Ana Seymour by A Family For Carter Jones

stairs.
    Jennie stood immobile as an icy fear spread through her. When the procession had disappeared around the curve of the stairs, she turned to face the group who stood waiting around the doorway. “Get out of my house,” she said to them.
    Sheriff Hammond turned around to scan the faces of the women. Even Henrietta looked a bit taken aback at the turn of events. Turning back to Jennie, he said, “I’m not sure this will change the order, but I guess we can wait to deal with it until tomorrow.”
    Jennie looked first at him, then one by one at the women behind him. Most wouldn’t meet her gaze. “If my sister dies,” she said, “it will be on your heads. You will be responsible for the death of a sweet, gentle angel who’s never harmed a soul in this town. Her crime was to love too much and give too much. But your crime will be murder.”
    At the very end she let her stare rest on Carter. “All of you,” she ended.
    Then she turned, put a shaky hand out to the banister and started up the stairs.

Chapter Five
    J ennie had never much liked Lyle Wentworth. As son of the town banker, he’d always seemed to consider himself a cut above the rest of the students at Vermillion School. When it was time for lunch out on the enclosed dirt play yard, most of the children brought out tin pails full of cold biscuits or dried bacon slabs. Lyle had had a cloth-lined wicker basket that every year seemed to overflow with more delicacies—tins of salmon paste, marchpane candies—foods that Jennie and Kate had never even heard of.
    Jennie remembered the first time that Lyle had offered to share some of his bounty with Kate. They’d giggled about it on the way home that day, but it had become less funny to Jennie as the days passed and it became increasingly obvious that stuck-up Lyle Wentworth was sweet on her baby sister.
    Fortunately, Kate never seemed to find much appeal in the idea, either, though she was too sweet to ever tell Lyle to his face. She couldn’t even bear to turn him down when he’d asked her to the harvest dance the year she turned sixteen. He’d tried to kissher, she’d confided to Jennie later. Jennie had been shocked.
    But tonight she was happy that Lyle had stayed. It was comforting somehow. He was one of Kate’s oldest friends, a man with money and power. He’d help see that nothing happened to her.
    “How is she?” he asked as she started down the stairs. He was still standing in the front hall where she’d left everyone over half an hour ago. The others had left, including Carter.
    “She’s awake. The doctor sent me down for some tea.” Lyle looked almost as worried as Jennie felt. She forced a small smile. “Kate’s strong.”
    Lyle shook his head. “No, she’s not. You’re the strong one, Jennie. Kate’s always depended on you to take the lead.”
    Jennie’s smile died and tears filled her eyes. “I wish there was something I could do for her now.”
    Lyle took her arm as she reached the bottom step and said with surprising gentleness, “There is. You can bring her some tea, like the doctor said. All Kate needs is to know that her family is there by her side. That’s all she’s ever needed.”
    There was a touch of wistfulness in his voice. Another surprise. Perhaps she’d misjudged Lyle. Suddenly she felt almost sorry for him. She was sure the Wentworth family had never had the kind of closeness shared by the Sheridans.
    “Jennie, I want to talk with you.” Dr. Millard had appeared at the top of the stairs.
    Jennie clutched Lyle’s arm. “Has something happened? Is she all right?”
    The doctor gave a wave of assurance as he descended the stairs. “She’s fallen asleep. Just a natural sleep, I think. She’s exhausted.”
    “We’ve been careful, I promise. I haven’t let her do a thing.”
    The doctor reached to pat her cheek. “You’ve been doing a fine job of taking care of her, little one. But your sister’s condition requires professional care.”
    “Then