We followed Geena and Piper, who had already taken their spots at the back of the church. The processional began to play and Piper stepped forward and then Geena. At the front of the church I saw Mark standing beside two of his longtime friends, Chris and Thomas.
“He’s waiting,” Dad whispered in my ear.
I met Dad’s gaze and drew a deep breath. “And so phase two concludes.” He looked at me oddly, but I only giggled. “It’s a long story.”
Mark looked so very serious as I walked down the aisle. With each step I found my heart picking up speed and my breathing quickening. And then he smiled at me, and I felt as if the entire world had disappeared. How could it be that one man could so completely change my life?
His grin deepened as my father brought me to stand beside him. Mark leaned close.
“I thought maybe you’d changed your mind.”
I smiled and touched the sleeve of his tux. “Not likely,” I whispered.
I can’t say that I remember all the details of the ceremony. I was so nervous about doing everything just right that when the moment finally came and the pastor said we were man and wife, I wanted to take hold of Mark and drag him out of the church. I was tired of crowds and fanfare and wished only to be alone in his arms. Instead, we kissed very briefly.
“More of that later,” Mark whispered.
“Phase three, eh?” I said in a very serious manner.
He winked. “You have no idea.”
Geena leaned in. “Get a move on, you two. There’s a reception and dinner to be completed before you can go traipsing off on your honeymoon.”
I looked at her over my shoulder and shook my head. “Nobody says we have to stay for either one.”
Mark chuckled and pulled me down the aisle. “You are creating a major scandal, Mrs. Delahunt.”
“Mrs. Delahunt,” I breathed. I liked the sound of that very much. Bailee Delahunt. Sounded like a strong and successful name. A fleeting thought passed through my head, but I pushed it aside. My twenty-eighth birthday was shortly after New Year’s. Thirty wasn’t that far off, and so far I had no reason to worry that schizophrenia would play a part in my future, the way it had my past. The blessing, however, was that Mark and I had thoroughly discussed the matter. He knew it was a possibility, but we both agreed it wasn’t going to be a sword hanging over our heads—neither would we allow our home to be a house of secrets. I thought of a quote by Harriet Beecher Stowe and smiled. The past, the present and the future are really one: they are today.
I will live for today, I told myself and smiled at my new husband. With God’s help and his, I felt there was nothing I couldn’t accomplish—nothing I couldn’t endure. I would do as God said in Isaiah and fear not—and in doing so focus on the other verses that Mark had shared with me.
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I could smell the sweet scent of my bouquet and took in a long, deep breath. “A new thing,” I whispered as we reached the end of the church aisle.
Mark seemed to completely understand. He looked at me and smiled. “A new thing.”
Discussion Questions
According to the surgeon general, mental illness affects approximately one in five people. Given these statistics, most people will know someone who has a mental or emotional illness. Has your life been touched by someone like this?
In House of Secrets, the sisters find it necessary to hide the truth of what they believe happened to their mother. Have you ever found yourself the keeper of a potentially life-changing secret? If so, how did you deal with it and did you eventually let the secret be known?
Sisters can often have both rewarding and strained relationships. Discuss the positive and negative ways that Bailee, Geena, and Piper interacted.
House of Secrets focuses on the scars left from childhood trauma. If you’ve suffered from similar events in your past, how did you deal with the trauma? Were you able to overcome the bondage it placed you in? If so, how?
What does the Bible say about mental illness? How can we as Christians reach out to the mentally ill in our community?
Secrets tend to damage more than help, but they are almost always at the base of emotional trauma. What does that kind of bondage look like to you?
How does Satan use secrets to keep us in bondage? What tools do we have as Christians to overcome such bondage?
If you were diagnosed with a mental illness, how would you handle it? Would you actively seek help? Would you let the people around you know? Would you fear being ostracized?
TRACIE PETERSON is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 80 novels. Tracie also teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research. She and her family live in Belgrade, Montana.
BOOKS BY TRACIE PETERSON
* * *
www.traciepeterson.com
House of Secrets • A Slender Thread • Where My Heart Belongs
BRIDAL VEIL ISLAND*
To Have and To Hold
SONG OF ALASKA
Dawn’s Prelude • Morning’s Refrain • Twilight’s Serenade
STRIKING A MATCH
Embers of Love • Hearts Aglow • Hope Rekindled
ALASKAN QUEST
Summer of the Midnight Sun
Under the Northern Lights • Whispers of Winter
ALASKAN QUEST (3 IN 1)
BRIDES OF GALLATIN COUNTY
A Promise to Believe In • A Love to Last Forever
A Dream to Call My Own
THE BROADMOOR LEGACY*
A Daughter’s Inheritance • An Unexpected Love
A Surrendered Heart
BELLS OF LOWELL*
Daughter of the Loom • A Fragile Design • These Tangled Threads
LIGHTS OF LOWELL*
A Tapestry of Hope • A Love Woven True • The Pattern of Her Heart
DESERT ROSES
Shadows of the Canyon • Across the Years • Beneath a Harvest Sky
HEIRS OF MONTANA
Land of My Heart • The Coming Storm
To Dream Anew • The Hope Within
LADIES OF LIBERTY
A Lady of High Regard • A Lady of Hidden Intent
A Lady of Secret Devotion
RIBBONS OF STEEL**
Distant Dreams • A Hope Beyond • A Promise for Tomorrow
RIBBONS WEST**
Westward the Dream • Separate Roads
WESTWARD CHRONICLES
A Shelter of Hope • Hidden in a Whisper • A Veiled Reflection
YUKON QUEST
Treasures of the North • Ashes and Ice • Rivers of Gold
*with Judith Miller **with Judith Pella
Resources: bethanyhouse.com/AnOpenBook
Website: www.bethanyhouse.com
Facebook: Bethany House
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Contents
Tear Down These Walls
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Discussion Questions
About the Author
Other Books by Author
Back Ads
Back Cover
n, House Of Secrets
House Of Secrets Page 24