Read Online LeOmi's Solitude by Gene Curtis - Free Book Online Page B

to be Grand-Mère, she had already been notified by Hannah from
the first day that whatever Grand-Mère wanted, that was the way it
would be done.
    Salmon with butter, lemon, salt and pepper on
a bed of rice. Very simple recipe, yet so wonderful. The usual
routine for dinner, except once again when Grand-Mère’s coffee
came, LeOmi did not ask to be excused. Not yet.
    “So, you wish to converse with me.”
    “Yes.” LeOmi stared at Grand-Mère for a split
second then at her water glass.
    “I know where you were this morning. You
spoke to Sergeant Polaris for a substantial amount of time, feeding
squirrels and what not. Then you returned to this house and set
about looking for answers to questions. Did you find what you were
looking for?”
    LeOmi looked at her Grand-Mère with a blank
expression.
    “Of course not. Or else you would not remain
in your chair for so long after dinner. I assume you must be
forming your questions, or getting up the nerve to tell me that you
have been in my library and removed some books from there.”
    LeOmi found herself unable to speak, and then
she began to get angry. Who was doing the confronting here? Wasn’t
that what she had intended to do. She could hear Henry—Have I got
you riled up yet? There were two ways to handle this, no
three.
    Grand-Mère –waiting for a response simply
pursed her lips and folded her wrists over each other in her lap,
sat back and waited.
    First I can just come out and ask her,
second I can wait and let her tell me—that doesn’t seem likely or
third I could get-up and leave. “Sergeant Polaris had a signet
emblem that he thought you might have some information about. Also
he said there were things in my family’s past that he wouldn’t tell
me—that he thought it was something I should not hear from a
stranger.”
    “Ah.” She unfolded her wrists and reached for
the cup of coffee. “And, for this information, what am I to learn
about you?”
    “Me?”
    “Yes you, my granddaughter, my piece of the
family that wants to take part in this family, but only on the
outside looking in. Will you run away, just like your mother when
you find the truth?”
    “Well, I guess that all depends on what the
truth is.”
    The lips pursed and she sat back and folded
her wrist across wrist again.
    “Yes, the truth. You were in my library today
and removed two books, without permission.”
    LeOmi stiffened. “I just borrowed them.”
    “You borrowed them without permission. Return
them tomorrow, and then we will see if you are worthy to accept the
history of your family. Good night. I wish to finish my coffee
now.”
    LeOmi stood, looking at Grand-Mère. “I will
return them tomorrow morning.” LeOmi turned and left the room.
    Hannah had been listening. She shook her head
slowly from side to side. “What is going to happen to this
family?”
    * * *
    Bekka made notations in her notebook, closed
it and stared into the house, possibly for a longer time than she
should have, contemplating her next move, or if she should make
another move at all. It was time to go in and report what happened
today. She would take the blame for setting up the temptation, but
LeOmi was responsible for her decisions and her actions.
    * * *
    At first the dream was hazy, and then the
mountain came into view. Then she was at the gnarly tree in the
rocks and the sand. There was anger in the air. The girl with the
long dark pony tail and the tunic of the Magi was not facing
LeOmi.
    “I told you that the Council had reservations
about you and then...” That night the dream was different from the
first. It was an unmistakable warning.
    “There is no room for thieves at The Seventh
Mountain. There is still time to remedy the situation.”
    * * *
    The next morning, LeOmi’s routine was all
that kept her sane. When Sergeant Polaris finally pulled up to the
library in his unmarked detective’s car, she could barely contain
the eagerness to talk to him about most of the events of the