Cora's Deception (9781476398280) Read Online Free

Vickie.
With each of us at a corner, I think we can lower it to the
ground”
    She looked at Vickie. “We may have to leave
this one where it falls. We’ll be doing good to get it out as heavy
as it is.”
    “I don’t care what we do with it.” Dark hair
escaped Vickie’s bonnet, framing her pretty face. “I just want
Nicholas off the ground.”
    Mother nodded. “Are you ready? All together
now, let’s pull and lower.”
    Cora strained on her corner and the trunk
began to move. There was little she could hold to—only some
ornamental scrollwork and part of a leather strap. As the heavy
trunk slid away from the wagon floor, Cora slipped her right hand
to the bottom, getting a better grip. The trunk fell, pinning her
fingers to the ground.
    “My hand.” She cried out. “It’s on my
hand.”
    “Oh, my lands, girls, lift.” Mother called
out.
    Cora pulled her hand free as quickly as she
could, and Mother hurried to her. “Wiggle your fingers. Does that
hurt?”
    Cora shook her head and scowled. “Mother, my
hand isn’t broken.” She held it palm up. The imprint of the trunk
was visible across the middle of her fingers. “It’s just bent in a
few places.”
    Mother rubbed her thumb across the
indentation. “All right, but maybe you’d better do something else.
Why don’t you keep an eye on Nicholas and Lenny while we finish?
Maybe you could pull more grass for the shelter. You’ll need only
one hand for that.”
    Cora glanced at the two boys playing tag
among the boxes that had already been set out. Her hand did hurt.
She moved toward the improvised floor and began pulling grass with
her right hand. When Lenny ran close, she caught him, holding him
until Nicholas was firmly in her grasp too.
    “You two will use this shelter as much as I
will, so you’re going to help me.”
    “Me help?” Nicholas’s large brown eyes
widened.
    “Yes.” She hugged his soft, little body
before letting him go. “You and Lenny can work just like the big
men. While they cut down trees, we’ll break down grass. Let’s see
if we can finish before they get back.”
    She kept the boys working for several
minutes before they ran off. She straightened and stretched her
back. How much should she clear? Maybe twice the width of the
sleeping platform? She went back to work. Eliza soon joined her. In
spite of being a real nuisance, Eliza never seemed to mind
working.
    When they finished, Cora climbed on the
platform and sat on one of the mattresses. From her perch, she
could see the boys as they played. There had to be something more
interesting to do in this awful place than watch two little boys
play. She looked toward the woods in the distance as the crashing
sound of a falling tree reached her ears. Ben was lucky. Cutting
down trees would be better than this. Boys always got to do the fun
jobs. And worthwhile—like building a shelter. Once the job ended,
it didn’t have to be repeated. But washing dishes had to be done
over and over. Babysitting, too, was never ending. There was no
satisfaction in doing something that would have to be done again
almost as soon as it was finished.
    The early morning frost had almost dried by
noon, and the men weren’t back from the woods yet. She climbed down
and moved to the campfire. Mother had beans cooking. Cora lifted
the lid to peek inside. “Mother, where’s the meat?”
    Mother set a box down and arched her back.
“There is none.”
    “Don’t we have any side meat left? I thought
I’d put some in these beans for seasoning.”
    “What you cooked this morning was all we
had.”
    Vickie set a small box with the others and
stretched. “Maybe the men will shoot something while they’re in the
woods.”
    Eliza laughed. “Not with all the noise
they’ve been making. Any animal with sense would be far from here
by now. Why can’t we eat beans without seasoning? They’re just as
good that way.”
    The wagon emerged from the cover of the
trees in the distance, and mother sent an