satisfaction in the feeling. Today she’d worked hard at setting things in order, and very soon she’d be hard at work teaching her students.
She released a yawn and knelt beside the newly made bed for her nightly prayers. Her lips moved in silence as she thanked God for her job and her new home and petitioned Heaven’s blessings on her time here. Next she prayed for each member of her family and for Joel and Tom’s continued safety. She nearly ended her prayer there, but instead, she found herself praying for Robert’s return to sobriety. Even if it meant he married one of the ogle-eyed girls at church, Livy wanted him to find true happiness.
The thought of someone else as “Robert’s girl” inspired a prick of jealousy within her, but memories of their unhappy times together surfaced to drive it away. If Robert did remain sober, she still wasn’t entirely convinced they were the match she’d envisioned before he’d left for the war. She might miss his kisses and his handsome, dark looks, but deep down, she believed she’d made the right decision in leaving.
Livy slipped beneath her covers and shut her eyes, willing sleep to come. The air felt too still and yet noisy, too, with all the wrong sounds. She missed Mary’s soft snoring and the younger boys’ whispered ghost stories in the next room. Remembering some of those toe-curling tales, she burrowed deeper into her blankets and squeezed her eyes shut. I’m a grown woman; I’ll be just fine.
* * *
The sounds of a team and wagon lumbering by penetrated her drowsiness. Livy jerked her eyes open, feeling wide awake again. She told herself it was likely someone driving past on the main road, until she heard a strange bump close to the cabin. Heavy footfalls neared her door and the handle rattled. Cold fear clutched Livy’s heart. She’d been so tired earlier she’d forgotten to lock the door.
Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, nearly drowning out the soft screech of the handle as it twisted. Someone was coming inside. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end.
The door inched opened. Livy’s pulse raced so fast it almost hurt. She searched the room for something to protect herself. Her gaze latched on to the fire poker. With one eye on the door, Livy sprang from her bed and grabbed up the fire poker. She grasped it tightly in both hands and prepared to face her intruder.
Armed with some way to protect herself, her fear changed to anger. I have a right to be here , she told herself. She’d done nothing wrong by accepting this job. But as the door swung fully open and a tall figure appeared on the threshold, she couldn’t help thinking her decision may have been a mistake after all.
* * *
Friedrick entered the cabin, his arms full of wood. He’d meant to leave it outside, but he figured the new teacher might appreciate not having to carry so many logs inside when she arrived.
He turned toward the fireplace and nearly collided with a white figure brandishing something long and dark in its hand. The sinister-looking item swung through the air toward his shoulder.
“Easy there,” Friedrick cried in surprise. He raised a log to block the blow, but it didn’t come.
Instead a feminine voice demanded, “Who are you? What you do want?”
“I just want to put your wood by the fireplace,” he countered. He hadn’t expected the new teacher to be here already. “Look, I’m not here to hurt you. I was told to bring you more wood. The door was unlocked, so I figured you weren’t here yet.”
“Well, I am.” He could see she still held her weapon aloft.
“Tell you what.” Friedrick took a backward step toward the fireplace. “I’m going to set your wood down over here, while you put down whatever it is you’ve got there.”
A tense moment of silence followed his suggestion. “It’s the fire poker,” she finally said, a note of sheepishness in her voice. He watched her slowly lower it to the floor.
Once he felt certain
She released a yawn and knelt beside the newly made bed for her nightly prayers. Her lips moved in silence as she thanked God for her job and her new home and petitioned Heaven’s blessings on her time here. Next she prayed for each member of her family and for Joel and Tom’s continued safety. She nearly ended her prayer there, but instead, she found herself praying for Robert’s return to sobriety. Even if it meant he married one of the ogle-eyed girls at church, Livy wanted him to find true happiness.
The thought of someone else as “Robert’s girl” inspired a prick of jealousy within her, but memories of their unhappy times together surfaced to drive it away. If Robert did remain sober, she still wasn’t entirely convinced they were the match she’d envisioned before he’d left for the war. She might miss his kisses and his handsome, dark looks, but deep down, she believed she’d made the right decision in leaving.
Livy slipped beneath her covers and shut her eyes, willing sleep to come. The air felt too still and yet noisy, too, with all the wrong sounds. She missed Mary’s soft snoring and the younger boys’ whispered ghost stories in the next room. Remembering some of those toe-curling tales, she burrowed deeper into her blankets and squeezed her eyes shut. I’m a grown woman; I’ll be just fine.
* * *
The sounds of a team and wagon lumbering by penetrated her drowsiness. Livy jerked her eyes open, feeling wide awake again. She told herself it was likely someone driving past on the main road, until she heard a strange bump close to the cabin. Heavy footfalls neared her door and the handle rattled. Cold fear clutched Livy’s heart. She’d been so tired earlier she’d forgotten to lock the door.
Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, nearly drowning out the soft screech of the handle as it twisted. Someone was coming inside. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end.
The door inched opened. Livy’s pulse raced so fast it almost hurt. She searched the room for something to protect herself. Her gaze latched on to the fire poker. With one eye on the door, Livy sprang from her bed and grabbed up the fire poker. She grasped it tightly in both hands and prepared to face her intruder.
Armed with some way to protect herself, her fear changed to anger. I have a right to be here , she told herself. She’d done nothing wrong by accepting this job. But as the door swung fully open and a tall figure appeared on the threshold, she couldn’t help thinking her decision may have been a mistake after all.
* * *
Friedrick entered the cabin, his arms full of wood. He’d meant to leave it outside, but he figured the new teacher might appreciate not having to carry so many logs inside when she arrived.
He turned toward the fireplace and nearly collided with a white figure brandishing something long and dark in its hand. The sinister-looking item swung through the air toward his shoulder.
“Easy there,” Friedrick cried in surprise. He raised a log to block the blow, but it didn’t come.
Instead a feminine voice demanded, “Who are you? What you do want?”
“I just want to put your wood by the fireplace,” he countered. He hadn’t expected the new teacher to be here already. “Look, I’m not here to hurt you. I was told to bring you more wood. The door was unlocked, so I figured you weren’t here yet.”
“Well, I am.” He could see she still held her weapon aloft.
“Tell you what.” Friedrick took a backward step toward the fireplace. “I’m going to set your wood down over here, while you put down whatever it is you’ve got there.”
A tense moment of silence followed his suggestion. “It’s the fire poker,” she finally said, a note of sheepishness in her voice. He watched her slowly lower it to the floor.
Once he felt certain
Similar Books
