Journey of the Heart by Marjorie Farrell Read Free Book Online

nicked meself, you’ve got me rushin’ so. We’ll be in Grants in plenty of time.”
    Elizabeth smiled when she saw the bit of sticking plaster on her husband’s chin.
    “You look very fine this morning, me darlin’,” said Michael, exaggerating his brogue as he put his arms around his wife and gave her a kiss. There was a knock on the door and Elizabeth tried to pull away, but Michael kept her by his side as he called, “Come in.”
    “Good morning, Mr. Burke, Mrs. Burke. The horses are all harnessed,” Gabe told them.
    “Thanks, Gabe. Ye have the supplies all packed for Eduardo?”
    “Yes, sir. I’ll start up after I’ve worked the colts.”
    “I appreciate it, Gabe. Usually I’d send Jake, but there’s too much for him to do here.”
    Gabe watched them drive off. They sure were excited to have their daughter coming home. This Miss Caitlin Burke must be something.
    * * * *
    Michael and Elizabeth had an hour to wait in Grants before the train arrived, and Michael spent it pacing back and forth on the platform till people started to look at him strangely.
    “Michael, come and sit down next to me,” said his wife.
    “I can’t sit, a ghra.”
    Thank God they heard the train whistle a few minutes later, or Elizabeth couldn’t have stood it much longer.
    Two drummers got off and an elderly woman. “Where is she?” muttered Michael.
    At last they saw the conductor helping a very sophisticated young lady down the steps. She was wearing a burgundy lawn dress with a chip straw hat charmingly tilted to one side. She took a coin out of her reticule and handed it to the conductor and stood there, calmly waiting for someone to find her.
    Elizabeth’s throat was aching. It was Cait and how happy she was to see her. And oh, how different she looked from the rough-and-tumble country girl they had sent off to Philadelphia.
    Michael went up to her and tipping his hat, said, “May I help you with yer bags, miss?”
    “Oh, Da!” cried Cait and flung her arms around her father.
    Thank goodness she hadn’t changed that much, thought Elizabeth as she hurried over.
    Father and daughter pulled away from each other and Elizabeth could see that Michael’s cheeks were wet, as were Cait’s. She opened her arms and her daughter let herself be enfolded in them. “Oh, Ma,” she said shakily, “it’s been so long.” Elizabeth nodded and hugged her daughter even tighter.
    “Well,” said Michael, clearing his throat, “is this all ye have?”
    “No, Da. There’s another valise that the conductor is bringing. I have a few more things coming home than I did leaving.”
    “I guess so,” said her mother, stepping back and looking at Cait’s dress. “And all so fashionable they’ll put us all to shame, I’ll be bound.”
    Cait blushed. “This was a going-away present from Susan Beecham,” she said, smoothing the burgundy lawn. “And I have bought a few dresses with the money I made helping out the younger girls.”
    “Sure and ye’ll be the belle of the valley, Cait,” said Michael, picking up her bags. “Just wait till the next dance. We’ll have to drive off all the young men. Unless there’s one you especially like!”
    “Now, Michael, we just got her back,” scolded Elizabeth. “I want to enjoy her being home first, without thinking of when she’ll be marrying.”
    Cait felt a pang of guilt as she listened to her parents. It was going to be hard to tell them that they only had her for the summer and that her marriage would come sooner than they thought.
    When they got to the wagon, Elizabeth said, “You sit up front next to your Da, Cait.”
    “I’m fine in the back, Ma.”
    “No, no,” said her mother, climbing into the back seat, “that way I can enjoy both of you.”
    Elizabeth was relieved to hear Cait’s enthusiasm as she chatted about her train ride and the terribly spoiled eight-year-old who’d gotten on at Chicago and terrorized the train. And the drummers, whose attentions she’d been