Blessed Assurance
Page 53
Gabe caught a flickering glimpse of the outline of a hatch. Before Gabe could act, Jack dragged a chair underneath it, and pulled at the handle, drawing the hatch downward. Gabe grabbed a ladder that had been left propped against the wall. Jack stepped aside and Gabe placed it in the hatchway and climbed up the ladder into the attic.
He nearly collapsed with relief. In the dim light, he saw Meg on a chair. But her head hung low. Was she alive?
Rushing to her side, he tenderly lifted her head.
Meg’s eyes flew open. She tried to shout but the gag prevented her.
With his pocket knife, he stripped away her bounds. He clasped her close to him—shaking with relief. “I thought I’d be too late! You’re alive! Thank God!”
Trembling, Meg clung to him, gulping air. “I never thought…I’d see you…”
Sweeping her into his arms, he carried her to the hatch and lowered her to Jack’s waiting arms, then scrambled down the ladder after her. “O’Toole, I think you should stay here and secure the crime scene. We might get some evidence to convict Corelli—”
“It was Corelli,” Meg croaked with her dry throat. “I overheard him speaking…with a man.”
“Dent here gave us a tip on Corelli. This house belongs to him, too. But why did he have you kidnapped?”
“He panicked…saw us around…Penny Candy.” Meg leaned against him limply.
“We can take care of him later.” With Meg in his arms, Gabe descended the narrow curved staircase, the noise of the celebration bombarded him. At the front door, Jack pushed and kicked aside the debris left of the splintered door. Gabe stepped out onto the street with Meg.
She screamed, “He’s got a gun!”
Gabe dove for the cold pavement taking Meg down with him, his body covering hers. Gunshots roared above them. Screams, shrieks, bellows exploded. Dent fell, lifeless, on the banquette beside them.
Two days after Mardi Gras, Gabe sat behind the prosecutor’s table in Judge LeGrand’s full-to-bursting courtroom.
Judge LeGrand gaveled the court into session and everyone sat. “You newspapermen, no picture-taking. None!” He turned to the prosecutor, “Gabriel, are you prepared to resume the prosecution of Delman DuBois?”
“Your honor, the parish withdraws all charges against Mr. DuBois.” Gabriel couldn’t help grinning.
The judge turned his stringent attention to Delman. “Delman DuBois, please rise.”
Del rose.
“Since all charges have now been dropped in the death of Mitchell Kennedy by the parish of Orleans in the state of Louisiana, Delman DuBois, you are free to go.”
Del nodded gravely. “Thank you, Your Honor.”
Judge LeGrand hit the gavel, then departed. As soon as the door closed behind him, the courtroom erupted into exclamations and excitement.
Meg flung herself in Gabe’s arms. He hugged her close. Del stepped up and pumped Gabe’s hand. “Thank you. I never expected to be cleared like this—even after all that’s happened.”
Gabe shook Del’s hand. “The chief of police and Mayor Behrmann decided proceeding with such a flawed case would only bring disgrace on the city. After Rooney’s murder and Corelli’s disappearance, the chief decided a new investigation should be started. You wouldn’t have killed Mitch for the reasons Rooney had concocted. The whole case had become too suspect, too flawed, too dangerous in light of public opinion to hazard.”
“Do you think Corelli was killed, too?” Del asked.
“We haven’t found a body.”
Meg broke in, “I think Corelli fled out of fear of Vincent. And I think Vincent gave Dent my location and ordered Dent killed to make certain no one would be left to testify to anything.” She shivered, thinking about ruthless men. “It’s just fortunate that I didn’t see anyone when I was kidnapped. My ignorance saved me.”
Del squeezed Meg’s shoulder. “You never gave up on me, Meg.”
She turned to him. “Our promise stands.”
Del blinked away tears. “I’m going back to France.”
“Go to San Francisco first, Del. Little Leland William was born last night. I received the telegram first thing this morning.”
“When are you leaving, Meg?”
Gabe smiled. “She has an engagement ring to pick out.”
Nodding, she looked up at Gabe. “And I have a little girl to welcome.”
March 3, 1920
In the warm spring sunshine, Meg and Gabe stood with his parents and Belle with Corby at her side at the New Orleans dock. Gabe’s lips tickled Meg’s ear. “I still don’t know why the whole clan had to come. Marie is a shy little girl.”
Looking up at him from under the brim of her jaunty new blue hat, Meg grinned and touched his arm. “When she arrives, just pick her up and don’t let go of her.” He nodded, but concern for his adopted daughter tightened the lines around his mouth.
Over an hour later, a woman wearing a nurse’s white uniform and cap, holding a small child by the hand, stepped off the ramp.
“Marie!” Gabriel scooped the little girl with brown curls into his arms. “This is my daughter, Marie Lenore St. Clair!”
Gabriel’s family called out “Bon jour, Marie!” The little girl hid her head in Gabriel’s neck. Everyone laughed.
Gabriel’s mother, the recent founder and president of New Orleans’ first Ladies Political Discussion Society, came forward in a chic new purple dress and hat. “Gabriel, please tell her that I am her grandmother.”
When he had, the little girl studied her new grandmother, then reached out for her. Mrs. St. Clair burst into tears as she hugged the little girl to her breast. “Oh, my sweet, sweet little baby girl. We are going to love you so much.”
Meg smiled. After all that had happened, all the danger and all the deaths and disaster, God had brought them safely together.
In the Franklin driving home, Meg sat beside Gabriel with Marie in her lap. “I’m still sorry you couldn’t go home to San Francisco right away,” Gabriel apologized again as he tickled Marie under her chin.
“My parents understand and Cecy is fine. My new brother is healthy and Del is with them and is recovering from his ordeal here. When Marie’s settled in, I’ll go home for a week or two.”
“When does our wedding fit in that plan?” Gabe quizzed.
“As soon as Marie knows me and can enjoy the wedding.” She chucked Marie’s chin, making the little girl grin.
“What about our honeymoon?”
“You’re very naughty,” Meg replied in a prim tone, “but if you marry me, I’ll consider a honeymoon.”
“How very kind of you.”
“Don’t mention it.” Meg fluffed Marie’s soft brown curls.
“And you’re still going to law school?” Gabe glanced at her sternly. “Yes, but not this fall. I think a husband and babies will come before a law career in my life’s agenda. I have plenty of time—”
“All right, but remember part of our marriage bargain is that you will practice law with me and father.”
She chuckled. “I won’t forget. I didn’t know I would ever be this happy again.”
“Neither did I. Probably neither did Marie.”
Hearing her name, the little girl said, “Papa. Je t’aime, Papa.”
“Je t’aime, Marie,” Gabe replied. He traced Marie’s cheek, then Meg’s. Little Marie clapped her hands and clambered to her knees to study Meg more closely. Meg whispered back, “Je t’aime, Marie. Je t’aime, Gabriel.” Thank you, Lord.
Historical Note
The Great Chicago Fire, October 8–10, 1871, destroyed 17,000 buildings, left over 100,000 people homeless, and took the lives of between 200 and 300 people. There was never an actual body count. Many victims fleeing the flames drowned in either the Chicago River or Lake Michigan while many of the missing must have been literally burned to ash. An excellent resource is Robert Cromie’s The Great Chicago Fire.
The San Francisco earthquake began at 5:12 A.M. on Wednesday, April 18th, 1906
. Eyewitnesses described it as a violent shaking with jolts and a circular motion. Then the fires started. When they ended on Saturday, downtown 500 city blocks had been ravaged. Over 200,000 of 400,000 city population were left homeless. To read more, try Three Fearful Days by Malcolm E. Barker.
Prohibition, the Grand Experiment, only lasted from 1920–1933. But it made a mark on American society. For more information about the drastic changes in American life before and after 1920, pick up Fred Lewis’s classic, Only Yesterday.
Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoyed reading the three stories of Blessed Assurance as much as I enjoyed writing them. I love writing about women and the men they fall in love with, but even more I enjoy unraveling the tales of how God challenges them to do more than fall in love. In each of these stories, the heroines and their heroes “took on” their times. They weren’t satisfied with the way things were, but pushed against the inequities they saw.
As Christians, Americans often participated in horrible excesses of violence and cruelty. But at the same time, other Americans fought against the intolerance, ignorance, and poverty. I see our history as a long struggle between our Christian ideals and petty human greed and bigotry. Surely Jessie and Lee, Cecy and Linc, and Meg and Gabe portray countless nameless Americans who fought for what was right. And they were God’s salt and light to those around them, examples to us all.
Lyn Cote
Discussion Questions
In each of these novels, the main characters faced “moments of truth.” What was Jessie’s? What was Lee’s? What about Esther and Hiram? Did they come to realizations by the end of the book?
What was Cecy’s moment of truth? Linc’s? Gabe’s? Meg’s?
Which one meant the most to you and why?
Which heroine did you relate to the most? Why do you think that was?
Was there a hero you were particularly drawn to? Why?
How was Miss Wright different at the end of Whispers of Love? What changed her?
Alcohol abuse is rampant in our society. Why do you think Prohibition didn’t work?
Mentors are very important in young lives. Name the mentors that were important in each of the stories and tell how they made a difference. Have you ever had a mentor in your life?
In each of these stories, some characters possessed wealth. How did this make life both easier and more difficult?
In each of these stories, the characters face an overwhelming challenge—fire, earthquake, social change. Which one struck you as the most difficult or most frightening? Why?
About the Author
LYN COTE married her real-life hero and was blessed with a son and daughter. She loves game shows, knitting, cooking, and eating! She and her husband live on a beautiful lake in the northwoods of Wisconsin. Now that the children have moved out, she indulges three cats—V–8 (for the engine, not the juice), Sad ie, and Tricksey. In the summer, she writes using her laptop on her porch overlooking the lake. And in the winter, she sits by the fire place her husband installed with the help of a good neighbor during their first winter at the lake.
Lyn’s inspirational novels feature American women who step up to the challenges of their times and succeed in remaining true to the values of liberty and justice for all. The story of America is one of many nationalities and races coming together to forge our one nation under God and Lyn’s novels reflect this with accurate historical detail, always providing the ring of authenticity. Strong Women, Brave Stories.
Lyn loves to hear from readers, so visit her website at www.LynCote.net or e-mail her at l.cote@juno.com.
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.
By Lyn Cote
BLESSED ASSURANCE
Coming Soon
THE TEXAS STAR OF DESTINY SERIES
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Previously published by Broadman & Holman as three separate novels:
Whispers of Love copyright © 1999 by Lyn Cote
Lost In His Love copyright © 2000 by Lyn Cote
Echoes of Mercy copyright © 2000 by Lyn Cote
BLESSED ASSURANCE. Copyright © 2007 by Lyn Cote. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
EPub © Edition AUGUST 2007 ISBN: 9780061739385
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