He bent on one knee in front of the child he hoped would be his daughter someday. “Tedi, this ring is a symbol of promise from me to you. I promise that as long as I live I will be there for you. I will love you and protect you as a father would his own child. I will never ask to take your father’s place in your heart, but maybe I could share a spot—”
“Oh, Lukas, I love you!” She lunged at him with her arms open wide and nearly knocked him to the floor. She gripped his neck in an iron grip, her face suddenly wet with tears. “I love you, Lukas.” Her voice trembled.
He looked over her shoulder to find tears in her mother’s eyes, as well.
Tedi straightened as he caught sight of the box that had not yet been opened. “Is that an engagement ring? Are you finally asking Mom to marry you? Is this a proposal to both of us?”
He laughed. Nothing like being welcomed with open arms. “No, it’s a promise ring, too.” He turned to Mercy and handed her the red velvet box. He watched her eyes as she opened the box and caught sight of the narrow gold band inset with tiny heart-shaped rubies, emeralds, sapphires and diamonds.
“Oh, Lukas,” she whispered, reaching for the ring. Almost reverently, she took it out.
Lukas forgot to breathe as he continued to kneel and watch the two most important women in his life try on their gifts—his promises to them. The fits were perfect.
Mercy held her left hand up to the light and cast him a look of awe. “How did you—”
“The lady at the jewelry store gave me a ring sizer, so while you two were otherwise engaged last week, I did some checking in your jewelry boxes.”
“You thought about that all by yourself?”
“I had a little help from Ivy. But I designed them all by myself.”
Her expression held new respect. “And the promise?” There was a hint of hesitation in her voice. “What does it signify?”
“That with God’s help I will be here for you.” He caught her gaze and held it, and reached forward to touch her face, unable to resist. “That I’ll love you and pray for you every day. I won’t leave as long as you need me.”
Her dark, fathomless eyes shimmered again with tears. She laid her hand over his. “What if I told you I would need you for the rest of my life?”
He smiled with relief. “I’d tell you that it would be my greatest joy to be here for you.”
“Wouldn’t that be easier if you were my husband? Isn’t that what marriage is all about?”
“Is that a proposal?”
She nodded, all the joy and hope and fulfillment of months past culminating in one clear gaze.
“I accept.”
“All right!” Tedi tackled them both from the side and nearly knocked Lukas sprawling. “We’re getting married! We’re getting married!” She kissed them both on the cheek and then jumped up to run into the other room. “We can announce our engagement in church this morning! This is the best Valentine’s Day ever. Wait till Grandma hears.” Her voice faded down the hallway. “I’ll call Abby as soon as we get home, and…”
Lukas drew Mercy closer to him. He wanted to stay like that forever. “I love you, Mercy. I’ll always love you. That’s a promise.”
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
Mercy Richmond does what she believes to be the right thing, but she’s a flawed character: she has a temper, she is overly concerned about her patients, and she’s unsure about how to handle the situation with Theodore. How would you have handled this situation? What are some of Mercy’s positive qualities? How can those good and bad qualities affect her care for her patients? Her daughter? Her relationship with Lukas?
Delphi Bell is frightened of her husband, and in Solemn Oath, she was so desperate to escape his abuse that she nearly killed him. How do you feel about Delphi? Was Clarence right to be a little wary of her when she told him what she did to her husband? Do you think she’ll be successful in her new home, or is it possible she needs more help to learn how to not make the same mistakes?
Clarence is beginning to discover he’s not a total burden on the people who have cared for him. He, too, has something to offer, and though his introduction to the bounty of God’s love takes a quieter, more gentle direction, he is enjoying the time he spends helping others. What do you think will be in his future?
Lukas is having a time of it in Herald, MO. Have you ever been in a town like that, where it seems every direction you turn, the people aren’t particularly nice? What causes that attitude?
Catcher becomes a completely different person when Lukas gets to know him. He, too, is a flawed character, who has learned from his mistakes. How have you learned from past sins and mistakes? How can you help others with what you’ve learned?
Mercy discovers during Bible study that some of the townsfolk, including the pastor of her church, seem to feel she and Theodore should reconcile. Could you break off a relationship with someone you had grown to love, and reconcile completely with someone who nearly killed your daughter and betrayed you?
Theodore discovers he has cancer, caused directly by his former lifestyle. Have you had a time in your life when you suffered because of poor decisions made in the past? How have you dealt with this? How can you turn this suffering around to help others?
If Theodore had not developed this deadly cancer, do you feel he and Mercy should have been reconciled?
Did Lukas do the right thing by distancing himself from Mercy during this time, so that if she and Theodore did decide they wanted to reconcile completely, he would be out of the way?
There are quite a lot of mental and emotional disorders in Silent Pledge. The teenager Shannon is attempting to erase all evidence of her femininity because she was raped a few months ago, and has developed anorexia because of it. Kendra Oppenheimer is struggling with bipolar disorder. Clarence is still dealing with his appetite, and Mercy struggles to keep her practice from interfering with her home life, but she is codependent with her patients. Abner Bell is a psychopath. Do you know very many people who are struggling with some type of disorder? How can you learn to show more compassion and understanding toward those struggling with mental illness?
ISBN: 978-1-4268-4172-9
SILENT PLEDGE
Steeple Hill Books/October 2009
First published by Bethany House Publishers
Copyright © 2001 by Hannah Alexander
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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