Keeping Secrets by Joan Lowery Nixon Read Free Book Online Page A

them, and before we rode to the Swensons’ farm, Mrs. Swenson insisted that we stop at the hotel for tea.”
    Miss Hennessey poured two steaming cups of fragrant tea and placed one in front of Peg. “You must miss your brothers and sisters very much,” she said.
    Peg nodded. “I do. All of them. But especially Danny. Because he’s just little more than two years older than me, we were always special chums.”
    “I heard about Frances daring to work with the Underground Railroad and about Mike’s bravery in serving as a drummer boy with our Union Army.” Miss Hennessey paused a moment, then said, “I’ve known you long enough, Peg, to be sure that you’re every bit as resourceful and brave as your brother and sister. If you were faced with a challenge, as they were, you’d meet it without question.”
    Taken by surprise, Peg murmured, “I—I suppose. I—I don’t know.”
    “Well, I do.” Miss Hennessey smiled and held thecookie plate out to Peg. “Do have a cookie. They’re delicious.” She studied Peg so intently that Peg knew it wasn’t cookies Miss Hennessey had in mind. What was she thinking?
    Peg bit into the buttery, crumbly shortbread, still warm from the oven.
    “It’s such an amazing coincidence that your brother Danny lives near my sister. As I’ve just told you, I’ve been yearning to pay my sister a visit, but under the current circumstances I’ve hesitated to travel alone.” She tilted her head and smiled at Peg. “However, I wonder if …”
    Peg’s heart pounded as she realized that Miss Hennessey might be considering her and Ma as traveling companions. She held her breath, waiting for the invitation, and was disappointed when it didn’t come.
    Miss Hennessey pulled a tiny watch from the pocket of her jacket. “Dear me,” she said. “It’s getting late, and your mother will be worried. Please, Peg dear, explain that your delay was all my fault, and ask her … No.” Her eyes twinkled as if she knew a wonderful secret. “I’ll see her soon and ask her myself.”
    As Peg walked home she thought about Miss Hennessey’s secret. With all her heart she hoped it had to do with traveling with her to see her sister. And Danny!
    It must! She gave a skip and a jump as she thought of seeing Danny again. And soon! Ma’d be excited to go, too.
    I wish … I wish …
Afraid to put her wish into actual words, for fear it wouldn’t come true, Peg began to hum “Camptown Races,” concentrating as hard as she could.
    “Skinny ninny!”
    A stone skittered across the road in front of herfeet, and Marcus’s head popped up on the other side of a nearby holly hedge.
    “Marcus! You … you … guttersnipe!” Peg shouted.
    She chased him until he slammed into the door of his house. His mother began yelling at him for making so much racket, and Peg grinned in satisfaction. Her own house was just a short way up the road, so she kept running, bounded into the kitchen, and flopped into a chair.
    “Good gracious!” Ma said as she pumped a glass of water at the sink and handed it to Peg, who was breathing heavily. “What happened to you?”
    Peg gulped noisily and put down the glass. “Marcus called me a skinny ninny again, and I chased him. Lucky for stupid old Marcus I didn’t catch him.”
    Ma chuckled. “This was
after
you returned Miss Hennessey’s shawl, I hope.”
    Peg nodded.
    “Did you find Miss Hennessey well?”
    “Yes.” Peg hesitated, wondering about all she’d seen and heard. How could she describe it to Ma?
    “You were gone for quite a while. Did you have a nice visit?”
    “We had tea Tea and shortbread.”
    “That’s lovely,” Ma said. When Peg didn’t continue, Ma asked, “Will you set the table for me, please? John will be home soon.”
    Peg slowly got to her feet, ambled to the cupboard and removed three plates. “Ma,” she said, “Miss Hennessey was … well, different.”
    “How was she different?”
    “Her hair was curled and piled on her