To Love and to Cherish Read Online Free PDF

something to make the situation worse if she didn’t leave. “How much money will you give me? I will need to buy food.”
    He reached inside a drawer in his desk and withdrew a handful of silver coins. “Here’s twenty dollars. Since you will have your own money, you won’t need to buy anything from the store on credit.”
    He really did intend to supervise everything she bought. She accepted the coins with a shaking hand. She put them inside her purse and rose. “I’ll let you know when I need more money.”
    â€œWe haven’t discussed—”
    â€œI don’t see any need to discuss anything further when you’ve made it clear you plan to make my decisions for me. Should I let you know when I’m close to starvation, or can I expect twenty dollars next week?”
    â€œI don’t think you need that much money a week just for food.”
    If she stayed any longer, she’d throw something at him. “I’m surprised you didn’t decide to keep the money and send me what food you think I need.”
    She left his office while he was speaking, but she didn’t need to hear what he was saying to know she’d exchanged one prison for another. She couldn’t be sure this one wouldn’t be worse. At this moment, she was sure of only one thing—she didn’t know what she would do or how she would do it, but she would not live one day longer than necessary under Norman’s thumb. On her way out, she walked by Cassie with no more than a curt good-bye, but courtesy would have to wait. Right now she needed to get as far away from Norman and his bank as she could.
    She looked about, but there was really no place to go. If anyone saw her wandering about the countryside, they’d be sure she was distraught over Noah’s death and refuse to leave her alone until they’d peppered her with enough questions to satisfy themselves she wasn’t going to hurt herself. If they only knew! Nothing could hurt her more than the marriage she’d endured. She would go home. She needed to think.
    Laurie didn’t know how long she’d sat staring into space before she heard a knock at the door, and Naomi let herself in.
    â€œCassie said Norman said something to cause you to faint this morning. Are you all right? I thought you went to talk about the will.”
    It took Laurie only a few minutes to explain the situation. It wouldn’t have taken as long if Naomi hadn’t interrupted so many times to express her indignation and anger.
    â€œHow can Norman do that?”
    â€œNorman didn’t. Noah did, and I’m certain it can’t be changed.”
    â€œI’ll talk to—” She stopped.
    Laurie knew Naomi had started to say she would talk to Vernon Edwards. He was a lawyer, but he was also Norman’s father-in-law. They could expect no help there. In all probability, he’d written the will for Noah.
    â€œThere has to be something you can do,” Naomi insisted. “If nothing else, we can try to bring enough pressure on Norman to embarrass him.”
    â€œIt won’t do any good. Norman will claim he was only doing what Noah wanted, which we all know is the truth. You can’t go against a dying man’s wishes.”
    â€œA dead man, and what he wishes is cruel. You have a lot of people on your side. We’ll figure out something.”
    But Laurie didn’t need everybody else to figure out something. She wanted to do it herself. She’d been given her life back. She didn’t plan to let it slip out of her control again.
    â€œWhat would you like to do?” Naomi asked. “Run the store?”
    That’s what Laurie had assumed she wanted to do, but as soon as the words were out of Naomi’s mouth, she knew she wanted nothing to do with that store. It was as much part of Noah’s prison as the house she would be forced to live in. “As far as I’m concerned,