Redeeming-Love-By-Francine-Rivers

R E D E E M I N G L O V E
4
Thanksgiving approached quickly, and Elizabeth grew so large, Angel
thought she looked ready to burst. She and Miriam took over the preparations
for the holiday celebration while Elizabeth watched and advised.
When the day came, the table was laden with stuffed and roasted pheasant,
creamed carrots and peas, potatoes and candied nuts. John had purchased a
cow, and pitchers of milk sat on both ends of the table. Angel hadn’t had a
glass of milk in months, and this delicacy drew her more readily than all the
others she had helped to cook.
“Paul went to town to celebrate,” Miriam said, little inflection in her tone.
“He said the other day he’s thinking of going back to the streams come
spring.”
“There’s a stream right near his house,” Leah said.
Jacob gave his sister a contemptuous look. “Not with gold in it, dummy.”
“That will do, Jacob,” Elizabeth chided him as she set a rhubarb pie on
the table. Miriam put pumpkin at the other end. When everyone was finished,
the children quickly scattered before they could be drafted into
kitchen duty. John and Michael went outside so John could smoke his pipe.
The aroma made Elizabeth sick in her condition. Miriam went to the well
for water.
Elizabeth sank wearily into a chair and rested her hand on her protruding
belly. “I swear this child is carving his initials on the walls already.”
“How long to go?” Angel asked, scraping leftovers from plates and
putting them into the wash pan on the table.
“Too long.” Elizabeth smiled. “It takes John and Miriam to get me out of
bed in the morning.”
Angel poured a kettle of hot water over the dirty dishes. Glancing at
Elizabeth, she saw the poor woman was exhausted and half asleep. Drying
her hands, she went to her and took her hand. “Elizabeth, you should lie
down and rest.” She helped her up and covered her with a quilt when she lay
down on the bed in the second room. She was asleep almost immediately.
Angel stood by the bed for a long moment. Elizabeth was curled on her
side, her knees drawn up and her hand resting protectively on her unborn
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