Ruby Read Free

flew across the room and gathered her sister into her arms. “I could never hate you. I get angry and impatient, but no matter what you do, I shall never hate you. I will always love you.”
    “I don’t want to have to tell her something like that again.” Opal hid her face on Ruby’s shoulder.
    “Good. Then you will be careful what you touch, right? Only your own things or with permission, right?” Ruby could feel her sister nodding.
    “I finished my fifty times writing.”
    “I saw that.”
    “I’m hungry.”
    “Ja, supper will be ready soon. You go wash now.” She kissed her sister’s cheek.
    Hearing heavy footsteps on the stairs, Ruby peeked outside the schoolroom door. Jason lifted each foot as if it were granite.
    “Are you all right?”
    “I have to help Mr. Klaus clean out the fishpond, like he said, and buy my sister a new bear if she wants one.”
    “I see.”
    “And I have to eat supper in the dining room.”
    Ruby kept a straight face with some difficulty. She knew he preferred eating in the nursery because then he could read while he ate.
    “You better hurry and get cleaned up.” That was another thing. In the nursery one did not have to change clothes, and Jason did not like dressing for supper.
    “Oh.” Jason pulled a letter out of his pocket. “I found this on the table for you.”
    Ruby took the proffered envelope. “Thank you.” What could it be? She never received letters from anyone. She glanced at the return address. P. Torvald . Her father. A letter from her father. Her hand shook as she hastened back to her room to read in private. Lord, he is still alive. All these years I’ve been praying to see him again. Perhaps he is coming back for us after all. Perhaps . . .

CHAPTER TWO
    My dearest daughters,
I must beg your forgiveness for the long time between letters. I am sure you must have thought I passed on from this world, but life here in the West has been a myriad of experiences—and not all of them good. I attempted gold mining, with some small success, and finally parlayed that into a legacy that I can pass on to my two treasures. While I had hoped to be able to send for you before now, the sad news is that I am dying. We have train service here, so I have enclosed tickets for the two of you to come and claim your inheritance. God willing, if you come quickly, I will have a chance to see your sweet faces before I pass on into the next life, where I know your mother is waiting for me, I can only hope with open arms. I know I have no right to ask this, but please come soon to Dove House in Little Missouri, which is near the military cantonment on the west bank of the Little Missouri River in Dakota Territory.
Your far,
who has always loved you.
Per Torvald
    Ruby read the letter again, fighting the tears that blurred the spidery script. Why did he wait so long? God of all, what am I going to do? She closed her eyes, waiting for an answer to scream down from the ceiling or burst through the panes of the mullioned windows. She strained to hear, willing sound to ring in her ears. Even a whisper would do.
    Nothing.
    She could hear Bernie jabbering to Nanny as she bathed him. Water was running in the girls’ bathroom. A giggle came from Alicia’s room. Most likely Opal was helping them dress. But she heard no sound that could in any way be construed as an answer to her plea.
    She opened her eyes to see the two train tickets in her hand. Lord, all I ask is that you get us there to see him before he dies .
    Now, how to tell Mrs. Brandon and the family? But first I must tell Opal . Which she did as soon as the others paraded down the stairs, Jason trailing ten steps behind.
    “But I don’t want to leave here.” Opal stared at her older sister, her mouth an O that matched her eyes.
    “You have always said you wanted to meet our father, and now you will have your chance.”
    “But I wanted him to come here.”
    “Remember your dream that we were going to live with our very own