Hannah's Dream

Read Online Hannah's Dream by A.L. Jambor, Lenore Butler - Free Book Online Page B

Book: Hannah's Dream by A.L. Jambor, Lenore Butler Read Free Book Online
Authors: A.L. Jambor, Lenore Butler
Tags: Historical Romance, western romance
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didn't care whether or not the frame was made of silver.  She liked the way it curved around John's face and that was all that mattered to her.
    Christmas was coming soon and Marian had hired Edward's carriage to take them to Red Bank to shop for gifts.  Jimmy had saved his allowance for six months, and was eager to travel up and down Broad Street on his own and shop in all the stores.  He had blossomed in the last eighteen months, and had grown a few inches.  He was a handsome boy.  The dark circles were gone and his frame had filled out, a bit too much according to Becky, but his health was robust and Marian felt a little meat on his bones was good for him.
    Jimmy and Hannah shared a love of art and they would paint together in her bedroom.  The window seat served as a cabinet for their supplies, and all summer they had worked on their projects after spending a day at the beach building sand castles.  Jimmy's paintings were so good that Marian had framed them and hung them in her parlor.  He, like Hannah, loved colors, and would mix his own from the oil paints.  The paintings of the ocean were majestic in deep blues and muted greens, while Hannah's paintings rivaled those of any artist Marian had ever seen.
    Becky didn't care much for art.  She was a practical woman and found art to be too frou-frou for her, but she and Jimmy had developed a special bond and for his sake, she would gush over his creations.  After school, Jimmy would sit in the kitchen and tell Becky about what he had learned that day, and she would respond in kind.  She would bake during the day so Jimmy would have a warm cookie, or piece of cake, and he would tell her he believed she was the best cook in the world. Jimmy was the only person who could make Becky blush.
    Hannah was in her last year of high school and at seventeen she had developed into a charming young woman.  While she wasn't a beauty in the classic sense, she still drew the attention of the boys in her class.  She was a sweet girl, but when the situation called for it, would fight for what she believed in.  Hannah was no shrinking violet.
    She had no problem speaking her mind, and Marian was often called by her teachers, who were concerned over Hannah's lack of self-control.  Marian would politely thank them, and secretly praise her daughter.  She'd rather Hannah be a strong woman able to handle what life threw at her than someone men could take advantage of.
    On the Saturday before Christmas, Edward arrived at eight a.m.
    "Jimmy, Hannah, Edward's here," she called up the stairs.
    They appeared, and Jimmy took the lead by running down the stairs.  Hannah's skirt prevented her from chasing after him, and she thought how unfair it was that women had to wear skirts.  
    "Come, we have to get started.  The stores will be crowded and I want to get home before dark," Marian said.
    It would be dark at five o'clock that afternoon, so they each felt a sense of urgency and quickly went to the waiting carriage.  Marian had her arms filled with blankets to help keep them warm during the two-hour ride to Red Bank.
    "Morning, ma'am," Edward said.
    He was standing near the carriage and tipped his hat as he offered Marian his hand.  She took it and stepped up into the carriage, then Hannah took Edward's hand.  Jimmy jumped in on the other side and took the seat opposite Marian, whom he now called Ma.  He didn't mind riding backwards and sitting by himself suited him.
    The carriage had a top and isinglass curtains, which kept out the wind.  Marian handed each of her children a blanket and they covered themselves.  Hannah's cheeks were already reddened by the crisp morning air.  She pulled her fur collar up to her ears, and adjusted her scarf around her head, but she still felt cold.  She snuggled next to Marian to keep warm, and Marian felt a glow in her heart.  It wasn't often her independent daughter sat this close to her, and she loved the feeling.
    By the time they got to Red

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