After watching her hold little Matthew for about three minutes, Teddi could tell Laura was in love. "He's got so much hair. It's quite adorable," she gushed, running her fingers through the curly light brown mop. But her expression turned somber as she said, "I'm just happy to be out of that house. Anthony is drinking even more."

"Why don't you leave him?" asked Teddi with a sigh.

"It would kill my parents. His parents. Despite the fact that I wasn't the most sought after girl at Miss Carrington's, my family name, well, it made my marriage to Anthony sort of a royal wedding."

"Who cares about all that?"

"I know you don't care, Teddi, but my mother and father mean a lot to me. You don't have to worry about that now, do you?" Laura snapped.

"No, I don't," Teddi bit back.

Laura sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just that I love him so much. I just keep waiting for him to come around."

"I'm sorry, too," said Teddi. "Hey, would you mind coming with me to my grandmother's? Liza's coming in a couple of days, and I've been meaning to get something out of the attic and bring it back before she gets here."

"I'd love to see your grandmother, but is that uncle of yours going to be there?" she asked, rocking the baby.

"Most likely."

Laura snorted. "Would it be rude of me to pretend I don't see him?"

Teddi shrugged. "It's fun to be rude every now and again. Anyway, I don't think you have anything to worry about. He doesn't speak to me, so why would it be different for any of my friends?"

***

Matthew squirmed in Teddi's arms as Laura pulled Teddi's car in front of the Donovan house.

"He needs his bottle," said Teddi. "I'll have to go put one on the stove before we look upstairs." Richard's car was thankfully nowhere in sight. It was odd. Teddi could not remember the last time she'd seen or spoken to her uncle, but between her grandmother and Gertrude's constant complaints, she knew he was still lurking around the shadows of Brookhurst.

After Matthew's bottle had been made, and he was firmly planted in Gertrude's arms, Teddi and her old school chum climbed the three flights of stairs to the attic. She was shocked to find things so altered. The curtains she'd had hanging had been taken down. The pillows along the window sill were stuffed into a dark corner, and her mother's paintings were no longer hanging on the far left wall.

"It's different. It used to be cozier," remarked Laura, putting her handbag down on the window sill.

"My uncle must have been up here. I hope he didn't burn my mother's work."

"A lot of other people live in this house. It could have been your aunt or Gertrude or even your grandmother."

"My grandmother has been up here three times since I was twelve."

"Well, maybe she was missing you and so..."

"And so she decided to take down all my things?" Teddi swept her eyes over the room, looking for evidence to confirm what she was almost completely sure of. She spotted a small stack of two different sized boxes, and behind them, covered with a white cloth, what appeared to be a stack of paintings. "He's definitely been up here," she said, approaching the boxes. She removed the uppermost box from the stack. It was file-shaped. She opened the lid. "Medical files? What is my uncle doing with medical files?" She pulled one out. "Clay Abernathy," she read the name on the first file.

"What about the paintings?" asked Laura.

Teddi continued reading. "Clay used to live in town until he moved to some farm about eight miles out about ten years ago. People called him the village-idiot, which I always thought was a little cruel." She looked through more files. "Nestor Grimes. Dewey Stewart. Tom Littlefield. These are the orphans. I think this boy Tom is the one who died around the time my grandfather did." Her pulse quickened as she sought out Calvin's name, but she only found a few more somewhat familiar orphan names and the names of several adult males, mainly laborers or poor farmers. She looked through the women's folders, which were about twice in number, and saw only a few vaguely familiar names. "According to this they're all Doc Jessup's patients."

"You mean that weird doctor you were telling me about? The one with the creepy son?"

"Exactly. I know he and my uncle are good friends, but this is very strange."

"Maybe you shouldn't be looking through those."

Teddi ignored her and shuffled from one file to the next. "The papers here are not originals. Why does my uncle have these?" Teddi swallowed. "Mary Wynne." She pulled the file out and opened it. It had information on her that went back to before Calvin was born. There was also recent information. Records of visits from Dr. Jessup. Her heart thumped and her throat dried. "It says she exhibited unstable personality defects and disassociation from reality. Then it lists a bunch of different drugs they had her on. No wonder she wasn't associated with reality with all these pills."

Laura paced the room. "We need to put everything back right now, Teddi."

"I just need to check for one more thing," she said, as she looked for Liza's then her mother's name. Neither were there. Teddi resisted the urge to pull Mary Wynne's file back out to take home and study further. She started to get up when she noticed a smaller box. "Files can't fit inside of this. It says, Miss Pinchley's Home for Boys on the side." Bile rose to her tongue when she saw what was in it. She pushed the stinging heat down before croaking, "Empty test tubes."

"I thought we were here to get your mother's stormy lighthouse painting," said Laura. She was nervous. Teddi wasn't, but she knew she should be. Her uncle was an intemperate, avaricious man. The idea of anyone touching any of his things would likely send him into a tirade. But for Teddi, every moment became more maddening. The world had stopped making sense. "I think this is it," said Laura, removing the white cloth from over the frames and leaning the pictures outward in order to examine the first of the bunch. "It's beautiful."

Teddi replaced the lid on the first box then the second, and put them exactly where she'd found them. "She had talent. I want to take all of them."

"Obviously," said Laura. "This painting should be hanging in a museum somewhere."

"These are pretty much all I have left of her. I don't know why I left them up here to begin with."

"Don't beat yourself up about it. You're taking them now. But what about this blue canvas?" she asked, looking at the last of the three pieces.

"I want that, too," said Teddi.

Instead of questioning Teddi about the reason she'd want a dried canvas of blue paint, Laura simply nodded and said, "Come on. Let's put them in the trunk of my car then stay for dinner. Gertrude said she had something special planned." She started out of the attic.

"That's a good idea. I have a few things to ask my uncle... if he ever gets home."

She knew she should let it go, but she had a feeling whatever it was, it was connected to what happened to her parents.

***

The table was set for a Sunday of the past. The green Wedgwood china was laid out with the crystal sparkling alongside it. "Grandmother, I thought you took all your meals in the kitchen," said Teddi. The scent of Gertrude's signature roasted chicken and asparagus floated through the room, a particular favorite of her grandfather's. She couldn't help but smile a little. Gertrude hadn't made this meal in a long time. And did she smell potatoes? Mashed with chives and butter? "All right, what's going on?"

"Just a nice change. When you phoned and said you were coming, Gertrude decided to make you something special," replied Elizabeth. "It's not every day that you stay for dinner, and we haven't had Laura sit down with us in years."

"How nice," said Laura. "Everything looks lovely."

Teddi doubted that Gertrude would make such a meal without being asked, but she did not pursue the matter. Instead, she replied with a tight-lipped smile, "Yes, it does. But if you'll excuse me, I have to go check on the baby."

"He's in his bassinet in the study," replied Elizabeth.

"Well, well, what have we here?" Richard's voice boomed across the room. His wife followed him in, stirring a martini with the tip of her index finger, looking half asleep. She slid a chair at the end of the table.

"I was hoping you'd moved out," sneered Teddi. She wanted badly to ask him why he had test tubes upstairs with the name of Calvin's old orphanage on the box he kept them in or what he was doing with Mary Wynne's medical history. She didn't dare, however. Not now. Not in front of the wrong people at the wrong time. She would figure out how to approach her uncle later.

"No such luck, my dear," he said, moving to his chair at the head of the table, where he had no business sitting in Teddi's opinion.

Gertrude stuck her head out of the kitchen, wearing a small smile that quickly turned grim when she took in the faces in the room. "Good evening, Mr. Donovan," she said, sounding pleasant despite the betrayal of her countenance. "Everyone, dinner is ready."

***

Despite appearances to the contrary, dinner had been quite ordinary. Olive had practically fallen asleep at the table. Luckily for the family, she was a drowsy drunk. Richard remained oddly quiet, although occasionally venomous glances were shot Teddi's way by the time dessert rolled around.

She looked down at her smiling baby, whose legs kicked with mirth. He'd be fine here for at least another hour, but she was ready to go. She picked up her son and carried him from the study into the drawing room where she found the rest of the family looking bored as Grandmother drilled Laura about New York.

"The baby is restless. I think it's time we head back home. Thanks for everything, Grandmother."

The old woman's eyes were sad. Teddi knew that she missed her, missed the way things were before her uncle had shown up.

"Yes, thank you, Mrs. Donovan," said Laura, getting up politely, "and tell Gertrude thank you as well. It's a shame she left so soon after dinner."

Elizabeth nodded with a small smile. "She has her own family, of course."

"Of course," replied Laura kindly. "I'm sorry. I think I left my purse upstairs."

"That's all right," said Teddi. "I'll get the bassinet and pack up the baby's bag while you look for it. Grandmother, would you mind taking Matthew for a minute?"

Her grandmother's face lit up for the first time that evening. "I'd love to."

When both Laura and Teddi returned, Uncle Richard approached Teddi with sudden purpose. Teddi put down the things she'd gathered to take the baby from her grandmother. Laura moved uncomfortably toward the door where Teddi had left the bassinet. "Let me help you ladies to the car."

"It isn't necessary," said Teddi.

"I insist," said Richard, taking the bassinet from Laura and pushing the door open. They both begrudgingly followed him to the car. "I always loved this old car," he said with false sentiment. Laura opened the door so he could put the bassinet inside. Her hand was shaking. She must have been more afraid of him than she had let on during dinner. Of course, he was out there alone with them. "There we are," he said as Laura quickly hurried to the driver's side of the car. Teddi slid the baby's bag off her right shoulder and into the back seat.

"Come on, Teddi. Let's go." She heard Laura over the engine as she revved up the car.

But before Teddi could get in, her uncle stopped her with a hand on her elbow. "Teddi, can I have a word with you, dear?"

She tucked the baby against her shoulder, shrugging off his hand impatiently. "What do you want?"

The false smile he'd worn for the past ten minutes darkened. "You've been snooping around, and I want it to stop."

Her stomach twisted. "You don't get to tell me what I can and can't do. Not that I know what you're talking about. I haven't been snooping around anywhere. In case you hadn't noticed, I have an infant to take care of."

"Maybe I'm not the one who needs to be reminded of that fact," he said.

"Stay out of my affairs," returned Teddi.

"Only if you stay out of mine, sweetheart."

"Why? Have something to hide?" she said, eyes narrow.

"Listen to me, little girl," he said, reaching out and gripping her elbow, despite the fact that she was still holding the baby. "Keep your nose out of whatever it is you think you need to know, and we'll all be fine."

"Let go of my arm. Now!"

"Richard?" Olive slurred from the doorway. "Everything okay?"

"Teddi, get in the car," Laura said sternly.

She did as her friend told her, not used to hearing such a commanding voice coming from the once shy and mousy girl.

"I can't believe that creep!" Teddi screeched after they'd pulled away from the curb. "Can you believe him?" She cringed when the baby started to cry. She tried to soothe him, but the car was jerking and pulling as Laura buzzed around the corner toward Main Street.

"Well, I guess that's that," Laura said, sounding breathlessly relieved.

"What do you mean, that's that?"

"Teddi, you aren't going to pursue this any further, are you?"

"I want to know what went on back then. I have to know."

"You have to let this go, Teddi. This isn't some story for the Observer."

"No, it's about my family and this town." Finally, the baby started to calm down, which was a far cry from the way Teddi was feeling at the moment. Something was going on, and she had to find out what. Her uncle was up to no good, and she didn't want her grandmother or anyone else in her family to get caught in the crossfire. She had a feeling that was what must have happened all those years ago. Richard. He was behind all of it.

"I don't like that look on your face," said Laura.

"I need to see Liza. What time does the late train for New York leave?" Teddi asked.

"She'll be here on Monday!"

"I can't wait that long." People didn't expect her to speak up because she was a woman, because she was supposed to be the Donovan's do-over child. But Teddi had other reasons she needed to do this. She would no longer stay quiet or wait for other people to be at ease with her knowing the truth. No matter how much it hurt, she had to unearth it. This was much bigger than a need to soothe her curiosity. Richard was dangerous. She could feel it.

"But the baby," Laura tried.

"Last time I checked they let babies on trains. He'll be fine. And this way, he can meet his cousin. It all works out."

"Why don't we just call Liza from the house?" suggested her friend. "Maybe she can come a day earlier. Tell her to bring Ella. But if you want my opinion, you need to leave this be."

Teddi chose to ignore Laura's last statement and instead thought about her conversation with Liza a couple of weeks back. "Tomorrow's Halloween. She needs to be with Ella at home for the day," she said then sighed. "I suppose I can wait for her to get here."

"Good. Just please put that slimy uncle of yours out of your head for the time being."

"With pleasure." But Teddi knew that would not happen. Not until she figured out what was going on. She knew with everything inside her that her uncle's heated worry had as much to do with the past as it did the present.