by Merry Farmer
He evidently thought he’d shouted her into submission, though. He turned his attention back to Bonnie. “What will it be?” he demanded. “Will you marry me or will you go peddle yourself to every slavering scrounger with money in his hand?”
Silence fell again. Bonnie faced Rex with her back straight, but Honoria could feel the weight of the decision before her, the decision that could very well destroy her life. It seemed bitterly unfair, but if there was one thing life had taught her, it was that quite often things were unfair.
“All right,” Bonnie answered at last, her voice quiet. “I’ll marry you.”
“Good,” Rex spat. There was no joy in his expression as he got his way. “The wedding will be tomorrow.”
“It’ll have to wait a couple of weeks,” Bonnie countered him.
“What?” Rex’s glare was ominous.
“I said, It’ll have to wait.”
“Why?”
Bonnie shifted her weight to one hip, crossing her arms again. “Do you want to marry me or not?”
“Don’t play games with me, woman,” Rex threatened.
“Then it will have to wait a couple of weeks.”
The two of them stared each other down. Honoria hardly dared to take a breath. It looked like her sisters felt the same way.
At last, Rex hissed out a breath and said, “Fine.” He turned away with a sneer. “I’ve got work to do. You can—”
“Honoria!”
Honoria’s heart caught in her throat. She whipped around to look out over the front yard and the drive, everyone else turning to see what it was with her. Joy and terror mingled together in Honoria’s chest as she spotted Solomon galloping down the drive toward her.
Chapter 15
“Solomon!” she called out. The truth of where she belonged and what she needed to do was suddenly so clear that she couldn’t have held herself back if she’d tried. She lunged past Bonnie, rushing down the porch stairs to meet her husband as he came for her.
Before her feet could touch the gravel path in front of the stairs, she was grabbed and yanked back. Her feet flew out from under her, and though she twisted painfully, she didn’t fall. It took a few disorienting seconds for her to realize her father had her by one arm and Cousin Rance had her by the other.
“Honoria!” Solomon shouted again. He tugged his mount to a stop several yards away and jumped down like a practiced cowboy, in spite of his tailored suit. Hardly taking a moment to gain his footing, he dashed toward her. “Unhand my wife at once!”
“Are you telling me what to do, boy?” Rance snapped. He jerked Honoria’s arm, but the gesture loosened his hold on her, and she was able to wrench herself free. Her father still held tightly to her other arm, though.
For once, Solomon didn’t take the path of calm, silent protest. His eyes flashed with fury and power radiated from him. “If you do not let my wife go this instant, sir, I cannot be held responsible for my actions.”
“Let me go, Papa,” Honoria seconded, yanking and pulling to get away from him.
“She’s mine,” Rex snarled. “Always has been, whether you’ve soiled her with your filthy black paws or not.”
“I am not yours,” Honoria shouted. She put every last bit of her effort into breaking away from her father.
Whether it was her strength or Rex’s shock at her defiance, he let go just as she struggled away. The sudden dizziness of freedom left her stumbling as she lurched forward. Her feet seemed to tangle together, but before she splattered to the path, Solomon was there to catch her.
“Honoria!” His exclamation was filled with more relief than anything else this time. He gathered her into his arms, hugging her tightly as he backpedaled a few steps. “Thank God you’re all right.”
“I am. I am all right.” All at once every emotion that she had kept at bay and every implication of learning she had a long life in front of her hit her. She burst into tears. “I’m not dying, Solomon! I’m so sorry. This is all my fault, and I know you’ll never be able to forgive me.”
“What is the meaning of this?” Rex shouted, but stayed glued to the stairs. “I want this man removed from my property at once!”
Both his question and his demand were ignored.
“Never be able to forgive you?” Solomon looked as though he had been struck with a brick. “Honoria, learning that you are not dying is the most wonderful piece of news I’ve ever received.”
“Honoria is dying?” Vivian asked from the side of the porch. She leaned against the railing, watching the scene unfold with wide eyes.
“No, she’s not,” Bebe announced as though she’d staged a coup. “Dr. Abernathy told her the wrong thing. She’s not really dying.” Bebe looked so proud of knowing what was going on before her sisters that she tilted her chin up with a smug grin.
It lasted until Vivian and Melinda snapped in unison, “Shut up, Bebe!”
Bebe slumped, but her humiliation was quickly overshadowed.
Rex shouted, “Explain this all to me now!”
It was a shock that Honoria didn’t have to summon vast amounts of courage to turn to her father and say, “I thought I was sick. I thought my cough was the sign of something worse. So I went to see Dr. Meyers about it.”
“How dare you see anyone but Dr. Abernathy without my permission?” Rex growled.
“I saw Dr. Meyers specifically because I didn’t want to seek your permission,” Honoria blasted him in return. “I am tired of needing your permission to move or think or breathe, especially when you don’t care one way or another what I do as long as it doesn’t draw attention.”
“Why, you impudent—”
“Dr. Meyers ran tests, but he was called out of town before he could deliver the results,” Honoria charged on over top of her father. “Your precious Dr. Abernathy was supposed to share the results, but he confused my file with another patient. He told me I have consumption, when in fact I’m perfectly healthy.”
“Why would you—”
“I left your house as fast as I could when I thought my time on this earth was short,” Honoria raged on, taking a few steps closer to her father. “I begged Solomon to marry me, to keep me safe and to make my last days happy ones. I knew that he was far more capable of making me happy than you ever were.”
“Honoria, if you don’t cease this foolishness this instant—”
“The only foolishness that I am ceasing is the foolishness of this family,” Honoria capped off the last of the things she needed to say. “I am not a Bonneville anymore. I don’t think I ever was one. I’m a Templesmith now.”
That was it. The beginning and end of everything she had to say. She held her head high and turned to walk back to Solomon.
“Don’t you turn your back on me, young lady,” Rex boomed.
Honoria didn’t pay any more attention to him than she would pay to a fly. Unfortunately for her, she owed far more to the person who did deserve her attention.
“I’m sorry,” she repeated, walking until she stood in front of Solomon, her head lowered. “I feel as though I lied to you and forced you to marry me for a reason that doesn’t exist. And so much trouble has come because of it.”
“Oh, sweetheart,” Solomon sighed. Honoria snapped her head up, eyes wide. Solomon rested a hand on the side of her face. “I don’t care what your reasons where when you asked me to marry you. I should have had the courage to speak to you and court you long before that.”
“I… Really?” She could hardly believe her ears, hardly dared to see the hope and love in Solomon’s eyes.
“Of course.” He reached for her hands, holding them tightly to his chest. “I’ve admired you from afar for years. When you came to me, when you trusted me with something as precious as your final days, I…” He shook his head, unable to find words to express the emotion that was growing bigger and bigger around him. “And then to find out that you’re not dying after all?” He burst into laughter and tears at the same time. “I never thought I could be so
blessed. God has been good to us.”
The maelstrom of emotions raging inside of Honoria broke into tears with the force of his reaction. “I couldn’t possibly let myself hope or even pray,” she managed to squeak out, though her whole body was trembling with rapture. “After all the problems I caused, all of the disaster that was because of me…”
“It was nothing, my sweet, wonderful darling wife. Nothing at all.” He pulled her into his arms, holding her close. “I would endure it all again and more to be with you for the rest of our long, long lives.”
She was too overjoyed to say anything but, “Solomon!” and to throw herself against him. With all her heart, she kissed him, knowing that this was just one of a thousand more kisses to come.
“Disgusting!” Melinda cried out on the porch.
“You’ll regret this, you usurping darkie,” Rex grumbled.
“Want me to shoot him, Uncle Rex?” Rance asked, though with a large amount of worry that Rex might actually say yes in his voice.
Rex ignored him. “If you think you can get away with this, then you have another thing coming, boy.”
With her arms still around him, Honoria could plainly feel the jolt of tension that shot through Solomon. He turned, still clasping her in his arms, to face Rex.
“If you think you can intimidate me with your hollow threats, you’re dead wrong, sir,” he declared, back straight, head held high. “You can bully me and undermine my business and my life all you want, but today has shown me that I have friends who will be there when I need them, and that good wins out over evil every time.”
“I will not be spoken to that way by the likes of you,” Rex hissed.
“You will be spoken to in any way I wish to speak to you,” Solomon fired back. “I have earned that right by weathering every storm you’ve sent in my direction. And if you choose to send more, why, then I’ll just take Honoria and go somewhere far beyond your bitter, impotent influence.”
“How dare you speak to my papa like that?” Vivian shrieked. “Papa, do something!”
“There’s nothing he can do,” Honoria bit back at her. “There’s nothing a weak man can do when he’s met a man who is far superior to him in courage and character.”
“Somebody make her stop,” Vivian whined, shaking her hands in useless irritation.
“You may hound me,” Solomon went on. “You may destroy my business and take all my money, but you can never take Honoria away from me. I might end up without a penny to my name, but I will be the richest man in the world as long as I have my wife by my side.” He turned to Honoria with a wide smile. “My beautiful, clever, vibrant wife, who I will love for all of our many, many days.”
For a moment Honoria’s heart stopped in her chest. “You…you love me?”
Solomon blinked, looking startled at her question. “Of course I do. Didn’t you know?”
“No!” She broke out in trembling from head to toe. “I…I knew you cared for me and that you…that we enjoy each other.”
“No, no!” Melinda slapped her hands over her ears again, squeezing her eyes shut. “It’s too disgusting. I don’t ever even want to think about it!”
“I love you,” Solomon said loudly, drowning out Melinda’s whine. “I love you more than anything I’ve ever known.”
“And I love you,” Honoria was quick to tell him. She hugged him tight, but then leaned back so she could study his handsome, joyful face. “I’ve loved you for so long. Longer than you could ever guess.”
“And we both have so much time ahead of us to love each other,” he added, then kissed her soundly.
Somewhere on the edges of her awareness, Honoria heard Melinda squealing again and Vivian making some sort of snide comment. It didn’t matter. Bebe was jumping up and down and clapping, and her father had turned to say something low and bitter to Rance, but that didn’t matter either. All that mattered was that she was alive, she was in Solomon’s arms, and not only was he not angry, he loved her.
When at last she burst through heaven and landed back on earth once more, it was in time to hear Rex growl, “Get off my property, the both of you. I never want to see either of you again.”
Honoria took a breath and turned to face her father with defiance. “Well, you’ll have to see us, Papa. We live in the same town, and with Solomon’s bank on the mend, we’re not going anywhere. You can complain about it all you want, but I’m still your flesh and blood, and all of the children Solomon and I have will be your flesh and blood too.”
The thought sent Honoria’s heart soaring, even though Rex cursed and spit in the dirt. He didn’t even reply. He grabbed Rance by the sleeve and marched away with him.
“Darling, let’s go home,” Solomon said, taking Honoria’s hand. “There’s nothing for us here and everything for us back in town.”
Honoria smiled like she had never smiled before and leaned into him for another kiss. She turned to go with him, but at the last minute gasped and turned back.
“Bonnie,” she called to her friend.
Bonnie was watching them with a sad smile, but blinked and stood straighter at her name. “What?”
“Come back to town. You don’t have to marry Papa. I’m sure we can figure out how to finance your efforts on behalf of the girls.”
Solomon sent Honoria a confused and gently wary look.
Bonnie must have seen it. She sighed and shook her head. “I’ve made my bed, honey. It’s about time I lay in it.”
“But—”
“Nope. It’s already decided.” Bonnie cut her off before she could say more. “I knew this day would come, and I accept it as the price I must pay.”
“Ugh, she’s so melodramatic,” Vivian snorted. She grabbed Melinda’s arm and turned to go inside. Before they took more than a few steps, Vivian turned to Bebe. “Bebe! Come! Now!”
A stricken Bebe looked between Vivian and Honoria, at a complete loss.
“Bebe!” Melinda added her command to her sisters.
“If you ever need me, I’ll be there for you,” Honoria told Bebe.
Still looking miserable, Bebe nodded, then scurried after Vivian and Melinda.
“She’ll take you up on that offer in time,” Bonnie sighed.
“Will you take me up on it too?” Honoria asked.
Bonnie shook her head. She didn’t say anything more except, “You two go on before your father takes it into his head to do something stupider than he’s already done.”
Hard though it was, Honoria accepted Bonnie’s choice. She squeezed Solomon’s hand. Together they turned and walked back to his horse. Solomon helped her to mount, then climbed up behind her.
“I meant what I said,” he insisted as he reached around her waist for the reins. “I would happily lose everything else now that I have you.”
She twisted to face him as well as she could, laying a hand on the side of his face, “And I would gladly die if it meant that you could be happy.”
He laughed. “Lucky for us, we don’t have to worry about that for years to come.”
Epilogue
It’s strange the way life works. It was only two weeks later that Honoria was back in Dr. Meyers’s office, being examined once more.
“Are you certain your original diagnosis was right?” Solomon asked, pacing the tiny space to the side of the examination table where Dr. Meyers worked.
“I’m certain,” Dr. Meyers, chuckled. How he could be so light-hearted when she was feeling so poorly was beyond Honoria.
“We can’t be too careful,” Solomon went on. “I’ve already experienced the pain of thinking I was going to lose my wife once. I’m not in a hurry to do it again.”
“Well, you’re in luck.” Dr. Meyers helped Honoria to sit up, then stepped back from the table. “It’s early days still, but I think I can make a definitive diagnosis as to Honoria’s condition.”
Honoria’s heart sank. “It’s the strain of making a break with my family, isn’t it?” she blurted. “It was so traumatic,
and I’ve been so tired and nauseated since then.”
Dr. Meyers hummed and tilted his head to the side. “It does have something to do with family.”
Solomon let out a heavy breath and rubbed a hand over his face. “I’ve been working hard on finding forgiveness for that lot, but so help me, if they take my darling Honoria away from me again…”
“It’s not that.” Dr. Meyers continued to chuckle.
Honoria wasn’t sure she was in the mood to listen to someone who should know better behave so callously at such a serious time. “Then what is it?” she asked.
“I know Rex Bonneville is mighty keen to have a son,” Dr. Meyers went on. “But it looks like he’s going to end up with a grandson—or granddaughter—before that.”
“If he thinks—” Solomon started, but stopped flat a second later. His mouth dropped open and his eyes went wide.
The news took Honoria completely by surprise as well. At the same time, she knew instantly that it was true.
“A baby!” She exclaimed. “But…but we’ve only been married for a little over a month.”
Dr. Meyers shrugged. “Not to be indelicate, but as long as the two of you are enjoying a normal, healthy marriage, it is very possible for a baby to come along so soon.”
Solomon laughed and slapped Dr. Meyers on the back. “I wouldn’t say our marriage has been normal, exactly. But you’re right, a baby is possible.”
“Not just possible,” Honoria said, hopping off the table. “It’s factual. We’re having a baby!” She rushed into Solomon’s arms, barely able to believe how blessed she was. One minute she’d been certain she was going to die, and the next she was about to bring a new life into the world.
“Now, there are still complications that can occur,” Dr. Meyers went on as if delivering a speech he was honor-bound to share. “But Honoria is extremely healthy, as we all now know, and in the prime of her child-bearing years. I think this pregnancy will proceed without trouble.”
