Free The Secret of Sentinel Rock by Judith Silverthorne Page B

animals. Sandy, although he obviously was strong, was tall and thin, more like his mother. Emily found it hard to believe, when she saw him up close, that he had been able to handle the powerful oxen as well as he ­had.
    Duncan and Jack, rivulets of water streaked through the dust and sweat on their faces, seemed more likely to be the ones that could manage the beasts. They were both sturdy, husky young men. Duncan was bearded like his father and brother Sandy, but Jack was ­dark-­haired and ­smooth-­faced, younger than the others. He looked more serious ­too.
    He seemed anxious to get back to work, and once they’d all had their fill of water, he was the first to return to the field. The oxen were more subdued, but still bawling as they were led back to the ­plough.
    The girls trailed behind the men, and Emma left the pail of water for them in a shaded spot under a tree. Neither of the girls noticed Geordie hidden in the branches above. Nor did they hear him jump down and follow them as they headed back to the ­rock.
    Emma and Emily stopped briefly at the house for a basket, and then hurried through the bluff to the meadow where the boulder stood. There they gathered some camomile. Emily carefully explained to Emma how to brew the tea for her mother, even though Emma thought her granny would know how to do ­it.
    Before they parted at the rock, Emma gave Emily a quick hug. “Thanks for a fine day, lass.”
    “Thank you ,” Emily replied. She could feel a happy glow on her face as she stood for a few moments watching Emma disappear through the trees. Now she knew what was meant in Anne of Green Gables about kindred ­spirits.
    Suddenly Emily realized how incredibly late she must be. Just before she popped the special stone in its hiding place, she thought she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. But she quickly dismissed it and sped for home. And not until she was turning the knob on the porch door, did she realize she’d forgotten to ask Emma her last ­name.

Chapter ­Seven
    “ Young lady, where have you been? You were gone for hours,” Kate demanded, when she caught sight of Emily sneaking into the kitchen. “And just look at you – you’re soaked.”
    “I sort of lost track of the time,” said Emily, staring at her soggy sneakers and jeans. “I was visiting with Emma.”
    “What else were you doing?” Her mother placed her hands on her hips. “Both Gerald Ferguson and Mrs. Barkley say they saw you cross the pasture and go to the rocks. But then they said you just disappeared, and for the longest time.”
    Emily looked at her mother through the hair that had fallen over her eyes and saw her mouth tighten. “Well…uh…I was with Emma. But I guess they just didn’t see us,” she suggested, thoughts tumbling through her head at record speed. Of course, they couldn’t have seen her or Emma. But her mother would never believe her if she told the entire truth. How was she going to ­explain?
    “No, they definitely did not see anyone with you, Emily Marie,” said her mother with a stern look on her face. “Mr. Ferguson was out in the west field where he had a good view of the spot, too.”
    Oh, oh, thought Emily. Now what could she ­say?
    “Gerald Ferguson phoned to tell me he’d be picking us up for town at one o’clock. Then he mentioned seeing you, and how you disappeared. I didn’t know what to think.”
    “I did meet Emma,” Emily insisted. At least that part was true. “Then I – I guess we were imagining what it must have been like in the old days. You know, when the pioneers first came here,” she said, hoping her mother would fall for her story. It was partially true. “We were pretending to look for berries and things.”
    “You’re not going to try and tell me some silly story about time travelling again, are you?”
    Emily shook her head. There was no way she was going to tell her mother anything about her experiences with Emma. She’d never ­under­stand in a