Lone Pine Bride (The Brides of Lone Pine #1)(53)

“We didn’t even ask You and You supplied what we need. You are so kind. I don’t deserve Your kindness but Monica, Wilfred and the children do. I thank You that You have put Your righteousness into me because I certainly don’t have any of my own.”

He stopped speaking and for some time said nothing as he travelled along, his eyes on the rocks around, some of which had obviously rolled some way. Occasionally the earth would shake and he would see rocks falling in the distance. Once a rock rolled within feet of him.

But his biggest reality at this moment, he found, was God and the way he felt he had let Him down. His greatest desire was to get it right with Him. Which maybe he couldn’t do totally until he stopped living the lie he was living at this moment with Hannah, and would God understand in the circumstances? How he desperately hopes so because he wanted to please Him at all times.

By the time he reached Wilfred and Monica’s farm he felt that he had some peace concerning the situation.





Chapter 11


“I think it’s safe to start clearing rubble,” Hannah said to Monica as they stood surveying the stones and bricks. “We just have to be careful where glass is concerned so we don’t cut ourselves.”

“Yes, we do. Children, go and see if you can help your father in the barn. You could decide where everyone is going to sleep and divide the areas.”

“I’ll make a plan,” Lucille said, beginning to walk away. “Come on, infants, and make yourselves useful for a change.”

“We are not infants,” Aaron said, following her. Monica smiled and turned to look at the mound of bricks, stones and glass in front of them.

“I don’t hold out much hope that anything will be usable,” she said. “The beds will be flattened and so will the furniture. But we can sleep on hay maybe.”

“How about making hammocks?” Hannah said. “My dad made them for us when we were children and hung them from tree to tree. He used tent material.”

Monica looked at her thoughtfully. “That is a good idea. I’m not really sure how healthy hay is because the smell sort of fills your nose and can make you cough and sneeze.”

“Seth covered the ground with tarpaulin where we lay,” Hannah said. “And we cleared the hay from the living area where you will sleep. We could go back and get that.”

“He’s given us so much already,” Monica replied. “We can’t ask for his tarpaulin also.”

“He won’t mind.”

And Hannah was quite sure he wouldn’t because he had shown himself to be more than generous. He was amazing and she was so proud of him. “He was the one who did the text,” she continued. “He found your paints and painted it after he’d carved the words. He’s very clever.”

“You really love him, don’t you?” Monica said.

“With all my heart.” And that is true because I do love a Seth, and probably this Seth will come back and say he’s married his bride to be and would bring her with him. She had better treat him right or....

Or what? Hannah started to lift bits of rubble and throw them with some force into a pile while Monica did the same beside her.

It was three hours before Seth’s wagon appeared in the distance and by this time Hannah was a bag of nerves. He definitely must have married because it surely wouldn’t take that long to get to the village and back, she thought as time progressed. Maybe he wouldn’t come back at all, or at least for a little while because he would need to be with his wife alone.

Except that he wouldn’t let them down, she knew, because he was a reliable and thoughtful man. When he eventually jumped off the wagon she ran over and the tone of her voice was sharp.

“Was it necessary to take that long? We’ve been waiting for you.” He looked at her briefly before going to uncover the back of the wagon and she felt more than guilty. “I thought you were hurt or something.”

She frowned in concentration. That wasn’t true and she shouldn’t be lying anymore than necessary because she was now a child of God. She shouldn’t be lying at all.

“No. That isn’t true. I’m just annoyed because you took so long.”

He turned to look at her, walked towards her and held her tightly. “Help me unpack, woman, but not that box. You can lift the lid but I don’t want the children to see them.”

“See who?”

“Just look.” She opened the box, went to lift a puppy and he put his hand on her arm. “Nobody must see yet. They’re homeless.”

“Not now they’re not. They have two dogs here already. We’ll have them all.”

“Shut the lid and help me carry things. Monica!” He called over to where Monica was still removing rubble. “Come here. I’ve got something to show you.”

He lifted a mattress. “Four mattresses and everything that is needed to set up home. They’ve started a relief fund in the village and have stacks of stuff. More than they need, Linda said, but there will be others who need things also.”

Monica looked at everything, her face screwed in concentration. “That is very kind of them,” she said.

“It’s what you would do in similar circumstances. Look in that box.”

Monica lifted the lid, looked down and the tears began to pour down her face. “You don’t have to have any of them,” Seth said worriedly. “Linda had loads of homeless animals and I felt I should take some. I’m showing you these before the children see them because I know they’ll want them. We can take them all if you feel it’s too much.”