stepped in behind her.
"Will you be okay now?"
"Yes, thank-you" was the wooden reply.
Alex felt concerned over her lack of response. He
reached out and touched her shoulder.
"Marcail, I'm going to come by in the morning. We
need to talk."
"In the morning?"
"Yes, but right now -I think you should get some rest."
She was finally looking at him.
"Did you hear me?"
Marcail nodded slightly.
"I'll be by in the morning before church."
Again she nodded, and Alex felt there was nothing
more he could do. With a heavy heart he turned toward
the door, praying that Marcail would get a good night's
sleep.
twenty-two
Alex was at Marcail's front door nearly three hours
before church was scheduled to begin. She was up and
dressed, her hair in place, but looking so pale Alex
feared she might be ill. She greeted him soberly, and
Alex thought she might be working hard at fighting the
fear over why he was there.
"Would you like some coffee?" Marcail offered while
Alex removed his coat.
He accepted the offer, taking a place at the kitchen
table. He thought to kill some time before he asked
Marcail something that was sure to upset her. But while
he still had coffee in his mouth, Marcail spoke.
"I'm not really sure why you've come by this morning,
Dr. Montgomery."
So we're back to Dr. Montgomery, Alex thought before he
answered her question.
"I think we need to talk about what's happened in the
last week," he told her quietly. "In fact, I have a question
to ask you, maybe two." He paused until he was sure he
had Marcail's full attention.
"Marcail, are you going to leave the teaching position
here in Willits?"
Marcail did not understand immediately. She sat for
long moments in quiet thought. When she did speak,
her voice was soft and sure.
"No, I'm not. I've thought about nothing else all week,
and I just can't leave these children. I might be sorry, and
I might change my mind later, but right now I'm going to
stay here and teach."
"Then I'll ask my second question." Alex cleared his
throat. "Will you marry me?"
Marcail stared at him, completely nonplussed. Alex
could see that he'd shocked her speechless, but he'd
given this idea much thought and prayer in the last
week, and he honestly believed it was the best course of
action. He began to explain his position before Marcail
could voice her thoughts.
"I'm not going to tell you that your decision to stay
here is wrong, but I can tell you that it's not safe for you to
remain single. I think Rowie proved that yesterday. And
if you do stay single, you'll not have any children to
teach."
Marcail looked crushed. "I thought that if I could only
tough it out, that they would all send-"
Marcail stopped speaking as Alex slowly shook his
head.
"Marcail," Alex implored her. "Try to understand
Cordelia Duckworth. She has an impossibly strict code
of morality; it's like a sickness with her. In her eyes
you've sinned, and our marriage would make an honest
woman of you."
"You can't really be telling me that my class is going to
come back if I marry you?" Marcail's head was beginning
to clear, and a myriad of questions buzzed through her
mind.
"That is exactly what I'm telling you. I've lived in this
town for seven years, and I know the way these people think. By little choice of their own, most of their lives
revolve around Cordelia Duckworth. If she disapproves
of you, you're finished."
Marcail came to her feet. Alex watched as she paced
the small area in front of her stove.
"I've prayed so fervently that I would be a light to this
town, and now my testimony here is ruined. In fact, by
marrying you, I'm really saying that I do have something
to be ashamed of."
"I'm sure some will see it that way, but they'll have the
same opinion if you leave."
Marcail wished she could wake up from this nightmare. "I just want to teach school," she finally said, her
hands spread wide in what might have been supplication.
"I realize that,"
"Will you be okay now?"
"Yes, thank-you" was the wooden reply.
Alex felt concerned over her lack of response. He
reached out and touched her shoulder.
"Marcail, I'm going to come by in the morning. We
need to talk."
"In the morning?"
"Yes, but right now -I think you should get some rest."
She was finally looking at him.
"Did you hear me?"
Marcail nodded slightly.
"I'll be by in the morning before church."
Again she nodded, and Alex felt there was nothing
more he could do. With a heavy heart he turned toward
the door, praying that Marcail would get a good night's
sleep.
twenty-two
Alex was at Marcail's front door nearly three hours
before church was scheduled to begin. She was up and
dressed, her hair in place, but looking so pale Alex
feared she might be ill. She greeted him soberly, and
Alex thought she might be working hard at fighting the
fear over why he was there.
"Would you like some coffee?" Marcail offered while
Alex removed his coat.
He accepted the offer, taking a place at the kitchen
table. He thought to kill some time before he asked
Marcail something that was sure to upset her. But while
he still had coffee in his mouth, Marcail spoke.
"I'm not really sure why you've come by this morning,
Dr. Montgomery."
So we're back to Dr. Montgomery, Alex thought before he
answered her question.
"I think we need to talk about what's happened in the
last week," he told her quietly. "In fact, I have a question
to ask you, maybe two." He paused until he was sure he
had Marcail's full attention.
"Marcail, are you going to leave the teaching position
here in Willits?"
Marcail did not understand immediately. She sat for
long moments in quiet thought. When she did speak,
her voice was soft and sure.
"No, I'm not. I've thought about nothing else all week,
and I just can't leave these children. I might be sorry, and
I might change my mind later, but right now I'm going to
stay here and teach."
"Then I'll ask my second question." Alex cleared his
throat. "Will you marry me?"
Marcail stared at him, completely nonplussed. Alex
could see that he'd shocked her speechless, but he'd
given this idea much thought and prayer in the last
week, and he honestly believed it was the best course of
action. He began to explain his position before Marcail
could voice her thoughts.
"I'm not going to tell you that your decision to stay
here is wrong, but I can tell you that it's not safe for you to
remain single. I think Rowie proved that yesterday. And
if you do stay single, you'll not have any children to
teach."
Marcail looked crushed. "I thought that if I could only
tough it out, that they would all send-"
Marcail stopped speaking as Alex slowly shook his
head.
"Marcail," Alex implored her. "Try to understand
Cordelia Duckworth. She has an impossibly strict code
of morality; it's like a sickness with her. In her eyes
you've sinned, and our marriage would make an honest
woman of you."
"You can't really be telling me that my class is going to
come back if I marry you?" Marcail's head was beginning
to clear, and a myriad of questions buzzed through her
mind.
"That is exactly what I'm telling you. I've lived in this
town for seven years, and I know the way these people think. By little choice of their own, most of their lives
revolve around Cordelia Duckworth. If she disapproves
of you, you're finished."
Marcail came to her feet. Alex watched as she paced
the small area in front of her stove.
"I've prayed so fervently that I would be a light to this
town, and now my testimony here is ruined. In fact, by
marrying you, I'm really saying that I do have something
to be ashamed of."
"I'm sure some will see it that way, but they'll have the
same opinion if you leave."
Marcail wished she could wake up from this nightmare. "I just want to teach school," she finally said, her
hands spread wide in what might have been supplication.
"I realize that,"
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