The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano

Author:Joanna Davidson Politano
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical Romance;Christian fiction;Romance fiction;Novels;FIC042110;FIC042030;FIC027200
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2024-02-19T00:00:00+00:00

21

She was close behind it when she turned the corner, but the rabbit was no longer to be seen.

~LEWIS CARROLL, ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND

Someone walked the far garden—even in the dark, I had a sense about these things. The crowds of workmen had clustered by the bandstand, watching the balloon sway as the others drove stakes into the ground to secure it.

Darkness lay upon the gardens with cool stillness, but one person had wandered along the path to where I had hidden myself on a bench behind the hedge. It was one of those odd nights, when the gates lay open but the gardens were closed to the public. Anyone might wander in and secret themselves in the shadows.

That’s why the footfall alarmed me. There was a scrambling sound of someone running off. I rose and followed around the perfectly shaped hedges to where the gardens met the woods. I stopped short as the swinging lantern light fell upon the most curious sight—a tiny green jacket. I stopped and picked it up, marveling at the neat little stitches, the buttons sewn in place.

It was real. My hand shook. But how . . . ?

I looked up—there. There in the woods. A girl darted into the north end of the gardens, behind the hedgerow. Dropping the little jacket, I ran after her, lifting my skirts out of the way. My heart pounded. I strained for any sign of the small child from the bread table. Careening around the corner, nearly falling over a bench, I stumbled to a stop before a different little waif with familiar blue eyes turned pleadingly up at me. “Oh Miss Temple. It’s you!”

The little girl flung herself at me, warm forehead pressing into my abdomen. She had been crying.

“Thea. Thea, what are you doing here?”

It was Mae’s little niece, who often hung about the gardens when she could. We’d talked several times, and though I hadn’t much experience with children, I clearly recalled my years living as one. And I remembered the desire to be heard.

Little jacket forgotten, I knelt before her blotchy face, my hands on her shoulders, and invited a dam of words and emotions. Her stepbrothers were picking on her. She didn’t wish to be at home. She was an ugly duckling, they’d said, and taunted her for the freckles on her face, and the burns up and down her arms. Deep red and purple stained her skin, and though she normally wore long sleeves to conceal it, today had been hot and she had given in to cap sleeves.

“I don’t know why I’m even here at times, Miss Temple.”

More footsteps sounded on the padded dirt path, but I watched and no one came.

“Call me Lily.” I settled on the grass and pulled her into my lap. She tucked her leather-shod feet up close and leaned on me, and suddenly, with the precious weight of her head against my chest, the world slowed. Time stood still and ticked silently back . . .

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.