ever realized he’d insulted her mother. Besides the library, mother’s literature collection was the best in town. “But just because I don’t attend school doesn’t mean my intellect will disappear. I can still study whatever I get my hands on.”
“It’s not the same, Rachel.” Momma extracted her hands and placed them on her hips. “But I don’t understand why we’re arguing this. Are you seeing someone in secret?”
“No.”
“Has a man of good breeding and wealth caught your fancy?”
Rachel swallowed and tried not to envision Dex’s rakish smile and thick ash-brown hair. He wouldn’t pass any of Momma’s criteria. “No.”
“Then what will attending school hurt?”
“But what will it help? I’d be taking money from father’s dream to pay for your dream.” Rachel scooted against the opposite edge of the chair, putting space between them. “It’s been your dream, Momma, not mine.”
Momma’s eyebrows descended as she glared. “Of course it’s your dream. What have you been studying for?”
Rachel shrugged. “I like studying.”
“Who likes studying and doesn’t want to go to school?” Her mother scratched her head, messing up her coiffure, though she didn’t seem to notice. “Help me, Marion.”
“Well, we’re letting Neil and Patsy go off to the wilderness though I have my doubts it’s the best thing for them. Why can’t we accommodate Rachel even if it’s not our preference? She’s old enough to make her own decisions.”
Momma angled her chin at Papa. “You’re not helping.”
Rachel smiled. “Thank you, Papa.”
“But love,” Papa grabbed her hand between both of his. “A man who won’t offer his hand because you have a degree isn’t worth remaining degree-less for.”
“Absolutely.” Momma slapped the back of the chair with her open palm. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to do that, but you’ve got me so flustered.” She re-situated the doily neatly across the headrest. “Youcould accomplish so much more for yourself and women everywhere if you embrace the intellect, finances, and college acceptance God’s given you. How can you ignore the doors He’s opened?”
Rachel sighed. She had no marriage prospects, and she would enjoy school. This whole business with Dex was wreaking havoc with her decision-making. “You’re right, Momma. If God has a man out there for me, it doesn’t matter where I am or what I do. I’ll pray about it some more.”
With a paper bag in one hand and a book in the other, Dex stood in front of the Olivers’ front door. He closed his eyes and took in a few cleansing breaths. But the longer he stood there, the more his insides quaked.
He quit trying to gather the nerve to knock and turned to pace. If his plan failed, he’d only have to suffer one day in the same town with a woman who’d rejected his court.
But if he went through with this, he had to do it well. Not slapdash or tripping-over-himself nervous.
The creak of the front door spun him around.
Neil eyed him from head to toe. “You going in?”
He tried to make his voice work, but nothing came out, so he blinked his acknowledgment.
“Good luck.” And then Neil tromped down the stairs and walked toward town.
Dex swallowed, his necktie suddenly tight about his neck. He needed more than luck. Looking at his hands full of stuff, he could hide the items under the bench and endure his fifth lesson—trying hard to read, trying hard not to stare at his teacher like a lovesick schoolboy—or he could storm the castle with his weapons of choice. The damsel may not be in distress, but it’d sure feel nice to carry her away in his arms.
He rubbed the cover of Lily’s book. His sister-in-law had helped him riffle through her shelves yesterday looking for just the right one. She’d thought his plan would work. Now all he needed was courage on the eve of battle. He’d been brave enough to write a mail-order bride company in anticipation of pledging himself to a
“It’s not the same, Rachel.” Momma extracted her hands and placed them on her hips. “But I don’t understand why we’re arguing this. Are you seeing someone in secret?”
“No.”
“Has a man of good breeding and wealth caught your fancy?”
Rachel swallowed and tried not to envision Dex’s rakish smile and thick ash-brown hair. He wouldn’t pass any of Momma’s criteria. “No.”
“Then what will attending school hurt?”
“But what will it help? I’d be taking money from father’s dream to pay for your dream.” Rachel scooted against the opposite edge of the chair, putting space between them. “It’s been your dream, Momma, not mine.”
Momma’s eyebrows descended as she glared. “Of course it’s your dream. What have you been studying for?”
Rachel shrugged. “I like studying.”
“Who likes studying and doesn’t want to go to school?” Her mother scratched her head, messing up her coiffure, though she didn’t seem to notice. “Help me, Marion.”
“Well, we’re letting Neil and Patsy go off to the wilderness though I have my doubts it’s the best thing for them. Why can’t we accommodate Rachel even if it’s not our preference? She’s old enough to make her own decisions.”
Momma angled her chin at Papa. “You’re not helping.”
Rachel smiled. “Thank you, Papa.”
“But love,” Papa grabbed her hand between both of his. “A man who won’t offer his hand because you have a degree isn’t worth remaining degree-less for.”
“Absolutely.” Momma slapped the back of the chair with her open palm. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to do that, but you’ve got me so flustered.” She re-situated the doily neatly across the headrest. “Youcould accomplish so much more for yourself and women everywhere if you embrace the intellect, finances, and college acceptance God’s given you. How can you ignore the doors He’s opened?”
Rachel sighed. She had no marriage prospects, and she would enjoy school. This whole business with Dex was wreaking havoc with her decision-making. “You’re right, Momma. If God has a man out there for me, it doesn’t matter where I am or what I do. I’ll pray about it some more.”
With a paper bag in one hand and a book in the other, Dex stood in front of the Olivers’ front door. He closed his eyes and took in a few cleansing breaths. But the longer he stood there, the more his insides quaked.
He quit trying to gather the nerve to knock and turned to pace. If his plan failed, he’d only have to suffer one day in the same town with a woman who’d rejected his court.
But if he went through with this, he had to do it well. Not slapdash or tripping-over-himself nervous.
The creak of the front door spun him around.
Neil eyed him from head to toe. “You going in?”
He tried to make his voice work, but nothing came out, so he blinked his acknowledgment.
“Good luck.” And then Neil tromped down the stairs and walked toward town.
Dex swallowed, his necktie suddenly tight about his neck. He needed more than luck. Looking at his hands full of stuff, he could hide the items under the bench and endure his fifth lesson—trying hard to read, trying hard not to stare at his teacher like a lovesick schoolboy—or he could storm the castle with his weapons of choice. The damsel may not be in distress, but it’d sure feel nice to carry her away in his arms.
He rubbed the cover of Lily’s book. His sister-in-law had helped him riffle through her shelves yesterday looking for just the right one. She’d thought his plan would work. Now all he needed was courage on the eve of battle. He’d been brave enough to write a mail-order bride company in anticipation of pledging himself to a
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