Beneath the Splendor by Jami Taylor

Author:Jami Taylor
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Parylak Press
Published: 2020-06-20T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

“Listen carefully, everyone!” Mr. Mason shouted. “Please settle down so we can get to business.”

Aside from a few coughs and shuffles, the crowd of about twenty farmers quieted in anticipation of the information Mr. Mason was about to give them.

“I would like to thank all of you gentlemen for coming out on this cold, misty Saturday afternoon. I know there are many places most of us would rather be, like having a warm cup of tea in the comfort of our own homes.” Mr. Mason was glad to see a few smiles and nods of agreement from many of the men, some of whom had come all the way from across the lake to help with the search.

“As far as we know, Mr. Lassiter hasn’t been seen since the afternoon of Monday last when he was walking down the road on his way to Mattamuskeet Lake. He was carrying a bundle of books and a red-and-white striped carpet bag. However, he was not seen by Mr. Perkins at the ferry landing, and he never reported to the school in Mattamuskeet. To our knowledge, no one here in Rose Bay or any of the surrounding Hyde County areas has seen or heard from him since that afternoon. Please be sure to look thoroughly in case some accident or tragedy has befallen Mr. Lassiter. There is much growth in the woods, so the going will not be easy, but I urge you to be diligent in your search.”

Words of certainty and assurance murmured through the crowd. Then the men spread out in small groups to comb through the woods.

From where she sat playing the piano near the side window in the parlor, Mary could see several men walk across the field and into the woods. The sight didn’t shock her. She knew they were looking for Clement. The search had begun.

She continued to play a simple melancholy tune from memory, repeating some of the lines many times over. It was difficult to concentrate on the entire song as her fingers lingered a little too long on some of the keys. The sensation of the reverberation from strung-out chords humming beneath the keys echoed somewhere deep in her chest. Clement was out there somewhere, and she wanted him to be found. She wanted Reverend Carawan to pay for what he had done.

“They’ll never find him.” The sound of the Reverend’s voice startled her.

“If you are sitting there hoping he will be found, you better reconsider it. If anything happens to me, you and the boys will be ruined.” He didn’t look away from the window as he spoke, but he placed his hand firmly on Mary’s bruised shoulder. It wasn’t an attempt to comfort her but a show of force. She was still under his control, and he wanted her to know it.

The last drone from a keystroke ended, and Mary slid from beneath his grasp. “I’m going upstairs to lie down.”

“I think that’s for the best,” Reverend Carawan said, grabbing her by the arm and staring down at her.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.