Read Online Emily's Fortune by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
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âNo,â he said, and closed his eyes.
Emily was glad to be moving again, but she was still shaking inside. How quiet her life had been back in Luella Nashâs big house. If only the kind neighbor women could be on the coach right now instead of the two fussy sisters; if only her dear mother were here instead of Uncle Victor, how much better a trip it would be. All she had now were Jackson and Rufus.
What in
pickinâ poppies
could possibly happen next?
W hen they reached the river at Muleback Crossing, the water was low. There was a new, more careful driver, who feared that any extra weight might sink the raft that would carry them over the river. He asked all the passengers to take off their shoes and wade across. Then he led the horses, which tossed their heads and whinnied.
âI never learned to swim!â cried Marigold, holding her shoes high in the air.
âThis is the end of us!â wailed Petunia.
âDonât I wish,â said Oscar gruffly, and edged them forward. âKeep moving.â
Emily was frightened too. Terrified, actually, but leaving Rufus and the carpetbag in the coach, she followed Jackson into the water. Her feet sank down into the sand, mud oozing between her toes. She had never in her life been this dirty. Never crossed a river holding her little boots over her head.
âStay next to the raft, folks, because I know the lay of the land here. You donât want to be stepping too far to the right,â the driver called from the front.
Emily tried to stay to the left, but every so often her foot went down into a hole and she teetered. Each time, however, she managed to get close to the raft again. Once, though, when she had moved away a little, she felt someone coming up from behind, squeezing between her and the raft. She was jostled out into deeper water and sank down as far as her chest. Holding her boots even higher, she tried to get back in line, but the person was coming on through, and Emily found herself even farther out into the river.
Now she was in water up to her neck. She started toscream, to call out to Jackson, but she knew that once she said his name aloud, she would no longer be the silent brother who couldnât talk.
She looked up at the person who had so dangerously come between her and the raft, and the man with the silver-black hair only stared down at her with his weasel eyes and made no move to reach out and save her.
Luckily for Emily, Jackson glanced around at that moment to see how she was doing, and saw only the cap sheâd been wearing afloat in the water.
âEli!â he yelled, plunging after her.
It was Mr. Muffit, however, straggling along behind, who saw what had happened and managed to swim over to Emily. He pulled her, gasping and choking, back to safety, while Jackson rescued the cap.
âThank you, mister,â Jackson told the old man, whose beard was woefully wet.
âEh, eh, eh,â Mr. Muffit murmured, and sloshed on through the water.
Emily held on to the raft with one hand as she trudged forward, and Jackson came right behind. She was stillcoughing up water, and it dripped from her ears and eyelashes.
âKeep ahead of me from now on,â Jackson told her, and didnât take his eyes off her the rest of the way across the river.
â¢Â   â¢Â   â¢
They finally reached the other side, but their travel got no easier. Now they entered the fearsome Deadmanâs Gulch that Oscar, Angus, and Jock had talked about. Once again they had to get out and walk, for the sand was so deep that the wheels of the stagecoach kept sinking.
By the time they could get back inside, Marigold had decided that she and her sister should get a turn sitting on the front bench, which was a bit less bumpy than the back and middle seats. So Oscar, Angus, and Jock took the middle seat, and the two grown sisters and Uncle Victor now faced backward.
Uncle Victor did not seem to appreciate
Emily was glad to be moving again, but she was still shaking inside. How quiet her life had been back in Luella Nashâs big house. If only the kind neighbor women could be on the coach right now instead of the two fussy sisters; if only her dear mother were here instead of Uncle Victor, how much better a trip it would be. All she had now were Jackson and Rufus.
What in
pickinâ poppies
could possibly happen next?
W hen they reached the river at Muleback Crossing, the water was low. There was a new, more careful driver, who feared that any extra weight might sink the raft that would carry them over the river. He asked all the passengers to take off their shoes and wade across. Then he led the horses, which tossed their heads and whinnied.
âI never learned to swim!â cried Marigold, holding her shoes high in the air.
âThis is the end of us!â wailed Petunia.
âDonât I wish,â said Oscar gruffly, and edged them forward. âKeep moving.â
Emily was frightened too. Terrified, actually, but leaving Rufus and the carpetbag in the coach, she followed Jackson into the water. Her feet sank down into the sand, mud oozing between her toes. She had never in her life been this dirty. Never crossed a river holding her little boots over her head.
âStay next to the raft, folks, because I know the lay of the land here. You donât want to be stepping too far to the right,â the driver called from the front.
Emily tried to stay to the left, but every so often her foot went down into a hole and she teetered. Each time, however, she managed to get close to the raft again. Once, though, when she had moved away a little, she felt someone coming up from behind, squeezing between her and the raft. She was jostled out into deeper water and sank down as far as her chest. Holding her boots even higher, she tried to get back in line, but the person was coming on through, and Emily found herself even farther out into the river.
Now she was in water up to her neck. She started toscream, to call out to Jackson, but she knew that once she said his name aloud, she would no longer be the silent brother who couldnât talk.
She looked up at the person who had so dangerously come between her and the raft, and the man with the silver-black hair only stared down at her with his weasel eyes and made no move to reach out and save her.
Luckily for Emily, Jackson glanced around at that moment to see how she was doing, and saw only the cap sheâd been wearing afloat in the water.
âEli!â he yelled, plunging after her.
It was Mr. Muffit, however, straggling along behind, who saw what had happened and managed to swim over to Emily. He pulled her, gasping and choking, back to safety, while Jackson rescued the cap.
âThank you, mister,â Jackson told the old man, whose beard was woefully wet.
âEh, eh, eh,â Mr. Muffit murmured, and sloshed on through the water.
Emily held on to the raft with one hand as she trudged forward, and Jackson came right behind. She was stillcoughing up water, and it dripped from her ears and eyelashes.
âKeep ahead of me from now on,â Jackson told her, and didnât take his eyes off her the rest of the way across the river.
â¢Â   â¢Â   â¢
They finally reached the other side, but their travel got no easier. Now they entered the fearsome Deadmanâs Gulch that Oscar, Angus, and Jock had talked about. Once again they had to get out and walk, for the sand was so deep that the wheels of the stagecoach kept sinking.
By the time they could get back inside, Marigold had decided that she and her sister should get a turn sitting on the front bench, which was a bit less bumpy than the back and middle seats. So Oscar, Angus, and Jock took the middle seat, and the two grown sisters and Uncle Victor now faced backward.
Uncle Victor did not seem to appreciate
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