Read Online Encounter at Cold Harbor by Gilbert L. Morris - Free Book Online
Authors: Gilbert L. Morris
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brother-in-law.
She had at first wondered if she could bear to be around another child so near the age of the daughter she had lost, but there had been an almost instant bond. Esther, she discovered, was an affectionate child and just as bright as her own had been. And at first Eileen determined not to become attached to the girl, but that had been almost impossible—perhaps because she herself was so lonely and there was a vacuum in her heart. In any case, she found herself loving the blonde little girl more and more.
Leah came into the parlor early one morning to find Eileen holding Esther in her lap. The child had fallen asleep.
“She’s not sick, is she, Eileen?”
“No, I think she just had a bad dream.”
“How long have you been up holding her like that?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Two hours, more or less.”
“Well, you should’ve put her back to bed,” Leah admonished the older woman. “Here, let me take her.”
“No, that’s all right. I’ll hold her.”
Leah had started forward, but now she stopped and scrutinized the pair. Taking a seat on the couch across the room, she said, “You’ve really fallen in love with little Esther, haven’t you?”
“Who could help that?” Eileen smiled. She carefully smoothed the blonde curls away from the sleeping child’s forehead. “She’s as sweet as my own child was.”
“What was your baby’s name, Eileen?”
“Juliet.”
“What a lovely name! Did you pick it out?”
“No, my husband chose it. He always said we were like Romeo and Juliet, so young when we fell in love. He named her that, and I thought it was sweet.” Eileen had never mentioned her husband to Leah before.
Leah hesitated. “You got married very early, didn’t you?”
“I was only seventeen, and he was eighteen.”
Leah’s eyes grew round. “I’m almost that old myself!”
“It doesn’t work well for everyone to get married at that early an age,” Eileen said. “Most need to wait longer.”
Leah got up and went over to look out the window. “The sun’s coming up, and the cows are coming up to the barn,” she commented. Then, turningaround, she said, “Did you think about getting married when you were a girl?”
“Why, of course. Every girl thinks about that when she starts getting a little older. I expect you’ve thought about it.”
“Yes, I have, but—” Leah broke off and hurriedly left the room.
Startled by her sudden departure, Eileen thought for a moment, then carefully got up. She placed the sleeping child on the sofa, threw a coverlet over her, and went into the kitchen, where she found Leah sitting at the table. “What’s the matter, Leah?”
“Oh, nothing!” Leah twirled a lock of hair around her finger restlessly, then blurted out, “Did you ever have a fight with your husband—before you were married, I mean?”
At once Eileen knew exactly why Leah was troubled. “Of course,” she said. “I expect sweethearts always have arguments.”
“I hate them!” Leah said.
Eileen knew that Leah’s mother was far away. Perhaps the girl had been keeping her thoughts to herself for so long that she desperately longed to share them with someone.
“You see, when I came back with Tom and Esther, I saw … my friend with this other girl—Lucy Driscoll.”
Something about the way Leah pronounced the name caught Eileen’s attention. “I take it you don’t like Lucy very much?”
“Well, she’s small and pretty. Not a big cow like I am. I’m a giantess, practically.”
“Oh, I don’t think that’s true! You’re going to be tall and stately. I think that’s very attractive in a woman. I was always too short, I thought. Everytime I saw a tall girl,” Eileen said, “I wished I could be like her. I actually thought about stretching myself. Tying a rope around my arms and putting weights on my legs.”
Leah stared at her, then giggled. “I used to think about trying to shrink myself, but I could never figure out how to do
She had at first wondered if she could bear to be around another child so near the age of the daughter she had lost, but there had been an almost instant bond. Esther, she discovered, was an affectionate child and just as bright as her own had been. And at first Eileen determined not to become attached to the girl, but that had been almost impossible—perhaps because she herself was so lonely and there was a vacuum in her heart. In any case, she found herself loving the blonde little girl more and more.
Leah came into the parlor early one morning to find Eileen holding Esther in her lap. The child had fallen asleep.
“She’s not sick, is she, Eileen?”
“No, I think she just had a bad dream.”
“How long have you been up holding her like that?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Two hours, more or less.”
“Well, you should’ve put her back to bed,” Leah admonished the older woman. “Here, let me take her.”
“No, that’s all right. I’ll hold her.”
Leah had started forward, but now she stopped and scrutinized the pair. Taking a seat on the couch across the room, she said, “You’ve really fallen in love with little Esther, haven’t you?”
“Who could help that?” Eileen smiled. She carefully smoothed the blonde curls away from the sleeping child’s forehead. “She’s as sweet as my own child was.”
“What was your baby’s name, Eileen?”
“Juliet.”
“What a lovely name! Did you pick it out?”
“No, my husband chose it. He always said we were like Romeo and Juliet, so young when we fell in love. He named her that, and I thought it was sweet.” Eileen had never mentioned her husband to Leah before.
Leah hesitated. “You got married very early, didn’t you?”
“I was only seventeen, and he was eighteen.”
Leah’s eyes grew round. “I’m almost that old myself!”
“It doesn’t work well for everyone to get married at that early an age,” Eileen said. “Most need to wait longer.”
Leah got up and went over to look out the window. “The sun’s coming up, and the cows are coming up to the barn,” she commented. Then, turningaround, she said, “Did you think about getting married when you were a girl?”
“Why, of course. Every girl thinks about that when she starts getting a little older. I expect you’ve thought about it.”
“Yes, I have, but—” Leah broke off and hurriedly left the room.
Startled by her sudden departure, Eileen thought for a moment, then carefully got up. She placed the sleeping child on the sofa, threw a coverlet over her, and went into the kitchen, where she found Leah sitting at the table. “What’s the matter, Leah?”
“Oh, nothing!” Leah twirled a lock of hair around her finger restlessly, then blurted out, “Did you ever have a fight with your husband—before you were married, I mean?”
At once Eileen knew exactly why Leah was troubled. “Of course,” she said. “I expect sweethearts always have arguments.”
“I hate them!” Leah said.
Eileen knew that Leah’s mother was far away. Perhaps the girl had been keeping her thoughts to herself for so long that she desperately longed to share them with someone.
“You see, when I came back with Tom and Esther, I saw … my friend with this other girl—Lucy Driscoll.”
Something about the way Leah pronounced the name caught Eileen’s attention. “I take it you don’t like Lucy very much?”
“Well, she’s small and pretty. Not a big cow like I am. I’m a giantess, practically.”
“Oh, I don’t think that’s true! You’re going to be tall and stately. I think that’s very attractive in a woman. I was always too short, I thought. Everytime I saw a tall girl,” Eileen said, “I wished I could be like her. I actually thought about stretching myself. Tying a rope around my arms and putting weights on my legs.”
Leah stared at her, then giggled. “I used to think about trying to shrink myself, but I could never figure out how to do
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