vindicated by what she'd said. She wanted to wound this man who had turned her world upside down when he'd taken her sister as his wife and then not protected her from the world to which he'd brought her.
Still, to think it was one thing, to say it, to speak so to him when she was a guest in his house was inconceivable, unbelievable, and most of all, unforgivable. In her entire life, she had never behaved in such an appalling manner. Mortified, she cleared her throat.
"I, I must apologize," she said hoarsely. "The journey has obviously exhausted me to the point of incoherence. Please forgive me my unwarranted disrespect."
He made a harsh sound that held neither anger nor forgiveness and shook his head.
Rosie cut a neat bite of pork chop and said, "Losing Vanessa has been hard on all of us, Molly. Now you ain't had as long to deal with it as we have, so we'll just let this pass. You remember this though, don't none of us know how it was when Adam went back to New York City. Ask me, all you people living so close to each other are crazy. But I do know that I raised my son to know right from wrong." She popped the bite in her mouth and chewed vigorously with her front teeth.
"I can handle this, Ma."
"I know you can."
He took a deep breath and slowly blew it out, but the tension remained in his face and stance. Molly closed her eyes tightly and desperately searched for something to say.
"What of Arlie," she asked, picking him up from the blanket. He gripped a bright yellow block in his chubby fist. Victoriously he waved it in Molly's face.
"What about him? He goes with me."
"I could take him back with me as well. I would give him a good Christian upbringing."
"Yeah, well as I understand it, Vanessa had one of those. It didn't do her much good."
His words felt like a slap in the face, but she knew she deserved it. And it was true…. As much as she wished it were not, Vanessa most certainly had been a willing participant in their tryst.
"You can stay on until we're ready to pull out," he went on. "I expect by then you'll be ready to go back to your way of things in the city anyhow."
No… Molly felt cornered, ambushed by her own cruel tongue, trapped by her circumstances. Why had she let loose her temper? How could she tell these people that going back to New York was not an option? She would rather join Vanessa in the cold, foreign dirt of Ohio than face the condemned life that would be hers if she tried to go back to the Reverend's house.
Molly said, "What if I wish to go to California too?"
Not even Arlie made a sound at that. They all stared at her like she'd grown another head. Had she not been the one to make the brash declaration, she would have been staring as well. What was she thinking? Go to California with them after what she'd just said?
As she braced herself for Adam's jeering laughter, Arlie laid his little head down on her shoulder and found his thumb. The sound of sucking filled the hollow quiet. Adam stared from his son to Molly, however he did not laugh.
"You're crazier than Vanessa," he said finally.
Insane was more like it. "You will need someone to watch the baby."
"Ma will do it."
Molly turned to Rosie. "Tell me you could not use another pair of woman's hands."
Now Adam did laugh, though Rosie remained silent as she watched the exchange with bright, curious eyes.
"You won't be any help," he said. "Vanessa couldn't have found a skillet with a map."
It was true. Molly knew that it was very true. But she also knew something else, something Adam Weston had not yet come to realize. Shifting Arlie to her other hip, Molly raised her chin and stared him in the eye.
"I am not Vanessa."
Chapter Thirteen
Tess heard Caitlin's voice as if from a great distance. It echoed down the cavernous hallway and pulled her to the surface. She blinked and suddenly she was back.
Back...
She was still standing by the door. Still staring at the corners of the small waiting area outside the school
Still, to think it was one thing, to say it, to speak so to him when she was a guest in his house was inconceivable, unbelievable, and most of all, unforgivable. In her entire life, she had never behaved in such an appalling manner. Mortified, she cleared her throat.
"I, I must apologize," she said hoarsely. "The journey has obviously exhausted me to the point of incoherence. Please forgive me my unwarranted disrespect."
He made a harsh sound that held neither anger nor forgiveness and shook his head.
Rosie cut a neat bite of pork chop and said, "Losing Vanessa has been hard on all of us, Molly. Now you ain't had as long to deal with it as we have, so we'll just let this pass. You remember this though, don't none of us know how it was when Adam went back to New York City. Ask me, all you people living so close to each other are crazy. But I do know that I raised my son to know right from wrong." She popped the bite in her mouth and chewed vigorously with her front teeth.
"I can handle this, Ma."
"I know you can."
He took a deep breath and slowly blew it out, but the tension remained in his face and stance. Molly closed her eyes tightly and desperately searched for something to say.
"What of Arlie," she asked, picking him up from the blanket. He gripped a bright yellow block in his chubby fist. Victoriously he waved it in Molly's face.
"What about him? He goes with me."
"I could take him back with me as well. I would give him a good Christian upbringing."
"Yeah, well as I understand it, Vanessa had one of those. It didn't do her much good."
His words felt like a slap in the face, but she knew she deserved it. And it was true…. As much as she wished it were not, Vanessa most certainly had been a willing participant in their tryst.
"You can stay on until we're ready to pull out," he went on. "I expect by then you'll be ready to go back to your way of things in the city anyhow."
No… Molly felt cornered, ambushed by her own cruel tongue, trapped by her circumstances. Why had she let loose her temper? How could she tell these people that going back to New York was not an option? She would rather join Vanessa in the cold, foreign dirt of Ohio than face the condemned life that would be hers if she tried to go back to the Reverend's house.
Molly said, "What if I wish to go to California too?"
Not even Arlie made a sound at that. They all stared at her like she'd grown another head. Had she not been the one to make the brash declaration, she would have been staring as well. What was she thinking? Go to California with them after what she'd just said?
As she braced herself for Adam's jeering laughter, Arlie laid his little head down on her shoulder and found his thumb. The sound of sucking filled the hollow quiet. Adam stared from his son to Molly, however he did not laugh.
"You're crazier than Vanessa," he said finally.
Insane was more like it. "You will need someone to watch the baby."
"Ma will do it."
Molly turned to Rosie. "Tell me you could not use another pair of woman's hands."
Now Adam did laugh, though Rosie remained silent as she watched the exchange with bright, curious eyes.
"You won't be any help," he said. "Vanessa couldn't have found a skillet with a map."
It was true. Molly knew that it was very true. But she also knew something else, something Adam Weston had not yet come to realize. Shifting Arlie to her other hip, Molly raised her chin and stared him in the eye.
"I am not Vanessa."
Chapter Thirteen
Tess heard Caitlin's voice as if from a great distance. It echoed down the cavernous hallway and pulled her to the surface. She blinked and suddenly she was back.
Back...
She was still standing by the door. Still staring at the corners of the small waiting area outside the school
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