Free Emily's Fortune by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor Page A

tree while the other passengers walked around to settle their nerves.
    â€œI hope those bandits are caught and spend the rest of their lives in prison!” Marigold said.
    â€œThey ought to hang!” said Petunia. “I’d tie the noose myself.”
    Emily and Jackson walked over to the shade of a straggly tree, and stood staring at each other.
    â€œThat’s about as scared as I’ve ever been,” Jackson told her.
    Emily had been frightened too, but she was not thinking about the bandits.
    â€œHe
saw!”
she said to Jackson, her voice trembling. “Uncle Victor saw Rufus!”
    â€œMaybe he’s forgotten Rufus,” Jackson told her.“He’s thinking about that ten million dollars; that’s what’s on his mind.” They turned as they saw the others getting into the coach again.
    Something behind them moved. Uncle Victor grabbed Jackson by the back of the neck and Emily by the arm. And before either of them could speak, he looked down at Emily and said, “You fooled me once, Emily Wiggins, but you won’t fool me again. There’s not a soul in this carriage who will help you if I say you’re my runaway niece. Either you come with me when we get to Redbud, or you won’t get to Redbud at all. I’ll deal with the boy later.”
    Now what in a
devil’s doughnut
should Emily do?

T rapped! As Emily crawled into the coach with Uncle Victor behind her, she felt as though the man with the tiger tattoo had chained the door after them. Jackson was shaking too as the stagecoach moved off again.
    They crawled onto the backseat with Mr. Muffit as they had before, but Uncle Victor was on the first seat, facing backward, guarding the door. There were only a few more rest stops between here and Redbud, the driver had said. And now, instead of running into AuntHilda’s arms, Emily would have to go with Uncle Victor.
    Strangely, her uncle did not announce to the others that Emily was his niece and had deceived everyone into believing that she was a boy who could not talk. Perhaps he felt that if he did, he would also have to explain to the others why she was hiding from him.
    How Emily wished that Mrs. Ready, Mrs. Aim, and Mrs. Fire were here to advise her!
    Mrs. Ready might say, “The problem is that many grown-ups think children should be seen and not heard.”
    And Mrs. Aim would say, “What if Emily tries to explain and no one believes her? Won’t that just make things worse for her?”
    And Mrs. Fire might say, “She musn’t say a word. Even if they do believe her, Uncle Victor might promise them a share of the ten million dollars just to keep quiet about it.”
    So Emily was to remain Eli for the rest of the journey, but now that Uncle Victor knew who Eli really was, what would happen next?
    Jackson was taking no chances. That night, all thepassengers stretched out on the sleeping platform while the stagecoach bounced along in the dark. Emily lay behind the elderly gentleman and Jackson lay behind her. As the others snored, Jackson whispered in her ear:
    â€œListen, Emily, we’re got to have a plan. Your uncle could do away with you before we get to Redbud, just to get your fortune for himself. I heard the driver say we’ll make the next change of horses about midnight. It’s not a rest stop, so no one will be wakened to get off. You’ve got to climb out and hide. Leave everything but your turtle behind. I’ll cover your carpetbag with my jacket, and they’ll think we’re both here asleep. Stay hidden long enough that the station man can’t put you on a horse and catch up with the coach when he finds you.”
    Emily turned her head and stared wide-eyed into the darkness.
    Jackson continued, “I’ll ride on to Redbud and look for your aunt at the station. I’ll give her your bag and tell her Victor’s here too, trying to find you to get your money.”
    â€œBut Uncle