by Barbara Goss
Brock stared at her for several moments trying to think of something to say, praying for God to give him wisdom, but nothing came to him. He nodded.
It was a silent ride home. He thought about telling her about his wealth, but now wasn’t a good time at all. He didn’t want her turning to God just to marry a rich man. She had to want it for herself. He’d continue praying for wisdom. If none came, then he’d know that this is what God wanted. This relationship had turned into a fiasco.
“You’re home early,” Edna said. “Would you care for some mint tea before bed?”
“Yes, I would, thank you,” Sarah said wearily.
As Edna poured the tea, she asked, “Did you speak with Brock about your not being a churchgoer?”
Sarah nodded and two tears rolled down her cheek.
Edna reached over and patted her shoulder. “I’m sorry, dear, but there’s nothing that can’t be fixed.”
“No, this can never be fixed. It’s over, Edna, there’ll be no marriage.”
“Tell me about your feelings. Why don’t you recognize God, dear?” Edna gently asked, as she stirred her tea.
Sarah told Edna the same story she’d just told Brock.
“That’s the way a lot of churchgoers become, I’m afraid. You see, they absorb all the Biblical lessons, but forget that God is the judge, not us. They think because they go to church every Sunday, obey the commandments, and pray several times a day that they are better than someone who doesn’t, and often even look down on them.
“I wish I could tell you that there are only churchgoers like that in Ohio, but it isn’t true. There are churchgoers like that all over, Sarah. The only way I know to explain it to you is that there are churchgoers and then there are Christians, but they’re not necessarily the same, by any means.” Edna sighed. “The definition of the word Christian is: follower of Christ. If you’re truly a follower of Him, than you’d not treat others that way.”
“Even you gave me a tsk tsks when I told you I didn’t believe. Are you a Christian or a churchgoer?”
“I’m a Christian, Sarah. Those tsk tsks weren’t because you didn’t acknowledge God; they were because you didn’t think it was important enough to tell Brock about it. Brock is a pillar of the church and community. If he married a person who isn’t a Christian, it would ruin the reputation he’s rightfully earned. There is no one in Hunter’s Grove that does more for the community than Brock and his father. It’s also a directive of God’s not to become unequally yoked.”
“What does Brock do that makes him a pillar of the community? He’s just a bank teller.”
“He’d have to tell you himself, because he is also a modest man.”
“I love him, but he doesn’t love me—enough, anyway. Just tonight he said he loved me, but he loved God more.”
Edna sighed. “I could talk to you all night and give you arguments, but I don’t think you’re open to hear any of it.”
She patted Sarah’s hand. “Why don’t you get a good night’s sleep, and maybe you’ll find some answers tomorrow.”
As soon as Sarah’s bedroom door closed, Edna went to the desk and pulled out a sheet of paper. She scribbled a note, folded it, and slipped out the front door. Then, she walked the few steps to the apothecary next door. It was closed, but she walked to the side door and knocked. The proprietor, Ted Wilcox, lived upstairs and he often ran messages for her, or he’d send one of his servants to deliver one for her. She didn’t venture too far from home anymore as she’d just celebrated her eighty-second birthday.
“Edna!” Ted greeted, “Come in.”
“I can’t stay Ted, can you have this delivered to Brock at the bank tomorrow?”
“Of course. Anytime, Edna,” he said. “Oh, by the way the missus and I loved the coffee cake you sent over last week. Thank you.”
Edna waved away his thanks. “You do so much for me, Ted. Goodnight.”
She scurried back to her own home with a satisfied smile.
The first thing she’d do in the morning was send a message to Peter Mullins requesting him to ask Elaina to invite Sarah to shop with her at around four-thirty that day.
Brock moved around the bank like his head wasn’t attached to his body. He hadn’t slept much the night before. Try as he might he couldn’t think of what he could possibly do to solve his problem. He’d spent half of the night in prayer, but his biggest fear was that perhaps God wanted him to stay single for some reason, and he really wanted to marry Sarah. Yet there was no way he could marry a non-Christian, therefore, he had to find a way to convert her. But, how? He’d learned from experience that preaching to someone often resulted in them becoming even more stubbornly fixed to their opinion.
Joe, the delivery boy for the apothecary, had to call his name twice before he jerked free from his daydreaming to see him standing in front of his desk.
“Message for you,” he said, handing the folded paper to Brock.
“Thank you.” Brock took a dollar coin from his pocket and handed it to Joe.
Joe smiled widely and thanked him.
Brock opened the note and read it. He folded it and placed it into his pocket.
After the bank had closed for the day, Brock picked up his fake briefcase, just as he had once before, and headed to Edna Smith’s house. The last time he’d done this he’d known exactly what she wanted him to do, but this time, he was lost. He’d have to play it by ear.
Edna greeted him warmly and invited him in.
“The briefcase may not be necessary, but I thought just in case Sarah should come home early we would busy ourselves pretending to work on my finances,” Edna said.
“I’m not sure why you’re doing this Edna. I don’t want to marry Sarah. You know I can’t marry her, no matter how much I care for her.”
“Sit down. I’ll pour the tea.” Edna said.
“Sarah confided in me about her experience with the church and so-called churchgoers in Ohio. I don’t blame her for being sour on churches, Brock. All she sees is judgmental people and do-gooders who don’t live what Jesus commanded. She also thinks God ignored her and her life’s misery, so she’s doing the same to Him.”
“I know. She told me about it. I’m sure there’s a reason God didn’t help her during her family crisis.”
“Telling her you can’t marry her because she isn’t a Christian is just one more strike against churchgoers and Christians, Brock. It’s pushing her further away, yet,” Edna said. “After all, she isn’t an atheist, she does believe in God, but is just angry with Him.”
Brock sipped his tea, placed the cup onto the saucer and studied Edna. “Are you saying I should marry her anyway?”
“I’m not telling you to marry her, I’m telling you to set a good example of what a true Christian is and how one should act. Is being an elder in the church so important to you that you would pass up true love?”
“It has nothing to do with my being an elder. It has to do with becoming unequally yoked, Edna.”
“Then make sure you make that clear. You need to show her how a Christian loves everyone not just other Christians, of course that doesn’t mean to marry them, but just maybe if she saw a different side of Christians, she’d want to be one,” Edna said.
Brock took another long drink of tea. “No one brews tea like you do, Edna—however this is not a case of matchmaking is it? I’ve heard you’ve a bit of a reputation for manipulating couples.” He winked.
“No, Brock. I wouldn’t want you to become unequally yoked either, but at the same time, I feel badly for Sarah. Just maybe there’s a chance for her.”
Brock nodded. “I think I know what you’re getting at, but I’m not sure I know how to do this. I’m good at ministering to other Christians who find themselves losing faith or in some other dilemma, but I have no clue how to turn someone badly hurt by God into a Christian.”
“Keep praying, Brock, and I will, too. The poor girl has had a terrible upbringing. Would you or I be churchgoing believers
if we’d grown up with a horrible family life and experiences? Where would you or I be today had your mother been an alcoholic and your mother’s boyfriend chasing you around the house trying to seduce you?”
“I see exactly what you mean, Edna. God is the only judge and jury. Our job as Christians is to love one another and set a good example. As Christians, followers of Christ, we need to be mindful of our actions and lead by example.”
Elaina and Sarah sat in Rusty’s before a hot cup of tea and a slice of apple pie. Sarah decided to splurge and have a dessert since it didn’t matter anymore if her wedding dress fit or not, since there would be no wedding.
“So, Sarah, why were you telling me in the store not to buy that new dress for your wedding? I just have to wear something new for your big day.”
“There isn’t going to be a wedding, that’s why.”
“What?”
“Brock can’t marry me because I’m not a church person. I know that God exists, but I don’t think he knows I do. I just feel this way because I’ve never felt Him do a thing for me. And the church—why, once my mother’s boyfriend moved in, the people snubbed me outright.”
“But Sarah, you always went to church with your family.”
“I did, but I never felt God was doing a thing for me or my family. My home life was a mess. Why would He allow that if He loved me as the Bible says He does?”
Elaina patted Sarah’s hand. “So, you do believe in Him, you just think He ignored you and your hard life. Oh, Sarah, we don’t know all the answers. I certainly don’t.
“So, Brock just broke it off when you told him?” Elaina asked.
“He said he couldn’t marry me because he’s a church elder and because it’s against his Bible to become unequally…something or other.”
“Yoked,” Elaina said. “I’m so sorry.”
“Not as sorry as I am. My whole life has been a disaster, and because I can’t believe in a God who hasn’t done a thing for me, I lose the man I love. It’s pretty much the story of my life, Elaina.”
Chapter 6
Sarah was surprised to see Brock sitting at the dining room table with Edna, when she entered the house. He was taking papers from his briefcase and putting them in front of Edna.
“Why hello, Sarah,” he greeted.
“Sarah,” Edna said, “I’m going over my finances with Brock. Could you check the roast I have in the oven?”
“Nice to see you, Brock,” she said. “Of course, Edna. Is there anything else I can do to help?”
“Yes, you can start the gravy, if you’d like. We won’t be long, we’re almost finished.”
After nudges from Edna, Brock walked into the kitchen.
“Sarah, could I speak to you for a moment?”
She stopped what she was doing and turned to him. “Yes, of course.”
“Even though things didn’t work out for us, I was wondering if we could still be friends,” he said.
“I have a feeling that won’t work, Brock.”
“Why not?” he asked.
“Because we love each other. There’s no way I can treat you like a friend when all I want is be held by you and kissed senseless whenever I see you,” she said with her lower lip trembling.
Her big blue eyes were filled with unshed tears. He melted. “Oh, Sarah!” he cried. “I love you so much. I miss you!”
“I miss you too, but evidently you love your church more than you love me.” She swiped at the tears running down her face with the back of her hand.
“That’s not fair!” he said. “My church and faith are my whole life.”
“Friendship is out of the question,” Sarah’s voice broke with emotion. “Just being this close to you hurts so much.”
Brock threw his hands in the air. “What would you have me do? Do you want me to stop believing in God? Do you want me to quit my church?”
“I don’t want anything from you, at all, that you aren’t willing to give, Brock.”
Brock just stared at her. He could see the longing in her eyes, and hear the desperation in her voice. Also, he wanted nothing more than to throw his arms around her and never let her go. Yet she’d asked for something he could never give her.
“What if we compromise? That’s how people solve problems,” he said. “I’ll give up being an elder, if you’ll come to church with me every week. You don’t have to become a Christian, you just need to accompany me for the sake of appearances.”
“But if I come to church with you, why do you have to give up being an elder?”
“Because it’s a responsibility that I take seriously. What we’ll be doing is not wholly honest, and I’d feel like a hypocrite. I can live with your promise to accompany me to church, and you don’t even have to absorb a thing, just be by my side. ”
She gave him a tearful smile and nodded.
Brock held out his arms and she flew into them.
Brock squeezed Sarah so hard he thought he might break her ribs, so he loosened his hold on her a bit. He looked down at her as she looked up at him and before he knew it, they were kissing.
Afraid she’d feel his desire, he gently moved her away and then picked her up and swung her around.
“Saturday?”
“Yes,” she answered emphatically. She flew back into his arms and he held her close. Since we’re betrothed, I don’t supposed holding you this close is wrong, do you?”
“No. You can never hold me too close, Brock.” She smiled up at him.
“But, let’s not tempt ourselves,” he said pulling from her tight grasp. “I want our wedding night to be special, beautiful, and memorable.”
“I have to let Elaina and Pete know,” she said.
They heard knocking on the kitchen door. When it opened Edna peeked in. “Can I come in and finish our dinner. You’re welcome to stay and eat with us, Brock.”
“I think I will, but I need a few minutes in the sitting room with Sarah, if that’s all right.”
“You go right ahead,” Edna said.
Once Sarah and Brock were seated side by side on the sofa, he took her hand in his. “I’m not a bank teller.”
“You quit your job, too?” she asked with wide eyes.
“I never was a bank teller, my father owns the bank and I’m vice president. Someday it will be mine. I bought the house I showed you from Pete Mullins because Elaina didn’t like it. At a meeting with the town council we decided the town needed a school. I bought the land for the school, and the house came with it. I actually have a large mansion for us to live in.”
Sarah opened her mouth, but Brock put his finger on her lips.
“Wait. Let me finish,” he said. “I didn’t want someone to pretend to love me for my money, so I sort of bent the truth a bit. I didn’t want to tell you until I was sure you loved me for myself and not my bank account.”
He took his finger off her lips.
“I don’t care a hoot about your money. I love the house you showed me, and I plan on living there. I really don’t think I’d like a mansion with servants. You do have servants, I assume?”
“Twenty of them.”
“Oh, no!” She put her head in her hands. “Just when I thought our problems were over with.”
“Will you just come and look at my house before rejecting it?” he asked.
“I’ll tell you what, we’ll spend our honeymoon there… a whole week and if I don’t like it, can we move into the old house and fix it up?”
“Are we compromising again?” he asked.
“Yes, I think we are.”
“You’re worth everything I’m willing to give up, Sarah. I love you more than I can say, so giving up some of the things that are important to me should prove to you how much I want you to marry me.”
Chapter 7
All sorts of thoughts ran through Brock’s head as he recited his marriage vows. Would he be successful in his goal to reach Sarah by setting a good example, and showing her that not all churchgoers or Christians are hyp
ocrites? And that God does care for her? He almost felt guilty standing in front of the Lord’s altar and marrying a non-Christian, but he silently prayed, and assured God he’d do everything in his power to turn Sarah’s heart around. At least she admitted she believed in God.
He knew he’d erred in the first place by not finding out her religious beliefs in the letters they’d exchanged. If God was so important in his life, how could he have missed doing that? He supposed it might be due to the fact that Elaina was Sarah’s best friend, and so he’d assumed—that dreadful word was always trouble—she was a Christian as well.
If Brock could give advice to any man thinking of sending for a mail order bride, it would be to find out if she were a Christian. He was gambling, with so much at stake that it made him worry. What if he wasn’t successful? What if after they married she changed her mind about their compromise? Then he glanced down at her as she repeated her vows. Her eyes were full of unshed tears that threatened to spill down any moment. She emphasized each and every word that proved to him that she sincerely meant them. His heart pounded with joy.
Reverend Flannery said, “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Brock didn’t hesitate to kiss her for the first time as husband and wife. She was now his to kiss whenever he felt like it. He would wake up to her each morning and fall asleep with her at his side every night.
After a light repast with their friends, they set out for Brock’s mansion. He drove the team slowly with his left hand, because his right hand was around his bride.
The first word that came to Sarah’s mind when his house came into view was, ostentatious. It was a three-story home with two turrets, three gables, and a front porch that wrapped around from the front door to the side door. Built with red bricks and intricate latticework, the house was huge. She’d surely get lost in it but it lacked the character of the old farmhouse.
