Chapter 8
Susan Wilkins had been a bright bubbly girl when Nancy met her at Collinsport Community College. So full of life and romantic notions. One day Nancy made the mistake of inviting Susan to Collinwood. She took one look at Quentin and fell head over heels. Susan had been such a pretty girl, and Quentin took notice. Nancy thought it was nothing but harmless flirtation, but a few months later she discovered that her friend had been doing much more than flirting with Quentin.
Susan became pregnant and had hopes Quentin would marry her. Nancy told her friend Quentin had no such intention. He didn't love anyone but himself and never would. Susan refused to believe Nancy, even after Nancy had told her about Quentin's selfish ways and even showed her the bruise he'd given her the night before. She told Susan she would wish she were dead rather than live with Quentin.
Susan told her she hated her and always would. She went to confront Quentin himself. That was the last Nancy ever saw of Susan. Quentin became insane at the knowledge, shrieking that her child would be cursed and would be a monster. Quentin told her he wanted nothing to do with her. He wouldn't be saddled with a wife and that she must get rid of the child. Susan was heart broken and tried to reason with him, declaring she loved him and he must love her. By that time the discussion had moved from his bedroom to the stair landing. She was crying and carrying on about love. Quentin lost it, he hit her, knocking her down the stairs.
Later that night, Quentin took her limp body to Widow's Hill, where he threw onto the rocks below, making it looked as though she had jumped to her death. He told Nancy that she had become so distressed when he wouldn't marry her, that she killed herself. That it was her fault for introducing them in the first place, she knew what a weak man he was when it came to women. If it wasn't for her that girl would be alive. Quentin was very good at making er feel guilty.
"Ah, so you remember?" he said, "You don't want to lose another friend do you? By putting thoughts in her head that she would rather die than be involved with me? I feel that if something, shall we say, unplanned occurs, Rhiannon will see the sense in my suggestion. She's almost as selfish and vain as I am!" he laughed, "So you see, everything will be taken care of. Luckily, you and I never had such a problem." He kissed her harshly, running his hands along her shoulders. "Goodnight Nancy," he said with a sardonic half smile, "
