The Fire in Ember - DiAnn Mills [22]
When she finished, she looked at Leah. The woman’s eyes were filled with tears. “No one has expressed an interest in playing it until now.”
“I didn’t mean to disrespect your husband’s memory.”
“My dear girl, you honored Frank. Your playing is beautiful. Where did you learn so well?”
“My brother taught me. But mostly I hear a tune and can remember it.”
Leah’s eyes widened, and she turned her head as though she didn’t quite believe what Bert had said.
“One of the songs at church was about a tie that binds.” Bert closed her eyes and allowed her fingers to play what she remembered.
“You’d never heard the hymn before?”
“No ma’am.”
“What else can you play?” Davis made his way around the bed and curled up next to Leah.
Bert shrugged. “Not sure. I make up a lot of songs.”
“Then share one.” Leah touched the knee of Bert’s britches, a pair Mark had outgrown that Bert wore for chores.
Bert put together a few quick words, and a lively tune danced across her mind. “I’ll do my best.”
Leah and Davis smiled their encouragement.
I don’t like to pick peas.
Don’t like to shell them either,
But when my bowl is empty
I’ve worked into a fever.
“How grand.” Leah laughed. “And that is exactly how I feel about them too. You have a remarkable talent, a real gift. You must let the other boys hear you play and sing.”
Gideon used to say she had a gift too. With some gentle prodding from Leah she’d be crying. “I don’t imagine they’d want to hear me play their pa’s fiddle.”
“Nonsense. It will be a treat for us all.”
“Do you know any songs about snakes or fish or wild bears?” Davis’s eyes had lit up like twinkling stars.
“I might.” Not since Gideon died had anyone made her feel special. “What do you say about you and me finishing those peas and letting your ma take a rest?”
He scrunched up his face. “I already do women’s work.”
“I could tell you another story. And we could make up a song to go with it.”
“Like the one you told me yesterday? The bear that was afraid of water was a good story. Evan tells me stories too, but he works a lot.”
“Today’s story could be about a wolf who forgot how to howl at the moon. And once we’re done, and if your mama doesn’t have anything else for us, we could fish for supper.” She remembered John didn’t want her around his brothers, but Davis was young and so sweet.
“Oh, I like your idea,” Leah said. “The extra time this afternoon will allow me to finish a new shirt for Evan’s birthday. Gracious. How very fine if you’d play the fiddle for his birthday. Miss Bert, we sure have been blessed since you came to us.”
Regret wove a shameful thread through Bert’s heart. She hoped they never learned about her past.
CHAPTER 10
John slammed the sledgehammer onto the top of the fence post and anchored it in place. He couldn’t remember when Mama had been so happy. He should have been glad for her, but instead he was miffed.
Just admit it. All right, he had a bad case of frustration and a few other feelings he wasn’t ready to put a name on yet. Why couldn’t life have stayed the same as it was before Bert? For that matter, what was God thinking when He tossed a ragged, pitiful girl into his path?
Bert’s huge brown eyes and silky-looking hair drove him to distraction, and he couldn’t help but think she needed someone to protect her from whatever or whoever had hurt her. He hadn’t forgotten Victor Oberlander’s warning either. Bert might be only seventeen, but she sure had latched on to a barnload of John’s attention.
He didn’t have any time for a pint-size woman. She probably couldn’t cook or sew or keep a house neat or help him brand horses or mend fence … but those things didn’t matter. The best thing for him to do was avoid her. In less than four months she’d have worked off her debt and be on her way.
Evan walked his way with a bail of wire. Diversion. That’s what John needed. If today hadn’t been Evan’s birthday, he’d have ridden into town like he had deputy business.