Read Online Fall From Grace (Slater #1) by Sammy King - Free Book Online
Authors: Sammy King
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that wouldn’t cease. The hard sting on her cheek caused the screams to stop abruptly. Laura reached up and touched her lip gingerly, where she felt a trickle of blood run down her chin, her Aunt’s hand slowly lowered back to Laura’s shoulder.
“Now speak to...” Aunt began, just as Laura heard the heavy breathing coming from behind. “Oh dear sweet Lord, yer alive, yer here and yer free”.
Aunt’s face paled and her eyes instantly welled threatening to overflow with tears. Laura slowly turned to see the man from the cottage standing behind them, his hands on his knees, his breaths coming in heavy bursts. Aunt dropped her hands off Laura’s shoulders and stepped towards the man as he slowly stood, composing himself. Aunt wrapped her hands around his waist, her head only reaching to the middle of his chest.
“Oh Thomas” Aunt sobbed into the man’s chest.
Thomas? That was Laura’s father’s name. Laura shook her head, it couldn’t be him; he was in gaol. If he had got out, why wouldn’t he have come back to see her and her mother? Why would he have stayed away? Laura narrowed her eyes as he looked above her Aunt’s head and into her eyes. His eyes were a dark blue, like the oceans she had only ever heard about; the most beautiful blue that she could ever imagine and suddenly recognition hit Laura to the core of her soul.
“Daddy?” she asked quietly.
Thomas’ eyes welled up and a single tear ebbed its way down over his cheek and mingled with the hair on his top lip. He nodded slowly. The lump that had been caught in Laura’s throat dropped to the pit of her stomach. Her father, the man that she dreamed of stood in front of her, after thirteen years, he was real, tangible and alive.
“Mama’s gone Daddy” Laura said, surprised by the tears that now flowed down her cheeks.
Thomas narrowed his eyes and looked down at Aunt; she remained holding her thin arms around his waist. Aunt looked up at him and nodded. A guttural roar built up from his belly as he dropped to his knees. He covered his face in his hands and sobbed; his shoulders heavy under the pressure of his tears. It was all too much for Laura to bear; she stepped towards Thomas and knelt in front of him on the damp grass. Laura pulled Thomas into a tight grasp, he leant his head on her shoulder, his tears mingled with hers.
She had so many questions for her father, but she knew that it wasn’t the right time. Her emotions were mixed, she didn’t know whether to be elated or angry at her father, but what she did feel was relief to have him by her side. That night in the cottage when she climbed into her bed completely exhausted, he came and sat on the edge beside her.
“You must have a lot of questions for me child?” he asked.
Laura nodded, she did, but she was too tired to ask them at that moment.
“I’m sorry I stayed away, it was safer; the police would have hanged me otherwise, if they find out where I am they would probably still hang me, that man whose life I took, he was a man of influence” he said sombrely. His statement didn’t prove to provide any relief; it didn’t answer any of her questions.
Laura reached over and took Thomas’ hand in hers. She didn’t want to let him go. She had lost him for the last thirteen years; she didn’t want him to leave again. As if he sensed her fears he assured Laura that he would just be in the other room talking with Aunt and that he would be still in the cottage when she awoke. He slowly stood and before she drifted into the darkness of sleep she could hear Thomas and Aunt talking about her mother.
Chapter Twelve
When Laura awoke her eyes were bleary and heavy. The sun freckled its way in through the window, but there was a dampness that hung in the air. She could see the steam that breathed from her lips in the coolness of her room. Slowly she pushed back the heavy woollen blanket from her body, shivering at the chill that seemed to seep into her
“Now speak to...” Aunt began, just as Laura heard the heavy breathing coming from behind. “Oh dear sweet Lord, yer alive, yer here and yer free”.
Aunt’s face paled and her eyes instantly welled threatening to overflow with tears. Laura slowly turned to see the man from the cottage standing behind them, his hands on his knees, his breaths coming in heavy bursts. Aunt dropped her hands off Laura’s shoulders and stepped towards the man as he slowly stood, composing himself. Aunt wrapped her hands around his waist, her head only reaching to the middle of his chest.
“Oh Thomas” Aunt sobbed into the man’s chest.
Thomas? That was Laura’s father’s name. Laura shook her head, it couldn’t be him; he was in gaol. If he had got out, why wouldn’t he have come back to see her and her mother? Why would he have stayed away? Laura narrowed her eyes as he looked above her Aunt’s head and into her eyes. His eyes were a dark blue, like the oceans she had only ever heard about; the most beautiful blue that she could ever imagine and suddenly recognition hit Laura to the core of her soul.
“Daddy?” she asked quietly.
Thomas’ eyes welled up and a single tear ebbed its way down over his cheek and mingled with the hair on his top lip. He nodded slowly. The lump that had been caught in Laura’s throat dropped to the pit of her stomach. Her father, the man that she dreamed of stood in front of her, after thirteen years, he was real, tangible and alive.
“Mama’s gone Daddy” Laura said, surprised by the tears that now flowed down her cheeks.
Thomas narrowed his eyes and looked down at Aunt; she remained holding her thin arms around his waist. Aunt looked up at him and nodded. A guttural roar built up from his belly as he dropped to his knees. He covered his face in his hands and sobbed; his shoulders heavy under the pressure of his tears. It was all too much for Laura to bear; she stepped towards Thomas and knelt in front of him on the damp grass. Laura pulled Thomas into a tight grasp, he leant his head on her shoulder, his tears mingled with hers.
She had so many questions for her father, but she knew that it wasn’t the right time. Her emotions were mixed, she didn’t know whether to be elated or angry at her father, but what she did feel was relief to have him by her side. That night in the cottage when she climbed into her bed completely exhausted, he came and sat on the edge beside her.
“You must have a lot of questions for me child?” he asked.
Laura nodded, she did, but she was too tired to ask them at that moment.
“I’m sorry I stayed away, it was safer; the police would have hanged me otherwise, if they find out where I am they would probably still hang me, that man whose life I took, he was a man of influence” he said sombrely. His statement didn’t prove to provide any relief; it didn’t answer any of her questions.
Laura reached over and took Thomas’ hand in hers. She didn’t want to let him go. She had lost him for the last thirteen years; she didn’t want him to leave again. As if he sensed her fears he assured Laura that he would just be in the other room talking with Aunt and that he would be still in the cottage when she awoke. He slowly stood and before she drifted into the darkness of sleep she could hear Thomas and Aunt talking about her mother.
Chapter Twelve
When Laura awoke her eyes were bleary and heavy. The sun freckled its way in through the window, but there was a dampness that hung in the air. She could see the steam that breathed from her lips in the coolness of her room. Slowly she pushed back the heavy woollen blanket from her body, shivering at the chill that seemed to seep into her
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