Read Online The Lady Who Lived Again by Thomasine Rappold - Free Book Online
Authors: Thomasine Rappold
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sun burned. “Was that Madeline Sutter I saw earlier?” he asked, jogging up to the porch.
Now was the moment to put Maddie’s plan in motion, so Jace took a breath and smiled suggestively.
“Yes, it was. Daily house calls come with the job, of course—but some are much more pleasant than others.”
Henry frowned, shoving his hands into the pockets of his denim overalls. “So what was she doing here?” His nettled tone took Jace aback.
“Well, Henry, that’s not any of your business, now is it?”
“No, sir, I suppose not. Just curious, is all.” He averted his eyes, glancing out toward the street. “She doesn’t come to town often.”
“Judging from your reaction, I can understand why.”
Henry shrugged. “There’s nothing saying she has to stay in Misty Lake.” The harsh words lacked any trace of civility.
Jace could hardly believe the difference in the man from only moments before. Why did these decent people simply accept all the rubbish piled around Maddie’s feet? “So that’s your defense?” Jace asked. “That she should leave town?”
“It would sure be easier on folks if she did.” Henry lifted his chin against Jace’s stern frown. “That girl was dead.”
“She was in a coma. An extended state of unconsciousness.”
Henry was shaking his head before Jace had finished, rejecting the explanation like a stubborn child. He may as well have slapped his hands over his ears and chanted la-la-la.
“A coma,” Jace repeated.
“Maybe,” Henry said. “But either way she was gone.” He toed a loose floorboard. “She came back from somewhere,” he muttered.
Jace stared, baffled and exasperated. “And where do you suppose that was?”
Henry glanced away.
“Unlike some folks, I don’t claim to know. I just know it’s strange.” He turned back, fixing his eyes on Jace. “She died on her birthday, you know. May twelfth. She came back on Friday the thirteenth.”
Jace stiffened against a surge of surprise. Talk about adding fuel to the fire.
“Coincidence.”
“You can call it what you want.” Henry swatted at a fly. “I’ll keep my distance, just the same.”
The idea that this homely fellow found Maddie unappealing was so absurd it was laughable. Jace couldn’t resist.
“She’s pretty, though, huh?”
Henry smiled, looking more like himself. At least his sense of humor was untouched. “Yes, sir, she is.” His smile faded. “They all were. The Fair Five, we called them. Those girls had us all smitten… Daniel Hogle was crazy for Madeline in particular. For a while after the accident, I thought he might marry her anyway, but his uncle wouldn’t stand for it.”
“So she was punished for surviving,” Jace said. “For something beyond her control.” His anger came through in his tone, but he couldn’t help himself. “Narrow minded…”
“This is a small town, Doc. Losing those girls hit us hard. They were my friends.” Sorrow clouded Henry’s eyes. He steeled his bony shoulders, as if adjusting his stance might combat his grief. “They were daughters and kin of folks we’ve all known our whole lives. The mere sight of Maddie Sutter adds salt to the wound.”
Something inside Jace clicked like a switch. Maddie was more than a scapegoat. She was somehow responsible for what happened. Jace heard it in Henry’s voice now as clearly as he had in Mrs. Tremont’s last week. He was eager to hear Maddie’s account of the accident and wondered if that alone might absolve her—perhaps her neighbors simply needed to hear a true version of the facts.
“You should watch yourself around that one, Doc. Pretty or not, something about her ain’t right.”
Jace doubted Henry would be so vocal in offering his opinion of Maddie once he knew she was Jace’s fiancée. Henry wasn’t a cruel man by nature. He was a product of his environment, infected by the nonsense fears of this odd community. Jace was more determined than ever to help Maddie battle the
Now was the moment to put Maddie’s plan in motion, so Jace took a breath and smiled suggestively.
“Yes, it was. Daily house calls come with the job, of course—but some are much more pleasant than others.”
Henry frowned, shoving his hands into the pockets of his denim overalls. “So what was she doing here?” His nettled tone took Jace aback.
“Well, Henry, that’s not any of your business, now is it?”
“No, sir, I suppose not. Just curious, is all.” He averted his eyes, glancing out toward the street. “She doesn’t come to town often.”
“Judging from your reaction, I can understand why.”
Henry shrugged. “There’s nothing saying she has to stay in Misty Lake.” The harsh words lacked any trace of civility.
Jace could hardly believe the difference in the man from only moments before. Why did these decent people simply accept all the rubbish piled around Maddie’s feet? “So that’s your defense?” Jace asked. “That she should leave town?”
“It would sure be easier on folks if she did.” Henry lifted his chin against Jace’s stern frown. “That girl was dead.”
“She was in a coma. An extended state of unconsciousness.”
Henry was shaking his head before Jace had finished, rejecting the explanation like a stubborn child. He may as well have slapped his hands over his ears and chanted la-la-la.
“A coma,” Jace repeated.
“Maybe,” Henry said. “But either way she was gone.” He toed a loose floorboard. “She came back from somewhere,” he muttered.
Jace stared, baffled and exasperated. “And where do you suppose that was?”
Henry glanced away.
“Unlike some folks, I don’t claim to know. I just know it’s strange.” He turned back, fixing his eyes on Jace. “She died on her birthday, you know. May twelfth. She came back on Friday the thirteenth.”
Jace stiffened against a surge of surprise. Talk about adding fuel to the fire.
“Coincidence.”
“You can call it what you want.” Henry swatted at a fly. “I’ll keep my distance, just the same.”
The idea that this homely fellow found Maddie unappealing was so absurd it was laughable. Jace couldn’t resist.
“She’s pretty, though, huh?”
Henry smiled, looking more like himself. At least his sense of humor was untouched. “Yes, sir, she is.” His smile faded. “They all were. The Fair Five, we called them. Those girls had us all smitten… Daniel Hogle was crazy for Madeline in particular. For a while after the accident, I thought he might marry her anyway, but his uncle wouldn’t stand for it.”
“So she was punished for surviving,” Jace said. “For something beyond her control.” His anger came through in his tone, but he couldn’t help himself. “Narrow minded…”
“This is a small town, Doc. Losing those girls hit us hard. They were my friends.” Sorrow clouded Henry’s eyes. He steeled his bony shoulders, as if adjusting his stance might combat his grief. “They were daughters and kin of folks we’ve all known our whole lives. The mere sight of Maddie Sutter adds salt to the wound.”
Something inside Jace clicked like a switch. Maddie was more than a scapegoat. She was somehow responsible for what happened. Jace heard it in Henry’s voice now as clearly as he had in Mrs. Tremont’s last week. He was eager to hear Maddie’s account of the accident and wondered if that alone might absolve her—perhaps her neighbors simply needed to hear a true version of the facts.
“You should watch yourself around that one, Doc. Pretty or not, something about her ain’t right.”
Jace doubted Henry would be so vocal in offering his opinion of Maddie once he knew she was Jace’s fiancée. Henry wasn’t a cruel man by nature. He was a product of his environment, infected by the nonsense fears of this odd community. Jace was more determined than ever to help Maddie battle the
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