Sleigh Ride (Homespun) Read Online Free Page B

say anything.
    Once the cornbread was in the oven, Millie stood and gathered their sewing into her sewing basket to set off to the side of the room.  She took out the dishes to set the table.  After a moment, Charlotte took the dishes from her.  “Why don’t you just rest while I do this?”
    Millie nodded gratefully and sank back to her seat.  Grace had been playing quietly in the corner all morning and came over to climb onto Millie’s lap.  “Mama?”
    “Yes, baby?” 
    “I want the baby to come so you’ll have a lap again.”  She rested her head on Millie’s shoulder hanging on tightly for fear she’d fall off.
    Millie laughed and hugged Grace closer.  “I know, Gracie.  It’ll happen soon.  Of course, then the baby will be on Mama’s lap a lot.”  She didn’t want the little girl to think she’d always get to sit on her lap once the baby was born.  She didn’t want her to resent her younger sibling.
    Grace nodded.  “I know.  But when it’s my turn, I can have a whole lap.”
    Patience removed her schoolbooks from the table and took them into her room.  She helped Charlotte finish setting the table, and put the butter on and the milk as well.  Once the cornbread was done, Patience went out to call her brothers and father to eat.  They all stomped their feet at the door to remove most of the snow, and came inside. 
    George sniffed the air.  “Smells good.  Is that cornbread?”  George loved to eat cornbread with his beans.
    Millie nodded toward her friend.  “Charlotte made it.” 
    George smiled at Charlotte.  “Thank you for helping out so much while she’s having to rest.”  He was so glad the Bible verses had helped her.  He wouldn’t have been able to let her stay if she was just causing more work and not helping.  Millie wasn’t healthy enough for that.
    “I’m happy to help.  I just wish I knew more about cooking.  I’ve never done much of it, so I feel a little nervous.”  Charlotte was a little embarrassed to admit that, but she wanted him to understand her better.
    “We’re happy to have you practice on our family.”  He washed his hands at the basin before sitting down.
    After their lunch, Charlotte and Patience did the dishes while Millie lay down with Grace for a few minutes to help her sleep.  After she’d closed the door quietly behind her, Millie looked around the main room.  Everything looked just right.  Patience and Charlotte had worked to make sure all the cleaning was done in the few minutes she’d been with Grace.
    Millie thanked her friend and hugged Patience.  “You’ve been the best daughter I ever could have dreamed of.  Thanks for taking care of me.”  Over Patience’s head she mouthed the words “thank you” to her friend.
    Patience smiled her pleasure at the compliment and went to get her schoolbooks.  She would study until Bess came, but then she got to participate in the women’s conversation, which was something she always looked forward to.
    Charlotte was nervous and kept smoothing down her dress.  Millie was so engrossed in her sewing she didn’t notice the first few times.  Finally she said, “Stop fidgeting, Charlotte!  Bess is going to love you as much as I do.”
    Charlotte laughed at herself and sat down at the table to do her sewing as well.  She’d almost finished the first gown.  Millie had purchased enough fabric for five, so she would do as many as she could.
    The door opened, and Bess called in.  “It’s me!”  Bess never knocked when she was expected, just as Millie didn’t knock at her home.  There was no need for either of them to stand outside in the cold when she knew perfectly well how to open a door.
    After the introductions were made, Bess settled into a chair at the table and picked up her own sewing.  After her first visit with Millie, she’d taken to bringing her own sewing basket for their visits, because neither of them felt right about sitting with their hands idle