The Color Of The Soul (The Penbrook Diaries) by Bateman Tracey

Author:Bateman, Tracey [Bateman, Tracey]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2013-06-14T21:00:00+00:00

From Cat’s diary

1867

Cat gripped the reins tighter as the sound of horse’s hooves gave the mules an excuse to nervously pull in different directions. Irritation shot through her as she looked up, trying to figure out who was coming down the dusty road.

“Riley.” The disgust in Thomas’s voice at Stuart’s presence always gave Cat a bit of a thrill. Thomas maintained his distance from her. But that didn’t keep her from catching him, in unguarded moments, staring at her with longing in his eyes. He’d been home for nearly a year and a half, but had never sought to be alone with her. At first the disappointment had been nearly more than she could bear. But as time went on, she grew accustomed to the pleasure of simple things. Seeing him play with his son, work in the fields alongside Shaw and the others, evenings in the sitting room listening lazily while Camilla read poetry or the occasional novel aloud. The routine had become pleasant and familiar.

Though she’d been tempted to reveal Henry Jr.’s true paternity, she’d decided against it. Thomas had nothing to give her son. As Henry Penbrook Jr., he would inherit everything she was working so hard to build for him.

A sense of dread formed a ball in her stomach as Stuart’s eyes met hers in grim greeting.

“What’s wrong?”

“I need to speak with you alone.”

Thomas reined in his horse alongside the wagon and glared at Stuart. “Cat needs to go home and eat something. She didn’t even stop for lunch today.”

“This is important.”

The urgency in his voice sent alarm through her. “It’s all right.” She looked from Shaw to Thomas. “You go on back to the house. I’ll be along soon.”

Thomas glowered, his jealousy apparent. Cat couldn’t understand why he didn’t speak for himself if he still cared for her.

Riley dismounted and held out his hand to help her down. “Let’s walk by the river.”

Cat nodded, slipping her hand in his. He helped her into his saddle then swung up behind her. His silence unsettled Cat, and she followed his example, not speaking until they dismounted at the river’s edge. Then she could bear it no more. “What’s this all about, Stuart?”

He looked across the water, where the setting sun shimmered off the ripples brought on by a south wind. He took a sharp breath and tightened his fingers around hers. “I’m going home.”

Cat knew the home he was talking about was not Atlanta, where he’d been stationed since the end of the war. After three years away, he was going back to Chicago. Her mind flashed with the image of life without the occasional diversion of Stuart to brighten her life.

She sighed. “When?”

“My train leaves in the morning.”

Alarm seized her. “So soon?”

“I just received word that my father died two weeks ago. I must return home immediately. My mother needs me to keep the newspapers rolling.

Disappointment swept through Cat. “I’ll miss you.” Her stomach jumped as she realized her words were true. She would miss Stuart, more than she’d ever imagined.

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.