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But tonight…

She opened the door with a strength that sent it banging against the wall She watched it happen, then stared at hirinned "Whoops"

"Are you ready?" he asked her

She looked all right She earing jeans and a tailored shirt with a casual jacket; her hair was brushed--except for a few strands that seeht up on top of her head

"I aet out of here!" she said

"Okay" He nodded slowly

"Oh! I should getthere

"Yes, you should," he said

She turned to head back into the parlor She bu the door behind him

"Allison, are you okay?"

"Fine Oh, yeah, just fine," she said cheerfully

He caught her by the shoulders when she’d picked up her purse and had come back to join him "It’s not that I know you well, but…you really don’t see"

"I’m the new me," she proclaimed

It hit him then Not the odor of booze, but rather the potent s"

"We all drink Water, staff of life Wait, ," he said "You should go to bed"

She shook her head "No, no, I shouldn’t go to bed I should go with you Too bad it’s the Tarleton-Dandridge House--actually, too bad it’s anywhere in Philly at the ht"

She was different Very different

Afraid

He was thoughtful as she looked up at him hopefully

"Really, I have to leave here Now," she told hiht, aren’t they? Your people!" She laughed "I guess I made that sound as if you’re all part of an alien nation or so I didn’t ht"

"They’re driving up They’ll probably get here late"

"I can’t wait to ht? Or several, at least"

"Yes, several people," he said Tyler thought about the situation, somewhat amused She wasn’t exactly drunk, but she was pretty darned tipsy He had a feeling it wasn’t a condition hich she was really comfortable, and he wondered where she’d been or what she’d been doing to bring her to such a state

She’d found a dead friend That would do it forJulian at the police station, being relentlessly questioned Surely, her behavior now, her reaction, was quite noro--first to a nice crowded restaurant with a coffee bar, and then to the house How does that sound?"

She blinked and then sood Oh, yes Food"

He escorted her out onto the porch "Allowher keys to lock the house

"Thank you," she said with great dignity

"I have ," he told her "I’ll have to stop by the Tarleton-Dandridge House to drop off a few perishables"

"Okay"

When he got to their destination, she was looking straight ahead

"Do you want to wait in the car?" he asked

She raised huge frightened eyes to his "Alone?"

"Well, yes--if I’ in it, you’d be alone"

"I’ll come with you"

She stepped out of the car as he reached into the backseat for the one plastic bag that held butter, s

She stared at the house

"Ready?" he asked

"Sure"

She followed him up the path to the house and waited behind hi around nervously as if she expected someone to pop out from behind the closet door in the mudroom and shout, "Boo!"

Inside, he started to tell her he’d only be a ht behind hi him When he walked into their eerator door, he nearly pushed her over by accident

He reached out for her when she stumbled

"You okay?" he asked

"Just fine"

She was standing by hi now"