To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer Read Free Book Online

a story. Eden Spencer perched on the edge of a spindly tapestry chair before them, reading aloud. He could only see her profile, but even from a distance he easily discerned the animation in her features and heard the intensity in her voice.
    Not wanting to disturb the recitation, he moved as quietly as possible to the opposite side of the room.
    Books on cattle, farming, and animal husbandry filled the first bookcase, along with an extensive assortment of horticultural guides. Levi ran his finger along a spine decorated with a bouquet of roses and chuckled quietly to himself. The woman did love her flowers.
    But that wasn’t all. There were also history texts, sermon collections, handbooks on steam engines, and medical advisors. Etiquette guides and cookbooks, carpentry manuals and a series of bound lectures. A reference section contained encyclopedias, atlases, and two dictionaries. He even found a book entitled Practical Horseshoeing by Mr. G. Fleming. Levi made a note of what shelf it was on, just in case he discovered he had forgotten more than he thought he had about being a farrier.
    He reached the back wall and found an extensive collection of children’s literature, poetry, and essays. And when he turned from the bookcase, he found himself nearly on top of Miss Spencer.
    She had just begun to close her book when the children began clamoring for another chapter. A featherlight laugh floated out from her as she opened the cover once again, her finger still holding their place as if she’d known all along she would read more.
    Levi backed away, afraid that if she saw him it would interrupt the magic. There was something so different about her here—something joyous and unguarded, elements that had been missing from their previous encounter. Yesterday at the parsonage she’d been all business, but here she was carefree and alive. The children obviously adored her, and she them.
    “ ‘One night,’ ” she read, her voice subdued, “ ‘a few days after James had left, I had eaten my hay and was lying down in my straw—’ ” she paused to yawn and stretch with theatrical flair—“ ‘fast asleep, when I was suddenly roused by the stable bell ringing very loud.’ ” Her speech accelerated and she leaned forward. “Bong! Bong!” A couple of the children giggled at the face she made as she imitated the bells.
    She went on to tell of a lad named John and his urgency in waking the horse, Black Beauty, and their desperate ride to fetch the doctor for his ill mistress. The poor horse gave his all, and in turn, fell ill himself, thanks to the faulty care of a young stable boy. A lung inflammation, they said. Yet Beauty’s ride had saved the mistress’s life, and despite his sickness, he did not regret his efforts.
    “All right, children. That’s all for today.”
    A collective moan rose from the group.
    “But what happens to Beauty?” one young girl near the front asked, her eyes wide and a bit moist.
    Miss Spencer reached out a hand to stroke the child’s cheek. “You’ll have to come back next Friday to find out, Anna.”
    “But, Miss Spencer . . .”
    A boy yanked on one of Anna’s pigtails, cutting her off. “He dies.”
    Anna’s bottom lip started trembling. The boy snickered.
    “Joseph. Stop teasing your sister.” Miss Spencer set the book aside and gathered Anna into her lap, wrapping her arms around her.
    Before she could offer any comforting words, though, a stoic young lady spoke up from the back. “Beauty won’t die,” she stated with matter-of-fact assurance. “We’re not even halfway through the book yet. It wouldn’t be called Black Beauty if the horse died at the beginning.”
    “Very astute reasoning, Gussie.” Miss Spencer turned back to the child in her lap. “That makes sense—don’t you think, Anna?”
    “Uh-huh.”
    “Good.” She gave Anna a hug and stood the child up on her feet. Apparently that signaled the end of the session, for the rest of the kids