These Granite Islands by Sarah Stonich

Author:Sarah Stonich [Stonich, Sarah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: WordStalkers
Published: 2011-04-20T22:00:00+00:00

Cathryn laughed. “God knows what Jack must’ve thought of me.”

Isobel would later come to know exactly what Jack Reese thought. He’d written it all in the letter she found hidden in the satchel that Cathryn, in her flight, had left behind.

“We met the next day, of course, and the day after. When I haven’t been here at the shop I’ve been with Jack. At first I cycled out to places to meet him, and later, after you taught me to drive, I’d take the car, but only on days Liam was out of town with the company truck. I couldn’t risk being seen in the car if he was around.”

Isobel leaned forward. “So, these last two weeks? While Liam’s been in Michigan… ?”

“I’ve been staying in Jack’s cabin.”

Isobel’s hand drifted to her mouth. Cathryn smiled. “We’re lovers.”

As Cathryn sat down next to her, Isobel quickly rose. She paced a distance away. When she did turn back she could only stare at Cathryn’s hands, unwilling to meet her eye. In the silence she watched Cathryn’s hands work the handkerchief in her slim fingers, the gold wedding band glinting through the lace edging. The hands finally settled for the briefest moment before Cathryn stood, her voice oddly high.

“Right. Well, I really ought to be going.”

She made no move to the door.

Isobel blinked. Cathryn had told the story so vividly, so eagerly, and with such relief. She should respond somehow… but none of her words would coalesce into clear sentences. None of her responses would be what Cathryn wanted to hear.

“I suppose you should.”

They both turned at a sound, and Isobel saw a flash of blond under the pants press.

“Louisa?”

She walked over to peer underneath. “Oh Lord. You’ve been here this whole time?”

Louisa squirmed in place, as if hoping for some distraction… ustomer, anything — so she could slip away. “I wasn’t spying, Momma, I was just here.”

“Come out. Now, please.”

Isobel branded a look toward Cathryn. “What did you hear?”

The girl scooted out and stood, looking from one face to the other. “Um, everything, I guess.”

“And how much… ”

Isobel fought the tremor on her lip. “Just how much do you understand?”

The girl held up two fingers. “Two commandments’ worth. Auntie Cathryn has broken two, I think. But I can’t remember the order.”

Cathryn closed her eyes. “Jesus Christ.”

The girl shrugged. “That makes three, for sure.”

Isobel grabbed the girl’s wrist with a harder grip than she’d intended. She opened her mouth, faltered, and turned to Cathryn.

“You explain this. I’m still trying to understand, but I can’t. Not yet. You can’t expect me to make sense of this for her? You explain.”

She let go of Louisa.

“Louisa, I’ll see you at home.”

The tear in her friend’s eye did not stop Isobel. At the door she turned. “Lock up when you leave.”

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