"Andrews, V C - The Casteels 04 - Gates of Paradise" - читать интересную книгу автора (Andrews V.C)

coming. ' Oh no,' he said, 'you two don't still do this.' He covered his face in mock embarrassment.
is
I ignored him, stepped away and continued. 'Maybe Farthy is like the seasons - gray and dismal in the winter and bright blue and warm in the summer.' I was looking up as if everyhing I thought was suggested to me by the patch of blue sky. Then I shifted my eyes toward Luke. 'Or maybe it becomes whatever you want it to become,' Luke said picking up the thread. 'If I want it to be made of sugar and maple, it will be.' 'Sugar and maple?' Drake smirked. 'And if I want it to be a magnificent castle with lords and ladies-in-waiting and a sad prince moping about, longing for his princess to return, it will be,' I responded, lifting my voice above his. . ' May I be the princeF Luke asked quickly and stood up. 'Waiting for you to come?' Our eyes seemed to touch and my heart began to pound as he stepped closer.
He took my hand, his fingers soft and warm, and stood up, his face only inches from me. 'My Princess Annie,' he whispered. His hands were on my shoulders. My heart pounded. He was going to kiss me. 'Not so fast, Twinkle Toes,' Drake suddenly said, leaning over and pulling up his shoulders to make .himself look like a hunchback. He folded his fingers into claws and came toward me. 'I'm Tony Tatterton,', he whispered in a low, sinister tone, 'and I've come to steal the princess from you, Sir Luke. I live in the darkest, deepest bowels of the castle Farthy and she will come with me and be forever shut up in my world to become the princess of the darkness.' He pealed off an evil sounding laugh.
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Th oo rprise got el kofsu
h Luke and I stared at him.
. 6n both our faces made Drake self-conscious. He aightened up quickly. What drivel,' Drake said. 'You've even got me oing it.' He laughed.
s not drivel. Our fantasies and our dreams are what make us creative. That's what Miss Marbleton I@ Z*, told us in class recently. Didn't she, Luke?' Luke only
nodded. He looked upset, deeply wounded, his eyes down, his shoulders turned in tKe- way Daddy's ' --@.":,@ rould be when something disturbed him. Luke had
many of Daddy's gestures. 'I'm sure she didn't mean' making up stories about Farthy,' Drake responded and smirked.
But don't you always wonder what Farthy is really like, Drake?' I asked.
He shrugged. 'One of these days, I'll take off some time from college and jpst go there. It's not far from Boston,' he nodded nonchalantly. 'Will you really?' The idea filled me with envy.
sure why noff t F @: ' But Mo my and Daddy hate to talk about it,' 1, '@:" reminded lin
im. 'They would be furious if you went h@_
th , tw
re. Is
0 ... I won't tell them,' Drake said. 'I'll only tell you. it'll be our secret" Annie,' he added, looking pointedly at Luke.
Luke and I looked at each other. Drake didn't have our intensity when it came to talking about the past @ and Farthy.
Occasionally I would sneak a look at the wonderful pictures of Mommy and Daddy's fabulous wedding reception held at Farthinggale: pictures of @ o
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many elegant people, men in tuxedos, and women in stylish gowns, tables and tables of food and servants rushing about. everywhere, carrying trays of champagne goblets.
And there, was a picture of Mommy and Tony Tatterton dancing. He looked so debonair, like a
movie star; and Mommy looked so vibrant and fresh, her comflower blue eyes, the eyes I had inherited, dazzling. When I looked at that picture, it was hard to believe that he could do anything so terrible to turn her against him. How sad and mysterious it all was. It was what often drew me back to the pictures, as if studying them would reveal the dark secret. 'I wonder if I will ever see hdw elegant and fabulous it really is,' I said, half as a question and half as a wish. 'I'm even jealous that you were there at the age of five, Drake. At least you have that memory, as distant as it is.' 'Sixteen years,' Luke said skeptically. ,still, he can close his eyes and remember something, see something,' I insisted. 'What I see of Farthy is only what I create out of my imagination. How dose have I come? If only my mother would be willing to talk about it. If only we could visit. We could ignore Tony Tatterton; we wouldn't even look at the man. I wouldn't say a word to him, if she forbade it@ but at least we could wander about and...' 'Annie!'
Luke jumped to his feet as my mother stepped around the comer of the house where she had obviously been listening to our conversation. Drake
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as though he had expected her to make such
pt appearance. . Yes, Mommy?, I retreated behind my easel. She looked at Luke, who quickly shifted his eyes away, And then she approached me, avoiding any look at
my canvas. " me, she said softly, her eyes filled with a deep, inner sorrow, 'haven't I asked you not to torment youself by talking about Farthinggale?'
1 warned them,' Drake said.
y don't you listen to your uncle, honey. He's enough to understand.' 'Yes, Mother,' Even as sad as she looked, she was
beautiful, her complexion rosy, her figure as firm and as youthful as it was the day she and my father were
married Everyone who saw us together had the same
reaction, especially men. 'You two look more like sisters than mother and daughter.' 'I've told you how unpleasant it is for me to remember my days there. Believe me, it is no fairytale castle. There are no handsome young princes waiting to swoon at your feet. You and . Luke shouldn't pretend such things.' 'I tried to stop them,' Drake said. 'They play this silly fantasy game.' 'It's not silly,' I protested. 'Everyone fantasizes.' 'They act like grade-school -children sometimes' Drake insisted. 'Luke encourages her.' 'What?' Luke looked at my mother, his eyes lighting with fear. I knew how important it was to him that she like him. 'No he doesn't,' I cried. 'It's just as much my fault.' ' Oh, please, let's not dwell on it,' Mother pleaded.
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'If you must pretend, there are so many wonderffil' subjects, places, things to think about,' she added changing her tone of voice to a lighter, happier one. She sm iled at Drake. 'You 'look so collegiate in your Harvard sweater, Drake. I bet you're anxious to get back,' she said and then turned Ito Luke. 'I hope you'll be as excited about college as Drake is, Luke.' 'I will. I'm looking forward to going.' Luke glanced at my mother and then quickly turned back to me. For as long as I could remember, there was that shyness in Luke whenever he was in my mother's company. He was normally shy anyway, but he was afraid to have her catch him staring at her, and I couldn't remember him having long conversations with her, or with Daddy for that matter, even though I knew how much he admired them. 'Well it's wonderful how well you have done in school, Luke,' she told him, hoisting her shoulders back and raising her head with what some in town called 'her defiant Casteel pride'. I knew most of the women in Winnerrow were jealous of her. Beside being beautiful, she was a successful businesswoman. There wasn't a man who didn't adore her and respect her for being as efficient as she was sweet. 'We are all proud of you.' 'Thank you, He a-ven,' he replied, brushing his hair back and pretending to be absorbed in his textbook while his heart was bursting with happiness.
Suddenly he looked at his watch. 'Didn't realize the time,' he said. 'I'd better be heading hoine.' I 'I thought you were going to eat with us tonight,' I protested before he could step away.
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' -@@ Of course you should eat with us tonight, Luke.'
My mother looked with adoration at Drake. ies Drake's last night home before his return to college,' she said. 'Would Fanny mind?' '@:@' No' A subtle sarcastic smile appeared at the
of Luke's mouth. 'She won't be home ni t.
k# then,' my mother said quickly. She didn't t to hear the details. All of us knew about Fanny's
with younger men, and f-knew how much capa e
ar
rassed and bothered Luke. 'It's settled. I'll. ave another place set.'
She turned, her eyes resting for a long moment on my canvas. I looked at it and then quickly turned to her to see if there was any sign of recognition in her face She tilted her head slightly, her eyes suddenly "'far off as if she had been serenaded by a distant song. Q,
" N"
t s not finished yet,' I said quickly, afraid she might say something critical. Even though both she lk,,,",'@ and Daddy had been very supportive of my painting AR' -
ever since I had begun, paying for all the lessons, providing me with the best brushes and paints, I couldn't help but feel insecure. Daddy had such wonderful artisans in his factory, some of the most talented people in the country. He knew what real art was. 'Why don't you paint a picture of the Willies, Annie?' She turned and pointed toward the moun tains 'I'd love to hang something like' that in the dining room. The Willies in spring with its blossoming forests full of birds; 'or even in fall with the rainbow colors of the leaves. You do so well when you paint a scene in nature.'
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