Read Online Obsession by Katherine Sutcliffe - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Katherine Sutcliffe
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then I can say that he’s alive still, bless his tormented spirit, though the blood is comin’ frequent now and the pain grows more unbearable by the day. God forgive me, but I wish He would take him and be done with his sufferin’.”
She glanced at each of the men’s faces as if daring them to judge her. When her gaze found me, she looked me up and down slowly, eyes narrowing before turning away and drawing back her shoulders, raising her fisted hand into the air.
“It’s come. The demned company is tossin’ me and me near-dead husband out of the house. We’re to be gone by week’s end. The bastards say that if he’s too sick to work to pay for his rent, then best get out so they can put a healthy man in his place.
“He’s devoted fifteen years of his life to the company, and this is all the thanks he gets. They won’t even let him die in peace, when it’s the poison from their own mine that has killed him.”
“I’ll have a word with them,” Thomas said gently.
“I’ll not have ya riskin’ yer jobs any longer for me. And I’ll not take another pence from any of ya. Y’ve got yer own lives and families’ welfare to think about.”
Bertha moved up beside the woman and put her arm around her. “We’ll not have one of our own lost to the company, lass. Now, come sit with us a while.”
“I’ve got to be back to my husband, Bertha—”
“Just for a minute. I’ve someone here I’d like ya to meet. Her name is Maria.”
As the woman reluctantly joined the others, Thomas turned back to the silent men. “Well, there ya have it. The demned mine has leeched the life from another of us, and what thanks does Richard get for it? A grave yonder and a widow unable to care for herself.”
“I say we strike,” one declared, punctuating the comment with a thrust of his pint, causing the brew to slosh over the cup lip and spatter on his dusty boots.
Thomas shook his head. “There ain’t a one of us who can go without our salary, not with families to feed and shelter. Besides…”
He drank deeply from his cup, then wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “We c’not risk pissin’ too loudly ’bout our sorry lot, can we? Not with the demmed Warwick Minin’ Company threatenin’ t’ shut us down.”
I watched the woman sit next to Maria, the anger on her face melting into one of friendly compassion. She glanced my way and nodded, her lashes lowering slightly before she turned away.
“What will happen to them?” I asked, causing Thomas to look toward the troubled woman and frown.
“What usually happens, once we’re of no consequence to the company. They care aught about us other than what we dig out of the demned pits.”
Thomas looked back at his friends, their faces black with soot and carved by hardship. Fear shone in their eyes, each man knowing that he faced a similar fate.
8
“I ’M SORRY,” E DWINA CRIED AS SHE WRUNG her hands. “I didn’t mean to leave the door unlocked. I forgot—”
“You forgot,” I sneered. “At least be honest about your motives. You want Maria dead; admit it. You’d like nothing more than to see her pitiful little body a worm’s feast in yonder crypt.”
I stalked her as she backed away, her face colorless and her throat constricting. “You’ve become a maniac again. As senseless as she.”
“I should send you to hell, Edwina, where you might at long last find the company of one who can appreciate your bent for cruelty.”
“You sanctimonious hypocrite. You have the heart of a devil.”
“Aye.”
I wrapped one hand around her throat and pushed her against the wall, pressed her there like a butterfly pinned beneath glass.
“If I thought for a moment you had intentionally left that door unlocked, I would snap your neck in two and toss your voluptuous little corpse to my starving swine.”
Her eyes widened and her mouth curved. “Wonderful! There’s hope yet. You’re sounding more like yourself every minute.”
Eyes narrowing, I
She glanced at each of the men’s faces as if daring them to judge her. When her gaze found me, she looked me up and down slowly, eyes narrowing before turning away and drawing back her shoulders, raising her fisted hand into the air.
“It’s come. The demned company is tossin’ me and me near-dead husband out of the house. We’re to be gone by week’s end. The bastards say that if he’s too sick to work to pay for his rent, then best get out so they can put a healthy man in his place.
“He’s devoted fifteen years of his life to the company, and this is all the thanks he gets. They won’t even let him die in peace, when it’s the poison from their own mine that has killed him.”
“I’ll have a word with them,” Thomas said gently.
“I’ll not have ya riskin’ yer jobs any longer for me. And I’ll not take another pence from any of ya. Y’ve got yer own lives and families’ welfare to think about.”
Bertha moved up beside the woman and put her arm around her. “We’ll not have one of our own lost to the company, lass. Now, come sit with us a while.”
“I’ve got to be back to my husband, Bertha—”
“Just for a minute. I’ve someone here I’d like ya to meet. Her name is Maria.”
As the woman reluctantly joined the others, Thomas turned back to the silent men. “Well, there ya have it. The demned mine has leeched the life from another of us, and what thanks does Richard get for it? A grave yonder and a widow unable to care for herself.”
“I say we strike,” one declared, punctuating the comment with a thrust of his pint, causing the brew to slosh over the cup lip and spatter on his dusty boots.
Thomas shook his head. “There ain’t a one of us who can go without our salary, not with families to feed and shelter. Besides…”
He drank deeply from his cup, then wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “We c’not risk pissin’ too loudly ’bout our sorry lot, can we? Not with the demmed Warwick Minin’ Company threatenin’ t’ shut us down.”
I watched the woman sit next to Maria, the anger on her face melting into one of friendly compassion. She glanced my way and nodded, her lashes lowering slightly before she turned away.
“What will happen to them?” I asked, causing Thomas to look toward the troubled woman and frown.
“What usually happens, once we’re of no consequence to the company. They care aught about us other than what we dig out of the demned pits.”
Thomas looked back at his friends, their faces black with soot and carved by hardship. Fear shone in their eyes, each man knowing that he faced a similar fate.
8
“I ’M SORRY,” E DWINA CRIED AS SHE WRUNG her hands. “I didn’t mean to leave the door unlocked. I forgot—”
“You forgot,” I sneered. “At least be honest about your motives. You want Maria dead; admit it. You’d like nothing more than to see her pitiful little body a worm’s feast in yonder crypt.”
I stalked her as she backed away, her face colorless and her throat constricting. “You’ve become a maniac again. As senseless as she.”
“I should send you to hell, Edwina, where you might at long last find the company of one who can appreciate your bent for cruelty.”
“You sanctimonious hypocrite. You have the heart of a devil.”
“Aye.”
I wrapped one hand around her throat and pushed her against the wall, pressed her there like a butterfly pinned beneath glass.
“If I thought for a moment you had intentionally left that door unlocked, I would snap your neck in two and toss your voluptuous little corpse to my starving swine.”
Her eyes widened and her mouth curved. “Wonderful! There’s hope yet. You’re sounding more like yourself every minute.”
Eyes narrowing, I
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