When the Stars Align by Kathryn Kelly

Author:Kathryn Kelly [Kelly, Kathryn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-08-31T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Camille locked the strongbox. It’s only temporary, she reminded herself. If she put the money back, it wasn’t stealing. Besides, she’d never taken any payment for any of the work she’d done for her father. She didn’t need it. She had everything she needed.

Still, despite her justification, she felt guilty about borrowing the money. I’ll go to confession.

The bag of coins was heavy. Nonetheless, she tucked it into her skirt pocket. She glanced around the office. Everything was caught up and tidied away.

The timing could not have been better. Her father had gone to the plantation to visit with her mother would not be back for another two weeks. Perhaps she would even be back before he returned.

David would collect the money and keep up with it while she was away. He had a key to a small lockbox where they kept money for incidentals. She would tell him she was going to be away for a few days. There was certainly to need to give him specifics. He would assume she was joining her parents at the plantation. No one needed to know that she would actually be staying on the boat, past her parents’ plantation up the river, and travelling to Natchez.

It occurred to her, however, that she should leave a note for her father. Just in case. They would be traveling by riverboat which was not always the safest mode of travel.

She pulled out a sheet of paper and penned a letter to her father.

Dear Father,

In case I’m not back by the time you return, please do not be distressed. I had to travel unexpectedly to Natchez in order to help locate Mr. Becquerel’s sister.

Your loving daughter,

Camille

She reread the note, then ripped it up and tossed it into the fireplace. Her father would kill her for traveling unchaperoned with a man. In fact, if anyone found out that Bradley was anything other than her cousin, her reputation would be destroyed. Her father would be furious.

She should be back before two weeks were up anyway. No need to risk her father’s ire.

She went upstairs to her room and made some final changes to her trunk. She had packed pretty much her whole spring wardrobe along with her shawl and cloak. The weather this time of year was unpredictable.

She needed to check on Bradley to see if he needed any help with figuring out what to pack. It was mid-morning, so she decided to risk going to the guest room. Moving unnoticed, she made her way to his door and knocked lightly. He didn’t answer.

She heard someone coming up the stairs, so to avoid being discovered, she opened the door and slipped inside, keeping her eyes down and her back to the room. “Bradley?” she asked.

“You can turn around,” he answered, with amusement in his voice.

She turned around, keeping her back against the door. And giggled. He had clothes strewn all over the bed.

He shrugged. “I travel all the time, but I have no idea what I’m supposed to take.

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