Read Online To Love and to Cherish by Leigh Greenwood - Free Book Online

having to explain where she’d gotten the money. There were no other strangers in the valley she felt she could trust, no one she wanted to trust.
    She had to be careful not to let physical attraction get in the way of pragmatic thinking. This was her future. She wouldn’t get a second chance. She had plenty of time to look for another investment. Living under Norman’s thumb wouldn’t be pleasant, but it wouldn’t be forever.
    ***
    Laurie stared at the paper in her hands, unable to believe what she was seeing. It was a list of typical menus for one week and the cost of each meal.
    â€œI used that to determine your food allowance,” Norman was saying.
    Her allowance! He made it sound like she was a child. “There are things on this list I don’t eat, and it makes no allowance for guests.”
    â€œI figure you’ll eat with others as often as they eat with you.”
    â€œYou can’t determine the cost of a meal merely from the price of the meat and vegetables on the plate. There’s butter, oil, flour, seasonings, dozens of other things that go into the preparation of a meal. And that doesn’t include soap for cleaning up.”
    â€œI’ll talk with Sibyl to see what extra costs she thinks are necessary.”
    â€œWhy not talk to me ! No one knows better what it will cost to feed me.”
    â€œNoah’s will made it quite clear that he wanted me to make these decisions for you. I can’t go against his wishes. Even if I wished to do so—and I do not—I’m legally bound to follow his instructions.”
    â€œI don’t believe making all decisions for my welfare extends to deciding how much salt I need, or whether I should eat chicken rather than goose.”
    â€œThat’s what I interpret it to mean.”
    She didn’t believe that. She was certain he couldn’t resist the chance to have her completely in his power. He’d tried to do that with his own wife and had failed. Now he was trying to feed his ego by doing it to Laurie. “What if the prices go up?”
    â€œBring me any bills in question, and I’ll see about making adjustments.”
    Laurie could see herself keeping every bill and adding up pennies to prove a point Norman was as likely as not to ignore. “What about the rest of my expenses?”
    â€œNoah left meticulous records of what it cost to run his house. Since there’s only one of you rather than two, I’ve cut that figure by half.”
    Laurie ground her teeth. If Norman had paid any attention to those meticulous records, he wouldn’t have had to make up those ridiculous menus. “The house doesn’t care if there are two or twenty people living there. It takes the same amount to keep it furnished, clean, and heated, and repairs made.”
    â€œBring me any pertinent bills, and I’ll look at them.”
    That was probably all he would do. “What about the rest of my allowance?”
    â€œThe only other major item is your clothing allowance.”
    He looked with disapproval at what she was wearing. She’d dressed more conservatively than she had the day she came to see him about the will, but she was never going back to the tent-like dresses Noah had insisted she wear.
    â€œI’m certain Noah would find your present outfit too revealing.”
    â€œThis dress is no more revealing than the ones Sibyl or every other woman in this town wears.”
    â€œWe’re not talking about other women. Noah had very definite ideas about what he thought was suitable for his wife, and it’s up to me to follow those.”
    â€œI’m not Noah’s wife any longer. I’m his widow.”
    â€œThat doesn’t change anything.”
    â€œIt changes everything .”
    â€œAs long as it’s Noah’s money that supports you, I believe we have to follow his wishes as closely as if he were alive. According to his accounts, he provided you