Sisters of the Quilt Trilogy Read Online Free PDF Page A

he whispered. “What happened to you hould happen to no one.” Her father enfolded her in his arms. She could smell the familiar mixture of garden soil and hard work. But his embrace didn’t carry the same warmth it had yesterday. Oddly, his touch, which had always held pleasant fellowship, disgusted her.
    “The unmentionable has happened to you.”
    She pushed free of his embrace. “I don’t understand.”
    The horrid noise of her father fighting to keep control of his emotions filled the air. “You were forced to do the unmentionable,” he whispered hoarsely. “You were … raped. And that is illegal, even among the English.”
    She covered her face with her apron and wailed. Unable to keep herself upright any longer, she sank to her knees on the cool grass and rested her forehead against the earth.
    Within moments, her mother’s arms enfolded her. She nuzzled her chin against Hannah’s shoulder, rocking back and forth. The two cried bitterly.
    Guilt bore down on Hannah, blame so heavy that no amount of tears would ever wash it away. But she couldn’t pinpoint why she felt in the wrong. As Hannah gained some control and sat up, anger burned even more than the guilt. “It’s not right, Mamm . It’s not right.”
    Her mother’s swollen eyelids closed slowly as she nodded. “I know.”
    “Then let’s do something about it.” The words hurled out, vengeful and desperate.
    A pair of strong hands wrapped around her upper arms and raised her to her feet. She found herself staring into her father’s eyes.
    “You’re upset. You can’t really mean that.” He released her.
    Hannah staggered backward.
    His eyes misted. “You know we must let God take vengeance, not man.”
    The throbbing in her temples matched the ache in her abdomen and the rending of her heart. “If we don’t tell someone … maybe the police …”—she searched for words amid the confusion that screamed inside her head—“he could do this again to someone else, no?”
    The shoulders of the stout man she’d always trusted slumped. “Ruth, please try to talk some sense into her.”
    Rising from the ground, Mamm took hold of her husband’s arm to support her shaking body. “We live a simple life, Hannah, as God commanded.” The quaking of her voice made her words hard to understand. “You know our ways do not allow us to defend ourselves. Besides, without phones or cars, we would have no way to get help if we provoked this man. What would we do if he … brought trouble? It is best to leave things in the Lord’s hands.”
    “But—”
    “Look around you, daughter.” Her father made a sweep with his hand in the air. Hannah viewed the rolling landscape, cattle, outbuildings, and her house. At the pond across the road, her brother and sisters sat on the pier, dangling their bare feet in the water. “Peace reigns here. You cannot destroy that just because you want vengeance. I understand how you feel. I do. But we must leave this alone and move forward.”
    “ Daed , please—”
    “I’m sorry you don’t understand, Hannah, but I must do what is best for the family and the community.” He patted Mamm’s arm. “Ruth, you must calm yourself. Your daughter is upset, and rightly so, but we will take good care of her. She is safe, and we’ll put this behind us. Now take her inside and prepare a bath for her. Then she can go to bed for the evening. Sarah will tend to the young children for tonight.” When he folded his arms across his chest, Hannah knew the conversation was over.

    Hannah sat on the stool in the bathroom, struggling not to cry as Mamm connected a hose to fill the large tin tub. The hose ran from the window behind the kitchen sink—the only source of heated water—along the side of the house and through the bathroom window. Trying to block out the vision of what had taken place less than an hour before, Hannah watched her mother pour vinegar and Epsom salts under the running water.
    “You’ll be fine,” Mamm