The Forever Stone by Gloria Repp Read Free Book Online Page B

today—work on that cluttered old library she and Bria had found.
    Before long she was sorting through books, sneezing as she crammed the useless ones into boxes. Dust! She eyed the plum-colored draperies, took up a handful of velvet, and pulled. It came away in her hand with the sigh of rotted fabric. She sneezed again. These had to come down.
    It was while she was standing on a box unhooking the draperies that she discovered the window seat. If she cleared off the boxes, it would make a good place to sit and look at the view. 
    First, get this finished. She bundled the draperies into a super-sized trash bag, vacuumed everything including the brown couch, and marked the boxes to be discarded. As she shelved the last of the books, a convention of squabbling blue jays made her look out the window. Below, the forest spread in all directions, mysterious and inviting. Aunt Lin liked to jog there, on the many paths.
    In Roanoke, too, there were hiking paths. She and Dad used to . . .
    Her fingernails dug into the window frame. Don’t think about him. Don’t think about the hikes. Don’t risk it, not for a minute.
    She turned away. It was almost dusk, and if she could discipline her thoughts, a walk would do her good. She could check on those Dumont ruins, run for a while, and wear herself out.
     
    That night she slept well, for once, but she awoke at dawn to wonder about Bria—such a mysterious young woman. Would her little brother be the same? Bria had said he liked to eat. If she had pancakes waiting for him, maybe they’d get off to a good start.
    By eight o’clock she was ready, and just in time. When she opened the door, the dog brushed past with easy familiarity, but Jude hung back, as if unsure of his welcome. He was thin and wiry, shorter than Bria.
    “Hi, Jude,” she said. “We sure can use your help today.”
    “Hello.” He gave her an assessing look from somber black eyes.
    She returned his look with equal gravity. “I’m especially glad you came because otherwise I’d have to eat all the pancakes myself.”
    His eyebrows shot up into a fringe of shaggy brown hair. “Pancakes?” He glanced sideways at his sister, as if to ask whether this person was for real.
    A smile tugged at the corners of Bria’s mouth. “She likes to cook.”
    The expression on his face altered, enough for Madeleine to know that she had gained points in his estimation. “C’mon,” she said. “Let’s eat.”
    Jude ate nine large pancakes. He didn’t say much beyond a quiet ‘thank you’ each time she refilled his plate, but Bria emerged from her silence to offer a comment: “I told you he likes to eat. I think that’s why he likes to cook. Someday he’s going to weigh three hundred pounds.”
    Jude ignored the sisterly remark and put down his fork with a sigh. “Okay, show me to the work. I’m ready.” Lockie, who had been sleeping at Bria’s feet, rose and stretched, looking expectant.
    After they finished sorting and cleaning in the library, Madeleine said, “Let’s do some more exploring. I want to see what’s in those old trunks.”
    The largest trunk, to Jude’s evident disappointment, was filled with ball gowns. “I wonder who wore them,” Madeleine said. “The lacework is priceless.” She wrote an entry in her notebook. “Jude, please put a piece of masking tape on the lid and write a big number one on it. Let’s see what’s over here.”
    Trunk number two held more gowns, trunk number three held children’s clothes, and trunk number four was filled with blankets that smelled of mothballs. By the time they started on the last trunk, Jude had wandered off to look at the stuffed owl.
    “Hey, this is a great horned owl,” he said. “His ear tufts are way cool! Lockie, how’d you like to meet him some dark night?” The dog thumped his tail but looked unimpressed.
    Madeleine opened the fifth trunk.
    Jude glanced over. “More clothes?”
    “Towels. With treasures wrapped inside, no doubt.”