Read Online Nephew's Wife, The by Barbara Kaylor - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Barbara Kaylor
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mysterious woman a thought. She chalked her dread up to an overactive imagination. For all Ellen knew, the woman’s focus might have been Dolly.
Things seemed to be dying down in the press, too, which allowed Ellen to relax her guard even more. Ida called less and less with less and less news about reporters and other interested parties searching for her.
“I think they’re finally losing interest,” Ida had told her during their last phone call. “They realize you’re not seeking fame and fortune so they’ve moved on to another subject. There’s plenty of publicity hounds out there wanting their fifteen minutes of fame. They’ve probably latched on to one of them.”
“I hope you’re right, Ida.” Ellen had felt relieved and bolstered by Ida’s assessment. She turned all her attention to Dolly.
It was the beginning of her fourth week on the job, and she and Dolly were having lunch in the sun room.
“Randolph needs a wife!” Dolly slapped her small hand on the glass table. “I’m tired of him moping around this house, looking like he’s lost his best friend.”
“Rand’s focused on his work, Dolly,” Ellen told her. “He’s not interested in finding a wife. He’s told me several times, he enjoys the single life.”
“I don’t pay any attention to that.” Dolly whipped the air with her hand. “Rand has always been and will always be a romantic at heart. He enjoyed sending flowers and cards and going to candlelight dinners in quiet, romantic places. He just has to find his way back, and that’s where we come in, Ellen. We have to find him a wife. Rand was made to love someone.”
Ellen secretly agreed. She wished she was the someone . Lately, she and Rand had become closer than Ellen had intended to be with her boss. They’d made a ritual of engaging in long conversations after Dolly retired at night. At first, it was a just a time set aside for Ellen to go over Dolly’s progress. Somewhere along the way, the nature of their discussions changed and expanded into much more than reports on Dolly.
Ellen found Rand easy to talk to. They stayed away from painful subjects like his illness and disastrous engagement and her life with Paul. Everything else was free game. Most evenings, they’d end up in the gazebo, discussing faith issues. Rand’s knowledge of the Bible impressed Ellen. Whenever she mentioned a spiritual area she was weak in, he’d quote Scripture to help her. When she’d return to her bedroom at night, she’d reach for her Bible and turn to the passages Rand had given her.
He had a lot to do with her faith growing stronger. Her prayer life had grown, too. It had become more than just a recorded message for God, planted in her heart for Him to listen to daily. Ellen started pouring her heart out to God each night, seeking redemption for hurting Paul and for living as a fraud. It was all thanks to Rand. He truly cared for her spiritual battles even though she’d never confessed them to him.
The next phase in restoring her faith would be harder though. God was convicting her to be honest, to tell the truth about what had happened the night of Paul’s accident. Ellen had tried on several occasions, but each time she had lost courage. Something she couldn’t put a finger on was holding her back. The more she prayed about it, the more Ellen became convinced that there was more embedded in the night of Paul’s accident than she’d ever considered. It started out as an itch then spread into a nagging rash inside her head. Something about that night had her tangled in confusion.
Ellen wondered if she was just looking for justification. Paul had run the stop sign because he was distraught and heartbroken. It was her fault. That was all there was to it. End of story. One day, she’d admit it to someone and then deal with the consequences. Only then would she have peace and closure even though
Things seemed to be dying down in the press, too, which allowed Ellen to relax her guard even more. Ida called less and less with less and less news about reporters and other interested parties searching for her.
“I think they’re finally losing interest,” Ida had told her during their last phone call. “They realize you’re not seeking fame and fortune so they’ve moved on to another subject. There’s plenty of publicity hounds out there wanting their fifteen minutes of fame. They’ve probably latched on to one of them.”
“I hope you’re right, Ida.” Ellen had felt relieved and bolstered by Ida’s assessment. She turned all her attention to Dolly.
It was the beginning of her fourth week on the job, and she and Dolly were having lunch in the sun room.
“Randolph needs a wife!” Dolly slapped her small hand on the glass table. “I’m tired of him moping around this house, looking like he’s lost his best friend.”
“Rand’s focused on his work, Dolly,” Ellen told her. “He’s not interested in finding a wife. He’s told me several times, he enjoys the single life.”
“I don’t pay any attention to that.” Dolly whipped the air with her hand. “Rand has always been and will always be a romantic at heart. He enjoyed sending flowers and cards and going to candlelight dinners in quiet, romantic places. He just has to find his way back, and that’s where we come in, Ellen. We have to find him a wife. Rand was made to love someone.”
Ellen secretly agreed. She wished she was the someone . Lately, she and Rand had become closer than Ellen had intended to be with her boss. They’d made a ritual of engaging in long conversations after Dolly retired at night. At first, it was a just a time set aside for Ellen to go over Dolly’s progress. Somewhere along the way, the nature of their discussions changed and expanded into much more than reports on Dolly.
Ellen found Rand easy to talk to. They stayed away from painful subjects like his illness and disastrous engagement and her life with Paul. Everything else was free game. Most evenings, they’d end up in the gazebo, discussing faith issues. Rand’s knowledge of the Bible impressed Ellen. Whenever she mentioned a spiritual area she was weak in, he’d quote Scripture to help her. When she’d return to her bedroom at night, she’d reach for her Bible and turn to the passages Rand had given her.
He had a lot to do with her faith growing stronger. Her prayer life had grown, too. It had become more than just a recorded message for God, planted in her heart for Him to listen to daily. Ellen started pouring her heart out to God each night, seeking redemption for hurting Paul and for living as a fraud. It was all thanks to Rand. He truly cared for her spiritual battles even though she’d never confessed them to him.
The next phase in restoring her faith would be harder though. God was convicting her to be honest, to tell the truth about what had happened the night of Paul’s accident. Ellen had tried on several occasions, but each time she had lost courage. Something she couldn’t put a finger on was holding her back. The more she prayed about it, the more Ellen became convinced that there was more embedded in the night of Paul’s accident than she’d ever considered. It started out as an itch then spread into a nagging rash inside her head. Something about that night had her tangled in confusion.
Ellen wondered if she was just looking for justification. Paul had run the stop sign because he was distraught and heartbroken. It was her fault. That was all there was to it. End of story. One day, she’d admit it to someone and then deal with the consequences. Only then would she have peace and closure even though
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