Read Online THE CRY FOR FREEDOM (Winds of Betrayal) by Jerri Hines - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jerri Hines
Ads: Link
what could have happened to you?”
“You don’t understand. Someone broke in the house, Gabriel! He’s getting away,” she cried turning back searching the darkness.
“Hannah, trust me. The intruder is long gone. You need to go home. Come, I will take you back,” he said and grasped tight to her hand.
“Gabriel?” she said, determined still to chase the intruder. “Please, we could look together.”
Hannah tugged at his hand to continue her chase. Instead, he shook his head. Not releasing his grip, he pulled her behind him.
Placing her hand on his arm, she pleaded, “Gabriel, wait. Please!”
She stopped. Forgetting the intruder for the moment, her anger returned against Gabriel. She jerked her hand from his. “Why did you utter those words to me the last time I saw you and then I haven’t seen you? Now you come and act like I have done something more wrong?”
“My God, Hannah, you are so innocent. One doesn’t run the street in their night clothes, especially one that looks…,” he paused. “Come on. We shouldn’t be out like this.”
“What brought you here anyway?” she asked. Rejection burned inside of her.
“The drums. I was answering the drums, if you must know. When I rode by I heard the commotion within your home.”
Approaching the back of the house, he opened the gate for her. She passed him quickly not even giving him a look.
“Go on,” he said. “Act mad at me. I’m not the one endangering myself with hardly any clothes on.”
Hannah swung round and pushed him as hard as she could. Her hair flew wildly around her face. “I am no concern of yours. I have listened to your words for the last time, Gabriel Witherspoon. I won’t sit in wait. So keep your words to yourself and leave me alone!”
He whirled her to him, he uttered under his breath, “You don’t know how much I would like too.”
Their conversation cut short as Mother Agnes appeared upon the back porch. “Oh, thank God! Hannah, you could have been hurt,” she cried looking her over. “You go up and change. I have sent for your father. Come on in, Gabriel.”
On Mother Agnes appearance, Gabriel released his hold on Hannah. She stumbled back. Regaining her balance, she ran passed her mother.
“Are you all right?” She heard Mother Agnes call out as she charged for her room, wiping back angry tears falling from her eyes.
Agnes stared back at Gabriel whose face revealed his own irritation. Her emotions on edge with fear for her husband and family surged through her, but at the moment her concern dwelled on the the tension between Hannah and Gabriel. She knew well the reason.
John had made clear his intention to keep Hannah’s inheritance a secret, but Agnes remembered all too well what happened to her family when they lost all through her father’s gambling and drinking. The years of humiliation, the looks of pity, living from relative to relative until her own mother’s sad death.
Not until John had she felt true happiness. He hadn’t cared she was penniless. John placed no value upon wealth.
“It doesn’t measure a person’s worth,” he told her.
Agnes studied Gabriel’s profile as his eyes followed Hannah up the stairs. There were feelings between the two. And she well understood the tension. Gabriel’s family won’t accept Hannah. Gabriel hadn’t the means to support her otherwise. She loved all her stepchildren, but had a special place for Hannah.
A young motherless child when she first met her, Hannah fought the restrictions she had tried to impose, but Hannah had loved her without question. Hannah was so trusting, loyal and saw the world through her eyes, not understanding when people acted differently than she would have.
“Gabriel, would you like to stay for breakfast? The morning sun isn’t long for its appearance,” Mother Agnes said as she led him into the parlor.
Chapter Six
The rush of people pressed against Jonathan while he searched for his father. William
“You don’t understand. Someone broke in the house, Gabriel! He’s getting away,” she cried turning back searching the darkness.
“Hannah, trust me. The intruder is long gone. You need to go home. Come, I will take you back,” he said and grasped tight to her hand.
“Gabriel?” she said, determined still to chase the intruder. “Please, we could look together.”
Hannah tugged at his hand to continue her chase. Instead, he shook his head. Not releasing his grip, he pulled her behind him.
Placing her hand on his arm, she pleaded, “Gabriel, wait. Please!”
She stopped. Forgetting the intruder for the moment, her anger returned against Gabriel. She jerked her hand from his. “Why did you utter those words to me the last time I saw you and then I haven’t seen you? Now you come and act like I have done something more wrong?”
“My God, Hannah, you are so innocent. One doesn’t run the street in their night clothes, especially one that looks…,” he paused. “Come on. We shouldn’t be out like this.”
“What brought you here anyway?” she asked. Rejection burned inside of her.
“The drums. I was answering the drums, if you must know. When I rode by I heard the commotion within your home.”
Approaching the back of the house, he opened the gate for her. She passed him quickly not even giving him a look.
“Go on,” he said. “Act mad at me. I’m not the one endangering myself with hardly any clothes on.”
Hannah swung round and pushed him as hard as she could. Her hair flew wildly around her face. “I am no concern of yours. I have listened to your words for the last time, Gabriel Witherspoon. I won’t sit in wait. So keep your words to yourself and leave me alone!”
He whirled her to him, he uttered under his breath, “You don’t know how much I would like too.”
Their conversation cut short as Mother Agnes appeared upon the back porch. “Oh, thank God! Hannah, you could have been hurt,” she cried looking her over. “You go up and change. I have sent for your father. Come on in, Gabriel.”
On Mother Agnes appearance, Gabriel released his hold on Hannah. She stumbled back. Regaining her balance, she ran passed her mother.
“Are you all right?” She heard Mother Agnes call out as she charged for her room, wiping back angry tears falling from her eyes.
Agnes stared back at Gabriel whose face revealed his own irritation. Her emotions on edge with fear for her husband and family surged through her, but at the moment her concern dwelled on the the tension between Hannah and Gabriel. She knew well the reason.
John had made clear his intention to keep Hannah’s inheritance a secret, but Agnes remembered all too well what happened to her family when they lost all through her father’s gambling and drinking. The years of humiliation, the looks of pity, living from relative to relative until her own mother’s sad death.
Not until John had she felt true happiness. He hadn’t cared she was penniless. John placed no value upon wealth.
“It doesn’t measure a person’s worth,” he told her.
Agnes studied Gabriel’s profile as his eyes followed Hannah up the stairs. There were feelings between the two. And she well understood the tension. Gabriel’s family won’t accept Hannah. Gabriel hadn’t the means to support her otherwise. She loved all her stepchildren, but had a special place for Hannah.
A young motherless child when she first met her, Hannah fought the restrictions she had tried to impose, but Hannah had loved her without question. Hannah was so trusting, loyal and saw the world through her eyes, not understanding when people acted differently than she would have.
“Gabriel, would you like to stay for breakfast? The morning sun isn’t long for its appearance,” Mother Agnes said as she led him into the parlor.
Chapter Six
The rush of people pressed against Jonathan while he searched for his father. William
Similar Books
