Cora's Deception (9781476398280) (20 page)

She looked at the distant woods, the
cedar-lined creek, the green crops growing in the fields, and the
simple log house. Her heart filled with gratitude that she’d been
spared a life with George.

She turned back to find Ben staring at her.
“Are you all right, Cora?”

She smiled. “Of course I am.”

But was she? She felt numb, without emotion.
Didn’t she care anymore? Since yesterday she felt as if she faced a
brick wall with no place to move forward. Maybe her life had truly
stopped when she took the laudanum.

She shook off the maudlin thoughts. “Tell me
about Esther. How is she?”

Ben’s expression grew hard, his jaw
clenched. “What’s to tell? She’s fine.”

“Something’s wrong, Ben. I can see it.” Cora
touched his arm and he flinched.

He shook his head. “No, there’s nothing
wrong. Esther just went back on her word, is all.”

“Went back on her word?” Cora frowned. What
did he mean? All at once, she knew. “Oh, Ben. Do you mean she broke
your engagement? Why?”

Ben’s short, bitter laugh tore at Cora’s
heart. “That’s the interesting part. I haven’t the faintest idea
why.”

“Surely she said something.”

“Oh, she said plenty. The best I can figure,
I’m not good enough for her.”

“You most certainly are.” How could anyone
think otherwise?

“No, I’m not.” Ben sounded angry. “I have to
confess my sins. I have to fall down before God and ask Him to
forgive me for every wrong I’ve ever done. Then I might be good
enough for Miss Perfect Esther.”

“She said that?” Anger burned within Cora
toward the girl she’d thought was so wonderful. How could she think
Ben was not good enough for her? He was far better than Esther
Newkirk ever would be.

Ben nodded. “Yeah, more or less. She told me
to read John and Romans in the Bible.”

“Whatever for?” Cora frowned. Something was
wrong with that girl.

Ben started walking toward the house. “How
should I know?”

Cora hurried to catch up with him. “Are you
going to?”

“Going to what?”

“Read what she told you to.”

Ben shrugged, and Cora fell into step with
him. He acted as if he hadn’t heard. She started to ask again when
he spoke. “Maybe.”

Cora looked at the brother she’d adored
since infancy. He stared ahead, lost in his own thoughts. Her heart
went out to him. Esther had seemed so perfect for Ben. She wasn’t
though. She wasn’t even close, or she wouldn’t have found fault
with him.

“I don’t think I ever want to get married.”
Cora broke the silence just before they reached the house.

“I know how you feel. We’re a sorry pair of
rejects, aren’t we?” Ben’s quick grin appeared to be back to
normal, but Cora wasn’t fooled.

Life had a way of knocking a person down
sometimes. She could handle being knocked off her feet. What she
didn’t like was seeing her brother hurt. Esther had better not show
her face around here anymore.

Chapter 16

C
ora stepped inside ahead of Ben as Father pulled a chair back
from the table and sat down. He picked Nicholas up and settled him
on his lap. “People are coming into the area now the weather’s
warming up.”

Cora looked at her father. What people? How
many? Where were they settling? Questions flashed through her head
even as Mother asked them.

He grinned. “Across Cedar Creek not far from
Bill Reid’s place. We’ll be helping put up a new cabin in a few
days. Reid says a family moved in a couple of weeks ago. Been
camping there ever since.”

Cora’s heart grew heavy at the mention of
Bill Reid. So Father had gone to see the man. To tell him she
wouldn’t be marrying him, no doubt. She glanced about the room, but
no one looked at her. Her breath came easier. Maybe she could move
beyond what had happened and even forget about it in time.

“We got new neighbors just a hoot and a
holler from us too.” Ralph spoke from across the room. “Folks is
sure crowdin’ in.”

Only a few months ago, Cora had hated the
isolation of the wilderness. Now, she smiled at Ralph’s comment.
This was her home. She loved the waving prairie grass that
stretched out from their log home. The small cabin was wonderful,
built by labor from their generous neighbors and her family. She
loved the proud cedar trees lining the banks of the creek down the
hill from the house. She loved the quiet sanctuary of the woods,
and she especially loved her beautiful spring meadow near the
hollow tree.

Father caught her eye and smiled. He knew
her better than she knew herself when he said she’d get used to
this place, because she had to agree with Ralph. Sounded like way
too many people were crowdin’ into their neck of the woods.

~*~

Cora shaded her eyes against the next day’s
morning sun as Esther drove her family’s wagon into the yard and
stopped. What did she think she was doing, showing her face as if
nothing had happened? She climbed down and walked toward Cora.

Cora crossed her arms and waited. Esther’s
normally light complexion was even more pale than usual with dark
circles under her eyes. When she spoke, her voice held tears. “Ben
said you got hurt. I came to see how you are.”

“I’m fine.”
And now you can go home and leave us
alone.
Cora stood straight without
moving.

Esther bent her head and clasped her hands
under her chin. Her lips moved, but no sound came out. Was she
praying? She lifted her head and held her hands close to her chest.
“Oh, Cora, I’m so sorry for everything. Could we talk? Please?”

She was sorry? For hurting Ben? The hardness
in Cora’s heart softened under the pain-filled gaze of her former
friend. Maybe she really was sorry. “All right. We can walk down by
the creek. The men are working in the field on the other side of
the house, so we won’t disturb them.”

At Cora’s less-than-tactful words hurt
flashed through Esther’s eyes. She caught up with Cora and they
walked in silence for several yards until they reached the creek
bank.

Cora stopped under a large cedar tree. She
stood with her arms folded, watching Esther. “What is it you
want?”

Esther flinched, but met Cora’s unfriendly
gaze. Her eyes were blue pools of tears. She brushed at them with
her hand. “Ben said you were hurt really bad.”

Cora turned her head with the large purple
bruise toward Esther. “As you can see, it’s only superficial.”

“I didn’t know. I was so worried, Cora. I
was afraid you might die, and I hadn’t told you about Jesus.” She
clutched the front of her dress at the neck with trembling
fingers.

Cora stared at the other girl. She was so
beautiful—on the outside. But inside something was wrong. What made
her think she was better than anyone else? Cora’s jaw clenched. “I
know about Jesus.”

“Yes, but do you know of His saving power?”
A tear slid from Esther’s eye, and she wiped it away. “You told me
you all are believers, Cora. But I found out yesterday that Ben has
never been born again. I don’t think he even understood what it
means. Please, let me tell you how you can be saved.”

Cora jerked and took a step back. Esther’s
words were a verbal slap that stung. She glared at her. “How can
you say such a thing to me? I am not a bad person. And neither is
Ben. In fact, you’ll never find any man better than my
brother.”

Tears freely ran down Esther’s cheeks now.
“All have sinned, Cora. I don’t mean you are bad. Of course not.
But even good people must come to God and confess their sins.”

All at once Cora understood. Why hadn’t she
seen it before? Esther’s beauty hid a nature that was ugly and
hurtful. Maybe because of her looks, Esther thought she was better
than normal people. She had a superior attitude. Ben was better off
without her. A smirk tugged at her lips. She certainly didn’t have
to stand here and listen to this nonsense.

“I’m sure you’re right, Esther.” Cora forced
her facial muscles to relax into what she hoped was a believable
smile. She turned to leave. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to get
back to the house before my mother worries. I don’t think she saw
us leave.”

Cora walked away as quickly as she could
with her head held high and without a backward glance. She went
into the house and didn’t watch Esther leave, but she heard the
wagon rumble away. Esther was gone, but her words remained. Cora
thought of little else the rest of the day. She lost George and now
she’d lost Esther. Pain, deeper than she expected, cut through her
heart and stayed as a raw wound even into the next day.

Midmorning, as Cora shook out the rug, she
saw Aaron walking between Ralph and Ivy as they made their way out
of the woods. Her heart leapt at the sight of the tall, handsome
young man who stirred her in ways she shouldn’t allow. They were
too different for more than friendship.

A wooden crate hung between the two men.
Whatever could they be bringing? Cora took the rug inside and
announced the arrival of their guests. Eliza looked up from the
oven. “Oh, no! Ralph usually comes in the evening.”

Cora laughed. “It doesn’t look like a social
call. Aaron and Ivy are with him, and they’re bringing something in
a crate.”

Eliza jerked off her apron and ran to the
loft.

“Where are you going?” Mother called after
her youngest daughter’s skirts as she swished up the ladder.

“I can’t let Ralph see me this way. I’ve got
flour all over me.” Eliza’s voice drifted downstairs.

Cora laughed along with Mother and Vickie,
then went to the door.

Ivy was alone. She stared at Cora a moment.
“You look as bad as Ralph said.”

Heat rose in Cora’s cheeks, but she managed
a laugh. “Thank you, Ivy. Won’t you come in?”

Eliza brushed past them and peeked out the
door. “Hello, Ivy. Where’re your brothers?”

“You’re right real taken with Ralph, ain’t
you?” Ivy’s hands rested on her hips.

“Taken?” Eliza turned and looked at her.

“Sure. Taken.” Ivy repeated. “I don’t
rightly see how a body could be, but I reckon we all have the right
to hanker after whoever we fancy.”

“Ralph’s very good-looking.” Eliza almost
whispered the words.

Ivy grinned. “Ralph and Aaron are round back
with your menfolk. They brung a pig for y’all.”

She turned toward Cora. “Aaron had to come
see for himself if you’re all right. He’ll be around in a little
when he gets the pig settled.” Her voice turned mocking. “We
figured you wouldn’t let it in your house.”

Before Cora could think of a good response
to that, Ivy walked across the floor and stood with her bare toe
sticking out from under the worn hem of her dress and rubbing
circles on the wood floor. What on earth was she doing? Admiring
the floor?

Her eyebrows lifted when she looked up. “It
must take a passel of work to keep these boards clean. Ma says a
dirt floor is healthy—the way God intended us to live.”

Cora opened her mouth to set Ivy straight on
her manners when Mother spoke. “Yes, I believe your mother
mentioned the benefits of a dirt floor when she was here for our
house raising.”

She laughed. “We city folk are so used to
our wood floors we’d probably get sick the first winter without
them. I guess it’s all in the way a person is raised.”

Ivy shrugged and walked across the room to
stand in front of Mother’s corner cabinet with her fine China
dishes and porcelain figurines displayed behind the glass front.
Ivy’s wistful expression changed to a sneer just before she turned
toward Cora. “When you’ve lived in the wilderness as long as I
have, you’ll find little use for stuff like that. Before you know
it, all those fancy things will be broken.”

What was wrong with the people around here?
First Esther decided she was too good to associate with the likes
of them because she thought they were heathens. Now Ivy considered
them beneath her because they had nice things. Anger stirred in
Cora’s heart. Mother and Vickie had gone to the far end of the room
to see about fixing lunch and didn’t appear to be listening.

Cora planted a fist on each hip. “Well I
should hope not. Just because you live in the wilderness doesn’t
mean—”

“Of course they could be broken.” Eliza
stepped in front of Cora, giving her a frown before she smiled at
Ivy. “Mother probably wouldn’t have had Father bring them, but they
each have special meaning to her. You see, our grandmother owned
these dishes first.”

As Eliza pointed out the contents of the
cabinet and explained where they’d come from, Cora stood back.
She’d never noticed before how much like Mother Eliza was. How she
could be so nice to someone like Ivy was a wonder. And even more
amazing was how interested Ivy acted in everything she said.

The door opened while Eliza and Ivy were
still talking about the small boy and girl figurines Vickie and Ben
had given Mother years ago for Christmas. Ben stuck his head
inside. “Ivy, your brothers want to get back home.”

Ivy swung to the door with a smile. “Thank
you, Ben.”

She stepped outside while he held the door
open for her, her eyes flashing toward him. Cora and Eliza
followed. As soon as they were outside, Ivy clutched Ben’s arm.
“Ben, why don’t you walk back a ways with us? I was thinkin’ maybe
you could tell us how that story ended. You recollect? The one we
was readin’ last winter just afore we went sleddin’?”

“You mean Swiss Family Robinson?” Ben looked
at Ivy and grinned.

Cora frowned.

Ivy nodded. “Yes, that’s the one. Maybe your
sisters would like to walk along with us too.”

“Now that’s the best idea I’ve heard in a
coon’s age.” Ralph grinned at Eliza and took her hand.

Cora frowned more. Eliza shouldn’t be
holding hands with Ralph, and Ben shouldn’t be grinning at Ivy.
It’d been what? Three days since Esther sent him packing? Maybe she
wasn’t the right girl for him, but that didn’t mean Ivy was,
either. Ben seemed all too willing to forget Esther. How could men
be so fickle?