"Andrews, V C - The Casteels 04 - Gates of Paradise" - читать интересную книгу автора (Andrews V.C)
Drake stepped over first and gazed at my painting. 'I was just kidding you before, Annie. It's good,' 'he said, practically under his breath so my mother wouldn't hear. 'I know how you feel, wanting to see bigger and better things than Winnerrow. Once you leave this one-horse town," he added, turning a little
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L
uke, 'you won t have to spend your time nd' ou're somewhere else.' we ing y
that he joined my mother. She threaded her ,,@@ oxtn through his and they started toward the front of .@,, 44asbrouck House. Something Drake said made her I knew Drake occupied a special place in her .* ugh 1
rt becuse he reminded her so much of her father. .* a
loved walking through Winnerrow with him,
in arm. some ' mes I would catch Luke staring at them
erv a took of longing on his face, and I under how much he wanted to have a real and plete family. It was part of the reason he loved
g over to Hasbrouck House, even if he only sat ictly and watched us. Here there was a father, the
he never had, but should have had, and here 1@ was a mother he would have rather had. , 6
I felt Luke's eyes on me and I turned around. He s staring at me, a troubled, sad look on his face, @ pl 4
if he could read my thoughts and knew how sad I t for all of us sometimes, despite our wealth and ition in Winnerrow. Sometimes, I found myself
ing much poorer families because their lives ed so much simpler than ours: no secret pasts, relatives to be ashamed of, no half-brothers and If-uncles, not that I would trade away anyone in
d I loved them all. I even loved Aunt Fanny. f y ami y. was as if we were all victims of the same curse. 'Do you want to continue with your' painting, me)' Luke asked, his blue eyes bright, hopeful. 'You're not tired?' 'No. Are you?' he asked. 'I never get tired of painting and I never get tired f painting you,' I added.
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TWO
Birthday Gifts
Luke's and my eighteenth birthday was a very special day for us both. My parents came into my room that morning to wake me. Daddy had bought me a gold locket with his and Mommy's pictures in it. It was
on a twenty-four carat gold chain and glittered brighter than any charm. He put it on me and kissed me and hugged me so hard, my heart fluttered. He saw the look of surprise on my face. 'I can't help it,' he whispered. 'You're a young lady now and I'm afraid I'm losing my little girl.' 'Oh Daddy. I'll never stop being your little girl,' I cried.
He kissed me again and held me to him snugly until Mommy cleared her throat.
41 have something I would like Annie to have now,' she announced. I couldn't believe what she had brought: something I knew was more important to her than the most expensive jewels she had. In fact, I couldn't think of any possession that was more precious to her, and now she was going to give it to me!
I thought about the days when I was a little girl before I was old enough to begin school. I remembered my mother spending what seemed to me to be
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would take on this dreamy look, a small smile aying on her beautifully shafxd lips. Near us on another, but much smaller table, was
I used to call her doll's house, even though it n't really a doll's house; it was one of the few examples of a Tatterton toy we had in our home. It was a replica of a toy cottage with a-maze of hedges ',', Aear it. I wasn't permitted to touch it, but sometimes, Am would take the roof off and let me look at the
T
ere were two people in there, a man and a h 77
ger girl. The man was sprawled on the floor, his As behind his head, looking up at the young girl,
seemed to be listening intently to something he saying. 'What is he saying to her, Mommy? I asked. He's telling her a story.' 4hat kind of story, Mommy?' ' Oh, a story about a magical world where people _",Aare always snug and warm, where there is only
and kindness.' Where is this world, Mommy?' ' For a while it was in the cottage.' can I to that world, too, Mommy)'
90 ' Oh my darling, swedt Annie. I hope so.' 'Were you there, Mommy?' I could still see her face just before she answered me. Her eyes brightened bluer than the sky ever was, ;,and. the smile on her face grew softer and more
,beautiful* She looked like a little girl herself.
oh yes, Annie, I was. Once.' 'Why did you leave, Mommy?'
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'Why?' She looked around as if the answer weve written down on a piece of paper she had left somewhere, Then she swung her eyes back to me, the tears glistening over them and she embraced me. 'Because, Annie, because it was too wonderful to bear.'
Of course, I never understood and still couldn't. How can something be too wonderful to bear?
But I didn't think more about it. I wanted to look in at the tiny furniture and dishes. They were so perfect, I wanted to touch them. But I was forbidden to do that because everything was so fragile.
And now she was giving it to me. I looked at Daddy. His eyes were small as he stared intensely at the cottage. I never knew what it meant to him. ' Mommy, no. It means so much to you,' I protested. 'And so do you mean so much to me, honey,' Mommy said handing me the cottage. I took it into my hands carefully, lovingly and quickly put it safely down on my dresser. 'Oh thank you. I'll cherish it always,' I said, knowing I would not only because it had been so special to her, but because whenever I was permitted to look in at the man and the woman, I thought about Luke and myself running off and living happily ever after in such a cottage. 'You're welcome honey.'
My parents stood there smiling at me, both looking so young and happy. What a -wonderful morning to awaken, I thought. I wished my eighteenth birthday would go on and on forever, that my whole life was just one long happy day- when everyone was in a
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and glorious mood and all of us were, kind another. After they left, I took a shower and dressed and
before my closet, spending time considering I would wear on such a special morning. I ""' -, dedded to wear the pink angora sweater and white skirt, an outfit similar to the one the young girl In the toy cottage wore.
I brushed my hair down and pinned it back at the sides and put on very light pink lipstick. Happy with
If I rushed out of my room and bounced down t C so blue carpet stairs. As if all the world were
e rating my birthday, the sun was shining with a
ol en splendor. Even the leaves and long, spidery thin branches on the weeping willow trees
outside the front windows looked translucent. Eve hing green was greener. Every flower that had
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