The Virtuous Woman

by Gilbert, Morris

  “That’s it.”

  “I think that’s sweet.” She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll come back and give you another ride tomorrow, but I still think you’re a freak.”

  “I guess so.”

  Key watched as she left the room, then went to the window. As she got on the motorcycle and roared off, he touched the spot where she had kissed him. “I guess I am a freak,” he muttered ruefully.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  The Last Straw

  Kevin burrowed down into the easy chair with his feet propped up on a hassock and intently studied the book before him. Two walls of his bedroom were covered in floor-to-ceiling bookshelves with books of all sizes and colors and shapes. This was only a small part of his collection—those he used regularly. The rest he kept in the family library downstairs. Lifting his eyes, he glanced around the room and looked at the family portrait his father had painted before Kevin’s accident. His father had posed them all outside under a spreading oak tree near the fish pond. The picture captured the spirit of the youthful family well. Kevin rested his eyes on his own image, and he thought how well his father had caught his personality at that period of his life. He had keen, sharp memories of how he had thrown himself into life with a joyous expectancy. He studied the smooth face, unscarred, the eager eyes and the ready smile. Tears came to his eyes and he quickly looked away as he thought of what he had lost. He did not need a reminder of that.

  Feeling frustrated, he got up, tossed the book on a table already laden with magazines, papers, and notebooks, and went to look out the window. The sun had just risen and was throwing its fiery beams over the landscape. His eyes ran around the hedges, the flower beds, the pond, and the carefully nurtured young trees, and for a moment he felt some satisfaction with his work. Then without warning, a thought challenged him: I’ve done all I can do to this place.

  The thought was disturbing. Ever since he had recovered from the accident, he had taken refuge from the world here on the estate—working on engines or reading or developing the landscaping. He knew every foot of this place—no, not every foot. He knew every inch. He had planted and dug until he wasn’t sure what more he could do to add to it. Sadly, he realized he had come to the end of his usefulness here. He had become a lonely young man, and except for his family, he was close to no one. Now the sight of the fully developed landscaping left him feeling empty. “I guess I’m like Alexander the Great, with no new worlds to conquer,” he muttered.

  Restlessly he turned from the window and moved along the bookcase, slowly perusing his books. He had a fondness for literature and had collected an excellent collection of poetry, plays, and novels. But he also had an entire bookshelf full of technical works—mostly on the history and development of machinery. Another bookshelf was filled with the history of aviation, and on one of the walls not covered with books there was an enlarged photo of the first flight at Kitty Hawk of the Wright brothers’ biplane, Wilbur running alongside and Orville at the controls.

  Looking over to the section of his library devoted to aviation, he ran his eyes along the titles. He had read them all so many times, he had no urge to read any of them again. He moved back to his chair and picked up the Bible that lay on the table. He was a faithful reader of the Scriptures and was now challenging himself to read it all the way through from Genesis to Revelation. He had done this three times already, and the words of the Authorized Version had become very much a part of him. He opened the book to the fourth chapter of Esther. He had never particularly cared for this book—not as he did for the Psalms or the Gospels or some of the others—but he read it dutifully. He had mentioned once to his father that he didn’t see much purpose in the story. His father had said, God has a purpose for everything, son. That book might not speak to you right now, but it has spoken to God’s people throughout history. Someday it might speak to you.

  He had already read how the Jews were about to be massacred due to the hatred of Haman, and how Mordecai, the wise old Jew, had prayed to God to deliver them. He remembered that Mordecai had told her she must go to the king and beg for the lives of her people, and Esther had reminded him that if she were to do that without being summoned by the king, according to the law, she might be executed. Then came the words of the old Jew to the young queen in the fourth chapter. “Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

  He had never paid more than passing attention to these words, but now they caught at him, and he could not understand why. He knew the rest of the story. He knew Queen Esther did go to the king and he listened to her and consequently the Jews were saved from death. But Kevin could not understand why this particular line was so strong in his mind right now. He bowed his head and closed his eyes. “Lord, I don’t understand why this Scripture suddenly seems so important to me. But I ask that you enlighten me and give me wisdom, in the name of Jesus.”

  For a long time Kevin sat there waiting patiently. He had learned that God does not rush into a man’s life or his thoughts, but that meditating on the words of Scripture allows them to become significant and meaningful. Finally he closed the Bible, but he knew he would keep thinking of that simple sentence until it made sense to him.

  He had just laid the Bible down when a knock came at his door. He got up to answer it, wondering who would want him this early in the morning. He was usually the first one up. When he opened the door and saw Paige, he said, “What are you doing up this early?”

  “I’ve got to talk to you, Kev.”

  “Sure. Come on in.” He stepped back, and when she entered, he closed the door. “Something wrong?”

  She was wearing a light blue robe and fluffy slippers. Her hair was disturbed, and Kevin understood that for her to come to him in this disarray meant something was bothering her. “Is somebody sick?” he asked quickly.

  “No, not that. I came to talk to you about Grace.”

  “Why, sure. Come on and sit down.”

  “No, I’m too nervous.” Paige began to pace back and forth, a troubled air about her. “I’ve got to talk to someone. Dad won’t listen to me, and Mom won’t either.”

  Kevin understood her problem. He had already given it a lot of thought. “I know you’re worried about Grace, but I think it’s all going to work out.”

  “Going to work out! How can you say that?” Paige flung her hand in a wild gesture, her eyes pleading with him. “She’s ruining the family, Kev. Can’t you see that? You know what a spectacle she made of herself at the party. John’s parents were horrified, and I don’t blame them.”

  “She’s had a hard life, but she’ll come out of it. She just hasn’t had a good upbringing for her to learn proper behavior. All she needs is love and lots of prayer.”

  “That’s easy enough for you to say, Kev. You don’t have to face the world. You’ve made yourself a little kingdom here, and you’re satisfied with it.”

  Kevin did not answer, but her words stung. He suddenly remembered the Scripture he had been reading: “Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” The kingdom that he had made did not seem to be much. He had long felt that life was passing him by and he was helpless to do anything about it. He shook off thoughts of his own problems and tried to concentrate on Paige. “Have you talked to John about her?”

  “Yes, I have, and he tells me that his parents have spoken to him very strongly.”

  “I can understand if they’re shocked. They’re the ones that live in a secluded world, Paige. Oh, I know I do too, but all they know is the world of the rich. They can’t begin to understand what it’s like to struggle with poverty and the way that Grace has had to live.”

  “She doesn’t have the same values we do, Kev. Can’t you see that? She was brought up in a different world. People can’t just step out of one world and into another one. I’ll admit, if I tried to go to her world, I’d be a failure. Well, she’s a failure trying to come into ours. We just don’t believe in the same thin
gs. You know that. For starters, I’m sure she’s not even a Christian. On top of that she smokes and drinks and runs around with men, and her mouth—well, you’ve heard her curse. She’s simply not a virtuous woman.”

  “Maybe she isn’t now, but she can be.”

  “When? She might never change, and if she doesn’t, what are we going to do with her?”

  “We’re just going to have to be patient. I know she’s rough on the outside, but inside there’s something sweet.”

  Paige laughed without humor. “Sweet! She certainly looked sweet when she came dragging that awful man in, both of them drunk, and when she wrecked our party with that private detective who tagged along after her.”

  “He was just trying to look out for her,” Kevin said quickly.

  “You’ve got to wake up, Kev. It’s just not going to work—and by the way, you shouldn’t have given her that motorcycle.”

  “I thought I ought to do it. I’d never given her anything. None of us has. She hasn’t had much, Paige.”

  “I can see it’s no use talking to you. But Brian and I have talked about it, and he, at least, realizes that the situation is impossible.”

  “Give her a chance,” Kevin pleaded. “You can do more for her than anyone else, Paige. You’re almost the same age, and you know so many things. You could take her in hand and—”

  “You think I haven’t tried?” Paige said with exasperation. “I’ve tried my hardest, but nothing I say seems to soak in. It’s just impossible!” She turned and walked toward the door and paused there after opening it. “Wake up, Kev. I know you’ve got a tender heart, but some things are just impossible. And you’ve got to understand that she’s one of them.” She abruptly left the room.

  Kevin could not speak, and when she closed the door, he stood looking at it for a long time. Then he went back and stood at the window. His thoughts came slowly, but he knew that Paige was not entirely correct. “It’s not impossible. She’s rough now, but she can change. It’s going to take a lot of love for her to change, but God can do anything.” And then at that instant, a still small voice seemed to speak the words that Kevin had been studying: “Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

  The verse penetrated Kevin Winslow like a sword. He stood still and waited. Silence filled the room, and he heard only the ticking of the clock on the shelf behind him. “Do you mean, Lord, that I’m here to help my sister? Is that what I’m here for?” He got no audible answer, but he knew he had touched upon the truth. He bowed his head and prayed again. “I’ll do anything you say, Lord. All I ask is that you guide me.”

  ****

  Kevin made a minor adjustment to the motorcycle engine and nodded at Grace, who was seated astride it. She raced the engine and grinned with delight. Reaching out, she grabbed his hair and tugged it. “You’re the best mechanic in the whole world, Kev!”

  “Cut the engine. I want to do a few more things.”

  Grace turned it off and dismounted, then watched as Kevin tinkered with the engine. She was standing on his right side and could see the unscarred part of his face and thought again how handsome he was—far better looking than Brian. She had become very fond of Kevin and was grieved over the secluded life that he led. She knew he was a devoted Christian, but somehow the differences in their beliefs did not stand between them. He did not preach at her, but many times his conversation would contain references to the Bible. She watched as his long fingers moved agilely over the engine and thought, If every Christian were like Kev, I guess maybe I could believe in Jesus.

  Kevin stood up and pulled an oily rag from his pocket. He wiped his hands and said, “This is a fine machine.”

  “Why didn’t you ever get a motorcycle?”

  “Just never thought of it.”

  “As much as you like machinery, you oughta get yourself somethin’ really fancy. Have you ever thought about racing cars? The way you can tune up an engine, you could run off and leave the best racers in the dust.”

  Kevin laughed. “I’d like to try that maybe.”

  After talking about engines for a time, Grace suddenly frowned. “It’s almost time for me to start getting ready. I guess you heard I’m goin’ to the opera with Paige and John tonight.”

  “That’ll be great. Your new hairdo looks real pretty.”

  “That’s nice of you to say.” Grace had decided to be a good sport and go shopping with Paige to pick out a dress she thought would be appropriate for the opera. That actually went better than either of them had expected, so they also went to the hairdresser and got her hair styled in a new way. To top it off, Paige bought her some new makeup and, when they got home, showed her how to apply it in an understated yet elegant way. It had been a surprisingly good morning.

  “What are you going to see?” Kevin asked.

  “I dunno. We’re going out to a fancy restaurant first. Have you ever seen an opera?”

  “Once or twice.”

  “Did you like it?”

  “It’s pretty interesting. I don’t know enough about it to really understand it, though.” He grinned. “You have to believe that there’s a world where everybody sings instead of talks. Imagine singing out, ‘Please pass the toast!’ in great big full tones instead of just saying it.”

  Grace delighted in Kevin’s sense of humor. “Why don’t you go with us, Kev? I don’t wanna go by myself.”

  “You won’t be by yourself. Paige and John will be there.”

  “And his parents. They can’t stand me, but it’s mutual. I can’t stand them either.”

  “They’re a bit hard to take.”

  “Hard to take! They’re the biggest snobs in the world, and John never had a thought of his own in his life that they didn’t put there. I don’t see what Paige sees in him.”

  “He’s a nice fellow.”

  “He’s got all the personality of a cauliflower!”

  “Oh, come on, give him a break.” Kevin saw that she really dreaded the evening. “Look,” he said, “you don’t want to be like I am, stuck off in nowhere land. You need to get out in the world. You’re young and beautiful. You’re going to find a young man, and he’s going to fall in love with you.”

  “I’ve met too many guys already,” Grace said bitterly. “I wish I hadn’t.”

  “You can’t change the past, but you can do something about today. Start out by going to that opera and get to know John and his family. After all, they’ll be part of our family in a way after Paige marries him.”

  “I can’t see that. Mom and Dad are great, but the Asquiths are stuffy. Dad thinks the same thing, but he don’t talk about it much.”

  Despite Grace’s uncertainty about the evening, Kevin urged her to go to the opera and enjoy it.

  Grace ran her finger along the handlebars of the motorcycle. “Do you remember our discussion soon after I arrived about what I really wanted? You never have told me what you really want. You got me a motorcycle. Now it’s my turn. What is it you really want?”

  Kevin looked at her and appeared embarrassed. “I guess we all want things we can’t have. Anyway, you go on to the opera. When you get home, I’ll still be awake. You can come tell me all about it.”

  ****

  “Say, you look very nice, Grace!” Paige stared at her sister in astonishment. The black velvet dress Grace wore had a low neckline, long sleeves, a tight-fitting bodice, and a long full skirt. To finish off the look, she was wearing black lace gloves and black velvet shoes and carried a burgundy-colored silk wrap and purse. Grace spun around to display the dress and invited her sister into her room.

  “Do you really like it, Paige?” Grace asked. Grace really liked the dress and was pleased with the way it looked with her new hairstyle and makeup.

  “I love it,” Paige said. “And it was fun picking it out with you. We’re going to have a good time tonight.”

  “You do know that I don’t know nothin’ about opera....”

  “John knows all about
opera. It’s in Italian, but he’ll explain it to you as it goes along. Come along now. He and his parents will be here any minute.”

  The two young women left the room, and twenty minutes later they were in the Asquiths’ limousine. John and Paige sat in the front with the chauffeur, which meant that Grace had to sit in the back with the Asquiths. They were pleasant enough, but Grace felt totally ill at ease with them. As they pulled out of the driveway, Helen said, “Your dress is beautiful, Grace.”

  “Paige picked it out. D’ya really like it?”

  “Oh yes. She has exquisite taste in clothing.”

  “I ain’t never had nice things like this before, and I guess I might as well tell you, I ain’t never been to an opera.”

  “It’ll be quite an experience for you, Grace,” Roger said benevolently. He turned to look at the young woman and could not help thinking of the last time he had seen her, which was when she had shown up at the party intoxicated. “I don’t know much about your background, Grace. Would you tell me a little about it?”

  Instantly Grace became defensive. She did not know how much the Asquiths knew about her former rough life, but she suspected that Paige had said as little as possible.

  “I grew up mostly in New York with the woman I thought was my mom. She worked a lot, so I pretty much had to take care of myself.”

  “Your schooling?” Asquith demanded.

  “I dropped out of school to go to work when I was fifteen.”

  “Well, that’s unfortunate, but it’s not too late to catch up. There are all sorts of things you can do. Isn’t that right, Paige?”

  “Oh yes,” Paige said, turning around and smiling brilliantly. “I’m going to see to it that Grace has every advantage now. And John knows so much! I think between us we can get her ready for college in as little as a year.”

  “That would be wonderful!” Helen said. “Would you like that, Grace?”

  “I dunno. I’ve never even thought about college. It was all I could do when I was on my own to just make ends meet.”

  All the way to the restaurant, the Asquiths pried into Grace’s life, and she tried to explain carefully. She knew that Paige was on pins and needles waiting for her to expose some awful thing, and she was determined not to.