South of Stavewood (Stavewood Saga Book 2) by Nanette Kinslow Page A

“I’m ready,” Mark announced as he stepped out into the street.
          The two made their way together towards the dress shop to pick up Rebecca from her fitting.
          Emma enjoyed the boy’s company, finding him well-mannered and delightful. They began laughing at the funny way that the big shop windows stretched or shrank their reflections and the window to the jeweler’s was one of the most hysterical. They stood laughing as Rebecca waved from across the street and hurried to join them.
          “Look, look!” Mark put his hands on his hips and swayed from side to side. The twisted version of him in the window had all three laughing hard in the street. Rebecca stood up on her tip-toes and held her arms straight up over her head, illustrating a very misshapen stretched-out look. Emma puffed out her cheeks and put her fingers in her ears and, as she checked her reflection, noticed Mina watching her from inside. She scowled and stuck out her tongue. Mark and Rebecca quickly noticed the woman inside the shop and the three giggled and hurried down the street.
     
          They dropped Emma’s purchases at the Vancouver house and returned to Stavewood where they were all to meet for dinner. Timothy and Roland were in the study as the three shoppers burst into the foyer laughing.
          “What’s all this?” Timothy asked as they entered the room.
          Rebecca’s cousin stuck her tongue out at Miss Caudell,” Mark laughed. “You should have seen her face, Pa. It was hysterical.”
          Roland looked at Emma puzzled.
          “She deserved it,” Emma wrinkled her brow.
          “We were enjoying our reflections in the shops in town,” Rebecca explained, kissing Timothy on the cheek. “We didn’t know that Mina was inside. Well, not at first.” Rebecca tried to suppress a giggle.
          “Mina is not one to take a joke well,” Roland remarked.
          “I feel the same way about insults,” Emma removed her bonnet and walked out into the foyer as Mark and Rebecca went up to wash for dinner.
          “Is there a problem?” Roland touched Emma’s arm lightly.
          “I have a mind to marry you just to aggravate Mina Caudell,” she growled.
          “Perfect!” He kissed her cheek and tucked her hair behind her ear affectionately.
          “You’d take any excuse.” She pushed him playfully.
          “I would.” He flashed a handsome smile.

 
     
    Chapter Seventeen
     
     
          M ark looked out the window of his room watching an odd glow through the trees. His heart began to race in recognition and he ran towards the stairs.
          “There’s a fire at the mill!” he shouted.
          “Stay here.” Timothy swept past Rebecca in the foyer and ran from the house. Timothy sprinted up the path in long strides and Mark looked back as Roland quickly fell behind the other two.
          “Go on,” he yelled to the boy. “I’ll catch up.”
          As Roland reached the clearing surrounding the mill he could hear Timothy shouting for the night watchman. He and Mark were throwing buckets over a fire in the far corner that was just beginning to leap up the back wall.
          Roland shouted to Mark and Timothy, “Start the pump!”
           Timothy started the pump and cut the hose free with his pocket knife. Roland reached the mill just as Timothy was hosing down the wall and Mark pulled open the heavy doors. Several cinders had fallen onto an adjoining wall and Roland grabbed a bucket and stumbled down the stairs to the river. From there he tossed several buckets of water on the flames while Timothy sprayed from the other side of the wide doorway and Mark raked back piles of sawdust feverishly.
         They quickly extinguished the fire and Tim began to scout the area for the night watchman. He found him crumpled and lifeless in a corner of the office.
          “Damn,” he cursed.