The Royal Handmaid

by Gilbert, Morris

  “Hello. Is this Terry?”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “This is Rena Matthews. I hope you remember me. I have something to talk with you about. . . .”

  ****

  “Rena, I wish you’d come in here.”

  “All right, Dad.”

  Rena got up, still thinking of the phone calls. She had called both candidates. Terry McMillan was not available, and she had been unable to reach the other one. She stepped into the study and saw the tall man sitting in one of the leather chairs to the right of her father’s desk. He stood as she entered the room.

  “This is Travis Winslow, Rena. You met my daughter, did you not, Winslow?”

  “Just at the door. I’m glad to know you, Miss Matthews.”

  Loren was drumming a pencil on his desk and looking at her. “Winslow here feels that God has called him to be a part of The Twelve.”

  Rena felt her face grow warm. “Well, that’s very nice, but I don’t think there’s any possibility of that.”

  “Why? Have you already picked someone else from your list?” Loren asked quickly.

  “No, Dad—but I still have one more call to make. I feel sure it’ll work out.”

  “I want you to sit down and listen to what Mr. Winslow has to say.”

  “Dad, we can’t—” she gave Winslow a hostile look—“we can’t just have people coming in off the streets volunteering. This is a serious matter.”

  “I think Travis is serious enough,” her father replied dryly. “You’ve had me interview two or three people. Now I’d like to hear you interview him.”

  “Very well.” Rena turned to face Mr. Winslow and said, “Where did you hear about our mission?”

  “My sister showed me a story in the newspaper.”

  “And when was this?”

  “Day before yesterday.”

  Rena could not help smiling. “So you had never heard of us until forty-eight hours ago, but now you think you’d like to go on a trip to the South Seas? Why, I must tell you, Mr. Winslow, that I’ve had to eliminate a lot of people who thought this would be a pleasure trip. The South Seas are romantic enough, but we’re going on serious business—on God’s business.”

  “I’m sure you are, Miss Winslow, and that’s why I’d like to go with you. I’m not interested in vacations.”

  “But all of us feel that we are called to the mission field.”

  “I feel the same way. As a matter of fact, I’ve been on several mission fields for the last four years, almost five.”

  “What mission fields?”

  “Mexico, Ecuador, Guatemala.”

  For a moment Rena could not take this in. The man did not appear to be old enough to have done all this. “What group sent you out?”

  “I guess my committee is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.” He saw her face stiffen. “I’m not being irreligious, Miss Matthews. That’s all I’ve had. I’ve never been sponsored by anyone—except my sister and her husband.”

  “What’s your training?”

  “Not very impressive. I had a year at the Grace Bible College in Virginia.”

  “I never heard of it.”

  “It’s just a small school. There were only about fifty students when I was there.”

  “And you didn’t finish?”

  “No, ma’am, I didn’t.”

  “Why not? Did the studies give you difficulty?”

  Travis Winslow shifted his weight. “Some of them, but that’s not why I left. I would have stayed except I felt God calling me to go to Mexico.”

  Rena didn’t think much of his answer. She had heard of other self-appointed missionaries who simply got on a ship or a plane and went to a country to wait for God’s direction, and she took a dim view of such an approach. “I’m afraid we do things a little differently with our group, Mr. Winslow.”

  “Travis is fine, ma’am. It’s what I’m used to. All I can say is that I knew God was telling me to go, so I went.”

  Rena glanced at her father and saw that he appeared to be impressed. She decided she would have to do something to discredit the man. Winslow seemed able enough, but he would never fit in with the group she had so carefully chosen. “Tell me a little about yourself, Mr. Winslow.”

  “Not much to tell. I was born in Virginia. We moved to North Dakota for a while, and I finally left home and got a job on a steamer making its way to South America. It’s kind of a long story, but I was eventually saved in a Mexican prison.”

  “A prison! You were in a-a prison?”

  “Yes, ma’am, I was.”

  “What did you do?”

  “The crew of the ship went ashore in Veracruz. Some of us went to a bar, and a fight broke out. A prominent Mexican citizen was badly injured. I had nothing to do with it, but they arrested all of the Americans. Three of us got a year in jail.”

  Loren spoke up. “It was pretty bad, I suppose?”

  “It wasn’t pleasant, but I’m glad I went.”

  “You’re glad you went?” Rena asked incredulously. “What do you mean by that?”

  “I mean I found the Lord Jesus as my Savior while I was there. I might never have been saved if I hadn’t wound up in that prison. So I guess the apostle Paul and I have that in common. We’ve both been in jail.”

  “It’s not a laughing matter,” Rena said.

  “Why, I wasn’t laughing,” Travis said, surprise washing across his face. “But I might as well tell you I was in jail in Ecuador too.”

  “What for?”

  “They arrested me for preachin’ the Gospel. They let me out after a few days, and then they tried to run me out of the village.”

  Rena had heard enough. “I’m very sorry, Mr. Winslow, but there’s no point in continuing this interview. You see, our group is very special. We’re going to be trying some new things that require specialized training. I’m sure that you’ve done a great deal of good in your own way, but you just don’t have the qualifications we’re looking for.”

  Rena expected the man to walk out, but he sat there without moving. “I was visiting with my sister in Los Angeles,” he said slowly. “She’s with the circus there.”

  Loren jumped into the conversation. “In a circus? What does she do?”

  “She and her husband, a man called Hardin, have an act with wild lions and tigers.”

  “Why, I saw that act! Chase Hardin, and the young woman he’s married to, that’s your sister?”

  “Yes, sir. You saw the act?”

  “They were here last year. I was very impressed.”

  “It takes a lot of courage to do that. I don’t know if I could get in with those big cats, but Joy sure loves it.”

  Rena felt the situation getting out of hand, with her father showing genuine interest in the man—and now his family. She said briskly, “Well, it was very nice of you to come, Mr. Winslow, but I’m afraid we can’t use you.”

  “But I’m afraid you must, Miss Matthews.”

  Rena stared at him, thinking she had heard him incorrectly. “What do you mean?”

  “God spoke to my heart very clearly. He said I was to be one of The Twelve.”

  Rena had always had trouble with people who glibly claimed God told them to do this or that. Now she grew angry at the man’s arrogance. “Well, I’m sorry to tell you—”

  “Just a minute, Rena,” her father interjected. “Let’s talk this over—just you and me. Travis, would you be so kind as to leave us alone for a moment?”

  “Yes, sir, of course.”

  Rena waited until the door was closed, then turned to meet her father’s gray eyes directly. “Father, there is nothing to discuss. He is impossible!”

  “Why is that?”

  “As I told him, he just doesn’t fit in. He’s not qualified.”

  “Don’t you believe God speaks to people?”

  “Daddy, you know I do! He called me to go to the South Seas two years ago.”

  “Then why couldn’t He have told Winslow the same
thing?”

  “He just . . . wouldn’t! That’s all.”

  “Well, I’m sorry, Rena, but that just doesn’t ring true to me. I like the man. I talked with him for quite a while before I called you in here. He has a real humility and a desire to serve God.”

  “Dad, there’s no point talking about it. He just wouldn’t do.”

  Silence hung over the room, and Rena kept her focus on her father’s face. He had not moved, but she saw something change in his features. He put both hands flat on the desk, palms down, and remained in that pose for a moment.

  “Did you hear what I said, Dad?”

  “I heard what you said, but I don’t believe it.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean as I talked to the man, I felt the Lord speaking to me. And what I heard was that this is the man God wants on your team.”

  “Oh, Daddy, you’re too sympathetic.”

  “I’m not sympathetic at all. I simply believe that God has sent this man to be a part of this mission endeavor.”

  “I’m sorry, Dad, but—”

  “You don’t understand what I’m saying, Rena.” Usually Loren Matthews’s eyes were soft when he looked at his daughter, but now Rena saw what men who had gone up against him in business had found. There was boldness and strength in that look, and it was directed right at her. When he spoke, his voice was calm, but there was no doubt about his sincerity. “I’ll have to put it this way, Rena. Either he goes or I withdraw my support.”

  Rena could not believe what she was hearing. “Why, you can’t mean that!”

  “I do mean it. You believe that God called you to go; I believe that God has told me this man should go. Are you going to tell me I’m wrong? And just remember that I never questioned your choices.”

  Rena could not think clearly—a most unusual circumstance for her. Finally she said weakly, “Daddy, we’ll have to pray about this.”

  “I’ve already prayed. It’s not my decision now. It’s yours. If God has called you, He’ll get you to the South Seas with or without my help. But I feel strongly that I can’t be a part of it unless you accept this man.”

  Rena had never seen this side of her father before. He had always given in to her. She knew she was spoiled, but now she was encountering a different Loren Matthews. Finally she said stiffly, “I’ll pray about it and let you know.”

  “That’s fine. I’ll just put things on hold until you decide. Go talk to the others and tell Travis to come back in. I’d like to talk with him some more.”

  “All right, Daddy.”

  As Rena turned, she felt two emotions. One was fear that the plan would be wrecked and the other was anger. Her anger showed itself as she stepped outside and said, “My father wants to see you.”

  “Thank you, Miss Rena.”

  Rena swept by him without another word, furious that this stranger had come and wrecked her well-laid plans. I’ve always been able to get Daddy to do things my way. He’ll come around—he’ll just have to!

  ****

  “. . . and that’s the story. This man Travis Winslow came barging into our house and announced that God had told him he was to join our group.”

  Professor Jan Dekker lifted his head. “God told him that?” There was a hint of sarcasm in his tone. “Is he another Moses? Was there a burning bush?” Dekker was a small man with brown eyes and gray hair. He took off his thick glasses and polished them. “I believe that God leads people, but not as you have told us.”

  Pete Alford stood and addressed the professor, his tall, strong frame towering over the diminutive man. “I don’t see why you think that, Professor.” It was not like Pete to disagree with Dekker. He revered the professor but had never made more than a passing grade in his class. Now he stood tall and declared, “I think we at least ought to listen to the man.”

  “I think you’re right, Pete,” Lanie MacKay said, standing by Pete. The very tall redhead gave Rena a nervous glance. “Don’t you like him at all, Rena?”

  “It’s not a matter of whether I like him or not, Lanie. It’s just that he’s not qualified.”

  Jimmy and Abby Townsend were sitting holding hands unselfconsciously, like typical newlyweds. “But you say he’s done some missionary work?” Jimmy asked.

  “He just went down to Mexico on his own, then on to other countries in Central and South America.” Rena shook her head in disparagement. “He probably carried nothing with him but a Bible.”

  “Well, I must say that impresses me.” The speaker was Meredith Wynne. Her curly black hair framed a narrow face, and her violet eyes shone with startling clarity. Unlike the others in the group, she was almost poorly dressed, not being a socialite or from a wealthy family. She was the only one on the team who had volunteered to come without being invited first, and Rena had willingly accepted her because of her skills as a linguist. Now she defended Travis Winslow, who had also arrived uninvited and volunteered to go. “I think I’d like to hear his testimony.”

  “Oh, really, Meredith, you can’t be serious!” Dalton said, rolling his eyes. “He’s some kind of a tramp according to what Rena says.”

  The argument became heated, and finally Karl Benson broke in. “Do I understand that your father is going to insist on this?”

  “Yes, he is, Karl.”

  “Then I think this meeting is over!” Benson laughed shortly. “We wouldn’t get very far without a ship to get us there—or without your father’s support.”

  “But if God wants us to go, we can go without Mr. Matthews’s support, can’t we?” Maggie Smith spoke up. At the age of twenty-eight, she was the oldest woman in the room, and she spoke confidently now, despite her usual reticence. “We could go on faith.”

  Professor Dekker laughed. “That went out with the apostles. Part of our mission is to prove that missionaries must be well prepared and well backed financially. It just happens that Mr. Matthews is furnishing all that.” He turned to face Rena and said, “I believe we have no choice.”

  “All right, then. We’ll take a vote,” Rena said. “All in favor of including Mr. Travis Winslow, raise your hand.” The vote was unanimous. Even she had voted yes when she realized the implications of refusing her father. “Let’s understand each other,” she said. “I’ll go tell my father that we’ve all agreed. It’s highly unlikely Mr. Winslow will be able to contribute much. On the other hand, he looks strong and fit, and he’ll be a great help in doing the donkey work.”

  “The what kind of work?” Meredith asked, her eyes intense as she studied Rena.

  “Oh, you know, the errands. The manual labor that has to be done. Let’s look at it this way,” she said with a smile, “we can let Mr. Winslow do the grunt work while we devote ourselves to the real ministry.”

  Meredith gave Rena a curious look, and a smile touched her lips. “I don’t think mission teams work that way, Rena.”

  Pete tried to add a positive note. “He’ll be a help to us, I’m sure, and we can use someone with experience on the mission field.”

  “I don’t believe we really need his kind of experience, Pete. He’s really a rather arrogant man, talking about God telling him to come with us when he’s only just heard of us. But, of course, we’ll all have to be nice to him.”

  Dalton laughed. “Of course we will. What did you think we were going to do—poke our thumbs in his eye?”

  Rena stood rigidly, angry to the bone. She could not show her anger to the group, though, and when she spoke again it took considerable effort to keep her voice calm. “We’re all agreed, then.”

  “Don’t worry,” Dalton said, putting his arm around Rena and smiling at the group. “We’ll be sure that he knows his place.”

  Jeanne Vernay, Rena’s best friend, had said nothing, but now she asked, “What does he look like, Rena? I suppose he’s pretty shoddy?”

  “Oh, he’s not bad looking, Jeanne, but he’s pretty roughhewn and dresses like a day laborer.” Rena gave her friend a direct look. “We’re not taki
ng him because of his looks.”

  Jeanne laughed aloud and winked at Dalton. “Better check him over, Dalton. He sounds like one of those rugged romantic types. He might try to steal your girl.”

  “No danger of that.” Dalton shrugged nonchalantly, but then he looked at Rena curiously. “I got the idea from what you said that he’s a pretty homely fellow.”

  Jeanne was delighted with his reaction. She and Rena had competed with each other since their childhood. Both were attractive, wealthy, and liked to get their own way. “Tell us more about Travis Winslow, Rena. You’ve got me curious now.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The Black Sheep

  As Loren Matthews stepped onto the deck of the Mary Anne, a strange, unexpected fear sliced through him. Loren loved the sea, but to him it was like a woman who could smile and act charming, but who could also turn cold and cruel without warning. He took in the azure sky. A flight of gulls divided overhead in evanescent shapes, making a kaleidoscopic pattern. The sharp salt smell of the sea surrounded him, and the sun glinted on the small white-crested waves that expanded out into the Pacific. The sun burned a white hole in the sky, and the heat of July was modified by the freshness of the westerly wind. He looked back at the land, and the hazy hills of San Francisco appeared to be brooding over some sullen thought.

  “Welcome aboard, Loren.”

  The speaker was a muscular man of forty, prematurely gray and weathered to a golden tan by years of exposure. His frosty blue eyes were friendly, and when he put out his hand, he almost crushed Loren’s with his grip. He was a powerful man in spirit as well as body and a friend as well as employee of Loren Matthews.

  “How are you, Caleb?”

  “Finer than frog hair! We’ve got good weather for the trip.” Caleb Barkley locked his hands behind his back and studied Loren Matthews. “Wish you were going with us. Sure you won’t change your mind?”

  “I wouldn’t be any good on this trip—much as I’d like to go.” Loren suddenly looked embarrassed. “I suppose you think, like everyone else, that I’m a fool for financing this expedition.”