Read Online Born of Treasure (Treasure Chronicles Book 2) by Jordan Elizabeth - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jordan Elizabeth
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beside the kitchen table cracking her knuckles. He figured she had to be around sixteen, Amethyst’s age. “I heard ya from upstairs. You mentioned Clark Treasure.” Her green eyes widened and she stepped forward, stiletto heels on her white knee boots clicking the floor.
Jeremiah nudged Alyssa behind him. Whoever the girl was, she chose to dress as immodest as possible in a white chemise and matching corset, a lace skirt that only reached her thighs.
“He’s my brother,” Jeremiah said.
“You really know Clark Treasure?” The girl tugged on her black choker. “A boy from Tangled Wire? Blonde and blue-eyed, a real soulful chap?”
She might be a Tarnished Silver from his hometown. That might be why Captain Greenwood was curious. “Yeah. That’s our Clark.”
“Are you Captain Greenwood’s daughter?” Alyssa asked.
She shook her head.
“His wife?” Alyssa pressed. Jeremiah snorted. A prude like Captain Greenwood wouldn’t have a slut like that for his mate.
“I’m Clark’s wife,” the girl whispered. “Mable.”
loody gears.” Jeremiah took a step back, bumping against a barrel of flour. Clark had mentioned knowing a girl back in Tangled Wire. Her name could’ve been Mable, or maybe it’d been Honey. Clark hadn’t spoken of her as though they were wedded. She’d been a friend, her mother a Tarnished Silver like his.
“Why aren’t you with him?” Alyssa asked. How could she be so calm? Clark Treasure had a secret wife he’d abandoned.
“I got stolen.” Mable’s face reddened to the shade of her hair. “Why’d you think he’d up and leave? He loves me more’n life itself. I swear he told me.”
“You were stolen?” Alyssa grasped Mable’s trembling hands and led her to one of the chairs. “Sit, please. We’ll talk calmly.”
“Please,” the Bromi slave interrupted. “Guests are not allowed when the master is not home. This must be quick. You must not be seen.”
“I’m never allowed to be seen.” Tears dripped down Mable’s cheeks. “If you know, will you tell him where I am? He’s got to come get me. He won’t let me suffer.”
“No one should make you suffer.” Alyssa patted Mable’s unbound hair as it hung in matted clumps. Alyssa needed to be careful; the girl might not be stable. Jeremiah rested his hand on his pistol in case he needed it.
Mable sniffled. “I get sunlight through the windows and sometimes he lets me open them for air.”
“Captain Greenwood keeps you here?” Jeremiah clarified.
She nodded. “He took me away from Tangled Wire. Said it weren’t my home no more.”
“You must be family to him.” Alyssa lowered Mable’s head to her lap as she stroked her curls. “He wants to keep you safe.”
“He ain’t no family.” Mable jerked away, her eyes narrowed. “My family was my Ma and he shot her in front of me. He held her down and put the bullet between her eyes. He told me he’d do it to Clark, too, if I didn’t behave.”
Alyssa tensed. “He shot your mother?”
“She must’ve done something against the law.” Jeremiah trailed off. The defense sounded too much like something Zachariah would say. He knew the captain made his skin crawl.
Tears drenched Mable’s cheeks. “I didn’t mean to hurt Clark none. The army came through all the time. I don’t know why, but they was always there. Clark had some absinthe. It was in a little bottle. Folks always carried tumblers and stuff around. It weren’t no different than normal. This army fella asked me if I’d seen it and I said yeah, Clark had it. He’d thrown it away so I got it back.”
A child’s ramblings. How old had she been when it had occurred? Jeremiah couldn’t remember much of what Clark had mentioned about his only childhood friend. He might not have said the bad.
“What happened then?” Alyssa cooed.
“The army fella got real mad. Captain Greenwood was there and some others. They shot Clark’s ma. They asked where he was. He should’ve been at
Jeremiah nudged Alyssa behind him. Whoever the girl was, she chose to dress as immodest as possible in a white chemise and matching corset, a lace skirt that only reached her thighs.
“He’s my brother,” Jeremiah said.
“You really know Clark Treasure?” The girl tugged on her black choker. “A boy from Tangled Wire? Blonde and blue-eyed, a real soulful chap?”
She might be a Tarnished Silver from his hometown. That might be why Captain Greenwood was curious. “Yeah. That’s our Clark.”
“Are you Captain Greenwood’s daughter?” Alyssa asked.
She shook her head.
“His wife?” Alyssa pressed. Jeremiah snorted. A prude like Captain Greenwood wouldn’t have a slut like that for his mate.
“I’m Clark’s wife,” the girl whispered. “Mable.”
loody gears.” Jeremiah took a step back, bumping against a barrel of flour. Clark had mentioned knowing a girl back in Tangled Wire. Her name could’ve been Mable, or maybe it’d been Honey. Clark hadn’t spoken of her as though they were wedded. She’d been a friend, her mother a Tarnished Silver like his.
“Why aren’t you with him?” Alyssa asked. How could she be so calm? Clark Treasure had a secret wife he’d abandoned.
“I got stolen.” Mable’s face reddened to the shade of her hair. “Why’d you think he’d up and leave? He loves me more’n life itself. I swear he told me.”
“You were stolen?” Alyssa grasped Mable’s trembling hands and led her to one of the chairs. “Sit, please. We’ll talk calmly.”
“Please,” the Bromi slave interrupted. “Guests are not allowed when the master is not home. This must be quick. You must not be seen.”
“I’m never allowed to be seen.” Tears dripped down Mable’s cheeks. “If you know, will you tell him where I am? He’s got to come get me. He won’t let me suffer.”
“No one should make you suffer.” Alyssa patted Mable’s unbound hair as it hung in matted clumps. Alyssa needed to be careful; the girl might not be stable. Jeremiah rested his hand on his pistol in case he needed it.
Mable sniffled. “I get sunlight through the windows and sometimes he lets me open them for air.”
“Captain Greenwood keeps you here?” Jeremiah clarified.
She nodded. “He took me away from Tangled Wire. Said it weren’t my home no more.”
“You must be family to him.” Alyssa lowered Mable’s head to her lap as she stroked her curls. “He wants to keep you safe.”
“He ain’t no family.” Mable jerked away, her eyes narrowed. “My family was my Ma and he shot her in front of me. He held her down and put the bullet between her eyes. He told me he’d do it to Clark, too, if I didn’t behave.”
Alyssa tensed. “He shot your mother?”
“She must’ve done something against the law.” Jeremiah trailed off. The defense sounded too much like something Zachariah would say. He knew the captain made his skin crawl.
Tears drenched Mable’s cheeks. “I didn’t mean to hurt Clark none. The army came through all the time. I don’t know why, but they was always there. Clark had some absinthe. It was in a little bottle. Folks always carried tumblers and stuff around. It weren’t no different than normal. This army fella asked me if I’d seen it and I said yeah, Clark had it. He’d thrown it away so I got it back.”
A child’s ramblings. How old had she been when it had occurred? Jeremiah couldn’t remember much of what Clark had mentioned about his only childhood friend. He might not have said the bad.
“What happened then?” Alyssa cooed.
“The army fella got real mad. Captain Greenwood was there and some others. They shot Clark’s ma. They asked where he was. He should’ve been at
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