The Color Of The Soul (The Penbrook Diaries) Read Online Free PDF

tell him you be wantin’ to go to Buck’s place. He can git you
there.”
    “Thank you.” Plopping his hat on his
head, he sent her another grin.
    The housekeeper regarded him with a
disapproving frown and closed the door.

Chapter Two

 
    After a fitful night’s sleep, Andy rose
early, washed his face, and wandered downstairs toward the heavenly smell of
freshly boiled coffee and frying ham. Buck and Lottie Purdue proved to be a
loving couple with a houseful of children and had welcomed Andy warmly. They’d
even thrown in meals as part of the paltry sum he was paying for the use of a
room.
    “Good morning, Mr. Carmichael.” Mrs.
Purdue’s cheerful smile greeted him as he entered the kitchen. “Coffee?”
    “Yes, ma’am. And please, call me Andy.”
    “The children’ll be down soon, but you
might get to drink half a cup in peace.”
    Andy smiled. “Children don’t bother me.”
    “You must have some of your own, then.
How many?” Mrs. Purdue set a mug in front of him on the table.
    “No.” A lump formed in Andy’s throat. He
swallowed it down with a gulp of burning coffee. “We lost two.”
    Unable to abide the sympathy in the
woman’s chocolate brown eyes, Andy turned away from his hostess and slid his
finger around the edge of his cup.
    “It’s all right.” She rinsed a dish under
running water. “You don’t have to talk about it. I lost three of Buck’s babies
before we got our first one. And look at how God’s blessed us since. A half a
dozen and another one coming early next year.”
    “I don’t think God’s too inclined to
bless me with anything. But congratulations on the new baby.”
    “Seems like you’ve been blessed with a
good job, health, a wife.” She turned from the sink and smiled. “Wouldn’t you
call those blessings?”
    Mesmerized by her soft tones and easy
grace, Andy didn’t have the will to argue. Besides, children began to filter in
and clamor for their breakfast.
    Directly after breakfast, a messenger
arrived from Penbrook House announcing that Miss Penbrook regretted she would
be unable to see Andy today. Perhaps tomorrow. In the
meantime, she sent a box containing several books she hoped he would find
interesting.
    A heavy sigh escaped Andy’s lips as he
scooped up the box and headed back to his room.
    He sat on his bed and fingered the books,
his stomach a whirl of butterflies as he realized what he had at his disposal.
Not only did the box contain Miss Penbrook’s diary--in several volumes--but
Madeline Penbrook’s and Catherina’s as well. He rummaged until he found the
diary containing Madeline’s thoughts after her miscarriage.
    Vaguely aware of the rumble of thunder
outside, Andy stretched out on the bed and allowed Madeline Penbrook to take
him into her world.

 
    March
1849

 
    It
is settled. Tomorrow, Henry and I shall take Camilla and Catherina and move
back to Missouri. I ache at the thought of snatching the child from her mother.
After all, why did I abase myself to barter for human flesh if all for naught?
I am appalled that Henry would sell Naomi to his father without my consent. But
he insists our financial situation is not good and moving to Missouri will
burden him further. I believe he sold her to punish me, though whether the
punishment is due to losing his son or for defying him in the first place, I
cannot be certain. He has changed so much I scarcely know him at all anymore.
Or perhaps he has not changed and I never knew him to begin with.
    At
any rate, I have promised my dear friend Naomi that I will look after her
daughter as though she were my own. Henry has reluctantly agreed we should raise
Cat as a white girl (for her skin is as white as my own), though I can see he
is unhappy with the idea. I would like to raise her as our daughter, especially
since, sadly, the doctor has advised it does not appear to be God’s will that
we have more children of our own. But Henry quite vehemently opposed my
request. Indeed the suggestion