Three weeks after she began working for the Giddons, they had the pool filled. Finally she felt comfortable about her wages. Tammy could swim almost as well as Lisa, but Sarah couldn't swim at all, confessing unabashed that she was afraid of the water. Tammy was finally allowed to swim to her heart's content . . . apparently for the first time. They usually spent the morning hours in the garden and the afternoon at the pool.
Five days a week Giddon left the house before anyone was up. Sarah's only explanation was that he liked being alone. At noon he would come in from a path in the woods, eat and then return by the same path. What he did there was a mystery. Questioning Sarah always led to an evasive answer and a change of subject. What the Giddons did on their own land was their business, yet it left her feeling uncomfortable. What lay at the end of that path? Sometimes she imagined a large field of marijuana, but that would have been discovered long ago. Anyway, they didn't seem the type . . . whatever that was. And hadn't she been fooled by Allen?
Although Sarah spent most of her time in the garden or crocheting, Lisa soon discovered her favorite hobby was shopping, which she did at least once a week. On these occasions she took Tammy with her, and Lisa was left to enjoy her precious solitude. Sarah couldn't understand her desire to be alone, but she accepted it.
It was on one of those occasions that Lisa made her first perplexing discovery. It was a hot afternoon, and she had thrown a light cotton sundress over her swimsuit. No one was around, so she decided to explore the path. She lifted the hair off her neck and sighed as she paused in the shade of a huge oak tree. Her sandals raised little puffs of dust every time she put a foot down in the soft dirt. She smiled mischievously as she kicked off her shoes and dug her toes into the soft cool dust. It took her mind back to childhood memories of barefoot strolls down dusty lanes. A cool breeze lifted the damp hair at her temples and ruffled the hem of her full skirt. She started down the path again, lifting her arms and spinning around. Laughing softly at the matching shadows of her hair and skirt, she imagined it was a Christmas tree. The shadow made her long legs look short. She twirled, watching the shadow in child-like awe.
Something blue in the shadow of the trees caught her attention. Shielding her eyes from the bright sun, she peered into the shadows, gasping. A tall figure lounged against a huge Oak tree beside the trail. His arms were folded across his chest, one leg thrown carelessly over the other. Giddon looked completely relaxed, right down to his lazy smile.