been innocent as she claimed, or did the darling’s silence point to something more sinister?
“Cecelia?”
She looked up again, eyes red and puffy, and dabbed the hanky under them. “Yes, ma’am?”
“Was that my answer or a question?”
“Ma’am?”
“Would Elijah tell your father the same story?”
Her head hung again. “No, ma’am, probably not.” She looked up, remorse written all over her face. “If telling the truth, he would add that I kissed him. But he didn’t kiss me back! It was a short kiss. You know. Just a short, sweet kiss.”
“Why, baby? Why would you take such a chance?”
“Oh, Mama May, I had to tell him to wait for me. That you were working on Daddy. He’d been making eyes at Gwen all through supper, and…and…not hardly paying me any attention. But I knew that first morning he came that I loved him. It was love at first sight. I thought for both of us. I could tell, but Daddy’s rule. And Clay coming back!”
“I’d think Clay’s return would be a good thing.”
“Didn’t you see? It was like Elijah had to best him or something. I’m telling you he hardly looked at me the whole meal! Oh, Mama, what am I going to do? I can’t live without him.”
“Did he say he’d wait for you?”
Her shoulders barely lifted, and her eyes went to the floor. “Not really. Not as I’d hoped, but he nodded like he would. I took it as a yes.”
“Sweetie, if we can’t get your father to change his mind, then you’re talking ten months before he can even begin to court you, and then how long after that before your father would agree to a wedding?”
“But no matter how long…I can wait as long as I know he’ll be mine. Can’t he?”
“Well, I’m not sure. You’ve only just met him, and you’re talking forever. His life is in California. Have you thought about that? Are you ready to move there?”
“But he could stay here. And…how long after you met Daddy did you know? I mean that he was the one.”
May smiled. Henry’s baby girl hadn’t fallen too far from her father’s tree. “From the start, I wanted to get to know him better, but.…” She sat back. “Most times, a wife goes where her husband does.”
“But not always, and of course, I want to know everything about Elijah! But I only get to see him a few minutes each day. You and Daddy spent a lot of time together alone before you got married.”
“True, but your father is a man of honor.”
“Didn’t last night prove Elijah is as well? I mean when I kissed him, he could have kissed me back, or worse, but he didn’t. Doesn’t that prove something…at least to you?”
“So do you want to be the one to tell your father all of this?”
She settled back in the chair and shook her head. “Oh, no. He can’t know any of it.”
“What would you have done if Mister Eversole had kissed you back?”
“I don’t know. I asked myself the same question last night.” The girl turned and stared out the window. The curtains waved in the breeze. The distant voices of playing children rode on it.
“Cecelia?”
She looked back. “I wanted him to, and it did hurt my heart that he didn’t. Still…I am certain. I would have stopped it, left. I would have made him let me go.”
“Through all the centuries, sweetheart, there are countless young ladies who’ve thought the same thing, then didn’t. You’ve got to promise me you’ll never put yourself in that position again.”
“Yes, ma’am, I promise.” The girl’s eyes brightened, then clouded just as quick. She scooted to the edge of her seat. “And you won’t tell Daddy?”
“I didn’t say that. But thank you for your promise.”
“Oh please. He doesn’t need to know, does he?”
“I’m not sure, but I’m leaning toward keeping this between us.”
CeCe exhaled. “That would be boss, even better than that, it would be wonderful, Mama.”
For the fourth time, the beautiful young lady had dropped the May and just called her
“Cecelia?”
She looked up again, eyes red and puffy, and dabbed the hanky under them. “Yes, ma’am?”
“Was that my answer or a question?”
“Ma’am?”
“Would Elijah tell your father the same story?”
Her head hung again. “No, ma’am, probably not.” She looked up, remorse written all over her face. “If telling the truth, he would add that I kissed him. But he didn’t kiss me back! It was a short kiss. You know. Just a short, sweet kiss.”
“Why, baby? Why would you take such a chance?”
“Oh, Mama May, I had to tell him to wait for me. That you were working on Daddy. He’d been making eyes at Gwen all through supper, and…and…not hardly paying me any attention. But I knew that first morning he came that I loved him. It was love at first sight. I thought for both of us. I could tell, but Daddy’s rule. And Clay coming back!”
“I’d think Clay’s return would be a good thing.”
“Didn’t you see? It was like Elijah had to best him or something. I’m telling you he hardly looked at me the whole meal! Oh, Mama, what am I going to do? I can’t live without him.”
“Did he say he’d wait for you?”
Her shoulders barely lifted, and her eyes went to the floor. “Not really. Not as I’d hoped, but he nodded like he would. I took it as a yes.”
“Sweetie, if we can’t get your father to change his mind, then you’re talking ten months before he can even begin to court you, and then how long after that before your father would agree to a wedding?”
“But no matter how long…I can wait as long as I know he’ll be mine. Can’t he?”
“Well, I’m not sure. You’ve only just met him, and you’re talking forever. His life is in California. Have you thought about that? Are you ready to move there?”
“But he could stay here. And…how long after you met Daddy did you know? I mean that he was the one.”
May smiled. Henry’s baby girl hadn’t fallen too far from her father’s tree. “From the start, I wanted to get to know him better, but.…” She sat back. “Most times, a wife goes where her husband does.”
“But not always, and of course, I want to know everything about Elijah! But I only get to see him a few minutes each day. You and Daddy spent a lot of time together alone before you got married.”
“True, but your father is a man of honor.”
“Didn’t last night prove Elijah is as well? I mean when I kissed him, he could have kissed me back, or worse, but he didn’t. Doesn’t that prove something…at least to you?”
“So do you want to be the one to tell your father all of this?”
She settled back in the chair and shook her head. “Oh, no. He can’t know any of it.”
“What would you have done if Mister Eversole had kissed you back?”
“I don’t know. I asked myself the same question last night.” The girl turned and stared out the window. The curtains waved in the breeze. The distant voices of playing children rode on it.
“Cecelia?”
She looked back. “I wanted him to, and it did hurt my heart that he didn’t. Still…I am certain. I would have stopped it, left. I would have made him let me go.”
“Through all the centuries, sweetheart, there are countless young ladies who’ve thought the same thing, then didn’t. You’ve got to promise me you’ll never put yourself in that position again.”
“Yes, ma’am, I promise.” The girl’s eyes brightened, then clouded just as quick. She scooted to the edge of her seat. “And you won’t tell Daddy?”
“I didn’t say that. But thank you for your promise.”
“Oh please. He doesn’t need to know, does he?”
“I’m not sure, but I’m leaning toward keeping this between us.”
CeCe exhaled. “That would be boss, even better than that, it would be wonderful, Mama.”
For the fourth time, the beautiful young lady had dropped the May and just called her
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