out.
Before leaving to return home, Eli wanted to talk with her brothers and to his mother, in that order. He found the brothers upstairs in the big book-lined study that had been Adam Crowley’sduring Eli’s youth. At his entrance all conversation stopped and every eye turned his way. Not sure where he stood with them now, he plunged ahead. “I just came to tell you all the same thing I told your father. I plan to care for Jewel and provide for her to the best of my abilities as long as we are married.” He then added, “Which according to her may not be for very long.”
Seeing the confusion on their faces, he explained. “She wants a divorce as soon as things settle down.”
“What?” her brothers bellowed in unison.
“My feelings exactly. And she doesn’t plan to live with me either it seems. She’s in her room now even as we speak.”
Paul chuckled and shook his head. “Here you are offering to do the honorable thing and I’m betting you feel like you stepped into a bear trap.”
“She is something.”
Zeke said, “But she has to live with you. She’s your wife.”
“Explained that. She didn’t buy it.”
The brothers shared amused looks.
“So what are you going to do?” Abe asked.
Eli shrugged. “Can’t simply throw her over my shoulder and drag her off.”
“No you can’t,” Noah pointed out.
“Not and live to talk about it come the morning,” Jeremiah added.
Paul said, “Abigail says you’re going to tell folksthat you and Jewel have been secretly married. How’s anybody going to believe it if she continues to live here?”
Eli shrugged again.
“Maybe she’ll come to her senses in the morning,” Zeke offered.
Eli thought turtles would fly first, but he kept that to himself. “I’m meeting with Hicks in the morning, then I’ll come back and see if she and I can agree on anything.”
“Good luck,” Jeremiah said.
Paul added, “You’re an honorable man, Eli.”
The others nodded their agreement.
The five men in the room were the closest Eli had to brothers and he responded with a heartfelt “Thanks.”
He found his mother sitting outside on the porch bench. She looked up and said, “I’m very proud of you.”
He took a seat on the railing. “Jewel sure isn’t. She’s refusing to live with me.”
Abigail smiled in the darkness. “She comes from stubborn stock.”
“And she wants me to divorce her once things have quieted down.”
“Now why didn’t I think of that?”
Amusement filled him. “Of course you’d think that a good idea.”
“No, I think it’s brilliant idea. Divorce has its stigma but I know a few divorced women in Kalamazoo and Muskegon who are living lifeon their own terms, and doing well. Frankly, by century’s end, I believe divorce is going to become more and more acceptable.” She added solemnly, “Had that option been available during my first marriage, I’d probably not need this cane.”
Eli knew of the abuse she’d suffered at the hands of his father. He’d married her not for love but as a way to get at her fortune. Since her fall down a flight of stairs during one of the man’s rages, the cane had become a necessity. The thoughts brought Eli a rage of his own, so he set them aside and concentrated on the matter at hand. “Any suggestions?”
She shrugged. “You’re the Lothario.”
“She doesn’t want a wedding night.”
“Of course not, Eli. Would you if you were in her shoes?”
He thought it over. “Probably not, but I’ve convinced myself to try and make this marriage work.”
“Really?”
“If I were in the market for a wife, she’d fit the mold.”
“Interesting. I was under the impression you were doing this under duress.”
“I am. No man wants to be forced into marrying, but I am at an age where thoughts of settling down with one woman don’t give me hives anymore.”
“And you’d be true to her?”
“Yes, Mother,” he said firmly.
“Arranged marriages have been known to
Before leaving to return home, Eli wanted to talk with her brothers and to his mother, in that order. He found the brothers upstairs in the big book-lined study that had been Adam Crowley’sduring Eli’s youth. At his entrance all conversation stopped and every eye turned his way. Not sure where he stood with them now, he plunged ahead. “I just came to tell you all the same thing I told your father. I plan to care for Jewel and provide for her to the best of my abilities as long as we are married.” He then added, “Which according to her may not be for very long.”
Seeing the confusion on their faces, he explained. “She wants a divorce as soon as things settle down.”
“What?” her brothers bellowed in unison.
“My feelings exactly. And she doesn’t plan to live with me either it seems. She’s in her room now even as we speak.”
Paul chuckled and shook his head. “Here you are offering to do the honorable thing and I’m betting you feel like you stepped into a bear trap.”
“She is something.”
Zeke said, “But she has to live with you. She’s your wife.”
“Explained that. She didn’t buy it.”
The brothers shared amused looks.
“So what are you going to do?” Abe asked.
Eli shrugged. “Can’t simply throw her over my shoulder and drag her off.”
“No you can’t,” Noah pointed out.
“Not and live to talk about it come the morning,” Jeremiah added.
Paul said, “Abigail says you’re going to tell folksthat you and Jewel have been secretly married. How’s anybody going to believe it if she continues to live here?”
Eli shrugged again.
“Maybe she’ll come to her senses in the morning,” Zeke offered.
Eli thought turtles would fly first, but he kept that to himself. “I’m meeting with Hicks in the morning, then I’ll come back and see if she and I can agree on anything.”
“Good luck,” Jeremiah said.
Paul added, “You’re an honorable man, Eli.”
The others nodded their agreement.
The five men in the room were the closest Eli had to brothers and he responded with a heartfelt “Thanks.”
He found his mother sitting outside on the porch bench. She looked up and said, “I’m very proud of you.”
He took a seat on the railing. “Jewel sure isn’t. She’s refusing to live with me.”
Abigail smiled in the darkness. “She comes from stubborn stock.”
“And she wants me to divorce her once things have quieted down.”
“Now why didn’t I think of that?”
Amusement filled him. “Of course you’d think that a good idea.”
“No, I think it’s brilliant idea. Divorce has its stigma but I know a few divorced women in Kalamazoo and Muskegon who are living lifeon their own terms, and doing well. Frankly, by century’s end, I believe divorce is going to become more and more acceptable.” She added solemnly, “Had that option been available during my first marriage, I’d probably not need this cane.”
Eli knew of the abuse she’d suffered at the hands of his father. He’d married her not for love but as a way to get at her fortune. Since her fall down a flight of stairs during one of the man’s rages, the cane had become a necessity. The thoughts brought Eli a rage of his own, so he set them aside and concentrated on the matter at hand. “Any suggestions?”
She shrugged. “You’re the Lothario.”
“She doesn’t want a wedding night.”
“Of course not, Eli. Would you if you were in her shoes?”
He thought it over. “Probably not, but I’ve convinced myself to try and make this marriage work.”
“Really?”
“If I were in the market for a wife, she’d fit the mold.”
“Interesting. I was under the impression you were doing this under duress.”
“I am. No man wants to be forced into marrying, but I am at an age where thoughts of settling down with one woman don’t give me hives anymore.”
“And you’d be true to her?”
“Yes, Mother,” he said firmly.
“Arranged marriages have been known to
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