Nephew's Wife, The (19 page)

                                          Vivian

Ellen’s hands trembled as she opened the second envelope addressed to Vivian and read it.

                            Dear Mother,

              I realize this is going to cause you great stress and humiliation, but in time you will see I made the right choice. I can’t go through with this wedding to Ellen. She’s not the right girl for me. I don’t love her, but I can’t tell her. Please don’t be too angry with me. I’ll find someone else soon to marry.  Someone more my type, who fits into my lifestyle. Ellen was all wrong for me.  I’ll explain it all to you when I see you again. Right now, I have to disappear for a while. Sorry about not making the wedding. I’ll make it up to you.

                            Thanks and love,

                            Paul

Ellen reddened with anger. She jumped up and paced the floor with fury.  She’d been duped.
Nine years!
She fumed. Nine years, she’d blamed herself for causing Paul’s accident.
I’ve spent nine years feeling guilty!
  Paul’s rage after she broke up with him had been nothing more than an act worthy of an Oscar. 

Ellen gasped.  Paul had been planning to leave her at the altar like a coward.  Instead of being distraught when he left her apartment, he had probably been in a state of pure joy and relief.  She had called the wedding off before he had a chance to leave her at the altar.  Paul could play the brokenhearted victim while she would be hailed as the evil one.

              Paul, you cowardly rat!

Ellen seethed.  All this time she had carried a heavy load of guilt inside her, never knowing if she’d ever be able to rid herself of it, and it had all been for naught.  She hadn’t caused Paul’s accident at all. No wonder she could never feel forgiven. God knew she’d done nothing wrong.  There had been nothing to forgive.

She slowed her pacing.  What had made Paul run a stop sign? Ellen brainstormed several scenarios before deciding on one that fit, and it involved Whitney.  She’d been on the phone with Paul and had heard the crash.  At least that’s what she had said.  Ellen didn’t know whether or not to believe her. She couldn’t wait to question the woman.

Ellen’s head swelled with the revelation, but she had to push it aside and check on Dolly.  Ellen tiptoed into Dolly’s room.  Dolly was stirring.

“Ellen, what’s going on?” Dolly sat upright with a frightful expression.  “You look petrified.”

“I’m angry, but I’ve got wonderful news.” Ellen waved the letters she was clutching over her head. “I’ve been redeemed!” Sitting on the edge of Dolly’s bed, Ellen started to explain that she hadn’t caused Paul’s accident after all when the doorbell rang.

“I’ll be right back, Dolly.”

Dolly grimaced at the interruption.  “Don’t be gone long! I want to hear your good news!”

Ellen flew downstairs and flung open the door to find a furious Whitney, glaring at her.

“You’re just the person I want to see.” Ellen lifted her head high and squared her shoulders.

Whitney shoved her way inside the house and waved the newspaper in Ellen’s face.

“Don’t think this article is going to stop me, Ellen,” Whitney lashed out.  “Several tabloids are interested in what I have to say about you—”

“I know the truth, Whitney!” Ellen cut her off.  “I have proof.”  She held up the letters she still clutched.  “Vivian wrote me a letter and left me Paul’s note to her.  Paul was going to leave me at the altar.”

Whitney froze. Her face paled. 

Satisfied she had Whitney’s full attention, Ellen lowered the boom. “Paul didn’t love me at the time of the accident, and you knew it!  He wasn’t distraught when I broke up with him.  His reaction was all an act to make me believe he was hurt.  Now, I know better thanks to Vivian.  She had the decency to give me the truth.  Maybe later than I would have liked, but at least she still told me.  Thank God.”

Whitney backed toward the door.  Ellen moved with her and kept up her rant.

“Paul was going to dump me at the altar! He was probably thrilled when I broke up with him so he wouldn’t look like scum.  Isn’t that right, Whitney?  You were on the phone with him when he crashed.  I didn’t cause Paul’s accident. And he didn’t attempt suicide. I think I know what happened.  He was talking to you, and he was excited about me breaking up with him so you two could be together.  His mind was on the both of you, and he wasn’t paying attention to the road.  That’s why he ran the stop sign.  Am I right, Whitney?”

              Whitney nodded, her bravado shrinking. “I—I just wanted to have the life Paul had promised me. When I found out you worked for Rand Powers, I saw my chance. It was just an accident.  Paul didn’t try to kill himself.  It’s just like you said, he wasn’t paying attention to the road.  This whole blackmail thing wasn’t that serious.  Y—you’re not going to c—call the police, are y—you?”

Ellen stormed past Whitney to the front door and swung it open. “Leave now and don’t ever bother me again, or I will call the police.”

Rand drove in circles until he couldn’t stand it anymore.  What was he trying to figure out?  He loved Ellen with all his heart.  He’d waited all his life to feel this way, and he wasn’t about to let the first bump in the road derail his feelings, not when they were this powerful.  God was greater than all this mess with Paul.  He trusted God, and God was telling him to put aside his selfish expectations and thoughts.  Ellen was the only thing that mattered right now.  Paul was gone. All the circumstances surrounding his death were history. 

Rand turned the car around on the shoulder of an unfamiliar road and started home where his future with Ellen awaited him.  The closer he got to the house, the lighter his heart became and the wider his smile stretched.  He didn’t have to rehearse what he would say to Ellen.  God would give him the words when he got in front of her.  He just hoped it wasn’t too late to make Ellen see how much he loved her.

              Back in Dolly’s room, Ellen perched on the side of Dolly’s bed.  She read Vivian’s letters out loud then told her about Whitney.

              “I’m free, Dolly! I didn’t cause Paul’s accident after all.”

              Dolly’s eyes filled with tears.  “I’m so happy for you, Ellen. God’s blessed you today in a mighty, mighty way.  Rand will be thrilled by the news, too.”

Ellen stiffened and erased her smile.  “You mean now he can love me again since I’m not guilty of hurting Paul.  Well, I won’t accept that kind of love, Dolly.  I can’t give my love to a man who doesn’t love me when things aren’t all sunshine and roses.  Life isn’t like that.”

“I know Randolph hurt you, Ellen, but give him a chance, please,” Dolly pleaded. 

“I don’t know if I can, Dolly,” Ellen replied as she folded Vivian’s letters and stuffed them in the pocket of her skirt.  “He turned his back on me when I confessed to him about breaking up with Paul.  He didn’t stick by me.  How do you think that made me feel? No, I’m sorry, Dolly, but that’s not true love in my book.”

Dolly sympathized with Ellen. “I pray God will work things out for you two.  I know in my heart Randolph loves you, Ellen.”

“Well, he has a pretty strange way of showing it.”  Ellen rose.  “Would you like some tea, Dolly?”

“Maybe later, dear.  I think I’ll just rest.  The day has been long and full of surprises.” 

              Ellen walked downstairs, feeling a little down after being so elated.  She knew Dolly disapproved of her refusal to work things out with Rand. 

              Suddenly, the front door opened, and Rand flew inside.  Ellen met him in the entrance hall.  Something was different about him.  He was glowing.

              “I need to talk to you, Ellen.  Are you free right now?”

              She nodded, tersely.  “Dolly’s resting for a while so I have a few minutes.”

              “Good, let’s stroll to the gazebo.”

              Ellen gave him a quizzical look.  His jubilant mood baffled her.  “What’s going on Rand?  Did you read my resignation letter?”

              “Yes.” Rand nodded as he escorted Ellen through the house and out the back door.  “This isn’t about the resignation letter.”

              Magnolia buds were opening.  They filled the trees around the gazebo. Their luscious fragrance wafted aimlessly in the breeze off the bay.  Ellen inhaled it for the first time as a woman freed from guilt. It delighted her senses all the way to her toes.  The sky had cleared completely, and the sun was warm.  Her heart was as light as a feather. God had turned her misery into a beautiful day.  He’d answered her prayers in a way she’d never imagined. She felt His promise of joy and peace with each new breath she took.

              Ellen sat in her usual spot and faced Rand who wore a mischievous grin.

“I realize I haven’t been fair to you Ellen,” Rand started.

“No, you certainly haven’t.”  Ellen crossed her arms.  She glanced toward the water.

“I know you’re angry with me, but hear me out, please.”

Ellen turned back to him.  “Why should I?”

He pulled a chair over to her and sat down.  Taking her hands in his, he spoke in a sincere voice.  “Because I love you, Ellen.”

Ellen quivered.  He used her own words against her.   “Go on.”

“I’ve been driving around in circles all afternoon, trying to figure out what to do with all this information you confessed about Paul and the accident, and I came to a conclusion.”

“Really? What?”  Ellen asked, smugly, pulling her hands away.  His touch electrified every inch of her. She needed to be sharp when she rebuked him.

“I was wrong to react the way I did.  None of what you told me matters.  I love you, Ellen. Paul’s in the past.  Whatever happened between you and him belongs in the past.  I want you to be my future.  I really believe with all my heart God gave you to me.  Please forgive me for not being understanding before.”

Tears pooled in Ellen’s eyes as she absorbed what Rand was telling her. She locked her gaze on his.  Honesty and love shown in his eyes.  This was true love, the kind she was looking for.  Ellen took his face in her hands and looked him in the eye.

“I do forgive you, Rand.  I love you, too.  I love you so much.”

Rand lifted Ellen to her feet and into his arms.  He kissed her gently on the lips.  Ellen trembled with joy.

“I have news for you, Rand,” Ellen said, pulling away.  She took the letters from Vivian out of her pocket and gave them to him.  “These will explain everything.”

Rand read them with a mixture of shock, relief, and disgust. When he finished, he confessed to Ellen what he had remembered about Paul.  The news shocked her.

“I have to admit, I wasn’t going to tell you,” Rand said when Ellen’s expression darkened. “I didn’t want to hurt you, but now, in light of all this, I guess it all ties together.”

Ellen smiled as she slid back in Rand’s embrace.  “I don’t want to talk about Paul anymore, Rand.  I prayed every day for nine years for Paul. I know God heard me.  I’m hoping Paul heard and opened his heart to Jesus.  But now I want to focus on my love for you.”

Rand lifted Ellen in his arms and kissed her again till her toes curled.  When he finally broke away, he chuckled.  “There’s one more thing, Ellen. I’m not accepting your resignation, but I don’t want you working for me either.”

“You don’t?”  Ellen whimpered, confused.

“No, I have something else in mind.”  Rand gazed at Ellen with loving eyes. “Will you marry me?”

Ellen beamed. All her dreams were coming true.  And in one day.  She’d been freed from guilt and was loved by a wonderful man.  Only one answer came to Ellen’s mind as her heart danced with joy and love.

“Yes, Rand, I’ll marry you.”

Magnolia blossoms perfumed the air around them as they embraced and kissed.

“I want to get married right here in the gazebo,” Ellen proclaimed.

Rand nodded. “That sounds appropriate, considering all the time we’ve spent here.”

Ellen linked her arms around Rand’s neck.

“We should share our news with Dolly!” Ellen exclaimed. “She’s going to be thrilled you’ve finally found a wife.”

“I think she’s going to be thrilled that I found
you f
or a wife.”