Desired: The Untold Story of Samson and Delilah (Lost Loves of the Bible) by Ginger Garrett Read Free Book Online

would have bet my life on it. I shuddered again. The Hebrew was a strange man from strange people.
    The elderly woman stood behind him in the soft light, nodding curtly. She had a soft, square face and must have been attractive in her day. Her lips were still shapely, and she had colored them red with a steady hand. Her eyes, though surrounded by deep folds of wrinkles, were clear and sparkling. But this is what puzzled me: Both she and her husband had neat, well-groomed hair. Her husband had a short, white beard and thinning white hair combed back away from his face. Her own hair was white as clouds and pulled into a single tidy braid, which was wound around the top of her head and secured with a jeweled pin. Their robes were clean, and the mother wore a single gold ring on her hand. These were not people who would raise a feral child.
    My mother gestured to the low, long eating table. “Please be seated while my daughters prepare our dinner.” They all moved to the table while Mother pulled Astra and me aside, presumably to give us instructions.
    “Your father did not tell me they were Hebrews,” she whispered. Astra and I stood mute, terrified to be implicated in this.
    “They must be the ones who bought all his rugs!” Astra whispered. “That’s why he invited them to eat with us. He thinks they will bring him more business.”
    Mother glanced back at the table. Father was helping the elderly couple lower their half-dead bodies to their seats on the floor. Samson was already seated. He looked like a giant of Gath with a child’s play table in front of him.
    “I hope you are right. I cannot imagine another reason why your father would invite them in,” Mother said.
    Astra reached out and took hold of our arms, pulling us closer in, a tribe of three conspirators.
    “We can do anything for one night. We will be as pleasant as possible, just for one night.” Astra declined to mention that we needed to be kind because she had smacked this giant in the head with a stick, and that he had cause—and means—to devour us all on the spot.
    Mother rewarded her with a wide smile. “And they will return again with heavy purses? You think like your father.”
    “I am uneasy,” I confessed. “The big one makes me nervous.”
    Astra’s grip on my arm grew tight. “That is why we must be so pleasant, sister. We will disarm him with kindness. And then send him on his way.”
    I pursed my lips and let out a long silent stream of prayer. Dagon was miles away in his temple. I didn’t know if he could hear me. Mother broke away from us and moved to be seated. Astra and I remained standing, awaiting orders.
    Mother nodded to us. Dinner had begun. “Astra, pour the wine.”
    Samson’s mother shook a finger at Astra. “None for my son.”
    We were all silent. Finally Mother spoke. “Your son does not take anything with his meals?”
    “My son does not drink wine or strong drink. If you have milk, he will take that.”
    I could not help but giggle. This enormous man-beast Samson drank milk with his meals like a babe. He looked unhappy with his mother but said nothing.
    Mother shrugged in deference. “Astra, when you are finished with the wine, pour our guest a nice bowl of milk.”
    Astra drew up a ladle filled with scarlet perfection from our wine crock and filled the bowls one at a time, setting them on the table. Neither of us missed the scowl Samson’s mother made when Astra set a bowl of wine in front of Mother. As if she was tainted because she drank wine and they did not. Astra poured an extra full bowl for Father.
    “Olive oil, bread, and chickpeas, please,” Mother commanded. Astra and I moved to serve the feast, carrying the dishes from Mother’s work table to the dining table, laying out a straight row of delicacies right down the middle of the table. A normal meal for us was just one thing—stew, perhaps, or bread and olives. Tonight we got to sample a little bit of everything, plus Mother had clearly