He frowned and lowered his gaze. She could see that he was wrestling with the decision. He wasn’t used to anyone making demands of him.
Judith picked up her fork and began to eat. There was no sense in further discussing the matter. She didn’t want to fight with him, yet as she prayed about what to do, she felt convinced that requiring his church attendance was of the utmost importance. The man was desperate for her to remain, so she had a bit of an edge.
She sampled the eggs and found them light and fluffy. The bacon was crisp, and the toast a perfect golden brown. She had to admit that whoever the cook was, they were quite capable, and she was determined to enjoy her meal.
“I will attend Sunday services with you, but do not ask me to participate in any other way. I will not tithe monies, nor be drawn into any position of service.”
“Nor would I expect you to be, sir.” Judith waited for him to continue.
“And I suppose I have no choice but to send the money immediately. You seem determined to have your way.”
She almost chuckled at the resignation in his voice. He might not like having conditions put on his demands, but he knew when he’d been defeated. Still, she remained silent. Judith had no desire to further antagonize the man.
“I will have Mr. Black make the arrangements and see the money forwarded. He’ll be by this morning, so if you would be so kind as to write down instructions for mailing, I will see to the rest.”
“Thank you, sir.”
He looked up at her for a long silent moment. “You may call me grandfather.”
She couldn’t help the smile that formed on her lips. “I will call you that when you have earned the right.”
His brow arched in surprise, then he gave a slight nod. “Quite clever. You have a quick wit.” He picked up his coffee cup. “You’re very much like your grandmother. She wasn’t afraid to confront me or stand up to me when convinced she was right.”
“I’m glad to hear that. My father said his mother loved you very much. One cannot love another when their relationship is burdened with fear. I will do my best to respect your position, but I will not fear you nor be bullied by you. There can be nothing of quality in our endeavor to know one another if fear is the foundation.”
“It has been a long time since anyone stood up to me. I believe your father might well have been the last to attempt such a thing, and I refused his attitude in full.”
Judith shrugged. “You see where that got you.”
He nodded, then took a long sip from his cup. Judith wondered what he was thinking. Her defiance and strong will weren’t things she offered merely to be obstinate. She felt confident that standing her ground was important. They would never be able to have a true understanding of each other, nor any kind of friendship, if they didn’t offer mutual respect and consideration.
“I’m sure your father had little regard for me. However, his upbringing was good, and we were quite close at one time.”
“I know. He often told me. He said you were never given to common pleasures or playfulness, but you were good and patient in teaching him a variety of things that served him well.”
“I’m surprised that he was so generous in his comments.”
“My father loved you,” Judith countered, not bothering to look up. “He said there was a time when he was certain you loved him as well, but then another replaced him.”
“Another? What nonsense are you speaking?”
She continued to focus on the food and picked up another piece of toast. “Money. Your desire for money replaced your love of him.”
“The one had nothing to do with the other. Unless you consider that making money was important to maintain the welfare of the family. That is the duty and responsibility of the head of any household. It was my task to provide a good life for my wife and child, and I did exactly that. Your father never wanted for anything. Neither did his mother.”
“Except love.” She met his gaze and saw the look of confusion. “Your focus on provision robbed them of your tenderness and love. You became cold and indifferent, but they never gave up hope that you would somehow return to them.”
“This is not an accurate accounting. I was not harsh, nor was I cruel toward them.”
“No? Perhaps not to your way of seeing it, but you abandonedthem when they refused to yield to loving the only thing you loved. Money was not what my father needed. He needed the love of his father. He needed your presence in his life to encourage him and offer guidance in matters that pertained to more than just finance.”
“I tried to offer him guidance when he chose a poor man’s daughter to marry.”
“He was in love with my mother and she with him. It’s true she brought little financial wealth to the table, but her heart was given completely, and for that he benefited far more than if he’d been given a wagonful of gold. You never knew him or his life after that. You couldn’t see how he took the principles you taught him about hard work and made a good living for himself.”
“He could have had so much more if he’d just been willing to do things my way,” her grandfather said with apparent regret.
Judith shook her head. “He had it all and was quite happy. And, despite your lack of belief in God, we were heaven-blessed. God’s hand was upon us, and Papa’s business dealings reaped great reward. When he died, he left me quite comfortable.”
