Brides of Arizona, page 13
He pulled back and looked at her. His warm hazel eyes glowed with love. Glorianna reached up and patted his cheek. How she loved her father. He had always been the best he could be, even when it meant he had to be away from his family.
“Daddy, I’m sorry I said things to Mrs. Denton earlier that upset her. I have tried to be respectful.” She sighed. “It isn’t always easy.”
He chuckled. “Yes, I’ll certainly agree with that.”
“I will apologize to her. I promise.”
“You will?”
Her father’s surprise reminded Glorianna of how self-serving and demanding she’d always been. “I know I’ve been difficult. I’m sorry.” She took a deep breath and stepped back from her father. Looking him in the eye, she straightened to her full height. “I’m a different person now.” She paused, trying to figure how to word what she needed to say. Then, with a short prayer for guidance, the words seemed to flow as she told him about her time with Fayth and the giving of herself to the Lord.
“Oh, Kitten.” Her father hugged her again. This time she knew his tears were ones of joy. “I can’t tell you how many times your mother and I prayed for this. I know she’s in heaven rejoicing with the angels. Thank you for telling me.”
He held her away and looked at her for a long time. “Now, what are we going to do about the Denton ladies?”
Glorianna tilted her head to the side and studied her father. “I think we should treat them like we would want to be treated, and let God do the rest. For my part, I’ll try not to be jealous of Chastity. I’ll be as nice as I can to Mrs. Denton.” She paused and tapped a finger on her lip. “And I believe I’ll avoid them as much as possible so I can maintain a Christian attitude.”
They both laughed, although they tried to keep it quiet so Mrs. Denton wouldn’t hear them. She was sure to be standing outside waiting to see how their “talk” had gone.
Leaning close, her father spoke in a low tone. “I think we should sit down and discuss this. After all, she’ll think you’re getting a long lecture. That should make her happy.”
For the next hour, they talked about camp life, the Lord, her mother, and myriad other things they never made the time to talk about. Glorianna warmed to her father’s good advice and wonderful sense of humor, although they had to remember to laugh quietly.
“Try to look contrite,” her father whispered as he prepared to open the door.
Glorianna forced her eyes to open wide, attempting a surprised look. “Me, look contrite?”
He grinned. “You were always a good actress. I’m sure you can do it.”
She wrinkled her nose and crossed her eyes, watching him struggle to maintain his composure. He opened the door. Mrs. Denton shot up from the chair near the door. A frown drew her features into a hound dog expression. Glorianna wondered for a moment if she would begin to bark, then banished the thought before it became her undoing.
“I do hope the matter of Glorianna’s improper behavior is settled, Captain.” Mrs. Denton lifted her chin, speaking in an imperious tone.
Glorianna stepped forward, halting before the tyrannical woman. “I do want to apologize for any problems I’ve caused, Mrs. Denton. I appreciate your concern for me. I …” She felt a nudge from her father as she started to continue. He wouldn’t want her to overdo it.
“Well, I do hope we won’t have any more incidents like this morning. If you need an example to follow, you can watch my Chastity. She’s a wonderful daughter.” Mrs. Denton’s face twisted into what she must have thought was a smile. “I know your mother was sick and probably unable to teach you as she should. That accounts for your lack of manners. I’ll be happy to fill in.”
Anger at the mention of her mother’s lacking anything swelled up inside. Her father, as if seeing the danger, spoke up. “I’m sure Glorianna will be fine now, Mrs. Denton. I promise to keep a closer eye on her. You seem to have your hands full watching your own daughter. I’ve noticed her forward behavior.”
Mrs. Denton narrowed her eyes, staring at Captain Wilton. “Thank you for your concern, Captain,” she said before she turned and stalked away.
That afternoon, Glorianna curled up with her mother’s Bible. Her mother used to spend hours reading and making notes. Now those observances spoke to her about her mother’s desire to live her life in a way that pleased God. After rereading Ephesians 2:8 and 9, she had to stop reading and talk with God.
God, thank You for my salvation. I feel like I ought to do something to pay for this, but You say in the Bible it’s a gift from You. Please be patient with me as I learn. I want to trust You with my life.
Your Word says here in verse 10 that You have good works for me to do. God, I want to do that, but You need to show me what those works are. Fayth says I need to start by seeing people the way You see them. If that’s right, Lord, then it won’t be easy. How can I possibly care for Chastity and her mother? Especially Chastity. She’s trying her best to steal Conlon away from me. I love him, Lord. Please help me to see a good part or maybe some reason why I should love Chastity.
Tears ran down her cheeks. She tried to think of a redeeming quality for Chastity, but nothing came to mind. As she continued to read and pray, she marveled at the way the Bible made sense to her now, when it used to be so confusing. She felt like she’d never read these words before.
Late that afternoon, Glorianna hurried to Fayth’s house to help get Alyce ready to go to the river. She’d lost track of time and knew the other ladies were already waiting by the stables.
“Fayth, are you ready?” she called through the open door.
A wailing cry was her only answer. She stepped in, calling again, heading to Alyce’s room. Inside, Fayth, her hair in disarray, her face worn and tired, rocked her flushed child.
“Fayth, is she all right?”
A tired smile lit Fayth’s face. “Her fever is higher now. I won’t be going with you today.”
“I’ll stay and help you.” Glorianna felt bad for not checking back in after this morning.
“No, you go,” Fayth insisted. “I don’t think Alyce will agree to let you hold her right now. Besides, Timothy will be here soon. He’ll help out.”
Panic stricken, Glorianna said, “But I can’t go to the river without you. What will I do about Chastity? I need you there.”
“Glory, you don’t need me. You have Jesus. Just listen to Him.”
Glorianna prayed all the way to the ambulance, trying to find a reason to stay behind. God, I know You want me to trust You, and so I will. Please help me. She looked up to see Chastity sitting astride Nina, so close to Champ that her knee occasionally brushed against Conlon’s. The look of defiance on her face grated on Glorianna.
She swallowed her pride, forcing a smile. “I’m glad you like Nina, Chastity. It’s nice you’re willing to give her some exercise.” A look of astonishment crossed Chastity’s face. Glorianna climbed into the wagon with the other women.
The trip to the Verde River was miserable. Glorianna spent her time trying to ignore Mrs. Denton’s loud lecturing to the wagon’s occupants and her daughter’s obvious flirting. At least she could tell Conlon would rather be just about anywhere than riding with Chastity.
At the river, she moved away from the others, needing to be alone. The refreshing water not only cooled her physically, but soothed her ragged emotions as well. She dipped her head beneath the surface, rubbing her fingers through her tangled hair, washing the dirt free.
“I suppose you’re trying to figure how you can get more time alone with Conlon.” Chastity’s snotty voice greeted her as she lifted her head out of the water. “My mother will be watching for you to sneak off and meet him in the mornings. That ploy won’t work anymore.”
“I didn’t sneak off this morning.” Glorianna tried to keep her tone even. “I simply went for a walk and met him.”
“Are you saying you weren’t in the habit of meeting him?”
“We enjoy watching the sunrise together. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“I think there’s something wrong with a young lady’s spending so much time with a man when they aren’t chaperoned.”
“We weren’t exactly alone.” Glorianna struggled to control her temper. “After all, the night guards were watching. Besides, what about your rides together? You don’t have a chaperone.”
“Well … we … we aren’t sitting together on a rock. Or kissing …,” Chastity sputtered.
Glorianna scooped some of the water in her hands and rubbed her face. Maybe the water would cool her anger. God, I still can’t find anything to love about her. Please, help me.
Remember your childhood, came to her as clearly as if a voice had spoken out loud. She ducked under the water again to get a moment to think. What about her childhood? Then, understanding came in a rush. The years of constant moving, going to different forts and camps where there were only adults and few, if any, children. The terrible loneliness and longing for a friend. She remembered how glad she was to finally be back east where she and Kathleen could be friends.
She burst up from the water, catching Chastity unaware. The forlorn look on the girl’s face confirmed her suspicions. Thank You, God, for showing me the answer.
“Tell me, Chastity,” she said, watching the girl’s expression closely. “Have you and your mother always followed your father wherever he was stationed?”
“Of course. What’s wrong with that. Didn’t you?”
“When I was young we did.” Glorianna tried to pick her words with care. “Then, when my mother got sick, we had to go back east. We were there two years before she died.”
“So?”
Glorianna took a deep breath. “The one thing I missed the most out here, the thing my father couldn’t provide, was another girl my age. I didn’t have a close friend until I took care of my mother. Then, my cousin Kathleen and I became best friends.” She noted the look of longing that flitted across Chastity’s face. “Have you ever had someone like that, Chastity?”
“My mother is my friend.” Chastity looked over toward her mother and the other women.
“My mother was my friend, too,” Glorianna said. “But didn’t you ever want to be close to a girl your age? Someone to share a joke with or someone to stay up all night talking to?”
Chastity remained silent for a long time, still staring at the other women. Finally, she scooped water from the river, running her hands over her face. When she turned back to Glorianna, her shiny eyes spoke of tears unshed. “I don’t need a friend.” Her voice was a hoarse whisper.
She began to edge away. The other women were moving to leave the river, and Chastity started to follow them.
Before she could get too far, Glorianna called softly, “If you want a friend, I’m willing to be one.”
Chastity stopped and turned toward her. “Why?” she asked bluntly.
“Why what?”
“Why would you want to be my friend?”
Glorianna tried to think from Chastity’s point of view. Since arriving at Camp MacDowell, she had done nothing but torment Glorianna. She’d gone out of her way to steal Conlon, tried to alienate her father, and, in general, done her best to give Glorianna a bad name around the camp. She knew Chastity couldn’t understand an offer of friendship under those circumstances.
Her heart pounding in nervous fear, Glorianna said, “I know I haven’t been friendly to you before. This morning, my life changed. I gave my life to Jesus, and now I want to try to be like Him. I know I always needed a friend, and I’m sure Jesus wants me to be that to you.”
Chastity whirled away and waded from the river. Glorianna followed, wondering if there was some other way that she could have answered the question better. At the top of the bank, Chastity waited for her. The others were already near the ambulance, laughing and chattering.
Speaking in a low tone, Chastity hissed, “I don’t need your friendship. I don’t want to hear about your religion, either. I have Conlon. He’ll marry me soon, and I won’t need anyone else.”
She stormed away toward the wagon. Glorianna didn’t think she could hurt anymore if she’d been slapped across the face. God, what did I do wrong? I tried to follow what You told me. It didn’t work. How will I manage? I don’t think I can stand to live if she marries Conlon.
“Trust Me,” spoke a still, small voice.
Chapter 17
The rhythmic creak of the rocking chair sounded loud in the room’s stillness. Glorianna laid her cheek against Alyce’s hot forehead to see if her temperature had gone down. For the first time since she’d come by this evening, Alyce had ceased crying and fallen asleep. Although her face still bore the flush of fever, she felt a little cooler.
Removing the warm rag from Alyce’s forehead, she dipped it in the basin of cool water on the stand beside her chair. She swirled the piece of toweling in the water before squeezing it out and placing it over Alyce’s brow. The child barely moved. Only a slight puckering of her mouth showed she felt anything.
“Oh, Alyce,” Glorianna whispered, “I hope love isn’t so difficult for you.” She couldn’t quit thinking about Conlon. When they returned from the river, Chastity insisted that he come for her after supper so they could go for a walk. She knew he must have begged Timothy to go with them. Fayth wouldn’t agree until Glorianna said she would stay with Alyce. After all, she’d pointed out, Fayth needed a break. A walk in the cool evening air would be refreshing.
The ache in her heart beat in a dull rhythm. She knew Conlon loved her, but would his love be strong enough to overcome Major and Mrs. Denton? Would they allow Chastity’s wishes to dictate their lives and Conlon’s? She wished her father could help, but his hands were tied when it came to superior officers. He could only make suggestions, and the Dentons didn’t take kindly to suggestions about raising their daughter.
The sound of a door opening and muted voices drifted through the house. Fayth and Timothy stepped quietly into Alyce’s room. Fayth looked much better than she had earlier. Her cheeks, hollow and drawn from her inability to keep her food down, now had a bit of color.
“Is she sleeping?” Fayth’s whisper barely reached across the room.
“She fell asleep about half an hour ago. I think her fever has gone down a little.”
Fayth quietly crossed the room as Timothy slipped back into the front room. Glorianna could hear voices and wondered if Conlon had come back home with them.
“Let’s put her in bed.” Fayth pulled back the covers and centered the pillow. “It will probably be better if I don’t take her. Do you think you can put her down?”
“I’ll try.” Glorianna stood, gritting her teeth against the ache in her arms. How did Fayth manage to hold this child for hours? She crossed to the bed, leaned over, and gently slipped Alyce into the bed. Alyce sighed and rolled to the side. The rag from her forehead dropped on the sheets. Fayth retrieved it and put it back in the bowl of water.
Touching Alyce’s forehead, Fayth nodded. “I think you’re right. She does feel cooler.”
“You look much better, too. I think the walk was a good idea.”
A high cackling laugh drifted through from the front room. Fayth’s eyes met Glorianna’s.
“We invited Conlon and Chastity to come in for awhile.” Fayth glanced at the door and lowered her voice. “I think Timothy did it out of sympathy for Conlon. That girl needs some lessons in propriety.”
“I don’t think I can go out there.” Glorianna sank down in the rocker. “I told you what happened at the river. How am I supposed to be civil to someone who only wants to make me look like a fool?”
Fayth pulled a chair over by Glorianna’s. “Remember that while we were completely unlovable, God loved us. You have to follow His example. Jesus loved those who cursed Him, spit on Him, and beat Him.”
“You’re right.” Glorianna sighed. “If He can do that, surely I can love a lonely girl.”
“I know you can.” Fayth hugged Glorianna, then checked Alyce one more time. “Come on, Alyce is fine for now. Let’s go visit.”
Conlon and Timothy stood as they entered the room. Chastity edged her chair slightly closer to Conlon’s. A smug smile twisted her features when she noticed Glorianna watching her. She settled back in the chair, her gaze never leaving Glorianna’s. When Conlon sat down, he would be within easy touching distance for Chastity.
“I see we need another chair.” Conlon glanced around. “Here, Glory, why don’t you take mine and I’ll get another one. No, it’s all right.” He motioned Timothy to sit down. “I can get the chair.”
Normally, Glorianna wouldn’t have wanted to come so close to Chastity, but this time she knew it would keep Conlon from being next to the little vixen. Attempting her sweetest smile, she ignored the daggers flying from Chastity’s eyes. “Why, thank you, Conlon.” She crossed the room. Lowering herself to the chair, her elbow poked into Chastity’s arm.
“Oh, excuse me.” She lifted up and moved her chair. “I didn’t realize your chair was so close.”
“You did that on purpose,” Chastity hissed.
Glorianna widened her eyes. “Did what?”
The anger faded from Chastity’s face, replaced by a sugary smile that coated her features as Conlon walked toward them carrying a chair.
“You can sit next to me, Conlon.” Chastity made it sound like an order.
“I think there’s more room over here,” Conlon replied, placing his chair on the other side of Glorianna. He settled into the chair, so close his sleeve brushed against her arm. She wanted to reach out and touch him, but knew it would only cause trouble between him and the Dentons.
Timothy asked about Alyce and a buzz of conversation drifted around Glorianna. She couldn’t seem to concentrate on what they were saying. Her thoughts, instead, centered on the nearness of Conlon and her desire to tell him about her salvation. She forced herself not to fidget, picturing his excitement when she finally told him.
She didn’t know how long her mind drifted, but a sudden uncomfortable silence in the room brought her back to the present. Sometime in the last few minutes, while her mind toyed with other thoughts, her fingers had become entangled with Conlon’s. It felt so right that she hadn’t even noticed and wasn’t entirely sure he had, either. From the tension in the room and the look on her face, she knew Chastity was aware that they were holding hands.
