Read Online Heart of the Storm by Mary Burton - Free Book Online Page B

and eat,” Ben said. “Rachel doesn’t need to hear any of that.”
    Timothy scooped eggs and bacon from the cast iron pan onto a white earthenware plate. He tookhis place at the table. “Sorry, ma’am. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
    “It’s no wonder I was blue,” she said. “The ocean was like ice.” She took another bite.
    Ben picked up one of Ida’s muffins. “Much going on in town?”
    Timothy shrugged as he took two large bites of food. “Callie wants to see Rachel again. She’s real curious about her. Ida doesn’t say too much about Rachel, but she always listens when her name’s brought up.”
    Rachel glanced up. It wasn’t good to be noticed. “Why?”
    “You’re a miracle lady. Everyone up and down the banks is talking about you.”
    Rachel set her fork down. First the sailors had thought her cursed. Now the villagers saw her as a miracle. She couldn’t have been more obvious if she’d tried. She barely heard much else for the next few minutes.
    Timothy took a sip of coffee. “Ben, the seas are calm enough today so I’ll head to the mainland at first light for supplies. I can also send a telegram to the shipping company.”
    “Good.” Ben glanced at her as if he sensed the change in her mood.
    Rachel felt a prickle of alarm. “Telegram?”
    “About the Anna St. Claire, ” Ben explained. “We always telegram the company to let them know what we’ve found.”
    Including her. Word of her on the freighter would spread like wildfire. Peter would find her in no time.
    “You’ve not sent the telegram?”
    “Not yet,” Timothy said.
    There was still time. The tension in her voice slid over Timothy’s head. But not Ben’s.
    “If you don’t mind, I’m going to take a walk outside.”
    Ben stared at her over the rim of his cup. “We can go into town now if you like.”
    “No, no, please finish your lunch.” Dear Lord, she had to get out of here. She’d all but left a trail of bread crumbs for Peter to follow.
    She went outside. Her chest tight, she could barely breathe.
    The sky was blue and the air fresh. It was a spectacular day. But fear tainted the colors and scents.
    The back door opened and closed. Ben strode out. He’d pulled on a dark jacket and in his hand carried a spare. “You need a coat.”
    Automatically she slid her hands into the coat. More oversize than the shirt or pants, Rachel realized that this coat didn’t belong to Timothy but Ben.His scent was burned into the coarse fabric, enveloping her as if his arms were wrapped around her.
    “Your name will be omitted from the telegram,” Ben said.
    Relief wash over her, but a lingering tightness in her stomach left her sick. “Thank you.”
    “Ready to go into town?” he said, his lips close to her ear.
    Rachel nodded. “Yes. Is it far to town?”
    He took her by the elbow. “A half mile.”
    They walked across the lawn toward a sandy path that cut through a grove of wind-stunted pines. Ben slid glances her way. She sensed his questions, yet he didn’t say anything. Just a matter of time, she thought. He wasn’t the kind of man to ignore conflict.
    A heavy silence hung between them as the breeze flapped the loose folds of her shirt. She smelled the tang of the salt air. Bright sunshine warmed her face.
    She inhaled deeply, trying to soften the tension between them. “It feels like we are a million miles away from anywhere.”
    He nodded. “When the weather closes in, we might as well be.”
    A strand of hair came loose from her braid. She tucked it behind her ear. “Is the weather bad here a lot?”
    “Often enough.”
    The sound of the ocean, the squawk of gulls and the breeze acted like a tonic. “There is magic in this place. It almost reminds me of Camelot, the enchanted kingdom that vanished into the mists.”
    The creases around his eyes deepened as he smiled. “On days like today, it is magic. But this land can turn fierce.”
    “Isn’t that the way it always is? Life gives with one hand and