Read Online Tuesday's Child by Clare Revell - Free Book Online Page A

the stains out.”
    A small hand tapped her foot and Adeline glanced down.
    “Junk food is bad for you,” Vianne said, fondling Ben’s ears absently. “Too many chips make you fat. And give you heart disease”
    “Do they?”
    Vianne nodded. “So do burgers. We’re learning about it at school. I like what Uncle Nate makes. He calls them proper dinners.” She tilted her head. “Do you like toad in the hole?”
    Adeline nodded. “I make that a lot. It’s my favorite. I like cauliflower cheese, too. And roast beef.”
    “I love that. We don’t have it often enough. Uncle Nate works too much to do a roast. He says they take too long to make and I’d be in bed by the time it was ready.”
    “Then how about on Sunday you and Uncle Nate come to my house after church for lunch. We’ll have roast beef, then.”
    Vianne turned to Nate. The angle of her head precluded Adeline from reading her lips, but Nate’s response was all too clear.
    “She’s a witness. I can’t…” He broke off as Vianne gesticulated wildly. “I know, but this is—”
    Adeline looked away not wanting to see his excuses. So much for the two of them being friends. She had finally met a bloke who treated her like a ‘normal’ person and now this. It wasn’t fair. She looked back at him. “I can go if you’d rather not be seen consorting with a witness.”
    Nate shook his head. “This is different.”
    She frowned, really not seeing how, but not going to ask. She felt uncomfortable enough now as it was. “It’s no different at all. But, if you don’t want to come or you can’t because of work, I don’t have a problem with that. But perhaps Vianne could come to my place for dinner after school one night. I’ll feed her, and you can pick her up when you finish your shift.”
    Vianne shot her a beaming smile. “That would be wonderful. Please, Uncle Nate?”
    “All right.” He scrutinized Adeline, and she shivered under the intensity of his gaze. Her heart pounded, threatening to jump into her throat and suffocate her. How could he be so nice one minute and then cold the next? Was he so used to playing good cop-bad cop that he did it off duty, as well?
    “Cool.” Vianne’s smile lit her entire face.
    Nate turned his gaze to his niece. “Now go wash your hands while I dish up.”
    “Yes, Uncle Nate.” She scrambled to her feet and ran from the room.
    “Nate…” Adeline spoke hesitantly. “If you’d rather she didn’t come to dinner until this case is over, I don’t mind. I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize things at work for you.”
    “It’s fine. How about Wednesday? I don’t finish until seven, then.”
    She nodded. “Wednesday’s good.”
    A smile finally crossed Nate’s face, although it never reached his eyes. “Thank you.”
    “Welcome.”
    Nate brought the plates over just as Vianne ran back into the room. She had yet another hat pulled down over her hair. What was with the child and hats?
    Just as Nate sat down, he rolled his eyes and pulled his phone from his pocket. “I have to take this. Please, start eating, I won’t be long. Vianne, say grace.” He pushed his chair back and left the table. “Holmes.”
    Adeline nodded, her eyes following him from the room. Worry had settled on his face and he didn’t say more than his name before he left the room. Adeline wondered. Was it Rachel? Had something more happened to her? Or worse, had the Herbalist struck again?
    Vianne touched her hand. “I’ll say grace.” She closed her eyes. “Thank You, God, for this nice dinner. Amen.”
    “Amen.” Adeline picked up her fork.
    Vianne stabbed her spaghetti with a fork. “This happens a lot. He works way too much.”
    “He’s got a very important job.”
    “I can think of a more important one.”
    Adeline took a mouthful. The food was as delicious as it both looked and smelled. “What’s that?”
    “He needs a wife. He shouldn’t be alone the way he is.”
    Adeline choked on her spaghetti. She