Darkwater by V. J. Banis

wife for a long time now. How long do you think it will be before he notices how pretty Miss Jennifer is—if he hasn’t already?”
    â€œAnd because he notices someone is pretty, do you think Walter is immoral enough to...to do anything about it?” Helen asked indignantly, because Susan’s remarks had only added emphasis to her own worries, fears she had been trying not to face.
    â€œThat’s not the point,” Susan said. “He won’t have to do anything to set Alicia off. All it will take is for her to see him looking at Jennifer—the way a man looks at a woman when he wants her—and there’ll be trouble to pay.”
    â€œWhat nonsense. Why, you’ve only got to see the two of them together to realize Alicia’s devoted to Jennifer.”
    Her own fears continued to nag at Helen, though. It was certainly true that Jennifer was pretty. She was more than that, she was exquisitely beautiful, with her pale skin like fresh cream and her dark hair that hung in ringlets about her shoulders, and those wide green eyes that seemed sometimes to look right through you. Yes, she was beautiful.
    And Walter...God knows, Helen thought, Alicia hasn’t been a wife to him in two years or more. How long can a man stand that without his flesh rebelling?
    Susan was right about one thing: if Alicia ever even suspected that Walter was so much as attracted to the new governess, she would stop at nothing for revenge.

CHAPTER SIX
    When the peace was broken by another of Alicia’s outbursts, however, it was Liza who was the target of her anger and not Jennifer.
    It came about partly because of Jennifer’s attempts to placate Alicia’s hatred of the young girl. After giving the riding crop to Jennifer and instructing her to use it to discipline Liza, Alicia did not mention it for several days. Jennifer assumed that she had spoken in anger and either regretted her instructions, or had even forgotten them.
    Certainly Jennifer had no wish to remind her, and she avoided mentioning any difficulty with Liza. In fact, she had no real problems with the girl aside from her withdrawn attitude. Liza had no interest in anyone or anything except Walter, and pleasing him.
    Nearly a week after Alicia had given her the riding crop, Jennifer came into her bedroom to find Alicia in a worked up state that she sensed was a prelude to a real outburst.
    â€œWell,” Alicia said, “what about Liza?”
    â€œWhat about her?” Jennifer repeated, her uneasiness increasing.
    â€œHave you used the crop on her yet?” Alicia leaned forward with a look of utter cruelty on her once pretty face.
    â€œI....” Jennifer hesitated to tell an outright lie and yet she knew Alicia would give her no peace until she had been reassured on this subject. “I have disciplined Liza as it was necessary,” she concluded lamely. It was close to the truth. She had had to rebuke Liza on two occasions for inattention, although she had resorted to nothing more than a mild scolding.
    â€œSo,” Alicia said, breathing heavily as if the mere thought of Liza’s punishment excited her. “So she is not the goody-goody after all, but does need some punishment. I’ve tried and tried to convince the others, but they have always insisted she was a good girl.”
    Alarmed that Alicia’s mood seemed to be getting out of hand, Jennifer said, “I don’t think I would say she was a bad girl.”
    Alicia gave her a venomous look. “Bad? She’s a witch, like her mother. You’ve only got to look at her to see how evil she is. What do you think is making me so sick? The doctor can’t find anything wrong with me physically, he told me that himself. It’s witchcraft, that’s what it is. Look at me, so sick I can’t stand up, and what else could it be, I ask you?”
    Alicia had worked herself into a veritable frenzy, shaking her head to and fro and thumping