Free Until We Reach Home by Lynn Austin Page A

where he was.”
    Kirsten gave a little laugh as she pulled away and wiped her eyes. “I would gladly help you murder him.”
    Their train finally pulled into the station, right on time. They found seats in one of the cars and the two Swedish farm boys sat down across the aisle from them.
    Elin tried to engage her sisters in conversation as the train began its sluggish journey across the English countryside, but Sofia turned her back on Elin to gaze sullenly out the window. Kirsten was much more interested in talking with the Swedish boys, and as much as Elin would have liked to stop her, she knew she couldn’t. She took out her diary and began to write:
    We are on the train again, a day later than we’re supposed to be. The English countryside is lovely, much nicer than the city we just left, but I fear that the monotony of the train ride is going to put me to sleep. And I don’t dare close my eyes.
    Kirsten’s new friend, Eric, is trying to work his charms on her and she is falling for it, getting friendlier and friendlier, telling him all about her life, which is none of his business. I don’t know where those boys are going in America, but I hope it’s far away from Chicago. I didn’t turn our lives upside down and leave home so that Kirsten could fall into the hands of a stranger on the train. I left so that she would be safe—so that all of us would be safe.
    This trip feels like it is taking forever. Every time the locomotive builds up a head of steam and starts going fast, it has to slow down again for the next station. We stop and go, stop and go. People get on and off, and I wonder where everyone is going. Some of their faces have that happy, hopeful look that tells me they are going home. I can almost see their hearts pounding with anticipation as they gather their belongings and line up in the aisles to get off at one of the stations. As soon as the passengers step off the train, people rush forward to greet them and I hear cries of joy before the whistle drowns out everything and we steam out of the station again.
    I try to imagine that Uncle Lars and Aunt Hilma will greet us that way when we finally reach Chicago. They will have warm smiles on their faces and a huge meal prepared for us in their home.
    “Välkommen,” Aunt Hilma will say as she opens her arms to us. “Welcome home.” All of our sorrows and hardships will be forgotten.
    Please, God, let it be so.
    I’m feeling a little sleepy right now, so I think I’ll rest awhile. We have many more hours to travel before we reach Liverpool. No harm can come to my sisters on a train—can it?

Chapter Eight
    T RYI NG TO FORGET Tor Magnusson was proving to be impossible. Some days Kirsten found it easier than others, but today was one of the hard ones. Eric and Hjelmer had taken seats across the aisle from her on the train and Eric reminded her of Tor. He had the same high, wide forehead as Tor did, the same sandy hair and pale eyebrows. But Tor was taller and thinner . . . and he’d broken her heart.
    Kirsten couldn’t understand why Elin got mad every time she talked and laughed with these boys. How could she explain to Elin that if it weren’t for them, she would be crying all the time? Elin had never been in love.
    If only Tor could see her talking with two good-looking men. Wouldn’t he be jealous? Once again, tears filled her eyes at the knowledge that Tor hadn’t loved her enough to beg her to stay.
    Kirsten brought her mind back to the present and realized that Eric had asked her a question. “Sorry . . . what did you say?”
    “I was wondering what we’ll find to do for the next two weeks. We’ll probably be on the same ship, you know.”
    “Oh . . . I’m sure we’ll find something to amuse ourselves. At least we’ll have more room to move around on the ship than on this train.”
    Eric leaned his elbow on the armrest and propped his chin on his hand, gazing at Kirsten the way Tor used to do. “So, where are you ladies heading