The Moon and the Stars Read Online Free Page B

Carolina. Her hands trembled so badly she could hardly read the faded, three-year-old article:
    Michael David Duncan, prominent resident of Charleston, took his own life on his wedding day. His grieving brother, Brace, and his stepmother, Lilly Duncan, gave their account of the tragedy. They said that Michael had been despondent for several months, and he seemed to be worse on his wedding day. The deceased’s wife, Caroline Duncan, is unavailable for comment and is in seclusion.
    It grieved her that everyone thought Michael had taken his own life. She had hoped that Brace would be a suspect and go on trial for her husband’s murder. But he had been very clever; he’d twisted the tragedy to fit his own purpose. Caroline was disappointed that Lilly had lied for her son—but then, she’d probably had no choice in the matter.
    Caroline shuddered at the lies that had been printed and accepted by the people of South Carolina.It was difficult to shake the horrors she had lived through that awful day. The reality of her situation was grim—even in the daylight hours she had to fight against the fear that was always with her. Whenever she was out about town she was constantly glancing over her shoulder to see if anyone was following her.
    She laid her forehead against the smooth windowpane while her gaze moved down the dusty street that led to Fort Lambrick. The town had grown up around the fort and owed its prosperity to the army outpost. When she had first arrived in Texas, everything had seemed so alien to her. The blistering summer heat made saddle leather so hot it was difficult to mount a horse. Then there were the harsh, unpredictable winters when a warm, pleasant day could suddenly be struck by a blue norther, plunging the temperature down forty degrees in a matter of minutes.
    But this was her adopted home where she had found shelter and friendship.
    Caroline laid her sewing aside and went into the small kitchen. By now it was completely dark, so she felt around for the oil lamp and struck a match, watching a warm glow cascade into the dark corners of the room.
    Archimedes, a fat tabby, was curled up in a basket beneath the stove. The cat regarded her with a lazy yawn, then closed his eyes and curled tighter into a ball. She had found Archimedes on her doorstep one night and had brought him in, fed him, and brushed the knots from his damp fur. She had given him a name, and he had taken up residence in her house as if it belonged to him.
    She bent down and rubbed his fur and smiled at his loud purr. “We are alike, you and I, Archimedes. Neither one of us had anyone; now we have each other.”
    The animal turned over on his back so she could rub his stomach. He purred louder when she accommodated him. Then he yawned and closed one eye while watching her with the other.
    â€œYou are no company to me at all, you lazy cat. All you want to do is sleep,” Caroline gently teased, giving him a final rub.
    A kettle of water was simmering on the back of the stove, and it enticed her to have a cup of tea. She had to budget her money, but tea was the one indulgence she allowed herself. In the beginning she had made money by taking in washing and ironing for some of the soldiers at Fort Lambrick. She stared down at her hands, which had been rough and bleeding in those first days.
    Nelly Aldrich was her best friend and the owner of the local boardinghouse—she was the niece of the man who had helped Caroline when she had boarded the stage in Galveston. With Nelly’s help, she had become a seamstress and was doing quite well at it. She made gowns for some of the ladies in town and most of the officers’ wives. Lately, she had earned a little extra money by teaching several soldiers how to read and write. She liked to keep busy, because then she had little time to think about her future or to worry about the past.
    Although it was long past supper, she didn’t feel much like eating alone.