Desired: The Untold Story of Samson and Delilah (Lost Loves of the Bible) Read Online Free PDF

couldn’t tell what it was.”
    I had never told her about the scarf. Father still wore it as a sash around his tunic, and by now, it was nothing to me but a sash. I offered a suggestion.
    “We could run into the fields. Come back at dusk.”
    “No. The men will ask too many questions if we don’t have jobs. Besides, if we don’t know why he is here, we don’t know where he will go. I think we should hide inside the house. He would never enter our house.”
    “We can’t get out of our work.”
    “Do you trust me?”
    I nodded.
    “Come with me.”
    “But wait—do you think he is still angry? About being hit in the head? He might demand money.” Both Philistine law and Hebrew law required payment for bodily injuries. Father could lose what little he had. Then he would have to accept the first offer of a bride price, not the best. What had we done that night? I chastised myself. We might have just arranged to sell ourselves to the lowest bidders.
    Astra shook her head. “He didn’t look angry. He looked like”—she twisted her mouth as she sought the right word—“he looked like he was searching for something.”
    We had no real market, not like Ashkelon or his own cities in the Judean Hills, but sometimes we did have unique treasures. Perhaps he was here for a treasure.
    “We will hope that is all it is,” I said, grabbing her hand. I turned to the wives. “My little sister is not feeling well. If one of you will bake my bread for me today, I will bake yours tomorrow. Or you can wait and save the favor until you need to claim it.” Sirena opened her eyes and agreed at once. I was offering her the chance to stay in bed tomorrow morning.
    “Thank you, and may Dagon bless your child,” I said with a grateful nod.
    Astra led me from the clearing to behind the houses. On the far end, there was a spot of privacy where we could create mischief without being seen from any other house. That did not mean we were able to create mischief for long, though. Someone was always coming in from the fields or carrying food and drink back out to the fields.
    Pulling me closer, Astra took out her knife and, in a blink, stabbed me in the finger. I squealed, but she grabbed my finger and squeezed without mercy, making the blood bubble up. Opening her palm, she squeezed the drops into a red pool in the center of her hand. I jerked my hand back and stuck my finger in my mouth, glaring at her. She didn’t pay me any attention as she lifted her tunic and smeared the blood on her thighs.
    “I’ll tell Mother my cycles have started. She’ll let me stay inside today.”
    Of course she would. No one wanted a menstruating girl in the fields during harvest. The wheat might be ruined. Astra was safe, but I wasn’t.
    “What about me?”
    “I need you, of course. Your cycles have already begun. I’ll say you will show me what to do. Mother can continue her work. She’ll be pleased to have you stay with me.”
    I wondered what Astra would do next month and instinctively took a step away from her. She wouldn’t get any more fingers from me for this.
    As if reading my mind, she poked me in the stomach and laughed. “Don’t look so grim. It’s the best plan we have.”
    Astra grabbed me by my other hand, and we ran toward our house, my heart beating wildly. Thankfully, our house was close. I did not have the fortitude to run far with my heart racing ahead like this. We jumped inside and shut the door, and then collapsed into giggles. We were little girls again, playing tricks on the other children or taking part in some silly prank. But uneasiness sneaked in with us. This Hebrew was no child, and hiding from him was not a childish trick. We didn’t know what he wanted, but he did have a claim against us. If he had not forgotten or forgiven his injury, he had a right to Father’s money.
    Mother came down the steps at the back of the house, returning from the roof. She carried our heavy wool blankets, taking them below to hang