Read Online Purling Road - the Complete Second Season: Episodes 1-10 by M L Gardner - Free Book Online
Authors: M L Gardner
Tags: Historical fiction, Historical, Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction, Anthologies, Anthologies & Literature Collections, Short Stories & Anthologies
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crisis.”
“I thought you like William?” he asked.
“I do. He’s great and I hope he wins.”
She pulled her notebook from her bag and began flipping through pages. “This new guy, well, I think he’d do okay, but he’s got some bold ideas.”
“It’s really important that I talk to you,” Peter said, leaning against the wall. He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Really important.”
“Peter, I just don’t have the time. Did Maura drop off the Hettie Helps column?”
“It’s over there,” he said, pointing to the far corner of her desk. She sprang up and swiped.
“Perfect.”
“Muzzy—”
“No, Peter.”
“This isn’t about the kiss,” he said and watched her cheeks pink. “It’s about something else entirely, and I would really appreciate a bit of your time. Half hour at most.”
With a relenting nod, she ripped the end off of an envelope. “All right. Let me read the mail and get this interview typed up first.”
Her eyes flew over the handwritten letter, growing larger as the seconds passed.
“This has to be a mistake.”
“What’s wrong?” Peter asked, sitting across from her, propping his feet on the desk.
“The landlord is terminating my lease.” She looked up. “I have to be out in thirty days.”
“What?” Peter held his hand out. Reading it for himself, he sank deeper into his chair.
“This is my fault.”
“We don’t know that you’re the reason. Maybe he wants to sell or something. It is a good location.”
“You and I both know that’s not true.” Peter frowned, wondering if this wasn’t fate reinforcing his uncle’s words. Perhaps he should go.
“I’ll bet if you went to see your landlord and explained that I had gone and I wasn’t coming back, he’d probably change his mind.”
Muzzy glanced back at the letter. “Doubtful. Besides, where would you go?”
He had to suppress his smile at her concern.
“Don’t worry about me. What matters is your paper.”
“I wonder who’ll rent to a defiant little rebel like me?” she said, dropping her head in her hand. “This week just keeps getting better and better.”
“Why don’t you let me take care of it? I’ll start looking for a new home for the Rockport Review.”
“Really?” she asked, looking up. “You’d do that?”
“Of course. I don’t care what you say, it’s part my fault that you’re being evicted. And, after all you’ve done for me, the least I can do is find a new place to park your press.”
“I would really appreciate that, Peter. Thank you.”
Very pleased with himself, he smiled. “You’re welcome.”
***
She thought Ethel was in a deep enough sleep that she could just run to the mailbox. It was what…three hundred feet? Four hundred at most. That’s when the anger boiled up again, making her fists clench and her face flush. Anger and frustration at being chained to this house and to that woman. When an action so small as going to check the mail had to be deliberated, one was truly trapped.
She glanced back. Ethel hadn’t moved from her chair. She looked up. The children were silent upstairs. She decided to do it. She would have loved a leisurely walk to enjoy the blue sky, the bright sun. But leisure was a luxury she couldn’t afford. She snapped open the front of the mailbox in a hurry. There was no mail, but there was a note, folded neatly next to a single red rose. She opened it and her breath caught.
“Is there any chance I can see you again? —J”
Episode Three
Unforgiven
A week had gone by and Jonathan, thankfully, hadn’t asked anything about the night she’d prefer to forget. Ava sat in the living room, and it was already growing warm. Amy slept quietly on the sofa next to her, and Jean had gone to Owen’s for the afternoon. There was work to do, always, but she decided to steal these quiet few moments for herself. If she’d learned anything from Arianna’s antics, it was without a bit of rest here and
“I thought you like William?” he asked.
“I do. He’s great and I hope he wins.”
She pulled her notebook from her bag and began flipping through pages. “This new guy, well, I think he’d do okay, but he’s got some bold ideas.”
“It’s really important that I talk to you,” Peter said, leaning against the wall. He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Really important.”
“Peter, I just don’t have the time. Did Maura drop off the Hettie Helps column?”
“It’s over there,” he said, pointing to the far corner of her desk. She sprang up and swiped.
“Perfect.”
“Muzzy—”
“No, Peter.”
“This isn’t about the kiss,” he said and watched her cheeks pink. “It’s about something else entirely, and I would really appreciate a bit of your time. Half hour at most.”
With a relenting nod, she ripped the end off of an envelope. “All right. Let me read the mail and get this interview typed up first.”
Her eyes flew over the handwritten letter, growing larger as the seconds passed.
“This has to be a mistake.”
“What’s wrong?” Peter asked, sitting across from her, propping his feet on the desk.
“The landlord is terminating my lease.” She looked up. “I have to be out in thirty days.”
“What?” Peter held his hand out. Reading it for himself, he sank deeper into his chair.
“This is my fault.”
“We don’t know that you’re the reason. Maybe he wants to sell or something. It is a good location.”
“You and I both know that’s not true.” Peter frowned, wondering if this wasn’t fate reinforcing his uncle’s words. Perhaps he should go.
“I’ll bet if you went to see your landlord and explained that I had gone and I wasn’t coming back, he’d probably change his mind.”
Muzzy glanced back at the letter. “Doubtful. Besides, where would you go?”
He had to suppress his smile at her concern.
“Don’t worry about me. What matters is your paper.”
“I wonder who’ll rent to a defiant little rebel like me?” she said, dropping her head in her hand. “This week just keeps getting better and better.”
“Why don’t you let me take care of it? I’ll start looking for a new home for the Rockport Review.”
“Really?” she asked, looking up. “You’d do that?”
“Of course. I don’t care what you say, it’s part my fault that you’re being evicted. And, after all you’ve done for me, the least I can do is find a new place to park your press.”
“I would really appreciate that, Peter. Thank you.”
Very pleased with himself, he smiled. “You’re welcome.”
***
She thought Ethel was in a deep enough sleep that she could just run to the mailbox. It was what…three hundred feet? Four hundred at most. That’s when the anger boiled up again, making her fists clench and her face flush. Anger and frustration at being chained to this house and to that woman. When an action so small as going to check the mail had to be deliberated, one was truly trapped.
She glanced back. Ethel hadn’t moved from her chair. She looked up. The children were silent upstairs. She decided to do it. She would have loved a leisurely walk to enjoy the blue sky, the bright sun. But leisure was a luxury she couldn’t afford. She snapped open the front of the mailbox in a hurry. There was no mail, but there was a note, folded neatly next to a single red rose. She opened it and her breath caught.
“Is there any chance I can see you again? —J”
Episode Three
Unforgiven
A week had gone by and Jonathan, thankfully, hadn’t asked anything about the night she’d prefer to forget. Ava sat in the living room, and it was already growing warm. Amy slept quietly on the sofa next to her, and Jean had gone to Owen’s for the afternoon. There was work to do, always, but she decided to steal these quiet few moments for herself. If she’d learned anything from Arianna’s antics, it was without a bit of rest here and
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