Gates of Paradise by V.C. Andrews: Part 2

Annie is trying to recuperate from her paralysis, but she has to overcome a doctor who tries to make her feel like a moron for not being cured right away, a nurse who hates her because she (Annie) grew up rich and won't let her eat "exotic" foods like chicken, mashed potatoes, and steamed vegetables, and Tony her step-great-grandfather/secret biological grandfather who keeps mixing her up with her mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. She's also in love with Luke, the guy she still believes is her half-brother/cousin, but Tony won't let her call anyone or bring him to see her.

Annie decides she wants to go to her parents' memorial service and Tony says she can, except he keeps badgering her to dye her hair silvery blond like her grandmother's and like how Heaven did hers once. She says no, but Tony brings a hairstylist to do it anyway. Then, after one bowl of oatmeal too many, she pitches a fit at the bland food her nurse keeps feeding her and insists that she finally gets to eat some of the famed Rye Whiskey's home cooking. She does and it's delicious, but the nurse has spiked it with laxatives, so she has a massive accident. She finds out what the nurse did and tells Tony, who promptly fires the bitch. Tony then takes it upon himself to be the one in charge of dressing and undressing Annie and putting her in the bath, which paralyzed Annie is powerless to fight. Meanwhile, she's gotten feeling back into her legs, but no one will let her walk or become self sufficient.

Tony installs a special elevator for her to go downstairs and wheel herself around the grounds. There she meets my beloved Troy who doesn't tell her who he is at first. She notices all of these similarities between the two of them, from the way they shlump their shoulders to the way they like to pretend they're in a fantasy world. Finally, he reveals that he's Troy and she's not too surprised. He helps her walk and she finally takes a few steps. She confides in him the trouble she's been having with Tony, like the fact that he won't let her heal and keeps confusing her with Heaven, Leigh, and Jillian.

Later, Tony comes in to her room confused and disoriented, calling her Leigh, telling her that they can make love all night long and that he can even call her Daddy. (In case you're wondering, I'll be bleaching my brain any minute now). He tries to force himself on her and since she's not back to her old strength she can't fight him off. Eventually she says something and he snaps out of it. The next morning, he makes no mention of what he did. In case you're counting, with Jillian the great-grandmother, Leigh the grandmother, Heaven the mother, and now Annie, that makes four generations of women that he either has or tried to get it on with. Remember when Jillian's mother Jana came to visit in Dark Angel? I think now we know why she left so quickly.

Naturally, she's shocked and disgusted. Drake, who is now Tony's protegee, comes to visit and he doesn't believe her. She passes out, I forget why, but when she wakes up Luke and Aunt Fanny are there! Troy called them and they've come to take her home. Tony pitches a fit and do you know the reason he gives as to why she should stay? (Paraphrasing) "I raped your grandmother, so I'm your real grandfather! Isn't that great?". She's not a moron (this isn't the Cutler series afterall) and chooses Fanny and Luke. Fanny confirms that Tony was telling the truth and Annie is actually devastated to learn that she and Luke have lost one of their familial bonds and are now just brother and sister instead of cousins. Maybe she's not as smart as I thought she was.

Then there's like thirty pages of Annie being back home and she and Luke having all this angst about how they love each other, but can't be together and will have to find other people to marry, etc. Just as they kiss, Drake shows up and calls his nephew Luke a pervert, which is pretty funny. Drake tries to get Annie to come back to Farthy, but she's still not having it.

Finally, Troy calls and tells her that Tony has died. Tony raised him, so he's actually pretty devastated. Annie and Luke decide to go to the funeral. She has since progressed to using a cane, so she's able to navigate the grounds better. Troy, who can see that Annie and Luke are hot for each other, decides to tell Annie the whole story that we already know -even though they knew they were uncle and niece, Troy and Heaven still got it on and made Annie. She takes the news of being inbred pretty well and decides not to hold any grudges. As they leave, finally with the knowledge that they're not related, they each ask the other to be each other's prince and princess. Whatever.

The prequel is so much better than this!