"But Laura has a grave," I said.

"Yes. I had to have a monument for her, a place for her spirit." She smiled. "Only a clamshell's toss away as you saw. I can go there whenever I want and talk to her. I told her all about you last night, so I'm sure her spirit's looking over you. That's why I know she'd want me to give you this." She dug in her dress pocket. "Hold out your left hand, dear," she ordered. I did so slowly and she put a gold charm bracelet around my wrist and locked it on before I could resist.

"Oh, it looks perfect on you."

"I can't take this," I said. "It isn't right."

"Laura wouldn't want you to have it if it weren't right. It will bring good luck. You know why, don't you?"

I shook my head, afraid to even guess.

"You were born June twelfth, right?"

"Yes," I said, holding my breath.

She widened her smile.

"Don't you know, dear?"

"Know what?"

"Laura was born June twentieth. You're both Gemini. Don't you see?"

I shook my head, still holding my breath.

"Gemini, the twins. That was Laura's sign, that's Cary's sign, and it's your sign," she said. "Isn't that wonderful?"

"I don't know anything about astrology," I said.

"One night when it's clear, show you your constellation. Laura and I loved to see it in the night sky." She gazed up as if it were already night and the sky were blazing with stars. May timidly appeared in the doorway. Aunt Sara asked her if she had completed her chore and she signed back that she had.

"Maybe May can show me the cranberry bog?"

I suggested. Aunt Sara nodded, disappointed that I didn't want to sit and talk some more. She reluctantly told May my request. May beamed, took my hand, and urged me to follow her.

"Come right back!" Aunt Sara called from the porch. "We will," I promised.

"I've got nice flounder for tonight's dinner. It was one of Laura's favorite meals," she cried.

May pulled harder. I laughed as we broke into a run around the rear of the house and over the pinky-mauve and pearly pebbles toward the hill. Toward the ocean I could see Cary on the boat working with his father and Roy Patterson. It looked as if he was gazing our way, but he didn't wave.

May lead me to the top of the hill. We paused and I looked down at the cranberry bog. It was all in blossom.

It looked like a second sea of pale pink. May gestured wildly with her hands. I was sure she was explaining the planting, the flooding, the draining, and the harvesting of the berries. It was frustrating not to understand.

I sat her down beside me on the top of the hill and opened the book about sign language. If we worked together, I thought, I would make faster progress. We were still practicing gestures when Cary and Uncle Jacob returned from the dock.

"Hey!" Cary barked. "Get her back to the house." He made some gestures and May stood up.

Using my new skills, I thanked her. She hugged me.

When I looked back, I saw Cary glaring at us.

He lowered his head and then plodded after Uncle Jacob. I took May's hand and we followed.

"May showed me the cranberry bog," I told him when we entered the house. He was in the living room with Uncle Jacob. "It's beautiful."

He snorted. "See if you still think it's beautiful when it comes harvest time." He cut past me quickly to go upstairs.

"If I'm still here," I called after him. Couldn't I say anything that would please him?

"Go see if Sara needs any help with dinner,"

Uncle Jacob commanded. He didn't even say hello and he had no questions for me about my first day at school. He snapped his newspaper and sat back to read.

May looked at me, wondering, I was sure, what all the dark faces meant. I smiled at her reassuringly.

Then I heard the phone ringing.

Oh let that be Mommy, I prayed. I had never longed to hear her voice so much. No matter what her faults were, how much she had annoyed or disappointed me before, I would be grateful for the sound of her voice.

Uncle Jacob lifted the receiver reluctantly and said hello. His eyes were on me.

"I said go help Sara," he ordered. I took a step past the doorway, but paused to hear him talk.

"Yeah," he said, "She's here. She's looks a lot like HaiIle. Guess you'll see for yourself soon enough," he added. "It's bound to bring back memories."

Suddenly, I felt eyes on me and turned to look up the stairs. Cary was standing there glaring.

"Eavesdropping isn't very ladylike," He went back upstairs, leaving me feeling cold.

I choked back my tears and went into the kitchen, where I was sure Aunt Sara waited to tell me how she was preparing Laura's favorite meal.

8.

A Stormy Warning .

As we had at dinner the night before, we began with a prayer and a Bible reading. Uncle Jacob gazed at Cary, glanced at May, and then turned to me. "You might as well start right off," he said. "It's your turn."

"My turn?" I looked at Aunt Sara.

"He wants you to read an excerpt from the Good Book, dear. Laura always followed Cary."

"I could read again if she doesn't want to," Cary volunteered with a smirk.

"It's all right," I said quickly. "I'd like to read.

What do I read?"

Uncle Jacob handed me the Bible with his thumb on the section he wanted read.

I began. "Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.

"The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

"She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life."

I gazed quickly at Cary because I felt the heat of his eyes on me as I read.

"She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands."

"Yes," Uncle Jacob said nodding, obviously pleased with how I read.

Cary glanced down as I continued until the chapter was completed.

"Good," Uncle Jacob said. "Words to remember. Amen." His eyes fixed on me. I knew what he thought of my mother. Did he choose this chapter because he thought I would be just like her? I was afraid to ask.

As soon as we began to eat, Uncle Jacob and Cary got into a conversation about the lobster catch and the construction of more traps. While they talked, I tried to converse with May. I saw Cary watching us out of the corner of his eye, and something I did brought a smile to his face. But Uncle Jacob suddenly looked furious.

"Will you tell your daughter to eat and not talk at dinner," he commanded Aunt Sara. "It's distracting."

"Yes, Jacob." Aunt Sara signed his orders to May, who immediately dropped her gaze to her food and stopped trying to communicate with me.

It occurred to me that I had yet to see Uncle Jacob use sign language with May. Up until now, it had been only Cary, Aunt Sara, and I.

"I'm sorry," I said. "It was my fault. I am trying to learn sign language."

"Well do it after dinner," Uncle Jacob snapped and turned back to Cary to talk about the new traps.

After dinner I helped Aunt Sara clear away the dishes and put away the food. She went on and on about the wonderful things Laura had learned to do with fish.

"Got so her filleted bass was good enough to be in a contest. You should have tasted her fish pie, too.

The crust always came out so light. That girl had magic in her fingers."

"I cooked for my daddy often," I said.

"Oh, did you, dear? Yes, I bet you did. I don't remember Haille being much of a cook. She had other things on her mind."

"Like what?" I pursued.

"Not fit to discuss." Aunt Sara sewed her lips shut. "What's that mean?" I demanded.

She shook her head and then gazed at the doorway before lowering her voice to a whisper.

"Truth is, Jacob don't even like me mentioning her and those days."

"Well, I'd like to hear more about her," I said.

"No you wouldn't dear. I must show you some of Laura's needlework," she said to change the subject. "Did I tell you she used to do that? I have it all in my bedroom on the walls, but there is one she never got to finish. It's in my closet. Have you ever done needlework?"

"No," I said, sulking.

"Oh you should try needlework, dear. I bet you would be good at it, too."

"I don't think so," I said. "Is there anything else I can help you with, Aunt Sara?"

"What? Oh. No dear, thank you," she said.

"That's right. You have to do homework now, don't you?"

"Yes," I said.

"Then go on, dear. I'll see you before I go to sleep," she said.

I hurried upstairs. When I ascended the stairway, I noticed a ladder had been lowered from the roof above the second floor landing. It led up to a door in the ceiling. I approached slowly and gazed up at the lighted attic. Curious, I started up the rungs and stopped at the top to peer into the room. Two oil lamps illuminated a table and a chair, chests, boxes, all sorts of antiques and old paintings. But the most interesting thing to me were the model boats constructed of balsa wood. One was partially completed on the table. The others were lined up on shelves, all painted, too, and some with tiny sailors manning the sails.

There was a very worn-looking couch on the right and a telescope pointing at the sole window.

"What are you doing?" I turned to see Cary staring up at me from the bottom of the ladder.

"I was just wondering what was up here. Do you do the boats?"

"First, they're not boats, they're ships. And second, the attic is a private place, if you don't mind."

"I'm sorry." I started down the rungs, but slipped on the next to last one and fell into his arms.

For a moment our faces were inches apart. The moment he realized he was holding me in his arms, he released me and I landed hard on my feet on the floor.

"That's why I don't like anyone going up there,"

he said moving past me quickly. "It's dangerous." His cheeks were crimson.

"I'm sorry. Is that your hobby?" I asked before he reached the top.

He dropped a "Yes" back at me before pulling the ladder up after him.

"I don't have the measles or anything you know!" I cried.

He hesitated a moment before closing the door.

"Good riddance!" I marched to my room, and lost myself in my homework. Once in a while, I heard the sounds of Cary moving above me. I gazed up at the ceiling and listened until he grew quiet again.