Read Online Amish House of Secrets by Samantha Price - Free Book Online

carry it to the coffee table.
    “I’ll pour,” Maureen said.
    “Thank you, it’s not often I’m waited on. Now, you two are looking very serious. Do you have bad news for me? I can take it. You don’t have to be scared.” The old lady brought the teacup to her lips, her eyes flitting between Maureen and Emma.
    “We found Harold,” Emma said.
    Dorothy put the teacup back down on the saucer. “Is he dead?”
    Maureen and Emma shook their heads.
    “It’s a complicated thing,” Maureen started. “He is very much alive. He was married, but his wife died recently.”
    “He married, but where is he? They told me he was missing.”
    “He’s living close to Lancaster County. Two of our friends went to visit him yesterday. He told them that he was in a war prison overseas, but he did come back a little time after the war had ended.”
    Dorothy pursed her lips. “Why didn’t he come and find me?”
    “He was told that you had died,” Maureen said softly.
    The old lady’s two hands flew to her open mouth. She stared from Maureen to Emma then placed her hands back in her lap. “Who told him that?” she said, her voice croaky.
    “That’s the thing where it gets a little complicated.” Maureen threw a sideways glance at Emma.
    Emma raised her eyebrows and knew that she should be the one to deliver the sad news; after all she was the one who found the letters and wanted to get them back to their owner. “You see, it was your friend, the one who went missing, it was she who told him that you died. The woman called Josephine Cutter.”
    Dorothy pushed herself back into the couch and was silent for a while. “How would you know that for sure?”
    “Harold said so. I’m afraid that she went on to marry Harold.”
    Dorothy’s mouth fell open, and her eyebrows rose. “Where’s Harold now?”
    “Lives close to Lancaster County. He’s keen to see you if you want to see him,” Maureen said.
    “He knows I’m alive now?”
    Maureen nodded. “He certainly does.”
    “You said that his wife had died. Does that mean that Josephine is dead?”
    Maureen nodded. “I’m afraid Josephine died not too long ago.”
    Dorothy’s eyes looked into the distance. “I always thought that Josephine liked Harold. Harold told me once that she made a play for him. I laughed at him and told him that he must have imagined it. Now, it falls into place, but I never thought she would be capable of doing what she did.”
    “Do you want to see him?” Emma asked.
    “Yes, of course, I do. The past must be as water under the bridge. I’ve little time left for this world, and I’ll not bear a grudge for the rest of it.”
    Emma and Maureen nodded.
    “He’s not able to travel; he’s got a bad heart. You could come back on the train with us if you’d like to see him,” Maureen offered.
    “Of course I’d like to see him. When are you going back?”
    Emma said, “We planned to go tomorrow, but we could stay a little longer if you won’t be ready tomorrow.”
    “Thank you. I’ll be ready for tomorrow. I’ve waited for this for many years.” Dorothy gave a little laugh and clapped her hands together. “I can’t believe this is happening.” Dorothy leaned forward and took both Emma and Maureen’s hand. “You two ladies are angels. God has sent you to make an old lady happy. I thank you from the depths of my heart for bringing my Harold back to me. If I just see his face before I die, that will make me a happy woman.”
    Early the next morning they called for Dorothy in a taxi and took her to the train station.
    Once they settled into their train seats, Emma noticed that Maureen was looking around nervously. “Don’t worry, it’s hardly likely that he’ll be on the train this time.”
    Maureen laughed and looked down into her hands.
    “What’s the matter, Maureen?” Dorothy asked.
    Before Maureen could answer, Emma leaned over toward Dorothy who was sitting opposite. “When we were travelling on the train to see you,