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"I don't know," I said miserably "Bart used to trust me, but now he doesn't trust anybody, so he doesn't tell me what he does anymore"

Slowly, slowly, the black gates swung open They seeraves I shivered, thinking I was getting as ot to say so," I yelled so I could be heard above the wind "When I first found out you are Moht I hated you and her too I thought I could never forgive either one of you forme so ashamed, so

disappointed I thought I'd dry up inside and never love or trust anyone again But now that Moone I know I'll always love her and you I can't hate either one of you, even if I want to"

In the hard driving rain, in the dark, he turned to clasp ainst his heart I think I heard hied to hear you say you don't hate me or your mother I always hoped you'd understand e told you--and ere going to tell you when you were older We thought, perhaps foolishly, that we needed to wait a few more years, but now that you have found out on your own, and you can still love us, maybe later on you will come to understand"

I drew closer to Dad as we continued on our way to the shadowy mansion I felt a new bond had developed between us that was stronger than e'd had before In a way he was more my father, because he had ht, ht he was Bart's uncle, and that had made me a little jealous Now I could lay claim to hie, and I would have understood when they told me Mom had an affair with Bart's fatherI would haveI think

We reached the steps Before Dad could bang on the doorknocker, the left side of the double doors swung open and there stood that butler, John A, scowled up and ugly looking, "and s to take care of here without entertaining the neighbors I plan to join her as soon as I'm done here"

"Your wife?" bellowed Dad, his astonishment so clear it slapped me too

So came and went in the butler's watery eyes "Yes, Dr Christopher Sheffield, Mrs Winslow is now married to me"

I thought Dad would fall from shock "I want to see her And I don't believe you She'd be out of her mind to marry you"

"I don't lie," said that grily butler "And she is out of her mind Some women can't live without a man to run their affairs, and that's what I am-- someone to lean on"

"I don't believe you," stormed my dad "Where is she? Where is my wife? Have you seen her?"

The butler s up without for yours Yesterday my wife railed about this terrible weather and took off with one of our ed it) close up this house And after all the trouble and expense she went to having this place redecorated and refurbished--now she wants to move"

Dad stood staring at John Aht we'd leave then, but Dad seemed rooted "You knoho I am, don't you, John? Don't deny it I see it in your eyes You are the butler who made love to the maid Livvie while I lay on the floor behind the sofa and heard you tell her about the arsenic on the sugared doughnuts meant to kill the attic mice"

"I don't knohat you're talking about," denied the butler, while I looked froe of Morn's s were even more complicated than I'd realized

"John, perhaps you are ardless, I think you knohat has happened to et out ofto search this house from top to bottom"