A Gentleman of Means (25 page)
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Authors: Shelley Adina
“Sophia? I asked you what you thought of David Fischer.”
What
did
I think? With Gabriel in the neighborhood, did anyone think about David? “I … I don’t know.”
“Well, if he offered you a ride home from Singing, would you go?”
I stopped pretending to clean the sink and turned away to dry my hands on a dishtowel. “I don’t know.”
“Sophia.”
“I’m telling true, Mamm. I don’t know what I’d say. I—I’ve never thought of David like that. He might as well be my brother.”
“He is your brother in God.” She took the towel from me and dried her own hands. “He’s worth ten of Gabriel Langford.”
How fair was this? “You just finished saying what a hard worker Gabriel is. You don’t really know him.”
“My point exactly. None of us know him, except maybe Joshua Hodder.
Ja
, he is a hard worker and seems to be committed to the church, but I’ve seen it before. People get romantical notions about plain living—until they actually have to do it. Then they’re running for their hair dryers and radios.”
“He’s been here since November and hasn’t run yet.”
“Maybe not, but I’ll believe it when I see it. Meantime, aren’t you going to ask me what else your father said to David?”
I could see where this was going. “What did he say?”
“He said it was up to you. That you were old enough to make up your own mind.” Again the narrow look, but it held no displeasure this time. Instead, I saw concern in my mother’s face. “Is it too soon,
liewi
? Would you rather Dat told the boys to go away and come again in a year?”
I had to smile at that. “You know no one would listen to him. All of us see each other all the time. It was nice of David to ask, though. Even though it embarrasses me.”
“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” Mamm said firmly, and lifted the stove lid to check the coals. “Your father asked my Dat if he could court me, and he never regretted it.” The smile fought its way free again, and I had to laugh at how she didn’t say which
he
she meant. My parents adored each other, though it would take an educated family eye to see it. The way Mamm always gave him the choicest piece of the roast, or made dumplings fried in bacon and onions just because he loved them. The way he always handed her out of the buggy as if she were a queen, even before he saw to Daisy, our mare. I’d seen many a man take care of his livestock and
then
worry about whether his wife was ankle deep in mud beside the buggy.
A tiny bit of a wonder about whether David would put his horse or his girl first whisked through my brain before I chased it away. I was going to have a hard enough time treating him the way I’d always treated him—as a friend, a brother, someone who also sang parts outside of meeting—now that he’d made his feelings public.
Dat was as closed-mouthed as a rat trap, but if there were any guarantees in this world, it would be that a private matter between men would get out sooner rather than later.
When I didn’t speak, Mamm finally said, “Ah well. You go and weed those front beds and think about it. There’s no rush. But I won’t ask your brother to wait for you Sunday after Singing.”
Smiling as if this was hugely funny, Mamm got out the frying pan and I escaped into the muddy, bare garden, where the weeds were the first things to sprout.
Sunday after Singing … when I would see Gabriel again.
*
Gabriel
Eternal life.
Isn’t this what every Christian longs for? And yet, having attained it, I am still a little confused. When the gift was given to me at the age of nineteen, I was filled with joy. Endless ages in which to praise my Creator! To worship Him while the stars wheeled overhead and the seasons turned. The fact that I was not doing so in front of a throne, or in the company of beings made of spirit and light, puzzled me at first, but then, like any creature, I adapted. Not that I would ever intimate that the Bible was mistaken. But reality being different from prophecy, and I being a realist, I simply got on with what I was given.
Eternal life.
I’m still finding it strange, even after two centuries.
Other Books by Author KO
Did you enjoy this book? If so, you might leave a review on the book’s page on your favorite online retailer to tell others about it!
Don’t miss the other books in the Magnificent Devices series:
Lady of Devices
(2011)
Her Own Devices
(2011)
Magnificent Devices
(2012)
Brilliant Devices
(2013)
or enjoy the
boxed set of all four
at a discounted price!
A Lady of Resources
(2013)
A Lady of Spirit
(2014)
or the
Twin Set
containing books 5 and 6
A Lady of Integrity
(2014)
A Gentleman of Means
(2015)
*
Caught You Looking
(2011, contemporary romance, Moonshell Bay #1)
Immortal Faith
(2011, paranormal YA)
*
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RITA Award® winning author and Christy finalist Shelley Adina wrote her first novel when she was 13. It was rejected by the literary publisher to whom she sent it, but he did say she knew how to tell a story. That was enough to keep her going through the rest of her adolescence, a career, a move to another country, a B.A. in Literature, an M.F.A. in Writing Popular Fiction, and countless manuscript pages. Shelley is a world traveler who loves to imagine what might have been. Between books, Shelley loves playing the piano and Celtic harp, making period costumes, and spoiling her flock of rescued chickens.
Learn more about Shelley and her books at
www.shelleyadina.com
.
Copyright
Copyright © 2015 by Shelley Adina Bates
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher at
Moonshell Books, Inc.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.