Read Online Emily's Dream by Jacqueline Pearce - Free Book Online Page A

please?”
    Mr. Lawson looked surprised.
    â€œHave you talked to your sister about this?” he asked.
    â€œShe won’t talk about it,” Emily said.
    Mr. Lawson frowned.
    â€œIs this something you are serious about, Emily? You’re sure it isn’t just a passing whim?”
    â€œYes, very sure,” Emily said, meeting his eyes. He seemed to sense her determination, and he nodded.
    â€œVery well. I’ll see what I can do,” he said. Then, he returned his glasses to their perch on his nose and looked down at the stack of papers on his desk. She was dismissed.
    A few days later, Dede stopped Emily as she came in the front door. Her hands were on her hips, and her look was dark.
    â€œSo, you went behind my back, did you?” she said. She must have spoken with Mr. Lawson.
    For a moment, Emily felt a twinge of guilt. Dede looked angry but also something else. Could Emily have hurt her feelings?
    â€œI tried to talk to you about it,” Emily explained, but her voice sounded defensive, angry, and she didn’t want it to. She hadn’t gone to Mr. Lawson to go behind Dede’s back or to spite Dede; she’d done it because she loved art, and she wanted to go to art school.
    Emily took a deep breath. She did not want to fight with Dede. She wanted Dede to understand.
    â€œI want to be an artist,” she said.
    Dede sighed. Her eyes seemed to soften slightly.
    â€œVery well,” she said. “If you want to go to San Francisco to study art, you shall go.”
    Dede’s mouth formed into a small thin smile. “And you shall stay with the Piddingtons, under their supervision,” she added.
    The Piddingtons! Emily had been so glad to be rid of them, she hadn’t paid any attention to where she’d been told they were going. She’d completely forgotten they were staying in San Francisco.
    Oh, well. It didn’t matter. Once she was away from Dede’s rule, she could do what she wanted. Not even the Piddingtons could dampen her joy. She was going to study art.
    â€œI’m going to San Francisco!” Emily told Dick and Alice that night. She sprawled on her back on top of her bed, her arms spread wide.
    â€œOh Emily!” Alice was horrified. “That’s such a big, wicked city.”
    â€œI’ll be safe with the Piddingtons,” Emilysaid with a wry smile. She explained what Dede was arranging, and Dick couldn’t help laughing. Alice shook her head, relieved.
    â€œYou and Dede are so much alike,” she said.
    Emily sat up. “No, we’re not!” she said. Alice laughed.
    â€œFor one thing, you’re both stubborn,” she said.
    â€œAnd you both want to have the last word,” Dick added as he plunked down on the foot of the bed
    â€œYou’re both talented,” Alice added.
    Emily opened her mouth to object further, then closed it. It was true that their older sister was a talented artist in her own way–in the womanly arts of needlework and painting on china. But she had not chosen art as Emily had–or maybe it was more accurate to say art had not chosen her the way it had chosen Emily.
    â€œAnd you love each other,” Alice said, looking at Emily.
    â€œHuh!” Emily scoffed. “She has a fine way of showing it.”
    â€œShe’s just trying to take care of us the best way she knows how,” Alice said softly. “She worries about you … We all do.”
    Emily rolled her eyes, but inside she was quiet. She was glad to be going away, but she was also a bit worried. And she would miss everyone. Dick too was silent– perhaps thinking about how he would feel when he was gone.
    â€œEnough melodrama!” Emily announced suddenly, springing to her feet. She stepped over to the canary’s cage and whistled. The canary cocked his head, and Emily whistled again. Then Emily cocked her head to one side to show she was waiting for his answer. Alice made an