The Saga Begins [Nuworld 1] by Lorie O'Clare Read Free Book Online Page A

her appear too wise for her winters. Tara was watching the guard speak to the lord through his walkntalk. Reena wondered if Tara had ever seen the Gothman communication device before. This was a young lady who digested and analyzed everything she saw, and Reena could see qualities of a natural-born leader in Tara. All the Gothman attire in Nuworld wouldn’t hide that quality in the lass.
    Reena knew Lord Darius would claim Tara instantly. In fact, he might already have done so. A man didn’t always tell a woman immediately after he claimed her. She would find out soon enough. Tara would fight it, but Reena knew it had to happen. They were meant to be together. Tara could help Lord Darius realize his potential.

* * * * *
    Tara struggled to hear what the guard said into his walkntalk, wondering to whom he might be speaking, but the car motor made it impossible to hear. She watched with fascination as the man held the black box to his mouth, and his thumb moved to press a button on the side when he spoke.
    A minute or two passed before the man returned to the car window. “Pull your car over to the side, Reena.” The guard pointed to an area off to the left.
    “Of all things I know where to park, I do.” Reena waved the guard away and drove her car to the side of the house.
    “Grab the basket out of the backseat, child,” Reena instructed Tara as she stared toward the grand house. “You ever seen anything so magnificent?”
    Tara reached for the basket then turned. “It looks so permanent.”
    The front door opened and a lady about the same age as Reena walked out onto the front porch. “Reena, I’ll be, it’s so good to see you again, my friend.” The woman reached out and hugged Reena. “I daresay it takes the scare of a Runner intruder to bring you to my doors these days. What to think, I wonder.”
    “I stay quite busy with the way this town is populating itself,” Reena said, and the two women laughed out loud.
    “Ah, so here she is.” The woman took Tara’s chin in her hand and turned the girl’s head from side to side. She glanced sideways at Reena and then wrinkled her brow. “She’s the spitting image of you at her age, she is. And she’s your niece, you say? Well now, you’re definitely related, that much is true.”
    Tara smiled politely and glanced at Reena. She thought she saw a worried look on the old woman’s face.
    “I’m Hilda Bryton.”
    The lady either didn’t notice the look on Reena’s face or didn’t pay attention to it. She was a large woman, taller than Reena. She wore a long loose frock flowing below her knees. Her silver-gray hair wrapped in a bun behind her head.
    Tara pictured Hilda raising Darius and the young boy from the alley. She wondered how much influence the Gothman woman had in their upbringing, or had their papa controlled the way in which they were raised?
    “My Lady,” Tara said quietly with her eyes lowered as she offered a slight curtsy.
    “I’m sure you know how the gossip flies through this town. I had heard she was quite the beauty, but the words do her no justice, that’s for certain. You’ll be mighty proud of this one, won’t you?” Hilda patted Reena’s arm.
    “I hadn’t seen her, myself, since she was a baby. Until this night past, of course. She’s the beauty, she is.”
    “Ah, my manners, to entertain you on my porch, I am sure.” Hilda laughed and opened the front door wide. “Please, do come in for a visit. Reena, when have we last sat and had a good talk of the goings on, I’m sure I don’t remember.”
    Tara followed the two old women into the house. She gasped as they entered the foyer and caught her first glance at the magnificent home. At that moment, she figured if someone were looking for a Runner in disguise they would have immediately suspected her because she couldn’t get over the vastness of this dwelling. Never before had she been inside such a structure. The most shelter she’d had from the elements throughout