The White Knight

by Gilbert, Morris

  Luke knew what it had cost her to come here. Joelle was standing with her chin up and her shoulders squared as if she were prepared for a negative response. There was in her, as always, a strength and an imagination that he had always liked. He had guessed her depth from the time he had known her and saw in her a woman of great emotion. Now he had a view of the undertow of her spirit, and he felt a great wave of love for her.

  “Let’s forgive each other, Joelle,” he whispered. He put his arms out, and she came to him willingly. She was beautiful inside and out, and she was rich in every way that a woman should be rich. Luke tilted her chin up and kissed her tenderly, and he could taste the salt from her tears as she returned his kiss. “This may be the wrong time to ask this,” Luke said, “but I want you to be my wife. Will you, Joelle?”

  She looked up at him with a tremulous smile on her lips but a light of joy in her eyes. “Yes,” she said, “I will.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  A New Life Together

  Joelle came slowly out of her warm, restful sleep. The light from the window fell across her face, the warmth of the sun stirring her, and she smiled slightly. Slowly her eyes opened, and for a moment she experienced a touch of fright, but then she quickly realized that the face she was looking at belonged to her husband. It wasn’t easy to get accustomed to awaking and finding a man occupying the space that had been empty for so many years!

  Her sense of contentment grew, but she was somewhat puzzled by the expression on Luke’s face. He was lying beside her on his side, his cheek propped up against his open palm, and his elbow braced against the bed. He was studying her in a thoughtful, meditative fashion that intrigued Joelle. “What are you looking at, Luke?”

  “Just thinking about how blessed you are, wife.”

  Joelle, in the short period of her marriage, had become used to Luke’s mild teasing. He would often say the most outlandish things in a most ordinary tone of voice. But he was also capable of speaking of his love for her in a way that was totally satisfying and pleasing. She saw that the corners of his lips were turned up ever so slightly, and she knew that he was concealing the humor that lay beneath the surface. “Why am I blessed?” she dared to ask, reaching out and touching his cheek, savoring the feel of the stubble of his beard.

  “Why, to have such a handsome husband.”

  “Oh, you think so.”

  “Yes. I was just thinking about how many millions of women there are in the world who would dearly love to wake up and see a good-looking fellow like your husband in bed beside them.”

  Joelle grabbed at his earlobe and pinched it. “You are egotistical beyond belief!”

  “Well, we have to face facts.” Luke grinned. He captured her hand and pulled it away from his ear. He studied it for a moment and his eyelids lowered. “I’m thinking of taking advantage of you.”

  Joelle’s eyes widened and then she laughed. “That’s impossible!”

  “No. I think I can do it.”

  “No you can’t. To take advantage, I’d have to be resisting, and you are such a handsome fellow that I don’t see how I could possibly do that.” She pulled his head down until his face was only a few inches away from hers. “Say something sweet to me,” she demanded.

  Luke thought for a moment and then said, “Marshmallow.”

  Joelle laughed aloud. “You have no poetry in your soul.”

  “Yes I have. I’m writing you a poem right now. I haven’t got it on paper yet, but it’s going to be a great poem.”

  The two continued their teasing as they lay in bed, and Joelle enjoyed every minute of it. Suddenly she said with a more sober expression, “I always thought I’d be a maiden lady, as we used to call them.”

  “Not much chance of that. Not a good-looking filly like you.”

  Joelle wanted to get serious for a minute and explain to him how she felt. But where were the words to tell a man how a woman felt about him? How could she tell him about the strange fluttery feeling she got inside sometimes when she looked at him? How could she put into words the longing to see him again that came to her when he was gone for a few hours? And how to explain that the sight of him as he suddenly appeared lifted everything in her to a height she had never known? She wanted to explain how empty she felt whenever he was gone, but the words were too hard for her to say, at least for this early in her marriage.

  “I’ve got to get up and make biscuits for you,” she whispered.

  “I didn’t marry you to make biscuits.” He grinned and then took her in his arms, and they both forgot about breakfast.

  ****

  The sun was barely up and the girls were still asleep. Joelle was cooking breakfast and Luke was sitting at the table, reading from the Bible she had given him for a wedding present. Joelle enjoyed getting up very early every morning, before the house became filled with the noise of all the girls giggling and talking. She had grown to love the cobwebby hours of the morning that she shared alone with Luke.

  “What are you reading, Luke?” she asked.

  “I’m reading about you.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I found these verses about you last night. I’m underlining them.”

  “What verses about me?”

  “It says right here, ‘Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her.’ And then it goes on to say, ‘She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.’ ”

  “Why, Luke, that’s so sweet!”

  “Why, sure it is. I’ve told you I’m a sweet guy. Used to win awards for it. I was elected the sweetest guy by my senior class in high school.”

  “I just bet you were. I bet you were a regular devil.”

  “You hurt me in the heart when you say that, wife!”

  “You might be exaggerating a little bit. Are you sure you want this omelet with all this junk in it?”

  “Junk! I made that recipe up myself. You put everything in there just like I told you.”

  “You really want jalapeño peppers in your omelet?”

  “Yes, and those red peppers too. And those strong onions that came out of the garden.”

  Joelle followed his instructions and finished the omelet, as well as her own, which contained only cheese, and slid them carefully onto plates. She added four pieces of thick toast to his plate and put it down beside him. She sat down and they said a quick blessing. She watched as he took a huge bite of his omelet and chewed it thoroughly. She laughed when tears came into his eyes.

  “You see, it’s so hot it’s burning your mouth.”

  “That’s what makes it good. You can’t get an omelet too hot or a wife too sweet. That’s what I always say.”

  “You won’t have any taste buds left. You’ll burn them all out with your hot peppers.”

  They teased each other as they continued eating. When they were through, Joelle approached a subject she had been thinking about. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something, Luke.”

  “Go right ahead. Whatever it is you want, I’ll tell you how you can get along without it.”

  “I don’t want anything, but I’m wondering why you haven’t called your family.”

  Luke suddenly grew serious. He took the thick mug that was half filled with coffee and took a sip. “Well, you’ve got me there. I was waiting until I could go home with some kind of a triumph under my belt, but I don’t guess that’ll ever happen.”

  “I don’t know them, Luke, but I’ll bet they’re worried about you. You’ve told me enough that I know they’re fine people.”

  “Yes, they are.”

  “Do you think they’ll like me?” she asked wistfully.

  “If they don’t,” he said indignantly, “I’ll cut them out of the will.”

  “Luke, be serious. I think you ought to call them. I feel bad that we got married without inviting them or even telling them.”

  “I expect you’re right, but it’s too late now to d
o anything about that. Tell you what. I’ll write them this afternoon. Then we’ll—” He broke off and twisted his head back toward the door. “Look out—here comes the thundering herd.”

  The girls came rushing into the kitchen, and Sunny cried out, “I want pancakes for breakfast.”

  Audrey Carpenter shook her head. “No. We had pancakes yesterday. I want oatmeal.”

  Sunny made a face. “Oatmeal. That’s for horses and cows.”

  Joelle put an end to the argument by saying, “We’re having omelets and toast today. Or you can have scrambled eggs if you prefer.”

  “I’ll have scrambled eggs,” Shirley said. She sat down beside Gladys, and the two began talking about the movie Joelle had agreed to take them to the previous weekend. “I think Errol Flynn is the handsomest man that ever lived,” Shirley said.

  “Well, you must need glasses,” Luke said, winking at Joelle. “You haven’t looked at me lately, have you?”

  “You think you’re better looking than Errol Flynn?”

  “Why, that poor fellow is as ugly as a pan of worms when he lines up next to me.”

  The girls all screamed at this, and Sunny, who was sitting next to Luke, began to beat on his shoulder with the heel of her fist. “You’re not as good-looking as a movie star.”

  “Well, you are, Sunny. You’re so pretty I’ll just have to give you a reward.” He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

  “That don’t make you any better looking,” she said with a giggle.

  The girls all pitched in and, with Joelle’s help, soon had their breakfast on the table. When they sat down to eat, Sunny was once again at Luke’s side. She was obviously fascinated with Luke, and Joelle listened to their conversation with amusement.

  “How do you like being married, Luke?” Sunny asked.

  “Why, it beats sliding down a forty-foot razor blade into a vat of alcohol, I reckon.”

  “Ooo, that’s awful!” one of the girls cried.

  Luke glanced over at Joelle, who was pretending to glare at him. “I was just teasing. I like it fine. A fellow needs a woman. Needs somebody to wait on him and tell him how handsome he is and stuff like that.”

  “If you’re not careful, you’re not going to get any stuff like that.”

  Ignoring Joelle, Luke turned to Sunny and the girls. “All you girls listen to this now. I’m going to tell you how to have a perfect marriage.”

  “I’d like to hear it,” June said. “I don’t think there is any such thing.”

  “That’s because you’ve never seen anybody practice the Winslow formula for having a perfect marriage. It works every time. Why, people who follow my formula live happily ever after, just like in the storybooks.”

  “I’d like to hear it myself,” Joelle said, cocking her head and turning a critical eye on him.

  “I’m talking to Sunny here. You’ve already had a taste of the method—not quite enough yet, though.”

  “What is it, Luke?” Sunny said. “Well, girls, if you want to have a perfect marriage, as soon as you get a man all married up, then you treat him like a grandmother treats her favorite grandchild.”

  “What do you mean by that?” Sunny asked with a puzzled look.

  “Haven’t you ever watched grandmas with their favorite grandchildren? Whether it’s a boy or a girl, grandmas spoil them to death. The instant they start crying, they go pick the kid up and give him whatever it is that makes him stop crying. They bring him presents all the time. They just devote their lives to making that grandchild happy. So that’s the way to have a perfect marriage,” Luke said, looking as pious as he could. “When you get a husband, just give him everything he wants as soon as he wants it. As a matter of fact, try to figure out what he wants and give it to him before he asks for it. Why, it’ll work every time! He’ll be so happy you’ll stay married to him until they carry him off to the cemetery.”

  “Don’t pay a bit of attention to him,” Joelle said. “He’s making all that up.”

  “Now, wife, you know how you’re always telling me when we’re alone how wonderful I am and how perfect I am and all that.”

  Joelle flushed. Sometimes Luke’s teasing embarrassed her. She opened her mouth, but Luke beat her to it. “I won’t tell any more secrets about how you make a big fuss over me. Just remember, girls, give your man whatever he wants, and he’ll be sweet and good—like me!”

  ****

  At the end of the day, Joelle found herself weary, as she often did. The joy she had found in her marriage did not diminish any of the work required to keep the Haven going, and by the time the girls were all in bed, she was tired to the bone. She heard the clock in the parlor strike eleven, and hanging up the dishrag, she went into the parlor and found Luke listening to the late news on the radio.

  She sat down beside him, his arm around her, and listened to the news. The situation in Europe was sounding more ominous than ever. The Nazis were pounding British cities with air attacks, and a new problem had arisen between the United States and Japan. Luke and Joelle listened as the announcer spoke with an ominous tone.

  “Tensions are mounting between the United States and Japan as talks between representatives of each nation seem to be deteriorating. Earlier this month Prime Minister Tojo of Japan assailed American and British exportation of the Asiatic people and threatened that they must be purged with violence.”

  “The news isn’t good, is it, Luke?”

  “It’s not bad in one sense. The Germans have gotten bogged down outside of Moscow. You know, attacking Russia was the biggest mistake Hitler’s ever made. It’ll be his downfall too.”

  “Do you think we’ll ever get into the war?”

  “No way of telling,” Luke said. “It’s possible. Roosevelt has been warning us to get ready. He’s been sending supplies to England undercover—old naval vessels, things like that.”

  When the news broadcast was over, Luke reached over and turned the radio off, and Joelle could see that he was deep in thought. “What are you thinking about, Luke?”

  “I’ve been thinking about your dream.”

  “What dream is that?”

  “You know. To build another facility for boys.”

  “I think God wants me to do it, but I don’t see how. We’ve got enough money with your prize from the air show to build some kind of a structure for them to live in, but it would take every penny.”

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea to put the boys’ unit on this property.”

  “Why not, Luke? We’ve got land here to build on.”

  “I know, but boys with problems right next door to girls with problems?” He shook his head doubtfully. “I don’t think that would work.”

  “What could we do?”

  “You know the Mackelson place?”

  “You mean the one six miles down the highway?”

  “That’s the one.”

  “It’s been for sale for a long time. You’re not thinking we should buy that, are you?”

  “Well, it would do fine for a haven for boys. That old house must have a number of bedrooms. It’s a huge thing with the addition they built onto it. And it’s got enough land to raise some animals, plenty of room for gardens . . .”

  “It’s probably more than we can afford.”

  “We’ll have to check into it. See how much they’re asking.

  If this is something God wants us to do, He’ll give us the means to do it. I think we should look into it.”

  Joelle was stunned by the proposal. The two sat there talking about the possibilities for nearly an hour, and finally Joelle said, “Luke, that would take a lot of faith. We just barely manage to hang on to this place. And you’re talking about buying another one. We would have two mortgages.”

  “Well, it may be hard for you and me, but it won’t be hard for God.” He reached over, gave her a hug, and kissed her cheek. “We’ll pray about it and see which way God is leading us. I reckon God may just want to rear back and work a miracle!”
<
br />   CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Home to Liberty

  Sunny was watching Joelle pack her suitcase. The thirteen-year-old had a sad expression on her face and had been unusually quiet.

  “How long will you be gone, Joelle?”

  “Not more than a week.”

  “That’s a long time.”

  “No it isn’t.” Joelle turned and saw that Sunny was unhappy. “It’ll be over before you know it.”

  “I don’t want you to go.”

  “Oh, Sunny, I thought you’d be happy for me.”

  “Well, I’m not,” she said defiantly. She looked down at the floor and mumbled something that Joelle could not make out.

  “What’d you say, Sunny?”

  “I said I don’t think you’ll ever come back.”

  Joelle was shocked at the child’s attitude. “Of course I’m going to come back! I’ve explained all this.”

  “I know, but I still don’t want you to go.”

  Joelle was aware that Sunny, like all the other girls at the Haven, had deep-seated anxieties. She also knew that most of the girls had formed an attachment to her, and more than one of them had experienced cruel separations in their life. Quickly she went over to Sunny, put her arm around her, and drew her down to sit on the bed. “I don’t want you to worry about this. I have to go meet Luke’s family. It was bad enough that we didn’t go there to meet them before we married, but now they’re having a reunion. That’s all it is.”

  “What’s a reunion?”

  “That’s when the members of a certain family come together from all over to meet one another and spend some time together.”

  “You promise to come back?”

  “Of course I do.” Joelle leaned over and kissed the girl on the cheek. “You’re going to have a good time while we’re gone.”