Read Online The Glass Casket by Mccormick Templeman - Free Book Online
Authors: Mccormick Templeman
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me.”
“He wasn’t?”
“No. He has other interests. It was the other one. He was less handsome, but he had a kind way about him. A little awkward, maybe, but special.”
“Tom’s not awkward,” Rowan said, barely able to contain her shock at her cousin’s vanity. “He’s the best thing this village has to offer by a long shot.”
The girl paused for a moment, a small grin forming on her lips. “You might be right,” she said after a while. “You say he wants to meet me?”
“He does.”
“And you’re to arrange it?”
Rowan nodded.
“Well, if my own cousin is to arrange it,” she said, a big, beautiful smile illuminating her face, “then how can I refuse?”
“Shall he come round to your cottage?” Rowan asked.
Fiona grew quiet for a moment, as if she were concentrating, trying to come up with the right answer. Finally, she shook her head. “No. He can’t come by the cottage. Thatwon’t work at all. I will meet him here. Tomorrow. Do you think that will work?”
Rowan nodded. “I’ll arrange for it. Can you meet him here tomorrow at this same time?” she asked, and Fiona agreed.
The two girls stayed a moment longer, staring into each other’s eyes. And now it was Fiona’s turn to sense something strange between them.
“You know,” she said, “there’s something so familiar about you. It’s as if I’ve always known you. Tomorrow will you come too?”
The idea of seeing Tom and Fiona together caused a sudden painful constriction across Rowan’s chest, and she began to wonder if she might be making a terrible mistake. She shook her head. “No. I know that would be customary, but I have other commitments.”
“I see,” Fiona said, not bothering to hide her disappointment.
And though Rowan could tell that this girl, so cold only moments before, wanted her to stay, wanted to talk with her, to make some sort of connection, she knew she couldn’t let herself befriend her.
“Tomorrow, then,” Rowan said, and turning, she made her way back down the path, her cousin, cloaked in cherry and crimson-lipped, watching as she went.
Back at home, Rowan found Emily busily preparing her mother’s old wing for guests.
“Who’s coming?” she asked, but Emily just raised her hands and shook her head.
“He’s not telling me a thing. He seems very anxious that everything be perfect. He says he even wants Pema kept in the kennel while they’re here.”
“What?” Rowan was shocked. “No. It’s too cold for her out there.”
“That’s what I said, and he nearly snapped my head off. He says she can’t stay in my room because it’s too close to the guests, and he fears she’ll disturb them. You’d better talk to him yourself if you want something done about it.”
“Where is Pema now?”
Emily put her hand on her hip, her eyes wide, revealing how ridiculous she felt the whole thing was. “I had to chain her up out there, didn’t I? I didn’t want to. I warmed some towels for her, but I still don’t think it’s a good idea. Like I said, he’s not going to listen to me. You go talk to him.”
Rowan took the back stairs two at a time and, running through the kitchen and out to the kennel, she wrenched open the door. Pema lay shivering on the cold ground. Emily had done her best to try to keep the dog warm. She’d put down towels like she’d said, but Pema had bunched them up at the edge of the cage, and she lay shivering at the other end. When she saw Rowan, she scrambled to her feet and bounded over to the girl, licking her hands and putting her paws on Rowan’s shoulders, though Henry Rose usually scolded her for doing that.
“Come on, girl,” Rowan said, leading her back into thehouse. The dog scrambled off, bounding up the stairs, presumably to the comfort of Emily’s bed, and Rowan headed down the hall to her father’s office.
She pushed open the door without knocking, startling Henry Rose, who quickly shut his book and slid something into his top
“He wasn’t?”
“No. He has other interests. It was the other one. He was less handsome, but he had a kind way about him. A little awkward, maybe, but special.”
“Tom’s not awkward,” Rowan said, barely able to contain her shock at her cousin’s vanity. “He’s the best thing this village has to offer by a long shot.”
The girl paused for a moment, a small grin forming on her lips. “You might be right,” she said after a while. “You say he wants to meet me?”
“He does.”
“And you’re to arrange it?”
Rowan nodded.
“Well, if my own cousin is to arrange it,” she said, a big, beautiful smile illuminating her face, “then how can I refuse?”
“Shall he come round to your cottage?” Rowan asked.
Fiona grew quiet for a moment, as if she were concentrating, trying to come up with the right answer. Finally, she shook her head. “No. He can’t come by the cottage. Thatwon’t work at all. I will meet him here. Tomorrow. Do you think that will work?”
Rowan nodded. “I’ll arrange for it. Can you meet him here tomorrow at this same time?” she asked, and Fiona agreed.
The two girls stayed a moment longer, staring into each other’s eyes. And now it was Fiona’s turn to sense something strange between them.
“You know,” she said, “there’s something so familiar about you. It’s as if I’ve always known you. Tomorrow will you come too?”
The idea of seeing Tom and Fiona together caused a sudden painful constriction across Rowan’s chest, and she began to wonder if she might be making a terrible mistake. She shook her head. “No. I know that would be customary, but I have other commitments.”
“I see,” Fiona said, not bothering to hide her disappointment.
And though Rowan could tell that this girl, so cold only moments before, wanted her to stay, wanted to talk with her, to make some sort of connection, she knew she couldn’t let herself befriend her.
“Tomorrow, then,” Rowan said, and turning, she made her way back down the path, her cousin, cloaked in cherry and crimson-lipped, watching as she went.
Back at home, Rowan found Emily busily preparing her mother’s old wing for guests.
“Who’s coming?” she asked, but Emily just raised her hands and shook her head.
“He’s not telling me a thing. He seems very anxious that everything be perfect. He says he even wants Pema kept in the kennel while they’re here.”
“What?” Rowan was shocked. “No. It’s too cold for her out there.”
“That’s what I said, and he nearly snapped my head off. He says she can’t stay in my room because it’s too close to the guests, and he fears she’ll disturb them. You’d better talk to him yourself if you want something done about it.”
“Where is Pema now?”
Emily put her hand on her hip, her eyes wide, revealing how ridiculous she felt the whole thing was. “I had to chain her up out there, didn’t I? I didn’t want to. I warmed some towels for her, but I still don’t think it’s a good idea. Like I said, he’s not going to listen to me. You go talk to him.”
Rowan took the back stairs two at a time and, running through the kitchen and out to the kennel, she wrenched open the door. Pema lay shivering on the cold ground. Emily had done her best to try to keep the dog warm. She’d put down towels like she’d said, but Pema had bunched them up at the edge of the cage, and she lay shivering at the other end. When she saw Rowan, she scrambled to her feet and bounded over to the girl, licking her hands and putting her paws on Rowan’s shoulders, though Henry Rose usually scolded her for doing that.
“Come on, girl,” Rowan said, leading her back into thehouse. The dog scrambled off, bounding up the stairs, presumably to the comfort of Emily’s bed, and Rowan headed down the hall to her father’s office.
She pushed open the door without knocking, startling Henry Rose, who quickly shut his book and slid something into his top
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