Unspoken Read Free

gaze fixed upon her, her heart leaped into her throat. She held her breath, staring back at him, but his gaze moved on, touching each man there as though every one was equally precious to him. She felt crushed beneath the pressure of her love for him, and dejected that he hardly noticed her among his throng of devoted followers.
    You are my shepherd, David. You make me want something I can’t even name. You lead us through the wilderness, but I’m not afraid, because you are with us. And I would do anything for you. . . .
    Someone gripped her shoulder tightly, startling her. “Bathsheba!” her mother whispered angrily.
    “So you’ve been caught again,” her grandfather whispered, unfurling his cloak from around her back and shoulders. Scowling, her mother scooped her up and carried her away, setting her on her feet when they were halfway back to the family tent. “You’re lucky I don’t take a rod to you!” Lowering her eyes, Bathsheba followed her mother through the darkness. Her mother swished the tent flap back. “Get inside!” Once past the opening, her mother gave her a swat on her behind. “Since I can’t trust you to stay where you belong, you’ll sleep beside me until your father returns.” Her mother drew her close. “You know better than to disobey.”
    Bathsheba sniffled. “I’m sorry, Mama. It’s just that I love him.”
    Her mother sighed. “I know you do. We all love David.”
    “Not like I do. I’m going to marry him someday.”
    Her mother’s arms tightened around her. “Oh, my sweet one. Every girl among us wishes for the same thing. You must listen to me, Bathsheba. What you hope for is impossible. It’s the idle dream of a child.”
    “Why?”
    “Because David is too far above you.”
    Her throat tightened. “He was a shepherd.”
    “He still is a shepherd, but not in the way you mean. You must understand. David is destined to be king, and as such, he will marry the daughters of kings. You’re only the daughter of one of his soldiers.”
    “Abba is a warrior, one of David’s best warriors, and one of his closest friends. And Grandpapa . . .”
    “ Hush! Remember, David is still married to Saul’s daughter Michal, even though Saul gave her to someone else. And David is also married to Ahinoam and Abigail.”
    “Abigail isn’t the daughter of a king,” Bathsheba said stubbornly.
    “No, but Abigail kept David from committing a great sin. He was grateful for her wisdom. And she is very beautiful.”
    “Do you think I’ll be beautiful someday, beautiful enough—”
    “Someday, you’ll be very beautiful, and wiser than you are right now, I hope. At the very least, wise enough to understand that some things are not meant to be. Your father will find a good husband for you, and you’ll forget you ever thought yourself in love with David.”
    Never! Never, never, never! Bathsheba blinked back tears and turned her head away.
    “When you grow up, my love, you will understand the wisdom of worshiping God and not a man.”
    Bathsheba lay still until she heard the sound of her mother’s deepened breathing. Then she eased out of her arms and crawled to the other side of the tent to peer into the night once more. Her father and grandfather had returned to the fire, and David had joined them once again. They spoke quietly of battle plans. Bathsheba closed her eyes and listened to the sound of David’s voice. Content, she fell asleep.

    When she awakened the next morning, Bathsheba found herself on her pallet, under her blanket. Her father snored beside her mother. Bathsheba rose quietly and left the tent. David would be up by now. He was always up before everyone else, and he always went off by himself to pray. She had seen him several times coming back from the stream, so she hurried toward it now. Her heartbeat quickened when she spotted David kneeling by a rippling pool, washing his face, arms, and hands. Her father and grandfather always did the same thing before they