Free Adam's Promise by Julianne MacLean Page A

“Shall we go?” He escorted her to their horses, tethered near the fort’s entrance.
    Suddenly an unexpected sadness moved through her.
    She chastised herself, for those feelings made no sense. She had accomplished what she’d set out to accomplish this morning. She’d found another situation. She should be overjoyed.
    Perhaps a small part of her had still not let go of the dream.
    She tried to ignore it and told herself that soon, when she was settled into a new life with the Ripleys, all this would surely pass.
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    Days later, Madeline ventured outside to feed the chickens. She closed the kitchen door behind her, but started at the unexpected sight of Adam pushing the plow behind a yoke of oxen in Agnes’s vegetable garden. The sleeves on his loose, linen workshirt were rolled up to his elbows; he wore no waistcoat. He labored hard to push the plow, his muscles straining as he strove to keep the furrows straight.
    She stood motionless, watching for a moment, realizing how much she loved to watch him work. The sight of him, with dirt on his clothing and perspiration dampening his face, made her skin tingle all over with gooseflesh. She could have stood there and watched him all day. He was rugged and strong, like the land itself. He was a part of it. He worked it, handled it, nurtured it.
    Then she began to entertain the most indecent thoughts. She imagined him alone in his bedchamber at night, taking off his shirt in the candlelight, preparing for bed. What would his bare chest look like, and what would it feel like to her touch? What would it be like to share a bed with him and feel those huge hands moving over her body? She imagined they would feel callused and rough, yet warm and gentle at the same time.
    Shaking herself out of those improper thoughts,Madeline started off toward the chicken coop. She stepped inside. There was a cackling frenzy, then the hens settled as Madeline made her way about, collecting the eggs from the nests of hay while she tried not to think any more indecent thoughts about her future brother-in-law.
    A few minutes later, she stepped out to the barnyard, where more hens pecked at the dry ground. She reached into her bucket and sprinkled the feed at their feet.
    A tiny voice caught her attention. Madeline turned. Penelope, resting her cheek on her arm and looking quite decidedly bored, watched her from the other side of the fence. “Father said you’ll be leaving us soon.”
    Hearing dejection in the young girl’s voice, Madeline labored to sound cheerful. “Yes, Penelope, I’ve been hired as a governess and housekeeper for a family I met during the crossing.”
    â€œAre they a nice family?”
    â€œYes, they’re very nice.”
    Penelope picked her way around the fence. Her gait was shy and uncertain. “Do they have a little girl? Or just boys?”
    Sprinkling more feed onto the ground, Madeline held out the bucket for Penelope to lend a hand, thinking it would do the girl good to feel useful. “They have two boys and two girls. The oldest is ten and the youngest girl is only four.”
    â€œDoes the youngest one know her numbers yet?” Penelope kept her gaze fixed on the chickens.
    â€œNot yet, but I’ll begin teaching her right away.”
    â€œI could count when I was two.”
    A breeze fluttered Madeline’s skirts and she stopped what she was doing to gaze down at Penelope, who seemed to be searching for approval. Madeline was more than happy to give it to her, for she knew what it was like to spend a lifetime feeling deprived of it. “That’s excellent. You must be very bright.”
    Penelope shrugged and sprinkled her grain on the ground. “Do you like those children more than you like us? Is that why you don’t want to work for Papa?”
    â€œOh, no, Penelope! It has nothing to do with you and the boys. It’s just that my sister will be coming here, and when she arrives,