“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so blunt.”
He shook his head. “You owe me no apology. It is the truth. Like you, I don’t want her to suffer, and if it goes in that direction, we may well move away to save her from further embarrassment. Still, I don’t think Lakewood knows anything beyond believing you are part Cherokee. Isaac’s past would have been easy enough to learn, and Lakewood has plenty of resources.”
It was such a relief just to imagine that her mother might be spared. Faith fell back against the carriage seat. Her father handed her a handkerchief.
“God has a plan even in this, Faith. Even in what happened to your mother. No matter what, we have to trust in the Lord.”
“And lean not unto our own understanding.” Faith wiped her eyes. “God’s been speaking that verse in Proverbs to me over and over. But my own understanding has no patience for this, no belief that good can come from it.”
Father put his arm around her and hugged her close. “I know,but no matter what, we have Him and we have each other. Your mother is a strong woman, and she will get through this, but she’ll be worried about you. I need to be able to tell her that you’re doing just fine—that they haven’t defeated you.”
She nodded and squared her shoulders, pulling slightly away from his hold. “I will be fine. They won’t defeat me.”
“That’s my girl.” He smiled. “Besides, we’re not done with them yet. Lakewood is facing more than he realizes. He’ll be sorry he ever got involved in his scheming to see you ruined and the Indians at war.”
Faith’s eyes widened. “You know about that?”
“I do, but it’s probably best we leave it at that.”
“Yes. I’m sure it is.” She leaned back against her father’s shoulder and sighed. “Thank you for always loving me despite, well, everything.”
“You’re easy to love, Faith. You always have been.”
Samuel Lakewood got up to leave Parrish’s office. He’d accomplished his purpose and defeated the great Lance Kenner. His day was going just as he’d hoped.
“Samuel, is it true?”
Lakewood turned to look at Josiah Parrish. “Is what true?”
He knew what Parrish was referencing. He wanted to know if Faith Kenner was really part savage. Lakewood had paid a lot to have the matter investigated in detail and knew it was true, but he wasn’t sure he wanted Parrish to know that. At least not yet.
“The part about her being Indian. Faith Kenner has blue eyes and looks nothing like an Indian.”
“Did you hear Mr. Kenner admit to her being of Indian blood?”
“No. He never did.”
Samuel smiled. “I simply said that as a ruse. I figured it would give them pause to rethink their threat of a lawsuit. It would be easy enough to get someone to testify against her birth parents. Remember, she is adopted by the Kenners.”
Parrish nodded and then just as quickly shook his head. “You could ruin the girl’s life by claiming such a terrible thing.”
“That was the point of my threat, Josiah. It’ll save the college a considerable amount of time and money if they back away from suing us. If they insist on moving ahead, we can present the idea of Faith’s heritage. By the time it’s dealt with in court, she’ll be ruined. But somehow I don’t think it will come to that. Now, I presume you will keep all of this to yourself.”
“Of course.”
“Then good day.”
Lakewood was finished with his business at the college, but not with his dealings with Faith and her family. He ordered his driver to take him to Gerome Berkshire’s office and was glad to find him alone. Not a single one of his lackeys was anywhere in sight.
“Where are your rowdies?” Lakewood asked as he took the chair opposite Gerome’s desk.
“I’ve got them working on the various things you ordered me to do. Why?”
“I want to make certain we aren’t overheard.”
“No one else is here,” Gerome assured him.
“Good. I want you to kill Seth Carpenter.”
