My Heart Remembers Read Online Free PDF Page B

ya, wee one.” Tears distorted her vision, and she jumped free of the carriage, determined not to let this couple see her break down. Her foot bumped the bag, and she spun toward the man. “Please, sir, one more minute?”
    The man blew out an impatient breath, but he waited while Maelle flopped open the bag and removed the Bible. After slipping the photograph free, she held out the book.
    “Will . . . will you take me family’s Bible . . . for Molly?”
    The woman called through the door, “Take it, Reginald, and let us be off.”
    Silently, the man took the Bible and then closed the door behind him with a snap. The driver brought the reins down across the backs of the horses, and the carriage rolled forward. Maelle remained in the churchyard until the carriage turned a corner and disappeared from sight.
    She closed her eyes for a moment, willing the name to memory: Mr. Standler. Standler. Standler. Her chest ached so badly she feared her heart might be crushed. Molly . . . gone. And Mattie—
    With a start, she realized she didn’t know what had happened to Mattie. Grabbing up her bag, she raced for the church, weaving between couples who were heading toward wagons, most with children in tow. Had Mattie been taken, too?
    She careened through the door, and she nearly wilted with relief when she spotted Mattie in one of the wooden pews. He sat with his head bowed, tears creating rivers down his pale cheeks. She slid in beside him and dropped the bag in her lap.
    “Miss Esther says nobody will be wantin’ me now that I kicked that man.”
    Mattie’s sad words made Maelle’s chest ache even more. She feared he might be right. Unable to answer, she simply nodded.
    “But I had to do somethin’. They took Molly away.” He squinched his eyes closed, and tears spurted. “Miss Esther . . . she let ’em take Molly away. We won’t be seein’ her again. Just like Ma an’ Da . . .”
    Maelle swallowed her own tears. Reaching into the bag, she pulled out the photograph and pressed it into Mattie’s hands. “Ya hold on to this. Ya can look at Molly an’ Ma an’ Da whenever ya’re wantin’ to.”
    Mattie held the picture in his limp fingers while tears continued to roll down his cheeks and plop onto his wool pants, leaving speckles behind. Maelle put her arm around his shoulders, blinking to keep her tears back. Crying wouldn’t change anything.
    She now understood Miss Agnes’s funny look and Miss Esther’s careful wording. They’d planned all along to give Molly to that couple. Never had they planned to let Maelle and Mattie go, too.
    She envisioned the couple in their fancy clothes, riding in their fancy carriage. Rich people. Hadn’t Da always said you couldn’t trust rich people? And now rich people had Molly. At least they had seemed to like the baby. They probably couldn’t have wee ones of their own. Wouldn’t they treat the baby like a princess? She hoped so. And she knew their name. Standler . She’d find Molly again. She would!
    She and Mattie sat on the pew while, one by one, the children left with couples. Eventually only Miss Esther and a man who leaned against the far wall remained. The man pushed off from the wall and approached Miss Esther.
    Maelle heard their mumbled voices, but she ignored them until they crossed the floor to stand beside the pew. Miss Esther touched Maelle’s shoulder. She looked up, and she hoped the hatred she felt didn’t show on her face.
    “Michael, this is Mr. Richard Watts. He’s looking for a boy to travel with him and help him in his business.”
    Out of the corner of her eye, Maelle looked Mr. Watts up and down. Dressed in a brown suit with a string tie beneath his chin, he looked like many of the other men who’d come to the church that day. He needed a shave and haircut, though. The man’s gaze bored into her. Maelle turned her face away.
    Suddenly a hand curled around her upper arm and pulled her from the pew. Mattie’s cry of fear brought Maelle to