Masters & Lovers Box Set Three
Chapter 10
James
Books.
What’s new?
She’s consistent…
‘Principles of Geology’ by Charles Lyell - well-thumbed, ‘The Merchant of Venice’, ‘Marvels of Pond Life’ by Henry Slack - very dog-eared… The list goes on and the only thing any of the texts have in common is that they all look well-used. A second-hand bookstore would describe them as slightly foxed, but it looks as though the bears, the boars and the badgers have been at them too.
She stacks them in a neat pile, then rummages…
Some odds and ends of jewellery; cheap stuff, yellowed with age but seeming little-handled…
A rock. “Oh!” She smiles as it weighs in her hands.
Michael gives me a ‘wtf?’ look and I shrug.
Chad sees our expressions and smiles, then moves to stand close by Michael. He murmurs, “You’d better be ready. She’ll probably get pretty emotional soon.”
Michael shoots him a glance, then nods.
The rock seems to be just that; a rock, prettily striped in green and red, polished to a smooth round..
Curiosity gets the better of me. “Charlotte?”
She almost caresses the pebble and when she looks up, her eyes are full…
“Tell me later,” I say.
She separates out a book, a heavy volume, leather-bound, old looking. Her eyes lift to Michael, then me, and she chews at her lips. Sliding a finger to the pages, she lifts, and the book falls open on…
Flowers?
Yes, pressed flowers; dainty, delicate their colours faded, but recognisable as violets.
leans forward, looking close. “Are those
Michael. “Yes, they’re the ones you gave me, that first day.” She lifts them free from the page, sliding a fingernail under to ease them from the
Michael shifts by me…
Trouble brewing?
around here
could have given them to her any
and sits beside
fine. Thank you, Chad, so much, for bringing these. For keeping them so long.” She’s smiling, radiating almost,
his chin to Michael, then to me, eye-pointing chairs close by. Something in his tone penetrates. Her smile fades. Michael and I sit, he
What’s coming…?
Chad’s voice is gentle. “These aren’t the only things of yours I have.” He reaches for an inside pocket, plucking out
at the letter, eyes
going
she drops into the
was trying to find you. I picked it up from your old
pulls his seat closer. “Jenny, I was with him at the end, in the hospital. Almost his last words were for me to give you his love when I found you again. I didn't tell him
you going to take it?”
reaches out, her fingers trembling, takes it, then stands, retreating to a corner, turning her back to all of us. The envelope rips, and she
with Michael, then with Chad.
still low, there's a sob. Then another, echoing around the otherwise silent
flushing, backs away again, gesturing Michael to her. He tries to take her in his arms but she
“I went back to the farm once, that first Christmas. But no one would talk to me. They just said you'd left and Mr Kalkowski had
man, the one who said he was a policeman, he came looking for you. He told
never did that.
believed him, or wanted to. And she poisoned everyone against you. Except for Mrs Collier. And
“I did, yes.”
“Geology? Astronomy?”
but I
What brought
the letter… From your old friend… Does
and offers it to me. I read it then
My Dearest Jenny,
Read Masters & Lovers Box Set Three - Chapter 10
Read Chapter 10 with many climactic and unique details. The series Masters & Lovers Box Set Three one of the top-selling novels by Simone Leigh. Chapter content chapter Chapter 10 - The heroine seems to fall into the abyss of despair, heartache, empty-handed, But unexpectedly this happened a big event. So what was that event? Read Masters & Lovers Box Set Three Chapter 10 for more details