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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

The rain was still falling, and the day felt interminably long even though the small crystal clock on the mantelpiece said it was only ten o’clock. She couldn’t control the kaleidoscope of her mind and knew she’d go mad if she didn’t distract herself. Geraldine’s bookshelf was by the sliding door into the hallway. Miki went to inspect it—maybe books could save her once more.

The books were carefully lined up from tallest to smallest. The top shelf had spines all the same. Among them she saw Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre and Tess of the D’Urbervilles: her favourite, familiar titles. But there were so many others: Emma, Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, Les Misérables, The Picture of Dorian Grey, Great Expectations, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Anna Karenina, The Portrait of a Lady, Madame Bovary, Frankenstein. A whole world of books she might borrow one day. On the lower shelves, Geraldine had a collection of newer books. Miki scanned the titles and longed to read them.

Even in her fear and pain, she felt something opening inside her. Her life had changed. It had started with finding and taking the key. And from the moment she’d launched out of the kitchen window this afternoon, it had altered irrevocably again.

There was no going back.

43

43

Leon was hot-footing it down the trail from the plantation when he heard a loud crack. Everything had gone quiet before the storm hit. He could feel thickness in the air, an eerie silence, and the sky was brooding, lightning sparking somewhere in the distance. The thunder was closer now. But something wasn’t quite right.

Another crack. Bark sprayed from a nearby tree, and instinct hurled him to the ground. It wasn’t thunder—it was a gunshot!

He knew immediately it was Kurt. Who else would it be? Back at the shop, Kurt had asked where he was going, and stupidly Leon had told him. He had no idea why the guy had followed him here. But now he had discovered Kurt’s secret, there was plenty of reason for Miki’s brother to track him down and shoot him—of that Leon was sure.

He squatted in the damp scrub, listening with every cell in his body. Rain began to patter softly on leaves, and a breeze shivered in the canopy. Birds chirped. Bark rustled. Leon couldn’t tell where Kurt was, but he knew he had to move or he would end up in a grave beside that buried money.

Staying low, he crawled across-slope away from the track. The understorey was a rubbish heap, and everything was out to get him. Sword grass snagged his skin. Twigs crackled. He manoeuvred carefully. Kurt would be waiting on the trail. One loud snap and the man would know where to find him.