Corner of the Housetop: Buried Secrets (34 page)

Lady Sarah Mary-Ruth snorted and kicked to show her disapproval.

"Oh, you be quiet! Didn't even hit you," Derek said moodily.

Several minutes later, Gabriel called up, "Derek, you'll have to come down for them. I can't climb the ladder and carry them all."

"Them all?" Derek crawled to the edge and peered down at the other boy. "How many did you bring?"

Gabriel riffled through a pile of fabric draped over his arm. "Four or five. Most of them are too small for me, but they should be right for you."

Derek swung his legs over and climbed down quickly. It had been a little while since he'd gotten new clothes and, despite himself, he was excited. Taking a couple of the shirts, Derek asked, "When are you going to town for your new things?"

"Not until next month. I'm only getting measured and then they'll send away to the school outfitters for the uniform."

"Thank you."

The two boys climbed back to the loft, Derek with considerable ease; Gabriel with some effort. Moving the lamp off the top of the chest, Derek lifted the lid and put the shirts away. "They should all fit in here." Derek turned to take the rest of them from Gabriel, but stopped when he saw the other boy looking around at the books.

"When did you get these?"

"Had 'em for a while," Derek answered evasively, picking up the nearest one quickly. He tried to gather everything, but Gabriel reached the writing pad before him.

"What's this?"

"Nothing."

"Are you learning to read and write?" He started flipping through some of the pages of scratchy lettering.

Derek grabbed the paper away from him. "I said it was nothing." He turned away from Gabriel and busied himself burying the books and papers under his new shirts.

"If you are, I've got a couple books you could use."

His cheeks flushing crimson, Derek said, "No, thanks. I'm really just messing with it, anyway."

"If you change your mind, let me know."

"Yeah."

There were a few seconds of silence, then Gabriel handed Derek the rest of the shirts. "Well, anyway, I should get back to the house. Jonathan is going up to the post office and he said I could go with him."

"All right."

"I could get you something at the store, if you want. I'm getting myself some taffies."

"Naw, that's all right."

"If you're sure."

"I'm sure."

"All right. See you later."

Derek nodded. When Gabriel had gone, he sat back down.

It was strange how easy it was for them to be friends again now that Anthony wanted nothing to do with Gabriel. Just like before. Like those years had never even happened.

Derek sighed. He was suddenly aware of the sunburn on his shoulders and he felt very sleepy. Pushing down a lump in his hay mattress, he lied down on his stomach and closed his eyes, hoping he wouldn't dream about the girl or the night creatures.

It seemed he'd barely closed his eyes when Derek was awakened by someone calling to him from below. Feeling just as tired as he had when he'd lied down, Derek sat up and called groggily, "What?"

Clumsy footsteps made their way up the ladder.

Gabriel
, he thought.

"I got you something in town. I know you said you didn't want anything, but I thought you might like to have it later." Gabriel crawled onto the loft floor, struggling to keep his balance and hold the little, white paper bag without crushing whatever was in it.

Derek rubbed his face with his hands, then said, "What did you get?"

"Rock candy. The red ones."

His interest piqued, Derek stood up and walked to meet Gabriel, taking the bag from him. "Really?"

Gabriel took one out of the bag and popped it into his mouth. "Haven't had them in a while."

"Turns your tongue red," Derek said, taking one for himself. "Your mother will know you've had sweets before dinner."

Gabriel shrugged. "I don't think she'll care as much as she usually does. She's sort of distracted."

"Yeah? By what?" Derek held the bag out.

Ignoring the question, Gabriel shook his head at the offered bag. "The rest are yours. I have mine in the house."

Derek went to put the candy in his chest and changed the subject. "What was Jonathan doing at the post office?"

"He had to mail something to his lawyer back home. I guess he didn't think he'd be gone this long, and he didn't take care of some things he should have."

"Oh."

"Said he might have to go back for a few days next month."

"Are you going with him?"

"I'd like to."

Sitting, Derek said, "Don't have any chairs, but you're welcome to whatever piece of floor suits you."

Looking around for a moment, Gabriel settled on a spot at the foot of Derek's bed. The two sat quietly sucking their candy and thinking about separate things for several minutes.

Gabriel broke the comfortable silence. "Are you sure about not wanting to borrow that book?"

"Huh?"

"The reading one. I really wouldn't mind."

Still a little embarrassed at the mention of his discovery, Derek said, "I'm sure."

"All right. Well, I should go. It's nearly dinner and I have to wash up."

"All right."

Gabriel hurriedly chewed the rest of his candy. "Maybe I'll come out and go riding tomorrow. If we don't have plans, at least."

"All right."

"Catherine wants to have a picnic tomorrow. I bet she'd like it if you were there."

Imagining Jonathan and Mrs. Worthington's response to that, Derek retorted, "To do what? Butter the toast?"

Gabriel shrugged. "Anyway, I'll see you later."

"Yeah."

When he heard the stable doors open then close, Derek lied back down. After a moment, he reached over and opened his chest and took out the small bag of candies. Taking another piece and sucking it thoughtfully, Derek turned over the new situation in his mind. Gabriel's offer to help with his reading filled his thoughts and he was having a hard time seeing a down side now that he wasn't upset and anxious.

"Why shouldn't I take advantage of him, if he wants to let me?" Derek wondered. After another piece of candy and several more minutes thinking, he decided to talk to Gabriel after the Smithfields left.

With effort, Derek hefted the last and largest suitcase and put it on the boot of the carriage. As he walked around and double checked the reigns and hitching lines, Abigail bounced around him. It was hard to believe how quickly the days had passed, though he hadn't been paying very much attention to anything besides chores. There was the occasional interruption from a bored Gabriel, but nothing overly remarkable.

"You'll come and visit us, won't you?" Abigail asked.

"I don't think so. I sort of have to stay here."

"Why?"

"I have work." Derek pulled at the riggings then, satisfied, walked to the side of the carriage to open the door and flip down the step.

"I could help you finish all your work, then you could come."

Now that she was getting ready to leave, Derek could admit that she was a little cute. "Maybe," he answered, not wanting to argue his case anymore.

"Have you finished?"

Looking up to see Jonathan stepping out onto the porch, Derek nodded. "All ready."

Jonathan nodded. "Abigail, come inside and say goodbye to Catherine."

Tears welled in her eyes. "Do I have to go?"

"Yes, you do. Now, come in, or you won't have time to see her again before it's time to leave."

Abigail climbed the steps dutifully and Jonathan followed her into the house.

Left to himself, Derek walked around to pet Blueberry for a minute. "Have fun in town, Blue. I'm gonna get out of here before I have to see everyone off." Just as he was slipping away, Derek was halted by Mr. Smithfield calling his name. Turning, he said, "Yes, sir?"

"I just wanted to say goodbye." Mr. Smithfield came down the porch steps and walked to meet him. "It was good meeting you."

"Yes, sir. You, too, sir."

"You're a hard worker. Keep it up and you'll do many great things." He smiled.

Forcing a smile of his own, Derek just said dumbly, "Yes, sir."

Just then the front door of the house opened and Mrs. Smithfield came out with her children gathered closely around her feet. "Darling, will you help Bartholomew into the carriage?"

"Yes, dear." Mr. Smithfield nodded once to Derek, then went to pick up his stumbling little son.

Before Abigail's attention grew weary of saying goodbye to Gabriel, Derek started across the lawn at a light jog, anxious to be away from all the family pouring out into the driveway. He felt like he was intruding and that Mr. Smithfield's farewell had been his dismissal from a moment he did not belong in.

Once he was safely away from the scene, hidden in the relative darkness of the loft, Derek relaxed a little. He sat down and took out his pad of paper and the book with the man in the tall hat on the cover. Content with the knowledge that he was going to talk to Gabriel the next day, he started copying lines.

"Boy!"

Derek sighed. He'd been lying awake in bed for nearly an hour, just waiting for the call. "I'll be down in a minute!" he answered.

It took Derek several minutes to get up and get dressed. His muscles were still stiff and he didn't look forward to having to catch up on the chores he'd been neglecting for the past couple days.

"I'm goin' fer the food. You git these horses fed and taken care of."

"All right." Derek opened his trunk and took one of his new shirts. The fabric was soft on his fingers and fell lightly over his back. When he finished dressing, he climbed down to the dusty floor below. "'Morning, Blueberry," he said, taking down the pail.

Blueberry walked to his feeding trough sleepily.

"Yeah, me, too."

Once the horses were fed and brushed, Derek took the rake and started cleaning up the walkway to pass time while he waited for Devon to return with breakfast. Fifteen minutes later, he sighed. "I really should get tired of doing the same things over and over, you know."

Lady Sarah Mary-Ruth glared at him unsympathetically.

"Stupid horse. A lack of charitable compassion is a sign of ignorance, according to Mr. Millstone," Derek lectured her.

The door opened.

"Breakfast," Devon announced.

Leaning the rake against the gate, Derek went to investigate the basket. "I'm starving," he said, pulling out a small loaf of bread and a jar of last fall's apple butter. There was also a glass bottle of milk and two strawberry pastries.