Letters in Time by Reiss Susan (i love reading books .txt) ๐
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- Author: Reiss Susan
Read book online ยซLetters in Time by Reiss Susan (i love reading books .txt) ๐ยป. Author - Reiss Susan
Could it be true? Did Emmaโs father bury a chest of treasures under the Lone Oak?
I didnโt have to speculate in the silent, dusty corridors of history. I only had to raise that question with Daniel as soon as I got back to the Cottage.
โDid you find anything interesting?โ asked Stephani as her eyes eagerly searched the papers spread out in front of me.
I calmly moved my right hand to cover the page about buried treasure. I didnโt want to share any information yet. โOh, there are so many interesting things in your research files. I could get lost in them for hours. These files alone would be a great inspiration for a novel.โ
I noticed Stephaniโs eyes were racing over the labels on the file folders. Quickly, I shuffled the papers into an organized stack.
โOrโ I added, โThe information would be a great jumping-off point for a nonfiction book.โ I gently pulled more folders toward me. I felt like I was playing a shell game. โThere are some wonderful drawings of ladies fashions in these folders.โ
After I showed her a few, I rested my hands on the files. โYou have all the information and answers any writer might need for a book.โ I gently leaned against the back of my chair. โI donโt know, Stephani. I'm in a real quandary about what story I want to tell. What story the kids would enjoy."
Stephani lit up as she glanced down the aisle and mused, โI remember being mesmerized by stories my grandmother used to tell.โ
โOh, tell me.โ
"No, they were nothing special. Just family stories. I'm sure you can come up with something much better than hers." Her bright expression had closed down tight. She wasnโt going to share anything with me.
Disappointed, I gently pushed myself away from the table when I saw TJ making his way through the bank of computers toward me. "It's time for me to go. Thanks again for driving me around. I appreciate it."
Stephani watched while I collected my things. โI donโt mind carrying you around.โ
I had to smile at her use of a favorite local phrase, carrying you around.
Stephani continued. โIโm happy to do it. If you need any more research help, you know you can call on me. Iโm learning more every day about what is here in the Maryland Room. You have my telephone number. Just call me and let me know what you need and Iโll look it up.โ
TJ walked in, but his eyes were following Stephani as she went into a back room. โWhat were you talking about with her?โ
โAnd hello to you, too,โ I said with a little sarcasm.
He drew his eyes back to me and laughed. โOkay, hello. How was P.T.? How was your research time? Have I focused my attention on you now?โ
I playfully punched him in the arm and said, โYes, I think itโs time for us to get going.โ
I handed my things to him. โCome on, I have plans for you.โ He followed me as I moved right along. I was feeling pretty good.
"You don't have to make a mad dash to the truck," he warned.
โI know,โ I whispered as we made our way through the library. โIโm not pushing myself. Iโm just feeling stronger. Iโm hesitant to say it out loud, but I feel like Iโve turned the corner.โ
We walked through the automatic doors into the small, landscaped courtyard of the library. The sun shone brightly without the scorching heat of summer.
TJ walked closer to me and lowered his voice. โDid you hear? Craig caught up with Josh and has him in custody.โ
"That's a relief." And it was. I hadn't realized how worried I was about running into Josh again, especially on my patio. "Could you put my papers in the truck, then take a short walk with me?"
โPart of your research?โ
โYes,โ I said. โIโve made a discovery.โ
After he stashed the papers, we crossed the street and followed the brick walkway to the front of the county courthouse. I found a bench and sank down on it.
โOkay, before you lecture me, that was too far to walk, Iโm happy to rest here awhile.โ
โWhy did you want to come to the courthouse?โ TJ asked as he sat down next to me.
โI wanted to see where it happened. This is where Union soldiers marched on the Eastern Shore. The story was in one of the library books we took out on your card.โ
โTell me more,โ TJ said.
It was a pleasure to talk with a history buff as avid as I was. โThe soldiers came from Baltimore to arrest a circuit court judge suspected of being a Southern sympathizer. He had directed a grand jury to investigate some arrests made during the 1861 election and issue indictments. They pulled the judge right off the bench while he was conducting a trial. When he resisted, they pistol-whipped him and hauled him off to Fort McHenry on a charge of treason, punishable by death.โ
TJ took off his hat, ran his fingers through his hair, and reset the hat. "And I thought today's political maneuverings were getting outrageous."
"Remember, the nation was being torn apart by civil war. It didn't help that the federal troops stayed here to keep the peace, which only outraged both Southern and Northern sympathizers." I thought for a moment. "Maybe that was the event that forced Benjamin to choose sides."
โYou might be right,โ said
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