probably left your meal to listen to me rant. Thank you for your time.”
“Not at all. In fact, if you haven’t eaten, why not join me?”
“Are you certain?” Weston asked, his heart pleased because he genuinely liked the man.
“Come along,” Pastor Hurst said lightly, leading the way from the room.
Weston found himself included in the most natural way, enjoying it even more when Mrs Hurst joined them. Being thankful for the first time in this situation concerning Anne, he thought, If Anne has friends like these, she’s in very good hands.
“You look very far away.”
Judith Hurst jumped, a hand going to her heart before turning to her husband. It was later the same day. They were in the garden, and supper would be ready in less than an hour.
“Oh, Frederick, you startled me.”
“I’m sorry.”
He moved close to kiss her and then took the flower basket from her hand. Both her hands were free now to snip the blossoms and add them to the growing pile.
“What were you thinking about?”
“Mr Weston.”
“He’s certainly a surprise, isn’t he?”
“Yes. I can’t think why he hasn’t married.”
Pastor’s brows rose. His wife was not known for her matchmaking schemes. But she didn’t notice his response. Her head still bent, she methodically snipped the flowers one by one, adding them to the basket in her quiet way.
“Do you have anyone in mind for him?”
“Only Anne.”
The pastor all but dropped the basket.
“Judith.”
“Um?” she said absently, her eyes on the rosebushes.
“Look at me.”
Judith obeyed, blinking when she saw her husband’s astounded face.
“What is it, Frederick?”
“That’s what I’m hoping you’ll tell me. I’ve never heard you talk this way.”
“No, I guess you haven’t,” she agreed sedately. “But I can’t help but think about Anne finding someone to love and cherish her. I know God can do things we never think of, but I would be made of stone if I didn’t wonder whether Mr Weston has noticed our Anne.”
“Why would you be made of stone?”
“Because there have been so many days I wished someone would rescue her, and now Mr Weston comes into our midst. He’s charming, kind, and I can tell by the questions he’s asked you about Scripture that he’s digging deeply and taking his faith seriously.” Judith let out a little sigh. “If he would only love and marry Anne, he’d be just about perfect.”
Pastor had nothing to say. He was thoroughly stunned with his wife’s admission. And at the same time he agreed with her. He hadn’t given hours of thought to the matter, but wasn’t his own heart wondering the same thing just last week when he left Weston and Anne alone in the foyer?
“What does that look mean, dear?” Judith asked into his confused thoughts; she had stopped all movements and turned to face him.
“It just means that I have a lot of praying to do.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning that I’ve been trying to work this out so I could pray sensibly, when in truth I’ve been trying to work it out so I could tell God what to do. I need to pray for Anne and Mr Weston, not as a couple, but as God’s children, remembering that He has a great plan for each of them.”
Judith thought about this a moment and then asked, “So would you advise me not to pray that Mr Weston notices Anne?”
Pastor Hurst smiled.
“May I think about that and get back to you?”
Judith’s smile matched his own. She laid the small shears in the basket with the flowers, tucked her arm into her husband’s, and turned them so they could walk toward the house. His lack of answer for her might not help Anne at the moment, but as her husband had just said, it wasn’t their job to help, it was their job to wait on God.
Levens Crossing
Anne watched her father stride across the field on Saturday afternoon. She had told him she was making supper, but he had been a man with a mission. Sword belted into place and hat low on his brow, he exited
“Not at all. In fact, if you haven’t eaten, why not join me?”
“Are you certain?” Weston asked, his heart pleased because he genuinely liked the man.
“Come along,” Pastor Hurst said lightly, leading the way from the room.
Weston found himself included in the most natural way, enjoying it even more when Mrs Hurst joined them. Being thankful for the first time in this situation concerning Anne, he thought, If Anne has friends like these, she’s in very good hands.
“You look very far away.”
Judith Hurst jumped, a hand going to her heart before turning to her husband. It was later the same day. They were in the garden, and supper would be ready in less than an hour.
“Oh, Frederick, you startled me.”
“I’m sorry.”
He moved close to kiss her and then took the flower basket from her hand. Both her hands were free now to snip the blossoms and add them to the growing pile.
“What were you thinking about?”
“Mr Weston.”
“He’s certainly a surprise, isn’t he?”
“Yes. I can’t think why he hasn’t married.”
Pastor’s brows rose. His wife was not known for her matchmaking schemes. But she didn’t notice his response. Her head still bent, she methodically snipped the flowers one by one, adding them to the basket in her quiet way.
“Do you have anyone in mind for him?”
“Only Anne.”
The pastor all but dropped the basket.
“Judith.”
“Um?” she said absently, her eyes on the rosebushes.
“Look at me.”
Judith obeyed, blinking when she saw her husband’s astounded face.
“What is it, Frederick?”
“That’s what I’m hoping you’ll tell me. I’ve never heard you talk this way.”
“No, I guess you haven’t,” she agreed sedately. “But I can’t help but think about Anne finding someone to love and cherish her. I know God can do things we never think of, but I would be made of stone if I didn’t wonder whether Mr Weston has noticed our Anne.”
“Why would you be made of stone?”
“Because there have been so many days I wished someone would rescue her, and now Mr Weston comes into our midst. He’s charming, kind, and I can tell by the questions he’s asked you about Scripture that he’s digging deeply and taking his faith seriously.” Judith let out a little sigh. “If he would only love and marry Anne, he’d be just about perfect.”
Pastor had nothing to say. He was thoroughly stunned with his wife’s admission. And at the same time he agreed with her. He hadn’t given hours of thought to the matter, but wasn’t his own heart wondering the same thing just last week when he left Weston and Anne alone in the foyer?
“What does that look mean, dear?” Judith asked into his confused thoughts; she had stopped all movements and turned to face him.
“It just means that I have a lot of praying to do.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning that I’ve been trying to work this out so I could pray sensibly, when in truth I’ve been trying to work it out so I could tell God what to do. I need to pray for Anne and Mr Weston, not as a couple, but as God’s children, remembering that He has a great plan for each of them.”
Judith thought about this a moment and then asked, “So would you advise me not to pray that Mr Weston notices Anne?”
Pastor Hurst smiled.
“May I think about that and get back to you?”
Judith’s smile matched his own. She laid the small shears in the basket with the flowers, tucked her arm into her husband’s, and turned them so they could walk toward the house. His lack of answer for her might not help Anne at the moment, but as her husband had just said, it wasn’t their job to help, it was their job to wait on God.
Levens Crossing
Anne watched her father stride across the field on Saturday afternoon. She had told him she was making supper, but he had been a man with a mission. Sword belted into place and hat low on his brow, he exited
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