Armored Hearts Read Free Page B

Grandfather’s office. He often found her there, practicing her arithmetic on parchment or glancing at some of the latest marvels pictured in the newspaper.
    Gareth wheeled himself out of the empty study and around to look in another room, but she wasn’t there either. He pushed the wheels through the open space of the foyer and into the hall toward the kitchen. It wasn’t proper for him enter. It was below his station, but he pushed harder toward the room, regardless, once he heard Tabitha’s weeping.
    He watched from the open door of the kitchen. Sarah sat in a chair, cradling Tabitha in her lap. Sarah’s orange curls were coming loose from her bun. “There’s na ye can do fer the folk, but pray. God will hear yer prayers, just as Reverend Piper said.”
    Tabitha sat back on the woman’s lap and wiped her wet eyes. “How do you know?”
    Sarah pushed blonde hair that had fallen into Tabitha’s face behind the little girl’s ear. “Because the Good Book says the prayers of the righteous avails much and ye, me sweet girl, ’ave a good and righteous heart.”
    Boot steps moved toward the two of them from the other side of the kitchen. Gareth had not realized Thompton was there, too, until the tall lanky man with brown hair knelt in front of Tabitha and took her small hand in his. “It also says the angels assigned to wee lads and lasses go before the throne of the Almighty daily. So ye say yer peace to God and He will get the message. And ye can sleep well knowin’ God heard ye.”
    Thompton grabbed Tabitha under the arms, picked her up, and swung her in a circle about the room, causing her to giggle with delight before setting her on the floor and kneeling again before her. “And ye need be headin’ to bed and sleep soundly, because not only do God’s angels be watchin’ over ye, but also the good fairies.”
    Tabitha grabbed the man around the neck and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before giving one to Sarah.
    “I’ll be up to tuck ye in after I finish in here,” Sarah said as she made her way to a stack of dishes.
    Tabitha nearly ran into Gareth when she darted into the hall. Her eyes widened. “I’m sorry! I forgot to come watch for you.”
    Gareth smiled at his little aunt. “That’s all right. I wasn’t quite ready to go up yet anyway.” He wheeled around and headed back in the direction he’d come from with Tabitha beside him.
    “Why are you so worried about the townspeople?” Gareth asked as they headed for the stairs.
    Tabitha shrugged, “I don’t know. I guess I think about how awful it must be to have just enough to get by and have someone come and take it from you. It’s just wrong.” She ran around the stairs, then up them and back. She smiled and said in a loud whisper, “All’s clear.”
    Gareth smiled back and took flight from his chair to his chamber door. The orange tabby appeared beside him and raced him up the stairs. Tabitha soon joined him in his chamber, the orange tabby cradled in her arms. She set it down, plopped herself in the wing chair, and picked up his math book. He was supposed to finish working some numbers for Mr. Strong before his time of instruction the next day.
    “Can I finish these for you?” She glanced up under long, dark lashes.
    “That would be cheating. Besides those are too hard for you, and arithmetic isn’t healthy for the female mind.”
    “That’s stupid and not true. I like numbers. Miss Duncan is teaching me higher arithmetic. She says I might need it someday if I end up a governess like her.”
    Gareth dismissed the notion with a shake of his head. “You’ll find some gentleman to marry you and make you a lady. You won’t need to think at all then.”
    Her face scrunched. “Maybe I don’t want that. I like to think about more than pretty dresses and my hair. I’d rather spend my days teaching children than worrying about what color dress I should wear.”
    Honestly, he couldn’t imagine a girl who chewed her fingernails