Honor and Desire (Gold Sky #3) - Rebel Carter Page 0,5

returned.

“Then why are you always together?” Another voice asked, and Seylah leaned against the building feeling as if she was no longer walking on air, only punched in the stomach. There was no air to breathe and this time it wasn’t from excitement.

There was a long beat of pause before August spoke again. “Because her pas look after me, so I look after her.”

“So you don’t like her then?”

“No. I couldn’t ever see her like that.”

“You look after her for her fathers? They make you do that?”

“I do it to return the favor,” August bit out, suddenly sounding uncomfortable. Seylah felt unshed tears pricking her eyes. “Nothings for free out here, and I owe them a debt.”

A murmuring of understanding arose from the girls gathered, and Seylah reached out a hand to steady herself as her knees buckled.

“Since you don’t like her and you’re not her beau, will you dance with me?” The girl asked, but Seylah couldn’t bring herself to hear August’s response. Not with the sudden sick feeling that rose up and threatened to choke her.

The magic of the night, the imagined closeness and changing of their friendship to something more was lost to her. While she had been dreaming of a declaration of affection between herself and August, he had been merely performing a duty, a debt to her fathers for their care. A rushing sound filled her ears, choking off the jovial music that still played inside the school house, the sound of feet on wood turned into a single humming sound as did the chattering and laughter of the gathered merrymakers.

Seylah heard none of it. Not as she pushed away from the school house fighting back tears, not as she rushed towards her home, ignoring the instruction from Mrs. Rosemary that ladies did not run.

Seylah was no lady. Not with her best friend merely keeping her company in repayment to her family.

She was mortified, alone, and most certainly not the prettiest girl in town.

She would take care never to forget the lesson.

Chapter 1

1910. A decade later.

“Seylah, did you hear me?”

Seylah lifted her head from the book she was reading. “Hmm?”

Her mother blew out a sigh and crossed her arms. “I said, before you ignored me for the countless time, do you have time to take your sister to get her dress fitted?”

Seylah wrinkled her nose at the question. “Dress?” she asked setting down the book in her hands.

“Yes, the dress fitting for Rose.”

“What dress fitting?”

Her mother groaned and tipped her head back, closing her eyes. “Lord give me strength to survive my children.”

“Are you giving Seylah grief about reading?”

They turned to see her father enter the room with a laugh. “Never thought I’d see the day you were fussing over too much reading, little bird.”

“Oh Forrest,” her mother opened her eyes and gave her father a pout. “It’s not the books, it’s the lack of listening.” She pinned Seylah with a pointed look.

Seylah sat up and did her best to present the image of an attentive daughter who wasn’t in the least distracted by a book. “I’m listening, Ma!”

“See, look at that,” her father pointed at her, “she’s listening real nice.” He took a step closer and nodded at her book. “What are you reading anyhow, sweetheart?”

Seylah truly brightened at that. “The manual Daddy got me on my new shotgun.”

“The one I bought you for your birthday?” Forrest asked taking a seat beside her and looking at the book in her lap with interest.

Seylah nodded. “Yes, Papa. I’m so excited about it. Thank you for it. I love it so much!” She threw her arms around her father’s waist and hugged him tightly. “It’s my favorite birthday gift.”

“You deserve the best. I’m glad you like it. Now show me what you’re learning with this book.”

“I was learning about what to do in case the pump action locks up. It’s a problem with this model,” Seylah said, holding the book up for her father to see the diagram on the pages. “But it’s an easy fix so long as I have the right tools.”

“We have all of that. You’ll be fine. What else is in there?” Forrest asked, pulling out the chair next to her and scooting closer to get a better view.

“Oh, lots and lots, Papa. I am very interested in the loading mechanism, but I don’t understand why it might catch with repeated use. I’ll have to take mine apart to get a better look, I think.”

Forrest nodded and tapped his chin thoughtfully. “That’s