Miss Julia 04 - Miss Julia Hits the Road by Ross Ann B

Author:Ross, Ann B. [Ross, Ann B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 0142004049
Amazon: B0085S9ZGE
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 2003-01-02T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

I came close to being as inhospitable as I’d ever been in my life by practically pushing Sam out the door soon after we finished eating. He’d wanted to linger and quiz me about Thurlow Jones, but I was having none of it.

“Sam,” I said, after he’d taxed my patience by going on and on about how I needed to keep my distance from that crazy man, “give me some credit. I’m not studying Thurlow Jones, and you don’t need to be, either.”

“Well, but he may be studying you, Julia,” Sam said with a worried frown. “I may have to have a talk with him.”

“No, just leave him alone.” I said, fearing that he’d ruffle Thurlow’s feathers and make him go back on his promise for further donations. “He’s not bothering me and, if he does, I’ll take care of him.”

“That’s what concerns me, Julia,” Sam said, showing it by putting his arm around my shoulders. “I might have to call him out.”

I slipped away from him and shooed him out the door, telling him I’d let him know if I needed any help. My mind was so much on our ridge-running plan that I didn’t want to think about anything else.

Hazel Marie helped implement my plan, although she didn’t know it, by reluctantly agreeing to ride with Mr. Pickens to Binkie’s to see how she was doing. I don’t think Hazel Marie would’ve done it if Lillian hadn’t made Coleman’s favorite lemon pie and wanted to get it to him. She was worried that the way Mr. Pickens drove, the pie would end up on the floorboard.

“Well, I’ll go,” Hazel Marie said, flouncing around without a glance at Mr. Pickens. “But just to hold the pie. Seems to me there’d be a better way to get it there.”

Of course there was. Her own car was right out in the driveway, but I didn’t mention it to her. I was too concerned about Coleman being on duty that night, shuddering at the thought of Binkie in the house alone with Lillian’s Lemon Chiffon pie. Believe me, she didn’t need to put on another ounce, even if she was eating for two.

As soon as they all left, I shifted into high gear. “Lillian, Little Lloyd, let’s get a move on. We need to check out that spring.”

“It real dark out there,” Lillian said as she looked at her reflection in the window. “We might not ought to go up there, it so dark.”

“It’s not that late,” I said. “Why, it’s barely eight o’clock. We need to do it when nobody’s there, so this is a perfect time.”

“Yes,” Little Lloyd said, agreeing with me. “And remember, Miss Lillian, we saw Mr. Gibbs and some other men up on that ridge while we were digging your flowers.”

“You did?” That just strengthened my intention to get to the bottom of that spring. “Who were they?”

“I don’t know, but some of them looked like they were surveying, and they came out of the woods from the top of the ridge.

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