Good morning! Happy Friday!
Guess what? It's cloudy. :P It's not really dark, but it's not sunny either. So much for having a week of sunshine. It was partly sunny on Sunday, then it was cloudy on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. We would get a little bit of sun after 5 in the evening, but it usually didn't last long. Then yesterday (Thursday) we had a SUNNY morning! Blue sky with hardly a cloud in sight stretched above us, and the sun shone brightly! My sis and I took a walk after breakfast and really enjoyed the warmer weather, the sunshine, and getting to be outside. It's a good thing we went out when we did, because after lunch it got cloudy. And it rained.
But let's leave the clouds and the rain, and rumbles of thunder behind and talk about something more interesting, shall we?
Writing. This week has been a better writing week for me. Not only did I finish the Prequel for Secret Project (it still has to be read by my editor), but I started writing Book 3! And Books 1 & 2 are uploaded and ready to order the proof copies. I'm just waiting until I can order the Prequel proof too. Covers have been designed, and . . . I'm excited! It's been a while since I've been this excited about a new release. I mean I'm usually excited because it's always fun to finish another story and send it out to you readers, but this series? I can't wait!
Hints for this week:
1. Aunt Bertha doesn't make a very good first impression
2. A main character is keeping a secret
Wow, the thunder is rumbling overhead, but the birds are singing. I have a window open a little and the breeze is cool, but not cold.
Oh, and if anyone is interested in maybe being a part of the Five Fall Favorites blog party this year, fill out this form.
Enjoy this next part of the story.
Beyond the Border
Part 4
“You should talk, Julia. Your background is just as questionable as anyone else’s. And there’s no need for any of it. If you don’t leave Catherine and Eleanor alone I’ll speak to Mrs. Cobell myself.” The boy’s eyes flashed.
“Well! You are rude!” But Julia didn’t say anything else.
Eleanor stretched her foot out and nudged her sister’s leg, while Alex patted her shoulder.
The large dorm was dark and still. Eleanor lay awake and stared up at the ceiling. Maybe they did have some friends. Alex had at least acted like a friend. And he had known their names. Some of the other children didn’t call them by name. Eleanor didn’t blame them, for she herself didn’t know everyone’s name yet.
At last, when she was sure everyone else was asleep, she crept from her bed and over to the window. Not a breath of air stirred the muslin curtains. Outside fireflies flashed and flickered their lights. The house beyond the bushes was dark.
No, not completely dark.
Eleanor leaned closer. There was a faint light in one of the windows. Miss Gray must be home. Or had she only just arrived home that evening?
“Please, Dear Lord, show us what to do.”
After one final look at the dim light, Eleanor left the window and crept back to bed.
Seated at the breakfast table, her hands folded neatly in her lap, Eleanor stared at the table cloth and listened to Mrs. Cobell read the morning’s verse from the Bible.
“Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” Mrs. Cobell looked up and pushed her glasses down on her nose so he could look over them. “All of you children remember that today.”
After a few words of prayer, the children were dismissed and sent to complete their chores. Eleanor began clearing off the tables while Catherine gathered the napkins to be washed.
“Can I help you carry those plates?”
Eleanor turned and saw Alex standing beside the table. “Don’t you have your own chores to do?”
Alex shrugged. “I did my part in the garden early before it was hot.” He picked up the larger stack of plates.
Picking up the other stack Eleanor started for the kitchen. “Thank you for sticking up for Catherine last night,” she said softly, glancing across the room and seeing that her sister was out of earshot. “Julia’s words hurt her.”
“What about you?”
Eleanor looked surprised. “What about me?”
“Don’t they hurt you too?”
It was Eleanor’s turn to shrug.
After leaving the plates in the kitchen, Eleanor, with Alex beside her, walked back to the dining room to gather the last few dishes. “Thank you for helping me.”
“You’re welcome. Thanks for getting my ball for me the other day.”
Eleanor almost dropped the glass she had just picked up as she whirled around to stare at Alex. How had he known?
With a soft chuckle, Alex whispered, “I had seen you and Catherine disappear into the bushes for several days and guessed it was you who did it. What is it like on the other side?”
“Alex,” Miss Stroder’s voice called, “don’t bother the girls when they are working. You will have time to talk later if you wish. Now run along.”
Giving Eleanor a slight grin and wink, Alex turned toward the door. “Yes, ma’am.”
During the rest of her chores, Eleanor's thoughts were busy. If Alex saw them go to their special hideout, who else saw them? Would it be all right to tell Alex what they had been doing the last few days? But why was Alex being so friendly to them? Surely he wasn’t going to tell on them.
When Eleanor and Catherine were at last free to go outside, there was no sign of Alex. Hand in hand, the sisters crossed the yard to the bushes. When she was sure no one was looking, she nodded to Catherine to slip inside. Then she followed. Alone in the shade, Eleanor looked into the neighbor’s yard. There was no sign of Miss Gray.
“El,” Catherine whispered, “what are we going to do? Do you think she went away?”
“No, I saw a light in a window last night. I think she’s sick.”
“Who’s sick?”
The question made the girls jump. Eleanor turned her head quickly and scratched her cheek on a twig. Outside the bushes sat Alex with a book in his hand. “What are you doing?” she hissed.
“Trying to finish our conversation. Who’s sick?”
“Miss Gray,” Catherine whispered. “That’s what we call the lady next door.”
“Oh.” Alex didn’t ask any more questions but sat in silence waiting.
Catherine smiled. “Are you going to tell on us?”
“No.”
Eleanor looked again at the silent house, her thoughts conflicting. “We have to go check on her. I would want someone to check on me if I were alone and sick. But what if she’s not sick? She might get mad at us, and Catherine might get frightened. But I can’t go alone because we aren’t supposed to leave the yard alone. What if Alex comes with us? He said he wouldn’t tell, but then he’ll find out that we’ve been weeding the flower gardens.”
Alex’s quiet voice interrupted her thoughts. “Can’t I do it too?” There was something almost wistful in his tones.
Drawing a deep breath, Eleanor nodded at her sister. “All right. We have to go make sure Miss Gray doesn’t need help, and I suppose, if you can get through the bushes without being seen, you can come with us, Alex.”
Alex didn’t lower his book. “You two crawl out first, and then I’ll come in, unless there is room for three of us at once.”
Eleanor crawled out first and Catherine followed. A few moments later Alex appeared beside them, minus his book. He looked around with wide eyes but didn’t say anything.
With firm steps, but with a rapidly beating heart, Eleanor led the way to the large porch. She was thankful for the shade of the roof, as the stone walkway was hot under her bare feet. She knocked softly, but no one answered.
After waiting a few minutes, Alex knocked.
Eleanor cringed at the sound, afraid those in the next yard would hear it.
“Help.” The call was almost too quiet to hear. “Please, come help me!”
“Well! You are rude!” But Julia didn’t say anything else.
Eleanor stretched her foot out and nudged her sister’s leg, while Alex patted her shoulder.
The large dorm was dark and still. Eleanor lay awake and stared up at the ceiling. Maybe they did have some friends. Alex had at least acted like a friend. And he had known their names. Some of the other children didn’t call them by name. Eleanor didn’t blame them, for she herself didn’t know everyone’s name yet.
At last, when she was sure everyone else was asleep, she crept from her bed and over to the window. Not a breath of air stirred the muslin curtains. Outside fireflies flashed and flickered their lights. The house beyond the bushes was dark.
No, not completely dark.
Eleanor leaned closer. There was a faint light in one of the windows. Miss Gray must be home. Or had she only just arrived home that evening?
“Please, Dear Lord, show us what to do.”
After one final look at the dim light, Eleanor left the window and crept back to bed.
*
Seated at the breakfast table, her hands folded neatly in her lap, Eleanor stared at the table cloth and listened to Mrs. Cobell read the morning’s verse from the Bible.
“Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” Mrs. Cobell looked up and pushed her glasses down on her nose so he could look over them. “All of you children remember that today.”
After a few words of prayer, the children were dismissed and sent to complete their chores. Eleanor began clearing off the tables while Catherine gathered the napkins to be washed.
“Can I help you carry those plates?”
Eleanor turned and saw Alex standing beside the table. “Don’t you have your own chores to do?”
Alex shrugged. “I did my part in the garden early before it was hot.” He picked up the larger stack of plates.
Picking up the other stack Eleanor started for the kitchen. “Thank you for sticking up for Catherine last night,” she said softly, glancing across the room and seeing that her sister was out of earshot. “Julia’s words hurt her.”
“What about you?”
Eleanor looked surprised. “What about me?”
“Don’t they hurt you too?”
It was Eleanor’s turn to shrug.
After leaving the plates in the kitchen, Eleanor, with Alex beside her, walked back to the dining room to gather the last few dishes. “Thank you for helping me.”
“You’re welcome. Thanks for getting my ball for me the other day.”
Eleanor almost dropped the glass she had just picked up as she whirled around to stare at Alex. How had he known?
With a soft chuckle, Alex whispered, “I had seen you and Catherine disappear into the bushes for several days and guessed it was you who did it. What is it like on the other side?”
“Alex,” Miss Stroder’s voice called, “don’t bother the girls when they are working. You will have time to talk later if you wish. Now run along.”
Giving Eleanor a slight grin and wink, Alex turned toward the door. “Yes, ma’am.”
During the rest of her chores, Eleanor's thoughts were busy. If Alex saw them go to their special hideout, who else saw them? Would it be all right to tell Alex what they had been doing the last few days? But why was Alex being so friendly to them? Surely he wasn’t going to tell on them.
When Eleanor and Catherine were at last free to go outside, there was no sign of Alex. Hand in hand, the sisters crossed the yard to the bushes. When she was sure no one was looking, she nodded to Catherine to slip inside. Then she followed. Alone in the shade, Eleanor looked into the neighbor’s yard. There was no sign of Miss Gray.
“El,” Catherine whispered, “what are we going to do? Do you think she went away?”
“No, I saw a light in a window last night. I think she’s sick.”
“Who’s sick?”
The question made the girls jump. Eleanor turned her head quickly and scratched her cheek on a twig. Outside the bushes sat Alex with a book in his hand. “What are you doing?” she hissed.
“Trying to finish our conversation. Who’s sick?”
“Miss Gray,” Catherine whispered. “That’s what we call the lady next door.”
“Oh.” Alex didn’t ask any more questions but sat in silence waiting.
Catherine smiled. “Are you going to tell on us?”
“No.”
Eleanor looked again at the silent house, her thoughts conflicting. “We have to go check on her. I would want someone to check on me if I were alone and sick. But what if she’s not sick? She might get mad at us, and Catherine might get frightened. But I can’t go alone because we aren’t supposed to leave the yard alone. What if Alex comes with us? He said he wouldn’t tell, but then he’ll find out that we’ve been weeding the flower gardens.”
Alex’s quiet voice interrupted her thoughts. “Can’t I do it too?” There was something almost wistful in his tones.
Drawing a deep breath, Eleanor nodded at her sister. “All right. We have to go make sure Miss Gray doesn’t need help, and I suppose, if you can get through the bushes without being seen, you can come with us, Alex.”
Alex didn’t lower his book. “You two crawl out first, and then I’ll come in, unless there is room for three of us at once.”
Eleanor crawled out first and Catherine followed. A few moments later Alex appeared beside them, minus his book. He looked around with wide eyes but didn’t say anything.
With firm steps, but with a rapidly beating heart, Eleanor led the way to the large porch. She was thankful for the shade of the roof, as the stone walkway was hot under her bare feet. She knocked softly, but no one answered.
After waiting a few minutes, Alex knocked.
Eleanor cringed at the sound, afraid those in the next yard would hear it.
“Help.” The call was almost too quiet to hear. “Please, come help me!”
Are you excited about my Secret Project?
Any ideas of what it might be?
If you were one of the children and heard that call, what would you do?
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