Fortune Is a Woman - Elizabeth Adler [195]
CHAPTER 41
Francie was lying sleepless on her bed when she heard the fire engines coming up the hill. Her mind was still full of Buck, of how he had looked, the new tired lines on his face, his eyes pleading with her. And of how she had felt weak again with love for him, how much she longed to stay with him, to show him his beautiful little daughter, to have him back in their lives again. But she had called Annie and told her what happened and said she never wanted to talk about him again. Just so she couldn’t change her mind.
The fire engines clanged noisily past then screamed to a halt and she sat up, startled. She ran to the window and stared down the block at Harry’s house. Flames were leaping from the windows and she closed her eyes, thinking she must be dreaming, but when she opened them it was true. The house, that great monument to the Harrison name, was burning. Again.
For the second time that night she was swept back to the past; this time more than thirty years ago after the earthquake, when she had watched her father’s house burn along with the rest of California Street. Letting the curtain drop back over the window, she wondered what Harry would say now?
With a stab at her heart she remembered the night Ollie had died in the fire. She had always known Harry had something to do with it and this was a small revenge. Only she didn’t want revenge, she just didn’t want to think about Harry ever again.
She pressed her face to the pillow, trying to shut out the sounds of frantic activity outside, but it was impossible and she got up wearily and went downstairs to the kitchen to make herself some tea.
Ah Fong was in the hall with the front door wide open, staring wonderingly at the blaze.
“Mr. Harrison’s house, Miss Francie,” he said, gesturing excitedly at the scene. She went and stood beside him. The street was jammed with fire trucks and dozens of firemen were pouring streams of water at the flames in the windows while men on ladders tackled the roof.
“Did they get everyone out?” she asked anxiously, thinking of the servants.
An Fong shrugged. “They say no one was there.”
Francie made her tea and took it back upstairs, but she didn’t drink it. She lay on her bed, thinking of the night of the earthquake and the great fire. And Josh. And of one of the secrets the Mandarin had told her at Lilin’s temple. And she knew now she had to tell Annie. When dawn came she got up and pulled back her curtains and looked out at the wreckage. The Harrison house was a blackened shell. She stared at it waiting for some reaction but she felt nothing, neither pleasure nor triumph. It simply did not matter to her anymore.
Annie called her first thing. “They say Harry’s house was burned. Is it true?” she demanded.
“It’s true. It looks exactly the way it did after the earthquake.”
“It’s taken thirty years for fate to take its revenge,” Annie said bitterly, “and nobody deserved to lose everything more than Harry.”
“Are you busy today?” Francie asked suddenly.
Annie thought of the million and one things she had to do and said calmly, “I don’t have to be.”
“I need to see you.”
There was a silence and then Annie said, “I’ll be there in an hour.”
Francie was waiting for her in the hall. “Don’t bother taking off your coat,” she said. “We are going somewhere.”
“To meet Buck?” Annie asked, stepping into Francie’s little black Ford.
“I told you I don’t want to talk about him,” Francie said abruptly. “It’s just not meant to be, Annie. The man’s life is on a different course from mine.” Annie nodded sadly as she added wearily, “I’m on my own, Annie, and that’s the way it’s always been. Last night, seeing the house burn brought back memories of Josh.
“You remember the night of the Mandarin’s funeral?” she said as they drove down the hill. “When I said you didn’t know all the truth? Well, now I shall tell you. I couldn’t before, Annie, because it was his secret, but I want you to remember that