Tied and True by Melissa Jagears

Author:Melissa Jagears [Jagears, Melissa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical Romance, FIC042030, FIC042040, FIC027050
ISBN: 9781493412037
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2018-02-22T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter

6

The lunch bell rang, and Marianne stopped her machines and let herself droop. The whine of belt and gears and the clack, clack, clacking that now invaded her dreams lessened as the machines cringed to a stop. Not that she could hear any better once they ceased, since the workers ate in shifts and plenty of machines still ran.

When her parents returned, how would she keep from rolling her eyes when Mother complained about the honking and backfiring automobiles that now congested the streets?

Of course, if she could convince Calvin to marry her, she might never hear her mother’s complaints again. She swallowed against the misgivings in her throat. She’d told him this morning she’d keep right on working to prove she loved him, but would it be enough? He’d not seemed impressed, but rather determined to talk her out of it.

But he’d been hurt badly once. She’d seen it in his eyes. He’d told her before that his family had broken up during rough times, but she hadn’t realized how hurt he’d been until he told her he wasn’t worth her effort.

The last moving part on her machine stilled, but she made no move to leave. She simply stared at the cotton sliver, now limp and motionless. If her parents never got over their disappointment in her marrying Calvin, could she survive the heartache of being disowned?

However, God didn’t promise anyone tomorrow. If she abandoned her pursuit of the man she loved but then lost her parents to death or some other tragedy, she’d regret letting him go.

But would she regret her parents’ everlasting disapproval more?

Ducking to retrieve her lunch sack from under her machine, she ran her hands along the folded top, wishing Calvin had been wrong about how it would hurt not to be able to help the Moore sisters.

Practicing to become Mrs. Hochstetler might mean getting used to having little, but it didn’t mean she couldn’t give at all.

On the other side of her machines, Mrs. Smith was heading toward the lunch room. Though she was the oldest woman who worked at the mill, she was always cheerful, even if her expression was often pained—most likely from the tightly wound salt-and-pepper bun at the back of her head. Considering her threadbare clothing and meager lunch rations, she didn’t have much. But she was always giving what she had—a mother’s listening ear and heart.

And that was exactly what Marianne needed right now.

Forcing her achy feet to speed up, she cut over to catch Mrs. Smith, who’d passed the last machine in her row. “May I ask you a question?”

The woman’s green eyes sparkled above her thin-lipped, wincing smile. “Yes, young lady, of course.”

Marianne fingered her lunch bag. She’d come up with how to tell the Moores about her sudden lack of provisions, but she’d yet to think up a plan for finding suitable, temporary living quarters. If she asked her servants about a place to live, one would likely wire her parents. “I’m looking for a place to stay.

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