Nobody's Secret by Michaela MacColl

Author:Michaela MacColl
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781452124384
Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC

I measure every grief I meet

With analytic eyes;

I wonder if it weighs like mine,

Or has an easier size.

CHAPTER 13

“Emily, you’re bleeding,” Vinnie exclaimed.

“It’s nothing,” Emily said. She noticed that Ursula was staring at the bloody marks on the fabric, her face pale.

A knock on the door rescued Emily from being the center of attention. “I’ll answer the door.” She put aside her embroidery and jumped up.

“Not even a maid to greet your guests?” Violet Langston murmured, just loud enough for Emily to hear.

“Mother!” Ursula whispered.

Sucking on her pricked thumb, Emily left the parlor. A gust of wind tugged the oak door out of her hand so it slammed against the wall. A young man wearing oilskins stood there. His face was all too familiar.

“You!” Emily said.

He peered into the dark hallway. When he saw Emily, he stepped back into the rain. “You! What are you doing here?”

“This is my home,” Emily said.

Suddenly Mrs. Langston’s shrill voice broke the spell. “Henry! Come in out of the rain. What are you doing here?”

Henry pulled back his hood and, with a wary glance at Emily, leaned forward to kiss his mother on the cheek. “I arrived on the stage this morning. Father told me you were here, so I came to fetch you. I hope I’m not too early.”

“And who is this?” Mrs. Dickinson had followed Mrs. Langston into the hallway.

Mrs. Langston beamed. “Mrs. Dickinson and Miss Emily Dickinson, let me introduce you to my son, Henry Langston. He has just arrived from New Haven.”

She paused, waiting for someone to ask. Emily finally obliged. “Do you go to Yale, Mr. Langston?”

“Yes, I’m studying law.” He gave her a quick conspiratorial grin that thanked her for humoring his snobbish mother.

“And you only arrived today?” Emily pressed, giving him a hard look. His grin faded, and she could see a flush creeping up the back of his neck.

Ursula appeared in the crowded hallway. Seeing her brother, she squealed and ran into his embrace. “Henry!”

“Ursula, you’ll get your dress wet,” he said, laughing.

Emily felt a pang for her own absent brother. For the first time, she envied Ursula.

Mrs. Langston performed the introductions.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all.” Henry glanced outside. “But as I think the weather is clearing, I should bring my mother and sister home right away.”

For a few minutes, confusion reigned as coats were donned and umbrellas lost and found. Henry held the door open for his mother and sister. With him at their elbows, they picked their way down the muddy path into a waiting carriage. Emily stayed in the doorway while the other guests returned to the parlor.

“Mr. Langston,” Emily called after him. He closed the door of the carriage and came halfway up the path, almost as if he were keeping a safe distance from her.

“Yes, Miss Dickinson?”

She slipped on wooden clogs over her slippers and walked out into the rain, sheltered only by her inadequate umbrella. Her heels sank into the mud. “Now that we know each other’s names, perhaps we should be honest about a few other facts.

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.