Skinbound (12 page)

The scrimshaw bones. The skin-tag!

Scarlett’s unpunished wrongs against Darcy. The ill-fated endings to those who betrayed Scarlett. Suddenly it all made sense. The power of the scrimshaw bones was bound, because the doll couldn’t tell where Darcy ended and Scarlett began. It thought they were a single person, one in the same, because of the conjoining skin tag.

Darcy’s gaze scanned the shadows, landing on the blank closet door. The dress was gone. Her hand returned to her neck. So was her diamond necklace.

Cabin!

The doll, meant for Darcy’s protection, had become a weapon to be used against her by a soulless doppelganger. Jagged screams climbed her throat, begging to fill the darkening room, while her scorched tongue, thick and useless, refused to comply.

****

Cabin tugged up the sleeve of his black tuxedo jacket and held his watch to his ear before letting his wrist fall to his side. He hadn’t seen her come in. Although, he had been preoccupied, labeling and displaying art pieces in the adjoined room, preparing for the silent auction.

She wasn’t answering her phone. He milled through people, smiling, shaking hands, declining the offered hors d’oeuvres.

He checked his watch again as he crossed the room, averting a divorced country club member’s obvious advances with a polite handshake. Over the woman’s bare shoulder, through the darkened French doors, a faint red glow caught his eye. Excusing himself, he stepped through the doors, onto the shadowy poolside patio. The silhouette of a woman stood motionless, her gentle curves backlit by the muted light ascending the water.

“May I help you?” He would have to persuade the woman to step indoors. The patio was off limits during the gala. The pool constituted a risky liability.

“You certainly can,” the woman whispered, beckoning him with the outline of her slender fingers.

He cleared his throat, moving closer, hoping he wasn’t stepping into yet another web of unwanted advances. “Ma’am, I’m sorry, but you’ll need to return to the building.” He touched her elbow and jolted as if he’d been shocked. The dress. He turned her gently toward him, his eyes sweeping her dimly lit face. “Darcy!” He smiled. “But, when did you...what are you doing out here?”

“I just needed some fresh air.” She stepped closer to him, the heels of her shoes clicking against the tile. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she whispered in his ear, “It’s so good to see you.” She inhaled deeply. “Your aroma is intoxicating.”

Cabin swallowed hard and looked over his shoulder, into the French doors.

“Relax,” she breathed. “No one can see us out here.” She placed his hands on her hips, gliding them over the smooth satin. “Do you like my dress?” she asked, molding herself into him.

He backed his head from her, examining her shadowed face. “Your voice...”

“Hoarse. Yes, I know. You can thank my
evil twin
for that. She took me to her salon today, for this.” She unlaced her fingers from his neck and smoothed them over her hair, her firm breasts pressing against his chest as she arched into him.

His hands slid to her curved back, his fingers slipping down her spine.

“Fumes from styling products filled the place.” She released a delicate cough. “I’ve been raspy ever since.” The diamond necklace slid over her fingers as she caressed her throat, stirring him with desire. “Scarlett had the nerve to tell me I sounded like
her
, like I’d been
smoking
, for heaven’s sake. Ridiculous.”

He returned his hands to her hips, pressing her to him, enjoying this impish streak she’d concealed from him, wondering what had freed it. He brought his lips to hers, his passion ignited by her hungry kisses. He slid his mouth from her, knowing this was neither time nor place, knowing he was too far gone to care.

Eager fingers stroked his body, setting him on fire.

“Cabin... I can’t wait any longer. The pool house is unlocked. I have everything ready.” Her fingers encircled his wrist as she led him from the patio. “I want to make your special night a dream come true for both of us.”

****

Darcy rolled from the bed to the floor, unable to stand. She splintered her nails against the hardwood as she crawled, raking her legs across the boards. Pulling herself up on the nightstand, she writhed in pain, her head throbbing sickly. The phone. Where was the phone...

She flung herself against the door and rattled the knob, finding it locked. With a frustrated sob, she brought her knee up hard against the doorknob, jarring the tumbler free, falling through the opening into the hallway. Walking her hands up the wall, she rose, then hobbled to the kitchen and swept the countertop with her eyes. Her purse was gone. With an outraged cry, she lurched to the spare bedroom.

She flipped on the light. The old-fashioned telephone shone from the nightstand like a beacon. Her knee throbbed painfully beneath her sleep pants, inflating against the fabric. Limping furiously, she reached the phone and dialed Cabin’s number. No answer. She dialed Liz.
Please pick up. Please pick up
...

“Hello?” Liz’s perky voice soothed her like salve.

“Liz! Oh, thank God!”

“Darcy? What’s wrong?”

“You have to come. It’s a nightmare. She’s impersonating me. She has Cabin!”

“...Who has Cabin—Scarlett? On my way.”

“Hurry!” Darcy slammed down the phone and hobbled from the room.

****

Cabin followed her into the pool house, then turned to her, his breathing labored as she brought his hand to her lips, pressing his fingers to her mouth.

She pushed the door shut, locking it. “Come here, you aqua-eyed animal.” She crushed him to her, pressing him into her black satin.

“Darcy...I...”

“Shhh...” She kissed him deeply, rousing an inkling in the far corner of his mind. The slight flavor of tobacco lingering beneath her breath mint...the uncharacteristic behavior...

Intent of wrongdoing?

Cabin pushed the thought to the back of his brain, letting his libido rule. He shaped her around him, then thrust his fingers into her hair, shaking it free of pins. He slid his hands to her face, holding it in his palms.

A trace of malice?

He dropped his hands.

A smirk played on Scarlett’s full lips, her eyes curious.

Cabin’s heart stopped. He felt it, knew what it meant. Perspiration drenched him. He clawed at his chest with clammy hands. His lungs failed and he wheezed, tripping toward Scarlett as she backed away. His head cracked against the floor. Scarlett chuckled as he closed his eyes and succumbed to the darkness.

****

Liz bumped into the driveway, blaring the horn. Darcy staggered down the front steps toward the headlight beams, still wearing pajamas.

“Oh my God, Darcy, are you okay?” Catching her on the last step, Liz threw an arm over her shoulder, then limped her to the car.

Darcy drew her knees in painfully as Liz slammed the door, rounded to the driver’s side, and jumped behind the wheel. She jerked into reverse, gunning the accelerator.

“Where are we going?” she asked, taking the darkened curves at a dangerous speed.

“The Chickasha country club.” Darcy flung her hands to her face. “I just can’t believe it. She drugged me and took the dress. She’s at the gala with Cabin, pretending to be me.”

“That slut!” Liz swerved, avoiding an armadillo as they sped through the lake exit, toward Verden.

“And Gigi’s doll thinks Scarlett and I are
one person
, some sort of hybrid, because of the skin-tag. That’s how she gets away with torturing me. I’m so worried about Cab—”

Liz interrupted. “Skin-tag? I have
no
idea what you’re talking about.”

“Cabin’s father is a retired physician. He delivered Scarlett and me. He told me we were conjoined at birth by a skin-tag on our feet.” She could barely comprehend the situation, let alone explain it.

“Hold on a minute. That doesn’t make any sense, if the doll thinks you’re one person, why don’t you have a string of punished wrongdoers behind you like your sister does? You said she’s had four broken marriages, and all four ex-husbands ended up maimed, missing, or dead—so why is Wyatt still kicking?”

“Because he never betrayed me—he left to keep from cheating on me. No one has ever betrayed me, except for Scarlett.

“But you said ‘true love breaks the curse.’ Shouldn’t the love you shared with Wyatt have broken the spell and removed the doll’s power?”

Darcy shook her head. “I started dating Wyatt right after Stephen died. He was...comfortable. We never truly loved each other.”

“Well, at least you don’t have to worry about Cabin dropping dead. The worst Scarlett can do is get into his pants by using your identity.”

“That makes me feel
so
much better.” Darcy swallowed a rush of tears.

“That didn’t come out right. What I mean is you don’t have to worry about the doll harming him, because he would never knowingly betray you.”

“But what if he discovers her deception...in the middle of things. Or decides he wants her instead?” Darcy’s heart weakened at the thought.

“That’s
not
going to happen.”

Liz screeched into the country club parking lot and whirled into a space. Darcy flung the car door open and hobbled toward the building as Liz ran up from behind, snaking an arm around her. Reaching the entrance, Liz burst through the front door, holding it open for Darcy.

Their arrival raised the penciled eyebrows of the sturdy, red-complexioned woman in an ill-fitting coral gown, checking names.

Stepping forward, she gated them behind her thick arms. “You’re inappropriately dressed.” She scowled at Darcy’s pajamas. “This is a formal affair.”

“It’s an emergency, let us in...
Edith
,” Liz read the woman’s paper name badge as she pushed against her fixed forearm.

“What kind of emergency?” Edith demanded, jerking a cell phone from her satin-trussed cleavage.

“The kind that requires running.” Liz snatched the phone from the woman’s grip and ran. “Go, Darcy, go, go!”

Darcy stood frozen, then bolted, darting through the formal gowns and tuxedos, her knee stiffening in protest.

“Call the police!” Edith screamed, chasing Liz through the ballroom to the tune of
Beethoven’s Fifth
.

Darcy weaved through people, searching the surprised faces of tuxedo-attired men, looking for Cabin as Liz and her angry pursuant crossed into the neighboring room. Shouting, the two women barreled over the threshold of the silent auction, drawing every eye in the house as Darcy ducked through the French doors to an unlit patio.

Cabin and Scarlett must have left together. Her stomach roiled, threatening to empty onto the tile. What if the curse... What if she’d lost him forever...

She inhaled the humid night air.

Cigarette smoke.

Darcy limped toward the dimly lit pool, squinting into the surrounding darkness. A faint glow flickered, barely visible, beneath the pool house door.

Her pulse drummed in her ears as she hitched toward the small building, terrified of what she’d find.

“Looking for something?” The question resounded in the darkness, nearly buckling her good knee.

Scarlett stepped in front of her.

“Where is he?” Darcy demanded, looking around her sister toward the pool house.

Scarlett laughed. “You know exactly where he is. He’s with me. Where he belongs.” Her gaze crept over Darcy’s rumpled pajamas. “It’s not like you’d know what to do with a man like Cabin anyway.”

“Find your own man.” Darcy stepped forward, sweeping Scarlett to the side.

Scarlett stumbled, grabbing Darcy’s forearm.

“But it’s so much more fun this way.” Scarlett smirked, her face partially cloaked in shadow. “Don’t pretend we haven’t been down this road before, dear sister.”

Darcy struggled against her sister’s grip. “That was different. Wyatt and I didn’t love—”

“Oh, come now,” Scarlett interrupted. “Don’t tell me you’re
that
naïve.” Scarlett loosened her grasp, letting Darcy’s arm fall. “I’m not talking about
Wyatt
. I’m talking about that adorable little boy-toy of yours throughout high school and college...what was his name again?”

“S-Stephen?” Darcy asked.

“Ah, yes,
Stephen
, that’s right.” She circled Darcy, the silver-heeled stilettos clicking on the tile. “Stephen had a little accident, remember?”

An image exploded in Darcy’s mind—Stephen, crushed beneath the scaffolding in his blue graduation robes. Impaled and twitching, like a butterfly pinned to Styrofoam.

“Do you really think he would’ve stayed with you all those years, content to hold your sweet little hand, rewarded only with the occasional feel-up, if he wasn’t getting a little on the side?”

Her words were a kick to the ribs. “You impersonated me with Stephen?”

“I didn’t have to. It was me he wanted. He just had this unfortunate hang-up about not hurting your feelings. According to the old hag’s superstitions, that’s what killed him—right?
Betraying
you. If only he would have broken it off properly with you before getting it on with me... Things would have turned out differently for poor Stephen.”

Darcy turned, her gaze following Scarlett as she strolled in a circle around her.

“And you’ve got to love the ironic ending to the story. Not six months after Stephen splattered all over that stage on graduation night, you gave up that precious virginity of yours to sad little Wyatt in the backseat of his dad’s station wagon.” Scarlett purred the words over her shoulder.

With an anguished cry Darcy lunged, driving her shoulder into the middle of Scarlett’s exposed back, shoving her into the swimming pool.

Ignoring the throb in her knee, Darcy ran to the pool house and banged through the door.