A Time to Love

by Al Lacy

  OTHER BOOKS BY AL LACY

  Angel of Mercy series:

  A Promise for Breanna (Book One)

  Faithful Heart (Book Two)

  Captive Set Free (Book Three)

  A Dream Fulfilled (Book Four)

  Suffer the Little Children (Book Five)

  Whither Thou Goest (Book Six)

  Final Justice (Book Seven)

  Journeys of the Stranger series:

  Legacy (Book One)

  Silent Abduction (Book Two)

  Blizzard (Book Three)

  Tears of the Sun (Book Four)

  Circle of Fire (Book Five)

  Quiet Thunder (Book Six)

  Snow Ghost (Book Seven)

  Battles of Destiny (Civil War series):

  Beloved Enemy (Battle of First Bull Run)

  A Heart Divided (Battle of Mobile Bay)

  A Promise Unbroken (Battle of Rich Mountain)

  Shadowed Memories (Battle of Shiloh)

  Joy From Ashes (Battle of Fredericksburg)

  Season of Valor (Battle of Gettysburg)

  Wings of the Wind (Battle of Antietam)

  Turn of Glory (Battle of Chancellorsville)

  Hannah of Fort Bridger series (coauthored with JoAnna Lacy):

  Under the Distant Sky (Book One)

  Consider the Lilies (Book Two)

  No Place for Fear (Book Three)

  Mail Order Bride series (coauthored with JoAnna Lacy):

  Secrets of the Heart (Book One)

  A Time to Love (Book Two)

  To our dear friends Jerry and Linda Weddle

  who have been with us through

  thick and thin,

  laughter and tears,

  sorrows and joys.

  Thank you for always being there.

  We love you.

  Al and JoAnna

  PROVERBS 27:17

  To every thing there is a season,

  and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

  A time to be born, and a time to die …

  A time to love …

  ECCLESIASTES 3:1-2, 8

  Prologue

  THE ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA REPORTS that the mail order business, also called direct mail marketing, “is a method of merchandising in which the seller’s offer is made through mass mailing of a circular or catalog, or advertisement placed in a newspaper or magazine, and in which the buyer places his order by mail.”

  Britannica goes on to say that “mail order operations have been known in the United States in one form or another since Colonial days, but not until the latter half of the nineteenth century did they assume a significant role in domestic trade.”

  Thus the mail order market was known when the big gold rush took place in this country in the 1840s and 1850s. At that time prospectors, merchants, and adventurers raced from the East to the newly discovered gold fields in the West. One of the most famous was the California Gold Rush in 1848-49, when discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill, near Sacramento, brought more than 40,000 men to California. Though few struck it rich, their presence stimulated economic growth, the lure of which brought even more men to the West.

  At this time, the married men who had come sent for their wives and children, desiring to stay and make their home in the West. Most of the gold rush men were single and also desired to stay in the West, but there were about two hundred men for every woman. Being familiar with the mail order concept, they began advertising in eastern newspapers for women to come west and marry them. Thus was born the “mail order bride.”

  Women by the hundreds began answering the ads, wanting to be married and to make the move west. Often when men and their prospective brides corresponded, they agreed to send no photographs. They would accept each other by the spirit of the letters rather than on a physical basis. Others, of course, exchanged photographs.

  The mail order bride movement accelerated after the Civil War ended in April 1865, when men went west by the thousands to make their fortunes on the frontier. Many of the marriages turned out well, while others were disappointing and ended in desertion by one or the other of the mates, or by divorce.

  As we embark on this fiction series, we’ll tell stories that will grip the heart of the reader, bring some smiles, and maybe wring out some tears. As always, we will weave in the gospel of Jesus Christ and run threads of Bible truth in the stories that apply to our lives today.

  1

  IT WAS A CLEAR, WARM NIGHT with twinkling stars the Friday of June 8, 1877. A full moon shone over Boston Harbor, its reflection dancing on the rippling waters.

  At the church on the corner of Fulton Street and Paul Revere Avenue, organist Letha Myers played in low tones as the wedding rehearsal got under way.

  Linda Forrest, the bride to be, stood in the vestibule with her father, Nolan, whose face showed a gamut of emotions. He’d attended a lot of weddings in his forty-four years, but that was different from being the father of the bride.

  Doris Stanford, the director of the wedding rehearsal and the pastor’s wife, hastily lined up the three bridesmaids. Among them was Linda’s best friend, Joline Jensen, who would have her own wedding soon.

  When Doris was satisfied the bridesmaids were positioned correctly, she placed the maid of honor just behind them and then began to patiently instruct the little boy and girl who were ring bearer and flower girl.

  Joline looked back at her dearest friend and said, “Just think, Lin … when Frank and I get married in a couple of weeks, you’ll be an old married woman by then.”

  Linda Forrest giggled.

  Her father put on a sad face and said, “It’s hard enough to think of my little girl as a bride, Joline, but to realize she will be the matron of honor in your wedding is almost too much to bear.”

  “Oh, Daddy,” Linda said, “you’re glad to get me grown up, married, and out of the house, and you know it!”

  Nolan glanced at his other daughter, Janet, who was Linda’s maid of honor. “It was difficult enough when you moved out of the house into your own apartment, Janet, and I have hopes that you’ll come back and live at home. But its even more difficult with your little sister. Marriage to Lewis will take her away permanently.”

  Janet was two years older than Linda. Although the sisters were about the same size, the similarity ended there. Janet’s hair was blond; Linda’s was a deep auburn. Janet could be considered pretty, but Linda was beautiful. And there were strong differences in personality and their approach to life.

  Even as Nolan Forrest finished speaking, a sour look came over Janet’s face that told her father she would never live under his roof again.

  The low tones of the pump organ barely seeped through the closed double doors leading to the auditorium.

  Linda slipped her hand into the crook of her father’s arm and gave it a comforting squeeze. Janet’s father and mother had been deeply hurt when their elder daughter, at twenty years of age, had moved out of the Forrest house. She had been gone for two years, and had come by the house maybe four or five times since moving out.

  The Forrests knew that one of the reasons Janet had moved out was to get away from what she termed “the boring life of church people.” Her life choices were so at odds with the way she had been raised that she no longer had anything in common with her family. All they knew about her life was that she worked a job in downtown Boston and spent her free time in drinking establishments and other places of ill repute.

  Linda had chosen Janet as her maid of honor strictly to please her parents. Yet her heart was heavy for her only sister, whom she wanted to be saved.

  Doris Stanford nodded at the two ushers waiting in the vestibule, indicating they should open the double doors. Immediately the pump organs volume increased, moving into “The Wedding March
.”

  “All right, girls,” Doris whispered to the bridesmaids, “go.”

  Linda caught the miserable look on Janet’s face as she turned to face forward and started down the aisle.

  As Linda brought up the rear with her father, her eyes went to her mother standing at the second pew on the left-hand side. Next to her was Aunt Beth Chalmers, who had lovingly made Linda’s wedding dress.

  Her gaze shifted to the platform where Pastor Lloyd Stanford stood, holding his small black-covered wedding manual. Then her eyes focused on Lewis Carter.

  He is so handsome! she thought. And he’s all mine! Oh, we’re going to be so happy together!

  The groomsmen met the bridesmaids and the maid of honor one by one and escorted them up the steps to the platform. They spread out, facing the preacher at an angle.

  Lewis Carter gave one nervous glance at Linda’s father, then set his gaze on Linda, who warmed him with a loving smile.

  Just as Nolan and his daughter came to a halt, the organs volume lowered.

  “All right,” said the pastor, “you’ve all done real well, just as Mrs. Stanford instructed you. Linda, at this point you will let go of your daddy’s arm and let him take hold of your right hand. I will then say, ‘Who gives this woman to be married to this man?’ Nolan, you will speak loud enough for everyone in the church to hear you and say, ‘Her mother and I do,’ then place Linda’s hand into Lewis’s.”

  “Then I’ll kiss your cheek through the veil, Daddy,” Linda said.

  Nolan nodded, and Doris Stanford—who had come down the aisle behind them—continued her instructions. “At this point, Nolan, you will turn and take your place beside Adrienne, there in the second pew.”

  The pastor spoke up. “Linda and Lewis, when Nolan is in place, I will nod to you, and you will come up the steps together. And Linda … let me caution you, tomorrow night you will be in your long wedding dress. You’ll have to lift the front of the dress a bit as you mount the platform steps to avoid tripping on it.”

  “I’ll remember,” Linda assured him.

  “Come on up,” said the pastor.

  As the bridal couple moved up the steps, the pastor said, “Of course, tomorrow night there will be a white lattice arch here, and you two will stand directly under it during the ceremony.”

  As Linda and Lewis stood attentively before him, the pastor said, “First, I will make some opening remarks about marriage being instituted by God in the Garden of Eden. You will recall that in our last counseling session, we agreed I would quote from Ecclesiastes chapter three, verses one, two, and eight: ’To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die … A time to love …”

  Stanford ran his gaze over the faces of the wedding party and said, “I will then point out that God has loved the human race from the time He created Adam and Eve, but His special ‘time to love’ was when He gave His precious Son on the cross of Calvary so that sinners could be saved. After I give a clear presentation of the gospel, I will turn the attention of the audience to the love that Linda and Lewis have for each other. As they become husband and wife, their special ‘time to love’ has come.”

  Standing nearby were the deacon chairman, Ed Diamond, and his wife, Frances. The Diamonds were close friends of Nolan and Adrienne Forrest, and were having the rehearsal dinner for the wedding party at their house.

  “That’s beautiful, Pastor,” Diamond said. “I’ve never heard you use that particular Scripture passage in a wedding ceremony before.”

  Stanford smiled. “I thought it fit Linda and Lewis so perfectly. It’s certainly evident they’re head over heels in love.”

  Lewis let a slight smile curve his lips as Linda looked into his eyes and squeezed his arm.

  When the pastor had concluded his instructions about the ceremony, Ed Diamond spoke up again. “Okay, everybody, let’s all go to my house. Grandmas got the fancy dinner just about ready, I’m sure.”

  Adrienne Forrest noticed her oldest daughter push past Linda and head toward a side door. “Janet!” she called. “Where are you going? Aren’t you going to ride to the Diamonds’ house with Daddy and me?”

  Janet paused. “I’m not going to the dinner, Mother. My apartment’s not very far. I’m going home.”

  Everyone in the group fell silent.

  Nolan moved quickly to his daughter’s side. “Honey, this isn’t polite. The Diamonds have gone to a lot of trouble to provide this dinner. Since you’re part of the wedding party, it’s only right that you attend.”

  Janet’s features darkened. “Look, Dad, I just want to go home, all right?”

  Nolan’s lips pressed together tightly as he said, “I don’t like this, Janet. But at least you should go over there and excuse yourself to Ed and Frances.”

  A wing of Janet’s yellow hair had come loose and was hanging over one eye. She gave her head a toss and said, “If you insist.”

  She walked toward the Diamonds, her body rigid, and said, “I really need to be going home. Thank you for the invitation.” With that, she pivoted, gave her parents and sister a cold look, and walked out the side door.

  Nolan Forrest looked nonplussed as he turned to his friends and said, “Ed … Frances … I’m sorry for Janet’s rudeness. I hope you—”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Ed replied. “It’s evident she’s uncomfortable with all of us. C’mon, everyone. Let’s go eat!”

  Grandma Esther Diamond had prepared a sumptuous meal for the wedding party. She was a small, frail woman of seventy-five, with deep lines in her face and a thick head of snow white hair done up in a bun on top of her head. Her bright eyes sparkled as she looked the group over and said, “Soup’s on, folks! Take your places!”

  She moved up to Lewis and Linda. “How’d the practice go, children?”

  “It went fine, Grandma,” Linda said with a smile.

  “Sure wish I could be there tomorrow night to see it, but I have to catch my train about an hour before weddin’ time.”

  “We wish you could be there, too, ma’am,” said Lewis.

  As the guests were taking their places, Grandma noticed there was a vacant place at the main table. “Oh-oh. Did I count wrong?”

  “No, Mom,” Frances said. “Linda’s sister, Janet, had to get home after wedding practice.”

  “Oh. Okay.”

  The pall Janet’s behavior had put on the evening was soon dispelled as Pastor Stanford told funny stories about strange things that had happened at weddings he’d performed over the years. Soon he had everyone laughing.

  After the meal was over and the women had begun to clean up the tables, the men went to the parlor.

  The pastor edged up to Nolan Forrest, and he said in a low tone, “Is there anything I can do to help Janet?”

  “I think you’ve done all you could, Pastor. You must have talked to her three or four times while she was still under our roof. She’s just got to get saved if there’s going to be a change in her.”

  “I know. She’s really turned away from anything to do with the Lord, the Bible, or God’s people. If you’d like, Doris and I will go to her apartment and try to talk to her again.”

  “Well, it sure can’t hurt anything, Pastor. Our hearts are heavy for her. Adrienne and I put a little pressure on Linda to ask Janet to be her maid of honor. We thought maybe just being back in the church and at the wedding might light a spark inside her.

  “We’ll see how it goes with her after tomorrow night,” said the preacher. “If being in the wedding should cause her to come on Sunday, that will at least be a step in the right direction. But Doris and I will pull a little surprise visit on her this coming week, no matter what.”

  “Thank you, Pastor. I’ll tell Adrienne. That’ll encourage her.”

  When the women had finished clearing the dining room table, Frances and Grandma told them to go on home, the two of them would tackle the dishes. Adrienne and Nolan Forrest remained to help their fri
ends while the others said their thanks and good-byes.

  Linda and Lewis, who had planned a moonlight drive along the shore of Boston Harbor, thanked Grandma and the Diamonds for the sumptuous dinner, then left.

  When Adrienne and Nolan were finally preparing to leave, Grandma said, “If I’d known about this here weddin’ when I left home five weeks ago, I’d have planned to stay another day or two so I could attend it. But I’ve got to catch that train tomorrow and head back to Philadelphia.”

  “When will you be back again, dear?” Adrienne asked.

  “Prob’ly in about six months. I’ll come back and pester Ed and Frances again for another five weeks.”

  “Pester?” Frances said, laughing. “Mom, it’s always a blessing to have you here! Besides … Ed won’t say it, but he still likes your cooking better than mine!”

  “He’d better!” Grandma said with a grin.

  Lewis gave Linda his hand as they stepped up to the buggy. The moon was a silver disk in the sky, spraying them with soft light.

  “I love you, my darling,” Linda said.

  “And I love you, sweetheart,” Lewis replied, looking into her eyes.

  Their kiss was sweet and tender, then Lewis helped Linda into the buggy, rounded the rear of the vehicle, and climbed in beside her. “Where would you like to go?” he asked.

  “To the harbor. I love the reflection of the moon on those deep, dark waters.”

  Lewis guided the horse through the dimly lit streets of Boston. They met a few carriages and buggies along the way as they headed east toward the harbor. Linda tucked her hand under Lewis’s arm and said, “Mr. Higgins said he’ll have our apartment all freshly painted and ready when we get back from our honeymoon.”

  “When did you see him?” Lewis asked as he watched a drunken man staggering along the street.

  “This morning. Mother and I drove over to see how it was coming along. Are you as excited about the honeymoon as I am?” she asked.

  Lewis didn’t answer immediately.

  “Darling?”

  “Hmm?”