matter how big a hole it’s burning in her. Most especially not another woman.
That’s something you got to learn. For all you know, I could be right glad to have something to lord over Seborn Killion’s snotty daughter, up on her high horse, thinking she’s better than me. I could rush out tomorrow, tell it all over town.”
“I don’t think I’m better –”
“I know.” Mrs. Place squeezed her hands. “I know you don’t. You were real
sweet to me. I’m just saying, you didn’t know that warn’t the way I felt. You don’t know one stitch about me, but you came straight in here, trusting me with a
secret that could ruin your life. And believe me it could, even though it warn’t
none of your fault. That’s the sorry truth. So you best not be telling anyone else.
I mean anyone. Including that brother of yours. I know you think the world of him, but he wouldn’t be the least bit of comfort to you and you never know what
harm he might do. Oh, he wouldn’t mean to, but weak people with good
intentions can be the worst.” She released Olivia’s hands and placed her palms on both sides of Olivia’s face. “Now you listen to me good. Day might come you
have some special close friend and you feel you want to tell her. But you can’t.
Not a word of it. And when you meet some nice young fellow wants to marry you, you might feel obliged to bare your heart. Don’t you so much as think about
it. I don’t care how much he swears nothing could ever make him stop loving you, or how much you trust him, or how much you hate keeping a secret from
him. Not a single word. You got to keep this inside you for the rest of your life.”
“I know…”
“Do you? You shudna told me, but you already done that, and you can’t take
it back. Just don’t go telling anyone else. Not ever. You understand me? Never.”
Olivia nodded.
“It’s the type of thing will always make people surprise you for the worst.
You think they’d understand, feel nothing but sorry for you, seeing as it was forced on you. There’s no way they can blame you. That’s what you’d think. But
that ain’t what happens. You can count on them to find a way.”
“I won’t tell anyone else.”
“Anyone see you get off that stage?”
“It wasn’t a stage. It was a delivery wagon. I was the only passenger.”
“And no one saw you get off it? No one else knows you’re here?”
“No.” Olivia picked up the handkerchief and blew her nose.
“Well, I think we could both use a night to sleep on this. You can spend it here. No point in making any hasty decisions. You get a good rest and we can talk at noon tomorrow, when I come in for my dinner. After that, you go home if
you want. No reason your folks wouldn’t believe you just got off some other delivery wagon. But first we’ll think it through together, see what’s best.
Where’d you leave your cases?”
“In the bushes behind that big sign in front of the Episcopal Church.”
“All right, I’ll wait till it gets a bit later and go get them.”
Olivia shook her head. “There are two wicker baskets. Big ones. You won’t
be able to carry them.”
“I got a wagon I use to bring sacks of flour and sugar from your brother’s store.”
Olivia started. It was strange to hear it called “your brother’s store” instead of
“your father’s store.”
“I’ll come with you.”
“Well I suppose that’d be all right. You put that monk get-up back on, no one
will ever guess it’s you. And anyone asks, I got a long-lost cousin come to stay
with me.” Mrs. Place pushed her chair back and stood up. “Let’s say we go out
