Emmy's Equal by Marcia Gruver Read Free Book Online Page B

her, Emmy flashed a tight smile.
    Magda returned it before turning her back to her daughter and lowering her voice. “None of this has made Emily easy to live with, I can tell you that.”
    One corner of Willem’s mouth twitched. “What do you mean?”
    “I haven’t mentioned it, but she doesn’t want to go. I’ve argued this trip with your daughter until I’m ready to yank out my hair.”
    “Better your hair than mine, Mama.”
    Magda’s heart leaped and she spun. “Emily! How many times have I asked you not to skulk about?”
    Emmy flashed her limitless dimples. “Skulking? I merely walked over to join you. Can I help it if I’m quiet?”
    Willem frowned. “Don’t sass your mama, girl.”
    Emmy flinched and bit her lip, suddenly interested in the wide bow stretched across one shoe. “Sorry, Papa. Never meant to sass.”
    The defeated look on Emmy’s pale face fired lead at Magda’s heart. She patted her daughter’s hand. “Of course you didn’t mean to sass, sugar.”
    “Don’t take up for her, wife,” Willem growled. “I heard what she said.” He scowled at Emmy again. “There will be no more willful resistance to this trip. Understood?”
    Emmy sighed. “Yes, sir.”
    Magda winced, watching her radiant daughter’s confidence puddle at her feet. She was still beautiful even with the frown lines that sprang up between her brows. The girl came out of the womb the loveliest creature Magda had ever set eyes on. Tiny tufts of down had caressed her melon-round head, so white it disappeared except in sunlight, with darker lashes so long they rested on her chubby cheeks while she slept. A deep red blush colored her tiny puckered mouth, a mouth still plump and protruding, as if frozen in place from so much time pouting. Except when she smiled.
    Emmy’s smile was so glorious a transformation, it had the power to stop grown men in their tracks and halt the words on their tongues. When she turned up the full power of it, complete with the crinkle and flash of blue eyes, she mesmerized every man in the room.
    Magda’s gaze swept to Willem, the only exception. He stared at Emmy, red-faced and sulking, his bottom lip mottled and swollen like an ugly growth.
    Squeezing his hand, Magda drew him closer. “Never mind, dear. Let’s not spoil our holiday. Emmy’s in much better spirits today.”
    Magda marveled at Willem’s change toward their daughter in recent years. From the day she’d come into the world, no one had a greater hand in spoiling Emmy than Willem. He’d encouraged her precocious spirit, pulling her onto his lap and roaring with laughter at her outrageous antics.
    When had it changed?
    Magda lowered her gaze, pushing aside the disturbing notion that wriggled into her mind whenever she asked herself that question. The answering finger of guilt pointed firmly in her direction. She should learn to keep her trap shut about Emmy’s escapades.
    Her chin jerked up. “Oh, look. There’s Nash with Bertha, and just in the nick of time. Here comes our train.”
    Nash turned the two-seater at the crossroad and rumbled along the narrow lane beside the tracks. He pulled to a stop next to the platform, then leaped to the ground and helped Bertha down.
    Emmy hurried over to hug him good-bye.
    The two stood whispering together, until Nash’s cautious glance caught sight of Willem’s scowl. He patted Emmy’s hand and stepped away from her, an uncomfortable smile on his face.
    Magda surveyed Bertha. “What on earth kept you?”
    “Couldn’t find a thing to wear. All my new clothes come six inches too long. Didn’t know until after I slipped them on.”
    At the age of twelve, a sudden growth spurt took Bertha Maye Biddie from the height of four foot eight to four foot ten. After that, she simply stopped growing. Lucky for Bertha, Magda grew tall enough to hand most things down to her. Then Thaddeus Bloom wandered into Bertha’s life, marrying her and replacing Magda. After he passed to his eternal