Castles in the Clouds (Flowers of Eden Book 2) by Johnson Myra

Author:Johnson, Myra
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fawn Ridge Press
Published: 2018-02-20T00:00:00+00:00

With one ear cocked toward the back door, Rose scraped the last of the butter from the churn into a ceramic dish. She’d seen Dr. Young’s car drive up several minutes ago and wondered why Lark hadn’t come in yet. It was time to get supper on the stove, and Rose was plumb worn out from chores. Surely Lark hadn’t used up near as much energy working in her cozy little school office. Anyway, it was Lark’s turn to cook.

A full ten minutes later, Lark dragged herself inside. Rose could tell right away that her sister had been crying. She dropped the butter churn innards into the crock and rushed over. “What’s wrong? Did something happen at the school?”

Tearfully, Lark relayed the news about her friend the grocer.

“Oh, Lark, I know how much you admired him.”

“There’s more. Read this.” She handed Rose the letter and then collapsed at the kitchen table.

Seconds later, her thoughts in a dither, Rose joined her. “Oh, my. This is . . .” She swallowed, part of her thrilled that Lark had a chance to finish college, and an even bigger part dreading another two years of just Rose and Grandpa left to work the farm. Even longer, if Lark got her degree and went off to teach somewhere besides Eden. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. I’ve hardly had time to let it all soak in.” Lark mopped her cheeks with an oversized white handkerchief that already looked wet enough to wring out in the sink. “Can you manage supper without me? I’m not hungry, and I need some time alone to think.”

“Sure, go on.” Rose watched her sister trudge toward the bedroom.

She’d just fetched a couple of shriveled potatoes and a jar of beans from the root cellar when Grandpa came in from the barn. “Saw Dr. Young drive away. Where’s Lark?”

“Resting. She had some upsetting news.” While Rose peeled potatoes, she told him about Mrs. O’Neill’s letter.

“Liberty bonds—if that don’t beat all.” Grandpa washed his hands at the sink. “Maybe Lark can register late and still get some classes in for the spring term.”

Rose pursed her lips. “But what about Mr. Schafer and Dr. Young? They’re just about to open the school.”

“They’d understand. Anyways, in the long run, Lark would be more use to them if she was a real teacher, not just glorified office help.”

“But that’d be a couple years down the road, and in the meantime they’d be struggling along to run things without her.”

Grandpa stood at Rose’s elbow as she chopped the potatoes into chunks. “You sure you’re worried about how they’d fare at the school, or are you just dreading being stuck here with your ol’ grandpa and having to do all the cooking again?”

She frowned. “Maybe a little of both. You know I want the best for Larkspur, but I miss her something awful when she’s gone. I almost couldn’t let her go off to Africa thinking I might not see her for a year or more.

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