“Pretty cool how I got you away from that crazy reporter, eh?” Darcy waltzes impressively in her heels, glowing.

“Yeah, gee wiz,” is my sarcastic reply. Because asking me to dance is so original. I follow Darcy’s lead.

“Well,” she gives a mock huff. “if you didn’t want to dance with me, you could have said so.”

As if. Darcy is a magnificent dancer. She could make goose stepping look like an art. I will never understand how I could have been around the world – twice – and this woman caught in a hick town could dance better than I can. The only explanation is that Darcy is simply Darcy; and Darcy is good at everything.

Except the acceptance of reporters at a time like this. Darcy’s eyes shoot poisonous african tribal darts at Noah as he walks past. He just grins at me and disappears into the crowd, balancing his huge camera on one shoulder.

“Do you think…”

“What?” Darcy asks, completing another box step like a pro.

“I don’t know.” I sigh. “Do you think I could do journalism?”

The look I’m given is one as though the word ‘journalist’ is the most offensive thing in the world to her. “Why would you ask that all of the sudden?”

“Uhhh… Darcy?” Basil’s voice comes through the comms. “I seem to have lost the wifi, and I’ve locked myself in a dark closet and can’t get out.”

“What the…?” Darcy says a bad word.

“Yeah, I know right? If I could reach it, hacking it would be no problem. I don’t understand how such a posh place can have wifi that doesn’t even reach throughout the house.”

“What I don’t understand,” Darcy grinds through her teeth as she drops my hand and storms off. “is how an expert hacker can’t find wifi and locks himself in a closet.”

“An expert? You flatter me.” Snow white covers her mouth with a dainty hand and giggles sheepishly.

If Darcy had sleeves, she’d be rolling them up to high heaven right about now. “When I find you, you’re gonna get a lot more than flattery.”

“My, my, so violent!” The Disney princess titters.

Out of nowhere Angus stumbles into my arms. “Would you! Like? To… dance.” He slurs.

I manage a panicked “I’m dancing with Hale!”, drop the intoxicated cousin and run away, leaving him lying on the polished floor, yelling for more punch.

Shaken, I comb the grand ball room, searching for Darcy’s brother. It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. Except you can’t burn the hay to find the needle. Ugh. Violent.  Each face a meet reminds me of my job – to talk to people. Nothing could sound more horrible. More panic. I attempt to comfort myself, saying I already have to do a speech tonight and that’s enough for one night. Anyhow, I figure I should look busy, in case I am caught by myself. Calculating my routes of escape, I check my options. Both Julia and Vivain are dancing with their brothers. It’s easy to see that Noah is much to busy, and Darcy would not be happy if she caught me with him. I seem to be alone. Loss is just a fundamental part of my life, I guess.

Julia’s sister, Janet, passes and I ask her if she’s seen Hale. “He’s tall, blond…”

“Oh, yes! The handsome one with the cute nose. I just saw him walk out that doorway and down the hall with some lady.”

After thanking her I hurry out into the hall, and the noise of the party fades away. I take a deep breath, but it doesn’t seem to help, so I try to ignore it. “Hale, are you here some place?” No answer, but I hear voices, so I continue. The doors to one of the sitting rooms is ajar and just as I’m about to call his name again, the voices become louder.

“You’re just going to throw to waste your education?”

“No!” Came the other voice, but what was said next was lost.

The first voice comes again, but it’s inaudible, so I creep closer.

“No you’re not.” The second voice is cold now. “…so leave me out of it.”

My breath is caught. Creeping forward, I strain to hear the rest.

The door swings open and I’m knocked to the ground.

“Bridie!” Hale exclaims. “What are you doing here?”

I feel like using some of the words Darcy uses. I’ve been caught eavesdropping. Quick, Bridie, come up with a clever lie. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, I just came looking for you, and well…” I trail off. You sly fox, you.

Both our faces are flushed, though for the same reason, I’m not sure. “Are you okay?” Hale helps me to my feet.

“I’m fine. Are you?”

“Yeah, my mom’s just…”

I heard once that if you wait quietly, most of the time, people will continue to say more than if you had asked them. So I am silent.

“She wants me to… well… you know how moms are.” He looks tired, so I don’t tell him I don’t.

When he doesn’t speak, I don’t either, and regretfully, I walk with him back to the throng of people in the ballroom.

The tight feeling is back. I try to ignore it, to concentrate on the boy in front of me. The task could have been more difficult. As Hale converses about anything from coffee to automobiles, I suddenly feel a warm appreciation for him. The tight feeling lessens a bit.

A smile spreads across Hale’s face. “You’re coming to the city with Darcy and I tomorrow, right?”

Oh dear. I had almost forgotten. Darcy and her brother had promised to take me shopping with them this week.

“Jackpot!” Basil screams.

“Lord, Basil. Now what?” Be still my beating heart.

“Aw, yes! The son in law of Bethany Baxter Tesdinic is our man! Harry Pinhoe is struggling to get his carpentry business off the ground. His wife, Cecily, has a natural product business that hasn’t taken off either. Both of them have borrowed a great deal of money.”

“Everything okay Bridie?” Hale leans closer, concerned. “You seem bothered.”

Bothered is just the beginning. “It’s nothing. I just have this nagging voice that won’t go away.” I laugh as though I just cracked a real good one. Brilliant.

Hale seems confused, but chuckles. “What’s it saying?”

At that moment basil had chosen to say: “tutant meenage neetle teetles.” So I simply responded: “You would not believe.”

“Dopey, more like ANNOYING.”

“That’s not even a dwarf!” I hiss.

“Pardon?” Hale blinks.

I chuckle and tug at my dress. “I said this isn’t even a dress; it’s so annoying!” I hope my laugh doesn’t sound as forced as I think it does.

To my relief, Hale simply rolls his eyes and puts a hand on my back, steering me towards the punch bowl. “You crack me up, Bridie. Can’t wait to hang out with Darcy and you tomorrow.”

“‘Sneaky.'” Basil says through the comm. “Anyway, you and Darce need to come check this out. Seriously. I’m in the sound booth in the balcony above you.”

Suddenly I feel tired. I don’t want to go. Hale grabs a ladle and pours us some punch, first a cup for me, then one for himself. Turning to me he flashes a smile. Maybe if I just ignore them they’ll forget about me.

“Bridie, come on.” Darcy and Basil urge.

For not the first time today I feel the urge to cry. Or sleep. Or something. Maybe eat? I sigh. Casting about for some lame excuse about having ‘forgotten to check about the tomatoes with Mrs. Post’, I dart off. The fact that I have to choose between two boys in this manner strikes me as anything but funny. I don’t have to turn around to know Hale is standing with a cup of punch in each hand, deserted. If possible, the the pit in my stomach grows even more hollow.

As I shut the soundbooth door the music nearly disappears. The silence rings in my ears, almost foreign. Within this dim room is a board with a bunch of switches and buttons and flashing lights. A window on one side looks out into the ballroom. The only chair is taken up by Basil, with Darcy standing beside him, both hunched over his computer. I stand right before them before they notice me.

“Ah, Bridie, good news!” Basil looks like a  child on Christmas Day. “We have a lead. The Pinhoes are in a lot of debt. Check out these figures! They even borrowed some money from Mr. Baxter himself. Man, have they got nerve.”

“So?” I ask the obvious question: “How does that mean anything.”

Darcy nods. “Exactly right, Bridie. It doesn’t mean anything because we don’t have any proof. Yet. This just gives them a motive, so be sure to keep an eye on the family. They could have something to do with this plot. Also, we need as much information as possible. Asking people how well they got along with Mr. Ben and picking up on any rumors could greatly help our cause.”

“Uhuh. You called me all the way up here to tell me this?” I lean against the soundboard, unimpressed.

“Bridie, don’t you see? This means we’re one step closer to finding out who is responsible for your Grandfather’s death. Not much longer and we’ll have the culprit right in the palm of our hands!” Darcy grabbed my arms and shook me gently. “We’ll have our justice!”

“Guys.” Basil shushes us and we freeze. He stops us just in time to hear a faint echo of Darcy’s words. None of us move. We share a look. Then, slowly, I turn to look out the window. This party is over. Every single head in the ballroom is turned to look at us. Even from this distance I can see each face hold a different emotion. Curiousity. Confusion. Anger.

Everyone heard us.

Our cover is so blown.

We’re screwed.

Without warning I am shoved roughly to the ground. Buttons click. Basil curses. “Leave it to you to turn on the speakers with your butt.”

Holy moly. I’m such an idiot. I wish the floor would swallow me up.

I wish I would die. Disappear. If only that were possible.

Darcy yanked me up off the floor. “Let’s go.”

Whoa, girl, the last thing I needed right now was a super pissed Darcy. I had been on the verge of a breakdown all night. This was just a cherry to top it all off. A giant, horrible, possibly life ruining cherry. When we stepped out onto the balcony, every head turned to watch us in silence. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so embarrassed or ashamed in my life. My whole family… not to mention the surrounding village, just witnessed my deception.

My soon to be ex-best friend ushers me out of the scene and all the way to my bedroom. I don’t know how I made it. My legs feel like jelly. I want to laugh, scream, cry. At first I think I am going to do of those things, but as soon as Darcy plops me onto my bed, by body seems numb. I don’t laugh, or scream, or even cry. I feel nothing. Well, almost nothing.

“Hey.” Darcy snaps her fingers in front of my face. “You’re going to be fine. Get a good night’s sleep. We’ll start again tomorrow like nothing happened.” Lifting my feet off the floor, she shoves me under the covers and tucks me in. I don’t say anything. There’s nothing to say. And even if there was I don’t think I could manage. So I let Darcy turn off the lights and the darkness swallow me without a word.

I’m sorry.

~*~

June 21 2005

Dear Bridie,

It’s strange having two little boys in the house, even if it’s just for a day. Mrs. Stubbings will pick up her nephew tonight. However, there seems to be a strange love triangle going on. Not really a ‘love’ triangle though, because you don’t like Basil but occasionally play with him anyway; Basil doesn’t seem extremely fond of Hale, nor does Hale seem rather fond of him; and then you’d rather play with Hale, but Basil is oddly demanding of your attention. It really is bizarre. I wonder what goes on in your heads and what will become of this.