Elizabeth's Choice

by Lyle, Linda;

  “No, we won’t. We’re going to talk about it right now.” The choke hold was slipping.

  “All right, dear. What is it, exactly, that you want?” His patronizing tone loosened another finger. Hold on. Don’t let him get to you.

  “I want to be a partner in this relationship, not a junior partner. When there is a decision to be made that affects both of us, it should be made together. The wedding date for example. You didn’t even check with me before you announced it in front of your parents. You didn’t even ask me about going to your parents. You informed me like I was one of your shareholders.”

  “I don’t see why you’re getting so upset. I just wanted what was best for both of us.”

  “How do you know what’s best for me?” She placed both hands on the table and leaned forward.

  “Because I know you better than anybody else.” His silky smile made her more determined than ever that the line would be drawn today.

  “If you know me better than anyone else, why don’t you know that I hate your house and all your servants? I want a home of my own, not a show palace. I want a place where my children can run and play without worrying about breaking a priceless piece of art.” She paused for a breath, noting with satisfaction that his smooth facade was crumbling around the edges.

  “What do you mean, you don’t like my house?”

  “I don’t like your house, and I don’t want to live there. I want some place that we can decorate together, someplace that is ours, not yours.”

  “That’s out of the question. We will live in my house.”

  “You don’t own me. I will do as I please.”

  “You’re my wife and you will do what I say.” There was a hard edge to his tone that she had never heard before.

  “I am not your wife.” He stood towering over her and then leaned down close to her face. They looked like two soldiers poised for battle, nose to nose in a standoff.

  “In January you will become Mrs. Alex McClintock, and you will live in my house.” She was suddenly aware of the kind of man she had been dating. For the first time she saw him for who he was, and she didn’t like what she saw. Suddenly, she knew what she had to do.

  “No, I won’t.” She calmly pulled the ring from her finger and placed it on the table between them. She turned to leave, but he grabbed her wrist in a viselike grip, wrenching her around to face him. She cried out in pain.

  “I said, you will marry me in January and live in my house and that is final.” His eyes burned with a hidden fire, and she felt fearful of him. The smooth facade was completely broken, exposing the real Alex McClintock. He twisted her arm until she cried out again.

  “Let me go!” Her own temper overcame her fear, and she pulled back and hit him full force on the jaw with her fist. He released her to gingerly touch his jaw, and she ran through the house to her room, locking the door behind her. She held her breath, waiting for the sound of footsteps, but they never came. A few moments later, she heard the kitchen door slam. From her window, she saw Alex get in his car and peel out of the driveway. Her knees gave way and she sunk to the floor with her head against the wall. The tears came and she felt a burning shame rise up. How could she have been so blind?

  She sat there for five minutes in numbed shock, tears rolling down her face. Then she realized she had to act. She dug through her bag and found the diamond earrings and necklace and placed them on the bed. Then she began to throw her clothes into the suitcase, stuffing them in without regard to wrinkles. She took her vanity case into the bathroom and threw all her belongings into it. She looked around to make sure that she had all her things and then peeped out the door. All was quiet. She quickly loaded her car and then made one more check of the house. Back at the car, she suddenly remembered the Christmas gifts in the trunk. She took out the gifts for his parents and put them on the living room table.

  A sob of regret escaped her as she looked around at what had in the past few days become to feel like home. She swallowed the grief once again and headed for her car. She couldn’t go home. It was too much to spend the holidays in the empty townhouse. She turned her car toward Hope’s house. There was no other place to turn.

  ❧

  When Hope answered the door, she didn’t ask any questions. She just held out her arms and pulled her into the house. That was all it took for the torrent of tears to be released. It was another half hour before she told Hope what had happened. Hope’s face took on the expression of a mother bear protecting her young, but she didn’t seem surprised.

  “That jerk! You should be glad to be rid of him! I’m just glad you found out in time.” Hope pulled her close in a hug.

  “I’m sorry I barged in on you like this,” she managed to choke out between hiccupy-sobs.

  “There’s no need to be sorry. I would have been hurt if you hadn’t come here. Besides, it’ll be great to have you for the entire holidays.” She hugged her friend again and then blew her nose.

  “I guess I should unload the trunk.” Elizabeth sighed and a sudden weariness enveloped her.

  “I won’t hear of it. Jeff will get it. What you need is a soak in a hot bath, a nap and some lunch, in that order.”

  Elizabeth gave in without a struggle and was soon soaking in rose-scented waters. She relaxed in the water and felt the tension begin to ease. Despite the emotional war of the morning, she felt a peace descend. God had been trying to warn her for months, but she had ignored the gentle pleading of the Spirit. Her anxiety was an alarm, and now that she had obeyed, peace reigned. She almost fell asleep in the bathtub. She roused herself and got out of the bathtub, pulled on a flannel gown and fell into bed.

  Several hours later, she awoke to a gentle tapping at the door. It was Hope with a bowl of hot soup and a sandwhich. As she ate, they talked about Christmas and made plans, but no mention of Alex was made. Elizabeth got dressed and then joined Hope in the kitchen. While they were cooking, Elizabeth covered her mouth when she remembered Katherine.

  She explained to Hope about the day before. “I don’t know what to do. I’d like to check on her, but I just can’t face Alex right now.”

  “Let’s call the hospital and see if they’ll give us any information.” Hope made the call, but all they would say was that she was stable. Not one to give up, she called the room directly. Scott answered and she told him that she was a friend of Katherine and wanted to get an update on her condition so that they could share the prayer request with their church. He told her that she would be going home the day after tomorrow. She thanked him and hung up.

  Listening on the other phone, Elizabeth had almost gasped at the sound of Scott’s voice. Her heartbeat so loud that she was afraid he would hear it over the phone line. As she hung up the phone, another realization came to her. It was Scott that she was truly attracted to with his warm and caring personality. He was the kind of man she wanted to marry. Not the kind, she reprimanded herself, the man she wanted to marry. The thought brought pain, because there was no way she could ever make that right. She had made a bad choice, and now she would have to pay for her mistake. How could she ever win Scott when she had just dumped his brother?

  Elizabeth went through the motions of dinner and small talk, but her mind was elsewhere. Jeff asked no questions, for which she was grateful. Hope would tell him everything later. She excused herself after dinner and went to her room. She pulled out her Bible and read from Lamentations again. She felt a kinship with Jeremiah who had seen such unnecessary pain and destruction. If only the people had turned to God, none of it would have happened. It was the same with her. If she had listened to that first warning, then her life would be totally different. The word “if” was such a heartbreaking word. She curled up under the covers and tried to pray, but the words jumbled in her mind. Finally, one word passed her lips: help. Then sleep mercifully claimed her.

  twenty-four

  The rest of the holidays went by in a blur of cooking, parties, and gift-giving. Elizabeth tried to keep her mind of
f the entire McClintock clan, but as the end of the holiday’s approached, her apprehension grew. How was she going to face everyone at the office? How was she going to face Alex? The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she couldn’t stay at the firm. She would work until she could find another position, and then she would turn in her resignation. Once that was settled in her mind, Elizabeth could enjoy the holidays with her friends, but the gnawing unease continued.

  New Year’s Eve gave her a respite from her worries. All their old friends from college came over, and they played games and laughed and talked into the morning. Afterward she fell into bed exhausted, but sleep would not come. Tomorrow she would go home, and the next day she would go back to work. She tossed fitfully and finally managed to doze off as dawn was breaking over the horizon.

  When she awoke, the sun was already high in the azure sky. She could hear a few brave birds chirping outside the window. Spring was still a long way away, but today was one day closer. There was something about New Year’s Day that brought a sense of renewal, a time to start over. Last year she had made some bad choices, but today she would start anew. She reached for her Bible before she even threw back the covers, sitting up in bed to read. She read, “God is our refuge and strength.” The thought comforted her, but she was still uncertain as to her next step. She flipped through the Bible aimlessly until it fell open in the Gospels. A phrase leapt from the page: “I am the way.” She pondered the words. Jesus was her way. A peace stole over her heart as she realized that God would be her guide. She lifted up her eyes and prayed a prayer of thanksgiving.

  She dressed quickly in jeans and an oversized sweatshirt and bounded down the stairs. She found Jeff with his eyes glued to the television, watching the pre-pre-game show.

  “Well, good morning, sleepyhead,” Jeff said. His smug expression reminded her of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland.

  “Good morning. What time is it?”

  “It’s late.” He folded his arms over his slightly round middle.

  “Funny.” She cocked her head and folded her arms.

  “It’s ten-thirty. If you’d waited a little longer, we could have served you lunch in bed.”

  “Ha-ha. Very funny.” She took a pillow from the couch and threw it at him. He caught it in midair.

  “Maybe you should play for the other team.” He grinned, and Elizabeth raised her fists as if ready to go a few rounds.

  “Where’s your much-better half?”

  “She’s in the kitchen.” He had barely spoken when the commercials ended and Jeff was soon lost in game statistics and strategy. Elizabeth found Hope working on some game “snacks” for Jeff and his friends. They met every year to watch football. The array of hoagies, pizza, and chips ‘n’ dip suggested a feast, not a snack, as the boys were fond of calling it.

  “This is more work than Thanksgiving,” Hope commented from behind a stack of hoagies.

  “Looks like it.” Elizabeth moved into place beside Hope and they formed an assembly line for the sandwiches, making short work of them. Elizabeth took the leftovers and made her own Dagwood. At the smell of sliced ham, pickles, onions, and spicy mustard, her stomach growled in anticipation. Hope made one for herself, and they pulled stools up to the island and chowed down. They laughed at each other as the contents of the sandwiches threatened to burst out of the bread and mustard dripped from every corner.

  “How ladylike!” Hope commented as a line of mustard made its way down Elizabeth’s chin. She grabbed a napkin and wiped up the mess, choking back the laughter with her mouth full. She chewed and swallowed, while her hand waved like a fan in front of her face. Any moment she was going to break into hysterical laughter. “Don’t do that when I’m eating,” she gasped between fits of laughter, “or you’ll be wearing my lunch.”

  “What’s going on in here? I can barely hear the television,” Jeff said from the doorway, crossing his arms and frowning in an effort to appear stern. “You ladies need to calm down.”

  Hope looked at Elizabeth. Elizabeth looked at Hope. Jeff realized what was going on, but was too late to avoid the barrage of mustard that flew from their spoons. It landed squarely on his nose and dripped down to his chin. He licked his upper lip and said, “Not bad.” The girls could no longer contain themselves. They laughed so hard that tears flowed down their cheeks. It felt good to Elizabeth. It was a release of all the tension of the past months. By the time they had finished, her sides and her face ached from laughing.

  They cleaned up the kitchen together and finished their lunch. Jeff set up the buffet on a card table in the living room. Elizabeth put off packing and loading the car for as long as she could, but she wanted to be gone before the guys showed up. With a hug and a promise to call, Elizabeth put the last load in the trunk and got in the car. Hope stood in the driveway and waved until she was out of sight.

  The drive home was too short; all too soon, she was pulling into her parking place in front of the townhouse. She made three trips to the car, unloading all the Christmas presents and luggage. She smiled at the books from Hope and the bread maker from Brett. They knew her too well. Her two favorite things: reading and cooking. That was something Alex never knew about her. There were lots of things Alex didn’t know about her. With a sigh, she pulled the painting she had bought him for Christmas out of the trunk and took it upstairs. She would take it back to the gallery tomorrow and get her money back or exchange it for something she liked better.

  She dumped the last load in the foyer and made a tour of the apartment. Everything was just as she had left it. The dress from the engagement party still hung on the outside of the closet in its protective bag. She would return that dress. She would return everything. Taking the dress from its hook, she gathered all the expensive presents that Alex had lavished on her and piled them on the couch. She carefully boxed them up and put Alex’s address on them. It would be simpler to take them to the office tomorrow, but the thought of handing them over in person made her feel ill. It seemed so cold, like a business deal gone wrong.

  She spent the rest of the evening, airing out the apartment and unpacking. She ordered in Chinese food and watched an old movie on television. It had been a long time since she had been able to enjoy this simple pleasure. She curled up in her flannel nightshirt, robe, and slippers with a contented sigh. The thought of going to bed made her restless. Going to bed meant that tomorrow would come all the faster. She sighed and prayed for strength. Snuggling down in the darkness, she closed her eyes, but sleep was elusive. Every bad-case scenario she could think of wandered through her troubled mind. She finally fell asleep, but her tortured dreams kept her tossing all night.

  The next morning she awoke with a headache and red eyes. It was not the best way to start this day of all days. She drug herself out of bed and got dressed. As she drove to work, her stomach began to tie into knots. They seemed to multiply as the miles passed. She pulled into her parking space and drew in a deep breath to calm her racing heart, but it had little effect. With back straight and eyes ahead, she marched across the remaining feet and into the building. As the door sucked shut behind her, she knew what the sound of prison doors must be like. Thankfully, she didn’t meet Alex or his father in the hallways and gratefully slipped into her office and released a long sigh. Her pardon was short, for she had no sooner closed the door to her office before a light tap sounded at the door.

  “Yes,” she called with as much confidence as she could.

  Anne, Matthew McClintock’s secretary, peered around the door. “Mr. McClintock wants to see you right away in his office.” Anne looked uneasy and shifted from one foot to another as she delivered her message and then scurried away the minute Elizabeth nodded in response.

  She knew that there would have to be some explanations, but she was hoping that it wouldn’t be this soon. Better to get it over with now, she supposed. She stood up and straightened imaginary creases in her suit, before making her way upstairs. She took the stairs, hopi
ng to avoid any encounter with Alex. She entered the door marked “Matthew McClintock, Senior Partner” and waited for Anne to buzz the boss.

  “Go right in.” Anne motioned toward the door, her eyes following Elizabeth into the office.

  “You asked to see me?” Elizabeth asked from the doorway.

  “Yes, come in.” Matthew McClintock’s face was frowning, all the way from his eyebrows to his chin. Elizabeth tried to swallow the lump of fear in her throat. She didn’t want to hurt this man who already had enough troubles to deal with, but she knew he wanted an explanation. He sat silently for what seemed an eternity, but was only a few seconds. “Due to recent circumstances, I’m afraid that your services here at McClintock & McClintock are terminated as of this morning. If you are willing to keep personal family matters quiet, the firm will issue a letter of recommendation to you. We would prefer that you pack your desk and be gone before lunch. Alex will be out of the office all morning so there will be no unnecessary scenes. Do you understand?”

  He spoke the words quickly so that she could not interrupt. He obviously wanted no argument and no discussion. She nodded. He didn’t even look up as he said, “That will be all.” Her knees felt like jelly and there was a roaring in her ears, but she managed to look collected as she made her way back to her office. She looked around and realized that this was no longer “her” office. She choked back the burning tears that stood poised at the corners of her eyes and resolutely began to pack her desk.

  She found a gift bag in the bottom of her desk and gathered her family pictures, cards from co-workers, and a sweater that she kept in the bottom drawer. All in all, it wasn’t a whole lot to show for her time here. She put all the files back in the cabinets and arranged the desk in perfect order. Then she lay her office keys on top of the desk and turned her back.

  Walking down the hall, she held back the anger and hurt that gnawed at her heart and throat. As she rounded a corner in a deserted part of the building, her eyes blurred and she ran into someone coming around the corner. A hand reached out to steady her and then quickly dropped. She looked up into the face of Scott McClintock. The coolness was back in his eyes as she knew it would be, but it still cut her already raw emotions.