Read Online Whispers of the Heart by Barbara Woster - Free Book Online
Authors: Barbara Woster
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using her God-given talents. As long as she worked her magic, I had a way of softening up landowners; blackmailing them into parting with their property. Buy it up for a song, then turn around and sell it for nice, tidy bit of profit. Sometimes to the man who sold it to me. Ironic really. Of course, your ma, she didn’t have any problem lifting her skirt to keep our profitable venture going. Wasn’t a prude like you. Of course, now that I’m getting on in years, I’m ready to settle down on my own land. Or, in this case, Dalian Rivers’s land.”
“No... I can’t...it isn’t possible. I would have known something.”
“She didn’t want you to know nothing.”
“No! I don’t believe you! I can’t believe you! She wouldn’t...”
“Why? Because she acted so squeaky clean around you?”
“No... I just can’t...If she was so blasted happy whoring for you, why did she leave then? Huh?” Marsha snapped. “If she was so gall-darned happy with her life, why’d she leave you? Why? I’ll tell you why,” Marsha continued angrily, “because you’re full of it, that’s why! She wasn’t a whore. You’re just saying that to make me feel bad. To make me feel dirty somehow. No, she left you because...because,” Marsha stumbled.
“Because why, girl? Go on, tell me, miss know-it-all. Finish your sentence, since you seem to know so damned much. No? What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue? Well, why don’t I help you out a bit? She left 'cause she fancied herself in love with one of our marks, that’s why. Why did I let her go? Because she threatened to rat me out to the law if’n I didn’t. Now, go ahead and ask the other question that’s been gnawing at you all these years? Let’s clear the air so we can get back to focusing on business, shall we? After all, these father-daughter conversations happen so infrequently.”
“No, I don’t want to know anything else.” Marsha’s head was suddenly pounding.
“Sure you do, kid.”
“No. No, I don’t.”
“Ah, come on, now,” Jethro antagonized. “Every kid wants to know why their mama abandoned them. After all, she’s off somewhere living a life of ease with her new rich husband, so why couldn’t she take her darling teenage daughter with her instead of leaving her with her reprehensible daddy. Come on, ask!”
“Shut up! I don’t...just leave me alone.”
“Because you were part of the bargain,” Jethro continued relentlessly. “That’s why. I leave her be, she leaves me be. I let her live happily ever after with her new man and keep your young body out of his line of sight, and you take over her job. She even suggested letting you go live at the whorehouse where I found her, to help break you into it faster. So, what do you think of your mama now, girl? Huh?”
“Shut up, you pig!” Marsha shouted, jumping up and storming from the house.
“Hell,” Jethro whispered to her retreating back, “your mama raised her skirts for so many men, I don’t even know if you are my flesh and blood. Damn nuisance, though,” he continued his one-sided conversation, moving to the liquor cabinet. “Just like your mama was. A damn nuisance; but I have ways of dealing with nuisances, kid. Just ask your mama. Oh, that’s right, you can’t,” Jethro cackled at his own wit and poured himself a tall glass of whiskey. “Damn nuisance,” he whispered again, tipping the glass back and swallowing the contents in one gulp. He coughed and sputtered, then poured another glass. “Just like Rivers. Well, I have ways of dealing with nuisances,” he muttered again, then raised his glass in a toast to the empty doorway. “Here’s to nuisances. May they rest in peace. Just like that pregnant wife of his.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“For a city girl, you seem to have a knack for roping things,” Dalian observed playfully, stopping by Kat’s side.
“That’s very kind of you to say, considering the only things I’ve managed to rope around here are three
“No... I can’t...it isn’t possible. I would have known something.”
“She didn’t want you to know nothing.”
“No! I don’t believe you! I can’t believe you! She wouldn’t...”
“Why? Because she acted so squeaky clean around you?”
“No... I just can’t...If she was so blasted happy whoring for you, why did she leave then? Huh?” Marsha snapped. “If she was so gall-darned happy with her life, why’d she leave you? Why? I’ll tell you why,” Marsha continued angrily, “because you’re full of it, that’s why! She wasn’t a whore. You’re just saying that to make me feel bad. To make me feel dirty somehow. No, she left you because...because,” Marsha stumbled.
“Because why, girl? Go on, tell me, miss know-it-all. Finish your sentence, since you seem to know so damned much. No? What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue? Well, why don’t I help you out a bit? She left 'cause she fancied herself in love with one of our marks, that’s why. Why did I let her go? Because she threatened to rat me out to the law if’n I didn’t. Now, go ahead and ask the other question that’s been gnawing at you all these years? Let’s clear the air so we can get back to focusing on business, shall we? After all, these father-daughter conversations happen so infrequently.”
“No, I don’t want to know anything else.” Marsha’s head was suddenly pounding.
“Sure you do, kid.”
“No. No, I don’t.”
“Ah, come on, now,” Jethro antagonized. “Every kid wants to know why their mama abandoned them. After all, she’s off somewhere living a life of ease with her new rich husband, so why couldn’t she take her darling teenage daughter with her instead of leaving her with her reprehensible daddy. Come on, ask!”
“Shut up! I don’t...just leave me alone.”
“Because you were part of the bargain,” Jethro continued relentlessly. “That’s why. I leave her be, she leaves me be. I let her live happily ever after with her new man and keep your young body out of his line of sight, and you take over her job. She even suggested letting you go live at the whorehouse where I found her, to help break you into it faster. So, what do you think of your mama now, girl? Huh?”
“Shut up, you pig!” Marsha shouted, jumping up and storming from the house.
“Hell,” Jethro whispered to her retreating back, “your mama raised her skirts for so many men, I don’t even know if you are my flesh and blood. Damn nuisance, though,” he continued his one-sided conversation, moving to the liquor cabinet. “Just like your mama was. A damn nuisance; but I have ways of dealing with nuisances, kid. Just ask your mama. Oh, that’s right, you can’t,” Jethro cackled at his own wit and poured himself a tall glass of whiskey. “Damn nuisance,” he whispered again, tipping the glass back and swallowing the contents in one gulp. He coughed and sputtered, then poured another glass. “Just like Rivers. Well, I have ways of dealing with nuisances,” he muttered again, then raised his glass in a toast to the empty doorway. “Here’s to nuisances. May they rest in peace. Just like that pregnant wife of his.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“For a city girl, you seem to have a knack for roping things,” Dalian observed playfully, stopping by Kat’s side.
“That’s very kind of you to say, considering the only things I’ve managed to rope around here are three
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