Dakota Dawn by Lauraine Snelling

Author:Lauraine Snelling
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Soldahl, North Dakota, Bergen, Norway, Norwegian immigrant, Uff da!, Nora Johanson, Hans Larson, Carl Detschman, Lauraine Snelling, best-selling author, historical novel, inspirational novel, Christian, God, Christian Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction
Publisher: eChristian, Inc.
Published: 2012-08-10T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

The break came a week later. Nora felt like she had been given a priceless gift. Peder slept for four straight hours in the afternoon and again that night. And he smiled at her when she bathed him. This little round face with the button nose that was usually screwed up in either anger or pain, now opened its mouth and let the sides flutter upwards.

Nora lost her heart. She felt it wing from her chest and join with the baby’s. She dried him, between each precious little finger and toe, all the while murmuring love words and praising him when the smile came again, broader this time.

Nora wanted to tell someone. Kaaren? No, she was asleep in a much-needed nap. Carl? He should be the person to rejoice in his son’s first smile. But he was out working on the farm someplace—who knew where—and, to this day he had never even peeked into the baby’s cradle. He never asked about the mite or even said the baby’s name.

She would have to settle for writing to her mother as soon as Peder fell back asleep. Her mother would understand the joy Nora felt. It was as if this little life were her very own. Her son. Her Peder.

Nora put a hand to her heart. A pain stabbed at the thought. No, she was only the housekeeper and, in only a few months, she would be returning to Norway. Another would see Peder crawl and take his first step. Carl would marry again and his new wife would take over the care of this home and this family.

The words she said to herself made so much sense. After all, they were the truth and the plan Carl had proposed. Why then did they hurt so much?

That night, when Nora and Carl sat down at the table for the English lesson, Nora found it difficult to concentrate.

First, Carl laid their earlier lessons on the table and they reviewed them. Then, she wrote something in Norwegian and, after making sure he understood what she wanted, Carl wrote the English word beside it. Then, he read it to her. She read the words and they repeated them until she said them correctly.

After the lesson, Nora gathered her courage. “Peder smiled at me today,” she said slowly as she wrote the words in Norwegian.

Carl took the paper, read the words, and wrote them in English. After he said them in English, he waited for Nora’s response. There was no smile, no change in inflection. Nothing.

Uff da, Nora thought. What an impossible man. She repeated the words aloud, but now they were just words—the magic she had felt with Peder’s first baby smile was missing.

Why? Nora wanted to scream at him. What is the matter with you? But, instead she watched his hand. The hairs on the back of his hand glinted white in the golden glow of the lamp. They were strong hands with long fingers and hard calluses. How would they feel . .

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.