Morning Star by Judith Plaxton Read Free Book Online

the
shoulders, and began to shake her.
    â€œStay quiet when I tell you to!”
    Flower wept through chattering teeth. “Papa!”
    â€œFlower?”
    They stood quiet for a brief moment. Flower
answered, “Pa?”
    â€œFlower! Stay where you are, daughter! I’ll find
you!”
    They could hear movement through the trees.
Ignoring Eldon’s command, they moved forward to meet him. Flower threw herself
against her father, and he held her gratefully.
    Flower was afraid to ask. “Ma?”
    â€œShe’s safely hidden, with the babe. Come, follow
me.”
    Eldon led them to a sheltered spot, deep within a
thicket of bushes and evergreens. Cleo sat with her back against a tree. She
jumped up and rocked her daughter in her arms. “I thought I’d never see you
again.”
    â€œWe’re all together now. I think we should go
further inland,” said Eldon, “away from the river.”
    â€œWe’re so tired,” protested Cleo. “We’ve had no
sleep.”
    â€œSafe. We must be safe,” said Eldon. “We’ll find a
safe spot and build a fire to warm us. Then sleep will be sweet.”
    They walked for hours, stopping only once when
Flower dropped to the ground with exhaustion. She fell asleep instantly, came
awake when she felt her father lift her close to the warmth of a small fire.
They huddled around it and tried to ignore their hunger.

CHAPTER 14
    Felicia
    AS THE GIRLS walked together to the barn, Renate asked, “What do you all think of joining the drama club?”
    â€œWhat for?” asked Dodie.
    â€œFor fun, that’s what for!”
    â€œFun for you,” said Sophie. “I’m too shy to be in a play, with everyone looking at me.”
    â€œBut being in a play might be good for your shyness,” suggested Felicia. “You’d get to be more confident.”
    â€œMaybe there’ll be a musical like Grease or something and we could get singing parts.” Renate remained enthused. “Besides, Josh and Matt want us to join. Josh is writing a play. He told me he wants us to be in it.”
    â€œOh yeah?”
    â€œAnd Matthew is so funny.”
    â€œHe is?” asked Felicia, who had never talked to him.
    â€œHilarious.”
    â€œAnyway, there’s a drama club meeting tomorrow. I think we should go.”
    â€œLet’s put on a show…” Dodie started to sing. The others joined in as they made a melodic entrance to the barn.
    Delia had left work early as planned so that she could join Felicia at the saddle club. When she arrived, she stood with Felicia at the end of the arena and watched the riding class. Felicia looked over her shoulder twice, willing Ashley and Cynthia not to appear. More mean comments from them would surely ruin any plans for riding. Delia would be confirmed in her notion that she and her daughter didn’t belong to the “horsey set.”
    At the end of the lesson, Francine came directly over to the two of them and shook Delia’s hand. “Welcome to Green Hills.” Francine led Delia on a tour, showing with pride the tack room, feed room, and her small office at one end of the building. They returned to the students who were brushing their horses. Dodie’s mount raised his tail and deposited a steaming mound on the concrete floor.
    â€œWe keep a clean barn. That’s meant for the manure pile.” Francine lifted a bedding fork off a hook and transferred the future fertilizer to a wheelbarrow. Dodie swept the floor clean. “I hope Felicia can join the group,” said Francine. “I have the perfect horse for her.”
    â€œWhich one?” asked Dodie.
    â€œGive me a minute. I’ll show you.” Francine slid open a stall door at the far end of the barn and led a horse toward them. “Isn’t she precious? I’ve been working with her for a few weeks.”
    â€œCan I ride her?” asked Renate.
    â€œYou