Blind Loyalty - M J Marlow (i am reading a book .txt) 📗

trying on clothing and then we’ll go see a movie with the twins. You’ll like that, Joanna.” She saw the clock. “We’d better get home. It’s my turn to fix dinner.” She pulled Joanna to her feet. “See you all Monday.” She handed Joanna her bag with the uniform in it. “Don’t forget your duds, cousin!” They walked home from the restaurant; in a town the size of Maverick everything was within walking distance. Adam was out on the front porch when they walked up. He saw the smile on Joanna’s face as she and Sarah were talking about something. Now that was how a fifteen year old should behave, he smiled to himself. Then he saw the bag Joanna was carrying. “I thought you went to practice, Sarah,” he said as they came up the stairs. “What’s with the bag?” “You are looking at the newest member of the Maverick Senior High Cheer Squad, Uncle Adam,” Sarah beamed as she put her arm around Joanna’s shoulders. “She’s a natural!” “Well, congratulations,” Adam smiled at Joanna. She was looking a bit pale and he noted her biting her lip. “You’re not happy about it?” “She saw her father,” Sarah said as she took the bag from Joanna. “I’ll put this in our room for you.” Adam barely noticed his niece leaving. His eyes were on Joanna’s face. She looked very uneasy and he motioned her to sit. She sat down on the porch swing and he joined her, keeping his distance so he would not scare her. She told him about her morning and he relished the sight of her eyes dancing in joy. But then she mentioned her father and the light faded; joy was replaced by uncertainty and fear. “Sarah is right, Joanna,” he said to her firmly. “While you are here you enjoy being a fifteen year old. Let us worry about your father.” “But when I go back home,” Joanna frowned and picked at the hem of her t-shirt, “he’s going to very displeased.” She looked up at Adam and there were tears in her eyes. “I don’t want to do anything that will make him angry at me.” “You let us explain things to him, Joanna,” Adam said as he reached out to touch her hand. She pulled it away and moved back. “I didn’t mean to startle you, child.” “I know,” Joanna whimpered. “Do you think you could call me Joey?” she asked him shyly. He looked at her for an explanation. “It’s just that he calls me Joanna. If you all called me by the name Rachel uses it might help. It will be like I’m a whole other person.” “All right, Joey,” Adam nodded. On Monday morning Joanna stood in front of a building that looked even more like a castle than the Judge’s home. Sarah saw the shock on her face and pulled her along greeting her friends and making introductions. She was wearing one of the outfits that Sarah had insisted she buy when they went shopping on Sunday and she was relieved to see it echoed on other girls in school. Her father would have been quite annoyed with her for wearing the orange-red midriff top with a matching short sleeved sweater that ended at her hips and form-hugging black jeans. Joanna eventually calmed as they entered the first classroom. She was still in shock at seeing so many people around her own age. Having been brought up the only child in that prison her father had created for her, this was all new to her. A tall man with glasses perched on the end of his long aquiline nose smiled as he saw her. He rapped his ruler on the desk and everyone quieted and turned to him. “Class,” Mr. Dunne smiled at them in fond nervousness, as if he were a lion tamer and they were his lions. “We have a new student with us; Joanna Leighton.” He nodded to Joanna. “Stand up dear and tell us a little about yourself.” “She can’t, Mr. Dunne,” Sarah told him bluntly as she saw Joanna’s stubborn look. Joanna had woken up that morning after a night plagued by nightmares determined to keep her distance and had not said one word all morning. “Joanna isn’t talking to anyone just yet.” The man looked confused. “She was home-schooled before this so this is her first day in a public school.” “Welcome to our school, Miss Leighton,” Mr. Dunne continued once the shock had worn off. His ruler came down again. “Take out your notebooks; we were discussing our class contribution to the Fall Fling. And no, Mr. Jensen,” he looked directly at the boy before George could say a word; “a Kissing Booth is not an option.” “But we have so many pretty girls in this class, Mr. Dunne,” George retorted as he looked directly at Joanna. He saw her blush and look away and he was enchanted. Many of the boys started to break into laughter and cheers. “We’d make a bundle with a kissing booth.” “We are not doing this to ‘make a bundle’, Mr. Jensen,” Dunne replied evenly. Joanna could see he was annoyed and she began to grow uneasy. “We are in this to raise money for charity.” They continued discussing the matter for another thirty minutes and then the ruler struck. “Put away your notes and get ready to race,” Dunne told them. “We’ll take the problems at the end of Chapter Five that you should all be able to answer without error.” His brown eyes were shining with pride as he nodded his bald head. “Row One. On your marks.” As Joanna watched the five students in the first of the five rows stepped up to the blackboard and picked up a piece of chalk. Dunne called out the first problem and they wrote it down. Then he picked up his stopwatch and pulled a whistle out of his drawer. He blew on the whistle and the students started writing. When the first person was through, and the answer was correct, he stopped the watch. This continued until each person in every row had answered a question. Then it was time for the last row where Joanna was sitting. But the fire alarm went off as she approached the blackboard and the students lined up. “Practice drill,” Sarah explained as they left the room and joined the other students hurrying outside. “They want to make certain we know what to do if there ever is an emergency.” Joanna was excited. She had never been in a fire drill before. Somehow she got separated from Sarah in the jostling throng of teenagers and she found herself looking at Aidan. He grabbed her hand and pulled her off along a side corridor and she knew he was planning something. She tried to pull away but his grip only went tighter. He took her out another exit and she saw her father standing by his car. She quieted immediately and went to him smiling. “Thank you, Aidan,” he said as he tossed the boy something. “I won’t forget your assistance in this matter.” The boy moved off a few yards to give them privacy and James looked at his daughter. “You’re looking well, child. How are you doing?” He frowned as he saw what she was wearing. “I see your cousin is warping your sense of fashion already, child.” “You don’t like it, Father?” Joanna frowned as she saw the cold look on his face. “I’ll tell her I can’t wear this anymore then.” “Don’t do that, child,” James shook his head. “There is no reason why you can’t enjoy yourself a bit while you are visiting your grandfather and his family. Just don’t get too used to it.” “I won’t, Father,” Joanna nodded and felt relief flood through her. “I miss you,” she said a moment later. “I want to come home.” She looked back at the school. “It’s too noisy here.” “It’s not always like that, child,” James assured her. He could see the confusion in her eyes, but also an underlying excitement. She was enjoying her new experiences. He would have a lot of work to do to return her to the state he wanted her in once she was back in his hands. “I miss you too, Joanna. The house is really empty without you around.” James held out his arms and she went to him. “Could they really take me away from you for good, Father?” Joanna asked, her voice full of distress. “Don’t worry. That is not going to happen.” He kissed her on the forehead and handed her a vial of pills. You forgot your vitamins, child. Take one now.” She took a pill out and swallowed it. “Go back with Aidan. We’ll talk again soon.” Joanna looked over at Aidan who was leaning against the building with a small plastic box in his hand. She did not like the look on his face as he tossed it up in the air and caught it behind his back. He nodded to her and smiled and she smiled back at him. He was really a very nice person, once one got to know him. She saw her father’s frown of displeasure and wondered why he was upset. “You are not to let any boy get close to you, Joanna,” he continued in a voice that had her looking at him in fear. “When you are ready for such things, I will let you know.” She was biting her lip. “You’re still confused,” he understood her mood. He made her look at him. “I have done everything to keep you safe, Joanna. Your mother was ill when you were young and you reacted so badly to her dea th.” He saw her remembering. “I felt that introducing you to her family would have been too traumatic for you.” He pulled her close and his hand moved up to the spot on the nape of her neck that triggered her obedience. She sighed and leaned into him as he reestablished control. “Don’t worry, my little one. Let me handle things.” She wanted to ask him so many questions, but his touch and his soft words sent them all out of her mind. Mr. Dunne came around the corner, frowning as he saw the besotted look on the girl’s face and he was horrified. No daughter should be looking at her father like that; it was unnatural. James looked over his shoulder and the flash of rage at being disturbed appeared and disappeared so quickly, Dunne almost thought he had imagined what he had seen. “Doctor Leighton?” he asked stiffly. “What are you doing here?” All of the teachers had been told that Doctor Leighton was not allowed to see his daughter unless another adult was present. Since he was a favored son in the town everyone knew who he was. Dunne looked over at Aidan and knew whom Leighton had used to arrange this little meeting. “I’ll call you later, darling,” James kissed Joanna on the forehead and got in his car without a word to the man. “Your father is not supposed to talk to you without supervision,” Dunne told her as Aidan took off. “I should call Judge Winbourne and tell him about this, Joanna,” he continued and held his hand up as she started to protest, “but I won’t do that if you promise me this is the last time you meet your father without proper supervision.” Joanna nodded and he was relieved. He didn’t tell her that he was going to talk to the Sheriff about his son. “As far as this goes, you got separated from the others in the confusion of the drill and I found you out here.” “Thank you, Mr. Dunne,” Joanna smiled up at him gratefully. “I had a father once,” Dunne replied. “I know how hard this must be for you, child, but the