A Winter's Promise Read Online Free Page A

had last night. She didn ’ t even spill the w ater.
    She wanted to rush through the chores and get back to the house, but she held herself back, knowing she must use .as little energy as possible so her body could pro duce milk . The baby wouldn ’ t sleep long, she knew. She wondered what little Albert would do i f George cr ied and cried. Even though she had told him never to take the baby out of the cradle, would he try? Maybe d rop him?
    She wasted no time feeding the chickens and cattle. Then, warily, she approached Cora. Her knees trembled and pain made her eyes tear, but she managed to hold the pail.
    With a firm grip on the milk pail, Emma made her painful way back to the house. Silence greeted her. “ O Lord! Thank you! I ’ m so glad they ’ re still sleeping, ” she whispered as she took off her coat.
    When she had pulled off her overshoes and washed her hands, she poured a cup of warm, foamy milk. She hated warm milk, but she took a deep breath and drank it all. She shudde red and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, willing that milk to go directly where it was needed. Now, if she could just get a little more rest…
    Qui etly, she put wood in the stove, stirred oatmeal into boiling water, and set the pot on the right-hand lid to simmer. Soundlessly, she crept into bed.
    She hadn ’ t even pulled up the comforter when Ellie called, “ Mama? ”
    Emma choked back a groan and whispered, “ Come here, Liebc hen. ”
    “ Go potty first, ” Emma whispered, when Ellie stated to crawl into bed. “ Pull your nightie way up! You can do it. You ’ re a big girl. Then you can come and cuddle in with Mama. ”
    Emma held her breath. Would Ellie bang the lid and wake the boys?
    “ Good girl! Mama ’ s big girl, ” Emma crooned into El lie ’ s soft curls when she had snuggle d in beside her. S he let her breath out slowly, and the quiet settled around her.
    Oh, Al! If you only knew . . . you ’ d come home. I know you would.
    Bein g alone hadn ’ t sounded scary back in Philli ps. Af ter li ving in the clatter and racket o f the city, the quiet country had sounded like a haven . She hadn ’ t even thought about trouble, only about the hard work — a nd that she was willing to face.
    Although she knew that Al would have to go to the lumber camp in winter, she had pictured them t ogether year in and year out. “ Come help me, Em ! ” he would say, and she ’ d give him a hand, at whatever the task happened t o be. With his strength, skill, an d , knowledge and her devotion, diligence, and compassion they would build a home, raise a nice, big family, and be hap py. Ther e would be laughter and fun and music when the work was done —and love. She smiled to herself. As hard as Al worked, he was seldom too tired for love.
    Emma, turned on her side, and tried to pretend Al ’ s arm wa s around her and her head was lying on his shoulder. When he held her close like that, she felt as though she was absorbing his strength, his faith, his hopes for the future. In her contentment, her sense of completeness, she ’ d forget for a while that anything ex isted but the two of them—until a little one cried.
    What if Al hadn ’ t been attracted to her? She never ceased to marvel that he had chosen her. She remembered the first time he had come to her house, to talk to her father with several other surveyors. He hadn ’ t been in the house ten minutes before she knew he was differ ent from the ordinary run of lumberjacks. He laughed and bantered, but she didn ’ t hear a profane word out of him.
    Where, she wondered, had she seen him before? Then she recalled. Several years earlier she had been al lowed to go with her older sisters on a hayride, and Al had been along. He had played the accordion and sang. Shedidn ’ t know where he had come from, or where he had gone afterward. In the north woods, many men came and went.
    That day at her folks ’ home, he didn ’ t speak to her directly. She wasn ’ t