intimidates me ? Tired and confused, I couldn’t begin to understand everything I’d seen and heard in the last twenty-seven hours. Evan had called me ‘the child Matthew had the nerve to bring into this world’. Dad was a soldier who died six years ago. What the hell did he have to do with any of this ? He and my mom had left this community before either Evan or I was born.
As I entered my assigned bedroom, my phone chirped. Pulling it out of my pocket, I smiled at the screen indicating a text from Corey.
STP WRRYNG N GT SUM SLP !
I wondered if it was possible to sleep at all with so many questions running through my head. My phone chirped again, as if to answer me.
IM NT KDDNG. GO 2 SLP.
I sighed. Corey was right, of course. He was always right. I’d call Mom in the morning. There was nothing that could be done tonight. Aunt Rose had decorated her room with lots of eyelet lace and old quilts. It looked really inviting and comfortable. I should have been more upset by the secrets everyone obviously kept, by Evan’s resentment, by the weird customs these country people practiced, and by what they wanted to do with me , however, once I saw the bed, I couldn’t think of anything else. Opting against pajamas, I collapsed onto it, pulled a soft patchwork quilt made out of many pieces of flannel over me, and sighing, fell into a dreamless sleep.
Chapter Two
The Garden
Something woke me. The noise sounded like hushed voices. Pitched too high for adult voices, they must have belonged to children. Why would children be whispering in my bedroom ? It took me a couple of beats before I remembered I wasn’t in my room, but in Great-Aunt Fiona’s cabin. There shouldn’t have been any children here, either. Opening one eye, I squinted against the bright sunshine flooding the room. The voices fell completely silent and were followed by scuffling, like little claws on the hardwood floor as they ran away. I assumed they were mice, since I now lived in the country. It was odd how much mice twittering sounded like English, because I could have sworn my name was mentioned in those whispers.
The memories of the previous day came flooding back to me. What time was it ? Aunt Rose had an alarm clock on the nightstand next to the bed which said 12:00. Even by California-time, I’d overslept. Heading into the bathroom, I caught my reflection in the mirror. My long, chocolate brown hair poked in multiple directions around my face. My eyes looked bloodshot and my face was pale with apprehension.
It was too late to call Mom today; she would have already left for the store. The three-hour time difference meant she wouldn’t get home until after I’d gone to bed. I’d have to get up earlier tomorrow. I wandered into the dining room to see what waited on the table.
In the center sat a neatly folded piece of notebook paper, addressed to me in beautifully lettered calligraphy. I took a seat at the table and reached for the note. It said,
Maggie,
The herb garden directly behind the house needs weeding. Afterward, bring the following into the house for dinner.
Four sprigs each:
Parsley
Thyme
Sage
Basil
Oregano
3 Beefsteak Tomatoes
1 Eggplant
2 Zucchini
1 Summer Squash
There is a basket by the back door you may use. You will find garden tools and gloves in the shed.
If you find you have extra time you might want to familiarize yourself with all of the crops in the garden.
Have a nice day.
Fiona
Huh. So much for easing into things and letting my body recover ; at least I wouldn’t be bored. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to please my great-aunt, or avoid her disapproval, but found myself eager to start my day’s assigned tasks.
Grabbing the willow basket sitting on a chair against the wall of windows, I headed out the back door onto the deck.
A beautifully landscaped garden stretched out before me, with neatly tended rows of vegetables, and meandering patches of herbs. A
As I entered my assigned bedroom, my phone chirped. Pulling it out of my pocket, I smiled at the screen indicating a text from Corey.
STP WRRYNG N GT SUM SLP !
I wondered if it was possible to sleep at all with so many questions running through my head. My phone chirped again, as if to answer me.
IM NT KDDNG. GO 2 SLP.
I sighed. Corey was right, of course. He was always right. I’d call Mom in the morning. There was nothing that could be done tonight. Aunt Rose had decorated her room with lots of eyelet lace and old quilts. It looked really inviting and comfortable. I should have been more upset by the secrets everyone obviously kept, by Evan’s resentment, by the weird customs these country people practiced, and by what they wanted to do with me , however, once I saw the bed, I couldn’t think of anything else. Opting against pajamas, I collapsed onto it, pulled a soft patchwork quilt made out of many pieces of flannel over me, and sighing, fell into a dreamless sleep.
Chapter Two
The Garden
Something woke me. The noise sounded like hushed voices. Pitched too high for adult voices, they must have belonged to children. Why would children be whispering in my bedroom ? It took me a couple of beats before I remembered I wasn’t in my room, but in Great-Aunt Fiona’s cabin. There shouldn’t have been any children here, either. Opening one eye, I squinted against the bright sunshine flooding the room. The voices fell completely silent and were followed by scuffling, like little claws on the hardwood floor as they ran away. I assumed they were mice, since I now lived in the country. It was odd how much mice twittering sounded like English, because I could have sworn my name was mentioned in those whispers.
The memories of the previous day came flooding back to me. What time was it ? Aunt Rose had an alarm clock on the nightstand next to the bed which said 12:00. Even by California-time, I’d overslept. Heading into the bathroom, I caught my reflection in the mirror. My long, chocolate brown hair poked in multiple directions around my face. My eyes looked bloodshot and my face was pale with apprehension.
It was too late to call Mom today; she would have already left for the store. The three-hour time difference meant she wouldn’t get home until after I’d gone to bed. I’d have to get up earlier tomorrow. I wandered into the dining room to see what waited on the table.
In the center sat a neatly folded piece of notebook paper, addressed to me in beautifully lettered calligraphy. I took a seat at the table and reached for the note. It said,
Maggie,
The herb garden directly behind the house needs weeding. Afterward, bring the following into the house for dinner.
Four sprigs each:
Parsley
Thyme
Sage
Basil
Oregano
3 Beefsteak Tomatoes
1 Eggplant
2 Zucchini
1 Summer Squash
There is a basket by the back door you may use. You will find garden tools and gloves in the shed.
If you find you have extra time you might want to familiarize yourself with all of the crops in the garden.
Have a nice day.
Fiona
Huh. So much for easing into things and letting my body recover ; at least I wouldn’t be bored. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to please my great-aunt, or avoid her disapproval, but found myself eager to start my day’s assigned tasks.
Grabbing the willow basket sitting on a chair against the wall of windows, I headed out the back door onto the deck.
A beautifully landscaped garden stretched out before me, with neatly tended rows of vegetables, and meandering patches of herbs. A
Similar Books
Brighton Road
Susan Carroll
Stone Cold
Stassi Evers
Alien's Bride Book One
Yamila Abraham
A Fairytale Christmas
Susan Wiggs
CarnalPromise
Elle Amour
Alexis and the Lake Tahoe Tumult
Erica Rodgers
The Dance
Christopher Pike
Bonds of Earth
G. N. Chevalier
Secret Storm
Amelia James
The Filthy Series: The Complete Dark Erotic Serial Novel
Megan D. Martin