The Beresfords Read Online Free PDF

Terri had decorated in a “rustic” style.
    “Why not invite the friends when the whole family’s at the cabin?” Jonathan suggested. “You know Mom and Dad always say we can.”
    Tom ruffled Jonathan’s hair. “Precisely because we don’t want to be at the cabin when the whole family’s there, Genius. We have our own…plans and activities…and I’m guessing Dad and Aunt Terror wouldn’t approve.”
    “Then why not simplify your story and leave the youth group out of it? Say you’re going camping with your buddies.”
    “ Gimme a break. You know how Dad hates Steve and Dave. He’d never let me, even though it sounds like he was pretty wild and crazy before he married Mom. Now quit hassling me, Reverend Jonathan, and just tell me what I wanna know.”
    Jonathan flushed and got to his feet. Tom had grown tall and well-built—as a sophomore he was already first-string on the varsity football team—but Jonathan was still his equal in height, and at fourteen just beginning to fill out. “Quit calling me that, Tom.”
    “Oh, come off it! I hear you and Frannie talking church church God God all the time while she gives you those big dumb moony eyes. It’s totally sickening. You’re just a couple of sheep. Baa! BAA!”
    That did it. Jonathan lowered his head and barreled into his brother. Backward went Tom, over the railing and into the hedge, his brother on top of him. The bushes shook; twigs snapped; leaves flew into the air. They came tumbling out, still locked together, a scratch on Jonathan’s cheek bleeding freely and a swatch of Tom’s shirt in his hand. Tom was stronger, but Jonathan was dead serious.
    Horrified, I threw myself on my stomach and army-crawled to the edge of the treehouse platform to watch the fight.
    Aunt Terri busted out the front door just when Tom was sitting on Jonathan’s chest, dangling a spit loogie over him like he used to do to me and his sisters when we were littler. “Tom! Tom—what on earth? Get off of Jonathan right now.”
    Leisurely, Tom hocked the loogie off to the side, rolled off and smiled up at his aunt. “Just goofing around. He wouldn’t tell me when the youth retreat was, and I really wanna go.”
    Jonathan sat up, his eyes dark. He swabbed his cheek with the piece of Tom’s shirt. I could see the tension in his body. I knew him so well it seemed I could read the thoughts in his clenched muscles. He was debating what to do, but Tom’s choices were Tom’s choices. He, Jonathan, could speak his mind, but he wouldn’t rat on him. “It’s October 10-12.”
    “Thanks,” said Tom. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
    “What is it about boys,” complained Aunt Terri, “that everything has to be decided with a wrestling match? Well, at least you did it outside. But just look at the hydrangeas!” A falling object caught her attention: my pencil, rolling off the platform where I still lay hunkered. Aunt Terri’s eye flew up and spotted my night-light hair. Relieved to have a new object on which to vent her feelings, she went after me. “Frannie, how many times have I told you to change your school clothes before you go climbing trees and getting dirty? And I suppose you couldn’t have reminded your cousins that I don’t like rough-housing? Come down from there right now! You should be inside doing your homework.”
    “I was doing my homework,” I replied breathlessly, scrambling down with my backpack and loose papers. “But I’ll finish inside.”
    “And just look at your hair! How is it that barrettes and combs fall out, but leaves and lint stay in, no problem?”
    “ Aww , go easy on her, Aunt Terri,” said Tom, inclined to be generous after his victory. “Except for not keeping her clothes nice and having messy hair, Frannie never does anything wrong. Right, Frannie?” To me, he mouthed baa, baa !
    I ignored him and made to go past, not meeting Jonathan’s gaze because I was embarrassed. Embarrassed that he might think I was spying on him