Emily's Dream Read Online Free PDF Page B

cigarette. This time, when he exhaled, he blew the smoke carefully off to the side of the room.
    â€œEmily, I said apologize to our guests.”
    Emily heard the threat in Dede’s voice, and she was sure the Piddington’s did too. If she did not apologize she would be whipped again. She remembered all too well the sting of the riding whip on the back of her legs. But still, Emily said nothing.
    â€œVery well, Emily. You give me no choice.” Dede’s grip on Emily’s elbow tightened further as she directed Emily out of the room. As Emily turned, she thought she saw the corners of Mr. Piddington’s mouth twitch into a smile.
    Emily hardened herself as Dede marched her to the kitchen where the riding whiphung. She would not make a sound, and she would not cry, Emily told herself.
    She gritted her teeth against the first blow.

 11 
Revenge
    The tears came later as Emily saddled Johnny and buried her face in his warm neck. Everyone seemed to be against her. If only Mother were alive. She at least would sympathize with Emily. Even if she didn’t understand Emily, she would not be so hard on her. And if Mother and Father were still alive, the horrible Piddingtons wouldn’t be staying with them.
    Emily put her arms around Johnny’s neck, breathing in his comforting animal smell. He blew softly, standing patiently as she held him. Emily took a deep breath and wiped away her tears. She would get back at Mr. Piddington somehow.
    Once they were away from houses and people, Emily loosened the reins and let Johnny take the lead. They passed farmers’ fields and tangled hedges of wild roses. When they came alongside a thick forest, Johnny suddenly veered toward it, heading right for the trees. Alarmed, Emily moved to tighten the reins and turn Johnny back to the road. But then she saw the path. The trees parted, and Johnny took them in.
    He walked calmly along the trail. The trees seemed to close in behind them, and Emily had to duck her head under low branches more than once. Here and there, fingers of sunlight reached down into the forest, touching leaves, stroking tree limbs. The leaves rustled softly, the sunlight shifted and danced, and Emily felt her anger and frustration ease away.
    After a while, the trail opened into a small clearing. Johnny stopped in the middle of the open space, and Emily slid off his back. She left Johnny to graze and sat down under a tall oak tree, leaning back against the firm solid trunk and closing her eyes.Around her, the leaves whispered, and she felt the warm touch of sunlight on her face–gentle as her mother’s hand. Her own hand rested on a rough cool root, and she sensed the slow movement of sap under the bark, like the pulse of blood through her own body. She opened her eyes, and green light dazzled her. All around her was the green movement of life. It coursed through the trees, through the birds, through the tiny insects crawling and flying, through the new sprouts and leaves, through the trunk she leaned against, and through her. For a wonderful dizzy moment, she did not know where she stopped and the forest started. She was part of it all, and it was part of her.
    As the feeling began to slip away, Emily grasped after it. If only she could paint the forest as she felt it – capture this moment in paint and color so she could keep it with her. Emily blinked and sighed. She’d once heard real painters visiting from England say it couldn’t be done. They said the British Columbia forest was too wild and untamedto paint. But they didn’t know the forest like she did. Maybe there was some way to paint it–to paint how it felt today.
    Emily stood up, suddenly frustrated. She didn’t know enough about art. She had to learn more. But there was no one in Victoria who could teach her what she wanted to know. Across the clearing, Johnny blew and tossed his head. Emily glanced up at the sun and put the thought of art lessons