Keeper of the Light

here at night to use my mother’s stained glass stuff.”

“Your mother’s…?”

Lacey let out an exasperated sigh. He must be sounding as dense as he felt. “Her stained glass stuff,” she said. “You know, her tools and things.”

There was laughter from the living room. Paul set the empty water glass in the sink, his hand shaking badly. He struggled to make his face unreadable as he turned back to Lacey.

“But Olivia doesn’t work with stained glass,” he said.

“God, you must not have seen her in a while. She takes lessons at my mother’s studio every Saturday morning from Tom Nestor. He’s the guy who…”

“I know who he is.” Paul tried to picture Olivia at Annie’s work table in the studio. He tried to imagine her out to dinner with Alec, laughing with him, telling him…what? She’d been here at Alec’s house. Annie’s house. Playing mother to Annie’s daughter.

“Paul?” It was Nola this time, an irked quality to her voice.

“I’d better go,” he said.

“Yeah,” Lacey grinned. “You don’t cross Nola Dillard and live to talk about it.”

He knew the moment he sat down on the sofa that he could not stay. His confusion was turning to anger. What the hell did Olivia think she was doing?

Alec was talking about the upcoming tour of the keeper’s house, now scheduled for the following Tuesday.

“Alec?” Paul interrupted him, standing up, and everyone raised their eyes to him.

“I’m sorry,” Paul said, “but I’m going to have to leave. I’m not feeling well. I thought I could make it through the meeting, but…” He shrugged his shoulders.

“Do you want to lie down for a while?” Alec asked.

“I have some aspirin,” Sondra Carter offered.

“Is it something you ate?” Nola asked.

“No.” He began backing away from them, the color rising in his face. “I’m sure I’ll be all right once I’m out in the fresh air.”

They were quiet as he walked the few steps to the front door and let himself out. Once outside, he wondered what they were saying about him. Probably not much. They would probably just get on with the meeting, and later Alec would call him to make certain he was all right. That would be exactly like Alec. He wondered what kind of sympathy and understanding he’d been giving Olivia these past couple of months.

He drove south toward Kitty Hawk, fifteen miles over the speed limit, trying to think of what he would say to her when he finally saw her face-to-face. Anything he said was sure to come out as a growl. There was no way he could do this calmly.

The house was dark when he arrived, her car gone. Damn. He was ready. He was bursting to have this out with her.

He sat down on the front deck. Where was she? Who was she off with tonight? Maybe she was at the Battered Women’s Shelter. He could go over there. He closed his eyes, smiling ruefully at the image of yet another irate husband creating a stir at the shelter.

He sat on the deck for nearly an hour before he gave up and drove home to his little cottage in South Nags Head. He would find her in the morning. Saturday morning. Lacey had told him where she would be.

Olivia arrived home around ten. She thought of calling Paul to tell him about Mike’s offer, but she needed time to think it through herself. Besides, she did not look forward to talking to Paul these days.

She had just gotten into bed when Alec called.

“The roses are beautiful, Alec,” she said. “Thank you.”

“I really owe you for your help with Lacey,” he said. “It changed things overnight. She’s talking to me, and I suddenly feel as though I have some control in my house.”

“She’s basically a good kid.”

“I know that.” He sighed. “This morning she told me she doesn’t want to do anything about birth control, that she doesn’t want to have sex again for a while. I don’t know if that’s realistic, though. Once a kid starts, how does she stop?”

“If she’s getting more from you, maybe she won’t need so much attention from guys at parties.”

“I hope you’re right.” He was quiet for a moment. She thought she could hear him stretching, turning, and she knew he was in bed. “Well,” he said, “how are you doing?”

“I was offered the director position tonight.”

“You’re kidding! Why didn’t you call me the second you heard? That’s fantastic, Olivia.”

She could see the moon from her bed. It was nearly full and surrounded by stars. “I’m afraid to tell Paul. It’s going to bring things to a head.”

“He didn’t stay for the meeting tonight.”

“What do you mean?”

“He just came for a few minutes and then left. He said he wasn’t feeling well.”

“Did he say what was wrong?”

“He didn’t offer any details. When are you going to tell him about the job?”