Read Online Surrendered on the Frontier by Jane Henry - Free Book Online
Authors: Jane Henry
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he said, flicking his fingers to the door. “And Matthew, you mind what I say.”
After the two children left, I turned back to Pearl and Samuel, and both of them were looking at me strangely. Samuel’s look was calculating, but Pearl’s curious. Samuel took his cup and plate and handed them to me, walking to the door and retrieving his hat. He placed it upon his head and turned to me.
“I’ll see you this afternoon,” he said. “I’m sisterin’ that beam, and I’d better not come back and find you’ve touched it. You hear?” he asked, pointing one bossy finger in my direction, before he opened the door, nestling the basket of little chicks against him as he let himself out. “I’ll take these chicks to your barn. You latch the door behind me,” he called over his shoulder.
The door shut. I slammed it, latched it shut, and felt Pearl come right up behind me.
“Ruth, what has gotten into you?” she asked. She was standing now, her arms across her chest, glaring at me. “Do you have any idea how hard he works for you? He does his chores and then comes on over here and does yours for you. Do you even know what he does around here when you’re busy, or out? Who do you think mended the fence when your cow leapt it? Who do think mended the barn door when you were busy with the maple boiling at Ma’s? Do you think little elves come in the middle of the night and do all your work?”
Hot fury licked at my chest. “I did not tell him to do any of those things!” I shouted. “I’m fully capable of handling them myself! I did not ask for help, and he had no right coming on my property while I was gone!” I wanted to go and fetch him, and shake some sense into him.
Pearl took a step closer to me. “How dare you !” she said. “He bends over backwards to help you and for what? No thanks, and a smart mouth, that’s what!”
I don’t know what came over me then. Pearl was my very best friend in the world. I adored her. But it was as if some strange creature had come over me and the horrible knot in my chest overtook me. My hand shot out and before I knew what I was doing, I’d slapped her straight across her cheek. She screamed and covered her cheek with her hand, her eyes registering anger and shock. I was overcome with horror the second my hand struck her face, and my own hands covered my mouth.
“Oh, Pearl!” I said, overcome with emotion and regret. “I… I didn’t mean to. I’m so sorry! Oh, Pearl!” Tears blurred my vision as I led her to my rocker by the fire.
“I shouldn’t have shouted at you,” she whispered, her eyes shut tight. Her hands dropped to her lap and I could see the telltale red marks of my handprint on her cheek. I touched her gingerly as I wept.
“I’m so sorry,” I moaned. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. And you, with child.” I dropped to my knees in front of her and stroked the handprint on her cheek.
“I’m all right, Ruth. You didn’t mean to,” she said softly. The fact that she wasn’t angry with me somehow made me feel worse. I wanted her to smack me back, as I deserved some sort of retaliation for what I’d done. “But Ruth, we must do something about this. If Aaron finds out… ohhh,” she whispered, covering her face with her hands. Aaron was so fiercely protective. “He wouldn’t let me see you anymore,” she whispered, her own tears flowing now. “He’d not allow me to visit if he knew you struck me.”
I covered my face with my hands and wept. What had I done? What could be done to fix this?
A knock came at the door, and before I could answer, it swung open. Samuel stepped in, removing his hat. “Now, Ruth, I went to check out the beam Matthew mentioned, and I—” He paused as he became aware of the scene in front of him, me kneeling in front of Pearl, her hands up to the pink handprint on her cheek, both of us in tears. “What in tarnation is goin’ on in here?”
He listened as I blubbered my story to him.
After the two children left, I turned back to Pearl and Samuel, and both of them were looking at me strangely. Samuel’s look was calculating, but Pearl’s curious. Samuel took his cup and plate and handed them to me, walking to the door and retrieving his hat. He placed it upon his head and turned to me.
“I’ll see you this afternoon,” he said. “I’m sisterin’ that beam, and I’d better not come back and find you’ve touched it. You hear?” he asked, pointing one bossy finger in my direction, before he opened the door, nestling the basket of little chicks against him as he let himself out. “I’ll take these chicks to your barn. You latch the door behind me,” he called over his shoulder.
The door shut. I slammed it, latched it shut, and felt Pearl come right up behind me.
“Ruth, what has gotten into you?” she asked. She was standing now, her arms across her chest, glaring at me. “Do you have any idea how hard he works for you? He does his chores and then comes on over here and does yours for you. Do you even know what he does around here when you’re busy, or out? Who do you think mended the fence when your cow leapt it? Who do think mended the barn door when you were busy with the maple boiling at Ma’s? Do you think little elves come in the middle of the night and do all your work?”
Hot fury licked at my chest. “I did not tell him to do any of those things!” I shouted. “I’m fully capable of handling them myself! I did not ask for help, and he had no right coming on my property while I was gone!” I wanted to go and fetch him, and shake some sense into him.
Pearl took a step closer to me. “How dare you !” she said. “He bends over backwards to help you and for what? No thanks, and a smart mouth, that’s what!”
I don’t know what came over me then. Pearl was my very best friend in the world. I adored her. But it was as if some strange creature had come over me and the horrible knot in my chest overtook me. My hand shot out and before I knew what I was doing, I’d slapped her straight across her cheek. She screamed and covered her cheek with her hand, her eyes registering anger and shock. I was overcome with horror the second my hand struck her face, and my own hands covered my mouth.
“Oh, Pearl!” I said, overcome with emotion and regret. “I… I didn’t mean to. I’m so sorry! Oh, Pearl!” Tears blurred my vision as I led her to my rocker by the fire.
“I shouldn’t have shouted at you,” she whispered, her eyes shut tight. Her hands dropped to her lap and I could see the telltale red marks of my handprint on her cheek. I touched her gingerly as I wept.
“I’m so sorry,” I moaned. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. And you, with child.” I dropped to my knees in front of her and stroked the handprint on her cheek.
“I’m all right, Ruth. You didn’t mean to,” she said softly. The fact that she wasn’t angry with me somehow made me feel worse. I wanted her to smack me back, as I deserved some sort of retaliation for what I’d done. “But Ruth, we must do something about this. If Aaron finds out… ohhh,” she whispered, covering her face with her hands. Aaron was so fiercely protective. “He wouldn’t let me see you anymore,” she whispered, her own tears flowing now. “He’d not allow me to visit if he knew you struck me.”
I covered my face with my hands and wept. What had I done? What could be done to fix this?
A knock came at the door, and before I could answer, it swung open. Samuel stepped in, removing his hat. “Now, Ruth, I went to check out the beam Matthew mentioned, and I—” He paused as he became aware of the scene in front of him, me kneeling in front of Pearl, her hands up to the pink handprint on her cheek, both of us in tears. “What in tarnation is goin’ on in here?”
He listened as I blubbered my story to him.
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