The Revelation of Louisa May by MacColl Michaela

Author:MacColl, Michaela [MacColl, Michaela]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC
Published: 2015-04-27T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

“The sharp words fly out before I know what

I’m about, and the more I say the worse I get,

till it’s a pleasure to hurt people’s feelings and say

dreadful things.”

Fred scrambled to his feet, breathing furiously through his nose. His face was smudged with dirt, and a bit of dark fern stuck up from his full head of hair. He looked ridiculous, and what was worse, he knew it. Louisa knew in her heart this was a humiliation that would stay with him.

“Miss Alcott, put your dog on a leash! He has terrible manners,” Finch said, his hands smoothing his slicked-back hair. “Stay out of my business, boy.”

Fred started forward, but Louisa grabbed hold of his shirt and pulled him back. “Stop, Fred. You’re making things worse.”

Fred stepped back, holding up his hands to show Louisa he had regained control of himself. Relieved, she turned to Finch. “Do you want to speak to my father or not?”

Finch shook his head. “You seem a bit too eager for me to leave. I’ll keep looking around here.”

Pretending it didn’t matter, Louisa said, “Please yourself. Let’s go, Fred.” Before they could start walking, there was the sound of earnest conversation on the path behind them. Louisa’s heart sank. Henry and Lidian, hand in hand, were talking intently and hadn’t noticed them.

Lidian saw Louisa first and with a quick movement, she took back her hand. Henry spied Louisa and stopped short, eyes darting, searching for a way to escape.

Louisa jerked her head, trying futilely to warn Henry about Finch. Before her message could be understood, Finch stepped forward, blocking the path. When Henry saw Finch his face went pale.

“Finch,” Henry said grudgingly, as though the name tasted bitter to his tongue.

“You’ve been hard to find, Thoreau,” Finch replied. “I thought it was because you were harboring a fugitive slave . . .” His eyes lit upon Lidian, whose blush spoke volumes. “But now I see it was something else entirely. Won’t you introduce me to your friend?” His tone was oily and made Louisa feel as though a thousand insects were crawling over her skin. Lidian’s eyes were wide and frightened.

“Her name is none of your business,” Henry said. “What are you doing here?” He looked at Louisa with such hostility she took a step back. “Did you bring him here?”

“Of course not!” Louisa said, her face pinking. “This loathsome man is looking for a slave and followed me.” She turned to Finch. “You’re welcome to search the length and breadth of Walden Pond. You won’t find anything. Or anyone.”

“The slave can wait,” Finch said, watching Lidian. “I want to become reacquainted with my old schoolmate. And his lovely companion.”

Lidian placed her hand on Henry’s arm. “Henry, who is this?”

“Never mind him, Lidian,” he said, his eyes darting from her to Louisa to Finch and back again.

Finch’s tiny eyes widened a fraction. “Lidian Emerson? There can’t be two beautiful women in town with that name.”

Lidian’s gasp was as good as a confession. “I can’t .

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