SEVEN
Darling
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THE HOUSE WAS UNUSUALLYquiet and still. The production crew was out by the forest shooting a scene and the remaining cast and crew were relaxing or rehearsing out on the sunny terrace.
Passing through the kitchen to grab a handful of berries, I ran into Matt...sans Susie.
With a glass of ice water in his hand and a damp washcloth in the other, he grunted a salutation as he passed me by.
“Matt?”I said, perturbed by his cold greeting.
“Huh?”he said, turning to me as if he’d not seen me at all.
“Is there something wrong? Have I done something to offend you?”
“No. Of course not.”
“You passed right by me without saying a word.”
“Oh, Darling. I’m so sorry. It’s not you.”
Susie. Surely it was Susie who was on his mind. Was that who the ice water and washcloth were for? To cool her heated brow? To quench her exhausted thirst?
“Kenneth has returned home,” he said, his brow creased with concern.
“Oh?” I looked at the ice water and washcloth.
He held the items up. “He’s not feeling very well. He has a slight fever.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“I’m sure he’d be happy to see you.”
As Matt’s older brother, he’d had little interest in the little girl I’d been. But he’d always been kind and as I’d grown older, he’d seemed to grow fond of me.
“It would be my pleasure to go up and see him.”
“He’s in the room two doors down from mine.” He held the ice water and washcloth out to me. “Would you mind bringing him these? I promised Susie we’d go for a bike ride along the riverbank.”
Oh. I swallowed my dismay. While I was more than happy to go up and tend to Kenneth, the reason behind the request left a bitter taste in my mouth.
“Have a nice ride,” I managed to say as I took the items from his hands.
His face lit up. “I appreciate it. And I’m sure Kenneth will as well. Tell him that I should be back in an hour or so.”
He left me and I headed up to find his brother. I knocked lightly on the door and nudged it open.
