Susannah stumbled behind, her feet sinking in the sand, fear making her awkward, anger at the injustice of it tripping her, and helplessness robbing her of breath, of strength, even the ability to see clearly and choose her path up through the stones.

Dinner was a nightmare for Susannah. Tonia was charming. She smiled at both her sisters, told entertaining stories from events in Astoria society to which she had been, and they had not. The food, which she had insisted on cooking alone, was delicious, fresh fish in a delicate sauce, and vegetables chopped and steamed to exactly the right consistency. She also served it herself, and passed the plates.

“Aren’t you hungry?” she inquired solicitously as Susannah poked one thing with her fork, and then another without eating. “I’d have thought the walk along the beach would have given you an appetite. It has me.” And she proceeded to eat with relish.

Kate had no idea. Susannah knew that as she saw her begin to eat hungrily as well. She might be aware of Tonia’s knowledge of her love affair with Ralph, even how far it had gone, but she was not afraid. Was she blind? Did she really not understand Tonia at all, for all the years they had known each other, growing up, and after?

“Aren’t you feeling well?” Tonia asked with concern, looking at Susannah still probing at the food rather than eating it. “Shall I get you something else?”

The moment froze. Incredibly, Kate was not looking at her, but Tonia was, mockery in her eyes. She knew Susannah was afraid, and she was enjoying it.

“No… no thank you.” Susannah made the decision from reflex, not judgment. “This is fine. I was just thinking.” She took a deliberate mouthful.

“Something interesting?” Tonia inquired.

Susannah made up a quick lie. She wished she could have thought of something useful, something defensive, or at the very least, warning. “Only about what we might do tomorrow, if the weather is fine, of course.”

“Ah, the future!” Tonia rolled the words around her tongue. “I was quite wrong. You see I imagined you were thinking of the past. It’s wonderful to be here, free as the wind, with tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after that, in which to do whatever we please-isn’t it, Susannah!”

“To choose among options, anyway,” Susannah replied.

Tonia looked surprised. “You feel limited? What is there you would like to do, and can’t? Is there something you want? Something you can’t have?” She turned slightly. “And what about you, Kate? Is there anything you want, and can’t have?”

Kate looked up, puzzled. “Not more than anyone else. Why?” She glanced at Susannah. “What do you want to do?”

Leave, but she could not say that, and she could not do it without Tonia. She had the car, and the keys to it. And anyway, if she did run, it would seem like the confession of a guilty conscience. She had nothing to be guilty about. Ralph was a thief, planning to buy his way to state office with corruption. The fact that he was her brother-in-law excused nothing.

“I really don’t care,” she replied awkwardly.

“We could climb round the point,” Tonia suggested. “When the tide’s out, the rock pools are full of all sorts of things-sea anemones, urchins, razor shells, starfish.” She smiled. “It’s beautiful.”

And dangerous, Susannah thought with an inward clenching of her stomach. One slip and you could break a leg, cut your arm open on one of the razor shells, even, at the right tide, fall off an edge high enough, deep enough, and drown. Out on the farthest edge, even get taken off by a wave.

“I’d rather walk along the beach,” she replied. “Or up in the woods for a change.”

Tonia smiled. “Whatever,” she said with quiet satisfaction. “Would you like coffee? Or tea, perhaps? That would be better in the evening. Or how about hot chocolate? Shall I make hot chocolate for all of us?” She half-rose as if it had already been accepted.

Kate said “yes,” and Susannah “no” at the same moment. Tonia chose to hear the “yes.” Susannah said “no” again, and Tonia ignored her. “It’ll be good for you,” she said over her shoulder. “Help you sleep.”

“What’s the matter with you?” Kate asked. “Anyone would think she was going to poison you!”

The evening passed so slowly it assumed the proportions of a nightmare. They sat around the fire facing each other, sipping chocolate after the dishes were washed. The air had chilled considerably, and the wind had risen.

“I think there could be a storm,” Kate remarked, a smile on her lips.

“Oh yes,” Tonia agreed. “I’m quite sure there will be.”

There were several moments of silence except for a low moan outside and the rattling in the eaves where a tile was loose.

“Ralph used to like storms,” Tonia went on.

“No he didn’t!” Kate said instantly, then almost bit her tongue. “Did he?” she added, too late.

Tonia looked wide-eyed. “My dear, are you asking me?”

Kate flushed pink. “Perhaps I misunderstood,” she said lamely.

“Who? Me, or Ralph?” Tonia inquired.

“I really don’t remember. It hardly matters!” Kate snapped.

But Tonia would not let it go. “Did you have a particular storm in mind?”

“I told you!” Kate was angry now, and guilty. Susannah could see the shame in her eyes, and she was absolutely certain Tonia could. “I don’t remember! It was a misunderstanding.”

“About likes and dislikes?” Tonia went on. “Or love and hate? How can you mistake one for the other… do you suppose?” She looked as if she were intensely interested, without emotion, until one saw the clenched fist by her side, and the rigid line of her back.

“Maybe the difference between fear and excitement,” Kate responded, staring at her, meeting the challenge at last.

“Oh yes!” Tonia agreed with satisfaction. “Excitement, the fear of danger, the roar of thunder and the chance of being struck by lightning. You mistook the fear for love?”

Kate’s face was scarlet.

Susannah sat, her muscles locked as if any moment the explosion would come. She dreaded it, but she knew now that it was inevitable. It would happen some time, tonight, tomorrow, the day after, but before they went home, that was certain.

“Or the love for fear?” Kate met the challenge squarely.

Tonia shook her head. “Oh no,” she said with a tight little smile. “One knows love, believe me, dear. If you ever meet it, you’ll understand.” And she stood up, smiled at each of them in turn, and wished them goodnight. She went to the door and added, “Sleep soundly,” and went out.

Kate turned to Susannah. She seemed about to ask her something, then realized she could not afford to raise the subject with her. She had no idea how much she knew, or where her loyalties would lie. She let out her breath again with a sigh, and they spent another miserable half-hour, then went to bed also.

Susannah took a long time to go to sleep, in spite of the comfortable sounds of wind and rain outside. She woke with a violent start, crying out in fear.

Tonia was sitting on the end of her bed, one of the pillows in her hands. For a freezing instant pure tension gripped Susannah and she scrambled to sit upright, throwing the entangling bedclothes off her legs so she could fight freely.

Tonia looked amazed. “That must have been some nightmare!” she said with a shadow of amusement in her face.

“N… nightmare?” Susannah stammered.

“Yes. You were crying out in your sleep. That’s why I came.”

Susannah realized it was still dark, the bedroom light was on, but beyond the curtains it was black. She could not take her eyes off Tonia to look at the clock on the bedside table. She had not been dreaming, she was absolutely certain of that. She always remembered her dreams. “What’s the pillow for?” she demanded, her voice dry and a little wobbly. Had she only just avoided being suffocated in her sleep?