Angie of the Garden

Chapter Six-3

"Gentleman, dinner is served," Olivia called to them from the house.
The three men joined Annabelle and her mother at the dining room table. Paul was always taken aback by the way Olivia managed to maintain a youthful glow about her. He did not know if cosmetic surgery had played any part in this, but his appreciation of Olivia Simms would not have been diminished if it had.
"You should take advantage of Paul being here, Annabelle. You could use some help with your history studies," she chided her daughter.
"Oh, please, mother," Annabelle answered in an exasperated tone. "I just can't get excited about studying dead people."
"Some people find dead people to be very interesting," Sebastian said while grinning at Hollis.
His brother did not seem to appreciate the remark. Olivia and Annabelle were puzzled by it, while Paul was mildly amused.
"If we don't learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it," Olivia pointed out.
"And people never learn from it," Annabelle replied. "And that means there's no point in reading about what happened before, because it's going to happen again anyway. Then I'll be able to watch it on the news."
"You mean people like you never learn from it," Hollis told her with a smile.
"I did very well in the rest of my subjects, thank you," Annabelle retorted.
"I know it's hard to believe that the events of hundreds, even thousands of years
ago have any relevance to the present," Paul conceded. "But you can encounter some of the most interesting, and often courageous people while studying the past."
Nustad pointed to the large tapestry on the dining room wall.
"The scene depicted there is the signing of the Magna Carta. Some would say it was the moment when freedom became a possibility instead of just a dream. We might not be living in a democracy if not for that document."

Annabelle was unimpressed. She quickly finished her meal and then took advantage of her own freedom by leaving the table in the same fashion. The adults remained behind for coffee and desert.
"So what brings you to New York, Paul?" Olivia asked him.
"I attended a lecture at Queens College. They discovered the remains of some slaves at a construction site. The find dates back to the early nineteenth century."
"You always were consumed by your work," Olivia observed. "And Hollis is becoming as bad. He spends far too much time mulling over his patients. I barely have a moment with him anymore."
"You exaggerate, darling," Hollis responded.
"Well, I'm going to Becky's for a game of bridge. It was good to see you again, Paul. Don't be a stranger."
The three of them sat on the veranda after she left. They could see the garden in the fading light.
"So why are you so resistant to having this ghost of yours investigated?" Paul asked him.
"I want to help her."
"What do you think caused her problem?"
"He won't discuss that with you," Sebastian said before Hollis could answer. "It
would violate the doctor-patient relationship. Though I don't know how a ghost would go about bringing charges against her psychiatrist even if he did violate it."
"What is your belief regarding an afterlife?" Hollis asked Paul while ignoring his brother's remark.

"I'm not convinced there is one. But you obviously are."
"I believe we evolve into a more advanced form of life. Just as all the complex organisms evolved from simpler ones. Death is just evolution."
"But when a more complex life form evolves from a simpler one the simpler one usually becomes extinct. They don't continue on as more complex creatures."
"That's the flaw in my theory," Hollis conceded. "So I still have to work on it. But for the sake of our discussion, I'll still use it in regard to Angie. I believe she's afraid to take that step. Something has made it impossible for her to move on to the next level of existence. I want to remove the obstacle that is preventing Angie from doing so. I want her to find peace."
The phone rang. Hollis went inside to answer it.
"So what do you think?" Sebastian asked Paul.
"It's not what I would expect of Hollis. He always questions everything. I would
have thought he'd be trying to verify the reality of this ghost. Instead he's only interested in treating her. What do you make of it?"
Sebastian thought his brother's behavior might be attributed to Olivia's apparent defection. Still this was only conjecture about a very private subject that he would not discuss with Paul. Sebastian instead offered another possible explanation.
"Hollis has been putting in a lot of extra hours since he started doing the show. So maybe he's too tired to be bothered with the scientific approach. There's also his concern about Alec Collins. They're both candidates to head the Psychiatry Department at the hospital. If word got out that Hollis was seeing a ghost Alec would win easily. But I have to say that on the one occasion I got close to her, his ghost looked very real to me, too. So it could be that Hollis just believes in her."
"And do you believe in her?"
"I'd like to talk to her. Then I'd know for sure."
"Have you looked around the garden for anything unusual?"
"Yes. I've done that several times. There's nothing out of the ordinary there." "There's a scientist I know who investigates this phenomenon. But I think Hollis
would be furious if he showed up unexpectedly." "You've got that right."
"Let's see if we can stake out the garden tonight. I'll tell him I'm leaving for the hotel. You can say that you're retiring for the evening. We may see something."
"That's a good idea."
They had to wait for another thirty minutes before Hollis finished his phone call. He apologized to them, offering to compensate for his absence with brandy. They both declined.
"Someone has to make the bagels in the morning," Sebastian told him.
"And I have an early flight. But I'll call you soon. I want to hear more about this unusual patient of yours," Paul said as he shook his hand.
"I look forward to it," Hollis replied. "Have a safe trip."
The historian got into his car but drove only as far as the old house. He slowly shut the door after getting out of his car, sitting down under the large tree near the garden. Sebastian joined him. The night was utterly still, which served to heighten their anticipation. Ultimately their vigil was for naught, however. There was no sign of the visitor they anxiously waited to see.
As he sat there Sebastian decided not to leave Fairhaven unless the questions regarding Angelica Barton, and Olivia Simms, were answered. He could not be sure if his brother's welfare was the only factor influencing his decision. The younger Simms acknowledged that he might possess an unconscious aversion to reentering the business world. In any case Sebastian was committed to being here to watch over Hollis, no matter what the reason.
They remained there for two more hours without observing any signs of the specter.
"Here's my number at the college," Paul said as he handed him his card before leaving. "Let me know what happens."
"I will."
Hollis observed the garden from his office window that night. He was also disappointed by the woman he was trying to save.