Chapter 16Addie cried a while longer, vaguely aware of Mrs. Hilliard milling around the room, fluffing stained sofa pillows and whisking dust off end tables. At last, as the terrified girl began to calm—which in this case meant running out of strength to cry any longer—she began to be more aware of the room. The hulking shape of Josiah Hilliard standing by the door almost seemed threatening, until the sun streaming past the faded draperies revealed a babyface thick with pimples and a chin which had barely learned to sprout stubble. Though physically imposing, he was clearly a boy, not a man.
Addie took several deep breaths and tried to contain herself. Her crying jag had left her feeling numb, though a bit fragile.
“Are you better now, miss?” the landlady asked, extending a handkerchief.
