Halversham by RS Anthony Read Free Book Online Page A

try to talk to you. I thought you were about to do the same to me.”
    “It’s true.” She shrugged. “I don’t talk to anyone here. They think I’m crazy.”
    Outside, the rain had slowed to a drizzle. There were so many things Andy wanted to ask her now that she wasn’t as strange as he feared, but he had to make the deliveries. “Listen, why don’t we get out of here?” he asked and Corrine’s eyes shone. “I promised your mother I’d deliver her baked goods to the townsfolk and I’m kind of late. Why don’t you and I go together?”
    “Sure thing.” She rose so quickly she almost knocked him off the bed. “Give me ten minutes and I’ll be ready.”
    Andy left her alone and waited in the dining room. Aunt Magda was already preparing for the day’s meal, peeling carrots and onions. She paused and put the knife down when she saw him. “She talked to you, didn’t she? I heard.”
    Uncle Matt stepped out of his room in a clean shirt and pants, and nodded at both of them. They watched as he picked up his cap hooked to a nail on the back door, put it on, and opened the door. “See you later,” he said, closing the door behind him.
    “Yes, she spoke to me,” Andy said after he had left.
    “Oh, thank the Lord. So she’s not completely crazy. What did she say?”
    “We didn’t talk too much yet. I thought I’d bring her along to make the deliveries and we’d talk along the way. She’s getting ready now.”
    “That’s great, Andy. That’s really great,” Aunt Magda said. “She doesn’t really have any friends here. Everyone’s taken a step back since she dropped out of school, and she’s become a kind of recluse. Maybe you can bring her back to herself again.”
    “I promise I’ll try,” Andy said, and he meant it. “Now, tell me who I need to deliver these wonderful treats to.”
    She made a list of names and noted which item went to which household. Some of the names Andy didn’t know, and a few others he recognized but didn’t know their addresses.
    “Oh, don’t worry, Corrine knows all of them. She’ll show you,” Aunt Magda said. Next, she filled a large plastic container with cakes, buns, and slices of pie and snapped it shut. “This is for you two if you get hungry.”
    “Thanks.”
    Corrine stepped into the dining room in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt as Aunt Magda handed Andy the container. Her t-shirt hung loosely on her bony structure and the jeans had holes in some parts—Andy was sure it wasn’t a fashion statement. She had her hair tied in a ponytail and wore a brown sling bag across her shoulders. Aunt Magda scurried to the kitchen and left them alone again.
    “Ready?” Andy asked, and Corrine nodded.
    The first few houses were easy to find, as they were next to one another. Andy would dart to the door, knock on it, introduce himself, deliver the goods, collect the money, and be out within minutes. But once they hit the main street, things got confusing, with many little streets and dirt roads branching off to every corner of Halversham. Although Corrine never went up to any of the houses or even stood next to Andy when he delivered, she’d lead the way and point out the houses. Without Corrine, he wouldn’t have been able to deliver all of them before noon.
    The last name on the list was Mr. Doyne. Since his house was at least a fifteen-minute walk from where they were, they took an easy stroll through dirt roads.
    “Why did you drop out of school?” Andy asked when he couldn’t hold it back anymore. He was bursting with questions.
    “Wow. Did my mom tell you that?” Andy nodded. They were walking along a quiet path flanked by green pastures. She shrugged. “I didn’t see the point. Everybody thinks I’m crazy anyway. Even you, right, Andy?”
    Andy licked his lips as Corrine watched his face. She sidestepped a puddle of water on the road, thumbs hooked in her pockets.
    “That’s not true. I wouldn’t be here talking to you if I did.”
    “Why did