in total assent. The heavyset man seated next to her began to snore.
“God spoke to Moses, and He speaks to us,” Reverend Holly said, switching to a quiet monotone voice more conducive to putting babies to sleep than inspiring a spiritual awakening. “Show us a sign, God. Show us a sign.”
“Stay here,” Maggie whispered in Elise’s ear. But before she could leave her seat, a gasp swept through the church and a woman cried out.
Maggie glanced at the front of the church and her mouth dropped open. Unless she was seeing things, the cross on the wall behind the organ was swinging from side to side like a pendulum.
“A sign from God!” someone yelled.
The man next to her awoke with a start. “Lord, have mercy.”
“Hallelujah!” shouted an older woman who jumped to her feet then fainted dead away.
Reverend Holly looked startled, but apparently thinking his message was the inspiration behind the congregation’s sudden outbursts, decided to make the most of it. Lifting his voice, he raised his arms and looked like a raven about to take flight.
“Speak to us, O mighty God!” he cried, and the worshippers went wild.
Eyes rounded in fear, Elise grabbed hold of Maggie’s arm and had a coughing fit.
“Don’t be afraid.” Maggie pulled her onto her lap to comfort. “Let’s go and find you a drink of water.”
She was just about to carry Elise up the aisle when she caught a movement behind the organ, just to the left of the cross. Blinking she sat forward. That couldn’t be… Please don’t let it be—
Toby!
With Elise in her arms, Maggie rose to her feet for a better look. It was hard to see much behind the waving arms and swaying bodies in front.
The cross was no longer moving, but the congregants continued to plead for mercy and forgiveness. Aunt Hetty tossed her cane away and flung her arms around one of the church elders—an older man with stooped shoulders and muttonchop whiskers.
The worshipper sitting next to Maggie recited his sins, making it necessary to cover Elise’s tender young ears. Another man was pulling money out of his pocket and flinging it in the air.
Elise held her arms tight around Maggie’s neck. “Are… are we gonna die and go to heaven?”
Maggie glanced at the pandemonium around her, looking for a way to escape. How would she ever explain Toby’s behavior to Garrett?
“I’m afraid not, pumpkin. I’m afraid not.”
Garrett looked up from the chessboard, his face a mask of disbelief. “Toby did what?”
Hands on her hips, Elise harnessed all the righteous mortification a five-year-old could muster. “He tried to steal the cross.”
Garrett shot to his feet. Chess pieces flew to the floor, startling Whitewash and sending him scampering from the room. “Is this true?” he asked, facing his son. “Did you try to steal the church’s cross?”
Feeling a maternal need to protect the boy, Maggie hastened to intervene. “He didn’t mean any harm.”
Ignoring her, Garrett stared at his son. “Answer me!” he thundered. Toby flinched.
“I only wanted to borrow it,” Toby said. He looked close to tears, and Maggie felt bad for him. Fortunately, she managed to drag the children away from church before anyone discovered the “miracle” was a fraud.
Garrett drew back. “You wanted to
borrow
the cross?” He looked incredulous. “Why?”
“For my slingshot.”
Garrett’s eyebrows shot up. “What in the name of Sam Hill were you thinking? Don’t you know that the cross is sacred? You can’t just take it and do with it as you please.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “What did Reverend Holly say?”
“He started shouting,” Elise said. “And a lady died.”
“She didn’t die,” Maggie hastened to explain. “She merely fainted.” Suddenly, the affair struck her as funny, and laughter bubbled out of her like water from a well.
Garrett turned to her, his forehead creased. “May I ask what you find so amusing?”
“It’s just
“God spoke to Moses, and He speaks to us,” Reverend Holly said, switching to a quiet monotone voice more conducive to putting babies to sleep than inspiring a spiritual awakening. “Show us a sign, God. Show us a sign.”
“Stay here,” Maggie whispered in Elise’s ear. But before she could leave her seat, a gasp swept through the church and a woman cried out.
Maggie glanced at the front of the church and her mouth dropped open. Unless she was seeing things, the cross on the wall behind the organ was swinging from side to side like a pendulum.
“A sign from God!” someone yelled.
The man next to her awoke with a start. “Lord, have mercy.”
“Hallelujah!” shouted an older woman who jumped to her feet then fainted dead away.
Reverend Holly looked startled, but apparently thinking his message was the inspiration behind the congregation’s sudden outbursts, decided to make the most of it. Lifting his voice, he raised his arms and looked like a raven about to take flight.
“Speak to us, O mighty God!” he cried, and the worshippers went wild.
Eyes rounded in fear, Elise grabbed hold of Maggie’s arm and had a coughing fit.
“Don’t be afraid.” Maggie pulled her onto her lap to comfort. “Let’s go and find you a drink of water.”
She was just about to carry Elise up the aisle when she caught a movement behind the organ, just to the left of the cross. Blinking she sat forward. That couldn’t be… Please don’t let it be—
Toby!
With Elise in her arms, Maggie rose to her feet for a better look. It was hard to see much behind the waving arms and swaying bodies in front.
The cross was no longer moving, but the congregants continued to plead for mercy and forgiveness. Aunt Hetty tossed her cane away and flung her arms around one of the church elders—an older man with stooped shoulders and muttonchop whiskers.
The worshipper sitting next to Maggie recited his sins, making it necessary to cover Elise’s tender young ears. Another man was pulling money out of his pocket and flinging it in the air.
Elise held her arms tight around Maggie’s neck. “Are… are we gonna die and go to heaven?”
Maggie glanced at the pandemonium around her, looking for a way to escape. How would she ever explain Toby’s behavior to Garrett?
“I’m afraid not, pumpkin. I’m afraid not.”
Garrett looked up from the chessboard, his face a mask of disbelief. “Toby did what?”
Hands on her hips, Elise harnessed all the righteous mortification a five-year-old could muster. “He tried to steal the cross.”
Garrett shot to his feet. Chess pieces flew to the floor, startling Whitewash and sending him scampering from the room. “Is this true?” he asked, facing his son. “Did you try to steal the church’s cross?”
Feeling a maternal need to protect the boy, Maggie hastened to intervene. “He didn’t mean any harm.”
Ignoring her, Garrett stared at his son. “Answer me!” he thundered. Toby flinched.
“I only wanted to borrow it,” Toby said. He looked close to tears, and Maggie felt bad for him. Fortunately, she managed to drag the children away from church before anyone discovered the “miracle” was a fraud.
Garrett drew back. “You wanted to
borrow
the cross?” He looked incredulous. “Why?”
“For my slingshot.”
Garrett’s eyebrows shot up. “What in the name of Sam Hill were you thinking? Don’t you know that the cross is sacred? You can’t just take it and do with it as you please.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “What did Reverend Holly say?”
“He started shouting,” Elise said. “And a lady died.”
“She didn’t die,” Maggie hastened to explain. “She merely fainted.” Suddenly, the affair struck her as funny, and laughter bubbled out of her like water from a well.
Garrett turned to her, his forehead creased. “May I ask what you find so amusing?”
“It’s just
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