Like a Fire Is Burning by Gerald N. Lund

Author:Gerald N. Lund [Lund, Gerald N.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Deseret Book Company
Published: 2014-08-16T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

Though not nearly as large or comfortably furnished as the home Benjamin had built for them in Palmyra, the new Steed home, purchased from one of the early settlers, was still one of Kirtland’s finer places to live. It was one story along the front, but the roof was built after the New England, Cape Cod style, sloping upward to the back of the house, then dropping vertically. This allowed for an attic in the back part of the house large enough to provide bedroom space for all three children, though Matthew and Becca shared one of the two rooms so that Melissa could have the other to herself.

Mary Ann was still finding furnishings as best she could, so the parlor was still bare except for three wooden chairs Benjamin had purchased from the Whitney store. The sitting room, where they spent most of their time when not in the kitchen, had a sofa and a high-backed stuffed chair. Against her better judgment—guests should always be received in the parlor—Mary Ann had agreed that they would meet in the sitting room.

There was a knock at the door. Melissa was up in an instant. Mary Ann smiled. “Your father will get it, Melissa.”

“I know, I know.” She hurried to the kitchen door and looked into the entryway. “Papa?”

“I’m coming, I’m coming.” The grumbling voice came from the bedroom where her parents slept. Melissa waited for a moment; then when her father still didn’t appear, she swung around. “Mama, maybe you’d better go.”

“I’ll get it,” Matthew cried, getting up from his chair.

“You will not!” Melissa cried. “You and Becca are to stay in the kitchen. Do you hear?”

Becca stuck out her lower lip. “I want to hear,” she pouted.

Melissa gave her sister her sternest look. “I’ll tell you everything later. You stay here.”

The knock sounded again.

“Mama!” Melissa was pleading. But at that moment the bedroom door opened and her father came out. He was smoothing down his hair, which he had wet from the bowl of water on the dresser and brushed hard to make it stay down. Melissa hurried and shut the kitchen door as her father walked past and moved to the front entrance.

“You look lovely, Melissa,” Mary Ann whispered. She was suddenly having very tender feelings for this oldest daughter of theirs whom they were about to lose. She had on a long dress of deep pink, which showed off her dark eyes and fair skin wonderfully. A ribbon of matching color pulled her black hair back away from her face.

If Melissa heard, she gave no sign. She was listening intently at the door. There was the murmur of voices, and then the front door shut firmly. Melissa couldn’t bear it. She swung around. “Oh, Mama, do you think Papa will be nice?”

Mary Ann finally stood and moved to her daughter’s side. “Yes, dear,” she soothed. “Believe it or not, your father can really be quite charming when he wants to. Now, what say you and I make our entry and find out if this young man of yours is here for what we think he’s here for.

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