Copyright
ISBN 1-58660-072-9
All Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
© 2000 by Barbour Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the permission of the publisher, Truly Yours, PO Box 719, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683.
All of the characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental.
Cover illustration by Victoria Lisi and Julius.
one
“I am so grateful to be here, Helen,” Lavonia remarked over afternoon tea. “I could not bear to stay in Dover and witness the sale of everything I know on earth.”
Sighing, Lavonia looked out over the Syms country estate. An unbroken carpet of grass led to a forest of swaying trees. Beyond them she could see the cool blue sky. Unbeknownst to her hostess, Lavonia had already established a habit of taking her morning devotions from her perch on a comfortable wicker chair. The time of silence, uninterrupted except for chirping birds, was ideal for contemplation.
“I am pleased to be here for you in your time of distress,” Helen answered. “It is fortunate your father asked Uncle Joseph to be the executor of his will. At least you don’t have to trouble yourself with such things.”
“Uncle Joseph is smart with finances. He boasted to me that his fortune has grown fourfold.”
“Perhaps he can put his knowledge to good use for you and Katherine,” Helen speculated.
“It matters not. Without Mama and Father, the house is nothing more to me than bricks and mortar.” A breeze blew one of Lavonia’s curls into her eyes. She brushed the offending strand away with a delicate motion. “And it is much larger than two sisters living alone would ever need.”
“The two of you together could maintain it, could you not?”
Lavonia shook her head. “With Katherine’s illness, she is not much help in managing a household.”
“I suppose taking in boarders is out of the question, then,” Helen mused before biting into a biscuit.
“If Katherine were not ill so often, perhaps I could have contemplated taking in a house full of boarders. But I do not see how I could provide the comforts they would expect along with tending to Katherine when she has her spells.”
“That would be burdensome, indeed.” Helen sighed. “I almost wish Luke and I needed somewhere to live. Then we could buy your home.”
“That is a lovely thought, but I hardly think either of you would want to exchange life in the country for a place in the city.”
“True.” Helen let out a sigh. “Yet, I suppose it is the right thing to do—selling the old place.”
Lavonia felt a tug at her heart as she thought of never returning to the only home she had ever known. Lavonia swallowed before speaking aloud. “Selling the house is God’s blessing, really.”
“I remember so many good times there.”
“Yes. We did have good times. Lovely times.”
Both women were silent for a moment, each immersed in her own memories. The ability to share stillness in comfort was a pleasant result of their lifelong friendship.
After a few moments, Lavonia broke the quiet, “Speaking of hearth and home, Katherine and I will not be imposing on you much longer. As soon as the house is sold, I will make new arrangements for us.”
“Do not hurry to leave, dear cousin! You may stay with us as long as you wish, although I fancy you will not be here long before one of our very own eligible bachelors becomes a serious suitor.”
“On the contrary,” Lavonia said with a chuckle. “You are the one who could always attract men like bees to honey.”
“If you cannot see your own beauty then your mirror must be lying to you,” Helen defended. “I know women who would nearly kill for such beautiful dark hair and skin as creamy as yours. I am just glad you were safely tucked away in Dover when Luke was courting me!”
Lavonia blushed. “You are too kind.”
“I am not.” Helen leaned toward Lavonia as if to reveal a great confidence. “A prospect has asked after you already.”
“How can that be? I have only been here since Monday.”
“Apparently he caught a glimpse of you upon your arrival here.”
Lavonia tried to remember everyone who greeted her. “He was here, at the house?”
“Oh yes. He visits often.” Helen’s sly smile indicated she took pleasure in the intrigue.
“Why did he not introduce himself, then?”
“Perhaps he was too shy. Or in a hurry,” she suggested. “He mentioned his infatuation with you to my dear husband on Tuesday.”
“Did he say that he was infatuated with me?”
“He did not say so directly, but I could tell by the way Luke related the story.” Helen’s eyes were full of mischief.
“Just upon seeing me?” Lavonia took a sip of tea, savoring the feel of cool china against her lower lip. “Is this mystery man always so taken with women to whom he has not been properly introduced?”
“Hardly. He is quite upstanding. I am sure he could see your good breeding in the way you carry yourself.” Leaning back in her chair, Helen looked as though she could barely contain her glee.
“You seem to enjoy matchmaking, Helen.”
“I do like the promise of a new courtship,” she admitted.
“You should be finding the promise of your own new marriage far more intriguing.”
“I do. Which is why I want you to be happily wed, too.” Helen smiled over her teacup. “So, have you no curiosity as to the identity of your admirer?”
Lavonia shrugged. “I suppose not.”
“But curiosity on either side has gotten many a woman to the altar.”
“Who said I want to go to the altar?”
“Is marriage not every woman’s dream?” Helen asked. Not waiting for Lavonia to answer the question, Helen offered a hint. “Your prospective suitor is a man of learning.”
“Is he?” Lavonia took a sip of her tea. Looking over the rim of her cup, Lavonia could see that Helen was enjoying her little game.
“And he is well respected.”
“I am sure I may take you at your word.”
Helen’s expression turned from childlike to exasperated. “Oh, Lavonia, do you not care to venture a guess?”
“How can I guess? I know no one here.”
“True.” Leaning toward her, Helen gave Lavonia a pat on the hand. “You have been so patient, putting aside your own concerns to care for your sister. My sainted aunt and uncle must be looking down upon you now from heaven and thinking what a dutiful and lovely daughter you are.”
Lavonia nodded to show she was grateful for Helen’s kind words. The motion was all she could manage. Talking about her parents was still too difficult for her.
Helen said, her voice more chipper, “Now that your mourning time has passed, you may go to all the festivities you like.”
“I am looking forward to wearing pretty colors again,” Lavonia admitted. “Surely the Lord would not mind my indulgence in a bit of color after wearing black for so long.” Lavonia looked at Helen’s fashionable dress. The mint-green frock was set off by an emerald-colored ribbon tied in a bow just under the bodice. Yards of elegant material flowed almost to the floor, giving Helen’s form a cloudy effect, as if she floated wherever she went. “That dress sets off your eyes beautifully, Helen.”
Helen looked down as if relishing the fresh color. “This frock is one my dear Luke admires as well.” She looked at Lavonia’s face. “I have a thought! W
e can have a lovely gown made for you in blue to go with your eyes. Or perhaps yellow to complement your dark hair.”
“Your offer is generous, Helen, but I have no designs upon becoming a social butterfly.” Lavonia hesitated. She was loath to spoil her cousin’s good intentions, but she wanted Helen to know about her plans. “Helen, I have a confidence I would like to share with you.”
“A confidence?” Smiling, Helen placed her teacup in its saucer. Her eyes widened with anticipation. “Let me guess. You are already engaged! That is why you have been so indifferent to talk of new suitors. Tell me, who is the lucky man?” Her words rushed together.
“My situation is just the opposite. You see, I simply cannot avail myself of a courtship right away.” Lavonia was well aware that her words would not be welcome to her matchmaking cousin. As a feeling of nervousness overcame her, Lavonia became conscious that she was squeezing a portion of uneaten biscuit, causing crumbs to fall on her dress. With a quick motion, she stuffed the treat into her mouth in a most unladylike way before sweeping the remains from her lap.
“Oh,” was all Lavonia heard Helen say in response. Her cousin’s voice became compassionate. “Well, that is perfectly understandable. No one here will hurry you.”
“I am not afraid of being rushed. What I mean to say is, I might not avail myself of a courtship,” Lavonia paused before uttering the last two words, “at all.”
Helen did not bother to conceal her shock. “If you do not find a suitor, what options are left for you, Lavonia? Certainly you do not plan to become a school teacher or a governess?”
“Neither. I want to be a missionary in America.”
“America! That untamed wilderness, full of savages and who knows what other dangers? Your background hardly qualifies you for such hardship.”
“If Jane Fairfield can endure the rigors of America, why should I not be able to do so?”
“Jane Fairfield? Is she your friend who married the Metho-dist circuit rider?”
“Yes.”
“Surely you do not plan to become a Methodist, Lavonia!”
Lavonia took a sip of her tea, which had become lukewarm. “I already have, Helen. And so did Mama and Father.”
In a dramatic expression of shock, Helen picked up the fan she kept nearby and began waving it in fast motions near her face. “I never thought I would hear of your family abandoning our sacred Church of England! Where is your loyalty?”
“Methodism and Anglicanism are not so different, really. Methodism’s founder, John Wesley, was a lifelong Anglican.”
“So you say,” Helen said. “I pray worshiping with us will return you to your senses!”
“One can always pray.”
Her fit of apoplexy spent, Helen placed her fan near her empty plate. “Riding over the countryside and preaching to far-flung congregations is a difficult ministry!”
“I agree.” Lavonia nodded. “Jane rarely sees her husband since his circuit takes him far away from home. And he is often sick because of the inclement weather and hard conditions he must endure. But Jane is very happy, and she knows she is contributing to the Lord’s work by being his wife.”
“Perhaps she is a missionary, in her own way. But how do you know she is happy?” Helen’s eyebrows rose in an expression of doubt.
“Her letters indicate she is quite happy.”
“You must remember,” Helen argued, “Jane’s family had already moved to Georgia before she married. She has been accustomed to the hardships of pioneer life for many years. And must I add, she has her own home and husband. Where would you live if you went overseas?”
“With Jane and her family, of course. She has already said she would be exhilarated to have me help her with church work. No doubt she will need me to help with household tasks. She has already borne five children and is expecting her next this winter.”
“Six children? Obviously the good circuit rider makes his way home upon occasion.”
Lavonia blushed. “Helen, you and Katherine are the only people in whom I have confided my plans. Except for Jane, of course. And Mama. In fact,” Lavonia added, “I promised Mama on her deathbed that I would do it.”
Helen’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “She made you promise to be a missionary? That seems a tall order unless you are called by God to such a vocation.”
“I have felt called to be a missionary for years. I was afraid to admit it. Some people would think a woman silly to under-take such a lofty vocation. Mama did not make me promise to be a missionary to fulfill her dreams for me, but for me to fulfill my own dreams. She wanted to make sure I would not take the route that you, and the rest of society, so kindly have planned for me.” Lavonia could not resist letting a touch of sarcasm color her voice.
“Surely there is nothing strange about marriage.”
“Of course not. Marriage is an honorable institution. I just have no reason to think marriage is the Lord’s plan for me.” It was Lavonia’s turn to lean close to Helen. “Having to sell the house confirms my feelings about His will. The proceeds from the sale will allow both Katherine and me to be comfortable. Do you remember Aunt Amelia?”
“I remember her as disagreeable.” Helen grimaced.
“But she harbors a place in her heart for Katherine. I think Katherine reminds Aunt Amelia of her daughter.”
“Has it really been ten years since Elizabeth’s death?”
Lavonia nodded. “Aunt Amelia has invited Katherine to come live with her. Her home is quite comfortable, really, and she employs two servants. Katherine will be well cared for, and her inheritance will go far in such a situation.” Lavonia spoke faster as her excitement increased. “Once Katherine is settled, I will take my portion of the proceeds from the house to go to America! Helen, I have spent many nights praying about this. I am certain the Lord, by forcing me to part with every material possession I have in the world, is showing me the narrow path I must take to fulfill my calling. I am exchanging one life, the one of marriage, for another. The mission field.”
“But I find it difficult to believe no man has even tempted you. Could you be resisting temptation on purpose, thinking you are following the Lord’s will?” Helen challenged.
“If the Lord has someone for me to wed, I am sure He will swiftly inform me.”
“Oh, Lavonia,” Helen said softly, as if she had given up trying to argue with Lavonia. “I do envy you.”
“You? Envy me?”
“Yes. You seem not to care a whit about the things of the world. I daresay you are closer to God than anyone else I have ever met.”
“Helen, I wish I were the person you describe.”
“I think you are. Lavonia, you are not afraid of following Him, even when it means giving up all conventions. Perhaps that is why I have always favored you.”
“And I, you.” Lavonia looked into Helen’s eyes. “You are one of the few people left in the world I feel I can trust.”
“Then let me take the liberty of giving you some counsel.” She fixed her eyes on Lavonia, a deep concern on her face. “No matter how much you believe you will never marry, keep an open heart.” Then Helen’s tone became playful. “After all, there are missionaries living in wedded bliss, are there not?”
They were interrupted by Helen’s maid before she could respond. “Mr. Syms requests your presence in the drawing room, Madame.”
“Oh! It must be our dear Dr. Amory.”
“Excellent. Perhaps he’s the doctor who can cure Katherine.”
“If he cannot, no one practicing medicine can,” Helen assured her. “Let us go and pay him our respects.”
Upon arriving in the well-appointed drawing room, they found Helen’s husband, Luke, waiting for them. As Lavonia had expected, in his company was a man she had never met.
“That’s him!” Helen whispered, her eyes alight with prospect.
“The doctor?”
“No. Our clergyman, Osmond Gladstone.” Helen checked to make certain the men were still engros
sed in their own conversation. Satisfied that they had not been noticed, Helen muttered, “Lavonia, he is your secret admirer!”
two
With quick, subtle glances, Lavonia observed her admirer. Vicar Gladstone stood straight and firm, as if attempting to compensate for his short stature. His bushy hair was in need of a comb, although the action might have only served to add more white flakes to the ones already resting on the shoulders of his dark coat.
“Good morning, ladies!” Luke greeted them upon noticing their arrival. Luke introduced Lavonia to the vicar.
“How do you do, Miss Penn?” The vicar’s face betrayed his interest in Lavonia.
It is true, then. The vicar may be regarding me as a prospective bride.
Although Lavonia wanted nothing more than to escape, she knew her hosts and their guest expected her to be seated for a visit. Lavonia chose a wing chair, while Helen seated herself by Lavonia on the matching sofa upholstered in gold brocaded fabric. Luke took the seat beside his wife. Then the vicar sat on the second wing chair as if it were a throne and Lavonia and the Syms were his courtiers.
“As I was saying before the ladies arrived, I am certain the bishop has great plans for me.” The vicar’s voice was tuned to a volume more suited to the pulpit than social discourse. Lavonia surmised he wanted to impress everyone with his confidence in the bishop’s favorable assessment.
“The bishop would be a fool not to employ your learning and talents to the fullest for the Church.” Lavonia wondered if Luke really believed the encouragement he offered his friend.
Cutting her glance to Helen, Lavonia saw her cousin smile at Luke. She wondered if he was playing Helen’s matchmaking game to appease his wife.
Lavonia found herself praying silently, If the vicar serves as my temptation from the mission field, Lord, You need not worry.
The vicar turned his attention to Lavonia. “Will you be staying here long, Miss Penn?”
“The date of my departure is not set, Vicar.”
“I trust you are having a pleasant stay with your cousin.” Though he presumed to address Lavonia, the vicar gave Helen a deferential smile.
Destinations Page 1
