by Robin M Helm
Xander kept his own counsel as he listened to her thoughts reliving both the joys and the pain associated with the young man who stood before them.
Richard stepped into the light so that Elizabeth could see him, and she could see by his face that he had heard Xander’s announcement. Because she knew him so well, his struggle to wear a smile was obvious to her. Elizabeth quickly left the stage by the side steps and ran to him, reaching her arms out for a hug.
Charlotte whispered in Jonathan’s ear, and he went to the stage microphone to alleviate the awkward silence. Everyone was still watching Xander and Elizabeth, transfixed by the events playing out before them.
Jonathan said pleasantly, but authoritatively, “I think we’re ready for tonight, folks. Take a dinner break and be back in an hour.”
Xander smiled at him in appreciation, and then followed Elizabeth, standing back to give her and Richard relative privacy. Gabriel and Michael stood by their charges. Xander turned his face away from Elizabeth and Richard, flinching a little at the young man’s pain.
“Richard, it’s so good to see you. I’m so glad that you came,” Elizabeth said as he enveloped her in an embrace. I’m sorry, Xander. I’m sure you know who Richard is.
Do not worry, Elizabeth. I know that you love me; I am not jealous. His voice was calm and gentle.
After a few long moments, she stepped back to look at him. “The military has agreed with you, Richard. You are certainly no longer a boy,” she said with a smile. “How much have you grown?”
Richard had always been unusually handsome, but now he was tall and muscular as well. He laughed lightly. “I had a growth spurt – about four inches, I guess. I just got off a plane at the Charlotte airport. Because I’m in uniform, I got free bags and first boarding privileges. Mom and Dad picked me up; they’re waiting for me in the car. Mom told me that you were doing a rally here tonight. I’ve kept up with all your travels and concerts. I’ve missed you so much, El.” He paused, and then his words came out in a rush. “Thank you for writing to me, El. Some days, your letters were all that kept me going. I know that I’ve said this before, but I want you to know how sorry I am for what happened. You can’t possibly know how much I regret it.” He looked away.
Elizabeth, the drinking was his fault, but the rest was not, Xander thought to her.
What do you mean? she questioned.
Caroline planned it all. She drugged him with something she stole from her father’s medicine cabinet. She never told anyone, so even he does not know. He was not in control of himself any more than you were when Gregory slipped a drug into your drink. Xander was aware of how Elizabeth would react to his words, but Richard needed to know the truth, and it appeared that Caroline would never tell him willingly.
Elizabeth’s eyes widened with the knowledge, and she remembered how devastated she and Richard had been, how much their families had been hurt, and she was angry with Caroline for her selfishness. If I had known that he had been drugged, I might have felt differently. He has suffered so much. Thank you for trusting me with this information. She began to cry quietly, covering her face with her hands. Michael placed his hand on her back.
“El, why are you crying?” asked Richard earnestly, putting his hands on her shoulders. Hearing his thoughts, Xander knew that he still loved Elizabeth and had hoped that she would take him back. The announcement of her engagement had staggered him, laying waste to all his dreams.
“Richard, it wasn’t your fault, truly,” she choked out, lowering her hands to look at him. “Caroline slipped something into your drink. You were drugged. She planned it all, even down to having Lydia ready to take the pictures.”
Garnet stepped to his side as Richard stood frozen; he thought that his chest would explode. Elizabeth’s words echoed through his brain, and all of the old wounds burst open. For the past half year, Caroline had written to him, all the while letting him believe that he had slept with her willingly. He could not help himself; he despised her, and he was glad that she was not there to receive the full force of his anger. He wanted to hurt her like she had made him hurt, and had she been standing in front of him, he would have made sure of it.
His clenched hands dropped to his sides, and he spoke through gritted teeth. “If only I had never gone to that blasted party. She set me up, asking me to Grant’s house and getting me drunk. I was so stupid that I let her do it. I was an idiot.” Richard’s voice softened, “El, I still love you. I always have, and now it’s too late.”
Elizabeth carefully considered her words. “Richard, I know what it feels like to be drugged and taken advantage of, and I know that you must resent Caroline right now. Fortunately for me, Xander was there to help me before it went too far.” She put her hand on his arm. “You have to let it go. It will eat away at you. It will hurt you and make you bitter, and that’s not the Richard I know. Forgive her, Richard, even if she never asks for it. You can’t heal if you don’t forgive her. All of that took place more than two years ago, and so much has happened since then. I am happy, and I want you to be happy, too. I still love you, too, though not in the same way. Xander is God’s choice for me, Richard, and I know that God has someone – some very lucky girl – for you, too.”
He grinned crookedly, though it did not reach his glistening eyes. “I’ll work on that, but I hope you’ll understand if I don’t agree with you right now.” While he said the words, his mind screamed, There will never be anyone else for me, but I won’t let you see how much it hurts. I won’t spoil your joy. “So, aren’t you going to introduce me to your fiancé?”
Xander walked up beside Elizabeth and extended his hand to Richard. Elizabeth smiled at Richard, and then at Xander, moving her hand from Richard’s arm to Xander’s back. “Richard, this is Xander Darcy. Xander, Richard is a very good friend of mine from my high school days.”
Richard shook Xander’s hand as he thought unhappily, I am only ‘a very good friend’ from her high school days. Here is a man who actually deserves her. I certainly don’t, but he smiled and said, “So you’re the lucky guy who has captured El’s heart. I wish you two all the best.”
“We hope that you’ll come to our wedding. Both of us would love to have you there,” said Xander sincerely.
“December, right?” he asked. Elizabeth nodded.
I can’t stand to see her marry someone else, and Caroline will probably be there. She’s Chance’s sister, and she goes to Tabernacle Church, he thought. I’ll have to forgive her someday, I know, but it won’t be that soon.
Richard cleared his throat and continued, “I’m using up most of my leave now, and I’ll be in San Diego by then. I may come home for a few days at Christmas, but you’ll probably already be married by that time.” You will be happy, and I’m glad about that, but, God help me, I can’t stand it. You will be his in every way. His insides knotted painfully at the thought.
“The wedding date is December 13, but we should be back in town for Christmas. I hope we’ll see you,” Elizabeth replied.
“If I’m home, I’ll be at Tabernacle with my parents, and I’ll see you two there. I’ve been seeing stories on the news about the wonderful work you guys have been doing. I’m so proud of you, El. I always knew that you were meant for great things.” He struggled to keep his mind from thinking about her being married to the tall, handsome man by her side.
“Thanks, Richard. We’ll look for you at Tabernacle. Will you be there tomorrow?” she asked.
I’m not ready to see Caroline yet, he thought. “I doubt it. I really need to visit some relatives out of state before I report back. You look busy, and the preacher said this is your dinner break. I need to go anyway. I’m going out to eat right now with Mom and Dad. It was great meeting you, Xander.”
“Nice to meet you, too, Richard. Be safe,” said Xander.
“I’m going to hug your fiancée goodbye, if you don’t mind,” said Richard, glancing at Xander, and then smiling sadly at Elizabeth.
“Permission gra
nted,” answered Xander, trying to sound lighthearted. He knew the pain that Richard was suffering, and he was not insensible to it. The memories of the weekend before were still very fresh and sharp in his mind. When he had thought he had lost Elizabeth, he wanted to die. After two and a half years of longing for Elizabeth, he knows for certain that he will never have her love again. How does he bear it? Seeing her with me, knowing that we will marry, must be excruciating for him.
As Garnet touched his shoulders, Richard took Elizabeth tenderly into his arms one last time, kissed her hair, and released her, turning quickly to walk away so that she would not see his tears. Goodbye, my El.
“Goodbye, Richard,” she called to his retreating back.
He lifted his hand in a wave, but did not look at her. Garnet walked beside Richard, speaking peace into his tortured mind.
~~oo~~
Lucifer’s minions, both human and demon, had been busy throughout the world, tirelessly adjusting the dates on all of Gregory’s personal information. Many articles and videos of Gregory simply disappeared; some were altered to make him appear older. His college records were adjusted, as well as his birth certificate, driver’s license, and social security card. All of Gregory’s paperwork reflected that he was thirty-four years old and had lived in Boston for the past sixteen years. A deceased human father was also created for him, because, in order to one day be President of the United States, the Constitution required him to be a natural born citizen – born to citizens of the United States. Though there was an ongoing discussion in legal circles concerning whether or not both parents had to be United States citizens, obviously Lucifer, as a non-human, did not meet the requirement, and the lack of a father on the birth certificate would have raised questions. Any paperwork that would prove those records to be false was either mysteriously missing or sealed.
Popular cable news anchorman, Dirk Horne, had gone to the Betty Ford Clinic in mid-June to be treated for his alcoholism and had returned to work a new man. His changed behavior amazed his co-workers and impressed the owners of the network. Within six weeks, he had his own show in a prime slot, and his popularity soared throughout the country. Dirk Horne was on his way to becoming the most trusted newsman on television. One by one, his enemies conveniently disappeared, succumbing to illnesses, car wrecks, or fatal accidents. A few committed suicide under dubious circumstances. Because of the aura of evil surrounding him, before too much time had passed, people began to feel that it was very unwise to disagree with Horne even privately. He exuded confidence and power, and when he spoke, most people believed whatever he said.
Everyone who remembered Gregory was surprised when Dirk Horne announced the young man’s candidacy in the 2008 Massachusetts Senate election on the night of the Charlotte rally. However, within minutes of Horne’s announcement, most of the populace had forgotten that Gregory had missed the June filing deadline. The memories of believers were still intact, however, and many of them wondered how he had qualified to be on the ballot in the first place. Those who had followed his career knew that he was too young and that he lived in Charlotte, North Carolina, not Massachusetts.
Because of Dirk Horne’s obvious support of Gregory Wickham, the candidate received inordinate amounts of positive air time. Only the Christian community seemed to have a problem with Gregory, and they had become so marginalized politically because of their objections to him that their opinions were of no concern to those making the executive decisions.
The majority of students who had known him at Converse remembered him no longer, and those who had been at Harvard thirteen years earlier suddenly knew him very well, though oddly enough, no one remembered being in classes with him. The few believers on the Converse faculty were quite confused when they researched Gregory’s time at Converse, and though Christian students spoke out against the travesty being perpetrated on the people of the United States, no one wanted to listen to them. Dirk Horne labeled the dissenters “terrorists” and “religious activists,” and the labels stuck fast. They became the butt of jokes on late night shows and in national news magazines.
Harvard confirmed that Gregory Wickham had completed his bachelor’s degree as well as a JD/MBA program in Harvard Law School, and public records indicated that he had passed the bar and had practiced law for several years.
While they were initially shocked by the information, Elizabeth, Charlotte, and Jonathan were not surprised in the least about the deception after Xander told them about Gregory’s 666 tattoo hidden underneath his hair.
Jonathan immediately thought of Revelation 13:18, ‘Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.’ Gregory is the beast. The end of the age is approaching.
Elizabeth was quiet and kept her head lowered during his narrative. Xander did not tell the others that he had seen the incriminating evidence of Lucifer’s plans during Gregory’s attack on Elizabeth in August when he had prevented the halfling from raping her, but Charlotte had eyed her sharply.
So, Gregory is being set up to be the Anti-Christ. The Senate now, the Presidency in 2012. No big surprises, I suppose, but there is something Xander is leaving out, thought Charlotte. Elizabeth will tell me when she’s ready.
They discussed the matter in depth and prayed about it before deciding to hold their counsel for the time being. Now more than ever, they were convinced that their focus should be to reach as many souls for God as quickly as possible.
Time was running out.
Chapter 4
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8
September 2008
At first, Xander was amused by the flurry of activity in the Bennet household; however, his amusement was soon turned to distress by the dwindling amount of time left in Elizabeth’s days for him. Each time he was there – which was nearly every day – Elizabeth, her mother, and usually Janna were tending to more wedding details. Whenever he was allowed to do so, he helped with the plans. He and Elizabeth had put an engagement announcement in the local papers, using a favorite photograph taken for publicity purposes before the SoulFire rallies, and the two of them had made arrangements for the rehearsal dinner to be catered at the local country club, but Xander soon realized that there was a myriad of things to be done with which he could not assist Elizabeth.
After selecting her wedding dress, Elizabeth had pleased her mother by following a Southern tradition and having her wedding portrait made, to be unveiled at their reception. Lynne had engaged the same photographer to take pictures at the wedding while his assistant shot video. In addition, Lynne had reserved the church and the fellowship hall, selected a florist, and, along with her daughters, chosen the flowers. A lady from the church who had directed Janna’s wedding had agreed to direct Elizabeth and Xander’s as well. Elizabeth and her mother had met with the caterer and discussed the wedding cake, the menu, and the table settings. Elizabeth, Lynne, and the bridesmaids had spent a pleasant Saturday shopping for the bridesmaids’ dresses and having lunch together. Lynne’s niece, Bethany, had come from Virginia for the weekend, and she and her mother, Grace, had joined the Bennet ladies for the day.
Xander and Elizabeth had ordered their invitations and drawn up a list of wedding guests together. Because Xander had no one to add to the list other than those people both he and Elizabeth knew, he had already told the Bennets that his brothers would be his groomsmen, but his Father would not be able to attend as He was quite old and rarely left His home.
Speaking with David and Lynne, Xander explained, “My Father wishes you to know that He will be with us in Spirit, though not in flesh. He regrets that He will not meet you at our happy occasion, but He wants me to assure you that He will meet you in Person sometime in the future. He says that He knows you already through my eyes, and He is very happy that I am marrying your daughter. In fact, I have spoken to Him so ofte
n in such glowing terms about your family and Elizabeth that He has told me we were meant to be together. He knew that I loved her before I was aware of it myself.”
David was puzzled by Xander’s manner of speaking and asked, “How old is your Father? Perhaps we should go see Him if He cannot travel here.”
Roark put his hands upon David’s shoulders and spoke into his mind, Do not be anxious, David. All is well with Xander’s Father.
Xander smiled. “My Father would seem ancient to you, but He does not seem old to me. He is so full of life and power that He is ageless in my eyes. He does not receive guests, however.”
Lynne looked confused by his statement, and Niall whispered to her, Lynne, Xander is trustworthy. Be at peace.
Privately, David and Lynne thought Xander’s Father must be rather eccentric and likely very wealthy, but they talked of it only between themselves. Niall and Roark smiled knowingly at each other whenever their charges discussed their Master.
The only part of the engagement period that Xander was not enjoying was the time he had to spend apart from Elizabeth while she did things in which he was not allowed to participate – such as choosing her dress, shopping with the bridesmaids, and having her wedding portrait made. He was not supposed to see her dress before she walked down the aisle as his bride, and she was adhering rigidly to the rules on that point. He could somewhat understand her desire to see his face when he saw her in the dress for the first time, coming down the aisle toward him, but he did not comprehend why he was left out of all of the other outings.