Her Silent Burden
Seeing Ranch series
Florence Linnington
Easy Publishing
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organisations, places, events and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Text copyright © 2018 Florence Linnington
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Published by Easy Publishing
United States of America
EDITED BY:
Nicole d’Entremont :: Novel Treasure Publishing
Book cover design by:
Sanja Gombar :: www.bookcoverforyou.com
Contents
Also by Florence Linnington
About the Author
Newsletter for new book release
Acknowledgments
Tale 1
Chapter 1
1. Thea
Chapter one
Chapter 2
2. Wakefield
Chapter two
Chapter 3
3. Thea
Chapter three
Chapter 4
4. Wakefield
Chapter four
Chapter 5
5. Thea
Chapter five
Chapter 6
6. Wakefield
Chapter six
Chapter 7
7. Thea
Chapter seven
Chapter 8
8. Wakefield
Chapter eight
Chapter 9
9. Thea
Chapter nine
Chapter 10
10. Wakefield
Chapter ten
Chapter 11
11. Thea
Chapter eleven
Chapter 12
12. Wakefield
Chapter twelve
Chapter 13
13. Thea
Chapter thirteen
Chapter 14
14. Wakefield
Chapter fourteen
Chapter 15
15. Thea
Chapter fifteen
Chapter 16
16. Wakefield
Chapter sixteen
Chapter 17
17. Thea
Chapter seventeen
Chapter 18
18. Wakefield
Chapter eighteen
Chapter 19
19. Thea
Chapter nineteen
Chapter 20
20. Wakefield
Chapter twenty
Chapter 21
21. Thea
Chapter twenty-one
Chapter 22
22. Wakefield
Chapter twenty-two
Chapter 23
23. Thea
Chapter twenty-three
Chapter 24
24. Wakefield
Chapter twenty-four
Chapter 25
25. Thea
Chapter twenty-five
Chapter 26
26. Wakefield
Chapter twenty-six
Chapter 27
27. Thea
Chapter twenty-seven
Chapter 28
28. Wakefield
Chapter twenty-eight
Chapter 29
29. Thea
Chapter twenty-nine
Chapter 30
30. Wakefield
Chapter thirty
Chapter 31
31. Thea
Chapter thirty-one
Chapter 32
32. Wakefield
Chapter thirty-two
Chapter 33
33. Thea
Chapter thirty-three
Chapter 34
34. Wakefield
Chapter thirty-four
Chapter 35
35. Thea
Chapter thirty-five
Chapter 36
36. Wakefield
Chapter thirty-six
Chapter 37
37. Thea
Chapter thirty-seven
Chapter 38
38. Wakefield
Chapter thirty-eight
Chapter 39
39. Thea
Chapter thirty-nine
Chapter 40
40. Wakefield
Chapter forty
Epilogue
Epilogue. Thea
Epilogue
Tale 2
Chapter 1
1. Noah
Chapter one
Chapter 2
2. Rosalie
Chapter two
Chapter 3
3. Noah
Chapter three
Chapter 4
4. Rosalie
Chapter four
Chapter 5
5. Noah
Chapter five
Chapter 6
6. Rosalie
Chapter six
Chapter 7
7. Noah
Chapter seven
Chapter 8
8. Rosalie
Chapter eight
Chapter 9
9. Noah
Chapter nine
Chapter 10
10. Rosalie
Chapter ten
Chapter 11
11. Noah
Chapter eleven
Chapter 12
12. Rosalie
Chapter twelve
Chapter 13
13. Noah
Chapter thirteen
Chapter 14
14. Rosalie
Chapter fourteen
Chapter 15
15. Noah
Chapter fifteen
Chapter 16
16. Rosalie
Chapter sixteen
Chapter 17
17. Noah
Chapter seventeen
The story goes on…
Newsletter for new book release
Preview of next book…
Also by Florence Linnington
Seeing Ranch series: Mail Order Brides
FEEL FREE TO CHECK OUT MY OTHER WESTERN HISTORICAL ROMANCE BOOK SERIES
Click the link below
Amazon Author Bio
Book 1 - Her Winding Path
Book 2 - Her Western Heart
Book 3 - Her Wild Journey
Book 4 - Her Rocky Trail
Book 5 - Her Unexpected Destiny
Book 6 - Her Silent Burden
Book 7 - Her Fearless Love
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to Michelle and Chayce
About the Author
Hello to all my Readers, I hope you will enjoy reading my books. I truly derive joy and peace from my creative writings, and I hope my books can make my Readers happy.
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Acknowledgments
I would like to express my gratitude to Joy Christi and her team for all the valuable advice.
Tale 1
Chapter 1
peeper frogs and cicadas
1. Thea
Chapter one
South Carolina, 1883
The ivory was cool under Thea’s fingertips—the only cool thing in the cabin. She slid her hands across the piano’s keys, finishing the canon. She put every bit of her heart and soul into the remaining bars.
As the final note rang out in the main room, Thea closed her eyes. She felt as if she had left her body and was riding through the air on the notes. Where it would take her, she did not know.
“That was lovely.”
Thea opened her eyes and turned around on the piano bench. Lost in the music, she’d completely forgotten Emily was in the cabin with her.
Thea’s friend smiled at her from across the main room, but it was strained. “What song was that?”
“I do not know,” Thea admitted. “A canon, maybe. That’s all Mrs. Gerald told me.”
“She must have been a wonderful teacher.”
Thea ran her fingers across the piano’s keys once more, tears filling her eyes. “She was.”
Mrs. Gerald had died at least ten years earlier. Thea had long since done her mourning over the kindly neighbor who had taught her to play the piano. Today, her heart was heavy for another reason.
“Thea,” Emily said. “Don’t cry. What is the matter?”
“They are coming for the piano next week,” Thea said. “The purveyors from Charleston.”
Emily did not answer, and Thea could not bring herself to look at the other woman’s face. She did not want to see the pity there.
The whole town was talking about Thea, about how horrendous it was that she had lost her husband only three months into their marriage. If they’d only known the truth about Jeb, Thea thought, would they still feel bad for her?
Thea herself did not even know how she felt. Her entire being had been a mixed bag of emotions since that fateful afternoon nearly three months earlier. Two neighbors had come and told her the news: there had been an accident while cutting logs for the Veeland’s new barn. One had fallen on Jeb. He was gone. Dead before the doctor had even gotten there.
But, really, things had been complicated before then. Strained. Jeb had never been the husband others seemed to think he was. While he treated Thea so sweetly in public, gently laying his hand on the small of her back, whispering in her ear, smiling at her… things were vastly different at home.
She’d met him a total of three times before their wedding day, an event that had been born out of necessity. Money had been tight at home for years, and Thea’s parents needed her to be taken care of. As she could not bear the thought of going to the city and working, leaving behind her parents and siblings, that meant there was only one option. Marriage.
Why he had agreed to marry her, Thea will never know for sure. He was older by twenty years. Perhaps he liked the idea of having a younger person to exert control over. Or perhaps he wanted to show her off. Whatever the reason, Jeb had shown his bride little affection. Quite the opposite in fact. Indeed, he had not waited more than a week after exchanging vows before he put his hands around her throat.
He’d been careful each time he struck her, making sure to never leave any bruises or markings. He was good at his craft, good at hiding his cruel intentions, good at making Thea wonder if she might actually be the problem.
Sometimes, when she lay awake in bed at night, Thea thought God had done her a favor by taking Jeb away. That was likely a wicked idea, but knowing that didn’t change the relief Thea felt with him gone.
However, now there were other things to worry about. With no husband, Thea was flat broke. Going home to her parents and asking them to take her back in, was not an option. They would accept her with open arms, but they could not afford her. Not with six children at home—one blinded from Scarlet Fever and one crippled from a wagon accident.
Thea was on her own. It was up to her to find her way.
“I am sorry about the piano,” Emily said mournfully.
Thea forced herself to smile. “It is only a piano.”
That was not the truth. The piano had been a gift from Mr. Ascott, who lived down the street. He’d been moving at the same time Jeb and Thea had married, and, unable to take the piano West with him, had gifted it to the new couple as a wedding present.
The musical instrument had been Thea’s solace from Jeb’s abuse. It had been the one thing that had held her up in the face of adversity. She did not know how she would manage without it.
Although she would have to, because, just like Mr. Ascott, she would be going West as well.
Hopefully.
“I have something to tell you, Emily.”
Emily’s eyebrows rose slightly. “Something good?”
“I… I hope you will think so.” Unease churned in Thea’s stomach, and she stood and went to the cabin’s open door. The cabin looked out into a wide field where Jeb had cleared and planted the year’s corn crop in. He would not be there to see the stalks shoot skyward. If all went well, neither would Thea.
“Thea? You are worrying me.”
Thea pressed her hands together and turned back to look at Emily, whose eyes were wide with concern. They had known each other since they were children and had been inseparable from the beginning. The two of them had walked to the schoolhouse together, bare feet kicking up dirt and lunch pails swinging against their skirts. Emily’s life, it seemed, had turned out quite well. She’d married the boy she had swooned over all throughout her school years, and the two of them lived in a little white house near the river.
Sometimes it was hard for Thea to not be jealous of her dear friend.
“Have you heard of mail-order brides?” Thea asked.
Emily slowly shook her head. “What are those?”
“Out west, where there are far fewer women than men, sometimes the men arrange marriages with women back east. The women travel westward to meet them. To Texas, California, the Wyoming Territory.”
Emily frowned, the distaste Thea had feared already showing. “That sounds dangerous.”
“Life here has become dangerous too,” Thea answered. “Poverty presents its own challenges. You know that.”
Emily’s lips parted as the understanding sank in. “You are to be one of these… brides?”
“Perhaps. If anyone will accept me. I already wrote the letter a month ago.”
Emily’s shoulders sagged. “Oh, Thea.”
“Do not be like that.”
“An arranged marriage?” Emily cried. “What if the man you go to marry is horrible? It’s the West. He could be absolutely barbaric.”
“He cannot be any worse than my late husband.”
They both fell quiet at her words. Emily knew exactly what Thea referred to. When it came to her marriage’s difficulties, Emily had been the only person Thea had confided in.