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"Yes?"

Allison hesitated again "He…he was in my room for a few minutes and then he left and when he did--" She nearly choked on her words

Cecilia leaned closer

Allison could hardly make herself say it "I…I could smell smoke" Her throat was painfully dry "Not at first, I didn’t, because all I could concentrate on was not letting him leave I noticed a smell but I didn’t think about it Later I did, and when I realized what it was, I cried myself to sleep"

"Anson smelled of smoke?" Cecilia whispered the question

"Like that other ti close to a bonfire"

Cecilia’s shoulders sagged and she closed her eyes

It was just as Allison had feared Now even Cecilia believed Anson had burned down The Lighthouse

Three

Arching her back, Maryellen Bowman shifted positions on the sofa, her te roonancy one for the afternoon with Katie, their three-year-old daughter, so the house was quiet, peaceful Maryellen knew she should try to rest The problem was, she couldn’t

Worries assailed her from all sides She worried about her unborn baby and this difficult pregnancy She worried about the pressures her husband was under as he struggled to support their fahthouse, where he’d once worked as chef, was gone She worried about his photographic career, her e and all the mistakes she’d made The worst one had come from the best intentions Maryellen had tried so hard to heal the rift between Jon and his parents, and it had nearly destroyed her relationship with her husband

She found it impossible to rest, and yet that hat the doctor had ordered--bed rest for the renancy She was forbidden to climb stairs or exert herself in any way

Yet how could she lie around when so ainst the sofa, she closed her eyes and fought back depression It’d never been like this when she carried Katie That pregnancy had been normal in every respect

Then she’d miscarried their second child The enancy had yet to be calculated Still, they both desperately wanted their child All Maryellen could do was follow her doctor’s instructions, try not to worry and pray that the baby would be born healthy and whole

Because she was bedridden, everyone had pitched in Herby twice a ith dinner and looking after Katie as often as her own busy life would allow This gave both Jon and Maryellen a much-needed break She hated to intrude on her mother, since Grace and Cliff were newly ether Grace had her own adjust on Maryellen’s probleer for any distraction

"Hello," she said, hoping her voice disguised the self-pity she’d fallen into

"It’s Ellen Bowht?"

Herher close to tears Maryellen felt dreadful, about as low as she’d been in her entire life, other than during her brief first ed to tell her

"And Jon?" Ellen asked hesitantly

"He’s…" Maryellen illing to stretch the truth about her own state of mind and health, but she couldn’t lie about her husband’s "Not well, Ellen He’s not doing well at all"

Her ht be the case I know Jon’s angry He’sto do with either of us His attitude’s killing his father But I know you’ve tried to talk to him, and we both appreciate your efforts h price for interfering between Jon and his parents and she dared not do it again She and Jon had actually separated for a tie, because of her attempts to effect a reconciliation Afterward, they’d sidestepped the whole issue But earlier in the imen of bed rest, Jon had conceded that they didn’t have any choice other than to ask his family for help

Yet he hadn’t made the phone call, hadn’t contacted them in any way, at least not that Maryellen knew about Instead, they struggled from day to day until she feared their lives were about to i with this constant, unrelenting stress

"Jon was going to phone you," Maryellen said "He told me"

"He was?" Hope elevated Ellen’s voice

"He hasn’t, because, well, because he’s afraid, I think, and proud Too proud"

Ellen laughed softly "He’s like his father in that regard"

Maryellen smiled and tried to relax This nervous tension was bad for the baby, bad for her, bad all around At her last appoint calm When he’d said she should try to keep her life stress-free, she’d nearly laughed out loud

"Joseph and I ordered the Cedar Cove Chronicle on," Ellen said, "and we read about the fire at The Lighthouse We know Jon went back to work there"