Free Harriet Beamer Strikes Gold by Joyce Magnin Page B

kind of reminded me of a friend back home. That’s why I was staring. Except she didn’t have tattoos, that I could see any-hoo, or a pierced eyebrow. What is that, dear, in your eyebrow? A vulture? And her hair was plain, old mousy brown, not black like yours … Excuse me, dear, but that can’t be your natural color.”
    “I was born blonde,” Lily said. “But I went black. It’s a statement.”
    “Um, it certainly is.”
    The girl sipped the soda she had carried with her.
    Harriet reached her hand across the table. “My name is Harriet Beamer.”
    “Nice to meet you,” Lily said, shaking Harriet’s hand. She sucked the last of her soda through the straw.
    “Can I buy you another soda or pop or whatever you call them out here?”
    The girl dug around in the ice at the bottom of her glass with the straw. “Sure. Thanks.”
    Harriet raised her hand to get the waitress’s attention. Usually a good judge of character, Harriet decided to give Lily the benefit of the doubt, and the café was kind of crowded. She felt safe enough.
    “How old are you, dear?” Harriet asked.
    “I’m seventeen.”
    “I thought you might have been younger.”
    Lily shook her head. “Folks are always saying that. But my birthday is next June, and I’ll be eighteen then.”
    Harriet looked into Lily’s eyes, which were the color of the Mediterranean Sea—at least, the sea on brochures. There was a hint of sadness and maybe even fatigue. But why would a teenager be fatigued unless she wasn’t sleeping well? And why wasn’t she at school?
    “So, Lily,” Harriet said, “I’m curious. Why did you come over here?”
    Lily looked away from Harriet. “You were staring at me. I thought I’d give you a close-up.”
    Harriet clicked her tongue. “Now, now, no need for sarcasm. I explained to you why I was looking.”
    Lily let go a nervous laugh.
    “Shouldn’t you be in school?” Harriet asked.
    Lily looked away again, only this time she took a deep breath and blew it out her nose. “I don’t go to school—not anymore. I’m just waiting here for my dad. He’s down at the assay office in Nevada City. He’ll be by soon to take me home. He always leaves me here when he goes to the assay office.”
    “Assay?”
    “Yeah, you know, gold. He’s getting some rocks checked out.”
    Harriet felt her heart begin to quicken. “You mean your father works in a gold mine?” She could hardly believe her ears. After all she had learned about gold yesterday with Florence, she was immediately smitten by Lily’s remark and the sheer uncannyness of the situation.
    “No, no, he’s just panning for it now. He’d like to lease a mine but … well, since Mama died we’ve just been scraping by. Dad got real depressed and lost his job, and now we just do what we can.”
    “Goodness, no wonder you are so skinny. Does it cost a lot to lease a mine? Can you make money?”
    The waitress came by.
    “Changed your seat I see, Lily,” she said. Then she looked at Harriet. “Is she bothering you?”
    “No, of course not. We were having a nice talk.”
    Harriet glanced at Lily, who cracked a generous smile.
    “Please bring Lily here a grilled cheese, some fries, and a Coke.”
    “Okay,” the waitress whose nametag read Cindy said. “It’s none of my business.”
    Harriet tried to establish eye contact with Lily again, but Lily kept looking away.
    “What was that all about?” Harriet asked. “Should I be worried?”
    Lily played with a straw wrapper. “No, she just doesn’t like Dad and me. Says we’re freeloaders, always looking for handouts. But that ain’t true. My dad will work, and so will I.”
    Harriet reached across the table and patted Lily’s hand. “It’s okay. Some people can be so mean-spirited.”
    Lily smiled, exposing two perfect dimples. “We ain’t freeloaders. It’s just since … since Mama …”
    Harriet patted her hand a little harder. “Now, now. Don’t you be embarrassed; I completely understand. Now,