“So you know where she is?” he asked.
Helen’s cheeks turned pink as she gave a slow nod. “I got a letter from her a while back.”
“And you didn’t tell me?” David’s voice was edged with the irritation he felt.
“Elizabeth asked me not to tell anyone, and since I’d already broken my promise and told you about the journal, I felt I had to respect her wishes and not tell you where she’s been staying.”
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Things are different now that we know the truth. I feel it’s important that I be the one to tell Elizabeth what her aunt had to say.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Helen said with a nod. “She’s been staying at her grandparents’ house in Coopersburg.”
David snapped his fingers. “Of course! Don’t know why I didn’t think to look for her there.”
“Do you have the address?” Helen asked.
“Yes. I went there with Elizabeth several months ago to tell her grandparents that we were engaged.”
“When will you leave?”
“As soon as I can secure a train ticket and line out some jobs for Gus to do while I’m gone.” David pushed back his chair and stood. “I’m headed over to the shop right now.”
Helen smiled. “May God be with you and grant you a safe trip.”
Elizabeth had been staying in her cousin’s cabin for two days, and despite her desire to be alone, she was lonely and more depressed than ever. Besides missing the sights and sounds of Christmas, being in her cousin’s cabin made her think about David and the little cabin they would have shared if they’d been able to get married. Maybe she’d made a mistake leaving Grandpa and Grandma’s. She missed Grandpa’s cheerful smile and Grandma’s tasty cooking. She missed thetimes she’d spent with them around the fire each evening. At least in her grandparents’ house she’d been surrounded by their happiness, making the days a bit more pleasant.
As hard as Elizabeth tried to fight it, the loneliness became heavier, surrounding her like a burdensome piece of clothing. She shivered and tossed another log onto the fire. If Grandpa were here, he’d be tending the fire, and Grandma would probably be baking.
With a sigh she took a seat in the rocking chair and pulled a lightweight quilt across her lap. It was cold outside. She could hear the wind whipping through the trees.
Snow could be coming soon, Elizabeth thought. I wonder if I should go outside and bring in a few more logs for the fire. Looking up, she noticed a ladybug creeping along the wall as though desperately searching for a warm gap to crawl into until spring. She remembered reading that in some countries they believed a ladybug was a sign of good luck, and although she didn’t believe in folklore, this one time she wished it were true.
As she stared into the fire, she thought about Aunt Lovina’s journal and how on the day her grandparents had gone Christmas shopping she’d tossed it into the fire. As she’d watched the flames consume the journal, it had done nothing to alleviate her pain.
Elizabeth leaned her head back and closed her eyes, feeling drowsy from the heat of the fire. I’ll just sit here and rest awhile before I go out for more logs.
Sometime later, Elizabeth was roused from her sleep by the whinny of a horse. She leaped to her feet and raced to the window, surprised to see her cousin, Marvin, helping his wife, Isabelle, down from their carriage. As they walked toward the cabin, Elizabeth opened the door.
“Elizabeth, what are you doing here?” Marvin said, a quizzical expression on his face.
Elizabeth quickly explained, adding that their grandparents had said she would be alone until Marvin and Isabelle returned for Christmas.
“My mother is doing better, and so we decided to come back earlier than planned,” Isabelle explained. She smiled up at her handsome, dark-haired husband. “We’re looking forward to spending our first Christmas together in this cozy little cabin.”
“But if you don’t mind sleeping in the loft, you’re welcome to stay with us for as long as you want,” Marvin quickly added.
Elizabeth glanced out the window. It had begun to snow, and even though she felt like an intruder, she knew she couldn’t go anywhere tonight. Besides,where would she go? There was some measure of warmth and solace to be found living under the same roof with family.
“Very well,” she said. “I’ll stay through Christmas, but then I’ll need to find someplace else to go.”
Chapter 12
The following afternoon, Elizabeth stared out the cabin window at the swirling snow. “The weather seems to be getting worse,” she said to Marvin, who had just thrown another log on the fire.
He joined her at the window. “I believe you’re right, so I think I’d better go outside and cut some more wood. We don’t want to run out.”
“That’s a good idea,” Isabelle spoke up from her chair across the room, where she sat with some mending in her lap. She blinked her hazel-colored eyes and shivered. “If this weather keeps up, it may be hard to find the woodpile, not to mention that it’s awfully cold outside.”
Marvin nodded. “I’ll get my jacket and head out right now.”
“Would you like to sit here by the fire with me?” Isabelle asked Elizabeth after Marvin left. “Or should we go to the kitchen and bake some gingerbread?”
“Gingerbread sounds nice.” Elizabeth didn’t really feel like doing any baking, but if she kept busy, it might take her mind off the fact that she wouldn’t be spending Christmas with David, let alone their whole lives together. She couldn’t allow herself to think too hard about how her dreams had been shattered, for fear that she would fall into a black hole of despair and never find her way out.
When David stepped off the train, a blast of cold air hit him full in the face. It had been snowing hard for the last several hours, and the ground was covered with a heavy blanket of white.
Clutching the satchel he’d brought with Lovina’s signed confession, as well as the velveteen pouch she’d given him, he trudged toward the livery stable to rent a horse. He hoped the snow didn’t get any worse, or he might not be able to see well enough to find his way to the home of Elizabeth’s grandparents, on the other side of town.
When David arrived at the Cannings’ door sometime later, he was greeted by Elizabeth’s grandmother, Mary. “Is Elizabeth here?” he asked. “I need to speak with her.”
Mary shook her head. “Elizabeth was here, but she left a few days ago.”
“Where’d she go?”
“I really can’t say. She asked us not to tell anyone.”
David’s heart nearly plummeted to his toes. If Mary wouldn’t tell him where Elizabeth was, he wouldn’t be able to tell her what he’d found out from Lovina.
“I need to speak with Elizabeth,” he said. “It’s quite urgent.”
“My husband and I will be seeing Elizabeth on Christmas, so if you have a message for her, I’ll pass it along.”
He shook his head determinedly. “I need to tell her myself.”
“I don’t think so,” Mary’s husband, Joe, said, stepping up to the door. “Elizabeth obviously doesn’t want to talk to you, or she wouldn’t have called off the wedding and left home.”
David winced, feeling as if he’d been slapped. He didn’t need the reminder that the woman he loved had run away without even telling him why.
“There is something Elizabeth doesn’t know, and if I could just have the chance to explain …”
“Why don’t you come inside? You can explain it to us, and then we’ll decide,” Mary said. She opened the door wider, and David followed her and Joe into the parlor. He spent the next several minutes telling them about Lovina’s journal and ended by saying that the lie Elizabeth’s aunt had written was the reason Elizabeth broke up with him and came here.
Mary gasped, and Joe’s handlebar mustache twitched up and down.
“Elizabeth needs to know the truth about this,” Joe said.
“Will you tell me where she is?” David asked
, fighting his impatience.
“Elizabeth’s staying at a cabin outside of town,” Joe replied. “You’ll need to go out the main road and follow it north about a mile or so, and then turn left at the fork in the road. The cabin is about a mile down from there.”
“Since it’s snowing so hard, and it’ll be dark soon, you might get lost,” Mary said with a look of concern. “Why don’t you spend the night here and start out fresh in the morning?”
David shook his head. “Elizabeth and I have been apart too long already, so I’ll head for the cabin right now.” He bid Mary and Joe good-bye and hurried out the door.
As David headed down the road on the horse he’d rented, his hopes soared. Soon he’d see Elizabeth, and once he’d shown her Lovina’s confession, everything would be all right. While he continued on, he allowed the winter scene before him to renew his Christmas spirit. There was something magical about the snow when it came before the holiday. It had a way of bringing out that little-boy feeling he remembered so well in anticipation of a white Christmas.
David’s spirits rose a little more, hoping this Christmas would turn out to be all that he and Elizabeth had looked forward to before she’d found the journal.
When he came to the fork in the road that Joe had mentioned, he guidedthe horse to the left. He’d only gone a short ways when the wind picked up, and the snow came down with such thick flakes that he could barely see. He was quickly losing the light of day, and the horse wasn’t cooperating at all. The mare tossed her head from side to side, reared up a couple of times, and finally refused to go.
With a disgruntled groan, David climbed down. He was about to grab the horse’s reins when it bolted and ran, knocking him to his knees. As he attempted to get up, his foot slipped on an icy patch of snow. Crack! Instant fear gripped him like a vise, and before he could take any action, he fell through the thin ice into a pond that had been obscured by all the snow.
Chapter 13
As David thrashed about, trying to stay afloat, the ice-cold water stung his entire body like needles. He struggled to breathe in.
Think, David. Think. Don’t panic.
He looked around frantically, searching for anything he might use to pull himself out. Nothing. Nothing at all.
Think. Pray. Get your thoughts together, and do what you can to get yourself out of here.
Instinctively, David began to bob up and down like a cork. This helped to get his chest and belly high enough so he could eventually fall over on top of the ice. Crawling carefully and quickly to the safety of a snowbank, he stood on shaky legs that were fast growing numb. He paused to thank God that he was safe and unharmed, although thoroughly drenched and shivering badly from the frigid water.
A whinny alerted him that his horse was nearby, and relief rushed through him when he spotted the mare standing beneath some nearby trees.
Grunting, he climbed onto the horse’s back and gathered up the reins, thankful that the horse didn’t spook. His hands were totally numb, and it was hard holding on to the reins with stiff, ice-covered gloves. David had only two choices. He could either turn around and head back to town or keep going, hoping the cabin where Elizabeth was staying wasn’t far from here. The faint smell of woodsmoke in the air was a good sign that he might be closer than he thought.
With faith driving him forward, David urged the horse on until he noticed a flicker of light in the distance. Determination to see Elizabeth gave him the burst of energy he needed to keep going.
A short time later he spotted the cabin; a lantern glowed in the window. As he guided the horse to the hitching rail, he saw Elizabeth with her back facing the window. As he removed his satchel from the saddle horn and climbed down from the horse, his heart skipped a beat at the mere sight of her. Just a few steps and he’d be at the cabin, where warmth and protection from the cold beckoned him. More importantly, he could tell Elizabeth that the dreams they once had were not dead, but very much alive. He was almost to the door when he saw a young man with dark, curly hair step up to Elizabeth and give her a hug.
David’s heart sank all the way to his freezing toes. He was too late—Elizabeth had found someone else. He turned toward his horse, ready to admit defeat, but the numbing cold in his limbs won out. He had to get inside where it was warm, or he would surely freeze to death.
With a trembling hand and an ache in his heart worse than the ache in his body from the frigid weather, he rapped on the door.
When a knock sounded on the cabin door, Elizabeth jumped. Who would be calling at this time of day—especially with the weather being so bad?
“I’ll see to it,” Marvin said, moving toward the door.
Elizabeth stood off to one side, curious to see who it was. When a man stepped inside, wet and shivering badly, she gasped. “David! What are you doing here?”
“I—I came to t–talk to you about y–your aunt’s journal.” His teeth chattered so badly he could barely talk. “B–but it appears that I’m t–too late.”
Elizabeth nodded slowly. “If you know about the journal, then you know that it’s too late for us. We can never be married.”
He shook his head. “I’m not t–talking about that. I’m talking about h–him.” He motioned to Marvin. “I saw him h–hugging you in the w–window. Is he your h–husband, Elizabeth?”
“Certainly not. Marvin’s my cousin, and this cabin belongs to him and his wife.” She motioned to Isabelle, who had just poked her pretty auburn head out of the kitchen.
Wearing a look of relief, David took a step forward, stumbled, and dropped the leather satchel he’d been carrying.
“Whoa!” Marvin reached out and caught David’s arm and led him toward the fireplace. “What happened to you? You’re sopping wet and covered with ice and snow.”
David explained about his accident.
“The first thing we need to do is get you out of those wet clothes.” Marvin pointed to the bedroom near the back of the cabin. “If you’ll come with me, you can change into one of my woolen shirts and a pair of trousers.”
“B–but I need to speak with Elizabeth.”
“First things first.” Marvin led the way to the bedroom, and David followed.
Elizabeth flopped into the rocking chair and closed her eyes in defeat. Her grandparents had obviously told David where she was. Apparently she couldn’t trust anyone.
David and Marvin returned a short time later, and then Marvin suggestedthat he and Isabelle go to the kitchen so Elizabeth and David could talk privately.
David pulled a straight-backed chair close to the fire and took a seat. Then he turned to Elizabeth, took her hand in his, and said, “I have some good news.”
“Wh–what’s that?” she asked, barely able to look at him, fearful that she’d give in to her threatening tears.
“We’re not related. Your father is Charles Canning, and my father is Raymond Stinner.”
“But my aunt Lovina said in her journal—”
“I know what she said.” David gave Elizabeth a heart-melting smile. “I found out that Lovina lives in Philadelphia, and I went there to see her.”
“You did?”
He nodded. “Lovina lied. She made the whole thing up because she was in love with Charles Canning, and when he chose your mother instead of her, she was angry and jealous, so she wrote that horrible lie in her journal.” David rose from his chair and picked up the satchel he’d dropped on the floor when he’d first come in. He returned to his chair and pulled out a piece of paper. “This is a signed confession from Lovina. She feels horrible about what she wrote and asked me to give you this.”
Tears welled in Elizabeth’s eyes as she read her aunt’s letter of apology, knowing how hard it must have been for her to relive that heartache and admit her mistake. “Oh David, this is a Christmas miracle.” Closing her eyes, she silently thanked God for this unexpected turn of events. Instead of being angry with Aunt Lovina, Elizabeth was overwhelmed with appreciation for her aunt’s admission to the
lie she’d written so long ago.
“You’re right—it is a Christmas miracle. It’s also an answer to my prayers.” David reached into the satchel again and handed Elizabeth a small velveteen pouch.
“What’s this?”
“It used to belong to your mother, and your aunt wanted you to have it.”
Elizabeth inhaled sharply as she removed a small gold locket from the pouch. “Oh, it’s so beautiful.”
David stood and gently pulled Elizabeth to her feet. “Elizabeth Canning, will you marry me on Christmas Eve?”
“Oh yes,” she said, nearly choking on a sob. “I thank God we’re together again, and from now on, there will be no more secrets between us.”
Epilogue
On Christmas Eve, snowflakes fell gently outside the window as Elizabeth and David stood in front of the glowing fire inside the small cabin that would soon be their new home. After the blizzard-like weather had abated, they’d left Coopersburg and returned to Allentown to prepare the cabin for their wedding, which was where they’d both wanted to hold the ceremony. David’s mother and grandfather, Elizabeth’s father and stepmother, and her grandparents and a few close friends, including Helen and her parents, had come here to witness their marriage.
Elizabeth, wearing her mother’s ivory-colored wedding gown and gold locket, had never felt more beautiful. Oh, how I wish Mother could be here to see me get married.
“And so,” Reverend Warner said, pulling Elizabeth’s thoughts aside, “what God has joined together, let no man put asunder.” He nodded at David. “You may now kiss your bride.”
David lowered his head and gave Elizabeth a kiss so sweet she thought she might swoon.
“Happy birthday, Mrs. Stinner. I have a surprise for you,” he whispered when the kiss ended and they’d received congratulations from their family and friends.
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