A piece of the story...part 6

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas/New Year's! I know I did :) Here is another part of Always and Forever. Since it has been a while, if you want to review the last section of the story, I tagged them all under "Always and Forever" on the left sidebar. Enjoy :) 

Before he could make a reply, John pulled the car up to the back entrance which was usually reserved for the staff although Henry preferred it to the impressive, overbearing front entrance. Henry burst from the car, leaving his luggage for John, and hurried up the back steps. A blast of humid air made his hair immediately stick to his forehead. Betsy, the dear old cook, was hovering over a large pot on the elaborate cook-stove. 

“Still slaving away over your famous stew, I see, miss Betsy.” 

The large, colored lady turned with a startled expression, the soup ladle still in her grasp. “Why, master Henry. I didn’t know you were expected home anytime soon.”

A laugh bubbled from his chest. “I was hoping to surprise you, but I think I may have scared you, instead.” 

“No, no, master Henry. You just startled me a little.” She wrapped her mama-bear grasp around his waist. “I couldn’t be more happy to see you. Now go on. Tara will be so excited to see you. Besides, if you keep me from cooking too long, your mother will send me packing.” She shooed him away like he was an unwanted rodent looking for food scraps in the grooves of the tiles, her laughter following him out into the back hall.

Tara’s sing-song voice echoed through the halls of the mansion. However, another voice chorused with his sister’s. A voice he had never heard before, but one that brought back wonderful childhood memories. The voice was softer than Tara’s, more reserved, yet filled with hope. He felt himself drawn to the sweet voice, even though he didn’t he couldn’t see the face that belonged to it. The voices stopped and he could hear Tara’s footsteps bound up the winding staircase. He pulled himself away from the desire to find the owner of the voice, and met his sister on the upstairs landing.

“I’m home.” Before his presence could register in her gaze, he wrapped his arms around his petite sibling. 

“Brother? Is that you?” She pushed against his chest and, glancing at his face, smiled with excitement, although innumerable questions filled her eyes “I thought you weren’t coming home for another couple months.”

“Yeah, well, medical school is overrated.” He held her out at arms length. “You look great. Older.”

Tara grinned ear to ear. “You too. Well, older, at least.” Her laughter bubbled from within her and she ducked instinctively from the playful shove she was about to receive. Instead, he joined her laughter. 

“If I look as old as I feel, then I must be at least eighty years old. Maybe ninety.”

Mock contemplation filled her eyes. “At least. I was thinking older, but if that's how you feel, then that’s fine.” She clearly tried to keep a straight face, but the dimples around her lips and the sparkles in her eyes gave her away. “I missed you.”

“I know.” 

A look he couldn’t distinguish crossed Tara’s face. Realization, maybe? As if she just remembered something that she forgot since the start of their conversation. “I’ll be right back, I have to get something from my room. A friend of mine is waiting for me downstairs.”

“No, rush. I’ll be home all summer,” he replied nonchalantly, knowing how his sister could talk. If she started a conversation with a friend, most likely she’d continue with it for hours.

She squealed and clapped her hands. “I’m so happy.” And then she disappeared behind her door. 

Curiosity drove him down the front stairway to find Tara’s waiting friend, and maybe disclose the owner of the beautiful voice. The foyer lay vacant except for a maid who scurried through the hall, a pile of linens over her arm. She must have been a new hire because he couldn't recognize her, which stung for some reason. How much life had been lived in this house while he was away? How much could have happened in the two years he had been away, besides the few short visits that never extended beyond one day? That thought stung even more. He should have come home more. And now, without his approval or acknowledgment, his sister had grown up. 

Gentle footsteps shifted in the ballroom. Who on earth would be in there? No gathering or party would be happening at this early hour of the afternoon.  He peered around the doors and what he saw stole his breath away. A slender, young woman stood in the center of the room, her stockinged feet gliding on the floor. She twisted and turned about the room to a song in her own head. The scene was mesmerizing. 

But reality called back to him. What was he doing thinking about a stranger like that? He had no idea who she was and it's not like he was good enough for a girl like that. Once again, anger at himself filled his whole being. This needed to stop. Why in the world was a stranger dancing in their ballroom, alone, anyway?

“Who are you?” 

She stopped. Her eyes found his and she immediately looked unsure of herself. The girl who, just a moment ago, controlled the entire room with her presence, now looked as if she’d rather be buried in a hole. And he regretted being the one who caused it. 

TO BE CONTINUED...