Persuasion by Martina Boone

Author:Martina Boone [Boone, Martina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Obadiah stood at the base of the path, peering through the swirling fog toward the knob-kneed cypress tree that marked the tunnel entrance where Wyatt and Ernesto had hidden the drugs they’d been smuggling. Higher, above the obscuring haze, the slave village of brick cabins that Wyatt had restored stood at the top of the riverbank, screened from the ruined mansion by a rank of oaks.

With an odd warding-off gesture and a grim expression, Obadiah turned and strode up the path as if he knew exactly where he was going. The strange glow that had lit the boat moved with him.

Barrie rubbed her aching head and followed. Memories ricocheted all around her, hurtling at her from the woods between the Colesworth property and Beaufort Hall, where the tunnel Cassie had trapped them inside had one of its two riverfront exits: from the muddy, narrow shore, where she had tried to run from Wyatt and Ernesto; and from the water’s edge and the burned-out pier, where they had dragged her toward the waiting boat. She could almost smell the stench of the urine that had been used to mask the sweetness of the smuggled drugs, and her ribs ached from being kicked. Her arms and palms felt sticky with sweat as warm as the river she had jumped into that night to save herself.

She was sick of Cassie making her feel guilty—and tired of letting herself feel guilty—about things that weren’t her fault. Cassie dared to accuse her of being responsible for Wyatt’s death? To hell with that.

About to stalk past Cassie up the rise, she stopped in front of her instead. “You know, if you hadn’t locked the tunnel, I would never have run into your father, and he might still be alive. I don’t expect gratitude from you, but you’re lucky you’re not rotting in jail right now. You should try taking some responsibility for yourself.”

She swept past Cassie and continued up the path. Of course, she tripped and had to catch herself. Briefly, she thought that Cassie had stuck her foot out, but it was only a knotted root on the unkept walkway, reminding her to pay attention.

Cassie managed a half-convincing laugh. “Careful there, Cos. Your Prince Charming’s not around to whisk you off your feet this time.”

“That’s the difference between us,” Barrie said without looking back. “I’ve never believed in fairy tales.”

A short way up the rise, they cleared the fog that clung to the river. The moon emerged, but the glow that surrounded Obadiah didn’t dissipate. It lit the railroad ties that created footing and stability on a grade that still struck Barrie as too unnaturally steep for the relatively flat coastal area. Once again, she wondered if the Colesworths had deliberately steepened it to discourage unwanted visitors. They’d been smuggling one thing or another in and out of the property for centuries.

She picked her way up the slope. Tangles of wisteria, Spanish moss, and resurrection fern cloaked the trees and structures on either side of the path, draping the hillside in a green mask that hid what lay beneath.

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.