Would she ever know such things? Would God provide them? She couldn’t ask for a better Christmas present for them all than that.
She silently poured out her longing to her God and Savior, asking that He would give her the desires of her heart.
Realizing the girls waited at the door for her, she rose. They left the church to return to the shack.
They removed their coats and sat staring at one another.
“Girls, why don’t we play a game?”
They nodded, eager for some amusement.
“I’m going to Grandmother’s house, and I’m taking a satchel.”
They went round and round, adding things to take with them and having to remember everything that had gone before.
Eleanor was every good at it, but Libby kept forgetting items. When her turn came next she said, “Will we have to go back to Grandfather’s?”
Clara recoiled. “I thought you understood that we are going to make our own life.”
“Yes, but I heard—”
“Shush,” Eleanor said.
Obviously the pair had a secret. “What did you hear?” Clara asked.
Libby gave Eleanor a defiant look and answered. “Mary said Grandfather would never let us go. She said he would find us and make us go back even if you didn’t want to.”
Clara swallowed her swelling fear. Her father would not hesitate to do as he said. What could she do? Nothing except keep running until she felt safe and then build a life that proved she would provide for the girls.
She needed to leave Edendale while she could.
The girls waited for her answer. “Who are you going to believe? Me or Mary?”
Libby giggled. “You.”
“There you go.”
She fed the girls from their dwindling leftovers. Her inability to provide for them mocked her. She looked about. If Father saw where she lived, he’d have no trouble convincing everyone she’d failed.
It was stuffy inside. The walls closed in on her.
“Girls, let’s go outside and enjoy the sunshine.” She hurried them out the door and lifted her face to the warmth of the sun.
“Can we go down to the river?” Eleanor asked.
Clara granted permission, and they followed the path through the trees and down the bank to the water.
She looked at the place where she’d fainted. Where Blue had found her and carried her to the church.
As the girls played along the water’s edge, she brushed off a fallen log and sat down.
Here she was. Back where she started. It wasn’t an encouraging thought.
Like the children of Israel, she felt entangled in the land. Up against the wilderness.
God had guided the Israelites through.
What trials must she face before she reached safety?
Chapter Nine
Blue had resolutely ridden away from town but not toward the ranch. He didn’t have any desire to go out there and face the questions and curious glances from those who would have heard about a woman and two children keeping him company at the church.
However, the horse needed exercise, and he needed to be alone. He’d galloped for several miles, the rushing air sifting past his ears. He slowed the pace and looked about. Two years ago when he came out to Alberta, he could ride mile after mile without seeing anyone, but now there was a house to his right, smoke coming from a chimney to his left and likely more of the same up ahead.
It was getting harder and harder for a man to be alone.
Edendale, too, was growing. More businesses. More people.
His insides tightened. Too many people coming and going. He pulled the horse to a halt. People coming and going and no one there to look out for Clara and the girls. What was he thinking leaving them in town alone? Someone could have approached from the other direction and he’d never know.
He reined around and urged the horse to a gallop. His heart thudded in time to the hoofbeats.
He skidded to a halt before the church and left the horse at the hitching rail, then jogged over to the little shack. This time he remembered to call out first.
“Clara, it’s Blue.”
His announcement was met with dead silence that grated up his spine and jabbed into the base of his head. “Clara? Girls?”
No answer. Perhaps they were having a Sunday afternoon nap. He jiggled the door and gave them enough time to waken but still nothing.