This Side of Heaven Read Online Free PDF Page A

explain how this can be?”
    Caroline’s eyes glinted, and she ached to give him the rough side of her tongue. But instead she took a deep breath, suddenly realizing that to alienate the very man whose support she most needed would be foolhardy. What would she do if he, in his capacity as her sister’s husband, sent her packing? The notion did not bear thinking of.
    “I am Elizabeth’s sister,” she said evenly. “I am Caroline Wetherby.”
    There was a shocked sound from the young man who looked like Daniel, and wide-eyed stares from the two boys. Matt’s eyes flickered, then ran slowly over her before returning to her face. “I see little resemblance.”
    “Believe me, I am who I say. I have papers to prove my identity. Although Elizabeth will surely know me.”
    “Ah, you saw her recently, then?”
    “You must know that I have not seen her for some fifteen years.” There was anger in her voice. “Since shortly before she ran away with you, to be precise.”
    His mouth twitched once, then was stilled. His expression was unreadable. “She spoke of you.”
    His acknowledgment that she was indeed who she claimed to be, meager as it was in the face of all that she required of him, sent a wave of relief through Caroline.Until she registered precisely what it was that he had said.
    “She spoke of me?” she asked carefully, feeling an icy finger of premonition run along her spine. “Does she no longer do so?”
    “You cannot have had my letter.”
    “N-no. I have received no letter from you.”
    “I wrote last year. To you and your father. He is not with you?”
    “He died a little more than two months ago.”
    “Ah. You have my condolences, then.”
    “Thank you.”
    There was a watchfulness in his blue eyes, and he seemed to hesitate as if weighing his next words. Coupled with the ponderous silence of the others, his reticence confirmed Caroline’s worst suspicion.
    “Elizabeth is dead, isn’t she?” Although it felt as though a giant hand was squeezing her insides, her words were steady.
    His lips tightened, and then he nodded once. “Yes.”
    “Oh, no.” Caroline closed her eyes tightly, taking deep breaths to combat the nausea that suddenly resurrected itself with swirling insistence. “Oh, no!” There was heavy silence on the part of the watching males. After a moment, her eyes opened again. This time they were cloudy with shock. “How—how did she die?”
    “She drowned,” Matt said tersely. “ ’Twill be two years ago in May.”
    “Oh, no!” It seemed to be all she could say. The children, the men—their faces grew suddenly blurry. The thought of how far she had come, of how muchshe had risked to make this journey, made her feel light-headed. All in vain, all in vain—the words ran through her head in ringing chorus. Her stomach churned; she clenched her teeth, determined not to give way. But this time incipient illness was not to be denied. With a gasp, she thrust Millicent blindly into Ephraim Mathieson’s surprised arms. Pressing a hand to her mouth, she turned quickly away, stumbling in her haste to reach the nearest concealment.
    The barn was nearby; she barely managed to get around the corner of it before collapsing onto her knees and becoming violently sick. When she was finished, she crawled away to sit huddled in the structure’s cool shadow with her head resting back against the rough wood. She had never felt so miserable, both physically and spiritually.
    Elizabeth was dead. Caroline had no strength left even to mourn for her sister. At that moment her concern was all for herself: she was destitute, cast adrift in a strange land with no one left to turn to. In England she had burned her bridges with a vengeance, but even if she hadn’t she had not the funds to return . What could she do, except cast herself on the mercy of her unwelcoming brother-in-law?
    Caroline cringed in humiliation at the very idea.
    The object of her thoughts came around the corner of the barn