Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati Read Free Book Online Page B

mind. Frantic, she saw their expressions begin
to close against her.
    "Blessed
are those wise in the ways of books." she said quickly, "for theirs
is the kingdom of righteousness and fair play."" Then she
flushed.From the corner of her eye she saw Galileo, who had been silent
throughout the entire exchange, raise a grizzled eyebrow in surprise. One of
the farmers was looking at her doubtfully, but she lifted her chin.
    "Matthew,"
she added, defiantly.
    Suddenly
her bravado left her and she wished for nothing so much as to walk away and
come in to start over again. She was telling these people that she was worthy
of teaching their children and the first example she had given them of her own
education and worthiness of such a task was a completely fraudulent—and
self—serving—bible verse.
    Elizabeth
glanced over her shoulder to see if Galileo was ready to go, and she started.
    Nathaniel
Bonner stood at the door, and on his face, the certainty that he had overheard
at least some of this conversation, and most certainly the part of which she
was least proud.
    Elizabeth
had
never been in such a situation in her entire life; she took in Nathaniel's cool
but amused look, and she barely knew how to contain her embarrassment. He
nodded to her, and wished her good day, but
Elizabeth
could barely nod in return. She
took the very first opportunity to take her leave from Anna and her customers,
who had returned to their places around the hearth.
    Out
on the porch
Elizabeth
was glad of the cold air which cooled her hot cheeks. For a moment she watched
while Galileo loaded supplies into the sleigh, all the while sending her
curious sidelong glances. resolutely,
Elizabeth
avoided direct eye contact.
    "I
think I'll take a walk now, Galileo," she said as lightly as she could.
"I'll be able to find my way back home."
    And
Elizabeth
took off as
fast as she could down a narrow but well—trod path which led past a number of
small cabins. Women came to doors to wave to her, but she pressed on, smiling
politely. She needed to be alone for a while, to sort out her thoughts.
    The
path led through a stand of evergreens and then, beyond that, it took
Elizabeth
to the
lakeside. She stopped suddenly within a foot of a little beach with its own
dock, its supports all encased in ice, and saw that the fishermen were coming
in now, dragging with them their heavy nets. There were six men and a number of
boys,
Elizabeth
counted, and they were coming straight toward her with curious and expectant
looks on their faces. She suppressed a little groan, and turned abruptly away
back up the path, running as she did so directly into Nathaniel.
    With
a little cry
Elizabeth
slipped and would have lost her footing on the hard—packed snow if Nathaniel
had not reached out to steady her, both his hands catching her upper arms just
above the elbows, her own hands coming to rest on firmly muscled forearms.
Dismayed at her own clumsiness and confused by his sudden appearance,
Elizabeth
looked up at
Nathaniel, who stood calmly with his head inclined toward her. She felt the
press of his fingers quite clearly through her cape and she was aware of his
warm breath on her face; for a moment
Elizabeth
was strangely paralyzed, and then she pulled away with a little twist.
Breathing heavily, she glanced back toward the lake at the approaching
fishermen.
    "Pardon
me," she murmured to Nathaniel and she started up the path once again.
"Excuse me, Mr. Bonner."
    "Wait!"
Nathaniel called after her, and
Elizabeth
walked all the faster. She picked up her skirts a little to increase her speed.
    "
Elizabeth
, wait!" he
called again, this time much closer. Realizing that she could not outpace him,
Elizabeth
stopped and
tried to calm her breathing. Then she turned toward Nathaniel.
    "Yes?"
she asked as evenly as she was capable. He stood before her dressed as he had
been the day before.
Elizabeth
noted that under his own lined mantle he wore a clean buckskin shirt, and this
brought to mind