Read Realm 06 - A Touch of Love for Free Online Page B

years of age, Simon devoured books, and they had come to a routine of sorts: she read several chapters of a compelling adventure to the child at night, and the next day, the boy would reread the pages, sounding out the words he did not recognize immediately. Young Simon often carried the book to her and asked Lucinda to pronounce a difficult word. As foolish as it sounded, she believed the child memorized the passages.
    She glanced down at the boy. He was an odd one–so mature and yet so innocent. Simon had never questioned why he had been deposited upon her doorstep. He had never complained about the pallet she had made for him before the fire nor of the less than palpable meals she managed to place before him. Lucinda supposed the child’s good nature was the reason she tolerated Simon’s obsession with books.
Books and the carved wooden horse, which had been among the child’s belongings when he had arrived upon her doorstep
.
    Early on, she had attempted to question the boy on what he could recall of his previous life, but whoever had sent Simon to her had schooled the child well. Lucinda would not even consider the possibility Simon held no memories of what came before: the child was too intelligent.
    Lucinda meant to set her key to the lock of the double rooms she let in the Peterman’s household, but the door stood ajar. Instantly, she was on alert. She knew, without a doubt, she had locked the door. She had handed the two books she meant to return to the lending library to Simon to hold while she pulled the door closed and gave the lock a solid shake before releasing it.
    “Stay here,” she whispered sternly to the boy, who had gone all wide-eyed. “If you hear anything unusual, run for assistance. Do you understand me?”
    Simon nodded several times.
    Lucinda swallowed hard and stood slowly. She caught the latch in her trembling hand and edged the door open. Through the narrow crack, she could seeher few belongings strewn about the room. Her heart clutched in her chest. She wished she had had some sort of weapon.
    Glancing back at where the boy clung to the wall opposite, she mouthed, “Be prepared. I mean to check what is inside.” Simon appeared less frightened.
    Slowly, she turned to face the slender slit. With the palm of her hand, she shoved hard against the flat surface, and the door swung wide to bang against the inside wall. Both she and the child jumped with the sound. Catching at her heart with her hand, Lucinda stepped into the dimly lit space.
    Whoever had entered her rooms had pulled the drapes nearly closed to block the view from the buildings across the way. Lucinda edged forward, circling the room, her back to the wall. Carefully, she sidestepped over the blocks scattered upon the floor. Without turning her head from the room, she caught the heavy drape and carried it backward to permit the late afternoon sun to invade the space before tying it off with a ribbon she had found discarded upon the floor.
    She looked up to see Simon clinging to the doorframe. Motioning the boy to remain in his place, Lucinda began a more serious search. Even though she thought it foolish to do so, she knelt to peer beneath the bed. Next, she searched the wardrobe and behind the standing screen; finally, Lucinda moved through the small dressing room, which ran the width of her one large room.
    Finding nothing unusual, other than the disarray, Lucinda released the pent up breath she had not known she held. “Simon, would you ask Mrs. Peterman to come to our rooms. We should speak to the constable.”
    His voice wavered, but the child agreed. When the boy disappeared into the house’s passageway, Lucinda scrambled to her secret hiding place. She quickly worked the board free under the small side table to retrieve her bag of coins. Peeking inside, she was relieved to find the coins still in the cloth bag.
    The sound of approaching footsteps sent her in motion. She would count the coins later, when the boy had gone