Season of Fear (28 page)

Hillary was also very, very grateful to her unknown great-aunt, Miss Matilda, who had made it all possible for her.

And then the letter had arrived. It was written on several sheets of delicate rose-scented paper, in a thin, spidery hand. It had come from London, England.

My dear Hillary:

I was immensely delighted to hear of your successful completion of the nursing program. Such dedication and drive for personal achievement is so often lacking in the young today. It is because of this commendable trait that I am writing to you.

My request is a simple one, but nevertheless one which means a great deal to me. My oldest and dearest friend, Priscilla Scott, finds herself in need of expert nursing care. She has recently succumbed to a stroke which has unfortunately confined her to a wheelchair.

Her ancestral estate, Eagle's Watch, on the northern coastline of Maine, is quite remote and I gather there has been some difficulty in obtaining a suitable nurse/companion to ease her difficult days.

It would greatly delight me if you would consider accepting this position for my dear friend. If Eagle's Watch is even remotely as I remember it in my early years, you will find it a rare experience in solitude and tranquility.

Details, as always, will be handled through our competent attorneys.

Most gratefully,

Miss Matilda

That rose-scented letter changed Hillary's life. At first she had been tempted to rip it up deliberately, to refuse the request that her benefactress had made. But she could not.

For even as she was determined and dutiful in her work at the hospital, so was she conscientious and just in her personal life. She owed so much to the old woman who had written that letter, and she had never had to repay her benefactress.

Until now.

Legally, Hillary knew that she could walk away from the situation if she wanted to. But she felt a moral obligation to Miss Matilda. And that was that.

So Hillary had gone to her attorney and he laid out the details for her, giving her directions, telling her when she was to arrive at Eagle's Watch to assume her new role. The lawyer had shown no doubt, no surprise, that she would do Miss Matilda's bidding. Indeed, he assumed that she would take on the job.

And so here she was, in her battered old VW, covering the miles to Eagle's Watch and to the old woman for whom she was now responsible. Her career in surgery had been sidetracked temporarily, perhaps even permanently, with her refusal of the sought-after position on the surgery staff at the hospital. It was replaced by a job promising "solitude and tranquility." She turned her freckled nose up in disgust. The last thing she wanted was a quiet, remote life, cooped up with a demanding old woman who needed more mothering than nursing, in an isolated, empty house that must be quite unappealing, since no nurse would consent to live in it without coercion.

But Hillary brushed away the single tear that slid down her cheek, and she made an inner decision to make the best of her present circumstances, to do her best with a smile on her face, and to remain forever optimistic that the doors to her yearned-for future were not locked forever.

The tired little car quickly passed through Highpoint, a small little seacoast town, and she drove the steep, winding road upward, through the woods, for the last few miles.

And then she was there. Hillary could see no house from the narrow road, but two enormous stone pillars marked the drive, supporting a stately wrought-iron banner that said EAGLE'S WATCH.

She closed her tired eyes for a brief instant and muttered a little prayer. Then she drove very slowly down the gravel drive that led to Eagle's Watch. Pushing in on every side were dense clumps of pine and cedar trees, their massive branches interlocking to block out all but a very few of the late afternoon sun's rays.

The smell of evergreens filled Hillary's nostrils with their freshly clean aroma as she took the turns of the winding drive.

Suddenly the trees thinned out, giving her the feeling that she had emerged from a long tunnel. She made one more turn. Then she saw it—Eagle's Watch. Hillary's mouth was open in wonder, her green eyes wide, as she stopped the car.

The line of trees had stopped, leaving only a rocky surface for several hundred yards ahead. And sitting on the highest point of that huge, rocky expanse, silhouetted sharply against the summer blue sky, was the old structure. It was gray, a slightly lighter shade than the gray of the rocks that made up the landscape around it. And it was a castle.

Hillary, in truth, had never seen a castle in her life, but the edifice that loomed before her fit every fairy-tale description that she had ever heard. It was square and immensely solid looking, with two thick round turrets rising high from each end. There were many, many windows visible in the thick gray walls of the building, and a tremendous black door sat squarely in the middle.

"It's impossible," her brain screamed, "for something like this to exist!" She felt as if she had suddenly plunged backward in time, to the days of knights and dragons and damsels in distress. She hastily glanced at the base of the castle, and was somehow reassured to see that it was not surrounded by a moat.

She was to live
here
? It seemed incredible. It was incredible. How could anyone live in a place like this?

Hillary sat momentarily staring at the sight that greeted her eyes. There wasn't a single sign of life. She closed her eyes and listened. A steady rumble, a rhythmic roar reached her ears. The ocean was nearby.

She followed the remainder of the drive, which wound through the rocks and curved toward the left side of the castle. She slowed to a stop. Her heart was pounding as she shut off the engine and climbed out of her confining seat. Just what was she getting herself into?

Drawn by the sound of the waves, and still hesitant to approach the menacing black door that loomed so ominously at the front of the castle, she skirted the building carefully, staying on the gravel path that led toward the ocean.

As she cleared the left side of the house, a magnificent sight stood before her. The castle stood on the very brink of a cliff, high and jagged. She stood on the edge and looked down. The white foamy waves of the Atlantic beat mercilessly on the rocks below.

The sun was bright and cast its summer beams on the nearby rocks, making them sparkle, making the surf look spectacular in its tints of blue and green. In front of her stretched the great expanse of ocean, with no land to be seen, except for a tiny spit of green that protruded down the rocky coast, supporting a tall lighthouse at its point.

It was a beautiful sight. But it was a lonely sight. How would she, a girl born and bred in the bustle of the city, survive in such a place? Eagle's Watch, it was called. But no eagles could be seen. She turned abruptly and walked back to face her employer.

Hillary rapped loudly on the heavy door with the massive brass knocker that adorned it, and stood back quietly, almost hoping that her knock would go unanswered. But that was not to be. The huge door opened noiselessly before her.

She felt a rush of cold air as the heavy door was pulled back. A small, middle-aged woman peered out at her, her graying hair pulled back from her face. A starched white cap sat on her head, and her slight body was clothed in a severe black uniform and crisp white apron.

"Come in, Nurse Holt. You are expected." She had spoken before Hillary had had a chance to open her mouth, the words rasping out in a dry, brittle voice. Then she stepped backward and motioned for Hillary to enter the door.

"Thank you," Hillary stammered, ill at ease and self-conscious before the frank stare that the little woman made no effort to hide.

"I am Mrs. Raymond, Miss Scott's housekeeper. I will show you to your room now, and my husband will fetch your luggage from the car. Miss Scott will wish to see you directly, I am sure. Follow me please."

The little housekeeper wasted no words on amenities. She was brusque and without the slightest trace of warmth. Hillary had no choice but to follow her uniformed back. They crossed the large stone foyer and headed for the wide stairway that rose before them. Hillary glanced with avid curiosity at massive stone walls, at the distant ceilings that seemed to mock her presence.

It was dim here, the illumination in the foyer coming from a few small electric lights, designed to look like candle sconces, stationed along the walls. They cast a shadowy glow, and Hillary suppressed a little shiver as her footsteps echoed smartly on the stone floor.

Up the stairs they traveled, past long rows of painted portraits of the former residents of Eagle's Watch, standing stiff and erect in their dated finery. They made an intriguing sight, and one which Hillary would have loved to study, but the efficient Mrs. Raymond bustled her along. Toward the top of the flight, the stairway made a sharp turn to the right, past an open balcony that offered a good view of the large foyer below.

Moving through a tall archway, they came upon a long, gracious corridor. The housekeeper opened the first door on the right.

"This will be your room, Nurse Holt. Miss Scott's suite is right next door. I am sure you'd like to freshen up after your long journey, and to change into something more appropriate." Her nose had a peculiar pinched look about it as she gazed disapprovingly at the pale yellow pantsuit Hillary had worn for the trip.

"I'll return in twenty minutes to bring you to Miss Scott."

She was gone. Hillary stood dumbfounded at the door to her room, feeling a mixture of annoyance at the woman who had regarded her with such obvious distaste and mirth at the ridiculousness of the entire situation. Was this for real? The mirth finally won out, and a little giggle began to rise in her throat as she ducked into her room.

Hillary looked around her and saw the room for the first time. A surge of delight ran through her. It was spacious and airy, amazingly bright compared to the small bit of the dark castle that she had seen so far. The carpet, drapes, and walls were decorated tastefully in soft shades of green. Three square windows occupied the far wall, standing open now. A slight breeze drifted in, rustling the soft curtains.

The furniture was attractive and modern, her small bathroom sparkling and very adequate. It was a room that she knew she could be very comfortable in, an oasis away from the dreariness of the castle below.

A sullen, quiet man knocked at the door and entered with her luggage, a few simple suitcases containing all of her worldly possessions. He was dressed in rough work clothes, showing signs of recent outdoor work on the huge estate. She thanked him briefly, and he was gone, being even less talkative than his bristly wife.

Hillary turned to her bags, ever mindful of the minutes rapidly slipping away. Mrs. Raymond would be at her door once again in a very short time, and she felt compelled to be ready and waiting.

She giggled at the thought of the dour housekeeper. Such strange inhabitants of Eagle's Watch she had met so far! Were they any indication of the personality of the mistress whom she had yet to meet? Would she be able to get along with Priscilla Scott?

She was determined to make a go of things. Someday, she thought with a grin, she might even look back at it all and have a good laugh. After all, how many people could say that they had resided in the dark depths of a medieval castle?

Opening one suitcase and extracting a freshly laundered uniform, white and trim, Hillary said a silent prayer of thanks for permanent press. She washed quickly in the little bathroom and changed her clothes. White dress, white stockings and shoes, white cap. She looked into the full mirror on the bathroom door, regarding the girl who gazed back at her. She studied the red hair, which hung gracefully to her shoulders, turning under slightly at the ends. Her thick bangs barely touched her eyebrows, bringing out the softness in her large, green eyes.

She wrinkled her nose as she looked at it, pert and turned up. It gave an inkling that its strong-minded owner was easy to laugh, as well as easy to get angry. Her mouth was red, and a bit too large, and her freckles stood out sharply against her pale skin.

Not a pretty face, she told herself. Just a face. But it was a face that came to life with her sparkling green eyes and her smiling mouth. She smoothed the nurse's uniform over her trim figure and gave a last sigh. She was ready for "smiley" Mrs. Raymond.