Dead Voices Read Online Free PDF

slyly at her father, trying to gauge his true reaction and wishing he would come right out and say something like, You know we love you. But he just sat in his chair, stone-faced, as he ate his breakfast while gazing out at the pasture. His eyes looked lost, unfocused, and if she hadn’t known better, she would have thought he hadn’t even been paying close attention to their conversation.
    ‘‘I’ll probably just stay here awhile, though,” she said softly. “Just until things get straightened out between me and Doug. I don’t know. Maybe I’ll end up getting a job in town so I can pay my own way —”
    “T’ ain’t necessary,” her father said, his eyes still fastened on the view outside the kitchen window.
    “Maybe not,” Elizabeth replied, “but I’ve got to do something with my time. You and Ma don’t want me moping around the house all day, now, do you?”
    “I’ll tell you one thing, though,” her father said. For just an instant, his eyes flickered over to his daughter, but then his lower jaw tightened. “I’ve got a good mind to give Doug a call and tell him a thing or two ... ‘specially after what he said —”
    “Kendall,” Rebecca said, her voice rising threateningly.
    “What did he say?” Elizabeth asked, feeling a sudden, dark lurch in her stomach.
    “Maybe I shouldn’t go repeatin’ things,” her father said gruffly, “but I’ll tell you som’thing.” His voice lowered with menace. “I never much cared for that man.”
    “Ken-dall!” Rebecca snapped.
    He flashed her an angry stare but went on undeterred. “No — I promised your ma years ago I’d never come right out ‘n’ say it, but, considerin’ what’s happened lately, I don’t see no harm. I always thought you could’ve done much better than Doug Myers, and I always thought it was wrong for you to drop outta school just so’s you could get married. Truth to tell, I always thought it was a mistake when you ‘n’ Frank Melrose broke up right after high school graduation —”
    “Ken- dall !” Rebecca said, her voice rising with intensity.
    Looking squarely at Elizabeth, he went on. “I told you then I thought it was a mistake. Still do.”
    Elizabeth’s face flushed when she heard voiced something she herself, even years after she’d married Doug, had thought often enough to tickle her with guilt. It was almost funny how her father, who seemed at times so detached from what other people thought and felt, could usually get to the point so quickly once he started to speak his mind. When it came to nailing down what was important, leave it to good ole’ dad to do it the quickest and the best.
    “No matter what you or anyone else thought at the time,” Elizabeth said weakly, “Frank and I had our differences that we just couldn’t straighten out. And I loved Doug when’ first met him.”
    “I always thought you were foolish not to finish college. ‘N’ then to marry a high school history teacher! I worked hard so’s I could send both you and your sister to school, you know.”
    “I know you did, dad,” Elizabeth said. “And I appreciate everything you and Mom did for me. But I really did love Doug, and I always intended to go back to school. , just never got a chance to, and then Caroline was born. And things weren’t so bad for us. Sure, we struggled, but you can’t tell me you and Mom haven’t struggled to get by. It’s just that Doug —” Her voice broke off for an instant, and she had the flashing fear that she was going to start crying allover again. “He seemed to-to change ... especially after Caroline died.”
    There ! she thought, feeling a small wave of triumph. I finally said it !
    “‘N’ to think that after everything you’ve been through,” Kendall went on, “to think that he blames you for what happened!”
    In spite of herself, Elizabeth stiffened. She clenched her hands into fists in her lap, just to keep them from trembling. Her throat closed off before she