“I mean, what if they were your pair of eyes. Or if I gave my—”
“Christian, please, take care not to push the other children over! Sorry, you were saying?”
Harriet was relieved he did not hear what had blundered. “Harold, I wonder if you are still—”
“Still what?”
“Do you still want—”
“Christian! Please! I am going to have to speak to your father about your behavior if you insist on pushing the other children! Jesus taught us to be kind to our fellow men!”
“Perhaps this is not the best time.”
“I’m sorry I keep interrupting you, Harriet. Christian has been struggling with being courteous to the other students.”
“I understand. I was a teacher, after all.”
“Now, what were you going to ask me? Christian! This is your final warning before I remove you from play.”
“I was only asking if you still love me.” Harriet’s heart raced and her breathing intensified.
Harold turned to look at her, his eyes wide and his face etched with surprise. “I—of course I still love you, Harriet. Nothing has changed for me,” he said gently.
“Right. I—I just wondered because . . . . This is very hard—”
Harold smiled tenderly at Harriet and put his hand gently on her cheek. The warmth of his hand melted away Harriet’s anxiety. “I love you too and want to be your wife.”
Harold smiled more vibrantly, his hand still on her cheek. “Harriet, I haven’t asked.” He chuckled.
“Oh, Harold! I’m so foolish, I’m so sorry! You must think me a terrible, unrighteous woman!”
“Shh, shh, shh . . . Harriet, God never said that a woman may not propose to a man.” He placed his other hand on her face and kept her gaze fixed upon his. “I would be honored to be your husband.”
Harriet’s heart felt as though it would burst with love and devotion, and her knees went weak.
“Are you permitted to kiss me, Reverend?”
“I don’t think the Lord would object to my kissing my fiancée!” He gently pulled her close, as was his manner in everything, and placed his lips on hers. They kissed until the children playing down the hill below began to laugh.
“Thank you for your purchase, Mrs. Vohn,” Mary chimed as she handed Mrs. Vohn a few hat and garment boxes full of treasures.
“Thank you, Mary. I can’t tell you how pleased I was to hear of your venture. Our very own dress shop, right here in Pleasant View. It’s a dream come true!”
“Thank you for the kind words. Have a lovely day!”
Mrs. Vohn exited the shop as Michael, who was coming in, held the door open for her.
“G’day.” He tipped his hat. “Good morning, ladies!”
Mary, Jessi, and Megan simultaneously greeted, “Good morning, Michael.”
Mary came around the counter to kiss her husband. “Oh, Michael, I wonder if you could take a look at the back door. It’s terribly tight to open and close.”
“Certainly.” He nodded at Jessi.
“And the floorboards at the bottom of the stairs creek so loudly. I wonder if there is anything that could be done?” Mary inquired while straightening Michael’s lapel.
“I’m certain I could manage it.”
“Do you think you will be finished with the shelving in the back room today?” Megan asked sweetly, not wanting to pile too much upon him.
“I will be done with the construction, and I’ll start painting them right away.”
“Oh, wonderful. What a blessing you are, Michael.”
“It’s my pleasure to help you out. Anything for my Mary.”
Mary winked at Michael and then went back to pinning a ribbon on a hat. It had been a wonderful few months as the girls had launched their business. After Michael had forgiven Mary, he spent every spare moment with her at the new shop assisting with repairs and remodeling. He didn’t realize how rewarding it would be to work alongside his wife and cater to her needs. She had been more joyful than he had ever seen her consistently, and it made his heart glad. She was happy to see Michael more often and watch his skills as a craftsman and handyman.
Megan had helped Mary learn cooking skills that she lacked, and once Mary knew how to measure properly and keep the stove temperature steady, she became an excellent cook.
But, to her shame, six months after she had been married, there was still no baby. Michael told her he wasn’t worried, but it did weigh heavily on Mary’s heart as she watched her best friend grow bigger and bigger with child as the weeks passed. She still was so busy with her shop that she rarely noticed the growing emptiness inside of her until the day that Liz’s healthy baby girl came into the world.
On the way home from the hat shop Mary and Michael walked arm in arm, taking in the glorious sight of the ocean scape behind their little cottage. Michael opened the picket gate for Mary, and she went through ahead of him but stopped when she heard a little noise. A cat? No, a baby! She looked at Michael with eyes of wonder. “The baby’s here!”
“The baby?” Michael sounded, excitement growing on his face. Michael opened the gate for Mary again and then opened the Latters’ gate. “Quickly, Mary!”
Without knocking Mary entered Liz’s front door. She could hear the sweet sound of an infant crying. “Hello?”
“We’re up here!” the midwife called.
They rushed up the stairs to the bedroom where Liz was a picture of saintly motherhood in her white nightgown, holding a precious babe in a minty green blanket. She was beaming with sweat and love.
“Oh, Liz! When did this happen?”
“It was very quick, no more than an hour ago.”
“And all is well?” Mary asked Liz but looked to Sue for an answer.
“Oh, yes, all is quite well, it was very quick, but it all went as it should. Thank the Lord that Harriet was here to fetch me.”
“Has Peter been fetched?” Michael asked. Liz nodded. She was beaming but looked exhausted. Michael bent over the bed and looked lovingly at the red squealing angel. “I’ll go get Mother and Pa.” He kissed his sister’s head and left quickly.
“Thank you,” Liz signed to her brother as he glanced back at her on his way out her door.
Mary snuggled next to Liz and her baby on the bed. She carefully stroked the little babe’s soft head. “What an angel she is,” Mary cooed as a tear dropped from her eye.
“You will have a baby soon, Mary. It has not yet even been a year since you were married.”
“No, you are right, but seeing her, what a miracle she is. I didn’t realize how much I want a miracle as well.”
“You will have your miracle soon enough.”
“I’m sure you are right. Are you feeling well?”
“No, I feel quite unwell.”
“And she has some stitching up to be done,” Sue said. “Take the baby, Mary, that I might have a chance to attend to the mother.”
Mary graciously took the baby and shut the door behind her. She heard the front door open and saw Peter enter at the bottom of the stairs.
“Peter, meet your daughter,” Mary said as she carefully carried the child down the stairs.
“A daughter? Is Liz all right?”
“She will be. Sue is attending to her right now.”
Mary handed Peter the baby and watched his face melt into pure love.
“They get more handsome as they get older. Newborn babes are rarely a sight to see.”
“I think she is simply perfect.”
Mary took Peter’s arm and let him to a chair. Mary watched as Peter could do nothing but stare at his perfect little human. She wondered if Michael would ever have the chance to do the same. She held back more tears and only allowed a smile to encroach on her face.
Sue came down the stairs and smiled at the new
father. “She is ready to see you now.”
Peter handed the baby back to Mary and went up the stairs.
“Oh, my love!” He carefully joined Liz on the bed and took her gently into his arms. “She is a sight to behold!”
“Isn’t she?”
“You are amazing, that you can bring a person into this world.”
Liz smiled and snuggled into Peter’s neck.
“I have even more amazing news on this wondrous day,” Peter said. “Mr. Vohn has offered me a new position.”
“Oh?”
“He has made me the manager of the bank, to replace himself.”
“To replace himself?” Liz looked at her husband with wonder.
“Yes, he and Mrs. Vohn wish to retire, so he has positioned me as the manager. Each paycheck will have a portion come out of it to be invested into my share of the bank. I will become a part owner!”
“Oh, Peter! This sounds wonderful! Is it what you want?”
“I have to say, I was not expecting it, but I am not disappointed. I love working at the bank, and I could see myself doing it for the rest of my life. It will provide a good and steady income for us, and our investments will continue to grow.”
“It sounds wonderful, Peter. I couldn’t be happier for you.”
There was a knock on the door, and Sue came in with the baby.
“Now, Elizabeth needs to give her her first feeding. Have you chosen a name?”
“I was hoping you would agree, Peter, that her name would be Marylin Michelle Latter.”
“Marilyn for Mary, and Michelle for Michael?”
“Yes, do you like it?”
“My mother will be disappointed that we are not naming her after her, but I have no qualms with it.”
Harriet came in the door. “Oh let me look at her! What an angel!”
Harold was right behind her. He shook Peter’s hand vigorously. “Well, done! Congratulations!”
“Oh, Lizbeth, never have I seen such an angelic baby! She has Peter’s nose and your eyes.”
“I quite think the opposite,” Harold said.
“Really? Perhaps you are right. I want to have a baby right away!”
Harold put his arm around Harriet.
“When is the wedding?” Liz asked.
“As soon as you are able to attend. I think four weeks?”
“What a great many blessings this family has been given,” Liz said as she stroked the soft, feathery hair of her newborn daughter. As she looked at the face of her sweet baby girl, she knew that no matter the challenges to come, it was all worth it. It would all work out, good or bad, the way it was meant to be.
The End.
The End.
Epilogue
To Whom It May Concern at Dearborn Press and Publishing,
My name is Elizabeth Latter. I have been writing successful stories for the Pleasant View Gazette for two and a half years. My time with the Gazette has come to an end, and I wish to continue my career by writing romantic novels that are full of adventure and drama. I have enclosed a few volumes of Enduring Promises of the Heart for you to review. I am working on a new adventure now, called The Lily, which is a continuation of the story of the pirate Captain Morose from my Gazette stories that I should like to have published into a novel.
Yours,
Elizabeth Latter
Also known as Penelope Pottifer
Dear Elizabeth Latter,
I need no introduction! I have been following Enduring Promises of the Heart for quite some time now. I am most excited that you have written me. I would be honored to take up the printing of your new novel. I should also like to acquire the rights to your original Gazette stories to have them turned into a series of novels as well. I have included a contract and check for four hundred dollars in advance.
I look forward to working with you, Mrs. Latter. Your first manuscript is due in nine months.
Please see the following page for details about the agreement.
Yours,
David Gallagher, Head Editor, Dearborn Press and Publishing
Points of Discussion
1.What are some of the themes you noticed throughout the book?
2.One major theme in the first book is forgiveness, particularly for Mary. Do you feel like Mary has changed and learned from her trials?
3.Women doing hard things is of particular importance to the author. It is highlighted against the backdrop of the Victorian Era, where women were not always respected as equals as they should be. Having children in the Victorian era meant the end of jobs and responsibilities outside of the home for women. The author was aware of this as she pointed out several times the fears that the main characters Mary and Liz had. They didn’t want to give up the businesses and opportunities they had created for themselves. Do women of today have the same fear? Is it different?
4.What difficulty do you think Serene represented in John and Lavender’s relationship?
5.What distractions can we relate the magic of the pearl to in our own lives?
About the Author
Valerie loveless has a love for happy endings and bright comedy. A native to the California high desert, she now considers Utah her home, where she lives with her husband, three children, and two chihuahuas. Growing up in a family of seven kids, Valerie learned to embrace her unique creativity and way of looking at the world. In 2015 she published two children’s books, Singing Not So Sweetly and Anabelle Loves Babies. Her debut novel, Enduring Promises of the Heart, came out in 2019. She believes writing is the ultimate end-all for creative pursuits because there are no limits to what you can create. Valerie is also the host of the Cedar Fort Publishing and Media: Behind the Scenes podcast, where she gets to pick the brains of all sorts of authors.
Scan to visit
www.valerieloveless.info
Unbroken Promises of the Heart: (Promises of the Heart Book 2) Page 20