A Gentleman of Means
Page 25
A tiny bit of a wonder about whether David would put his horse or his girl first whisked through my brain before I chased it away. I was going to have a hard enough time treating him the way I’d always treated him—as a friend, a brother, someone who also sang parts outside of meeting—now that he’d made his feelings public.
Dat was as closed-mouthed as a rat trap, but if there were any guarantees in this world, it would be that a private matter between men would get out sooner rather than later.
When I didn’t speak, Mamm finally said, “Ah well. You go and weed those front beds and think about it. There’s no rush. But I won’t ask your brother to wait for you Sunday after Singing.”
Smiling as if this was hugely funny, Mamm got out the frying pan and I escaped into the muddy, bare garden, where the weeds were the first things to sprout.
Sunday after Singing … when I would see Gabriel again.
*
Gabriel
Eternal life.
Isn’t this what every Christian longs for? And yet, having attained it, I am still a little confused. When the gift was given to me at the age of nineteen, I was filled with joy. Endless ages in which to praise my Creator! To worship Him while the stars wheeled overhead and the seasons turned. The fact that I was not doing so in front of a throne, or in the company of beings made of spirit and light, puzzled me at first, but then, like any creature, I adapted. Not that I would ever intimate that the Bible was mistaken. But reality being different from prophecy, and I being a realist, I simply got on with what I was given.
Eternal life.
I’m still finding it strange, even after two centuries.
Other Books by Author KO
Did you enjoy this book? If so, you might leave a review on the book’s page on your favorite online retailer to tell others about it!
Also by Shelley Adina
Don’t miss the other books in the Magnificent Devices series:
Lady of Devices (2011)
Her Own Devices (2011)
Magnificent Devices (2012)
Brilliant Devices (2013)
or enjoy the boxed set of all four at a discounted price!
A Lady of Resources (2013)
A Lady of Spirit (2014)
or the Twin Set containing books 5 and 6
A Lady of Integrity (2014)
A Gentleman of Means (2015)
*
Caught You Looking (2011, contemporary romance, Moonshell Bay #1)
Immortal Faith (2011, paranormal YA)
*
Visit Shelley’s website
Send her a note
Follow her on Twitter
Friend her on Facebook
Sign up for Shelley’s newsletter and receive a bonus short story set in the Magnificent Devices world!
RITA Award® winning author and Christy finalist Shelley Adina wrote her first novel when she was 13. It was rejected by the literary publisher to whom she sent it, but he did say she knew how to tell a story. That was enough to keep her going through the rest of her adolescence, a career, a move to another country, a B.A. in Literature, an M.F.A. in Writing Popular Fiction, and countless manuscript pages. Shelley is a world traveler who loves to imagine what might have been. Between books, Shelley loves playing the piano and Celtic harp, making period costumes, and spoiling her flock of rescued chickens.
Learn more about Shelley and her books at www.shelleyadina.com.
Copyright
Copyright © 2015 by Shelley Adina Bates
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher at Moonshell Books, Inc.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.