A Husband For Mari. Emma Miller. Читать онлайн. Newlib. NEWLIB.NET

Автор: Emma Miller
Издательство: HarperCollins
Серия:
Жанр произведения: Современные любовные романы
Год издания: 0
isbn: 9781474047999
Скачать книгу
Mari said as she slid into an empty chair between Ellie and Zachary. “Nice to meet you.”

      Peter’s mouth opened, then closed; then his lips moved, but no words came out. Sweat beaded on his acne-scarred forehead as he nodded in her direction. His pale brown eyes were wide and stunned in appearance, like a frightened deer caught in the headlights of a car. His lips parted again, and something like a croak emerged. Mari expected the poor man to leap up from the table and flee the kitchen at any second.

      James came to his rescue, sliding into a chair. “Good to have you with us,” he said to Peter. “Everyone. Shall we?” He closed his eyes and slightly inclined his head, a signal for silent grace.

      Mari reached for her son’s hand under the table. He gripped her fingers, his small hand warm, clinging to hers. She smiled at him reassuringly, and he nodded before closing his eyes and lowering his head in imitation of the men and women around him. Mari did the same.

      * * *

      Mari’s head was still bowed when James opened his eyes. She looked so relaxed in prayer. A brave woman and a good mother, he thought. He didn’t care what she’d said; life couldn’t have been easy for her in the English world. It never was for those born into a different one. Not that the Amish lifestyle was a perfect one. Nothing on earth was, he supposed. But it was obvious to him that Mari’s struggles must have been more difficult than his own, and he admired her for her pluck and fortitude.

      Sara’s cheerful urging for someone to pass the ham jolted James from his musing. He caught Peter’s gaze and offered him a friendly smile. Poor Peter. No wonder he needed Sara’s help to find a wife. The man was obviously terrified of women. Hands trembling, Peter almost dropped the plate of meat into Hiram’s lap. Hiram caught it in time, moving faster than James had thought him capable. Peter went white and his ears reddened. He was so flabbergasted by his near mishap that he hadn’t even taken a slice of ham for himself. Hiram, who never missed an opportunity to fill his stomach, helped himself to two pieces.

      “Ach, I forgot the butter,” Ellie said. She started to rise, but Mari was quicker.

      “I’ll get it.” Mari moved gracefully to the refrigerator and came back with the butter, offering it to James.

      James glanced at Peter and then back at Mari and wondered if Sara had any notion of matching the two of them. He doubted it. Sara was good at reading people; Mari’s personality was too strong. Peter needed a gentle woman, maybe someone a little older than he was, someone who could overlook his social deficiencies. And Mari had made a point of saying she wasn’t here to find a husband. James knew Sara well enough, though, to suspect that didn’t mean anything to her if she set her mind to it. Sara could be a determined woman, especially when it came to the idea of there being someone for everyone. Of course Mari would have to join the church to marry an Amish man, but that wasn’t a far-fetched idea, especially since she had grown up Amish.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4QAYRXhpZgAASUkqAAgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/sABFEdWNreQABAAQAAABQAAD/4QPkaHR0cDov L25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wLwA8P3hwYWNrZXQgYmVnaW49Iu+7vyIgaWQ9Ilc1TTBNcENl aGlIenJlU3pOVGN6a2M5ZCI/PiA8eDp4bXBtZXRhIHhtbG5zOng9ImFkb2JlOm5zOm1ldGEvIiB4 OnhtcHRrPSJBZG9iZSBYTVAgQ29yZSA1LjAtYzA2MSA2NC4xNDA5NDksIDIwMTAvMTIvMDctMTA6 NTc6MDEgICAgICAgICI+IDxyZGY6UkRGIHhtbG5zOnJkZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMTk5 OS8wMi8yMi1yZGYtc3ludGF4LW5zIyI+IDxyZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24gcmRmOmFib3V0PSIiIHht bG5zOnhtcFJpZ2h0cz0iaHR0cDovL25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wL3JpZ2h0cy8iIHhtbG5z OnhtcE1NPSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvbW0vIiB4bWxuczpzdFJlZj0iaHR0 cDovL25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wL3NUeXBlL1Jlc291cmNlUmVmIyIgeG1sbnM6eG1wPSJo dHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvIiB4bXBSaWdodHM6TWFya2VkPSJGYWxzZSIgeG1w TU06T3JpZ2luYWxEb2N1bWVudElEPSJhZG9iZTpkb2NpZDpwaG90b3Nob3A6ZWQ0YTMxNjQtOWEz Zi0xMWU1LTkwY2EtZDMyMDE3NDQ2MTdlIiB4bXBNTTpEb2N1bWVudElEPSJ4bXAuZGlkOjBFQTYw NUNCRkRBNjExRTU4QTRFRTFGQkVEM0YxOThEIiB4bXBNTTpJbnN0YW5jZUlEPSJ4bXAuaWlkOjBF QTYwNUNBRkRBNjExRTU4QTRFRTFGQkVEM0YxOThEIiB4bXA6Q3JlYXRvclRvb2w9IkFkb2JlIFBo b3Rvc2hvcCBDUzUuMSBNYWNpbnRvc2giPiA8eG1wTU06RGVyaXZlZEZyb20gc3RSZWY6aW5zdGFu Y2VJRD0ieG1wLmlpZDoyMjNCQjVGNTMwMjM2ODExOTJCMEIxMDBGQjUyODU3RCIgc3RSZWY6ZG9j dW1lbnRJRD0iYWRvYmU6ZG9jaWQ6cGhvdG9zaG9wOmVkNGEzMTY0LTlhM2YtMTFlNS05MGNhLWQz MjAxNzQ0NjE3ZSIvPiA8L3JkZjpEZXNjcmlwdGlvbj4gPC9yZGY6UkRGPiA8L3g6eG1wbWV0YT4g PD94cGFja2V0IGVuZD0iciI/Pv/iDFhJQ0NfUFJPRklMRQABAQAADEhMaW5vAhAAAG1udHJSR0Ig WFlaIAfOAAIACQAGADEAAGFjc3BNU0ZUAAAAAElFQyBzUkdCAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD21gABAAAA ANMtSFAgIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEWNw cnQAAAFQAAAAM2Rlc2MAAAGEAAAAbHd0cHQAAAHwAAAAFGJrcHQAAAIEAAAAFHJYWVoAAAIYAAAA FGdYWVoAAAIsAAAAFGJYWVoAAAJAAAAAFGRtbmQAAAJUAAAAcGRtZGQAAALEAAAAiHZ1ZWQAAANM AAAAhnZpZXcAAAPUAAAAJGx1bWkAAAP4AAAAFG1lYXMAAAQMAAAAJHRlY2gAAAQwAAAADHJUUkMA AAQ8AAAIDGdUUkMAAAQ8AAAIDGJUUkMAAAQ8AAAIDHRleHQAAAAAQ29weXJpZ2h0IChjKSAxOTk4 IEhld2xldHQtUGFja2FyZCBDb21wYW55AABkZXNjAAAAAAAAABJzUkdCIElFQzYxOTY2LTIuMQAA AAAAAAAAAAAAEnNSR0IgSUVDNjE5NjYtMi4xAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABYWVogAAAAAAAA81EAAQAAAAEWzFhZWiAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAWFlaIAAAAAAAAG+iAAA49QAAA5BYWVogAAAAAAAAYpkAALeFAAAY2lhZWiAAAAAAAAAkoAAA D4QAALbPZGVzYwAAAAAAAAAWSUVDIGh0dHA6Ly93d3cuaWVjLmNoAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWSUVDIGh0 dHA6Ly93d3cuaWVjLmNoAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAGRlc2MAAAAAAAAALklFQyA2MTk2Ni0yLjEgRGVmYXVsdCBSR0IgY29sb3VyIHNwYWNlIC0g c1JHQgAAAAAAAAAAAAAALklFQyA2MTk2Ni0yLjEgRGVmYXVsdCBSR0IgY29sb3VyIHNwYWNlIC0g c1JHQgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABkZXNjAAAAAAAAACxSZWZlcmVuY2UgVmlld2luZyBD b25kaXRpb24gaW4gSUVDNjE5NjYtMi4xAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAsUmVmZXJlbmNlIFZpZXdpbmcgQ29u ZGl0aW9uIGluIElFQzYxOTY2LTIuMQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAdmlldwAAAAAA E6T+ABRfLgAQzxQAA+3MAAQTCwADXJ4AAAABWFlaIAAAAAAATAlWAFAAAABXH+dtZWFzAAAAAAAA AAEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACjwAAAAJzaWcgAAAAAENSVCBjdXJ2AAAAAAAABAAAAAAFAAoA DwAUABkAHgAjACgALQAyADcAOwBAAEUASgBPAFQAWQBeAGMAaABtAHIAdwB8AIEAhgCLAJAAlQCa AJ8ApACpAK4AsgC3ALwAwQDGAMsA0ADVANsA4ADlAOsA8AD2APsBAQEHAQ0BEwEZAR8BJQErATIB OAE+AUUBTAFSAVkBYAFnAW4BdQF8AYMBiwGSAZoBoQGpAbEBuQHBAckB0QHZAeEB6QHyAfoCAwIM AhQCHQImAi8COAJBAksCVAJdAmcCcQJ6AoQCjgKYAqICrAK2AsECywLVAuAC6wL1AwADCwMWAyED LQM4A0MDTwNaA2YDcgN+A4oDlgOiA64DugPHA9MD