Read Online The Angel Whispered Danger by Mignon F. Ballard - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Mignon F. Ballard
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That’s a lonely vigil, and who knows what might happen with Ella. Violet, why don’t you and I—”
Uncle Lum put a hand on her shoulder. “No, Mama. Let me go. Grady can come with me—give us a chance to catch up on things, won’t it, son? We’ll call if there are any changes.”
Marge and family arrived with Josie soon after Lum and Grady left, and of course, we had to explain what had happened.
“Good heavens, Kate!” Marge whispered when I told her about waiting with Ella for help to come. “What if somebody really did push her? Why, they might’ve still been around somewhere! Did you hear anything—out of the ordinary, I mean.”
I shook my head. “I was too busy worrying about Ella. To tell the truth, it was almost too quiet. Gave me the creeps.”
My eavesdropping daughter spoke up. “It was probably a ghost. I told you that old cemetery’s haunted—the Yankee soldier, I’ll bet. He must not’ve liked old Ella hanging around so close to where he was trying to rest.”
“Or one of those hippie people,” Darby suggested. “Didn’t they drown somewhere around there?”
“This is not something to joke about,” I told the two. “Ella was seriously hurt, and if Grady and I hadn’t come along when we did, I don’t know when we would’ve found her.”
I had the sensation that somebody was staring at me and turned to find Cousin Deedee giving me the once-over. “Why, Kate,” she said, drawing each word out slowly. “I haven’t seen hide nor hair of Ned. Don’t tell me he’s not coming?”
Then don’t ask!
I wanted to say. Instead I managed to reply as calmly as possible that my husband was attending a seminar on the other side of the country and sent his regrets. Josie stuck out her lip at me, but I don’t think Deedee noticed it.
“And where is Parker?” Marge wanted to know. “And Cynthia. They’ll be here, won’t they?”
Deedee sipped lemonade and nodded. “Parker’s collecting Cynthia from pageant rehearsal. She’s in the running for Miss Junior Mountain Sunshine at the summer festival this year. Anyway, I phoned him to pick up the barbecue from the Friendly Pig since Uncle Lum probably won’t be back in time.”
For the time being, my cousin Deedee had redeemed herself.
“We want to see the new horse,” Darby said. “Can we ride her, Mom, please?”
“Not this horse!” Ma Maggie spoke up. “That Shortcake’s wild as a hant. Won’t even let you get near her. You stay away from that animal.”
“Then just let us pet her. Please,
please
!” Josie used her “I’ll die if you don’t give into me” voice, but my grandmother wasn’t swayed.
“Not now,” she said. “Maybe your uncle Ernest can coax her up to the fence for you tomorrow.”
“Ha!” Violet said.
Defeated, Josie and Darby deserted us to play Monopoly in the large upstairs hallway that had become over the years a sort of catchall sitting room where dark-stained shelves were crammed with books so old the pages were falling out. As a child I had read one of what must’ve been an original
Bobbsey Twins
adventure, and I remembered playing with that same Monopoly game I’m sure had belonged to my grandmother.
Burdette gave the two younger boys a wheelbarrow ride on the lawn while Marge, Deedee and I set up card tables on the porch for our soon-to-arrive supper. Leona had unearthed a supply of paper plates, probably from a past reunion, and was distributing them on the tables when we saw an unfamiliar car approaching.
“Does Parker have a new Saturn?” Marge asked Deedee as the small white car came to a stop under a pecan tree in the side yard.
Deedee shook her head and frowned. “Still drives that old beat-up Dodge; I’m embarrassed to be seen in it, but I’m not expecting him for at least half an hour. Had to get Cynthia before he stopped by the Friendly Pig.”
Leona muttered something about making more lemonade and dashed back inside. The rest of us watched as a trim blonde
Uncle Lum put a hand on her shoulder. “No, Mama. Let me go. Grady can come with me—give us a chance to catch up on things, won’t it, son? We’ll call if there are any changes.”
Marge and family arrived with Josie soon after Lum and Grady left, and of course, we had to explain what had happened.
“Good heavens, Kate!” Marge whispered when I told her about waiting with Ella for help to come. “What if somebody really did push her? Why, they might’ve still been around somewhere! Did you hear anything—out of the ordinary, I mean.”
I shook my head. “I was too busy worrying about Ella. To tell the truth, it was almost too quiet. Gave me the creeps.”
My eavesdropping daughter spoke up. “It was probably a ghost. I told you that old cemetery’s haunted—the Yankee soldier, I’ll bet. He must not’ve liked old Ella hanging around so close to where he was trying to rest.”
“Or one of those hippie people,” Darby suggested. “Didn’t they drown somewhere around there?”
“This is not something to joke about,” I told the two. “Ella was seriously hurt, and if Grady and I hadn’t come along when we did, I don’t know when we would’ve found her.”
I had the sensation that somebody was staring at me and turned to find Cousin Deedee giving me the once-over. “Why, Kate,” she said, drawing each word out slowly. “I haven’t seen hide nor hair of Ned. Don’t tell me he’s not coming?”
Then don’t ask!
I wanted to say. Instead I managed to reply as calmly as possible that my husband was attending a seminar on the other side of the country and sent his regrets. Josie stuck out her lip at me, but I don’t think Deedee noticed it.
“And where is Parker?” Marge wanted to know. “And Cynthia. They’ll be here, won’t they?”
Deedee sipped lemonade and nodded. “Parker’s collecting Cynthia from pageant rehearsal. She’s in the running for Miss Junior Mountain Sunshine at the summer festival this year. Anyway, I phoned him to pick up the barbecue from the Friendly Pig since Uncle Lum probably won’t be back in time.”
For the time being, my cousin Deedee had redeemed herself.
“We want to see the new horse,” Darby said. “Can we ride her, Mom, please?”
“Not this horse!” Ma Maggie spoke up. “That Shortcake’s wild as a hant. Won’t even let you get near her. You stay away from that animal.”
“Then just let us pet her. Please,
please
!” Josie used her “I’ll die if you don’t give into me” voice, but my grandmother wasn’t swayed.
“Not now,” she said. “Maybe your uncle Ernest can coax her up to the fence for you tomorrow.”
“Ha!” Violet said.
Defeated, Josie and Darby deserted us to play Monopoly in the large upstairs hallway that had become over the years a sort of catchall sitting room where dark-stained shelves were crammed with books so old the pages were falling out. As a child I had read one of what must’ve been an original
Bobbsey Twins
adventure, and I remembered playing with that same Monopoly game I’m sure had belonged to my grandmother.
Burdette gave the two younger boys a wheelbarrow ride on the lawn while Marge, Deedee and I set up card tables on the porch for our soon-to-arrive supper. Leona had unearthed a supply of paper plates, probably from a past reunion, and was distributing them on the tables when we saw an unfamiliar car approaching.
“Does Parker have a new Saturn?” Marge asked Deedee as the small white car came to a stop under a pecan tree in the side yard.
Deedee shook her head and frowned. “Still drives that old beat-up Dodge; I’m embarrassed to be seen in it, but I’m not expecting him for at least half an hour. Had to get Cynthia before he stopped by the Friendly Pig.”
Leona muttered something about making more lemonade and dashed back inside. The rest of us watched as a trim blonde
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