Be Still My Soul: The Cadence of Grace, Book 1 Read Online Free PDF

stirring. When Addie grew bored, Lonnie took over, and by the time supper was ready, the little girl was curled up on Sarah’s bed, her thumb pressed to her sleeping pout.
    The smell of cooking pork filled the little cabin. Sarah set the skillet on the table and put the kettle on. She looked at Addie and smiled. “She must be so tired.”
    “It’s been a long day.” Lonnie plunked down in her chair.
    “I want to hear all about it.” Sarah took hold of Lonnie’s hand and whispered a quick prayer before picking up the wooden spoon. “Now, what happened?” Sarah cleared her throat, then took a bite, all the while keeping her gaze on Lonnie.
    Tears welled in Lonnie’s eyes, and she blinked them back.
    Sarah took Lonnie’s hand in hers. “Oh, my darling. What’s happened?”
    When her throat thickened, Lonnie shook her head. “Gideon.” The word trembled on her lips.
    Sarah’s wide eyes searched hers.
    “He walked me home last night. And he …” Unable to find the words, Lonnie lowered her face into her hands. “It was awful,” she wept.
    Sarah’s grip tightened. “Are you saying …” She let out a groan. “If I had stuck around longer, if I had waited until …”
    Lonnie lifted her face and sniffed. “Nothing happened.” She glanced to the door, uncomfortable at the emotion in her aunt’s face. “But he tried.”
    “Oh, my dear, dear girl.” Sarah hung her head. “I’m so sorry.”
    “That wasn’t the worst of it.” Lonnie smoothed her finger over a knot in the table. “It was my pa.”
    Sarah leaned forward, waiting. “What did he do?” The words were sharp.
    Lonnie poked food around with her fork and spoke without looking up. “He said I was soiled.”
    A shadow crossed Sarah’s face. “I’d like to give that man a piece of my …” A tear slid down Lonnie’s cheek, and Sarah rose to surround her in a warm embrace.
    Lonnie held on to her aunt’s sleeve and wept. For the first time that day, she allowed the memory of what really happened to wash through her.
    “Don’t you let those lies stay inside you. The only opinion that matters is God’s, and He knows the truth.”
    Nodding fiercely, Lonnie looked up. With the hem of her apron, Sarah smoothed Lonnie’s cheeks dry.
    “Pa … he said something about my ma. Said she was where I
got it
from.”
    Fire flashed in Sarah’s eyes, but just as quickly, she composed her features. “Don’t you mind a word he said about you or your ma.” She rose and moved to the stove, where she whisked dirty dishes into the washbasin. She worked without speaking, her shoulders stiff.
    “There’s something you’re not telling me,” Lonnie followed. “Aunt Sarah, I’m not a little girl.”
    Sarah scrubbed a wooden spoon harder than necessary, and when she didn’t respond, Lonnie touched her arm.
    “Please.”
    With a sigh, Sarah let the spoon sink to the bottom of the basin. She pressed her palms to the work surface and leaned her weight on them. The sigh she breathed bespoke years of frustration.
    “What is it?” Lonnie circled to her side. “Nothing you can say will upset me. Not after what happened.”
    “I never thought the day would come that you would need to knowthis.” Sarah brushed a strand of Lonnie’s hair behind her ear. “But I see it has.” She motioned for her to sit on the trundle bed, and Lonnie perched on the edge, careful not to wake Addie.
    Sarah lifted the lid of a heavy chest and pulled out a nightgown. Her fingers lingered on the oiled wood before she spoke. “There was a time your pa made a horrible assumption about my sister.” She turned, and the sheen in her eyes caught the firelight. “I can see his mind is still made up.” She rose and gently laid the nightgown in Lonnie’s lap.
    Lonnie fingered the lace at the edge of the sleeve.
    “He’s still not convinced. Even after all these years.” Sarah tilted her face up. “But you’re his daughter, whether he believes it’s so or