Read Online Son of the Revolution by June Venable - Free Book Online

garden, her fingers trailing in the rich loam as she gently patted seeds into the waiting earth.
    “Your mother starts looking for blooms the very next day,” his father had said fondly.
    Looking toward the house, Caleb noticed how still the day seemed. A bustle of activity usually surrounded a large home of this kind, but now the only sound was the whisper of the wind in the trees.
    No one appeared when he reached the door. He lifted the knocker, let it drop and still had no response. He waited a moment then gave the door a push. It swung open slowly. Caleb walked into the large hallway. Everything seemed eerily quiet. No sounds to tell of a busy household. Taking a few more steps, he glanced into the parlor just off the hallway, and froze at the sight of the human tableau.
    Time stood still with only the sound of birds chirping as a backdrop to the unbelievable scene indoors. Mr. and Mrs. Larkin sat next to each other while Seth stood behind their chairs. His shirt looked hastily thrown about his shoulders, the white bandage still in place. Charity stood to the side with two younger women who clung to her. He turned his head slightly, and his mouth dropped open at the scene. In another chair sat Elizabeth, her wrists and ankles bound. Her green eyes blazed above the dingy handkerchief that covered her mouth.
    He stared until he saw her eyes shift to the left. Following her look, he caught sight of a roughly clad man standing in the shadows. In his hand he held a pistol pointed at Elizabeth.
    “Come in, boy. We didn’t expect visitors but you might as well join us.”
    Caleb looked at the Larkins. Mrs. Larkin’s lips trembled and James Larkin’s mouth formed a stern line. Seth’s eyes looked somber and unreadable when they met Caleb’s.
    “Sit down and tell us your name, boy.”
    “I’m Caleb Fields.” He sank into the nearest chair. Reason told him not to identify himself as militia even thought the man was not a Red Coat. Something nagged at Caleb’s memory. The man seemed familiar.
    “What do you want? Are you alone?”
    “I’m Seth’s friend,” he said, as he indicated the young man whose freckles stood out starkly on his pale face. He didn’t reveal Seth’s rank either. “I’ve just stopped by for a visit.”
    “He says he broke his shoulder when he fell from his horse. Is he telling the truth?”
    The man waited for an answer, his eyes never leaving Caleb’s face.
    Not knowing if that had been the story Seth really told the man, Caleb took a chance and nodded his head.
    “Then you’ve got a clumsy friend, boy.”
    Good for him, thought Caleb. Seth hadn’t revealed the bandages covered a gunshot wound. This would have let the man know he was probably a soldier. Until they knew what the fellow intended, it seemed best not to say too much.
    “Let’s get down to business then.” The man walked around the room. His boots left little clumps of dirt trailing behind him.
    “If you’re a friend, maybe you know where the squire hides his money.” He wagged the gun at Caleb. “He’s decided not to tell us himself.”
    “How would I know?” Caleb shrugged, trying to look more confident than he felt.
    “I told you, I do not have any money. Let my family and the servants go and I will give you two of my horses,” James Larkin said, his eyes like gray steel.
    “I don’t think you understand.” The man shook his head as he spoke. “A fancy place like this must have cost plenty. I’m sure you wouldn’t care to see it go up in flames, now would you?”
    Mary Larkin gasped and Seth clutched the back of her chair.
    “All right. You win. There’s no need to destroy our home. I do have some money upstairs, but I’ll have to show you where it’s hidden.”
    “That’s more like it.” A look of greed transformed his face.
    They all looked around when they heard a noise. Another man came from the back of the house. “Look what I found.” He held up a box, its lid open, displaying the family