When Harriet Came Home Read Online Free Page A

were of the opinion that his crime hadn’t warranted his harsh punishment.
    Harriet sighed. “Why are you bringing all this up now?”
    Ken reached out and squeezed her arm. “You’ve let this episode affect you too much for too long.”
    Harriet sat up straighter and laced her fingers around her crossed knees. “This episode? Dad, may I remind you I was the one who had eggs thrown at her? I was the one who had to endure everyone’s stares and mutters and cold shoulders? People used to yell insults at me while they drove past. And I’d done nothing wrong.”
    “Yes, I know you had a bad time, pumpkin, but you wanted to get away from Wilmot anyway. Adam had no choice. After his father died and the bank repossessed what was left of the Blackstone estate, he had to leave town.”
    Oh yes, poor old Adam. Harriet folded her arms and tried to think derisive thoughts about him, but try as she might she couldn’t push yesterday’s memories from her mind. Adam, looking so rough hewn in his work clothes, his hands toughened by years of manual labour, his eyes older than his twenty-nine years. She bit her lip as she studied her varnished toenails peeping from her sandals. Being a cook meant it wasn’t practical to have fancy fingernails, but she loved jazzing up her toenails, and her current colour—Candy Apple—was one of her favourites. This time it failed to lift her spirits. The heavy, lumpy feeling in her gut persisted. Guilt, that’s what it was.
    “Dad, the Adam Blackstones of this world never even realise people like me exist. I’ve always been invisible to him.” Except for yesterday. He’d noticed her then, and it hadn’t been good.
    Her father shook his head. “He’s not the same. He used to be a bit of a Champagne Charlie, but not anymore. I have a lot of time for Adam. He’s given so much of himself organizing this ball all in the name of charity. He’s a decent chap, and I wish you two could be friends.”
    “Jeepers, Dad.” Harriet gave a shaky laugh. “I’m not in kindergarten anymore. You can’t set up play dates for me in the hope I’ll make a bosom buddy. I’m sure Adam doesn’t want anything to do with me.”
    “Just give him a ring and talk to him.” He squeezed her arm one more time and leaned back against the pillows. “I don’t want to have to break a leg just to get you to visit me again. Can you just do this one thing for me, pumpkin?”
    Great. Emotional blackmail. That’s all she needed. But as she studied her dad’s liverish, exhausted face, she knew she had no choice. She’d have to talk to Adam again. Offer him an apology. Extend the olive branch. At least over the phone she wouldn’t have to look at him and become tongue-tied and stupid. And if he was rude to her, or hung up on her, she’d still be able to tell her dad that she’d tried.
    “Uh, sure, Dad.” She patted his arm. “I’ll give him a call this evening.”
    “No, call him now while you’re still fresh.”
    She didn’t want to talk to him now! “But he might be working now. He wouldn’t like being disturbed.”
    “He’s doing a job over at Cindy’s place.” Her father waved his hand. “She keeps on changing her mind over what she wants. I’m sure he’d welcome a call just to get away from her.”
    Harriet frowned. “What kind of job is he doing at Cindy’s?” For some reason the thought of Adam spending time at Cindy’s filled her with a wormy feeling of unease.
    “Some kind of fancy pool house.” Her father shrugged. “You know your sister. Always likes everything shiny and new. Call him now. He’s a builder. He gets calls at work all the time.”
    The urgency in his voice swept her along. If she was going to call Adam, she might as well get it over and done with now, instead of having the task hang over her head all day long.
    “Okay, Dad.” She picked up her handbag from beneath her seat. “I’ll have to go outside to make the call.”
    Five minutes later she’d tracked down