The Fragrance of Her Name by Marcia Lynn McClure Read Free Book Online Page B

he talks to you?” he asked again interrupting her thoughts. Brant shook his head as if he couldn’t believe it. “You actually hear his voice and hold conversations with him?”
    “ Yes,” is all Lauryn could say, for somehow she felt devious for studying him so intimately without his knowledge and guilt-ridden for the blessing of the Captain’s friendship.
    “ I met your grandmother when I was younger,” Brant began. “I was fourteen. And incredibly frustrated with the fact that I couldn’t help Laura. I flew into a rage at my Aunt Felicity one day and she…she thought I was losing my mind.” He paused for a moment and mumbled, “I wonder now if maybe I was.” Shaking his head he continued. “So my aunt contacted your grandmother and she came out to Castledale and talked with me. She told me that her little granddaughter, you, knew Brandon…that he wanted you to help him find Lauralynn. I couldn’t understand it. If I had Laura and the little granddaughter had Brandon…why couldn’t we just tell them where they each were and have it all work out?”
    “ What is the reason?” Lauryn asked. For, indeed, it seemed simple enough an answer.
    The man shrugged his massive shoulders in a rather boyish gesture. “She’s lost. I asked Laura…I told her where Brand was. She just shook her head and cried and I don’t know how I understood….but I did. I have to find the part of her that was lost here…during her life. For some reason…I can’t figure it out…there has to be something else…but until I find out what happened to her…her body…she can’t go to him.” He shook his head and rubbed at the whiskers on his chin for a moment.
    Then, angrily, he seemed to change, to turn on her like a rabid dog. Standing he barked, “I don’t even know you! Why the hell am I talking to you?”
    Lauryn stood, too, so startled by his sudden change in demeanor that she was immediately provoked to defense. “Because…because it’s like you said. I’m the only one alive who understands what you’re lookin’ for.”
    “ You don’t understand anything!” he growled. “You’re just a pampered little southern girl who…”
    “ And you’re far too steeped in self pity to see anyone else’s…” she began to argue back at him. His words had hurt her deeply. Far more deeply than a stranger’s words should have the power to.
    “ Save your self-righteous lectures for someone who will benefit from them, girl.”
    His voice was filled with anger. Anger and pain. Lauryn knew that whatever had happened to Brant Masterson in the war, whatever horrible event had left him blind, had also left him worthy of owning resentment and self-pity. But the path was set now.
    “ All right,” was all she could stammer as the tears filled her eyes. “Good day to you, Mr. Masterson.” And she turned to leave him.
    She was halted, however as Brant reached out and took her arm. “Hey, Laura…” he began to apologize.
    “ My name is Lauryn,” she spat at him. For some reason she didn’t fully understand, Lauryn wanted to be sure he knew the difference between her name and her great aunt’s.
    “ Lauryn,” he corrected himself. “I’m…I’m sorry I was rude to you. I’m just….not the person I used to be.”
    “ Well, that’s a conscious choice you’ve made, Mr. Masterson,” Lauryn stated, finding it hard to easily forgive him for his abuse of her emotions. “I have absolutely no doubt that you have endured more…more torture than I can ever imagine. But if you were once a man of character, of manners…you still are. Or else you’ve chosen not to be. Now…if you’ll excuse me,” she said, her voice breaking and betraying her emotion. Pulling her arm from his grasp, Lauryn stepped over men and cots, making her way back to the passenger car.
    “ Miss Kensington!” she heard him call after her. “Lauryn, wait!”
    The tears were streaming down her face. Somehow Lauryn felt as if this man she’d known