Chapter Twelve – Called-Off Wedding
Carolyn awakes during the night to her little baby crying. She lifts herself out of bed and sleepily walks over to her crib, but she isn't there. Panicked, she goes back to wake Jeb, but he isn't there, either. "Jeb?" she says worriedly.
"In here," he calls from the living room.
Carolyn walks out to see Jeb staring out the window, Eve in his arms. "What are you doing out here?"
Jeb's eyes widens at the sound of a wolf howling. He stares wild-eyed at Carolyn. "Did you hear that?"
"It's probably just a stray," she says, confused as to why her husband is preoccupied by the howling of dogs. She lifts Eve out of his arms, and quiets her cries. "Honey, come back to bed," she says, walking back toward the bedroom.
The wolf howls once more and Jeb says, "There it is again!"
"Jeb," Carolyn says slowly, "Is something the matter?"
"That wolf – that wolf is after me, Carolyn!" Jeb says, pointing out the window.
"Jeb," Carolyn says slowly, "Is something wrong?"
"Carolyn, I already told you, that wolf is going to kill me!" Jeb says, almost in hysterics.
"Well, Eve and I are going to bed," Carolyn says, walking into the bedroom. Five minutes later, Carolyn hears a terrible crash. Eve still in her arms, Carolyn rushes into the living room to find a wolf standing upright, coming towards her husband menacingly. "Jeb!" she screamed running forward.
"Stay back!" Jeb warns as he picks up a silver candlestick.
The wolf sees it and seems scared. It jumps back out the broken window and into the woods. Carolyn looks outside, wonderingly, and says, "Jeb, what was that?"
"The wolf," Jeb says, catching his breath, "I told you it was after me."
"Jeb, what are we going to do?" Carolyn asks, looking at Jeb.
"I don't know," he says honestly, "Maybe you'd better call your mother. Tell her about the animal. Maybe she can get some police out here."
Carolyn nods and puts Eve back in her crib before calling Collinwood.
The next morning, Carolyn and Eve were up at Collinwood while Jeb worked, telling Elizabeth all about their strange experience the night before. "I don't even know how to explain it, Mother," Carolyn says.
"It must be the same wolf that attacked me six years ago," Elizabeth reasons, "Thank God none of you were hurt."
"Thanks to Jeb," Carolyn smiles.
Just then, Maggie and Sebastian enter the Drawing Room, and Maggie says to Carolyn, "Carolyn, can I talk to you alone?"
"Sure," Carolyn says, standing from her chair. She follows Maggie into the foyer, and she shuts the Drawing Room doors behind her. "What's this all about?"
"I want you to organize my bridal shower," Maggie says, beaming.
Carolyn laughs and says, "Of course! When do you want it?"
"A week from today, if it's no trouble," Maggie replies.
"Oh," Carolyn says, creasing her brow. Her expression brightens, and says, "Give me the guest list and the theme and I'll get right on it."
"Oh, I already know the theme," Maggie says excitedly, "Astrology."
"Of course!" Carolyn laughs.
"Ah-ee," Eve cries, a smile on her face.
Carolyn laughs. "Oh, you like it, too, darling?" she asks, kissing Eve's tiny bare foot. "I'll run my ideas by you tomorrow," she adds to Maggie.
"Sounds perfect!" Maggie says, literally bouncing.
"In fact," Carolyn says slowly with a smile, "I think I'll start now. Say good-bye to my mother for me."
"Will do," Maggie smiles as Carolyn and Eve leave the Great House on the hill.
That night, Eve is playing in her crib with her doll while Carolyn is jotting ideas down on a slip of paper. She turns around to her daughter and says, "Are personalized glasses with signs of the zodiac too much?"
"Ohh," is her daughter's reply.
Carolyn shrugs. "Whatever you say."
Jeb walks through the front door and hollers, "Honey? Where are you?"
"In here," Carolyn states from the bedroom.
Jeb walks in and sees a mountain of papers surrounding his wife. "What are you doing, babe?" he asks.
"Maggie asked me to run her bridal shower," Carolyn explains.
"How much is she paying you?" Jeb asks jokingly.
"Oh, Jeb," Carolyn says exasperatedly. The phone rings from the living room. "Phone, Jeb."
"I heard it," Jeb says as he changes out of his work clothes.
Carolyn sighs and puts down her pen, rushing into the other room. "Hello?" she says as she picks up the receiver.
"Carolyn, it's Maggie," says a voice on the other end. Carolyn can tell she's been crying.
"Maggie, what's the matter?" Carolyn asks concernedly.
"The wedding is off," Maggie declares, "Sebastian and I had a terrible fight, and he said he'd rather move away from Collinsport than put up with me."
"What?" Carolyn exclaims, hardly believing it.
"He doesn't trust me, Carolyn," Maggie pouts, "He thinks I'm too beautiful to be trusted."
Carolyn sighs, "Oh, Maggie, did he say that as a joke?"
"I don't know and I don't care," she says sullenly, "It's over."
"Maggie, you can't give up on this," Carolyn argues. However, she hears a sharp click on the other end, followed by a loud buzz, indicating that Maggie has just hung up on her. Carolyn, perplexed, looks at Jeb and says, "It's over. Maggie and Sebastian have broken up."
