Read Online Memory's Embrace by Linda Lael Miller - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Linda Lael Miller
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tripped on the stairs and fell,” was Derora’s composed, if slightly hushed, reply. “And, my dear, it couldn’t have happened at a worse time!”
As far as Tess was concerned, there was no such thing as a good time to fall down a flight of stairs, but she sensed from her aunt’s manner that it would be unwise to express that opinion or any other. “How can I help you?” she asked softly.
Derora smiled, reached out to clasp Tess’s hand and squeezed it between both her own. “Dear child. Sometimes I’m too harsh with you, I know. I don’t mean to be.”
Tess simply waited, making no attempt to withdraw her hand from Derora’s. Had there been word from thehospital, in Portland? Was Derora preparing her for bad news about her mother?
Derora let go of her hand and took up a folded newspaper from the bedclothes. “I have no choice but to enlist your help, Tess. There is five thousand dollars at stake, and time is of the essence—I’m sure it’s only a matter of days or even hours before someone else sees this.”
Tess took the newspaper, looked at it in confusion and then thunderstruck amazement. “Joel! That’s Joel Shiloh!” she breathed, her eyes moving over the sketch.
“Then I’m right,” sighed Derora. “I feared that I might have been mistaken.”
Scanning the copy printed with the drawing, Tess knew a sinking sensation. She had been right, in her half-formed suspicion—Joel was not Joel at all. He was a Corbin. The name printed on the front of the Bible she’d seen in his wagon leaped into her mind. Keith Corbin.
She sank into the chair at Derora’s bedside, her heart pounding. Why had he lied about his name? Why was he hiding from his family? Moreover, why were they so anxious to find him that they would offer such a staggering sum of money for word of his whereabouts?
“We need that money, Tess,” Derora said, in quiet, determined tones. “Frankly, I didn’t intend to share it, but now I must have your help.”
Tess let the newspaper lie in her lap, her hands folded over it and trembling. “Y-You plan to collect this reward?”
“Of course I do! Five thousand dollars is a great dealof money, Tess. Think of the care you could provide for your dear mother, with your share of it. You could even settle in Portland, find yourself some sort of employment there, and be near her—”
“But J-Joel must have some reason for evading these people. It must be a very good reason—”
“What do I care what his reasons are? I could get away from this rough town, from this roominghouse. I could travel, make a new life for myself!”
Tess lowered her head. Derora had been paying for her sister’s care in that Portland hospital all this time, in lieu of paying Tess full wages. What would happen to Olivia if Derora no longer sent those monthly bank drafts? “M-My share would be enough to keep Mother, to pay for her care?”
“I will give you half the money, Tess. Twenty-five hundred dollars should keep her for a good long time and allow you to settle yourself in very nice circumstances in the bargain.”
Tess’s throat was tight. What a choice this was. She could abandon her mother to God knew what fate, or she could sell out the first man she had ever loved. Oh, yes, she loved Keith Corbin, loved him fully. Hopelessly. She guessed she had from the moment she’d first seen him. “What would you have me do?” she whispered.
“Just this. Go to the telegraph office and force them to open up—I don’t care what you have to tell them, just so you get them to send a wire to this Adam Corbin person, tonight. There isn’t a moment to spare, Tess. It won’t be long before someone else sees one of these advertisements and recognizes our friend, ‘Joel.’”
“S-Suppose Keith’s family wants to hurt him—suppose—”
“That’s his problem,” said Derora, with a sigh of resignation. “Do as I tell you, Tess—for my sake and for your mother’s.”
Tess rose out of her
As far as Tess was concerned, there was no such thing as a good time to fall down a flight of stairs, but she sensed from her aunt’s manner that it would be unwise to express that opinion or any other. “How can I help you?” she asked softly.
Derora smiled, reached out to clasp Tess’s hand and squeezed it between both her own. “Dear child. Sometimes I’m too harsh with you, I know. I don’t mean to be.”
Tess simply waited, making no attempt to withdraw her hand from Derora’s. Had there been word from thehospital, in Portland? Was Derora preparing her for bad news about her mother?
Derora let go of her hand and took up a folded newspaper from the bedclothes. “I have no choice but to enlist your help, Tess. There is five thousand dollars at stake, and time is of the essence—I’m sure it’s only a matter of days or even hours before someone else sees this.”
Tess took the newspaper, looked at it in confusion and then thunderstruck amazement. “Joel! That’s Joel Shiloh!” she breathed, her eyes moving over the sketch.
“Then I’m right,” sighed Derora. “I feared that I might have been mistaken.”
Scanning the copy printed with the drawing, Tess knew a sinking sensation. She had been right, in her half-formed suspicion—Joel was not Joel at all. He was a Corbin. The name printed on the front of the Bible she’d seen in his wagon leaped into her mind. Keith Corbin.
She sank into the chair at Derora’s bedside, her heart pounding. Why had he lied about his name? Why was he hiding from his family? Moreover, why were they so anxious to find him that they would offer such a staggering sum of money for word of his whereabouts?
“We need that money, Tess,” Derora said, in quiet, determined tones. “Frankly, I didn’t intend to share it, but now I must have your help.”
Tess let the newspaper lie in her lap, her hands folded over it and trembling. “Y-You plan to collect this reward?”
“Of course I do! Five thousand dollars is a great dealof money, Tess. Think of the care you could provide for your dear mother, with your share of it. You could even settle in Portland, find yourself some sort of employment there, and be near her—”
“But J-Joel must have some reason for evading these people. It must be a very good reason—”
“What do I care what his reasons are? I could get away from this rough town, from this roominghouse. I could travel, make a new life for myself!”
Tess lowered her head. Derora had been paying for her sister’s care in that Portland hospital all this time, in lieu of paying Tess full wages. What would happen to Olivia if Derora no longer sent those monthly bank drafts? “M-My share would be enough to keep Mother, to pay for her care?”
“I will give you half the money, Tess. Twenty-five hundred dollars should keep her for a good long time and allow you to settle yourself in very nice circumstances in the bargain.”
Tess’s throat was tight. What a choice this was. She could abandon her mother to God knew what fate, or she could sell out the first man she had ever loved. Oh, yes, she loved Keith Corbin, loved him fully. Hopelessly. She guessed she had from the moment she’d first seen him. “What would you have me do?” she whispered.
“Just this. Go to the telegraph office and force them to open up—I don’t care what you have to tell them, just so you get them to send a wire to this Adam Corbin person, tonight. There isn’t a moment to spare, Tess. It won’t be long before someone else sees one of these advertisements and recognizes our friend, ‘Joel.’”
“S-Suppose Keith’s family wants to hurt him—suppose—”
“That’s his problem,” said Derora, with a sigh of resignation. “Do as I tell you, Tess—for my sake and for your mother’s.”
Tess rose out of her
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