Crown of Beauty
Page 19
He found Catherine again with his eyes, and answered the young lady without looking back.
“Yes, I am,” he said, without caring who knew.
As he pushed through the crowd, he watched Sarah take a turn, her arm taken by a young man who looked besotted, and Catherine turned her head to look behind her as if to see her parents’ reaction. Her parents were far back by the entrance to the ballroom, and perhaps Catherine hadn’t realized the progress she had made through the room. From the short distance between them, Will could see the white rose tucked into her hair and would have tripped over his own feet if there had been room to do so.
Catherine shouldn’t have left Sarah alone, but her sister had been thrilled to wear her purple gown and the attention she was receiving from the boys they grew up playing beside was entirely different from usual. Surely with so many people around, and most of them looking at Sarah, her sister wouldn’t dare try to sneak away. Besides, Catherine hadn’t seen Will yet, and she wasn’t sure how brave she felt just now. If she had a few moments to herself to gather her thoughts and pray, she thought she might be better able to handle any meeting that could occur, although she knew it wasn’t guaranteed. What if he decided not to come, or that wrestling with Arthur over her wasn’t worth it? What if he thought she wasn’t worth it, especially after she had left him at the Van Alden party in such an emotional state? She couldn’t bring herself to be ashamed of her behavior, though. It was honest, and he had looked as if her pain touched him deeply.
She wandered down the hall towards her bedroom, stopping to look out at the ocean through the large window that opened this part of the hall to the view. She smiled at the sight of the rolling surf, and thought of Sarah’s silly question about babies and swimming. By the time the weather was warm enough to step into the water, they both would be aunts, and perhaps they could wade while holding the baby.
“Catherine?”
His voice was soft and low, barely audible above the noise from the ballroom, but it was unmistakably Will’s.
“I have something for you, but first, if you will let me, I need to apologize.”
She watched him as he spoke, holding her arms tight against herself so she wouldn’t reach out to him. It had been so long since they had seen each other, and the pull she felt towards him was still so strong.
“I am sorry. So very sorry. There is so much more to say, to explain, but I think that is the most important.”
He fell to one knee and she couldn’t help but suck in a breath.
“No, I’m wrong. The most important thing I have to say is that I love you. I willingly give you my heart, if you will have it.”
She should dismiss him, she knew, if she was to judge his behavior, both in the City this year as well as his lies here in Newport, but she would not judge. If he had not loved her in truth, he would not be here, begging for forgiveness, offering himself to her, when he had the opportunity to run back to the City with his uncle and put all of this behind him. She reached both of her hands out to him, and he rose, taking them both in his and kissing her before she could catch her breath.
“I have something for you. Wait, I think I said that already.”
He laughed, his face only inches from hers, and she touched his cheek with her hand. She had everything she wanted from him now, and no earthly thing could mean more to her.
“I’ve been spending a lot of time with Mrs. Van Alden’s Bible.”
She blinked, waiting for him continue.
“I can’t say I understand everything that I’ve read, but there is a verse in Isaiah about a crown of beauty, a crown that I believe He gives to us to allow us to rule ourselves in His name. If we follow Him, and choose to live according to His will, we are beautiful in his eyes. You are beautiful in my eyes, always, but I want you to know, I want you to see that in me, just as I wish to serve God so that He will bring out that same beauty in myself. Does that make any sense?”
The words and intent were beautiful in themselves, and Catherine kissed him in response. He pulled away, much to her surprise, after only a few moments.
“This was my mother’s necklace, one that she told me was given to her by my father soon after I was born.”
He pulled a thin gold chain from his pocket and as he brought it before her eyes she saw the tiny gold cross dangling from the middle.
“Oh my goodness, it’s gorgeous.”
He carefully unclasped the link and slid his hands around her neck, their gazes locking as he fastened it behind her head.
“I cannot hope that one day we will have a daughter of our own for you to give this necklace to in time, but if you give me a chance to . . .”
When Catherine kissed him, he didn’t pull away this time, but held her close as if he would never let her go again.
The End
Ready for Sarah’s story? Read on for the first chapter of Treasure of Hope, FREE!
Treasure of Hope
Cliff Walk Courtships, Book Three
Newport, Rhode Island
New Year’s Eve, 1893
Chapter One
Sarah felt a twinge of guilt at skirting from her maid’s watchful eye, which wasn’t all that sharp this evening. There were so many people in their home, especially since there were so few social activities in Newport this time of year. Still, many of their guests had come in for the weekend for the event from the City, and Sarah was sure that her family’s winter ball would be the talk of every newspaper and social gathering for the next week to come.
And yet, here she was, slipping out for what promised to be a better time down on the Cliff Walk with new friends, ones who not only stayed in town year round, but weren’t so stuffy about manners and expectations. Many of them were from families that wouldn’t meet her mother’s approval, but they were nice enough and happy to have her join in their fun. Sometimes one of the boys were a little too friendly, but the others would put him in his place, so she wasn’t too concerned and never felt unsafe.
“Hey, hey, it’s our Sarah!”
She felt a rush of pleasure as one of the boys called out to her, one of them who had, in fact, held her too close the last time they had all walked up and down the Cliff Walk in the middle of the night together, but she laughed at his exclamation, willing, as always, to forgive and forget. Mother had always told her that she had to be careful around boys, for they often didn’t have the self-control that girls did, and it was up to her to maintain a sufficient distance and make it clear that she was above such behavior. She wasn’t sure what sort of behavior her mother was referring to, but she knew that no boys should be touching her at all, and it didn’t feel right when he had tugged her against him. He had been drinking too, and she could smell it, sweet and hot on his breath.
“We’ve a bit of the good stuff to celebrate, and since your folks are having all that music, we can dance, too!”
Two girls she recognized from one luncheon or another the past summer were giggling, leaning up against another boy she knew very well. All three must have arrived for the weekend, and she wondered if their parents expected them to be at the ball just as hers did. If they were here, it only made it more clear that there was no reason why she shouldn’t be, although she had come without knowing they would be there. She shook her head slightly to clear it. There was no need to justify what she was doing: spending time with friends, just not inside where she was told to be, but out here, in the cold night air, which was sharp and refreshing after the stuffy heat in the ballroom with all those people.
“How was the walk here? Do you think it’s too slippery?”
She tried to sound pleased, and she was, but she also knew that the walk was more dangerous in the cold as the damp froze and made the stones and cliffs slick. The boy who had yelled earlier draped an arm around her shoulders but didn’t lean into her, as if he remembered that she didn’t like the contact and while still wanting to be friendly, kept a few inches distance out of a measure of respect. He was of a working f
amily, but not a servant, and there was word that he had a brother with a business of his own. Still, he was out here, drinking, rather than with that brother and the rest of his family, and she wondered why he would prefer the company of near strangers to them. The thought struck her like a blow to the chest and she almost gasped. She was here as well, with a family who was oppressive but loved her unconditionally all the same. How was she any different from this boy? She couldn’t even remember his name.
Her hair was coming loose as the wind grew brisk, and she shuddered, her arms tight around herself to ward off the cold.
“Just a bit of a cuddle, won’t that be okay, Princess?”
She didn’t protest when he moved closer, and the heat of his body against hers was not unwelcome in the fierceness of the wind and cold. New Year’s Eve, and Sarah wondered if this time next year she would be married, or at least engaged. She had watched her sister Catherine struggle against their parents’ demand that she accept the gentleman they had chosen for her to marry, then fall into a depression over a boy she hardly knew but loved without even knowing his true name. She closed her eyes and silently promised herself that she would never be so silly. Her family treated her like a child just because she liked to have fun, but she would never be so reckless as to give her heart to someone who would only break it. Even now, Catherine was inside, looking for a boy who had been lying to her for months. It didn’t make any sense.
“Have a nip? It’ll warm your bones, and maybe you’ll feel a bit more kindly towards me.”
The boy waved a small bottle under her nose and Sarah thought she might be sick. She never wanted to drink, and she certainly didn’t want it shoved in her face.
“No, thank you. Please put that away. I don’t like the smell.”
He sighed heavily, as if her dismissal hurt him deeply. She knew that it didn’t. After all, they hardly knew each other.
“Never mind then. I forgot how much better you are than the rest of us.”
She opened her mouth to protest but he just shook his head. For all his words, he didn’t move away from her, but held her tight. She didn’t think she was any better; it had never entered her mind. She just wouldn’t be pressured to do anything she didn’t want to in order to be a part of their group. It was a small, mixed entourage that huddled together now, between the two girls she knew were at least as well-known as she was, servants in a variety of employment, and this boy, whose family was in business.
He let her go then, and she stepped ahead of him, her gaze on the two girls. Perhaps she should just go and talk with them, and he would forget about her. When his arms snaked around her waist she nearly jumped straight up into the air in surprise, and she frowned as the girls laughed at her. Were they drunk as well?
“Please,” she turned her head slightly but couldn’t see the boy’s face in the dark, and when he didn’t release his hold, she grasped his hands in her own and pulled them away from her. He stiffened as if he hadn’t expected her to do this, and there was a scuffle on the walk as if he was trying to stay standing upright. She kept her focus on the girls but their smiles thinned into frowns and then someone was in front of her, grabbing her and pulling her roughly away from the walk’s edge. Someone screamed and it was only after one of the girls stepped forward and slapped her hard that she realized it had been her, when she noticed that the boy was no longer behind her. The girl who slapped her began to cry and Sarah looked down at the boy’s body, still and alone among the rocks along the water’s edge in the moonlight.
Continue reading Treasure of Hope, available now wherever you purchase your e-books!
Did you enjoy Crown of Beauty? Please take a moment and leave a review wherever you like (Goodreads, your blog, site of purchase) and let me know your thoughts!
You can also subscribe to my newsletter for updates, giveaways, and FREE downloadable bookmarks.
Speaking of FREE bookmarks, did you know you can get a FREE signed Cliff Walk Courtships bookmark just by emailing me your request and street address? Contact me at bellarosearcher at gmail dot com and let me know if you would like your bookmarks signed or unsigned, and personalized if you wish with your name.
About the Author
Cecily K. Wolfe is the author of the award-winning, best selling Cliff Walk Courtships Christian historical romance series as well as the upcoming sequel series, Cliff Walk Cousins. She also writes contemporary young adult and women's fiction under the name Cecily Wolfe, as well as contemporary sweet romance with her teenage daughter under the name Alessa Martel.
She graduated from Kent State University with degrees in English and library science, and enjoys her career as a librarian in Cleveland, Ohio, where she lives with her daughters - both of whom are published authors.
She can be found on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and BookBub as well as her website.