Heirs of Acadia - 02 - The Innocent Libertine (39 page)

“Ah.” Erica nodded slowly. “I understand.”

“There is a terrible risk of this evil spreading west with this expansion, isn’t there?”

“You have just described our worst nightmare,” Erica replied.

“We must stop this before it has a chance to begin.”

“Do you understand what you are saying?”

“No, perhaps not.” Abigail took a deep breath. “But I will learn. With God’s help.”

“Does Abe feel the same?”

“He does.”

A look of grave joy took hold of Erica’s features. “I have no doubt that you shall both prove a vital part of the cause.”

The whole group eventually reconvened near one of the carriages and Abigail pulled Lillian a step away. In the cautious manner of one uncertain about what she would hear, she asked, “Is there news?”

Lillian nodded.

“Indeed so,” Reginald confirmed.

Horace Cutter looked from Lillian and Reginald to his young partner. “All I can say, Abe, is you seem like a man in love.” The group laughed at Abe’s red face as Abigail slipped her arm through his.

“Abe has asked me to marry him,” she announced.

Lillian likewise took Reginald’s arm and said, “We too are to be wed.”

The two women hugged each other, then Erica, and were soon surrounded by a flurry of best wishes.

Abigail finally managed, “There is more.” She turned to Abe and urged, “Go ahead, my dear.”

“Perhaps it should wait.”

“Too late for that,” Reginald said. “We are all highly curious about what else we should know.”

Abe flushed beneath the attention. “Abigail and I . . . that is . . .” He started again. “We feel, sirs, unless you disagree, of course, in which case we could, well . . .”

“Out with it, man!” Horace cried.

“We think we should establish a small base here in Wheeling, one that can remain as a way station for the stagecoach line. As for everything else, first we must see whether Mr. Harrow is correct in his prediction that things are soon to be moving farther westward.”

He looked around at the faces in the circle. “In which case, we believe a better permanent setting for the Langston-Cutter Emporium would be St. Louis.”

“But we will stay here until you both agree it is time to relocate,” Abigail hurried to add. She glanced at Erica and went on, “There is much to do for the cause before we move on.”

“And much to learn,” Abe added.

Horace turned to Reginald. “What say you, partner?”

“I say,” he declared, “that the new emporium is misnamed.”

“So say I as well.”

“I say,” Reginald continued, “that as half owner of the new business, it should be named after the true master.”

Abe asked weakly, “Half?”

Abigail clapped her hands. “Half!”

“Half,” Horace repeated, nodding slowly. “All in favor of the new Childes Emporium and Stagecoach Line being moved to St. Louis, say aye!”

The sun was westering before talk moved on from these momentous decisions. The river was a flowing golden current and the day veiled in softest hues when Abigail asked Lillian, “I am wondering what of your dream to establish a new estate here in the west?”

“I have found new dreams,” Lillian replied simply. “New and better dreams.”

“How long can you remain here?”

“That is for my fiancé to decide.”

“Long enough to see you both well settled,” Reginald said, joining the conversation. “The road to St. Louis will not be completed for another few years by all accounts. You must view this as your home for the duration.”

“I have so much to write my dear parents about,” Abigail said distractedly. “But with winter coming and the road soon to be made perilous, it is doubtful that they would be able to come before next summer.” She looked from one face to the next. “You are all the friends and family I have here in this new world. Please, please will you stay until we are wed?”

After a pause, Lillian replied, “I think I speak for all of us when I say that nothing could possibly give us greater joy.”

“Except one thing,” Reginald corrected.

Lillian caught his gaze and saw clearly what he meant. “Yes,” she said. “Oh, yes.”

“What?” Abigail cried. “That you will sing at my wedding?”

“No,” Lillian replied. “That I shall sing at
ours
.”

Book Three/H
EIRS OF
A
CADIA
The Noble Fugitive

Serafina, the daughter of a powerful Venetian counselor, has become infatuated with Luca, her dashing art tutor. As the family sets sail for America, she discovers her father has banished Luca forever. Distraught, Serafina secretly abandons ship on the coast of England. Confronting a series of misadventures, she reluctantly takes a job as a chambermaid in an English manor. Her burning desire is to find her way back to her beloved, but a heartrending betrayal may force her into remaining indefinitely at Harrow Hall as a lowly servant.

John Falconer, a world-weary ship captain, unexpectedly seeks refuge at Harrow Hall. Escaping from his past in the slave trade, he is chased by henchmen determined to silence his dark confessions. He works as a stable hand while awaiting the opportunity to steal away to London, where he might tell his tale and revolutionize the antislavery movement.

Gareth and Erica Powers travel across the Atlantic from Washington to rejoin William Wilberforce in his campaign for social reform, and they also find themselves at the Harrow mansion. Gareth has taken ill, and although his life hangs in the balance, he yearns to return to London and his writings against the slave trade.

Deep in the English countryside, the lives of these characters become intertwined in startling ways. The mysteries of Harrow Hall heighten the intrigue as Erica investigates her Harrow family ancestry. A place that once loomed as a dreaded detour becomes a sacred venue for the unveiling of God’s Providence.

Watch for this new addition to
the Heirs of Acadia series
in the summer of 2005!

Discover the Beginning of the Saga With

Janette Oke & T. Davis Bunn’s

S
ONG OF
A
CADIA

A Chance Encounter Will Forever Change Their Lives

The year was 1753, and the lines of separation were firmly drawn. The French had named the region Acadia, their "beloved home." When the British came soon after, they battled with the French on the new continent as they had in Europe for centuries.

The settlers of Acadia were either French or English, and though their villages might be but a stone’s throw apart, most could go an entire lifetime without speaking to someone from the other side.

And then the chance encounter of Catherine Price and Louise Belleveau in a meadow of wild flowers…. From this unexpected friendship, Oke and Bunn spin a tale of devotion, loss, renewal, and bonds stronger than blood and faith stronger than tragedy.