The Raider Read Online Free Page B

thick, soft blonde that shone in the sunlight.
    â€œOh, Jess, if you just tried, you could get any man—”
    Her sister cut her off. “Please don’t start on me again. Why don’t you get a husband? A rich one who’ll support us and all the kids?”
    â€œFrom this town?” Eleanor sniffed. “From a town that’s afraid of one man? From a town that lets a man like Pitman run it?”
    Jessica stood and pulled her hair back from her face. There were few women pretty enough to be able to scrape their hair back that tightly and still be beautiful, but Jessica succeeded. “I don’t want one of those cowards any more than you do.” She put baby Samuel down on the floor again. “But at least I’m not fool enough to think that one man, especially somebody like Alexander, is going to save us. I think all of you remember the Montgomerys as a group, not as individuals. I couldn’t agree more that there was never a more magnificent group of men than Sayer and his two oldest sons and I cried as hard as any of you when the boys went off to sea—but I didn’t cry when Alexander left.”
    â€œJessica, I don’t think you’re being fair. What in the world did Alex do to you that’s made you dislike him so much? And you can’t count the schoolboy pranks he pulled. If they counted, Nathaniel would have been hanged four years ago.”
    â€œIt’s his attitude. He always thought he was so much better than anyone else. His brothers and father would work with everyone else, but Alexander thought of himself as too good. His family was the richest one in town, but he was the only one who was aware of it.”
    â€œAre you talking about the charity? The time you threw the lobsters he’d brought us in his face? I never understood that since the whole town was always giving us things.”
    â€œWell, they don’t now!” Jessica spat in anger. “Yes, I mean the charity, living from hand to mouth every day, never having anything, always wanting. And Pa coming home every nine months, just in time to get Mother—” She paused to calm down. “Alexander was the worst. The way he smirked every time he brought a bag of cornmeal. The superior way he looked at all of us each time he saw us. He used to wipe his breeches every time a Taggert baby got near him.”
    Eleanor smiled. “Jess, it was necessary to wipe your breeches—or your skirt or your hair—every time a Taggert baby got near you. I don’t think you’re being fair. Alexander was no better or worse than the other men in his family. It’s just that you two are only two years apart in age and therefore you felt more kinship with him.”
    â€œI’d rather be kin to a shark than to him.”
    Eleanor rolled her eyes. “He did help Patrick get the post as cabin boy on the Fair Maiden.”
    â€œHe would have done anything to get rid of one more Taggert. Are you ready to go?”
    â€œI have been for some time. I’ll make a deal with you. If Alexander turns out to be the pompous spendthrift you seem to think he is, I’ll bake you three apple pies next week.”
    â€œI’ll win this without trying. With his arrogance, he’ll probably be expecting us to kiss his hand. I hear he was in Italy. Probably met the Pope and learned some things from him. Think he’ll wear scented lace underwear?”
    Eleanor ignored her sister. “If I win, you have to wear a dress all week and be nice to Mr. Clymer.”
    â€œThat old fish-breath? Oh, well, it doesn’t matter. I’m going to win. This town’s going to see that, when Alexander is alone and not surrounded by his brothers and father, he’s a lazy, vain, condescending, pompous—” She stopped because Eleanor was pushing her out the door.
    â€œAnd, Nathaniel, if you don’t watch after those kids, you’ll hear from me,” Eleanor