Love Finds a Home (Love Comes Softly Series #8) Read Online Free PDF

Belinda's hair. "How thoughtless I've been. Heah I've sat day after day, not even realizing how lonesome you must be foah those you love. And how lonesome they must be for you! Of course you should go home. I should have thought of it myself. It's a perfect opportunity for you. I'm glad you had sense enough to think of it, even if I didn't."
    Her hand stopped, resting on Belinda's head. A shadow passed over her face as she looked into Belinda's blue eyes. "And I will not hold you to that promise," she said gently, though her eyes begged Belinda to return. "You know I love you. You know I want you heah, but I will not ask you for such a promise."
    "I'll be back, Aunt Virgie," Belinda said in a whisper, and she leaned forward to kiss the older woman on the cheek.
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    FOUR
    Homeward Bound
    The whole Marshall Manor household was in a turmoil of activity the next morning. Breakfast in the north parlor was a hurried affair, nervous maids fluttering nearby while Mrs. Stafford-Smyth went down a long, long list of last-minute instructions with Potter and Windsor. Windsor nodded glumly from time to time. It was clear he thought Madame again was giving in to her penchant for foolish gadding about. He did not sanction such travel, and Remember what happened last time, his frown seemed to say.
    Belinda was up and down the stairs a dozen times, running for this, tucking in that, securing this, dusting off that. At long last the carriage with Mrs. Celia Prescott pulled up at the front of the house and Mrs. Stafford-Smyth, bag, and baggage were loaded in for the station.
    "My land, girl," exclaimed Mrs. Prescott to Belinda, "where are your hat and gloves?"
    "Belinda is not accompanying us," replied Mrs. StaffordSmyth.
    "She's not? Well, whatever will you do--?"
    "I will manage just fine," Mrs. Stafford-Smyth put in archly. "I haven't totally forgotten how to cayah for myself." "But I thought . . . I just assumed that--"
    "Belinda is going to take a trip home to see her family
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    while I am gone," continued Mrs. Stafford-Smyth.
    "You'd . . . you'd let her? She might not be back," argued Mrs. Prescott, and Belinda couldn't help but smile at the genuine warning in the woman's voice. There had been a time when Mrs. Prescott had assumed Belinda to be unnecessary and ill-equipped to care for the well-being of her dear friend, Virginia Stafford-Smyth.
    Mrs. Stafford-Smyth drew Belinda to her and kissed her on the forehead. "That is her decision," she said softly. "She knows how much I would miss her."
    Unable to say anything, Belinda felt the tears forming in her eyes.
    "Good-bye, my deah," said the older woman. "I shall miss you. Tell your mama for me what a blessed woman she is to have such a daughtah."
    Belinda swallowed.
    "Now, you have a good time, you heah? Do all those things you've been missing." She kissed Belinda again. "Bye now."
    Belinda managed a good-bye and waved as the carriage pulled out into the street and passed out of sight.
    She turned and slowly made her way into the big house. She hadn't even started her own packing yet. Still, she would not need to take much with her. There were many things hanging in her closet at the farm. She was sure they were more appropriate for farm life anyway, and she would make do with them.
    She was met at the door by Windsor. "Would you like me to summon Ella for you, miss?" he asked Belinda.
    Belinda was a bit surprised at his concern.
    "I think I can manage fine, thank you," she responded.
    "But I know you've been much too busy to take care of your own packing," he continued. "As you have seen, Madam always needs so much done before one of her trips--"
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    "I don't intend to take very much with me," Belinda assured him. She couldn't help but smile at his carefully worded reference to Madam's choice of travel "necessities." "I left some clothing at home in my closet," she explained. "I can use it while I'm there."
    Windsor looked surprised, and then Belinda remembered that it had been almost