Page 47 of Discovering Grace

“How can you not be?” Jacob countered. “She came into your house, perpetuating a fraud. She tricked everyone for days. Disobeyed her parents by staying when she should have gone.”

“You object to her actions from a moral standpoint. Yes, I suppose you must.” Isaac shifted to better face Jacob, leaning into the corner of the couch. “She has not hurt anyone by her actions, surely?”

“Not that I am aware. But how will anyone trust her again?”

“Is that all you’re worried about? Give it time. People will gossip about the situation now and again, but no one who knows Grace will truly doubt her honesty. Do you doubt it?” Isaac asked the question with his grin returning. “For myself, I plan to congratulate her.”

The flippant response pushed Jacob’s indignation further. He rose from his seat and paced before the fire. “Why? She has done nothing noble, nothing good, only acted selfishly.” He expected so much more from Grace.

“And? We all behave selfishly now and again, do we not?” Isaac kept trying to find humor in the situation, but Jacob could not allow for that. He could not laugh at it. “Jacob, you must forgive her for hurting your sensibilities. I thought it the worst possible thing when I learned Grace was to be sent away. Anyone who knows her must recognize what a torture it would be to send Grace Everly into the wild places of the world. She is content here, in Aldersy.”

Still pacing, Jacob threw up his hands. “That is not the point. The lies, the deception, those are what people will use to condemn her.”

The next words from Isaac came out sharply. “And how her actions distanced you from Hope? Is that what bothers you most?”

That stopped Jacob mid-step. He folded his arms and turned on his heel to face the baronet. “You knew about that, too?”

“It’s an arm I’ve lost, not my eyes,” Isaac muttered. “Come off it, Jacob. As much as we all admire Hope’s spirit, she was never meant for any of us. Not you, and not me.”

Jacob’s head snapped back in his surprise. “Not you? Are you saying that you—?”

“Years ago.” Isaac lifted both shoulders in a shrug, and his grin turned self-depreciating. “I actually said something to her about it once. Hinted that we might make a fine pair. Hope laughed and bid me never speak of such nonsense again. She was right. We are too alike, she and I. We would’ve driven each other mad. Hope needs someone who can love her nature and give her freedom. Neither of us are in the position for that.” Isaac did not seem overly upset about it.

Really, Jacob wasn’t either. He was more upset everyone seemingly noticed his feelings and never said a word about it to him before.

Perhaps he ought to trust Isaac with more of his concerns. If anyone could help Jacob set his mind and heart at ease, it would be one of his friends.

“At first, I was upset about Hope leaving.” That much Jacob could admit. “But I have been confused of late over someone else entirely. You see, I think—it is entirely possible—that I have feelings for Grace.” He dropped his hands limply to his sides. He had known Grace forever. How could his feelings change for her now?

Isaac gawked unabashedly at him. “That should be good news,” he finally said. “Since she feels the same.”

Jacob scoffed at that. “I doubt it. I meant to tell her yesterday when I saw her and ask if she might see me as more than a friend.”

“What stopped you?” Isaac gaped at Jacob as though he were a lackwit.

Given that Isaac immediately knew the whole plan was Grace’s, Jacob felt rather unintelligent admitting that the revelation had silenced him. He settled for giving only part of the explanation. “I am to be the vicar. People will look to me as an example and hold me to a higher standard than other men. When they learn about her deception, if I courted her, it might cause them to doubt me. A vicar and his wife must be above reproach.”

“That is possibly the stupidest thing I have ever heard.” Isaac leveraged himself off the couch and glared at Jacob. “You are the one about to be ordained, but it seems I need to remind you of something you will be preaching ere long. ‘Judge not, lest ye be judged.’ No man or woman is perfect, and we all have our faults and failings. ‘Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.’ You see? Perhaps I should have gone into the church instead of the army.”

Jacob stared at his friend, taken aback and uncertain how to respond.

Isaac glared back, unflinching. “Grace is our friend. She did something you cannot like, but I believe she had excellent motivation. I know no one on this earth so good as Grace, excepting you.”

The compliment chastened Jacob. His thoughts toward Hope, and then Grace, had not been charitable. They had been seasoned with anger and disappointment.

“If you are her friend, you will stand beside her,” Isaac said when Jacob remained quiet. “And if you harbor more for her in your heart, then you will forgive her.” He put his hand on Jacob’s shoulder. “You are my friend, too. Tomorrow you leave for your ordination. You will have time to think on all of this, and I will look after things in the meantime.”

Thinking. Yes, Jacob had plenty of time for that.

Chapter 18

The two days in her room passed slowly. While sitting amongst familiar things gave Grace comfort, not knowing what happened outside her doors and windows drove her to distraction. Jacob would have left for his ordination, that she knew.

The servants had been informed of her true identity. Susan called Grace by name, reproachfully, while attending to her. Cook sent up trays of Grace’s favorite foods, but the portions were unusually small, something Grace suspected Cook did on purpose. Grace was given enough to eat, but her favorite jam did not quite cover her toast, and her favorite roast lamb did not take up as much space on her plate as the boiled carrots.

If the servants knew, then the gossip had likely spread to everyone.

The morning of the third day, Grace’s father sent for her to attend him in his study. As soon as Grace was dressed, in her favorite blue gown, she went to him.