Purling Road - the Complete Second Season: Episodes 1-10 Read Online Free PDF Page B

savings.”
    Their eyes went wide.
    “Oh, stop it. He’ll never know it’s gone.” She poured another drink. “Come on, you two. Hurry and get a drink down. I want to go listen to the music.”
    “We’ll sip on the way,” Claire said as she stood. Arianna led the way out of the bar area and across the grand parlor. She walked with a glass in one hand, the neck of the bottle in the other, hips on full pivot, head held high, knowing she was catching men’s eyes left and right.
    As they approached, the music got louder, the lights brighter. The magnificent double doors were propped open, and in this room, the party was in full swing. The band was loud and fast, the dancers wild and carefree. The room was as busy as an anthill; it vibrated with energy and excitement.
    Arianna stopped. The scene seemed to have taken her breath away.
    She lowered her head. Her eyes narrowed, and her lips pulled into a slow smile.
    “I’m back.”
     
     

 
    Episode Two
    Rebels Rising
     
    Muzzy was nervous to type the words. Her decision to write an article at Maura’s suggestion explaining she was the owner of the Rockport Review was the most difficult one to make. But Maura was right. She had to take ownership—publicly—of this paper if it was ever going to be truly hers. It was time to stop dancing around the questions and just be out with it. Was it rare for a woman to own a business? Sure. But it wasn’t unheard of. Her kind was few in number, but they were out there.
    She might lose some subscriptions and she was prepared for that. She happened to think she might gain a few as well, from other strong, independent women in the community. Or at least she hoped.
     
    ***
     
    “Did you girls have fun last night?”
    Ava took a slow sip of coffee. She had a mild headache, but nothing she couldn’t fake her way through. “We did,” she said, smiling. “Very relaxing.”
    “Where did you go?”
    Ava froze, unsure of what to say. The truth was out of the question. Jonathan reached for the newspaper and accidentally knocked his coffee over. The sudden movement and how everyone at the table jumped scared Amy and she started to whimper.
    “Oh, let me get a towel,” Ava said, jumping up.
    “It’s all right, Amy. Daddy just made a mess,” Jonathan said.
    “Silly Dadee,” Jean said, leaning over toward his sister. She never broke out into a full sob, and by the time Ava returned, she was giggling at the funny faces Jonathan was making.
    “Help me get the tablecloth off before the stain sets,” Ava said. She breathed a sigh of relief at the distraction.
    “Do you have any plans today?” she asked, hoping once the subject was off the girl’s night out, he would stay off of it.
    “I said I’d help Caleb get started on that house for his mother.”
    “You’re going to build a house?” Jean asked, both amazed and impressed.
    “Well, what hopefully will pass for a house,” he said with a laugh. He was confident in Caleb’s building talents. His own, not so much.
    “Can I come?”
    “I’m sure Caleb would appreciate every helping hand.”
    “Why don’t we all go over?” Ava asked. “It’s been a few days since I tended to the garden plot.”
    “You spent the whole evening with Arianna. You aren’t sick of her?”
    “No,” Ava said, laughing off his comment. “I’ll go gather some things for Amy.” She ducked out quickly, hoping to avoid the dreaded question of where they were last night.
    In the hall, she stopped, closed her eyes, and leaned her head on the wall.
    “That was such a bad idea,” she groaned, wishing she could rewind time.
     
    ***
     
    “If I tell you something, do you promise to keep it a secret?”
    “Of course,” Aryl said. He sat on the edge of the bed.
    “I need your word that you won’t say anything to Jon or Caleb,” Claire said, wringing her hands, pacing.
    “I said I would.”
    She clamped her lips, giving herself one more moment to decide whether or not to back