“I’ll be fine. It seems quiet around here, and besides, Eve needs that peppermint oil. Most of the rowdies are sleeping it off so they can get all riled up again tonight, and the railroad men are mostly still working. I’ve got to turn in this sewing and pick up another batch. Then I’ll hurry my shopping andget back before much time passes. Go on now, and tell your pa I’ll be praying for him.”
Melody hurried away with the boy. Both did a quickstep for the first block, then broke into a run. Marybeth whispered a prayer for Mr. Doyle and headed on down the block to Grier’s Laundry. Just as she’d known, the exchange didn’t take long at all. Next, she made her way to Armstrongs’. It seemed there were more people on the street just in the short time since she’d arrived. Something told her she should probably just turn around and go home, but Eve needed the peppermint oil.
Lord, please keep me in Your care and keep evil from me.
She knew Edward wouldn’t like that she hadn’t returned home, and she hated to displease him. Still, she kept seeing Eve’s pale face. She glanced over her shoulder, then down the street. No one seemed to even notice her.
Stop fretting.She was being her own worst enemy. Marybeth whispered another prayer and headed forward with even greater determination. She was safe in God’s care. To think otherwise was to doubt Him, and she wasn’t about to do that now. Not when so much was at stake. The future might be questionable where she and Edward were concerned, but she knew that God could work out the details to even that situation.
She thought of her Bible verse that morning. Psalm 118, verse six. She steadied her nerves and whispered it aloud. “‘The LORDis on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?’”
Besides break my heart.
No. That verse included Edward. She wasn’t going to let him discourage her or send her into more tears. She loved him, and she was his wife. She would honor God and thepromises she made, and she would begin to pray like never before that God would somehow bring Edward around to a peace of heart that would allow him to let go of his fears.
“The LORDis on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?”
19
Edward sat in the silence of the shed for a long time. He thought of his conversation with Marybeth and her sorrow over his determination to keep their marriage platonic. He knew he wasn’t being fair to her. He should have seen the possibility of her falling in love with him. But he had convinced himself that would never happen. Just as he was convinced that it couldn’t happen to him.
Yet it had. He had fallen in love with Marybeth. He pounded his fists on the arms of the rocker. Why hadn’t he guarded his heart better?
“I’m a fool. That’s what I am.”
And now they were both up against it. They needed each other, and they loved each other. They were a true family in every way except for his refusal to be intimate. He wasn’t even willing to be open with his affection for her. That would only lead to more desire, and he couldn’t allow that.
He rubbed his side. Sitting too long caused it to ache, so he got up carefully and made his way to the cot. He knew he had to rest and clear his mind. He would pray. God had never failed to guide him, and He wouldn’t stop now.
He reached for his Bible. “Lord, this one is a mess, and I need some answers.”
Marybeth entered Armstrongs’ and immediately looked for Cynthia Armstrong. She didn’t have far to look. The woman was balancing several bolts of cloth and climbing a ladder to put them on a top shelf.
“Good thing you aren’t afraid of heights,” Marybeth said, coming to stand at the counter.
Cynthia placed the fabric on the shelf. “It is.” She stretched to put the final bolt in place.
Marybeth found it a bit unnerving. “Please don’t fall.”
“Don’t worry. I find myself up in the air probably half the day. I’m used to it.” She glanced around the store. “Where’s Melody?”
“Her father fell from a ladder. I guess that’s why it’s on my mind. He was hurt and needed to have her help getting home. I decided to come on ahead because Eve is suffering morning sickness and needs peppermint oil for her tea.”
Cynthia nodded. “Anything else?”
Marybeth produced a list. “The first line of goods is for her. The second for me.”
The older woman reviewed their needs. “I will wrap hers separately. Say, we’ve got something new. Mrs. Cameron brought it back with her after their trip to Boston. Look here.” Cynthia disappeared behind the front counter.
Marybeth followed over to see what the woman was all excited about. It was only a moment before she produced a small box.
“This is Bell’s Seasoning. Mrs. Cameron says they had it on their turkey and in the stuffing, and it was unlike anythingshe’d ever had. It’s best with poultry dishes and works for chicken as well as turkey.”
“That sounds quite interesting. I’ve never been one to use much in the way of spices. My pa never cared for anything but salt and pepper. I wonder if Edward would like it.”
“Well, you should probably try a box. The supply won’t last long once word gets out.”
Marybeth nodded. “I’ll take one. Hopefully I’ll be able to figure out how to use it properly.”
