The Roswell Legacy by Frances Statham (parable of the sower read online .TXT) 📗

tell Ginna. This was really an adventure, wasn’t it, Pinky?”

“You won’t be telling Ginna or anybody about this, Nathan,” Jonathan said. “This is a secret the four of us men will have to keep always. Do you both understand?”

“Yes,” the two replied in unison. Nathan and Pinky held their arms together where the blood crosses had been scratched. And in low voices they intoned, “To the death, through thick or thin, forever and a day, so help us God.”

CHAPTER

31

Araminta left Cassie’s house to go home. The past two weeks had been worrisome, with the colicky baby and then Nathan’s disappearance from school. But she had left Maudie to be a nursemaid to little Stanley, and Nathan had been found. So perhaps life would get back to normal.

And yet Araminta knew that when she arrived home, the reception from Charles would more than likely be a cool one. But she certainly was not to blame for Ginna’s finding out the truth. Didn’t a mother have a right to confide in her elder daughter in times of trouble? Charles shouldn’t be upset with Cassie, either, even though it probably would have been better if she hadn’t blurted out the truth to Ginna just when she did.

But Araminta, riding along in the carriage to the brown-stone, was rather glad that Ginna knew. Maybe now she would realize how impossible it would be to marry Jonathan Meadors in the circumstances.

She was still furious with Ginna for traipsing off to Chicago when she should have been at home taking care of the house and overseeing Clara and Barge.

Araminta narrowed her eyes as she thought about her wayward daughter and her equally wayward husband, Charles. They were two of a kind, meek on the outside but with an inner stubborness that was finally getting out of hand. And Nathan was becoming exactly like them. But at least she wouldn’t have to worry about him for a while now that Dr. Pemberton was willing to accept him back at Braxton School.

But both Charles and Ginna needed to be taken in hand immediately. “Barge, do hurry on,” she said. “I want to get home before dark.”

“Yes, Miss Araminta.”

The horses quickened their pace, passing several other carriages. Araminta nodded her head to their occupants as the carriages drew level with each other, then passed on by.

“First thing tomorrow, Barge, I want you to rid the pool in the garden of all the frogs and tadpoles that Nathan put in.”

“But, Miss Araminta, I promised Nathan I’d look after them while he’s gone.”

“Then you can tell him they all died, Barge. He won’t be home until the Christmas holidays, and he won’t know the difference.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Barge muttered under his breath, “But I’ll know the difference.”

“What did you say, Barge?”

“I said, there’re not any tadpoles left. They’re all frogs now.”

He drew into the driveway and stopped. “I’ll bring your valise inside soon as I put the horse up, if that’s all right with you.”

“Yes, that will be fine.”

As Araminta walked up the back steps into the house, she heard Clara singing in the kitchen. For a moment, she stood at the kitchen door and watched the servant kneading bread. “Hush that caterwauling, Clara,” Araminta finally said. “I don’t want you to disturb the neighbors.”

Clara stopped in midsong and looked up. “But I’m happy, Miss Araminta. Miss Ginna’s back home.”

“Where is she?”

“Setting the dining-room table for supper.”

Araminta walked through the butler’s pantry to the dining room. “Ginna?”

Ginna looked up and, seeing her mother, smiled. “Hello, Mummy. It’s good to see you.” She walked over to give her mother a kiss, which Araminta grudgingly accepted.

“You seem to be awfully satisfied with yourself, miss.”

“Well, I had a wonderful time in Chicago visiting my sister, Morrow, and her family.”

“She is not your sister, Ginna,” Araminta corrected.

“Oh, but she is, Mummy. Just as much as Cassie is. And it’s the strangest thing. Her son, David, looks exactly like Nathan did when he was six. It’s incredible.” Ignoring the apoplectic look on her mother’s face, she quickly said, “How are Cassie and the baby?”

Her mother’s look softened at the mention of Cassie. “Doing quite well. The baby is gaining weight, even if he is a little colicky. And Cassie is slowly regaining her strength.”

“That’s good.”

Ginna turned back to the silverware. But Araminta said, “Turn around again, Ginna.”

“Yes, Mummy?”

“There’s something different about you. I don’t know what it is, but I don’t like it.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, you’re not. You’re standing there as if you don’t give a tuppence for my opinion. If that’s Morrow’s influence on you, then it’s a good thing you’re not marrying into that family.”

Ginna was hesitant. She was not prepared for a head-on clash with her mother. She so longed to tell her that it was a fait accompli, but she did not. Instead, she said, “May I finish setting the table for supper, Mummy?”

“By all means. It’s high time you were back where you belong, seeing to things in your own home. I really didn’t appreciate your running off, when I was depending on you.”

“But Clara said she took care to have good meals on the table for Papa. And as for the house—”

“That will do, Ginna. I’m tired, and I didn’t come home to have an argument with you.”

“Yes, Mummy.”

With Barge bringing her valise inside, Araminta’s attention was diverted from Ginna. But as she walked up the stairs, she could hear Ginna singing. First Clara. And now Ginna. Well, in a few days, neither one would have anything to sing about. Araminta would see to that.

At Union Station, the train eased into the terminal with a puff of smoke and a squeal of brakes. Charles wasted no time in debarking, followed by Quincy Boswell.

“My carriage will be waiting, Charles. Let me give you a ride home,” he said.

“Thank you, Quincy.”

Sharing the problem of their two runaway boys, the men had finally gotten to a first-name basis. They had spent a large part of