Amazon Quest (House of Winslow Book #25)

Gilbert Morris

Description

Emily Winslow felt deeply indebted to James Parker when she learned that his wounds resulted from trying to save her brother's life in the trenches of World War I. But by the time she discovered what really happened on that battlefield in France, Emily had fallen for James's charm.Devastated by his betrayal and overwhelmed by feelings of bitterness, Emily throws herself into her writing career. She accepts an assignment to record the life of an isolated tribe of headhunters deep in the Amazon rain forest, believing it will allow her emotions time to heal.But all of her inner turmoil is churned to the surface once again when Ian Marlowe walks into her life. Emily is uncertain whether she can ever trust a man again--or if she can trust her own heart.(House of Winslow Book 25)

Sujets

• Historical romance
• Historical fiction

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 01 août 2006
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781441270504
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

© 2001 by Gilbert Morris
Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
www.bethanyhouse.com
Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Ebook edition created 2011
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
ISBN 978-1-4412-7050-4
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Cover illustration by Bill Graf
Cover design by Josh Madison
To Terry McDowell
my editor and my friend.
It’s hard to believe that we have done all these Winslow novels, Terry. You have done a splendid job as an editor and have been a light along the way to me. Thanks for all the work and the tender love and care you’ve put in on these books.
CONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
PART ONE
March-October 1917
1. Arab Death
2. A Real War Hero!
3. The Winds of War
4. We’re Coming Over!
5. Emily Has a Disagreement
6. Buck Leatherwood
PART TWO
November 1918-January 1919
7. An Unexpected Visitor
8. “It’s All Right to Cry. . . .”
9. A New Job
10. Christmas at Belle Maison
11. The Heart Is Deceitful
12. Behind the Mask
PART THREE
May 1922-August 1923
13. Summa Cum Laude
14. At the End of the Rainbow
15. The Dark Side of Brazil
16. “Can We Trust Him?”
17. A Dangerous Trip
18. “I Can’t Forgive Him!”
PART FOUR
Summer-Autumn 1923
19. “I Never Loved Anyone . . .”
20. The Guapi Way
21. Sarita 2
22. “Love Can Be Painful”
23. Prison Doors Open
24. No Greater Love
25. Farewells
About the Author

CHAPTER ONE
Arab Death
“Oh, come on, Jared don’t be such a stick-in-the-mud!”
Jared Winslow looked down at his younger sister, Emily, with irritation written across his features. At the age of eighteen he felt that the two-year advantage he had over her demanded from him a special responsibility for her safety and well-being. He himself was an even-tempered young man given to serious thought, but Emily was prone to a vitriolic temperament, although she had a kind heart. She often tested the limits of their parents’ guidelines, and now as Jared studied her, he wondered where she had gotten such qualities. No longer a child, she was not yet fully a woman either but was clearly entering the mysterious and dangerous world of adulthood. She was not particularly beautiful but was so vivacious and lively that no one seemed to notice. She had a wide face, a full mouth usually turned upward in a grin, a creamy complexion that complemented her red hair, and almost electric cornflower blue eyes. Her prominent widow’s peak was an attribute she hated and frequently threatened to shave off. Now as Jared observed her, he couldn’t help but notice how quickly his little sister was growing up before his eyes. It seemed only last year she had been as thin as a garden rake, but now the light green crossover sweater she wore revealed her maturing feminine outline. She had on a dark gray skirt, and a green ribbon tied her hair back from her face.
“We’re not going to see that immoral woman and that’s final!” Jared said firmly. “Everybody knows she’s no good. Nothing but a vamp.”
“But I want to see her, Jared. Please. Just this once.”
Jared hesitated and promptly lost the argument. When up against his sister, there was no room for hesitation, for once she had her foot in the door, she would press in until she got her way.
“It’s only an old movie,” Emily insisted, “and everybody’s talking about Theda Bara.”
“Theda Bara what a name!” Jared groaned.
“It’s an anagram for ‘Arab death,’ you know.”
“I know that!” Jared snapped. “But it’s just downright indecent!”
“You’ve never seen one of her movies.”
“You don’t have to see them. Everybody’s talking about what kind of woman she is. James Satterfield saw her in that movie A Fool There Was . He said it was pretty bad and would do nothing but lead men right down to the pit.”
Indeed, Theda Bara had cast quite a spell over the American public. She brought a pantherlike purring to screen characters such as Juliet, Camille, and Cleopatra. Her seductiveness was thought to be a grave threat to public morality. Ministers thundered against her from pulpits coast to coast, but apparently with little effect, for theaters continued to sell out across the country. Earlier Clara Bow and the Gibson Girl had been the symbols of womanhood, but now American young people were flocking to see Theda Bara.
Jared and Emily were walking along the sidewalk in their hometown of Richmond, Virginia. Each of them carried a paper sack, having just gone to the neighborhood grocery store. An overly large dog of questionable ancestry trotted along beside them. Seeing a squirrel, the dog lurched over toward Emily, who reached down and shoved him away. “Get away, Cap’n Brown!”
Cap’n Brown gave her a reproachful look, then lumbered off on his fruitless chase.
“There ought to be some sort of law against a dog that big,” Jared remarked.
Despite Jared’s teasing, all of them loved the big dog. Jared had found him abandoned in a rainstorm, half drowned and hungry, and had brought him home. All three of the Winslow children Emily, Wesley, and Jared had mounted an attack on their parents to keep him and had been successful. Now at the age of three, Cap’n Brown was full grown and very large. Having lost sight of his prey, he jogged back with his tongue lolling out like a red necktie.
By the time they had reached the walkway that led up to their house, a large two-story Victorian with turrets and intricate trim, Jared felt exhausted. “We’re not going and that’s it.”
Emily’s temper flared. “All right! If you won’t go, I’ll go by myself!”
“You can’t do that.”
“I will. You see if I don’t. We need to know what’s going on in the world,” Emily insisted.
Jared rolled his eyes up and heaved a sigh of exasperation. “All right, Emily, I’ll take you to the dumb movie but if Mom and Dad find out about it, we’re dead!”
****
Emily blinked as she came out of the Rialto Theater. She and Jared had taken advantage of an early matinee, and both of them fervently hoped their parents would not ask them where they had been. Usually Jared went to ball practice, and Emily quite frequently had after-school meetings, for she was active in many of the clubs. Now as they stood outside of the theater, Emily said, “Oh, Jared, wasn’t that exciting?”
Pushing his lips out in disgust, Jared shook his head. “I don’t think so. I think it was downright depraved.”
“Depraved! How can you say that?”
“Why, that woman’s nothing but a tramp.”
“That’s just a role she plays. In real life, she’s probably very sweet.”
“Sweet! You can take one look at her and know exactly what she is. All you have to do is go down to the eastside right here in Richmond, and you’ll see women like that hanging around bars.”
Emily suddenly laughed aloud and turned toward Jared. She grabbed him by his sweater and pulled him around. “How do you know what bad women look like? Have you been hanging around bars on the eastside?”
Jared’s face flushed. Being a very truthful young man, he shrugged his shoulders. “I went once with a couple of guys, but it didn’t take me long to decide it wasn’t for me.”
Emily took his arm and held on to it as they turned to leave. They had not gone more than ten feet when a piercing whistle made them both pivot around to see where the sound had come from. Three young men were lounging outside of Benny’s Pool Hall. All of them were smoking cigarettes and had their hair greased back in the current fashion. The leader of the three wore a lightweight sweater in the cool March wind.
“Hey, sweetie, how’d you like Theda Bara? Some doll, hey?”
“Don’t pay any attention to them,” Jared said. “Come on.”
But the thickset, bulky young man in his late teens moved quickly toward them. He blocked their way and soon was flanked by the other two. All three were grinning, and the tall, lanky one with blond hair said, “What do you say, Judd? Maybe we should take the little lady out and show her the town.”
Judd laughed aloud. He turned and spat on the street, then flicked his cigarette away with a careless gesture. “That might be a good idea. What’s your name, babe?”
“None of your business!” Emily snapped back. “Come on, Jared.”
Emily started to walk away, but Judd grabbed her arm and swung her around, pulling her away from Jared. “Let me loose!” she screamed.
“Hey, this redhead’s got a temper, Mort.”
“I always liked a little spirit in a woman. Come on, sweetheart, let’s you and me go stepping!”
“Turn her loose!”
Jared’s face was flushed as he lunged toward the man who had grabbed Emily. He was a well-built young man of six feet and one of the best athletes Richmond had ever produced. He had starred in basketball, football, and baseball, his strong right arm making him the best pitcher in the area. Angry now, he reached out and slapped Judd’s hand away. “Let go of her arm!”
Judd’s face was scarred from many a brawl. Always eager for a fight, he planted his beefy hand against Jared’s chest and shoved him backward. “Why don’t you go for a walk, sonny? We’ll take care of your lady friend here.”
Emily cried out, “Don’t, Jared!”
But she was too late. Jared had launched his powerful right hand, and his fist caught Judd squarely on the cheek. The blow turned the husky young man around but did nothing to hurt him. Judd instantly swung back, striking Jared’s chest and forcing him off balance.
As Jared staggered backward, Emily saw the other two moving toward him, and when one of them doubled up his fist and drew it back to hit Jared from behind, she