The Emancipation of Mary Sweeney by Dani Larsen

Author:Dani Larsen [Larsen, Dani]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Reference
ISBN: 123456789X
Publisher: Dani Larsen
Published: 2014-05-31T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

"Secrets"

June, 1877

"Is there something you girls want to talk about?"

Mary came home early the next morning from Margaret's house. It was a cold, foggy morning, but she enjoyed the brisk walk back to the Goldstein's. She fixed breakfast for Hannah, but let Rachel sleep later than usual. The girls finally came downstairs around eleven. When she saw Kate's face, Mary was shocked, as she'd never seen Kate look bad before. Her lovely eyes were swollen and red, her dimples hid behind a sad frown. The dress Kate was wearing was an old one of Rachel's that Mary had put in the basket to go to the poor. Rachel wasn't smiling, but she didn't look upset like Kate did.

"Kate Murphy, whatever is wrong? Ye don't look a bit yerself today, me girl. Are ye feeling poorly?" Mary never was one to mince words, but the girls were ready for her questions.

"Yes Mary, I think I caught a touch of something, as I really am not feeling too well this morning. Maybe it was something I ate yesterday."

"I hope that's all it is. Rachel are ye feeling poorly too?"

"No, Mary, I'm okay. I've just been tending to Kate most of the night. I'm fine, really."

"If yer not better by tomorrow, ye should see a doctor. I heard there were a few cases of Yellow Fever showing up in California. I don't want to scare ye, jest want ye to watch it."

"Thank you for your concern, Mary. I'm sure I'll be all right." Kate spoke slowly, trying her best to smile, though her heart was breaking. She managed to hold back the flood of tears that wanted to spill from her eyes. The pain in her chest was real, as she felt it with every breath she took.

"Is there something ye girls want to talk about?" Mary tried to look each girl in the eye, but they both looked away, trying to avoid her gaze. For a moment, Mary thought Rachel was going to speak, but Kate glared at Rachel. When she finally spoke, it was to deny any problems.

"There's nothing to talk about, Mary. Kate's just not feeling well."

"Ye know ye can tell me anything. Don't ye, girls?"

"If there were anything wrong, we would tell you." Rachel answered, a little too quickly.

"Sit down, lassies. I just squeezed some fresh orange juice and made another batch of biscuits. I figured ye girls would be mighty hungry when ye got up."

Mary retrieved freshly churned butter, homemade raspberry jam, biscuits, and orange juice from the kitchen. As she watched the girls eat, she knew there was something seriously wrong with Kate. The girl wasn't sick, she was unhappy about something. Swollen red eyes meant she had been crying. Mary didn't like it at all, but she didn't know what to do about it. Rachel was her charge, but Kate wasn't. Whatever it was, Rachel had promised Kate she wouldn't tell, and she couldn't force her to break her word, no matter how much she wanted to help Kate.

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