“That’s not the problem. Have you ever cooked for teenagers?“
“Well, no. What’s the big secret?“
“The big secret is that you have to start by quadrupling the quantities of everything you fix.“
“I was going to quadruple everything. After all, there will be four of us. I can count, Colby.“
“No,“ Colby said patiently. “You don’t understand. You quadruple the amounts for each teenager.“
“Oh. I see. That’s a lot of vegetables.“
It didnt take long to determine that Colby had been right about the tension between Brandon, Robyn and himself.
Halfway through dinner, Diana felt she could cut the atmosphere with a knife. Robyn looked wounded and sullen.
Brandon tried to respond to Diana’s conversational gambits, but invariably he ran out of things to say.
It was Colby who finally generated some real conversation when he casually told Brandon and Robyn about the weeds in Diana’s vase.
“Right out of Shock Value,“ Brandon said. “Who would do something like that? And why?“
“We’re not sure,“ Colby said calmly. “I talked to Eddy Spooner this afternoon, but he hadn’t heard any rumors or gossip. I told him to keep his eyes open, though.“
“It’s spooky,“ Robyn said slowly. She looked at Diana. “Were you scared?“
“It was very unnerving,“ Diana admitted. “Rather like getting an obscene phone call. I recognized the scene out of Colby’s book, too, and it upset me.“
“No need to worry as long as you’ve got good old Specter,“ Brandon said with a smile as he slipped a bite of stir-fried carrot under the table.
Colby scowled. “Are you feeding that dog under the table again? He doesn’t deserve any treats. He’s spoiled rotten as it is.“
Diana smiled. “Maybe Specter would think more highly of you, Colby, if you slipped him a bite now and then.“
“Over my dead body.“
A low, enthusiastic growl rumbled from beneath the table. Diana looked at Brandon and they both laughed. Robyn pushed her food around on her plate, and Colby muttered something about the likelihood of a dog such as Specter biting the hand that fed it.
“How’s the job hunting going?“ Brandon asked equably.
“Not as well as it should,“ Diana responded. “I’ve got to get going on it if I want to find a good job by September. I really don’t want to have to go back to Carruthers and Yale.“
“Have you ever been married, Diana?“ Robyn asked suddenly, her pretty blue eyes reflecting a touch of malice.
Colby glared at Robyn, but Diana answered patiently. “No, Robyn, I haven’t.“
“And you’ve never had any kids, either?“
“No.“
“Why not?“
“Gees, Robyn,“ Brandon muttered. “It’s not exactly your business, is it?“
“I just want to know what makes her such an expert on marriage.“
Diana was startled. “Who said I was?“
“Brandon was telling me all about how women are putting off marriage these days so that they can get a good start on their careers,“ Robyn explained a little too sweetly. “He was using you as an example. I said you weren’t a very good example because you probably never would marry or have kids. All you’re interested in is your career.“
“That’s enough,“ Colby said coldly.
Diana felt a funny twinge in the pit of her stomach. For some reason she felt obliged to defend herself. “You can’t always have it all, Robyn. I made some choices early on, and I haven’t regretted them.“
“You chose a career over marriage. I don’t think that makes you a very good example for someone like me who wants something different out of life.“
Colby leaned forward menacingly. “I said, that’s enough, Robyn.“
Diana forced a reassuring smile. “It’s all right. I know what she means. But I’ll defend to the hilt the importance of a young woman getting her education and establishing a career before she marries and has children.“
“Lots of women get married before they worry about a career,“ Robyn insisted.
“No female in her right mind should ever put herself in a position of total economic dependence on a man. She should always be able to take care of herself financially. And if she plans to have children, it’s even more important that she be capable of supporting an entire family by herself. Women too often wind up raising children alone these days, in case you haven’t noticed.“
“That wouldn’t happen to me.“
“I’m sure every woman who gets pregnant feels that way. But do you know who’s filling up the ranks at the poverty line in this country? Single women and their children, that’s who. The men who promised to take care of them are long gone.“
Diana took a deep breath and realized Brandon was looking at her with something close to admiration. Robyn was obviously furious.
But it was Colby’s expression that surprised Diana. He was scowling darkly.
Diana came awake with a shiver of dread. The dream hadn’t been truly a nightmare, but it had been emotionally wrenching, nonetheless. She realized with a start that she was crying.
Specter woofed questioningly. He got to his feet and pushed his muzzle into her hand. Instinctively Diana stroked him, drawing some comfort from the process.
“I’m okay,“ she told the dog. “It was just a dream.“
A dream of a terrible darkness. A horrifying alone-ness. Uncounted eons of aloneness. And the feeling of a knife in her hand. Blood welling up under her fingers, trickling out of the cave to mingle with the water and the mist. A man’s voice was speaking to her, his dying curse filling the grotto even as he rolled free of her body.
You have fought me to the death. I would not have believed a woman could be so stubborn, nor so valiant. If you had been born male, you would have been a mighty warrior.
But you have not won, woman. I die here now, but so will you. And by all the gods, I tell you this, you wretched female: I curse you. With my dying blood I curse you now. Listen well to your fate, for you cannot escape. Your spirit will remain chained here until you give me the child I seek. You will learn at last what it is to be a woman. The final victory will be mine. Yours, the ultimate surrender.
“I should never have let Colby tell me about the legend of Chained Lady Cave, Specter.“ Diana tossed back the covers and reached for her robe and slippers. “That man is too good at inducing nightmares.“