Read Pride of the King, The for Free Online Page B

experienced, and suddenly a feeling of loneliness washed over her. Simone should be here. Simone should be by her side catching snowflakes with her, not strangers.
    "What's wrong? You don't like it? You look sad."
    Blinking back tears, Lauren smiled and said, "You imagine things. I love it!" and she stepped down the stairs.
    Swept up in the excitement, the children ran past her into the yard and gathered the snow into clumps for a snowball fight. Several of them tried to stuff snow down Rene's shirt, and he hurtled them down into the snow where they landed, screaming and giggling.
    Lauren could not help but be cheered by this merriment and began to laugh. She pushed snow down his shirt too, but when he attempted to do the same she screamed, "Improper! Very improper!" and ran to the back of the house. Rene ran in the opposite direction, catching her in his arms as she came around the corner.
    Suddenly in an embrace, their laughter stopped, and the smiles dropped from their faces. Rene placed his hand at the back of Lauren's neck and pulled her into a kiss.
    "I've been meaning to do that for a long time," he murmured.
    Lauren blinked, and then ran up the steps to the porch.
    "Lauren, wait!"
    Bounding up the stairs, Rene grabbed her shoulders and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. I thought--" he stammered, "I thought you might like it."
    Lauren knitted her brows and said, "I do like it. You may do it as often as you please," and went into the house.
     
    *               *               *
    The anticipation for Christmas was building, and every resident of Kaskaskia made preparations. This meant days of cooking, baking and cleaning. They had to butcher chickens, turkeys and geese, make stews and doughnuts which were sugared and hung in pillowcases. They froze these special pastries until Christmas Eve when they were thawed and consumed at the Reveillon , a holiday feast after Midnight Mass.
    Most of the work this time of year fell to the women of the house, Mrs. Lupone, Lauren and Didier. They worked together from sunup until sundown rolling out pie crusts, cleaning poultry, and scrubbing copper pots until they glistened. Anne and Lauren became increasingly close. Lauren had never known her mother, and in Anne she found a tender nurturing parent with a sympathetic ear. Anne listened for hours as the girl shared her hopes and dreams. Never once did the woman criticize or belittle her. Never did she attempt to give her advice or lecture. She simply allowed Lauren to experience, for the first time in her life, the unconditional love of a parent.
    For Anne, the experience was similar. Agnes, her first-born girl, would have been Lauren's age had she lived, but a fever had taken her life ten years earlier. The company of Lauren filled a void in Madame Lupone that had been nagging her for many years. Gabriel observed their deepening affection for one another and grew fond of Lauren himself. He so loved Anne that if someone made her happy, then he was happy too.
    "What do you find to talk about all day?" he would ask his wife.
    The reply would always be, "Nothing you would be interested in."
    Christmas came at last, and everyone in Kaskaskia prepared themselves for Midnight Mass at The Church of the Immaculate Conception. It was a cold night, and the townspeople trudged silently through the snow carrying lanterns and torches, speaking in hushed tones out of respect for the birth of the Savior.
    Rene slid his arm through Lauren's as they walked through the dark, snowy streets. "It is very pretty here with just the lanterns and the candles in the windows, isn’t it?"
    "This place is like nothing I've ever dreamed of," said Lauren. "Your lives are so different here yet I feel--" and she hesitated, "I feel at home."
    All through Mass, the two young people sat side by side, their arms touching. The town busy bodies craned their necks looking at Lauren, narrowing their eyes disapprovingly at the masses