Margaret, it probably isn’t a good idea to tell your parents about getting frightened tonight. Let’s just keep it between us.”
“I wasn’t going to say anything to them, Father.”
“I’m just concerned that they wouldn’t want you working here anymore if they thought you were afraid to be alone. No other reason.”
“Like I said, I’m not going to tell them.”
“Good girl.”
The horn honked again.
“I’d better go.”
Father Antonio ran his hand through his hair nervously. “Goodnight, Mary Margaret.”
“Goodnight, Father,” she said, turning away from him.
She could feel him watching her as she went to the office for her belongings, then came back down the hall to go out the back door of the rectory.
“What took you so long?” her mom asked as Mary Margaret got in the car. “I’ve been sitting out here for several minutes. What were you doing?”
“I didn’t know you were here. I just heard the horn honk,” Mary Margaret lied. “I was still doing my homework.”
“Were the priests home tonight?”
Mary Margaret arranged her books on the floor at her feet. “Father Antonio just got home, I think. I guess he was the one that came in. His car is parked right there,” she said, pointing to his little green Ford Falcon.
“How do you like Father Antonio?” her mother asked.
“Oh, I don’t know. He’s okay for a priest, I guess.”
“Well, I think he’s a handsome man,” Mrs. Riley said. “I wonder how he happened to go into the priesthood.”
Mary Margaret turned sharply and looked at her mother who had a mysterious smile on her face. What was her mother thinking? She had her own husband. Father Antonio was definitely off limits.
“I can’t believe you’re talking about a priest being handsome. And what do you mean why did he go into the priesthood? Isn’t it a calling?”
Mrs. Riley leaned towards Mary Margaret and smiled girlishly. “Yes, it’s a calling, but what a waste! He’s so handsome he could be a movie star.”
“Oh, Mom. I can’t believe you. This is disgusting!”
“Call it what you will, Mary Margaret. I guess you’re just too young to understand what I’m talking about.”
Mary Margaret turned away and looked back out the window; her thoughts returning to the hug Father Antonio had given her just a short time ago. Maybe she was too young. She didn’t understand why his hug felt so different, and she didn’t understand the warm feeling she’d gotten in her stomach when he was hugging her. Actually, the warm feeling wasn’t only in her stomach--and she didn’t understand that, either.
You must learn if you are a Christian, you will without a doubt experience all kinds of opposition and evil inclinations in the flesh. For when you have faith, there will be a hundred more evil thoughts and a hundred more temptations than before.
-Martin Luther-
CHAPTER NINE
“My, you look lovely this morning,” Mr. Riley said, smiling approvingly. “You’re all dressed up for Mass.”
Mary Margaret smiled back at her father. “This is my latest purchase with the money from my job.”
She was wearing a straight brown knee-length wool skirt, and a peach colored long-sleeved angora sweater with a cowl collar. They were both the newest fashion, and she felt very grown up wearing them. She even had on a pair of heels. Granted, they were only one inch, but they were heels all the same.
Mrs. Riley came out of the kitchen, still wearing her apron from breakfast duties. “Another new outfit? I don’t suppose you’ve put aside any of the money you’ve earned.”
“I’ve been saving a lot, Mother. I make sure I put away half of my money before I spend any.”
Realizing she still had her apron on, Mrs. Riley untied it and went back to the kitchen to put it away.
“I’m proud of you,” Mr. Riley said. “You’ve become so responsible and grown up.”
“Thank you, Daddy,” Mary Margaret said, blushing a bit at the
“I wasn’t going to say anything to them, Father.”
“I’m just concerned that they wouldn’t want you working here anymore if they thought you were afraid to be alone. No other reason.”
“Like I said, I’m not going to tell them.”
“Good girl.”
The horn honked again.
“I’d better go.”
Father Antonio ran his hand through his hair nervously. “Goodnight, Mary Margaret.”
“Goodnight, Father,” she said, turning away from him.
She could feel him watching her as she went to the office for her belongings, then came back down the hall to go out the back door of the rectory.
“What took you so long?” her mom asked as Mary Margaret got in the car. “I’ve been sitting out here for several minutes. What were you doing?”
“I didn’t know you were here. I just heard the horn honk,” Mary Margaret lied. “I was still doing my homework.”
“Were the priests home tonight?”
Mary Margaret arranged her books on the floor at her feet. “Father Antonio just got home, I think. I guess he was the one that came in. His car is parked right there,” she said, pointing to his little green Ford Falcon.
“How do you like Father Antonio?” her mother asked.
“Oh, I don’t know. He’s okay for a priest, I guess.”
“Well, I think he’s a handsome man,” Mrs. Riley said. “I wonder how he happened to go into the priesthood.”
Mary Margaret turned sharply and looked at her mother who had a mysterious smile on her face. What was her mother thinking? She had her own husband. Father Antonio was definitely off limits.
“I can’t believe you’re talking about a priest being handsome. And what do you mean why did he go into the priesthood? Isn’t it a calling?”
Mrs. Riley leaned towards Mary Margaret and smiled girlishly. “Yes, it’s a calling, but what a waste! He’s so handsome he could be a movie star.”
“Oh, Mom. I can’t believe you. This is disgusting!”
“Call it what you will, Mary Margaret. I guess you’re just too young to understand what I’m talking about.”
Mary Margaret turned away and looked back out the window; her thoughts returning to the hug Father Antonio had given her just a short time ago. Maybe she was too young. She didn’t understand why his hug felt so different, and she didn’t understand the warm feeling she’d gotten in her stomach when he was hugging her. Actually, the warm feeling wasn’t only in her stomach--and she didn’t understand that, either.
You must learn if you are a Christian, you will without a doubt experience all kinds of opposition and evil inclinations in the flesh. For when you have faith, there will be a hundred more evil thoughts and a hundred more temptations than before.
-Martin Luther-
CHAPTER NINE
“My, you look lovely this morning,” Mr. Riley said, smiling approvingly. “You’re all dressed up for Mass.”
Mary Margaret smiled back at her father. “This is my latest purchase with the money from my job.”
She was wearing a straight brown knee-length wool skirt, and a peach colored long-sleeved angora sweater with a cowl collar. They were both the newest fashion, and she felt very grown up wearing them. She even had on a pair of heels. Granted, they were only one inch, but they were heels all the same.
Mrs. Riley came out of the kitchen, still wearing her apron from breakfast duties. “Another new outfit? I don’t suppose you’ve put aside any of the money you’ve earned.”
“I’ve been saving a lot, Mother. I make sure I put away half of my money before I spend any.”
Realizing she still had her apron on, Mrs. Riley untied it and went back to the kitchen to put it away.
“I’m proud of you,” Mr. Riley said. “You’ve become so responsible and grown up.”
“Thank you, Daddy,” Mary Margaret said, blushing a bit at the
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