these horrendous dreams were keeping her awake.

“I don’t dare go to sleep, I see the kids falling from high places and I can’t get to them in time. My brain tells me it’s not real, but my sub-conscious takes over when I sleep. I can’t tell you how dreadful these dreams are, and what if they are warnings. Remember Annie, I had dreams before that led me to where I am today.”

Stacey heard the kids squabbling, then Nicky came running with Stacey’s mobile in his hand, “Me find de pone Mommy, me fine.”

“Oh, thank you, sweetheart,” Stacey said as she took the phone and kissed Nicky’s cheek. “You are Mommy’s big boy.” She looked at her phone and saw she had missed calls from Shane, Annie, Aunt Lora and Mr. George.

Annie and Matthew were leaving when Aunt Lora arrived. When she saw Stacey, she was surprised to see how weary she looked. “Stacey darling, why haven’t you been answering your phone?” Aunt Lora asked.

In Stacey’s head, her voice sounded a long way off when she explained, “I had misplaced it. Nicky just brought it to me from the playroom.” Stacey rubbed her temples and asked, “Do you want some coffee or tea?”

“No, darling, I’m here to help you. Do you have a headache?”

“Yes, I do. I’ll go take something and be right back.”

Lora took her coat off and turned toward the living room; that was when she noticed the piano across the balcony doors. The children came running from the playroom to greet her. When Jessie saw Aunt Lora look at the piano she said, “Mommy scared of de doors.”

Stacey put the children to their play table and gave them servings of Jell-O, then she told Aunt Lora about her argument with Shane, and about the twins near fall from the balcony and the crazy dream that kept reoccurring each time she went to sleep.

Aunt Lora took Stacey in her arms and asked, “Sweetheart, are you blaming yourself for all this.”

“Yes, of course, I should have been paying more attention to my kids, than arguing with Shane.”

“Why don’t you and the children come home with me until you’re feeling stronger?”

“Thank you, Aunt Lora, but no. I want to keep things as normal as possible for the kids. I don’t want to confuse them more than I have already. I’m so tired, I’m sure I’ll sleep tonight. If I don’t, I’ll call you. Okay?”

Lora went to visit with the children before she left. A while later, she kissed Stacey and the children goodbye and promised to see them tomorrow. She met Shane coming home as she went out. They talked for a few minutes and then said goodbye.

Stacey was in the kitchen with the children when Shane entered the flat. The children ran to him as he was removing his coat. He kissed both girls and picked up Nicky and then they all went to the kitchen to kiss Mommy. 

After supper and a bath, Shane was reading the children a bedtime story. Soon after, he left the sleeping children to shower and get ready for bed. When he came in the bedroom, Stacey was sitting in a chair reading a book. He asked, “Sweetheart, are you ever going to talk to me when the children aren’t around.”

Stacey closed the book with her finger between the pages, “Shane, I’m not deliberately shutting you out, I’m trying to figure out what’s wrong with me. I have this great fear for my children inside me and I don’t, as yet, know how to overcome it.”

Shane looked at the book in Stacey’s hand. It was a book on psychoanalysis. “Is this something you fancy to do on your own or will you permit me to join you. My mind is a bit muddled by all this too.”

Stacey looked at him surprised, “I’m sorry Shane, I didn’t realize this had touched you at all.”

“Not touched me? Of course, it has. I feel responsible for this horrible mess. I was the one that made the miscalculation of not informing you about certain information I was privy too. By trying to protect you, I made matters worse.” Stacey sat silently not saying a word of encouragement. Shane felt he was floundering in troubled waters. “Stacey, sweetheart, I want to make this right between us, but I can’t if you won’t talk to me.”

“I am talking to you, Shane.”

“No, obviously you are not, sweetheart. You leave it to me to converse with you while you answer in syllables. I realize seeing our little daughters so near falling and these dreadful dreams have traumatized you, but sweetheart you must talk to me. I want to help you sort this out.”

Stacey sat for the longest time trying to get her thoughts together. Finally, she said, “Shane, I don’t want to discuss what happened at that woman’s flat. I see red when I think about her. My children’s welfare is all I want to think about and how to stop these dreadful dreams. I don’t know why you didn’t tell me it was her nemesis that made that ominous phone call, but she asked for what she got and I’m not sorry.”

“I’m not sorry either,” Shane said, with a smile. “Apparently your method was more successful than mine would have been. Yours left no room for doubt.”

“Well, I wish I was as successful with this sequence of dreams that I’ve been having. I’m almost afraid to close my eyes, afraid of what I’ll see.”

Shane took the book from Stacey’s hand and said, “Come to bed, sweetheart. I want to hold you in my arms, and provide a haven for you to feel safe and secure. Perhaps you will sleep if you know I am here. You know if it was in my power I would never let anything happen to you or the children.”