Read Online Allie's Moon by Alexis Harrington - Free Book Online Page B

to
meet Death in the deepest part of the night.
    But no matter whether at dawn or dusk, her
father had gone, and the words she’d yearned for since she was
seven years old, the absolution, never came and never would.
    Forcing her mind back to the present,
Althea’s gaze fell to the bureau where there lay a razor, a shaving
mug and brush, and a comb, the objects of her mission to this place
of bad memories. She reached out with a hesitant hand and let her
fingertips rest lightly on the ivory-handled blade. Still dutiful,
she tended this room the same way she tended her parents’ graves.
Only at night, while alone with her thoughts, did Althea admit—and
then reluctantly—that she was dutiful more out of fear than
respect. It was silly, she knew, but even from the grave, her
father ruled her life with an iron fist from dawn to dark, just as
he had when he was alive, always dangling the hope before her that
he might one day forgive her.
    If only she pleased him enough.
    If only she worked just a little harder.
    If only . . . 
    Ludicrous as it was, she couldn’t shake the
notion that he’d find a way to punish her if she failed to do
things now exactly as he’d demanded when he’d been alive. Before
daybreak, she had to be washed and dressed. By dawn, breakfast had
to be on the stove. That finished and served to his order at table,
she’d been allowed to eat her own meal. Then while he and Olivia
had lingered over coffee, it was time to wash the dishes. Then the
floors. So it went throughout the day, and even now, when his death
should have freed her, she was afraid to break the routine.
    That made the idea of loaning her father’s
razor and shaving mug to Jeff Hicks seem almost sacrilegious. But
she had no others to give him, and these were simply sitting in
this room, going unused. Olivia wouldn’t approve, Althea was sure
of that. Fortunately, she probably wouldn’t realize they were
missing. She never came into this room, either. And maybe she
wouldn’t recognize the overalls and shirts that Althea lifted out
of the bureau drawers to clothe Jeff.
    Before a demon of misgivings could change her
mind, Althea scooped up the items. She spotted the razor strop
hanging next to the door and grabbed that too. Then she fled the
room as if Amos Ford’s angry spirit had chased her out and slammed
the door behind her.

    CHAPTER FIVE
    Armed with a basket that held a scissors,
mirror, towel, and the other things she’d collected, Althea took a
deep breath and went down the back steps in search of Jeff Hicks.
The new day was crowned by a cloudless blue sky, and a light, clean
breeze stirred the oak and pear trees with a sound like the faint
rustle of silk petticoats. Chickadees and nuthatches were already
busy in the branches, pairing off and building nests.
    Everywhere Althea looked, life was renewing
itself. A funny little flutter skittered through her as she crossed
the grass. She’d had the same feeling yesterday when she saw Jeff
on the roof staring at the horizon. It felt like anticipation,
yearning for something, but for the life of her she couldn’t
understand what it meant.
    Scanning the yard, she didn’t see Jeff, and
he wasn’t on the roof. He was probably still asleep. Well, he’d
find out soon enough that days around this farm started early.
Shifting the basket to her other arm, she cut a wide path around
the barn and avoided looking at it directly.
    She approached the lean-to gingerly and stood
well back, not knowing what to expect. The door was ajar, but she
risked only a quick, furtive peek. Good heavens, for all she knew
he could be sleeping nake—without clothing. The very idea brought
such heat to her cheeks and neck, she almost turned around and went
back to the house. But no—she would see this through.
    “ Mr. Hicks,” she called to the door
opening, “the morning is well underway and there is a lot of work
to do. I’ve brought you some clothes and a few other personal
items.”
    Althea