Innocent Hearts Radclyffe

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."What's happening?""The grippe," Mae said bitterly."It hit town a bit ago, and the last two days have seen some sorrow."Jessie's face slowly lost its last trace of color."Kate," she whispered.God, she was a fool! Why hadn'tshe gone into town and looked for her? Why had she let her doubts keep her away? She grabbed Mae'sshoulders, leaning down to look into her face.Her eyes were wide and wild."Kate! Is she sick?"Mae paused, not sure until just that moment what she had come to say.The torment and terror inJessie's face convinced her.She nodded, then said very quietly, "She's bad, Jess.The Doc says shedoesn't have long."Jessie's head snapped back as if she had been struck.For a moment she was completely still, the onlymovement a faint pulse beating in her neck.Then a horrible glint flashed in her eyes and a sound morelike a snarl that a word tore from her throat."No!"Mae reached for her as Jessie snatched her gun belt from the table and strapped it on."Jess," she saidhesitantly, afraid of what Jessie might do in her state of mind."Her family -"The look Jessie gave her stopped Mae cold."There's not a man alive can keep me away from her, Mae," Jessie answered stonily, heading for thedoor."I can't let her die without me there."CHAPTER TWENTY SEVENACOMMOTION AT THE front door roused Martha from an uneasy slumber.She had been restlesslynapping in the small sitting room adjoining Kate's bedroom while Hannah kept watch.Martin had retiredto his library hours before, too distraught to sit vigil at his daughter's bedside.Hannah came into the roomjust as Martha was rising."Whoever is at the door?" Martha asked impatiently."They'll disturb Kate!"Hannah regarded Martha sympathetically, not mentioning that Kate had not been aware of anything forsome time.Martha's hair was falling from its pins, her eyes were hollow, and her face gaunt.Poorwoman, Hannah thought, and whispered a quick prayer of thanks that her own son was on the mend."It's Jessie Forbes.Martin is talking with her now."Martha stared uncomprehendingly for a moment, her confused expression quickly turning to alarm."Here? She's here?"Hannah nodded.She and Martha had had little chance to talk about any of the events of the last fewdays.She had only just that evening been able to leave John Emory and had come straight to the Beecherhouse, knowing that Martha would need help looking after Kate.As soon as she arrived, she sentPage 89Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlMartha off for some much needed rest.She had been sitting by Kate's bedside, sponging the fever sweatfrom her face and neck when she first heard the pounding on the front door.She went to the top of thelanding to see who was there, afraid that it might have been Thaddeus come to say that John Emory hadtaken poorly again.Instead it was Jessie Forbes standing in the doorway, and Martin Beecher blockingher way.Hannah thought from Jessie's expression that she might shoot him."Why has she come?" Martha repeated distractedly, hastily dressing."I suspect that she wants to see Kate.""Impossible," Martha said firmly."I don't think she's going to go away, Martha," Hannah said softly."No, I suppose not," Martha said in a strange voice.She slipped her hand into the pocket of the apronshe wore and handed it to Hannah."I found this on Kate's bedside table yesterday."Hannah carefully unfolded the much-read note and studied the message written there.Oh Lord, shethought, as she read.Poor Kate.When she finished, she slowly handed it back to Martha.She wasn'tsure what to say, so she waited for Martha to speak."Kate was going to run away," Martha said, clearly shocked by the idea.She looked at Hannah with aweary pain in her eyes."Can you imagine? She was simply going to disappear somewhere with thatyoung woman.""Seems they care for one another," Hannah said carefully.Martha looked at her in surprise."But to leave us like that! Kate must have been ill, not thinking clearly."But she didn't sound convinced."Kate has a sound head on her, Martha.She left that note because she loves you and Martin.She didn'twant you to worry too much.""You're not saying that you approve?" Martha asked in astonishment.Hannah shrugged."It's not for me to approve or disapprove [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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