falter, hang for a moment in midair and fall. Death did not walk the high wire; it lurked below. And it didn't go away. It was always there, lying in wait for those who dared to defy it.
Something tightened around her heart, an icy band of pain, and she knew that she had to accept the truth: She could never love this man.
There was no need ever to confront the situation with Stephen. She could maneuver and manipulate their meetings so that they were never alone. She could make sure that they didn't talk privately. She would never give him the chance to speak of love.
It wouldn't be so hard, this avoiding him. After all, she and Nonna would be leaving soon.
* * *
Try as he might, Stephen couldn't get Julie alone. She had slept late for the past two mornings, which was unusual for her. He and the others had already gone to the meadow by the time she got up. At lunchtime on Thursday she simply wasn't there. When he commented casually on her absence, Gabrielle mentioned something about Julie's having errands to run in town.
He planned to ask Julie to go for a walk alone with him after dinner, but she and Eva went off to the movies without asking anyone else to join them. And afterward, Julie and Eva retired early. Stephen had paced up and down the floor of the room where he slept, knowing that time was short.
This day, Friday, Julie went to Michael's home to eat lunch with Lynda and the children. In the evening, she said she had to pack. She disappeared into the room she shared with Gabrielle and Eva at seven-thirty and didn't come out.
She was avoiding him. He realized that now. What had he done? Had he said the wrong thing? He was desperate to establish their special kind of closeness again, if only for an hour. She was going back to Florida the next day. He had no idea when he would see her again.
He heard Julie's cell phone ringing on the table in the hall where she must have left it. Stephen ignored the ring. In this house, someone's phone was always humming or bleeping or dinging.
"Julie?" Claire called up the stairwell. "I hear your phone."
Julie's door flew open, and suddenly Stephen felt a glimmer of hope that he might be able to catch her for a brief moment before she disappeared again. It wouldn't be enough time to tell her all that was in his heart, but it would be a beginning. He didn't think she noticed him sitting in his room on the couch that served as his bed.
"Oh, no," she was saying into the phone, her voice full of anxiety. "That's awful." After a pause she said in bleak resignation, "Well, how long?"
Stephen listened more closely. It was obvious from the expression on Julie's face that this was bad news. He emerged from his room as she hung up.
"Anything wrong?" Stephen asked.
"It's Molly, my best student. She's broken her leg."
"The little gymnast? The one who is so good?"
"She was thrown from a horse. She'll be in a cast for at least three months."
"I'm so sorry."
"I had such high hopes for her next meet. Of course, Molly's devastated, too."
Stephen's heart went out to Julie. She looked so upset.
Nonna beamed from the bottom of the stairwell. "Julie! Think what this means!" Her face was alight with happiness.
"It means I don't have a student to teach. I was planning to devote all my time to Molly this summer while the work load is light. Most of our gymnastics students take the summer months off for camp and vacations with their families."
"Yes, and that's what we will do also!" Nonna clapped her hands like a young girl. "Don't you see, Julie? This means that we don't have to leave tomorrow! We can spend the whole summer right here at the farm."
Chapter 7
Julie managed to stay out of Stephen's way for most of the next week. It wasn't hard, with so many Andrassys around. Eric, Claire's fourteen-year-old son, arrived home from camp, which added to the confusion. With something going on every minute that the cousins weren't practicing on the wire, Stephen had no opportunity to catch
Something tightened around her heart, an icy band of pain, and she knew that she had to accept the truth: She could never love this man.
There was no need ever to confront the situation with Stephen. She could maneuver and manipulate their meetings so that they were never alone. She could make sure that they didn't talk privately. She would never give him the chance to speak of love.
It wouldn't be so hard, this avoiding him. After all, she and Nonna would be leaving soon.
* * *
Try as he might, Stephen couldn't get Julie alone. She had slept late for the past two mornings, which was unusual for her. He and the others had already gone to the meadow by the time she got up. At lunchtime on Thursday she simply wasn't there. When he commented casually on her absence, Gabrielle mentioned something about Julie's having errands to run in town.
He planned to ask Julie to go for a walk alone with him after dinner, but she and Eva went off to the movies without asking anyone else to join them. And afterward, Julie and Eva retired early. Stephen had paced up and down the floor of the room where he slept, knowing that time was short.
This day, Friday, Julie went to Michael's home to eat lunch with Lynda and the children. In the evening, she said she had to pack. She disappeared into the room she shared with Gabrielle and Eva at seven-thirty and didn't come out.
She was avoiding him. He realized that now. What had he done? Had he said the wrong thing? He was desperate to establish their special kind of closeness again, if only for an hour. She was going back to Florida the next day. He had no idea when he would see her again.
He heard Julie's cell phone ringing on the table in the hall where she must have left it. Stephen ignored the ring. In this house, someone's phone was always humming or bleeping or dinging.
"Julie?" Claire called up the stairwell. "I hear your phone."
Julie's door flew open, and suddenly Stephen felt a glimmer of hope that he might be able to catch her for a brief moment before she disappeared again. It wouldn't be enough time to tell her all that was in his heart, but it would be a beginning. He didn't think she noticed him sitting in his room on the couch that served as his bed.
"Oh, no," she was saying into the phone, her voice full of anxiety. "That's awful." After a pause she said in bleak resignation, "Well, how long?"
Stephen listened more closely. It was obvious from the expression on Julie's face that this was bad news. He emerged from his room as she hung up.
"Anything wrong?" Stephen asked.
"It's Molly, my best student. She's broken her leg."
"The little gymnast? The one who is so good?"
"She was thrown from a horse. She'll be in a cast for at least three months."
"I'm so sorry."
"I had such high hopes for her next meet. Of course, Molly's devastated, too."
Stephen's heart went out to Julie. She looked so upset.
Nonna beamed from the bottom of the stairwell. "Julie! Think what this means!" Her face was alight with happiness.
"It means I don't have a student to teach. I was planning to devote all my time to Molly this summer while the work load is light. Most of our gymnastics students take the summer months off for camp and vacations with their families."
"Yes, and that's what we will do also!" Nonna clapped her hands like a young girl. "Don't you see, Julie? This means that we don't have to leave tomorrow! We can spend the whole summer right here at the farm."
Chapter 7
Julie managed to stay out of Stephen's way for most of the next week. It wasn't hard, with so many Andrassys around. Eric, Claire's fourteen-year-old son, arrived home from camp, which added to the confusion. With something going on every minute that the cousins weren't practicing on the wire, Stephen had no opportunity to catch
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