Ashley Merrick - India: Bride of Indiana (American Mail-Order Bride 19) by Ashley Merrick Read Free Book Online Page B

lovely Christmas tree.
    “Pick out the best one, and then we will bring it in.”
    Once Julia and Sammy agreed on which tree was best, Richard cut it down and they brought it inside. He set it in the corner of the living room and then went into a back room to get the Christmas decorations. They spent the next few hours decorating the tree, hanging ornaments and stringing garlands of beads around the branches. There were also small candleholders that India fastened very carefully on the tree so that they would be able to light them without catching the tree on fire. There was also a bag of slim candles and India placed one into each candleholder. They all stepped back to admire their work.
    “It’s beautiful,” India breathed.
    “We need to hang our stockings, too!” Julia pulled three stockings out of the bag. They were all red with white trim and the names Julia, Sammy, and Richard were embroidered across the top. India noticed that there was one more stocking left in the bag, and guessed that it had been Amy’s.
    “We have to get a stocking for India,” Julia said.
    Richard smiled. “We will. I will get one for her this week.”
    They hung the stockings on cast metal stocking holders that Richard set on the mantel above the fireplace.
    “Look! It’s snowing!” Sammy ran to the window and pressed his face against the glass, staring outside at the falling snow. India watched the snow fall and felt that it added the perfect touch to what was feeling like a magical day. She’d always love the holidays though growing up. The Christmas season was a special time, the time of happiness and hope. And baking.
    “Who wants to make sugar cookies this afternoon? I found some cookie-cutters the other day and thought it might be fun to make some different-shaped cookies and dust them with sugar.”
    “I want to make cookies,” Julia said.
    “Can I help? I can sprinkle sugar on them and eat them and let you know if they taste all right.”
    India chuckled. “Yes, that is a very important job. We need to make sure they taste just right.”
    They had a fun afternoon making cookies. Later on after dinner and the children had gone to bed, India and Richard settled into the den and Richard put a log on the fire. India worried that she might see a repeat of his dark mood from the night before, but instead it was as if that had never happened. Richard was his usual quiet self, and they chatted a bit and read for several hours before heading upstairs to bed.

Chapter 11
    I ndia went to the church in South Bend for the first time on Sunday. Richard had said that his whole family would be there and that they had been attending that church for as long as he could remember. It was the white church that Sammy had pointed out the first day that India had driven into town. She had thought that it looked pretty from the outside, with its simple lines and elegant stained-glass windows. It was even nicer inside. It wasn’t fancy, but the design of the windows let in plenty of light and bathed the room in a warm glow.
    Richard led them to one of the pews where his family always sat. They had arrived a little bit early, and as they sat there, India watch the other parishioners file in. She didn’t know many of them yet, but she saw a few people that she recognized, such as Irene and Jim, the owners of the mercantile and Evan the butcher. They all smiled and waved as they took their seats.
    India noticed a woman about Richard’s mother’s age with a younger woman who she guessed was probably her daughter look over at them, as they sat in the opposite pew. The younger woman glanced her way with interest and then her eyes grew cold. Although it wasn’t at all cold in the church, India shivered. She wondered if the young woman might be Olivia. There was no reason for anyone else to give her such a hard look. If it was Olivia, she was actually quite a beautiful girl. Her hair was very blonde and it was all twisted into a complicated bun of