To Capture Her Heart Read Online Free Page B

carpentry business. The Corchaug people accepted their marriage in stride, the English people not as much. But the love they had for each other soon won the hearts of the tiny hamlet.
    She still came over with little Misha to help take care of the children, and they paid her for her work. Mary had been worried that Winnie needed her more as Winheytem’s health began to fail. But with Heather Flower here now, Winnie would be taken care of. Thank heavens for that, because she’d need Abbey more than ever with the new little one coming soon.
    Hannah grew restless.
    â€œSweet one, would you like to go outside and play in the orchard? Mama will sit and you can chase butterflies if you would like. Joshua and Jon are out there. They might help you pick some flowers for me. Come, let’s go out and see what there is to do.”
    She pushed herself up out of the rocker and with Hannah’s tiny hand in hers they wandered through the back kitchen. It was late on a hot afternoon and all of the bread and sweets baked early in the morning were sold by mid-day. It meant she had a rare afternoon to herself and the children—a more frequent occurrence as her belly grew, and a welcome one.
    She settled in the orchard grass and leaned against the tall corner apple tree, its limbs already laden with tiny fruit. Hannah chased after her brothers, who did not want to be caught.
    Heather Flower would be good for Winnie, but would it be a good place for her? She’d lost her husband in a very violentway. And had been kidnapped by those northern Indians. How terrifying that must have been. And terrifying for the other women—she had been there and it was horrible watching as they were dragged away. Mary’s heart was sick. She twisted a stray lock of hair with her finger as she thought of that night and wondered what had happened since. Most likely they were slaves to the Narragansett tribe. But they also could be forced to marry even tortured and killed. Certainly the stories they’d heard suggested that.
    She needed to talk to Barney. Perhaps a rescue was planned. And on the morrow she would need to talk to her sister, Lizzie, and Patience Terry about what they could do for Winnie and Heather Flower.
    Patience was like a sister to her, and she’d almost missed finding that out. Her first friendship in Southold was with Winnie, a Corchaug native, who wisely pointed out that she was judging Patience without even knowing her. Soon the three were close like sisters, and when Lizzie Fanning and her husband Zeke came over from England, their circle of friendship was complete.
    Lizzie worked as a seamstress in her own home, and Patience taught Dame school in her house during the morning hours. She taught little girls mostly, but she had a few of the younger boys, too, and taught them their alphabet, spelling, and a little arithmetic. Both Lizzie and Patience kept two afternoons a week available to meet with Mary and Winnie.
    Mary had spent years striving to keep a small ladies support group together in this wild land. Lizzie, Patience, and Winnie were her mainstays. Certainly they could gather around and support Heather Flower and Winnie in their time of loss. But she couldn’t just ignore that thirteen women had been draggedfrom their village, one of them murdered, and perhaps none of them ever to be heard from again.

    The next day, with the baking done early, Mary prepared for Lizzie’s and Patience’s visit. News spread about Heather Flower, and she intended to talk with her sister and friend about the situation. Winnie always liked to come into the village to meet with them but hadn’t since Winheytem became ill. She’d taught them how to make the sieves and drying baskets from white oak and ash years ago, and Mary would miss having her with them on this workday.
    In preparation for today, Ben had cut the trees the month before, and after quartering each one, he’d split the wood. Each slat