No Journey Too Far (McAlister Family #2) - Carrie Turansky Page 0,12

Still, she’d heard nothing.

Please, Lord, help my letters reach him so he’ll know where to find me. I can’t bear the thought of going on without him.

As her silent prayer faded away, another fearful thought rose and threatened to quench her last flicker of hope. What if Garth had received every letter she’d sent but he’d finally decided what everyone else said was true—that she was only a poor orphan, an outcast from the slums of London, a British Home Child no one could ever love? She lowered her head, anguish twisting her heart.

No! Garth wasn’t like everyone else. He knew her, truly knew her. He’d promised he’d come home and they would be together again. She would not fail him now by doubting his love. She would hold on to that promise, treasure it in her heart, and let it carry her through these difficult days.

The kitchen door swung open, and Mrs. Ruby Hazelton, owner of the boardinghouse, strode in wearing a stained apron over her wrinkled brown dress. A scowl lined her haggard face, and her frizzy gray hair puffed out from her head like a misshapen steel-wool scrubber.

Mrs. Hazelton’s scowl deepened. “How do you expect me to cook supper in here when the floor is wet and slippery?”

“I’m sorry.” Emma wiped her forehead again, feeling dazed. “I’ll be done soon.”

“Well, don’t just sit there staring at me. Get to it!”

A cheeky reply rose in Emma’s throat, but she swallowed it down. She dared not anger Mrs. Hazelton and lose her place here. She had no real friends in Belleville and nowhere else to go.

Mrs. Hazelton shook her head. “I don’t know why I took you in. You’re hardly able to do a decent day’s work!”

Emma pressed her lips tight, dipped the brush in the bucket once more, and went back to scrubbing. It wouldn’t do any good to remind Mrs. Hazelton she was still recovering from a dreadful case of the flu that had nearly taken her life. She needed time to rebuild her strength, but the woman kept her busy all day until late in the evening and barely gave her enough food to keep going. It was no wonder her recovery was taking so long and she was slow to finish her tasks.

“This floor better be done and dried in fifteen minutes or you can pack your bags and leave!” Mrs. Hazelton stomped out of the kitchen. The door swung back on its hinges, squeaking in her wake.

Emma sighed and sat back on her heels. Her irritation with Mrs. Hazelton faded as thoughts of Garth returned. There had to be some way she could find out what had happened to him. Even if it would lead to the news she dreaded, at least she would know he’d died loving her rather than broken his promise and left her behind like everyone else.

* * *

A strangled cry startled Emma awake. She sat up in the dark, her heart pounding hard, and clutched the blankets to her chest. Another muffled cry rose from somewhere in the house, and then seconds later, hurried footsteps ran down the hall and descended the stairs.

Emma froze, trying to make sense of the sounds. Mrs. Hazelton’s room was just across the hall. Had something happened to her, or had the cry come from one of the four boarders on the floor below? She slipped out of bed, crept across the room, and put her ear up to the door. All was quiet now. She pulled the door open a crack and peeked out.

Darkness engulfed the upper hallway. Nothing moved, and the only sound was the eerie whistling of the wind under the eaves. She wanted to climb back into bed and pretend she’d heard nothing, but she couldn’t ignore the fearful cries or the mysterious footsteps.

She walked back to her bedside table. Her fingers trembled as she struck a match and lit her small lantern. She slipped on her robe and pulled in a deep breath. “Lord, give me courage,” she whispered as she left her room, crossed the hall, and knocked on Mrs. Hazelton’s door.

No one answered. She knocked again and leaned toward the door. “Mrs. Hazelton, are you all right?”

When no one replied, she tried the doorknob. After finding that it was unlocked, she pushed open the door and held up the lantern.

The faint light spread shadows across the sparse room, revealing a wooden chair in the corner with a tall dresser next to the window. A