The Librarian of Boone's Hollow - Kim Vogel Sawyer Page 0,118
like a rooster protecting the henhouse. “Why’d you do it, Burke? Why’d you raise your fists to her? She was such a gentle soul. She didn’t deserve what you give her.”
Burke threw the knife on the stove, then pointed at Maw. “I ain’t gonna put up with no sass in my own home. ’Specially not from some woman who don’t know her place.” He aimed his coal-blackened finger at Emmett. “Take your maw out o’ here before I forget myself. An’ tell my moony-eyed, lame-brained excuse for a daughter to get herself home. There’s chores waitin’.”
“I can’t do that, Burke.”
The man scrunched his face into a disbelieving scowl. “You forget you’re speakin’ to one o’ your elders, boy? Your pap taught you better’n that.”
“Yes, sir, he did.” Emmett picked up Addie’s story from the table and curled it into a tube. “But I can’t send Bettina because I don’t know where she is. That’s why Maw and I came here—to check on her. And I’ll be honest, even if I knew where she was, I wouldn’t send her here. Not after knowing that you’ve been mistreating her.”
Burke braced his hand on the stove and leaned, his head tipping at a sharp angle. “I knew Bettina was sweet on you, but I sure never expected you to go soft over her, you bein’ a college boy an’ all. That girl, she’s a looker, same as her maw. I’ll give ’er that. But she’s dumb as a stick.” He straightened and turned his back to them. Knife in hand, he dug at the can’s lid. “I’m done talkin’. Go home.”
Emmett curled his hand around Maw’s elbow and gave her a little tug toward the door, but she dug in her heels.
“What about Bettina?” Maw quivered from head to toe, and her face glowed bright red. “Don’t you care at all about where she’s at right now? How she’s feelin’?”
Burke snatched a small pot from a shelf above the stove and emptied the can’s contents into it. “What I’m carin’ about right now is gettin’ my belly filled after a long day o’ work. You might oughta go see to your husband’s supper, Damaris.”
Maw shot out the door, and Emmett followed. She stomped over the dirt path leading away from the cabin, her lips set tight and her eyes sparking fury. Emmett had never seen his mother so riled, and even though the Bible advised using a soft answer to turn away wrath, he didn’t know what to say, so he said nothing. They got as far as the little footbridge across Boone’s Creek, and she whirled to face him. “You ain’t goin’ home. Nor to the lib’ary.”
“You want me to try to find Bettina?”
“No. She knows this mountain an’ likely has a spot she’s gone to before to get away from…from…” She waved her hand in the direction of the Webber cabin. “She’ll come down when she’s good an’ ready. But when she comes, she’ll go home. An’ somebody needs to waylay her an’ keep her from goin’ in. Burke’s all wound up. He’ll likely soothe himself with some o’ his homemade brew when he’s done eatin’. If you think Burke’s mean when he’s sober, you don’t wanna see him drunk. If he really gave Rosie a mortal wound with his fists, he might do the same to Bettina. We can’t risk it.”
Dusk would fall soon. The time when fireflies flickered in the bushes and cicadas started singing. Summer sights and sounds that had always meant good times to Emmett. But this conversation, the reason for it, tainted the promise of a sweet summer evening. “All right, Maw. I’ll stay right here and watch for her.”
“Good. I’ll go by the lib’ary, tell Addie an’ Nanny Fay that Bettina’s took off somewhere an’ they should go on home. Then I need to get myself home an’ feed your paw an’ Dusty. But soon as we’re done eatin’, I’ll send your paw to keep watch with you. I’ll send some supper with him, too, so you don’t go hungry.”
He wasn’t hungry at all. His stomach held too much dread. But he wouldn’t turn down Maw’s cooking. “Thanks, Maw.”
She wrapped him in a hug. “Thank you, Son, for carin’ enough to help Bettina. I know she’s been a real trial to you, but she’s only wantin’ to be loved. We gotta feel sorry for her instead o’ bein’ upset with her.” She squeezed his middle, pressing her cheek against his chest. “An’ I