Chapter 6
"Powdered milk and sponge cake."
Emily Johnson froze. No hot meal? Just this?
"Grandma, the cake is yummy!" Tommy patted his round little belly, eyes sparkling.
Mary Stone rose hastily. "Come to Grandma's if you're still hungry." She dared not linger, fearing her daughter-in-law might cause another scene. The vegetable plot awaited her attention.
"Yeah." David responded quietly, recalling his cousins' warning: another visit to Grandma's would earn him a beating.
Watching Mary's retreating figure, Emily's heart grew heavy. The original host had fought tooth and nail to marry into the Stone family, yet now...
In the kitchen, the kettle bubbled noisily. Emily filled thermoses, then boiled a large pot of water. Those two grimy boys were unbearable to look at.
"David! Tommy! Bath time!"
By the courtyard wall, two small figures froze mid-creep toward the gate.
"We... aren't dirty." David stared at his grubby hands, voice fading.
"Now! Immediately!" Emily's sharp tone made Tommy clutch his brother's shirt, face pale. "Davey..."
"Don't be scared."
The wooden tub brimmed with warm water. Emily rummaged for clean clothes before resorting to PennyDeals for period-appropriate outfits.
"Know how to use soap?"
David obediently climbed in, clumsily scrubbing. When Emily approached to help, she froze—
Their backs were mottled with bruises, their bottoms striped with cane marks. At her approach, both small bodies tensed.
These injuries... had the original host done this?
No wonder the boys trembled around her. What had they endured when Michael was away?
Warm water revealed two pale, delicate faces beneath the grime—and ribs protruding painfully through thin skin.
"New clothes. New shoes."
Tommy timidly touched the rubber boots, wide-eyed with confusion. Mom was acting so strange today—tasty food, fresh outfits...
"What would you like for dinner?"
"Meat..." Tommy's whisper was barely audible before he hid behind David.
Emily's throat tightened. Was this the first time the child dared voice a wish?