A Phone Call Whately Prep p. 41

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“Julia?  Slow down.  Take a breath.  Where are you?”

“I’m in my office.  Declan, the swan was butchered.  I mean it was terrible.  Almost worst is watching its mate swim around and around in the pond.  It is not acting right at all. I called the people from the farm to come get her.  I am hoping she will do better on their property with other birds.”  I am at the window of my office, dressed for the day. Clara was good enough to come in.  We are going to plow through my correspondence this morning.  Catch up on that, then I will review the new daily schedule we are introducing this Fall semester.

“Aren’t you spending the day with Ingrid?” 

“Declan, this is a major deal.  Do you get that? Ingrid is fine.  She and the girls are on the Saturday campus tour.”  

“I am worried about this, Declan.  Bad things come in threes.  The gravestone mischief, “Aunt Gillian’s death, and now this. You don’t think....”

“I don’t think what?”

“You don’t think these events are -- in some crazy way -- related, do you?”

“Absolutely not. Do not go there.”

“But Declan, Kelly isn’t around much.  Even now, she would usually be in my office. Not today -- again.  Something feels off around here. I’m telling you.”

“This could easily be a town vs. gown thing, you know.  Whately Prep recently got the final approval to build the library.  Don’t overlook that possibility, Julia. Why don’t you take Ingrid for a bike ride? Who knows, maybe her daughters will want to come, too.”

“Now THAT is a great idea.  When I get done this morning, I want to do just that.  Declan, you are the best.  Thanks.  What’s going on, there? Is Sarah up and fed?”

“Of course.  She is already at my mother’s.  Mom loves having Sarah around. Says it keeps her young. Pop took Marshall and Julian fishing out on the Boston Whaler.  I would be on my lonesome, but Marcus is keeping me company.  He misses his family.”

“Boohoo. Hi, Julia.” I hear Marcus call in the background.  I suddenly realized that I must be on speaker phone. This was obviously a private conversation.  Man, that irks me.

“Take care, Marcus.”

I hear the phone go off speaker.

“Julia? “ Declan’s voice is close and in my ear.

“Delclan.”  

“I can come home. Do you want me to come home?”  

“No, I’ll let you know if I need you. Thanks alot, Dec. You are my sweetheart.”

“Talk to you later, Jules.”

A bike ride will grant me a change of perspective.