To Dream Again Read Online Free Page B
Author: Laura Lee Guhrke
options slipping away, but she would not beg. She would not confess that if she lost the company she would have nothing. She could not.
Steeling herself with her pride, she looked at Mr. Abercrombie. "What is the exact balance owed, and how much time do I have to pay it?"
He opened a ledger on his desk. "Principal plus this month's interest comes to five thousand and twenty-five pounds, twelve shillings, and ten. Due by the close of business on Friday, July twelfth."
It was Wednesday morning. Three days. She had three days. Mara rose to her feet. "All right. Draw up the papers, and be prepared to accept payment in full on Friday, Mr. Abercrombie. You will have your money."
"Mrs. Elliot, I admire your tenacity." He also stood up. "But how will you raise over five thousand pounds in three days?"
Rob a bank . The words hovered on the tip of her tongue, but she didn't think Mr. Abercrombie would appreciate the comment. At the moment, however, robbing a bank didn't seem like a bad idea.
***
Nathaniel reached for another piece of miniature railroad track and attached it to the preceding one. He pushed the two sections firmly together so that the electric current would pass from one section to the next and the toy train would run smoothly.
Boggs and his son were busy making the alterations to his ceiling, hammering and pounding, but Nathaniel ignored the noise. He continued to put together railroad track, knowing this idea would revolutionize the toy train industry.
Grandfather would have liked the idea. He smiled down at the half-completed track on the table, remembering long-ago summer days on the Isle of Wight. The stuttering excitement of a young boy filled with ideas and the encouraging enthusiasm of an old man filled with patience.
It was growing dark. Nathaniel lit the gas lamp on the table and continued building the invention that would determine his future. But his mind was in the past.
Grandfather had believed in him. Heady stuff for a boy who'd never been quite good enough. Not good enough for his own father to listen or give him a chance.
But in his will, Grandfather had given him the chance. Nathaniel had left Cambridge, and at the age of nineteen, he'd finally been given the opportunity to prove himself and had been thrust into the midst of Chase Toys, out of obscurity and into the light for the first time. It was then that his father had first begun to realize that his second son had more in his head than impractical ideas and airy dreams.
Nathaniel fitted the last piece of railroad track into place. It was time to test the train and see if it still worked after being tossed around in transport for the past two weeks.
He reached for the locomotive, but before he could place it on the track, there was a knock on the door. "Come in!"
The door opened to reveal a dark-haired man standing there. "Well, well," the man greeted him with a grin, tugging at the brim of the wool cap he wore. "It's been a long time, my friend."
"Michael!" Nathaniel set down the train and maneuvered his way through the maze of his belongings to the door. He thrust out his hand and the other man shook it warmly. "You received my letter? How are you?"
"Well enough, I suppose, although your letter was a bit of a shock." Michael looked around at the chaos of Nathaniel's flat and started laughing. "Ten years and you haven't changed a bit. What is all this?"
"Sorry about the mess, but I'm moving in, you know." He waved a hand vaguely to the hammering above their heads. “Some workmen are remodeling the attic for me."
A loud bang interrupted any reply Michael might have made, and chunks of plaster fell through the hole in the ceiling, forming a cloud of dust as they hit the floor.
Michael took another glance around and caught sight of the train on the table. "What is this?" he asked, stepping over a crate on the floor to have a closer look.
"That is what I asked you to come and see me about," Nathaniel said, coming up to
Steeling herself with her pride, she looked at Mr. Abercrombie. "What is the exact balance owed, and how much time do I have to pay it?"
He opened a ledger on his desk. "Principal plus this month's interest comes to five thousand and twenty-five pounds, twelve shillings, and ten. Due by the close of business on Friday, July twelfth."
It was Wednesday morning. Three days. She had three days. Mara rose to her feet. "All right. Draw up the papers, and be prepared to accept payment in full on Friday, Mr. Abercrombie. You will have your money."
"Mrs. Elliot, I admire your tenacity." He also stood up. "But how will you raise over five thousand pounds in three days?"
Rob a bank . The words hovered on the tip of her tongue, but she didn't think Mr. Abercrombie would appreciate the comment. At the moment, however, robbing a bank didn't seem like a bad idea.
***
Nathaniel reached for another piece of miniature railroad track and attached it to the preceding one. He pushed the two sections firmly together so that the electric current would pass from one section to the next and the toy train would run smoothly.
Boggs and his son were busy making the alterations to his ceiling, hammering and pounding, but Nathaniel ignored the noise. He continued to put together railroad track, knowing this idea would revolutionize the toy train industry.
Grandfather would have liked the idea. He smiled down at the half-completed track on the table, remembering long-ago summer days on the Isle of Wight. The stuttering excitement of a young boy filled with ideas and the encouraging enthusiasm of an old man filled with patience.
It was growing dark. Nathaniel lit the gas lamp on the table and continued building the invention that would determine his future. But his mind was in the past.
Grandfather had believed in him. Heady stuff for a boy who'd never been quite good enough. Not good enough for his own father to listen or give him a chance.
But in his will, Grandfather had given him the chance. Nathaniel had left Cambridge, and at the age of nineteen, he'd finally been given the opportunity to prove himself and had been thrust into the midst of Chase Toys, out of obscurity and into the light for the first time. It was then that his father had first begun to realize that his second son had more in his head than impractical ideas and airy dreams.
Nathaniel fitted the last piece of railroad track into place. It was time to test the train and see if it still worked after being tossed around in transport for the past two weeks.
He reached for the locomotive, but before he could place it on the track, there was a knock on the door. "Come in!"
The door opened to reveal a dark-haired man standing there. "Well, well," the man greeted him with a grin, tugging at the brim of the wool cap he wore. "It's been a long time, my friend."
"Michael!" Nathaniel set down the train and maneuvered his way through the maze of his belongings to the door. He thrust out his hand and the other man shook it warmly. "You received my letter? How are you?"
"Well enough, I suppose, although your letter was a bit of a shock." Michael looked around at the chaos of Nathaniel's flat and started laughing. "Ten years and you haven't changed a bit. What is all this?"
"Sorry about the mess, but I'm moving in, you know." He waved a hand vaguely to the hammering above their heads. “Some workmen are remodeling the attic for me."
A loud bang interrupted any reply Michael might have made, and chunks of plaster fell through the hole in the ceiling, forming a cloud of dust as they hit the floor.
Michael took another glance around and caught sight of the train on the table. "What is this?" he asked, stepping over a crate on the floor to have a closer look.
"That is what I asked you to come and see me about," Nathaniel said, coming up to
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