A Promise to Love Read Online Free PDF Page B

bag of dried corn husks from beneath her own bed, which was placed in the only other room on the first floor. “It’s gonna be good having company around here again. Old She-Wolf here is tired of listening to me telling my stories over and over, aren’t you, She-Wolf?”
    The wolf-dog had settled down on the floor next to Hazel’s rocker with her muzzle on her paws. Now she looked up at Ingrid and whined softly as though in agreement that she would be happy to be relieved of the burden of listening to Hazel’s stories.
    Had the dog not been so large and intimidating, Ingrid would have been tempted to laugh at her self-pitying expression. She chose not to risk it. She-Wolf might not have a sense of humor.
    â€œGo up and throw down that mattress,” Hazel said. “Then take it outside and empty it. We’ll see if there’s any damage.”
    Ingrid did exactly as Hazel asked. Unfortunately, the mattress had been used as a cozy place to raise a family of mice. She took the mattress outside and shook the contents into the field beside the cabin.
    Then she went back inside and repaired the small hole the mice had made, and Hazel built a fire against the cool spring night. It was companionable sitting in the solid little cabin, a small fire burning in the grate as they tore husks and stuffed them into the mattress.
    â€œWhy’d she stop whipping you?” Hazel asked.
    â€œI take whip away.”
    â€œYou did?” Hazel’s eyes were admiring. “Did she put up a fight?”
    â€œShe try. Mr. Hunter stop her.”
    â€œJoshua?”
    â€œMillicent call him ‘wife killer.’”
    Hazel’s hands stilled. “To his face?”
    â€œJa.”
    â€œShe would do that!” Hazel grabbed a large handful of corn shucks and started ripping them with renewed vigor. “I been trying to squash that rumor for weeks now. Joshua has enough on his hands without dealing with that kind of foolishness. I wish the Bowerses would move back to where they belong.”
    â€œMillicent much like that.”
    â€œI know. I’ve heard her singing the praises of Richmond ever since the two of them got here. She doesn’t seem to realize how it sounds to those of us here in the North, especially them that’s got menfolk in the ground because of that war. The biggest mistake of my life was selling my husband’s store to George. I miss visiting with the customers.”
    â€œWhy you do?”
    â€œI was going through a sickish spell. Thought it was the end. Couldn’t take care of the place like I wanted. I got better, but by then it was too late.”
    â€œWhy they want store?” Ingrid reached into the sack for another handful of corn shucks. They were so dry they felt like thin paper.
    â€œThere was no money down South after the war. Michigan is where the money is, now that it’s the lumber capital of the world. George is not dumb. He knew a store in a place growing as fast as White Rock is, and especially a town near the lumber camps, would be a gold mine. It was a good business decision for him, and I didn’t have anyone else standing in line to buy it from me. Now that wife of his is spreading gossip about Josh, one of the finest men I know. I could just wring Millicent’s neck.”
    â€œDid he?”
    â€œWho, Joshua? Kill his wife? Of course not. Never saw a man so besotted with a woman, and with that passel of little girls of his. He can’t even keep his daughters under control, let alone hurt that pretty wife.”
    â€œShe pretty? This wife?”
    â€œI don’t think I ever saw a woman more perfect in form or face. Had an air of mystery about her too, that seemed to fascinate all the boys that hung around before she married Josh. She never told anyone what she was thinking, not even other women. Josh worshiped her from the moment he laid eyes on her, and from what I could see, he never got over