Ben followed, saying, “Maybe grandpa will have a cookie with you, Adam. Old men like cookies, too.”
When they were alone, Edwina said, “I do declare, Wyatt. You have stolen my baby’s heart. And so quickly.” He started to say something, but she went on, saying, “Uncle Hezekiah said you didn’t want him, but I knew the minute you met him you would want your son. I’m so glad I was right. Now, he’ll never be able to take him away from us.”
Wyatt frowned. “What do you mean, he’ll never be able to take him away?”
“I’m sorry I said that.” She looked frightened. “Why don’t you go on back to work and I’ll tell you about it later?”
“Tell me now.”
She shook her head. “I’d rather do it later.” She thought he was going to argue and she added, “It’s a long story and I want to tell you when nobody can hear us.”
“All right, I’ll wait.” He smiled at her. “I’ll be back for supper around six. I hope you won’t leave me to eat alone.”
She gave him a shy smile. “We won’t. We’ll all be in the dining room waiting for you. Mr. Walker said he didn’t mind at all bringing your father downstairs.”
“Good. Asia Walker has been a great help since he came to work here. I still wonder why since he’s trained as a doctor.” He tipped his hat to her, mounted his horse and rode off toward the pasture.
* * * *
When Dena heard the family coming into the house, she hurried out of the room Edwina shared with Adam. She hadn’t been able to do a thorough search, but she hoped what she did find would be a help to Cora Sue. If she didn’t keep the woman happy, her family would suffer. She stuffed the note in her dress pocket and closed the door quietly.
It wasn’t that Dena didn’t like Miz Edwina. The woman had been nice to her and she was very little trouble, but she didn’t know her well enough to be loyal to the point of risking the repercussions her family would feel if she didn’t carry out Cora Sue Reeson’s instructions.
Lord, she hoped Cora Sue would finally get what she wanted and Dena could go home to her family. Working for the Singletons had been a good job, but she wanted to get back to Cool Wood and marry Clem Dockery. She and Clem had been friends since they lived on the same street and their fathers were both sent to prison for bank robbery. Clem vowed one day he’d find a good job and neither of their mothers would have to take in washing to put food on the table. So far, it hadn’t happened. She worked here to help out her mother and six younger brothers and sisters. Clem’s job at the feed store was what kept his mother and his five brothers and two sisters from going hungry.
Dena headed for the back stairs leading to the kitchen when she heard footsteps in the hall. She hurried around the corner, hoping nobody saw her rushing to get away.
Chapter 7
The Reverend Hezekiah D. Thorn fidgeted with the worn Bible as he looked across his old wooden desk at Franklin and Lavonia Clark. Did these people learn Edwina had left town with their baby, or at least their soon to be baby? He’d told Callie not to mention Edwina’s absence and he knew she hadn’t. Callie was always obedient. She knew the consequences of disobeying him. Of course, he hadn’t mentioned it to anyone either. He pursed his lips and asked in a strained voice, “I know you’re looking forward to becoming parents of that little boy.”
“Oh you don’t know how much, preacher,” Franklin said. “I think I’m looking forward to being a father as much as my wife is to being a mother. We need that boy.”
“Franklin is correct, Reverend Thorn. Since we were in this section of town today, he insisted on coming by to visit with the baby and see how well he’s doing and if he’s off the bottle and diapers.”
“I thought there might be a chance we could have him a little early if she has him ready to go with us. After all, he’s almost to the eighteen-month age we agreed on.”
“That’s true, but I’m not sure his training is complete.” How could he avoid telling them, his disobedient niece had left with the child, though she knew he didn’t belong to her? How could she not have understood when he explained how God had used her body to make a baby for these worthy people?
“I understand that, but maybe your niece has him trained to the point my wife could take over.”
“I didn’t think I could go through the infant stage.” Lavonia put her hand on her husband’s arm. “But I’m sure I can handle him now. We could even take him today and bring him to church on Sunday. Then you could bless him as our child.”
“That would be a good idea, but...”
Where’s Callie with that coffee? Why can’t she interrupt when I need her to instead of when I’m trying to write a sermon or want quiet time to sit for my revelations from God?
“But, what?” Franklin stared at him. “You haven’t changed your mind about letting us have the baby, have you?”
“It would break my heart not to get the baby.” Lavonia dabbed her eyes. “I know your niece has been calling him Adam, but I don’t want to use a name she chose. I’m going to name him Moses.”
“My wife feels the baby will be able to lead us into happiness the way Moses led the people out of bondage.”
“I think Moses is a good strong name. The boy looks like he’ll grow up to be a big man.”
There was a tap on the door and Callie came in with a wooden tray. It had four cups of steaming coffee, milk, sugar and some dry-looking cake. “I wanted to bring a little refreshment to our good Christian friends.”
“That’s very nice of you, Mrs. Thorn. You’re a model wife. I’m always telling Lavonia she should strive to be just like you.”
“Yes, he is,” Lavonia said. “The cake looks delicious.”
Callie served the cake and coffee, then took a seat near the Clarks. “I was delighted to see you when I opened the door. It’s always a delight when someone from the flock visits.”
“I’m glad we came. We wanted to—”
Callie cut him off. “I wish Edwina and the baby were here. I’m sure you’d like to see how much he’s grown and what a good boy he’s becoming. With a little more training, I’m sure you’ll have the child of your dreams.”
“Oh.” Franklin looked disappointed. “Then your niece and the baby are out?”
“We so hoped to see Moses.”
“Moses?”
“Yes, wife. The Clarks have decided to name the child Moses. I think that’s a wonderful name, don’t you?”
“Of course.” She frowned a little. “Now that we know his name, we will begin to call him Moses so he will answer to the name.”
“That’s a wonderful idea, Mrs. Thorn.” Lavonia sipped her coffee and sat the cup aside.
Franklin finished his cake in a couple of bites, drained his coffee and stood. “Since Moses isn’t here, I suppose we should head for home. It’s a good ways out in the country, you know.”
Lavonia stood, too. “Tell your niece we’re looking forward to having the baby. I know Franklin plans to make a farmer out of him and I want to teach him his lessons.”
“I know you’ll teach him well,” Hezekiah said. “Follow the rules for raising children and you can’t miss being good parents.”
“I have embroidered a sampler to hang over our kitchen table to always remind him of his parents’ desire to make a godly man out of him.”
“What’s on the sampler, Lavonia?” Callie asked.
“Spare the rod and spoil the child.”
Hezekiah nodded. “If more parents lived by that rule there wouldn’t be so much rebellion in our young people. I hope you plan to start the discipline early.”
“We certainly will, sir.”
“I’m sure you’ll be wonderful parents,” Callie said, standing.
Hezekiah also stood. “I have to admit, I’ve never seen Edwina spank the boy, even when he needed it, have you, Mrs. Thorn?”
She shook her head.
“We’ll take care of that, won’t we, Franklin?”
“Absolutely.” He reached across the desk and
shook hands with Hezekiah. “We’ll see you on Sunday, Preacher.”
“That’s wonderful. I had a revelation this week and I want to share it with the congregation.”
Lavonia smiled. “That’s exciting. Your revelations are always such a blessing to people like us. Goodbye, Mrs. Thorn.”
“I’ll look forward to it, too.” Franklin nodded to the preacher’s wife and followed his wife to the front door.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Callie turned to her husband. “I’m surprised they showed up today.”
“So was I. They wanted to see the baby.”
“Oh, mercy. Did you tell them we didn’t know where Edwina and the baby are?”
“No. Do you think I’d be that stupid, wife?” He stared at her.
“Of course not, Hezekiah. I shouldn’t have said that to you.”
“You’re right, you shouldn’t have. Keep to your place, Callie. You know better than to question me.”
“Yes, my dear. I’m sorry.” She looked as if she wanted to say something else, but she didn’t.
“You should be sorry.” He turned back to his office. “Come get this mess of coffee off my desk. I need to figure out what I can do about finding Edwina and the Clark’s child.”
Callie scurried around, putting the cups and plates back on the tray. “I’m sure you’ll succeed, Mr. Thorn.”
“You’re right about that.” He sat. “I also know when I get my hands on that willful girl, she’ll never try anything like this again. She’s not too old for me to use the rod and God knows, that’s exactly what I plan to do.”
* * * *
Lavonia sat straight-backed on the wagon seat and looked ahead. She knew what Franklin was thinking and she didn’t dare interrupt him. She’d felt the back of his hand on her mouth for speaking when she shouldn’t before and she didn’t want to feel it today.
Life had been hard for Lavonia in the five years she’d been married to Franklin Clark. At first it hadn’t been so bad, though she hardly knew the man when her father made arrangements for her to marry him. When she asked her father why he wanted her to marry a man twenty-five years older than her, he’d said, “You know I’ve had a hard time since your mama up and died and left me with six children. Three of the boys are now big enough to help on the farm and Stella can watch the little one as good as you can.”
“But, Paw, I ain’t quite fifteen,” Lavonia said.
“Franklin Clark says you’re just at the right age to give him some sons to make up for the two that was killed. He knows I need money to put in some crops so he agreed to give me fifty dollars and a mule for you.”
“But you need me here.”
“Like I said, Stella can take your place working in the house. She’s almost fourteen, so it’s time she took on a woman’s work. Now let’s not hear any more about it. Mr. Clark will be here in the morning to pick you up.”
Franklin Clark did pick her up. He took her by the self-proclaimed preacher, Hezekiah D. Thorn, and he married them with spilled coffee on his shirt. They reached the Clark farm in time for Lavonia to start cooking dinner and Franklin went out to work the fields. She didn’t care at the time, because she was dreading what he was going to do to her that night.
And she’d had a reason to worry about it. There wasn’t a gentle bone in Franklin Clark’s body. That first terrible night in the marriage bed was only the beginning of many horrible nights to come. Franklin was determined to get her pregnant, but no matter how he treated her, no baby formed. At first, she was glad, but she soon learned that if she could have a child, he’d not demand his right to her as often.
Then the Reverend had a revelation and told them God had used his niece to bear them a child. “Lavonia is just like the Biblical Sarah,” he explained. “Sarah was barren and couldn’t give Abraham a child so her handmaid, Hagar, provided a child for them. Edwina is your Hagar. God worked the whole thing out. Edwina’s husband was a black-hearted sinner. He deserted her and now she is with child. The child God wants you to have.”
But the Reverend said God told him they could take possession of the child when it was eighteen months old. She didn’t know why he did this unless it was because Franklin was complaining that Lavonia wouldn’t be able to work the fields with a baby in the house. She didn’t understand this, because all he talked about was making her pregnant—yet she didn’t argue. It would’ve done no good anyway. She learned early in the marriage not to argue with Franklin. Once he twisted her arm until she thought it would fall off and the next time he dragged her to the barn and whipped her with the buggy whip. She didn’t argue with him after that.
She was looking forward to having the baby in the house to love, though she figured the child would have a hard life. Franklin would never be a loving father. Maybe she could make up for it by loving the child with all her heart.
Chapter 8
On Tuesday afternoon, Dena stood at their regular meeting place and looked up at Cora Sue as she fumbled with the slip of paper. “This was in her reticule. It was the only thing I could find.”
“What do you mean, this was all you could find?” Cora Sue snapped at Dena. She continued to turn the paper from side to side.
“I didn’t have a lot of time to search, Cora Sue. They came into the house and I had to get out of her room.”
“Well, you’ll have to go back. I don’t see how this piece of paper will help me. I have to have something to get that woman out of Wyatt’s house. Daddy will never rest until I marry him. He’s getting anxious for me be Mrs. Singleton.”
Dena swallowed. She didn’t know how to tell Cora Sue there was nothing else to find. The woman brought very little with her and there was nowhere else to search. “I’ll try,” she muttered.
“She has to get out of the house sometime. I’m sure she’ll go to town or something.” Cora Sue frowned. “Where were they when you managed to find this?”
“They were on the porch watching Mr. Singleton ride his son around on his horse.”
“What?”
“He took the little boy up in his arms, climbed on his horse and rode the baby around the grounds.”
“Why would he want to do that?” Cora Sue didn’t sound happy.
“He likes the little boy.”
“I don’t see why. He’s too manly to make over a child. He’s more the woman-loving type. Daddy tells me, he won’t think twice about the little boy once he and I are married.”
Dena nodded. “I don’t think Mrs. Singleton liked him having little Adam on the horse. She seemed nervous about it.”
“Don’t call her Mrs. Singleton. I guess I’m going to be Mrs. Singleton and I don’t want to be reminded there was another woman before me. I don’t like being second to anybody.”
“I’m sorry.”
Cora Sue pursed her lips. “You should be.”
“I’ll try to remember not to do it again.”
She flung back her hair. “See that you do. By the way, is he sleeping with her? I know my job will be harder if he is. When a woman gets a man in bed, she has a good hold on him.”
“I’m not sure if they’re sleeping together or not.”
“How can you not be sure?”
“I saw her help him to his room when he came in drunk the other night. She was in there a long time.”
“Humph! If he was drunk, he probably didn’t know who she was.” She shuddered and eyed Dena. “If he’s a drunk, I’m going to have to tell Daddy I can’t marry him. I don’t like drunks. They’re not gentlemen around a lady.” She shuttered again. “Does he get drunk often?”
“It was the first time I ever saw him drunk.”
“Good. Rich as he is, I don’t want to be married to somebody who gets drunk often.” She paused then asked, “Has she been back to his room?”
“Not that I know of, but he went into her room the other night.”
“For a long time?”
“For an hour or a little more.”
Cora Sue fr
owned again. “We’ve got to work fast. I can’t let her get her claws into him. I want you to get back in that room as fast as you can.”
“I’ll try.”
“No! You’ll do it. Do you understand me?” She tossed the paper at Dena. “Put this back in case it has some meaning to her.”
Dena picked up the scrap and looked at it. For a minute she didn’t say anything, then she said slowly, “There’s something here about a bank in Virginia. Maybe that’s where she came from.”
“So what? Everybody knows Wyatt went to school in Virginia.”
“I thought maybe you could check out this bank and see if they know the woman,” Dena said shyly.
Cora Sue’s eyes widened. “Give me that back. I’ll check it out, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to search further.”
Dena said aloud, “I understand.” Under her breath she muttered, “She could’ve at least thanked me for thinking of checking with the bank.”
Without another word, Cora Sue turned her carriage and headed back to her ranch.
Dena had mixed emotions. She knew Cora Sue wanted to please her daddy, but she wasn’t sure the woman wanted to marry Wyatt Singleton, then she decided it didn’t matter to her. The only thing she wanted to do was make sure her family was taken care of.
* * * *
Wyatt went to his study to work on the accounts and to try to deal with his feelings. At supper, his father had been almost like the man he knew as he grew up. He had to admit Edwina and Adam had given the old man a new lease on life.
Hell. She and Adam have made a difference in my life, too. That boy’s a wonder and he knows me the minute I walk into a room. There’s no doubting he loves me and I might as well admit I love him, too. Never thought I was the daddy type, but he’s changed my mind.
Wyatt fumbled in the desk for the books he needed to go over and his gaze fell on the false marriage certificate. He picked it up and stared at it.
It wasn’t long until the bright blue eyes of the young girl he was duping came into his thoughts. He knew she didn’t want to get married any more than he did, but she’d done it. Not like him with deceit, but she’d done it in good faith, intending to be his wife from that time on. He’d had that wonderful night with her, then he’d walked out without a backward glance and left her, not only alone, but with a child growing inside her. A child she’d loved and cherished and raised not to hate him, but to love him.
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