Free Sowing Poison by Janet Kellough Page B

what?”
    â€œCome out to the front stoop in a little while and I’ll show you.” She was bursting with excitement at having finally coaxed a couple of words out of him, but she nevertheless sauntered out of the dining room as if she were unconcerned. She was quite proud of herself for this show of nonchalance.
    She took the plate she was carrying to the scullery. Uncle Daniel was still busy in the kitchen, her grandfather was clearing the rest of the dishes from the dining room, and her grandmother was nowhere to be seen, although Martha was fairly sure she was sitting with Aunt Susannah. She was confident she had at least a half-hour or so before she would be called to her own supper, which would be eaten at the big pine table in the kitchen, so she scampered down the steps to the cellar to retrieve her loot, then slipped on her coat and went out the back door.
    Horatio was waiting for her on the verandah.
    Wordlessly, she held the candy out to him.
    His eyes widened. “Where did you get this?”
    â€œI bought it. You want some?”
    â€œYeah.” He took three pieces of molasses candy and crammed them into his mouth. “Wash or nay?” he asked.
    â€œPardon?” His mouth was so full she couldn’t understand what he was saying. “What’s a nay?”
    He shoved the wad to one side of his mouth. “It’s something a horse says.”
    She was puzzled for a moment, until she understood the pun. She began to giggle. He began to laugh with her. At that point, Martha figured the friendship was established, so she reached for a lemon drop.
    â€œI’m Martha. And you’re Horatio, right?”
    He made a face. “Yeah, Horatio. But you can call me Joe if you like.”
    â€œHoratio Joe, that rhymes. How come you don’t go to school?” Lemony saliva dripped down her chin as she spoke.
    â€œBecause I have to help Mama.”
    That made sense to Martha. She often had to help her grandmother, especially on the days when she wasn’t feeling well. She would have been happy to stay home and help her all the time. It was her grandfather who was insistent about her attending school every day.
    â€œHow much do you have to help?”
    â€œMostly in the mornings. She goes out in the afternoon.”
    â€œWanna go play tomorrow afternoon? When I’m done school.”
    â€œPlay what? I’m not going to play girl stuff.”
    â€œNah. I don’t want to play girl stuff either. We could go down to the docks.”
    Horatio appeared to consider this proposition. Martha hoped he didn’t think she was too bossy. She didn’t realize that he was so bored in the afternoons that he would have agreed to play anything, even if it did involve dolls. “All right,” he said finally. He helped himself to three of the lemon drops from the twist and Martha took a molasses candy.
    â€œMartha! Supper!”
    The call came from inside. No one had noticed that she’d gone out, but there was little chance that she would be able to slip back in without being seen. She wasn’t worried about being outside with the boy; it was the candy that would be hard to explain. She looked longingly at the three candies left, but then she remembered that the whole point of the enterprise had been to win over Horatio.
    â€œI’ve got to go,” she said. “See you tomorrow?”
    He nodded.
    â€œHere.” She thrust the paper twist into his hands and ran back inside.

Chapter Eight
    Lewis was on his way to the bakery the next morning when he saw a knot of people in front of McFaul’s store, the wheelwright Ed Fisher holding court at the centre of the crowd.
    â€œThey’ve been found!” he shouted as Lewis joined the group. “The ship foundered, but the crew made it to Main Duck! The captain of the Cinderella Davy saw the signal from the island and brought them in to Picton safe and sound. ”
    This was news indeed,