you done, Cassie?”
“Benwick had just gotten it in. Are you pleased?”
Henry was silent as the rest of the wrap gave way, but every part of his being radiated pleasure. He opened the book slowly, as though it was already a prized possession, studying the detail and touching the pages with reverence.
Cassandra didn’t expect him to say very much, but she would have appreciated something. She looked over at Lizzy, who had just glanced her direction. Both women shrugged a little.
“Henry?” Cassandra finally tried.
He looked up to find his youngest sister smiling at him.
“Thank you, Cassie,” he said simply, smiling back at her and returning to the colorful pages that showed maps of the world.
Cassandra tried not to be disappointed. She worked at not carrying her heart on her sleeve but couldn’t quite pull it off this time. She had to ask herself at that moment whether she hadn’t come with more expectations than she should have. She was also forced to ask herself whether a small part of her heart had been trying to buy Henry’s love, or at the very least, his attention.
Pembroke
“Much as I’m enjoying the book, Cassandra,” Tate said when she arrived on Saturday morning, “would you mind terribly if we did something different this morning?”
“Not at all.”
Tate reached to the table beside him and found his Bible. He handed it to Cassandra.
“I would like to recite to you from Psalm 113. I’d like you to correct me if I get words wrong—but if I hesitate, give me a moment to find my place.”
“Is your Bible in English?” Cassandra asked as she began to turn to the book of Psalms. She was rewarded by the sound of Tate’s full laughter.
Cassandra smiled hugely as she watched him. That he’d found the question highly amusing was clear.
Harriet suddenly appeared at the door, having heard the noise. “Is everything all right?”
“Yes,” Tate answered, although his voice was still full of laughter. “The joke continues. I’ll tell you about it later.”
Harriet gave Cassandra a smiling, wide-eyed look before agreeing and going on her way. Tate got down to business moments later.
“ ‘Praise ye the L ORD . Praise, O ye servants of the L ORD , praise the name of the L ORD . Blessed be the name of the L ORD from this time forth and forever.’ ”
“ ‘For evermore,’ ” Cassandra corrected quietly.
“ ‘For evermore,’ ” Tate repeated and picked up where he was. “ ‘From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the L ORD ’s name is to be praised. The L ORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.’ ”
Tate took a moment to think, and then went on, needing no help at all. “ ‘Who is like unto the L ORD our God, who dwelleth on high, who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth! He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; that he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.’ ”
Tate paused for this last verse, his mind searching. “Is it, ‘He maketh the barren woman…’?”
“Yes.”
Tate nodded and finished: “ ‘He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the L ORD .’ How did I do?”
“Very well. I’m extremely impressed. I fudge on words all the time. Yours were nearly perfect.”
“Thank you,” Tate said humbly, but he was ready to go on. “If you don’t mind, I’d like for you to choose another psalm for me to memorize. Not too long.”
“All right,” Cassandra said, wishing to go easy on him. “How about 117?”
Tate smiled. “That has only two verses in it.”
“You already know that one?” Cassandra sounded chagrined.
“Yes, and it sounds as though I should teach it to you.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” she said, sounding embarrassed.
“Well, let’s try.”
“You don’t have to do that, Mr Tate.”
“That’s good to know. Repeat after
“Benwick had just gotten it in. Are you pleased?”
Henry was silent as the rest of the wrap gave way, but every part of his being radiated pleasure. He opened the book slowly, as though it was already a prized possession, studying the detail and touching the pages with reverence.
Cassandra didn’t expect him to say very much, but she would have appreciated something. She looked over at Lizzy, who had just glanced her direction. Both women shrugged a little.
“Henry?” Cassandra finally tried.
He looked up to find his youngest sister smiling at him.
“Thank you, Cassie,” he said simply, smiling back at her and returning to the colorful pages that showed maps of the world.
Cassandra tried not to be disappointed. She worked at not carrying her heart on her sleeve but couldn’t quite pull it off this time. She had to ask herself at that moment whether she hadn’t come with more expectations than she should have. She was also forced to ask herself whether a small part of her heart had been trying to buy Henry’s love, or at the very least, his attention.
Pembroke
“Much as I’m enjoying the book, Cassandra,” Tate said when she arrived on Saturday morning, “would you mind terribly if we did something different this morning?”
“Not at all.”
Tate reached to the table beside him and found his Bible. He handed it to Cassandra.
“I would like to recite to you from Psalm 113. I’d like you to correct me if I get words wrong—but if I hesitate, give me a moment to find my place.”
“Is your Bible in English?” Cassandra asked as she began to turn to the book of Psalms. She was rewarded by the sound of Tate’s full laughter.
Cassandra smiled hugely as she watched him. That he’d found the question highly amusing was clear.
Harriet suddenly appeared at the door, having heard the noise. “Is everything all right?”
“Yes,” Tate answered, although his voice was still full of laughter. “The joke continues. I’ll tell you about it later.”
Harriet gave Cassandra a smiling, wide-eyed look before agreeing and going on her way. Tate got down to business moments later.
“ ‘Praise ye the L ORD . Praise, O ye servants of the L ORD , praise the name of the L ORD . Blessed be the name of the L ORD from this time forth and forever.’ ”
“ ‘For evermore,’ ” Cassandra corrected quietly.
“ ‘For evermore,’ ” Tate repeated and picked up where he was. “ ‘From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the L ORD ’s name is to be praised. The L ORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.’ ”
Tate took a moment to think, and then went on, needing no help at all. “ ‘Who is like unto the L ORD our God, who dwelleth on high, who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth! He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; that he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.’ ”
Tate paused for this last verse, his mind searching. “Is it, ‘He maketh the barren woman…’?”
“Yes.”
Tate nodded and finished: “ ‘He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the L ORD .’ How did I do?”
“Very well. I’m extremely impressed. I fudge on words all the time. Yours were nearly perfect.”
“Thank you,” Tate said humbly, but he was ready to go on. “If you don’t mind, I’d like for you to choose another psalm for me to memorize. Not too long.”
“All right,” Cassandra said, wishing to go easy on him. “How about 117?”
Tate smiled. “That has only two verses in it.”
“You already know that one?” Cassandra sounded chagrined.
“Yes, and it sounds as though I should teach it to you.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” she said, sounding embarrassed.
“Well, let’s try.”
“You don’t have to do that, Mr Tate.”
“That’s good to know. Repeat after
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