Secret of Richmond Manor Read Free Page A

never did. There’s lots of things I haven’t eaten.”
    â€œWhy, you’d like them. They’re better than chicken.” Jeff nodded. “Come on, let’s move on down.”
    For the next two hours, they paddled slowly down the small stream. Although Leah did not like gigging frogs, she did enjoy being out in the quiet of the night. The mosquitoes, for some reason, were not as bad as usual. They just sang a high, whining song around her ears occasionally. She took a few bites from them, but she was used to that.
    Finally Jeff said, “Well, we’ve got enough for all of us.” He turned the boat around, and they made their way back upstream.
    â€œBe careful. Don’t fall in the creek,” he warned, when Leah got out. He followed her, tied up the boat, and picked up his sack of frogs. “Never got so many big frogs in my whole life.” He picked up the gig too. “Let’s get back.”
    They walked up the road by lantern light and moonlight, and when they got back to the house, he said, “Let’s go in the backyard—I’ll clean these tonight.”
    Leah went with him, and when they got there she held the lantern for him.
    â€œThis won’t take long.” Jeff pulled a knife from his pocket and opened it.
    Leah watched as he cleaned the frogs and admired how efficiently he did it. “I wish I could clean chickens as easy as you do frogs,” she said finally.
    â€œWell, frogs don’t have feathers.” The amber light of the lantern picked up his bright eyes, and he laughed. “That’d be something, wouldn’t it—a frog with feathers!”
    Soon the frogs were cleaned, and Jeff washed off their catch under the pump. “Pretty good night’s work!” he said.
    They went inside to find that Tom had gone to bed, but Jeff’s father and Uncle Silas were still talking.
    Looking up, Silas asked, “Did you get any?”
    â€œDid I get any?” Jeff said. “You never saw such frogs!
    â€œAnd look how dirty I am!” said Leah. “I’m going to wash up and go to bed. Good night, Jeff.”
    â€œGood night, Leah. We’ll go again.”
    As soon as she was gone, the lieutenant grinned at his son. “She’s not only pretty, she’s a good helper, isn’t she? Not every young woman would go frogging with a fellow. You’d better hang onto her.”
    Jeff said, “Pa, I wish this war was over and we were back in Kentucky.”
    Nelson Majors’s face grew sober. “I wish it too. But you can never go back and be what you were.” He looked over at his son, rose, and slapped him on the shoulder. “We just have to take what we are, where we are, and trust God,” he said quietly. “Let’s go to bed, Jeff.”

2
The Battle Begins
    B reakfast the next morning was rather strange. Leah got up expecting to fix her usual fare of bacon, eggs, and biscuits. Instead she found, to her surprise, Jeff standing in front of the stove.
    â€œWhat are you doing, Jeff?”
    â€œFixing breakfast.” He was wearing a white cotton shirt and a pair of worn trousers in place of his uniform. “This time I’ll be the cook,” he announced. “You can make the coffee if you want to.”
    Leah looked at the bowl of frog legs sitting on the counter next to the stove. “I’m not going to eat any of those ole things!” she proclaimed.
    â€œIt’s that or nothing,” he said with a grin. “You’ll like them. Sit down and watch an expert.”
    So Leah sat and watched as Jeff began cooking the frog legs. It was really like frying chicken, she thought.
    Uncle Silas came in, followed by Tom and Jeff’s father.
    Tom said, “Well, this looks good. I’ll just help you set the table, Jeff, and make the coffee.” He busied himself.
    And soon the meal was ready.
    Jeff put the huge platter of frog legs on the table, along