Where Hope Prevails

by Janette Oke

  “How generous of him to let you come, Julie, in light of the little time he has—”

  “Oh, I won’t see Father again for quite some time,” her animated sister told Beth. “I’m not going back until the wedding, so I can help.”

  “Julie, dearest, do you mean it? Can you really stay?”

  Julie giggled. “Well, it would be rather nasty to say so if I couldn’t. Yes, of course. If you’ll have me, that is. I’d have to stay with you, and you’ve said your place is rather tiny.”

  “Tiny it is, but nothing could be better!”

  CHAPTER

  17

  AS MUCH AS BETH APPRECIATED her sister’s surprise appearance, she felt a little like a woman divided. For weeks she had been eagerly looking forward to this time with Jarrick, and now she felt torn between these two dear ones in her life. After only a day and a half, she was wondering, Is there any way to speak to Julie gently and ask for some private moments? Will her feelings be terribly hurt?

  The trouble was that Julie was Julie. She did not gravitate toward reading quietly in the sitting room, she would certainly never choose to turn in early for bed, and she wasn’t one to offer to help with something so mundane as decorating a Christmas tree. Julie wanted action and excitement and would create it herself should she find it lacking. And though what Beth wanted most was some quiet time alone with Jarrick, Julie was alarmingly persistent in her need for attention.

  By Monday morning the girl seemed desperate for amusement. “Bethie, want to have lunch at that little restaurant again, the one by the train station? We can ride over on the trolley if no one can take us. I like that they play radio music while you eat. You probably don’t know this, but lately I’ve taken quite a shine to Broadway hits. And they’re hot on the radio just now. We can go, can’t we? You’re not doing anything else, are you—nothing that can’t wait?”

  Beth slid the popcorn she was stringing down the long thread and stifled a sigh. “I’ll speak with Jarrick about it in a little while. But please try to understand, Julie dear, that we need to be careful with our funds. We’re saving for the wedding—and—and everything that comes after.” From her place on the couch, Beth reached in the bowl for another piece of popcorn, needle at the ready.

  Julie chuckled breezily. “Oh, that’s no trouble. Father gave me enough pocket money to share, and I’ll hardly need any of it once we get to your little village. There’s nothing good to spend it on there anyway.”

  Beth started to respond that Coal Valley had grown and changed since Julie had visited but realized immediately it would be useless. Her sister would acknowledge none of the advancements and would laugh at her descriptions of its growth and “civilization.” So Beth let the matter drop, giving a weak smile and lift of a shoulder to Jarrick.

  He was busy working with Dillard, fastening the fragrant Christmas tree into its stand. Catching Beth’s eye, Jarrick cleared his throat, and Dillard peered out from behind the evergreen. Beth noticed Jarrick and the Smiths exchange glances.

  “Say, Eliza,” Dillard said, his tone nonchalant, “did you hear back from your sister yet?”

  “I did,” his wife answered as she lifted a box from the floor to the table. “She said she’s going to drop in later this morning. Did I tell you, Beth?”

  Beth wondered if something was afoot. Her words came slowly. “No, I don’t think you mentioned it. How nice—”

  “Yes, I think you’ll enjoy Mary. She and her friends are very busy, especially this time of year. We can never keep up with them.” Eliza opened a box of ornaments and began unwrapping them from their papers. “I believe they’re going skiing later today, in fact. Have you and your sister ever been cross-country skiing, Beth?”

  Julie sat bolt upright in her seat. “We haven’t been. But I’ve always thought it sounds like fun.”

  “Maybe you should ask Mary about it then, when she arrives. She’s quite an enthusiast. And there are some lovely coulees in the area—deep valleys just so picturesque, especially in the winter. But they’re quite challenging, even for practiced skiers.”

  At last Beth caught on to the underlying scheme. She shook her head a little. “Well, with Julie not having any experience, it might be best for her not to attempt it. Plus, it’s so cold outside. Mind you, not as cold as it frequently is here, but chilly just the same. Julie wouldn’t like to be so uncomfortable or to struggle to keep up.”

  “Don’t be a sourpuss, Bethie!” Julie was on her feet. “You know I catch on to new things quickly. And my new coat keeps me plenty warm.” Julie’s attention turned to Eliza. “Honestly, I’m actually kind of an athlete, in spite of my family’s humdrum ways.”

  “Then you’ll really have to get to know my younger sister, Mary. She’s only seventeen, and she and her friends are a delightful bunch of kids. I think you’d like them.”

  “Well . . .” Julie hesitated a moment, looked at Beth. “I’m not sure my sister is up for it. She’s more of a homebody. You wouldn’t be interested, would you, Bethie?”

  Beth hid her face so her amusement wouldn’t show. “Oh, don’t worry about me. I’ll be just fine here. It would be nice to have your help finishing the tree—it might take us all afternoon without you. But after that we’ll probably just talk for a bit here by the fire.” Beth didn’t dare look at Jarrick.

  “I suppose I’ll go anyway,” Julie decided. “Yes, I’d be very happy to join them.” She waited impatiently for Eliza’s sister and her friends to make an appearance. When Mary arrived at last in the front entryway, Julie was delighted to find the girl was an equally spirited soul mate, sharing a sense of adventure and a similar impatience with sitting by the fire.

  “The others are waiting in the car,” she said. “Come on. Let’s go.”

  As they departed together, Beth waved good-bye to Julie through the small window in the front door, sighing with relief. She felt Jarrick draw near, looking over her head and placing a hand on each of her shoulders. She leaned back against him contentedly. Everyone was happy. “Thank you,” she whispered, watching as Julie stood beside the waiting car being introduced to Mary’s many friends.

  “‘Thank you?’” he repeated with a laugh. “I was worried you’d think I was just being selfish.”

  Beth turned to face him. “Oh no, Jarrick, not at all. I came here to be with you. I mean, I’m thrilled to be taking Julie back to the mountains, but I came to be with you for Christmas.”

  After the tree was decorated, Jarrick suggested that the two of them take a walk. They set out into the gray day, bundled and braced for the cold. Beth’s quick short steps, attempting to keep up with Jarrick’s long strides, soon had her feeling comfortably warmed. She squeezed her thick wool mitten around Jarrick’s arm to help keep his pace.

  He looked down at her and covered her hand with his. “Your cheeks are nice and rosy. Warm enough?” At her nod, he asked, “What else is happening out in the wilds? Have they chosen a mayor yet?” His eyes twinkled mischievously. “I don’t suppose Philip relented and let his name be added to the hat.”

  “No, that would have been nice. But you were right. He still insists he isn’t interested. And I can’t argue with his reasons.”

  “When is the election? And who’s on the list?”

  “Oh, it won’t be until mid-January,” she said, her words coming in breathless bursts. “The town doesn’t even have a list of candidates yet. The city council was chosen. You probably don’t know half of them. Bill Shaw is back again. And you might still remember Bardo Mussante—he married Esther Blane. But all the others are new. Except that you’ve met Robert.”

  “Oh, yes, I should have guessed they’d put him on the council.”

  “What’s so special about him?” Beth knew her prejudices were showing again. She tried hard to remember Molly’s admonitions.

  “I think he’s a fine choice, Beth.”

  “Yes,” she reluctantly agreed, “he is, in a way. He’s clever and poised. But he’s so . . . so secul
ar, so full of humanistic philosophy.”

  Jarrick paused, looking far down the road, face silhouetted against the clouds. “I’m not sure you can choose a council based solely on their religious beliefs, can you, Beth?”

  “But, you can’t say he’s demonstrated much wisdom lately.”

  “You mean . . . getting stuck in the snow?”

  “Yes.” Beth could feel her chest tighten. She knew even as she spoke that her words were an attempt to turn Jarrick against Robert a little.

  “I don’t know, Beth. I think he meant well, even if it became something totally different than he intended. I wish you had seen him. By the time I arrived, the other men were practically forcing him to sit in the truck to warm up. He was covered with snow from trying to dig the car out himself, so cold he was pale. And he was utterly remorseful and humiliated. I hate to see any man look so defeated.”

  The image pricked at Beth’s tender heart. “Were they harsh with him? The fathers? The other men?”

  “No,” Jarrick answered quietly, picking up the pace again. “But with men, especially in a situation like that, nobody really has to say very much.”

  They walked on in silence as Beth struggled with conflicting thoughts. I’m sorry, Father. I’ll try harder. I will.

  Yet she stubbornly reiterated the question that remained unanswered. But what about the children? After all, it was Robert who put the boys in jeopardy. And he’s the one who maintains so much influence over them all with his teaching that leaves out God. What about them? Aren’t they, together, more important than just one man?

  Julie had brought the two bridesmaid dresses from Toronto, and Beth was able to show them to Jarrick. They were exactly what Beth had hoped them to be, though somewhat more luxurious and modern in a mixture of silky satin and soft lace. But the shade of blue was perfect, a lovely cornflower, somehow both soft and bright. To accessorize the dress Julie had brought beaded headpieces with a wisp of tulle on one side, long strands of faux pearls, elbow-length white gloves and low-heeled shoes that matched the blue almost perfectly. Beth was thrilled to picture Marnie wearing such finery. Jarrick smiled and nodded as the two women explained it all to him, but they eventually collapsed in merriment as his expression gradually changed from interest to bewilderment to teasing.

  But better still, Julie had also brought the cherished wedding dress worn by Grandmama, then Mother, then Margret. It was hidden away in the bedroom closet of the room Beth and Julie shared. Beth tried it on and was rather lost in it. But Eliza was certain she knew a dressmaker who could make it fit nicely—with enough tucks to shorten the skirt and a seam or two moved on the bodice, done carefully so that it could be taken out again for Julie. That is, Beth thought, if Julie is willing to wear a second-hand gown, one she’d consider rather old-fashioned.

  Looking at her reflection in the full-length mirror, Beth was alarmed at how thin she looked. Mother, she knew, would be horrified. It was time to put on some of the weight she had lost with her toast-and-tea suppers. She would need to begin cooking regularly, not just for herself but now for her sister as well. If only Julie would be interested in helping prepare meals while she was visiting. Unfortunately, that seemed unlikely.

  The evening following Boxing Day, Beth and Jarrick planned to share a meal alone at their restaurant. Julie helped Beth choose a dress and then worked to put up her hair with extra flourish, adding accessories to the outfit until Beth was certain she’d be a spectacle among the less pretentious diners.

  “It won’t matter,” Julie insisted. “If people here can’t understand high fashion, you should just ignore them. And you never know, there might be someone among them who appreciates your ensemble.”

  Beth laughed at Julie’s attempt at French pronunciation. It was easier not to argue. In point of fact, she did feel well dressed. And, anyway, almost everything Julie had accomplished would be covered by a hat and long coat until Beth was ready to be seated, and then again almost as soon as she stood to leave. Little harm can be done in one evening, indulging my sister’s more extravagant fashion sense, she told herself.

  Jarrick had arranged for the same table where he had proposed. The candlelit dining room felt comfortable and familiar now, like their own private retreat. Beth settled herself into the chair and smoothed the napkin onto her lap.

  “This feels like a dream, Jarrick. I’m sorry we’ll have to wake up soon. I’ll be back in the Rockies, and you’ll be, well, who knows where.”

  “But not tonight,” he said, leaning forward, arms crossed on the edge of the table. “For tonight there’s no one else but the two of us shamelessly making eyes at one another in the candlelight.”

  Beth leaned closer, her head to one side. “How scandalous. Yet how delightful.”

  They talked for a while about the wedding. Jarrick shrugged while she described the fabric flowers and tulle pew bows. “You know, of course, I can’t really picture any of that. I’m sorry, but that’s the way it is.”

  Beth sighed. “I hope it turns out to be what you’ll like then.”

  “It’s you I’ll be looking at,” he said. “I’m sure the decorations will be fine.” He reached for her hand. “I hope you’ll like the plans I’ve been making without your input.”

  His grin showed off the dimple she loved to see. “What do you mean, Jarrick?” she asked, wondering at the pleasure in his eyes.

  “Wedding plans—the part I’m responsible for deciding and arranging.”

  Beth was perplexed. He hadn’t seemed all that interested in the details back in the church.

  “You know it’s the groom’s responsibility to plan an appropriate honeymoon.” He watched her face closely.

  Her eyes softened in delight. “A honeymoon, Jarrick? Can we . . . are we going to have time for that?”

  “Of course.”

  “But, Jarrick, I’m not sure I’ll be able to get away—”

  “You will,” he assured her. “I’ve worked it out with the town council.”

  “What on earth?”

  He laughed and quickly explained, “I sent a letter to Bill Shaw, asking that you be given the week off following our nuptials. He said they could bring in a substitute teacher, and you can easily have those five days off. That means we’ll have a week plus a weekend of privacy and leisure before we’re both expected back at our jobs.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful! It’s so unexpected. I hadn’t even hoped for such a thing.” But then she was puzzled again. “Will we stay in Coal Valley?”

  “Not in town, no. We’re going away—someplace special.”

  “Where?”

  “I can’t tell you. I won’t even let you guess. It’s a secret, and I don’t want it to be spoiled.”

  Beth shook her head and smiled. “I never even suspected you were scheming like this. What a wonderful surprise, darling.”

  By the time dessert arrived, Beth was feeling wistful, knowing their precious time together was coming to a close. “Do you know yet where you’ll be posted next?”

  “Probably in Calgary for a while. After that, I’m not sure.”

  “Oh, what a shame. It must be so hard for you, to never know.”

  “Well, it comes with the territory. You know that, sweetheart.”

  Beth looked away. “I know. But it doesn’t stop me from feeling sad.”

  He reached across the table and folded his hands around hers. “It won’t be for much longer. Once I’m working for your father, you can rest easy. And, well, we can dine in style whenever you like.”

  Beth pulled her hands away before she realized it. Her face flushed immediately with embarrassment. Am I acting like his mother? Like my own? But this is Jarrick, and I could never endeavor to turn his head toward what I prefer. Or override his decision on the matter of his work.

  “What is it, my love?” He looked puzzled and somewhat hurt.

  She was devastated by his expression. “I don’t want . . . I just can’t think about that now.”

 
“Why not?”

  I don’t want you to leave your job, she wanted to insist. But she silenced the thought for fear of being manipulative.

  “I don’t understand, Beth. I’m trying to do the right thing. But you’re obviously not pleased. I need to know what’s wrong.”

  Beth could feel tears beginning to collect in her eyes. She blinked hard. As much as she wanted to explain her reaction to Jarrick, she couldn’t allow herself to influence his choice, to be responsible for it. She knew how gracious and how tender his heart was toward her. She was certain he would give in to whatever she asked. So she was determined to remain silent. “I understand all the reasons. But I don’t have to want it to happen. I’m not going to find it easy. Of course I’ll do whatever you think is best, Jarrick.”

  They drove back to the Smiths’ home in agonizing silence.

  The next morning the tension between Jarrick and Beth had not dissolved, and it broke her heart to ride away, leaving him standing in the driveway rather forlornly. She wished she could have said everything in her heart, but once they were spoken, words could never be taken back. She hoped she was doing the right thing—the loving thing—with her silence on the matter. Julie’s bubbly conversation helped to cover Beth’s misery, or at least distract her from it.

  CHAPTER

  18

  YOU’VE BEEN LIVING here?” Julie swung in a circle, eyes wide, arms akimbo. “In this . . . well, I don’t want to call it a hovel, but I’m afraid that’s exactly what it is, darling.” Julie’s reaction to Beth’s accommodations was rather blunt.

  “It’s clean and dry and, well, it’s kind of warm, if I remember how to bank the fire properly. So I can’t complain.”