crossing herself, she followed her parents and Mary Anne into a pew near the front, leaving room for Bonnie at the end.
During the long opening prayer, she felt the magnitude of what Bonnie had been telling her. Thieves, worse, they could have hurt the children, or... As the terrible thoughts and images flooded her mind, Claire trembled. She raised her head to stare at her friend. Somehow Bonnie had found the courage to chase them away.
At the priest’s loud amen, the others opened their eyes. Bonnie stared at Claire, looked amused at the rapt look in her large, blue eyes. Bonnie reached over to pinch her, but Claire caught her hand and held it for a minute, trying to say all she felt without words. Bonnie nodded, put her arm around her shoulders and exchanged a hug.
Minutes later, Bonnie was tugging the stack of folded flyers with a message about repentance from the back of the pew. She leaned across Claire to pantomime to Father Wimberley someone writing on the paper. He patted a pocket, then passed her a pencil.
All through the Latin service and on into the English translation by the priest, Bonnie wrote. Claire looked at the paper, saw Ian and Shawn’s names at the top. Curious, she looked over at Mary Anne, who shrugged, then tried to see what had made the girl think of so much to write just now. As she turned on the pew to look behind, she saw the men who had filed in after they arrived, filling the next two rows behind them. Soldiers.
One of the men coughed, another twirled his thin, dark mustache and smiled at her. Claire tried to look shocked and swiveled back to face forward. But she was aware of whispers among the troops behind them. Flattered, she folded her hands in her lap and tried to look pious.
Another reason besides the fact that he was already married, to lose interest in Henry. The west was full of handsome men. Not all would be like Calum Douglas, some would want a short, pretty girl to marry. There were a dozen possible candidates seated behind them. Ten to one, she had read in one article. She would meet the perfect man, then, well then she knew how to win him.
When the priest admonished all present to give thanks and to beg forgiveness, Claire fumbled for her beads. Quickly, she bowed her head and thanked him for protecting and keeping everyone safe last night. She also thanked him for giving her the wisdom to know that one could feel an attraction for someone and not act on it. That a special awareness and fondness for them was not the same as love. She prayed for God to let her know when the right man was present and to guide and protect her heart. Finally, she prayed for each person in their party and murmured, amen.
<><><>
By the time they emerged from the shadows of the entrance, Claire was laughing at the pretty flattery from the two soldiers beside her. She heard Bonnie talking to one of the young troopers, a thin man with red hair and mustache much like her brother Ian.
Claire watched as the young man pulled a letter from inside his shirt, blushing at having the women watch him undo his shirt buttons. He was so young and sweet. Claire had to give him a big smile. Both watched him smooth out the paper, pull a thin, worn pair of sheets from the envelope and offer the empty envelope to Bonnie.
Happily, Bonnie accepted and addressed the back of it to her two brothers, listing Lieutenant Douglas and the fort at the bottom of the envelope before tucking the three sheets of printed paper that she had covered the backs of with her own letter.
“I promise you, Mrs. Michaels, I will try to find and give them this letter as soon as we arrive. If they are not there, I’ll personally mail it to wherever they may have been posted.”
The boy actually bowed to them and Claire and Bonnie both dropped a curtsy. So old fashioned and sweet. Why couldn’t they have all been at the dance last night?
Father Wimberley stepped up to take his daughter's arm, Mary Anne grabbed Bonnie’s hand.
During the long opening prayer, she felt the magnitude of what Bonnie had been telling her. Thieves, worse, they could have hurt the children, or... As the terrible thoughts and images flooded her mind, Claire trembled. She raised her head to stare at her friend. Somehow Bonnie had found the courage to chase them away.
At the priest’s loud amen, the others opened their eyes. Bonnie stared at Claire, looked amused at the rapt look in her large, blue eyes. Bonnie reached over to pinch her, but Claire caught her hand and held it for a minute, trying to say all she felt without words. Bonnie nodded, put her arm around her shoulders and exchanged a hug.
Minutes later, Bonnie was tugging the stack of folded flyers with a message about repentance from the back of the pew. She leaned across Claire to pantomime to Father Wimberley someone writing on the paper. He patted a pocket, then passed her a pencil.
All through the Latin service and on into the English translation by the priest, Bonnie wrote. Claire looked at the paper, saw Ian and Shawn’s names at the top. Curious, she looked over at Mary Anne, who shrugged, then tried to see what had made the girl think of so much to write just now. As she turned on the pew to look behind, she saw the men who had filed in after they arrived, filling the next two rows behind them. Soldiers.
One of the men coughed, another twirled his thin, dark mustache and smiled at her. Claire tried to look shocked and swiveled back to face forward. But she was aware of whispers among the troops behind them. Flattered, she folded her hands in her lap and tried to look pious.
Another reason besides the fact that he was already married, to lose interest in Henry. The west was full of handsome men. Not all would be like Calum Douglas, some would want a short, pretty girl to marry. There were a dozen possible candidates seated behind them. Ten to one, she had read in one article. She would meet the perfect man, then, well then she knew how to win him.
When the priest admonished all present to give thanks and to beg forgiveness, Claire fumbled for her beads. Quickly, she bowed her head and thanked him for protecting and keeping everyone safe last night. She also thanked him for giving her the wisdom to know that one could feel an attraction for someone and not act on it. That a special awareness and fondness for them was not the same as love. She prayed for God to let her know when the right man was present and to guide and protect her heart. Finally, she prayed for each person in their party and murmured, amen.
<><><>
By the time they emerged from the shadows of the entrance, Claire was laughing at the pretty flattery from the two soldiers beside her. She heard Bonnie talking to one of the young troopers, a thin man with red hair and mustache much like her brother Ian.
Claire watched as the young man pulled a letter from inside his shirt, blushing at having the women watch him undo his shirt buttons. He was so young and sweet. Claire had to give him a big smile. Both watched him smooth out the paper, pull a thin, worn pair of sheets from the envelope and offer the empty envelope to Bonnie.
Happily, Bonnie accepted and addressed the back of it to her two brothers, listing Lieutenant Douglas and the fort at the bottom of the envelope before tucking the three sheets of printed paper that she had covered the backs of with her own letter.
“I promise you, Mrs. Michaels, I will try to find and give them this letter as soon as we arrive. If they are not there, I’ll personally mail it to wherever they may have been posted.”
The boy actually bowed to them and Claire and Bonnie both dropped a curtsy. So old fashioned and sweet. Why couldn’t they have all been at the dance last night?
Father Wimberley stepped up to take his daughter's arm, Mary Anne grabbed Bonnie’s hand.
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