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In a Grove of Maples (Sheltering Trees #1) QUOTES

In a Grove of Maples (Sheltering Trees #1) QUOTES

1 " She smiled and walked toward their little abode. Edward realized as he watched her sashay off through the tall grass that he’d say yes to almost anything his wife asked for. She captivated him, and he was thoroughly entrenched in love. "

― Jenny Knipfer , In a Grove of Maples (Sheltering Trees #1)

2 " Why does Edward never sign his letters with “I love you”? Instead, he scrolls his salutation out with the words “Your husband,” as if I need to be reminded of who he is. Perhaps I do, for I’ve forgotten what his presence feels like, what it means for him to be my husband. Husbandry signifies care and tending, but he is far away. I’ve not been tended to. I feel like I have been forgotten. "

― Jenny Knipfer , In a Grove of Maples (Sheltering Trees #1)

3 " The steam from the train curled around them, all-encompassing like the mist of early morning fog.
Edward gripped both of Beryl’s hands in his. “I’ll write.”
The promise fell heavy between them and rang dull. Edward knew his words wouldn’t make up for his absence. He wished for another way in which he could make the money they needed, but there simply was none. His gut wrenched, and guilt rose in his throat, choking him with uncertainty. "

― Jenny Knipfer , In a Grove of Maples (Sheltering Trees #1)

4 " Edward read through his words again before sealing them up in an envelope. There were other words he wanted to say, but he didn’t know how. How could he tell Beryl that he missed the color of her eyes at night, her laugh when he made a joke, and even her chiding? Those were things he couldn’t write in a letter. He didn’t consider himself a romantic, and Beryl had known that when she had married him. June seemed like such a long time back to Edward, much longer than six months ago. "

― Jenny Knipfer , In a Grove of Maples (Sheltering Trees #1)

5 " Accusations cropped up in her thoughts. I should have checked on him before; I should have known something was wrong; I should have taken better care of him!!
Beryl nestled her lips close to the tender spot behind Lyle’s ear and kissed him. She breathed in the scent of him—powdery and soft, like the promise of spring rain—and keened quietly into the crook of his neck. "

― Jenny Knipfer , In a Grove of Maples (Sheltering Trees #1)

6 " Did you name your little one?”
“Yes. Lyle.”
It felt good saying his name to another person. When people are remembered, they don’t truly pass away. A portion of them remains.
The thought gave comfort to Beryl. "

― Jenny Knipfer , In a Grove of Maples (Sheltering Trees #1)

7 " She collapsed on the floor in a fit of tears
and sobbed until no more came.
This is the end, then, she calculated.
She would sell and go back home where she belonged. Life
in Wisconsin had beaten them, and she surrendered with nothing but scars to show for it. "

― Jenny Knipfer , In a Grove of Maples (Sheltering Trees #1)

8 " She turned his face to hers. The stubble at his jawline scuffed against her hand. Their eyes met, and a shared joy was strung between them, like a gossamer thread of spider silk. Edward lowered his lips to hers as the sun flamed pink behind them.
“Promise me something?” she softly pleaded.
He wrapped his arms fully around her. “What?”
“Promise we’ll be happy. "

― Jenny Knipfer , In a Grove of Maples (Sheltering Trees #1)

9 " Cedric’s deep brown eyes looked almost black in the low light.
“Beryl . . .” He paused and held her gaze until she looked away. “Take care of yourself. I worry about you out here all alone.”
The words I want Edward to say, Beryl realized.
She wanted to know that Edward really cared, hadn’t wanted to go, and worried about her. Instead, his cousin had spoken what he should have. "

― Jenny Knipfer , In a Grove of Maples (Sheltering Trees #1)

10 " I blamed my absent husband for so many things, but I have come to see—life in general is to blame. Edward would have stayed home if there had been another way. I was too stubborn to recognize the truth.
What will he say when I meet him at the depot? For that matter, what am I to say? Perhaps neither of us will need to speak. We will embrace and hopefully capture our hearts in our gaze, which will be enough. "

― Jenny Knipfer , In a Grove of Maples (Sheltering Trees #1)

11 " Our son is born and gone, and Edward hasn’t seen his face. Lyle came out molded like a fresh new version of Edward. My tears dampen the pages as I pen this. How utterly horrible that Edward did not get to meet his likeness! I grate at the injustice of it. "

― Jenny Knipfer , In a Grove of Maples (Sheltering Trees #1)

12 " His blue eyes were saying something Beryl had been wanting to hear—Edward needed her.
She reached out and touched the growing hair on his jaw. He had decided to let his beard grow over the cold months. He placed his hand over hers, and turning it slowly over, he kissed her wrist.
The sensation of his lips on her skin made Beryl’s knees feel weak. Good thing I’m sitting. "

― Jenny Knipfer , In a Grove of Maples (Sheltering Trees #1)

13 " Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment. Next, Edward’s lips touched hers, feather light at first. She kissed him back. It took only seconds for them to kiss each other with a hunger that spoke of more than nourishment. Beryl’s heart raced as Edward peeled back her collar and unbuttoned the first few buttons of her shirtwaist. She sat there with her eyes closed in a trance as his lips touched the hollow of her neck. All sound vanished except the beating of her heart in her ears. "

― Jenny Knipfer , In a Grove of Maples (Sheltering Trees #1)

14 " She thought how different life might have been for her if Edward hadn’t grown up a farmer’s son. She might have lived in town in a fine house like Cedric’s. But is that what I would want?
Some days, the farming life appealed to her: the fresh air, tending growing things, taking care of the animals. Other days, it morphed into little more than drudgery. And now, being alone. Well, she could do without that. It was not what she had agreed to. "

― Jenny Knipfer , In a Grove of Maples (Sheltering Trees #1)

15 " I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t this. This broken wing. This storm between us. All the unmade memories I held dear before I put on my dress of white wound me. I grieve for a wish which hasn’t come to pass—a wish for happiness. "

― Jenny Knipfer , In a Grove of Maples (Sheltering Trees #1)