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Back The Orchardist's Daughter Save as PDF
Chapters (57)
  1. COVER PAGE
  2. PRAISE
  3. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  4. DEDICATION
  5. PROLOGUE
  6. PART I SEEDS
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. PART II GERMINATION
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. PART III GROWTH
  29. 21
  30. 22
  31. 23
  32. 24
  33. 25
  34. 26
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. PART IV UNDERSTOREY
  42. 33
  43. 34
  44. 35
  45. 36
  46. 37
  47. 38
  48. 39
  49. 40
  50. 41
  51. 42
  52. 43
  53. 44
  54. 45
  55. 46
  56. EPILOGUE
  57. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

‘It’s pretty up there. I’ve walked some of the trails.’

‘I’ve been fixing those trails,’ he said. ‘It’s hard yakka. They give me volunteers, but it makes my job harder—a bit like herding cats. Sometimes it’s easier to do the work yourself.’

She laughed again, and the way she shifted in her chair and tipped her head back made him appreciate the smoothness of her throat. ‘We should go hiking sometime,’ she suggested. ‘I don’t mind walking on my own, but it’s good to have company.’

‘Sure. That would be great.’

When he’d finished his hot chocolate, she reached to take his cup and their hands brushed briefly. She smiled, their eyes connected, and Leon felt a part of himself turn to liquid. He should organise something with her soon. Go for a hike, like she’d said. Maybe she would like to try sea-kayaking.

He stood to go. ‘Thanks so much for everything.’

She smiled again, her face crinkling pleasantly. ‘That’s fine. I hope you’ve warmed up a bit now.’

Yes, he was definitely warmer.

37

37

On Tuesday, Miki was alone again. It was no surprise. Kurt was angry with her for defying him and running up to Max’s house. When she came home that day, she had expected him to explode. But not a word. Tension was building inside him—that familiar humming of bees. Too many things had been left unsaid, and Kurt was not one to store things forever. He still hadn’t mentioned changing the locks. An eruption must be coming, but its timing could not be predicted.

Sitting at a table in the shop, she gazed out to the street, where clear light poured with the promise of spring. Weather like this should have made her feel positive, but loneliness descended like a cloud. How many weeks now since she had visited the forest? She missed the trees and the breathy rustling of leaves. Missed the way the light fell through the canopy. Missed the scent of the leaf litter connecting her back to the earth. But she had no regrets. Taking action to help Max had made her feel powerful.

To dispel loneliness she decided to read—maybe Wuthering Heights today; in her present mood she felt closer to Cathy than Tess or Jane Eyre. She admired Cathy’s passionate liveliness, the way she stood up for herself and announced her feelings, the strength that drove her to follow her will, no matter what others thought. There were things Miki could learn from Cathy.

But when she went to her room, her books were not on the bedside table where they belonged. They had been there last night—she had read Jane Eyre before going to sleep. That meant Kurt must have taken them this morning. Was this how he would punish her, by removing her privileges in small insidious ways?