over the crowd of patrons. “I couldn’t believe it. After twenty-three years, after casting me out for having my Dalton, after all of the horrible words we exchanged, she wanted to reconcile.” She covered her emotions with a snort. “Well, of course she wanted to reconcile. She was dying.”
Marlena thinned her lips in sympathy, and Juliet shrugged.
“Perhaps it was my own mother’s heart that made me go. I couldn’t bear it if Dalton and I were estranged. I could sense her desperation. She gave me life, much as it’s been. The least I could do was give her a peaceful death.”
“I’m sorry,” Marlena said.
“Thank you,” Juliet returned with glistening eyes.
Marlena changed the subject. “Your accent is much more…what’s the word?”
“Proper?” Juliet said with a laugh that Marlena joined. “Honey, I know when to behave. Unfortunately, there’s no way to disguise everything about what I am.” She patted her coif of dyed red hair. “But the farther west we go the less scandalized everyone is by it.” She grasped Marlena’s hands. “I was actually going to call upon you. There is so much to discuss.”
A wave of relief swept through Marlena that Juliet hadn’t called. She would have never made it past the Winthrop front door, and if Elijah ever saw her, he would have pounced brutally. She’d seen him send beggars away with a shove and reduce prostitutes to nothing more than tears with his words.
Marlena glanced around at the wide disapproving eyes of passersby, but Juliet didn’t notice or care.
“When do you travel again?”
“Just under three weeks we board the train west, and is Dalton ever ready for it!”
Marlena started, standing a mite taller. “Dalton is here with you? In Boston?”
“Yes, much as he’s hated it. But he wouldn’t let me go on my own. You know how protective he is of me.”
“Some things never change,” Marlena said with a breathy laugh, feeling heat trickle into her cheeks.
“Honey, most things never change.”
Before Marlena could speak again, she heard the deep timbre of his voice behind her. Her heart hammered against her chest as she swallowed past a thick lump, quickly smoothing out the wrinkles in her skirt and patting her hair.
“Mother, I was able to procure a table for us. Oh, excuse me, I didn’t realize you were speaking with someone.”
Marlena slowly turned and locked eyes with Dalton. He was even more handsome than she remembered with his shoulders broadened, his face more angled and clean shaven. His eyes were the same bright blue that filled her dreams, only more penetrating, so penetrating she couldn’t bear to look at them for long. Her gaze fell to her wringing hands as she bowed in a slight curtsey. He said nothing, and neither did she, for her voice was lost somewhere between her throat and her lips. It was only when her chest began to burn that she realized she’d been holding her breath.
“Hello, Mr. Cunningham,” she finally managed, the meekness of her voice grating on the air. Her eyes flitted to his briefly, then fell again.
Dalton’s brow furrowed and Juliet barked a loud laugh.
“For heaven’s sake, boy. Don’t you recognize Marlena?”
His features fell in what she believed was shock and he shook his head as he took a step forward. “Forgive me,” he said, his voice breathy and incredulous. “Little Miss?”
She chuckled into the palm of her hand. “I haven’t been called that in…”
“Five years?” he offered and they laughed in unison. “You look…” His mouth opened and shut, but no words came out. She watched his eyes travel the length of her, assessing, appraising. Approving? Her skin tingled as if his hands had touched her and not his gaze.
She swallowed past the awkward silence and laughed. “Please, Mr. Cunningham, do finish your sentence. I look…?”
“All grown up,” he finally said, and she fought back the frown tugging at her lips. It was hardly a compliment. “And
Marlena thinned her lips in sympathy, and Juliet shrugged.
“Perhaps it was my own mother’s heart that made me go. I couldn’t bear it if Dalton and I were estranged. I could sense her desperation. She gave me life, much as it’s been. The least I could do was give her a peaceful death.”
“I’m sorry,” Marlena said.
“Thank you,” Juliet returned with glistening eyes.
Marlena changed the subject. “Your accent is much more…what’s the word?”
“Proper?” Juliet said with a laugh that Marlena joined. “Honey, I know when to behave. Unfortunately, there’s no way to disguise everything about what I am.” She patted her coif of dyed red hair. “But the farther west we go the less scandalized everyone is by it.” She grasped Marlena’s hands. “I was actually going to call upon you. There is so much to discuss.”
A wave of relief swept through Marlena that Juliet hadn’t called. She would have never made it past the Winthrop front door, and if Elijah ever saw her, he would have pounced brutally. She’d seen him send beggars away with a shove and reduce prostitutes to nothing more than tears with his words.
Marlena glanced around at the wide disapproving eyes of passersby, but Juliet didn’t notice or care.
“When do you travel again?”
“Just under three weeks we board the train west, and is Dalton ever ready for it!”
Marlena started, standing a mite taller. “Dalton is here with you? In Boston?”
“Yes, much as he’s hated it. But he wouldn’t let me go on my own. You know how protective he is of me.”
“Some things never change,” Marlena said with a breathy laugh, feeling heat trickle into her cheeks.
“Honey, most things never change.”
Before Marlena could speak again, she heard the deep timbre of his voice behind her. Her heart hammered against her chest as she swallowed past a thick lump, quickly smoothing out the wrinkles in her skirt and patting her hair.
“Mother, I was able to procure a table for us. Oh, excuse me, I didn’t realize you were speaking with someone.”
Marlena slowly turned and locked eyes with Dalton. He was even more handsome than she remembered with his shoulders broadened, his face more angled and clean shaven. His eyes were the same bright blue that filled her dreams, only more penetrating, so penetrating she couldn’t bear to look at them for long. Her gaze fell to her wringing hands as she bowed in a slight curtsey. He said nothing, and neither did she, for her voice was lost somewhere between her throat and her lips. It was only when her chest began to burn that she realized she’d been holding her breath.
“Hello, Mr. Cunningham,” she finally managed, the meekness of her voice grating on the air. Her eyes flitted to his briefly, then fell again.
Dalton’s brow furrowed and Juliet barked a loud laugh.
“For heaven’s sake, boy. Don’t you recognize Marlena?”
His features fell in what she believed was shock and he shook his head as he took a step forward. “Forgive me,” he said, his voice breathy and incredulous. “Little Miss?”
She chuckled into the palm of her hand. “I haven’t been called that in…”
“Five years?” he offered and they laughed in unison. “You look…” His mouth opened and shut, but no words came out. She watched his eyes travel the length of her, assessing, appraising. Approving? Her skin tingled as if his hands had touched her and not his gaze.
She swallowed past the awkward silence and laughed. “Please, Mr. Cunningham, do finish your sentence. I look…?”
“All grown up,” he finally said, and she fought back the frown tugging at her lips. It was hardly a compliment. “And
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