The Line Read Free Page A

pointed toward the Line—“is not a game. That is something . . .” Ms. Moore’s voice shook into silence. When she continued, she spoke so quietly that Rachel had trouble understanding her words. “There’s nothing on the other side of that for you, child. Nothing there for any of us. We’ll keep what you did between you and me, but best you don’t repeat such foolishness. You’d better go get your coat before someone else sees it there.”
    Rachel mumbled an apology, but Ms. Moore just turned and left. Rachel watched her walk toward the main house. She wondered why just talking about Away caused Ms. Moore’s voice to shake like that. Rachel knew that all the stories she read about Away and the Others were probably not true. But what was true?
    She picked up one of the hoses, but then put it back down. Before she hooked them up, she had better go get her jacket like Ms. Moore said. On her way out the greenhouse door she looked toward the main house, but Ms. Moore was gone from sight.
    Ms. Moore knew something , Rachel could tell. She’d lived right next to the Line her whole life, according to Vivian. In all that time, maybe she had found out something about Away, something about the Others. Rachel decided then and there that she was going to find out what.
    That evening, Rachel had done all her homework, cleaned the guesthouse, and made dinner. She waited with dread for Vivian to come back from the main house. By the time Vivian walked in the door, one look from her was all it took to make Rachel burst into tears again. She had never done anything to truly disappoint her mom before, and she could see in her eyes that Vivian was disappointed now.
    Vivian came over and put her hand on Rachel’s head, smoothing her hair. Then she hugged her. “Oh, Rachel. Probably just having to work with Ms. Moore will be punishment enough for you,” she said. “She’s not always the easiest person to be around. And you’re going to be around her a lot for the next three months.”
    “Three months!” Rachel couldn’t fathom what three months of seeing Ms. Moore every day might be like.
    “That’s how long it will take to earn enough to pay off that window.” Vivian gave Rachel a look that clearly conveyed her standard “learn from your mistakes” lecture in one glance. “Mind you do what she tells you and work hard. No matter how gruff she seems. We cannot afford to upset her. Jonathan will be there, and that will help.”
    Despite Vivian’s hug and her comforting words, Rachel knew the seriousness of what she had done. If Ms. Moore had been angry enough to fire Vivian, they might have had no choice but to go back to the city. Rachel knew her mom didn’t want to do that. She didn’t want to either. Things could be really bad in the cities.
     
     
    ELIZABETH MOORE ADDED the cost of a new window to the expenditures column of her old-fashioned account book and closed it. It would have to be one of the new plastic windows; they didn’t manufacture glass anymore. Elizabeth resented that for no good reason. The plastic ones worked just as well, probably better, but the glass windows had been there so long that they felt like a tradition—not something to be abandoned due to mere obsolescence. She’d had to replace two others last year. The glass just got so old and brittle, it shattered spontaneously. She was sure that was what had happened today as well, but she accused the girl anyway. Because when she saw Rachel by the Line, she knew that it would be best to keep a closer eye on her from now on. One way to do that was to make her work in the greenhouse.
    She smoothed the wood grain of the dining table with her hand. Real mahogany. It was at this same table that she had interviewed Ms. Vivian Quillen, Rachel’s mother, so many years ago, for the position of housekeeper. Ms. Quillen was in some sort of trouble back then, Elizabeth could tell; she had some experience in that area. The haunted look on Ms. Quillen’s