Daughters of the Lake(81)

Kate was roused, for a moment, from this vague stupor when she realized that Addie was wearing the white, billowing gown that Kate had seen before, in her dreams, and on the beach that horrible day. She’s dying! She’ll die if I don’t do something! Kate tried to wake Addie up, screaming inside of her head, Wake up! Wake up! Your baby is coming! You’re both going to die if you don’t get up! But the heaviness of her eyelids was too great, the warmth and comfort of the water was too soothing, the soft motion of her body undulating up and down on the waves was too calming. Kate gave in and was immersed in darkness.

Then, her eyes opened again. She was cold and shivering. She was out of the water now, on the beach. I want to go back in the water. Take me back to the water. Kate wanted very much to look around but found that her head did not move. Her eyes, she noticed, were barely open. She was looking through slits. She felt, too, that she was empty. The punishing pain that was ever present had ceased. What’s happening? Where is the baby? Then, a voice. Jess? Is that you?

“I can’t imagine what you’re doing here on the lakeshore, Addie.” It was not a man’s voice.

What’s the matter? Why isn’t she helping me? Kate tried to look at who was speaking, but could only see the hemline of a skirt. She still could not move her head. Kate tried with all her might to open her eyes but couldn’t. Where is the baby? What’s happened to the baby? Why aren’t you helping me?

“You were lucky that I came to see you, to introduce you to my beautiful baby,” said the voice, singsongy now, like that of a child. “Your baby might have floated away on the tides if I hadn’t been here. Come, let’s get you up.”

Kate listened, and heard a soft crying, far in the distance. Her baby. Addie’s baby. It was alive, then. Kate felt herself slipping down again, eyelids heavy.

“What are you doing here?” A male voice boomed through the darkness, and Kate opened her eyes once again. “Thank God I found you. What are you thinking going out in this fog? Where is—” Kate felt an electricity in the air. “Oh my God. Oh my good Christ, what have you done?” Kate felt hands on her arms, saw a face come into her line of vision. Her eyes couldn’t focus.

“My God, Addie, my God. Dear God. Is she—dead?” Kate felt a head on her chest, listening for her heart. He picked up her hand, felt for a pulse, and dropped it again. “I can’t hear anything. Her heart’s not beating. She’s dead, good God in heaven. Did you—did you kill her?”

“Why would I kill her? That’s a stupid thing to say.”

“Where’s the baby?” The voice was frantic. “Where’s Addie’s baby?”

“I put it in the carriage. Over there.”

“What?” More panic, rising. Moans, tears. “What in heaven’s name have you done? Why are you here? Why?”

“I came down here to show Addie the baby. Hadley wouldn’t stop crying, you know how she gets. So I went out for a walk. You know how that calms her. And I found myself here.”

“A walk? Celeste, what are you talking about? In this fog? Slow down and tell me exactly what’s going on.”

Celeste. Oh my God.

“Hadley is crying all the time.”

“Hadley? My dear—”

Hadley. That’s Grandma. Kate remembered well her father’s mother. They’re talking about Grandma.

“Listen, she’s crying now.”

“Where is Hadley, Celeste?”

“In the carriage, silly, where she always is. I put Addie’s baby in there with her. I found the poor thing in the water, floating away. She was in the water! Can you imagine?”

Kate tried desperately to get a look at what was going on, but she couldn’t see anything from where she was lying. Addie must be near death, Kate thought. She’s drifting in and out of consciousness. Silence. What’s happening?

“Celeste,” the voice said, with great tenderness. “You know Hadley is dead. Honey? Remember? She died a few hours ago. Look at me, Celeste.”

But Hadley lived. Kate was confused. Hadley is Grandma.

“Hadley isn’t dead. What are you talking about? She wouldn’t stop crying. So I put her in the carriage and went for a walk. I came down here.”

Kate heard a gasp. She heard Celeste, in a singsong voice, cooing, “Rock-a-bye, baby, on the tree top, when the wind blows—” Crying, in the distance. Muttering.

“Jesus Christ, Celeste. Wait here, for Christ’s sake. Don’t move.”

Several moments later, Kate felt a tugging on her legs. And then a thudding. She was in the bottom of a rowboat now. She saw a face appear in her line of vision, Harrison’s face.

“Addie, I’m so sorry.” Kate saw the tears flowing from his eyes. “Celeste had no idea what she was doing. She didn’t mean to hurt you. She’s not a bad person. Please forgive her. She has been insanely protective of Hadley—you know how she’s been—and when the baby passed away today, she must’ve snapped. Lost all her senses. How I wish I had been here to stop this abomination.”

Kate felt the motion of the boat on the waves. But she couldn’t move. She couldn’t turn her eyes, or her head. Addie was slipping away. Was she bleeding to death? Kate wasn’t sure. She tried with all her might to move her hands, even her fingers, but it was no use.