Amethyst (50 page)

“Thanks. I’ll get the wagon loaded. Give me two hours or so.”

So, Lord, how and when do I tell her, or rather ask her?
He fitted the board into the frame, marked where the lockset plate should go, took it out again, cut out the plate hole with a keyhole saw, and fitted the board again. After inserting the hardware, he nodded at the satisfactory click. Now that pesky door would not blow open nor let in drafts.

Now to get his own place—what a good sound that was,
my own place
—as weathertight as this house, and he’d be more than pleased. While he planned to continue living in the soddy, he also thought to spend some nights at his own house. Believing it really was his took some doing. The check from the solicitor had paid for the twenty-five acres, the house, and the drilling of the well. Finding the owner had taken some doing, and while he figured some people would say he’d been lucky, he knew his providence came from his heavenly Father. The previous owner had been grateful for the money.

“You want me to help load the wagon, Pa?” Joel called when he’d finished his other chores.

“Please. And add some of the firewood too.”

With the three men working and Joel fetching, they had the roof on the log section repaired before dark.

“See you in the morning,” Jacob said as they all headed home. Good thing he’d prepared his sermon earlier in the week. Having some sermons to touch up from his previous parish helped when time was tight, like now.

All the way back to the Robertsons’, his mind divided between listening to Joel’s chatter and trying to figure how to talk with Opal. Never would he have guessed there would come a time when he wished his son didn’t like talking to him quite so much.

Later that night he fell asleep rehearsing ways to bring up the subject.

Opal held Per on her lap as the musicians prepared to open the service. Rand, Mr. McHenry, Daisy, Cimarron, and Pearl on the piano had practiced already and were laughing at something someone said.

Go up there
. She ignored the inner voice, wishing she could ignore the music. But something inside her felt different. Ever since the time of terrible sadness, music only made her feel more sad, like the cloud grew heavier and darker. But now that she thought about it, she’d heard music lately in the cries of the birds migrating to warmer quarters and in the wind whirling the last of the maple and cottonwood leaves to their rest on the ground. She’d even caught herself whistling one day.

“Opa?” Per’s voice broke into her reverie.

“What?” she whispered into his ear. “You have to be quiet now.”

“Why?” His latest word, and already she was wishing he’d not learned it.

“Because church is starting.”

“Go to Pa.” He pushed away, but she caught him before he could scramble down.

“No, he’s busy. You be a good boy and sit here until he comes.”

“Good boy.”

“You want to switch with me?” Ruby asked.

“No. We’re fine.” Mary could be as wiggly as her brother these days.

“Good morning, everyone. Let’s stand for the first hymn, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy.’ ” Reverend Chandler stood in front of the congregation, his smile far warmer than the weak sun outside.

Opal stood silently, listening to the words as the voices rose in harmony around her. “‘Early in the morning our songs shall rise to thee…merciful and mighty.”’ She could hear Jacob’s voice, rich and harmonizing, Rand’s some deeper, a true baritone, Cimarron’s a strong alto. Ruby stood on Opal’s left, singing the melody. Others sang around her, their voices doing exactly what the hymn said, “‘…our songs shall rise to thee.”’

The song ended. “Let us pray,” intoned Jacob. “Father in heaven, bless our worship service today and please make all of our service an act of worship. In your Son’s precious name, amen.”

So why don’t I sing anymore?
The thought interrupted her concentration on the Bible reading.
Is it that I can’t sing anymore?
That thought made her blink.
No, I just don’t feel like singing. How do you know that you can still sing, then?
What if God had taken away the gift He had given her?

“‘Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”’

Opal absently rubbed Per’s back as she listened.
I haven’t been doing that, have I
? She sighed and caught Ruby glancing at her. Per sighed and leaned against her chest, his weight growing heavier as he slid into sleep.

When they announced the final hymn, she stood carefully, trying to keep from waking him, but “Onward Christian Soldiers” would wake anyone up. He rubbed his eyes and looked up at her. “Opa, sing.”

Opal hugged him close, swaying as she joined in the chorus, softly singing into his ear to make him smile. At least her voice still worked.

Ruby glanced her way, smiled, and nodded.

After the benediction conversations picked up around the room as the congregants filed toward the door. Some crowded around the drawing Mr. Hegland had made of the new church, including the layout of the building. Everyone shrugged into their coats and prepared for the ride to the Heglands’ boardinghouse, where they’d eat dinner and visit awhile before heading home. Opal helped Per with his coat and turned to find Jacob beside her.

“Good morning.”

She nodded, his smile making her feel warm clear to her toes.

“I need to talk with you about something. I was hoping we could go riding this afternoon, but it looks to me like it might snow.”

“Can’t we talk at Pearl’s?” She held on to Per’s hand in spite of his leaning to follow his ma and pa.

“Come, Opa.”

“Of course. I’ll see you then.”

All the way there, Opal wondered what must be so important. He certainly looked serious enough.

As all the others filed inside the house, carrying baskets of food, laughing, and teasing one another, Opal hung back until Jacob stood beside her.

“Thank you for waiting.”

“Is something wrong?”

“No, no. Something is very right.” He sucked in a breath, his smile lighting his whole face. “This is a bit of a story, so be patient, all right?”

“You know me. I’m always patient.”

At that he burst out laughing. “Leave it to you, Opal.” Shaking his head, he started again. “Opal, I’ve been wanting to tell you that I care for you.”

“Care? Of course. We’re friends. Friends always care for each other. Other than when you were ignoring me and I figured you—”

He held up a hand. “I know that part. And I’m sorry for that, but it came—well, it’s a long story, and we’d freeze out here before it is all told but…” He sucked in another deep breath, then coughed as the cold hit his lungs. “Pardon me.” When he could speak again, he continued, “What I need to say is—” “You two going to stand out here all day?” Carl Hegland stuck his head out the door, then looked surprised when someone pulled him back in.

Something really strange is going on here,
Opal thought. She took a step toward the door but stopped when Jacob put a hand on her arm.

“Please, let me finish.”

“We could talk inside, you know, where you could breathe without choking.”

“I said it was a long story, but…” He could tell she was about to bolt. “Rand gave me permission to ask your permission to allow me to court you.”

“What?” Her forehead wrinkled, and she made a face, shaking her head all the while. “Did you say what I thought you said?”

Might as well jump in with both feet. “Opal, I have been in love with you for months, and when I went to Rand—” This time it was Opal who held her hand up. “Slow down.”

“I can’t. We’re freezing.”

“Let’s walk, then. Around the porch if nothing else. I want to get to the bottom of this.” She took his arm and pulled him along. “You say you love me?”

“Yes.”

“Are you crazy?”

“Not that I know of.”

“You’re my friend. I was supposed to marry Atticus.”

“Good thing he married someone else, or he’d have had a fight on his hands.”

“Atticus is not a fighter.”

“Neither am I. Not usually, anyway.” They turned and walked back the other way.

“This courting thing. How would it be any different than now?”

“Opal, please, just say yes and let’s go inside. I think they’re waiting for me to say grace.”

“Can’t they say grace on their own?”

“I’m sure they can, but I think they are waiting.”

“All right.”

“All right what?” He stopped midstep.

“All right, let’s go in.”

He groaned, but as he held the door open, she glanced up at him from the corner of her eye.

“And yes.”

She said yes
. It was all he could do to not shout it for all to hear.
Opal Torvald said I could court her!

Two days later at Pearl’s for her lessons, Opal rubbed her chin with one finger. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

“This is rather personal.”

“I don’t mind.” Pearl set Joseph in the high chair and tied a dish towel around his middle, then handed him a hunk of hard bread to chew on.

“How did you know that you loved Mr. Hegland?”

“Well, I wanted to be with him all the time, and when he walked into the room, I felt like someone turned up the lamps—”

“Did you have a funny feeling in your middle, like all warm and mushy?”

“I guess that’s as good a description as any. I found myself thinking about him all the time, and when I’d see him again, why, my heart would about leap out of my chest. Why?”

Opal could feel her face flaming hot.

“I see. Is it Jacob Chandler?”

“I thought I loved Atticus, but this is as different as the moon and the sun. But…” Her pause grew long.

“But what?”

“I don’t think I’m ready to be a wife.”

“That’s what courting is all about. It gives you time to grow into the idea.”

“But how do you know when you’re ready?” Opal shook her head again. “Can you think of me as the pastor’s wife?”

Pearl rolled her lips together. “I’m thinking the women better start on a new quilt or two.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re going to need household things for your home someday, and the courting time is a good time to begin gathering what you will need.”

“Mary Robertson had a hope chest. She was making things for it all the time. I don’t really like to sew, and embroidery makes me bleed on whatever I’m making.”

“But do you want to be with Jacob?”

Opal nodded.

“Then don’t worry about the rest. Leave it all in God’s hands, and now let’s see the essay I asked you to write.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

“Rand said I can’t get married until after I turn sixteen in May.”

“That’s good. Where’s your paper?”

Opal handed it to her. “I won’t get all moony-eyed like Edith did, will I?”

“I seriously doubt it, but if you do, I’ll remind you, so you don’t look too silly.” Pearl began reading, and Opal returned to diagramming sentences. This courting thing gave her an awful lot to think about.

“So, Jacob, tell me what courting really means. I mean, like what do I do?” She almost said his name again just because it felt good on her tongue.

“Courting is when two people get to know each other—” “But we already know each other. Why would two strangers be courting?”