Pocketful of Pearls Read Online Free PDF Page A

all she wanted to do was bolt
     them down herself. Never mind that she’d made herself a full breakfast before she’d brought a plate to the vagrant.
    Sheba murmured something in the depths of the jacket and Dinah opened it. The bird backed out a little and then sat companionably
     on Dinah’s thigh, within the circle of her arm, keeping a vigilant amber eye on her kingdom.
    “Is it safe to come out yet?”
    Dinah jumped, and Sheba scrambled to her feet. The hen’s head swiveled toward the hay bales as the vagrant poked his head
     above them.
    “I thought you’d gone.” Dinah stroked Sheba’s feathers until she settled down again, but Dinah could still feel the tension
     in her feet as they gripped her skirt.
    Probably a response to the tension in her own body.
    “You asked me to stay here. I wasn’t sure if you meant it, but if it means getting more of those eggs, I’ll take the risk.”
    He was gazing at the bowl she’d meant for the chickens, and compunction nudged her. She hadn’t even thought about her promise
     to bring him seconds. The sight of Phinehas had driven him completely out of her head.
    She picked up the bowl and held it out to him. “They’re probably cold.”
    He climbed over the bales and she noticed that Schatzi didn’t move. How odd.
    “They’re protein,” he said. “Doesn’t matter whether they’re hot or cold.” In seconds the leftovers were gone. Sheba gave him
     the evil eye.
    Dinah felt rather the same. “You were supposed to share.”
    The hen hopped down, offended, and stalked out the hen door.
    “If she hasn’t eaten since Wednesday, I’d be happy to share with her.” He scooped the last particles out of the bowl with
     his fingers. “Besides, in her case there are more where these came from. I didn’t realize chickens ate eggs.”
    “They eat chicken, too. They prefer it baked.”
    “How can chickens eat other chickens?”
    “It isn’t personal. Like you said, it’s protein. Those eggs have to be built from something.”
    He folded himself onto a hay bale a little distance from her and regarded Schatzi, who gazed placidly back. “I am reduced
     to the level of a chicken,” he said sadly. “My only thoughts are for protein and not getting killed by the nearest predator.”
    “You’ve had trouble with predators?” She pulled her jacket more closely around her and made sure her black skirts covered
     her legs to the ankle.
    “Yes. The two-legged type. They had a bit of fun with my credit cards before I could find a phone and cancel them. I never
     realized before how difficult it is to find a phone that doesn’t require money.”
    “Do you still need to use one? There’s an extension out here.” She nodded toward the door, where the phone hung.
    “No, thank you. I’m obliged to be moving on.”
    “Not immediately.”
    She gathered her thoughts together for an idea that had just popped into her head fully formed. Or maybe it was the logical
     result of the last twenty-four hours. In any case, the more she thought about it, the angrier she got, and the better she
     liked it.
    He gave her a long look. “I don’t understand.”
    “How would you like a job, Mr. Nicholas?”
    He stared at her in astonishment. “I thought we discussed this before. Having a job requires a place to live, which requires
     rent, which requires a job. A vicious circle that defeats me at the moment.”
    “A place to live comes with it.”
    He got up and then sat again, as though his legs wouldn’t carry him far enough to get him out the door. “Please explain. The
     protein hasn’t kicked in enough to allow my brain to work.”
    “You need a place to live and something to do,” she said. “I need someone to do the heavy work around here that my father
     did up until the cancer made it impossible. Either I hire a boy from Hamilton Falls and have to deal with his social life
     cutting into his work time, or I hire you, ready and available to start immediately. What do