They had to stop twice to allow her to heave out of the ATV. Morning sickness was something that was common for any woman who was expecting. Some experienced a little, some a lot, but it appeared that Marnie was experiencing an unusually difficult period of morning sickness.
When all the women turned their backs on the pond, she suddenly knew why.
“Mitch! Why are you getting naked?”
“Honey, you have to. You too,” he smiled. “Trust me.”
“I trusted you and now I’m getting huge and sick,” she frowned. As usual, her angel, Angel, was behind her. His hands gently rested on her shoulders and he bent down to whisper to her.
“You are perfect and you are in great hands. Trust your husband.” She nodded and began to undress, looking over her shoulder to see Angel and Mary both with their backs to her. She walked to the edge of the small dock and took Mitch’s hand, jumping into the water.
At first, the motion of the water brought a wave of nausea to her and she just knew she was going to puke in this beautiful pond. Then, just as suddenly, her world seemed to right itself. Her stomach settled and the feelings of bile rising in her throat were gone.
She paddled toward one end of the pond, acutely aware of Mitch treading water in the middle, just watching her. Turning, she stared at him and then the others on the dock.
“It’s gone. How is it gone? Water usually makes patients more nauseated. How?”
“It’s not something we can fully explain,” said Gray. “The pond has a strange blend of minerals and deposits we haven’t been able to fully identify. All we know is that it has tremendous healing power for almost anything or anyone. As you can imagine, we’ve been highly secretive of the pond and cannot tell anyone about it.
“There is also a pond on two of the other islands. They have the same deposits. We thought it had something to do with the ancient dinosaur bones in this pond, but those weren’t identified in the other ponds.”
“Fascinating,” she whispered to herself. “Have we had Rachel and the others study it?”
“Absolutely. Nothing conclusive, as we said. We trust you to hold this close to your chest, Marnie. Just know that if the circumstances arise and we are desperate enough to need it, this is how our family heals so quickly and how we age so gracefully.”
“Wait,” she frowned swimming toward the ladder, Mitch behind her. “Just how old are you guys? I didn’t think much of it before but now, looking at Christopher and Ramey, especially Angel and Mary, you guys have to be in your late eighties if the math is right.”
“Somewhere up there,” smirked Angel. “We stopped keeping track. We’re lucky and we believe we’re all here for a reason. We’re needed.”
She climbed out of the pond as everyone turned. Wrapping herself in one of the plush robes, she hugged each person until she got to Angel.
“You really are named appropriately,” she said kissing his cheek. “Angel and Mary. That seems prophetic somehow, doesn’t it?”
“We definitely were meant to be together, just like you and Mitch,” smiled Mary. “We love having you in our family and can’t wait to meet these three little ones.”
“Well, now that I’m not feeling like death warmed up, I’m anxious as well,” she laughed.
“Does that mean I can sleep in our bed tonight?” smirked Mitch. Everyone laughed as Marnie smiled up at him.
“I think I’ll want you in our bed every night. Is that too much to ask?” she smiled.
“No, ma’am. That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“Gloria, how close are we to our goal?” asked Hyacinth.
“Nearly there, ladies,” she smiled raising her mimosa glass. They all smiled as well, clinking their cocktails at the harborside restaurant in beautiful Charleston.
“According to our account,” said Delilah, “we’re at nearly one-billion.”
The women all cheered, drawing stares from those around them. They didn’t care. They were wearing clothing that cost ten times what anyone in this resort town was wearing. The Hermés bags alone were worth somewhere in the neighborhood of a half-million dollars.
These women were experts at many things. Seduction. Theft. Pity. Desire. And of course, murder.
Gloria slid small envelopes across the table to each of the women. They all grinned, happily dropping the powder into their water. They were feeding on the need. More desperate with each passing day. They knew that if they continued, their money would be gone soon.
Each woman had expertly found ways to take money from their joint accounts without their husband’s knowledge. Hyacinth had even bribed her husband’s accountant and he allowed her access to the company books. With that one transgression, she was given the keys to the castle and definitely used them.
