Beneath the Black Moon (Root Sisters) Read Online Free PDF Page A

pleasantries with an elderly
couple. He didn’t want her to go. Cam would have been smug if she didn’t know
that he only wanted her so that he could wring information from her. The real
question was: why did he want so desperately to know?  What stake did he, a
stranger to Gaynor County, have in it?
    “I
must greet some of the other guests,” Cam said firmly, and Marianne was already
waving goodbye. She bid them both farewell and could tell from the faint frown
on Brent’s face that he wasn’t pleased. Good, that meant that he hadn’t learned
anything useful from her yet.
    Cam
walked slowly away from Brent and Marianne, making an effort to appear
unruffled and unhurried, even though all she wanted to do was go back to the
kitchen and report to Caro and Grandma. She couldn’t leave now, though. People
would notice and her Aunt Beth would never forgive her. Cam glanced around the
barbecue, trying to find someone she wouldn’t mind passing a few minutes with.
It was difficult. It had been difficult ever since Diana’s scandal, when people
who were supposed to be her friends had turned on her swiftly and ruthlessly.
Now, Cam no longer saw neighbors, but enemies. There was Missy Dalton, who had been
envious of Diana since they were all children. Missy had been one of the first
to start circulating rumors. Then there was Thomas Brighton, who. . . .
    Ah,
there was Helen. Cam quickly pushed away thoughts of the many traitors who
stood on her lawn and started toward her younger sister. Helen was standing in
the filtered shade of an oak tree in her cherry organdy gown. She was staring
at the guests around her with an expression that matched the way Cam felt.
Neither woman could help but feel like a traitor to Diana for attending the
barbecue.
    Cam
looked over her shoulder and saw Aunt Beth glance discreetly in Helen’s direction,
the faintest of frowns evident in the slight wrinkle on her brow.
    “Our
Aunt isn’t pleased,” Cam said.
    Helen
nodded, already looking chastised. “I didn’t realize how late it was.”
    “What
were you doing?” Cam asked, casually leading her sister away from the barbecue
so that they could speak privately together.
    “I
was writing.” Helen said. “I meant to come back soon, but I had a very strange
dream last night which I wanted to record. By the time I’d reached the bit
where I woke up, the barbecue had already started. Is something wrong?” She
asked Cam. She seemed to realize that Cam’s question wasn’t an idle one.
    “I
don’t know,” Cam said honestly. “You’re sure that’s all you were doing in the
woods? You weren’t meeting anyone, were you?” Cam asked. She kept her voice so
low that it was barely audible. Those were dangerous words to speak aloud,
especially given Diana’s scandal.
    “Meeting
someone?” Helen looked stunned by the very idea. “Who would I meet?”
    She
had a point. Helen was popular enough, despite the fact that she was a Johnson
girl, but she had never seemed particularly interested in any of her admirers.
Helen wasn’t very fond of most people.  She was honest and sincere, and most
social interactions exhausted her.
    “Very
well,” Cam allowed, and turned to go. Her mind was churning.
    “Why
would you ask that?” Helen asked. “Something is wrong, isn’t it?”
    “Don’t
worry about anything,” Cam said. Of all of them, Helen was the most protected
the most sheltered from the horrors of their world. “Enjoy the barbecue.” She
turned to go, but Helen followed her.
    “I
saw you speaking to Mr. Anderson,” Helen said, walking alongside Cam.
    “Yes.”
    “He’s
quite . . . handsome, isn’t he?” Helen said. She couldn’t even speak the word
without blushing. Cam sighed inwardly. This was the girl that Aunt Beth was
hoping would ruthlessly pursue the local bachelors until she made an acceptable
match.
    I’m
sorry, Aunt Beth, but a new strategy is in order.
    “I
hadn’t noticed,” Cam lied.
    “They
say that because