Seasons of the Heart Read Online Free PDF Page A

Ben?” Stella shrilled. She knew that without knowledge of her previous relationship with the Coulters, she must appear entirely unreasonable, but she couldn’t stop herself. Her gaze shifted to Ann. “You expect us to give you our blessing? We haven’t even met him. He hasn’t even given you a ring, has he?” Without waiting for an answer she attacked again. “Why won’t he marry you now?”
    “I just told you, Stella. He simply can’t get married right now.”
    “I don’t care. It’s just not natural when people are in love. What’s he going to do in the next year, become a millionaire? Let me tell you something, Ann. If you do anything wrong, you’ll never be allowed back into this house! Do you hear what I’m saying?” Stella was all but screaming.
    “I’m sorry you feel you have to say that to me, Stella. But I’m not going to sit here and take this kind of abuse from you!” Tears streaming down her cheeks, Ann pushed back her chair and fled the room.
    Ben sat shaking his head in despair. Stella was behaving like a madwoman, but as his angina increased he knew he didn’t dare fight back. It would kill him.
    “See what I’ve been putting up with all these years?” Stella was shouting.
    Ben wanted to scream, You should be overjoyed. You’ll have the chance to get rid of her . But instead he said gently, “Ann’s my daughter, not yours, Stella. And I’m not all that upset. Why are you?”
    “Because I’ve tried to be a mother to her and she didn’t even have the decency to tell us that she was seeing this boy.”
    “But she explained that he hadn’t called her for two months.”
    “And you believed her? Why does this Don Juan insist on postponing marriage? For all you know, he’s just using Ann.”
    “What do you mean by that?” he asked with difficulty.
    “That she could get pregnant.”
    “What a vile thing to say! I haven’t met Phillip, but I’m sure he’s a fine boy.”
    “A fine boy? Look, you can close your eyes to the truth, but I won’t. You don’t see anything. How long can two young people be engaged without sleeping together?”
    “Ann is my daughter and I trust her.”
    “Well, that’s wonderful,” Stella said bitingly. “The truth is that I know more about your daughter than you do. She’d do anything to get away from this house. If she got pregnant, he’d have to marry her. Right, Ben?”
    If Stella had struck him between the eyes, he could not have been more stunned. Without a word, Ben got up from the table and went up to see Ann. He could no longer force himself into believing that he had married Stella to provide a mother for Ann. He should have sensed the coldness under the amiable surface. He could not forgive his selfish weakness, not this morning.
    Sighing, he knocked softly on Ann’s door. When there was no answer, he turned the doorknob and entered. Ann was lying on her bed, sobbing. He sat down on the edge of the bed and gathered her to him, rocking her gently back and forth.
    Through the tears, Ann asked, “Papa, why does Stella hate me so much?”
    Ben swallowed. “It’s not you, sweetheart. She hates herself … the world.”
    “But it’s so unreasonable. I just don’t understand what it is I do that upsets her so much.”
    “Ann, please don’t allow Stella to spoil your happiness. This should be the happiest time of your life.”
    “Papa …”Ann murmured brokenly. “Papa, I’m sorry I didn’t bring Phillip home, but there wasn’t time. I didn’t even think he liked me.”
    “That’s all right, sweetheart.”
    “But, Papa, what am I going to do now? How can I ask him to meet my family with Stella acting like this? I can’t bring him into this house, I just can’t!” Ann started sobbing again.
    “We’ll have to figure something out, honey. But, Ann, I want you to know that I’m overjoyed for you. I don’t know if I can explain to you how grateful I am that God has spared me to see you find happiness.”
    “Thank you,