Chapter 13: The Father Who Knew Elizabeth
Rebecca stared at Robert as if he had become a stranger.
Maybe he had.
Maybe all of us had.
"You loved my mother?""
Robert nodded.
"Before Margaret.""
Rebecca stepped backward.
"No.""
"I was twenty-two.""
"Don't.""
"Rebecca—"
"Don't say my name like you're my father.""
Robert flinched.
I stood beside Emily, one arm around Lily.
My daughter had stopped crying, but she refused to let go of my shirt.
Susan hovered near the doorway.
She looked horrified.
"I didn't know," she whispered.
"Margaret told me Lily was in danger.""
Emily's eyes stayed on Robert.
"Start talking.""
Robert lowered himself into a chair.
"Elizabeth and I met first.""
Margaret and Elizabeth had been identical twins, but Robert said their personalities were completely different.
Elizabeth was impulsive.
Funny.
Restless.
Margaret was controlled.
Careful.
Always watching.
"I dated Elizabeth for almost a year.""
Rebecca's face tightened.
"What happened?""
"She left.""
"For another man?""
"No.""
Robert looked at the photograph.
"She was pregnant.""
Silence.
Rebecca's lips parted.
"With me?""
Robert shook his head quickly.
"No. Not mine.""
She exhaled.
Robert continued.
"The father disappeared. Elizabeth panicked. Her parents sent her away.""
"And Margaret?"" I asked.
"She stayed.""
He looked ashamed.
"She helped me after Elizabeth vanished.""
Rebecca laughed bitterly.
"How convenient.""
"I didn't understand what was happening.""
"That's the sentence you use for everything.""
Robert lowered his head.
She was right.
Months after Elizabeth left, Margaret told Robert that her sister had chosen another life.
Then Margaret and Robert became close.
They married.
Later, Margaret brought Rebecca home.
"She said Elizabeth couldn't care for her," Robert whispered.
"And you believed her?"" Rebecca asked.
"I believed everything she told me.""
"Even when Elizabeth came back?""
Robert's eyes filled.
"That's where I failed you.""
Rebecca looked away.
Robert explained that Elizabeth had returned several times.
Each visit ended in chaos.
Margaret insisted Elizabeth was unstable.
Elizabeth insisted Rebecca had been taken from her.
Robert chose his wife.
Every time.
"Why didn't you tell me Elizabeth had been your girlfriend?"" I asked.
"Margaret said it would confuse you children.""
I laughed without humor.
"Of course she did.""
Lily shifted in my arms.
"Daddy, can we go home?""
I kissed her forehead.
"Soon, sweetheart.""
Emily took her into the kitchen with Susan.
I waited until Lily was out of earshot.
Then I turned back to Robert.
"Did Mom arrange this?""
I held up the envelope.
"The farmhouse. Susan. Lily.""
Robert looked toward Susan.
"I don't know.""
"Stop saying that.""
"I really don't.""
Rebecca stepped closer.
"Margaret wanted us here.""
That was obvious now.
The photograph hadn't been hidden.
It had been waiting.
"This wasn't about taking Lily," Rebecca said.
"It was about bringing us together.""
I stared at her.
"Why?""
"So we'd turn on Robert.""
Robert looked up.
Rebecca's expression hardened.
"Margaret is losing control. She knows it.""
My phone rang.
Margaret.
I answered immediately.
"Where are you?""
Her voice was calm.
"Did you find Lily?""
My blood boiled.
"You knew exactly where she was.""
"I knew Susan would protect her.""
"She didn't need protecting from us!""
"Everyone needs protecting from someone.""
I looked at Rebecca.
"You planned this.""
"I planned nothing.""
"You sent Susan the message.""
A pause.
Then Margaret said, "Did your father tell you about Elizabeth?""
Robert closed his eyes.
"Yes.""
"Good.""
"Why?""
"Because he's spent thirty years pretending I destroyed that family alone.""
Robert stood.
"Margaret—"
She heard him.
Her voice sharpened.
"You're there.""
"Where are you?"" he asked.
Margaret laughed.
"Does it matter?""
"Come home.""
"What home?""
Nobody answered.
Margaret continued.
"You all decided I'm a monster. Fine. But ask Robert what happened the night Elizabeth disappeared for the last time.""
Rebecca grabbed my phone.
"What happened?""
Margaret went silent.
"Answer me!""
"Your mother came to our house.""
"When?""
"Two days before Helen took you.""
Rebecca looked at Robert.
He shook his head.
"No.""
Margaret continued.
"Elizabeth wanted Rebecca back. Permanently.""
Rebecca's breathing quickened.
"And?""
"Robert met her outside.""
"Stop," Robert whispered.
Rebecca stared at him.
"What did you say to her?""
Robert covered his face.
"I told her to leave.""
The pain on Rebecca's face was immediate.
"Why?""
"I thought she was hurting you.""
"Because Margaret told you that.""
"Yes.""
Rebecca turned away.
Margaret's voice came through the phone.
"But that's not all he told her.""
Robert looked at me.
I had never seen that much shame on a human face.
"What else?"" I asked.
He swallowed.
"I told Elizabeth that Rebecca called Margaret Mom.""
Rebecca froze.
"And?""
"I told her maybe the kindest thing she could do was disappear.""
Silence.
Rebecca's eyes filled.
"You told my mother to abandon me.""
"I thought I was protecting you.""
She slapped both hands against the table.
"Stop using that word!""
Robert started crying.
"I'm sorry.""
"She died thinking I didn't want her!""
"No.""
"Yes!""
Rebecca's voice broke.
"Her final letters say she stayed away because she believed I had chosen Margaret.""
Robert looked shattered.
Then Margaret spoke.
"And now you know.""
Rebecca stared at the phone.
"No.""
Her voice became strangely calm.
"Now I know you used Robert's guilt to keep him obedient too.""
Margaret said nothing.
Rebecca wiped her tears.
"You didn't just control children.""
She looked at me.
"You built a family where everyone was afraid to question you.""
The line went dead.
I stared at my phone.
Then Susan rushed in from the kitchen.
"Daniel?""
Her face was pale.
"What?""
"There's something you need to see.""
She handed me a small envelope Lily had apparently pulled from her backpack.
Inside was a key.
And a note in Margaret's handwriting.
*Daniel knows where this belongs.*
I stared at the key.
And suddenly I did.
The room beneath the stairs.
But not my parents' house.
The original room.
The one from my earliest nightmares.
I looked at Robert.
"The old house on Willow Street.""
His face changed.
"That house was sold years ago.""
Rebecca shook her head.
"No.""
May you like
She was looking at another paper from Helen's folder.
"According to this, Margaret bought it back eleven years ago.""
