Riverbreeze: Part 3 by Ellen E. Johnson Read Free Book Online Page B

a garden or milk a goat or…or…” She started crying again. “I’m so useless and I’m so afraid.” She finally admitted in a pitiful voice, pressing a hand against her stomach.
    Once again Abigail put her arm around Helen’s shoulders and this time Helen leaned into Abigail’s body and cried on her shoulder.
    But it was Nicole who had noticed the placement of the girl’s hand. “Helen, are you with child?” She asked gently.
    “I think so.” She answered in a tiny voice. “It’s been three months since I’ve…” She trailed off, too embarrassed to continue.
    “Come here, dear, and sit by me.” Nicole said, extending a hand. “Let me show you a thing or two about caring for a new baby.”
    She did and that was the beginning of a new Helen.
    * * *
     
    Elizabeth was amazed. Evelyn had handled the girl beautifully. “How did you do that?” She said to Evelyn on the way to the privy. The men had moved on from shooting in formation to marching with pikes that Captain Neale had provided and everyone was taking this opportunity to get up and stretch their legs or tend to business, like the twins. Robin was between them, each twin holding a hand, his little legs churning to keep up with them.
    “I’m not sure, but I was just so angry with her for being so selfish. I should have been more sympathetic.”
    “No. No. You were right to scold her. And you see? It worked. Now she’s the center of attention and everyone’s darling.”
    Evelyn gaped at Elizabeth, and Elizabeth, realizing what she had just said, gaped back. “Oh mon Dieu ! That is exactly what she wanted!”
    “We played right into her hands.”
    They both started laughing at themselves and Robin, not knowing what they were laughing about, laughed along with them anyway.
    Elizabeth scooped him up, amused by the whole situtation. “Ah, Robin, look at your daddy.” She said, as they passed the lines of men. Robert was at the end of one line, holding the eighteen-foot-long pike as if it weighed nothing, marching in time with everyone else. “Isn’t he handsome?”
    “Uh huh.” Robin agreed, nodding his head enthusiastically.
    At that point, Robert turned his head and saw them. Elizabeth smiled and waved and made Robin wave too. Robert smiled back and pretending to be the perfect soldier, straightened his shoulders and lifted his knees a little higher. He continued to watch Elizabeth and Robin instead of watching where he was stepping and just when he was going to wave back, he caught his toe on a stray stone, tripped, and fell flat on his face. Luckily the pike missed the man in front of him by inches.
    Immediately Captain Neale started yelling for everyone to halt.
    Elizabeth gasped in mortification, but then started giggling after seeing that Robert was unhurt. She grabbed Evelyn’s hand and pulled her towards the privy, jostling poor Robin in the process, although he seemed to love the ride.
    “I’ll probably get yelled at for that tonight.” She said once they reached the privy.
    “Or get spanked.” Evelyn whispered suggestively.
    Elizabeth flipped her hair back. “You’ll never know.” She said with a little smile.
    * * *
     
    Of course that wasn’t true. The twins never kept secrets, but it would be several days before Elizabeth told Evelyn anything due to the upcoming emergency.
    Nothing happened anyway; Robert was too sore from his fall—for which Elizabeth did apologize—and too exhausted from their full day to do anything. And when he learned about Helen’s past and her transformation, he gave up on his teasing. So much for ‘ Later, my spoiled one’ .
    It no longer mattered. The more Elizabeth thought about it, the more she regretted her little act earlier in the day. The idea of getting spanked prior to marital relations may have initially titillated her, but no more. She was ashamed of herself now and hoped that Robert never brought up the subject again. She wouldn’t.
    Nevertheless, she had some very strange