The Queen of the Big Time Read Online Free PDF Page A

see it.”
    “Oh no, I can see it. I have a mirror in my room. Well, it’s not just my room, I share it with Elena and Dianna and Roma. Assunta gets her own room because she’s the eldest. But she keeps her clothes in our closet because we only have one closet.” I don’t know why I am compelled to tell this man every detail of our living arrangements, what does he care, but it’s too late now. At least he seems mildly interested, or maybe he’s just polite. He motions for me to sit down, so I do.
    “I’m an only child. I wish I would have had a brother to share things with.” The way he smiles at me makes me look into his eyes, which are as blue as the sapphire in Mama’s locket.
    “But not four of them. I never get a moment’s peace.”
    He laughs. “Not a moment, huh?”
    “Hardly ever. Half the time when I’m reading, I have to stop because there’s some chore to be done or I have to look after my little sisters.”
    “You like to read?”
    “It’s my favorite thing to do.”
    “Me too. Are you in school?”
    “At Delabole. But it only goes to seventh grade, and I’m already fourteen, so I repeated it twice. My teacher tutors me, but she thinks I need to be in a classroom with my peers. She wants me to go to Columbus School.”
    “You must be smart if she wants you to continue in school.”
    “I’ve always gotten A’s.”
    “I graduated from Columbus School.”
    I was right. That means he’s at least eighteen. “What’s it like?”
    “Excellent teachers. I was well prepared for college.”
    “You’re in college? I want to go someday.”
    “What do you want to be?”
    “A teacher.” My heart begins to race. Saying my dream out loud is so exciting to me, and saying it to a college man makes it even more thrilling. “What do you want to be?” I ask him. He looks at me, a little surprised that I would want to know.
    “I don’t know yet.”
    “Why not?”
    “There are lots of things I’m interested in,” he says and shrugs.
    “You should eat. Your food is getting cold,” I tell him as I stand. I look beyond to the black field behind our barn and wish I could run into the dark night. I feel trapped and so sad that I’m only fourteen and I won’t ever know this young man as I would like. I need to find a graceful way to exit. I remember Miss Stoddard and throw my shoulders back.
    “Nella, Papa needs coffee,” Assunta tells me nicely, and I am so relieved, as I would hate for her to embarrass me in front of this man with the beautiful hands.
    “Right away,” I tell her.
    As I walk quickly back to the kitchen, I can feel his eyes following me. I take a deep breath when I get inside. My heart is pounding now.
    “Slow down,” Mama says as she passes me with a fresh platter of pepper salad. “There’s no rush.”
    “What’s the matter?” Elena takes one look at me and the empty bread basket and can see something has happened.
    “Nothing.”
    “You’re all red.”
    “It’s windy,” I lie. “Do me a favor?”
    “Sure.”
    “Papa wants coffee. Can you take it to him?”
    “Yeah. But something’s wrong. What is it? You can tell me.” Elena lifts the coffeepot off the stove with a flannel mitt.
    “There’s a boy at the end of the table, the farthest seat from Papa. Will you find out his name?”
    Elena laughs. “Is he a sheik?”
    “No … I mean, yes.” Ever since Elena and I went to the movie house and saw Rudolph Valentino in The Sheik , she swears I have not been the same. “He’s just nice,” I tell her, and as soon as I say it, my face flushes the color of Papa’s best red handkerchief.
    “He must be more than nice. You’re shaking,” Elena says quietly.
    “It’s the sound of his voice. It’s very deep and soft and I don’t know how to say it … it thrills me.”
    “I understand.” Elena smiles. I am so glad I can tell her things, even when I’m not exactly sure what I’m feeling. “Let me see what I can find out.” Elena turns to go