The grainy texture of the wood wasn’t reminding her to hope in the Lord this time. Instead, all she could think about was the steamer the piece of wood had once belonged to and how her life in Eagle Harbor was starting to resemble a shipwreck. Henry Benney’s death. Percival’s threats. Alex’s rejection. How could she bear it all? She rolled to her side, careful not to let the covers slide away. Even though the temperatures had continued to rise all week and melt more snow, the nights remained cold in her attic room. She grazed the empty spot where Josie should have been sleeping. The girl was gone, just as she’d been most nights of late, meeting with a young man. Tessa had talked to Josie about sneaking out of the house after dark, but Josie only giggled and brushed off her concerns. Just that night, when Josie was tiptoeing out of the room, she told Josie she would have to inform her parents about the clandestine meetings if she didn’t bring them to an end.
