me,” he said, ignoring her. “ ‘O praise the Lord, all ye nations.’ ”
Cassandra saw no help for it. She was there to help him relax, and if this was going to work, then she would do it. She repeated the words back to him, over and over again, and then Tate told her to try both verses on her own.
“ ‘O praise the Lord, all ye nations; praise him, all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us; and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord.’ ”
“Cassandra Steele, you close that Bible this instant!”
Cassandra’s laughter filled the room.
“How did you know?”
“I could tell that your head was bent, the way it is when you read.”
“I told you I would fudge.”
“That wasn’t fudging; it was cheating,” he told her, trying to sound firm but unable to stop smiling. “Here we go now, this time without the Bible.”
Cassandra did as she was told, and by the time she was ready to leave, she knew Psalm 117 by heart, every word perfect.
“Thank you for coming,” Tate said as she made to exit.
“No, Mr Tate, thank you for teaching me those verses. I didn’t think I could do it word perfect.”
Tate smiled. He was still smiling when his aunt came to check on him almost an hour later.
“Cassandra,” Harriet called to her the moment church was over; she hadn’t even had time to move from the pew.
“Good morning, Mrs Thorpe. How are you?”
“I’m very well, and I wanted to catch you before you left.” Harriet sat next to her, turning so she could see her face. “Is it still working for you to come each day, or have we completely ruined your schedule?”
“Not at all. I can always fit it in, and on those days when it is impossible, Mr Tate has been very understanding.”
Harriet took the younger woman’s hand.
“I can’t thank you enough, Cassandra. He so enjoys your visits. They give him something to look forward to.”
“I’m pleased to hear that, but you must believe me when I tell you that I no longer come just for Mr Tate. I enjoy the visits too.”
“I’m glad, my dear. I would love to invite you to dinner and tea, and offer you our hospitality, but I must give Tate as much time as he needs.”
Cassandra squeezed the older hand, which was still nearby.
“Don’t give it another thought. I don’t expect such things. We want Mr Tate to heal. That’s all that matters right now.”
Harriet hugged her. She couldn’t help herself. Cassandra gladly returned the embrace, thinking she had made a lovely friend.
Lizzy, watching them from a little ways off, smiled as well, but for an entirely different reason.
Brown Manor
“Hello, love,” Weston said softly, sitting down on his own bed and watching his wife’s eyes open. He leaned to kiss her before asking, “How did you end up in here?”
“I was tired of my room, so after my bath, I told Jenny I wanted to move. Do you mind?”
Weston’s smile was intimate. “Since when do I mind finding you in my bed?”
Anne smiled back at him.
“How was church?”
“Excellent. We’re still in Jonah, and I shall tell you all about it after we’ve eaten.”
“I would like that.”
“Oh! Before I forget, Marianne Jennings will be coming tomorrow.”
“Good. Will she bring any of the children?”
“I don’t know. She might assume, just as Judith and Lydia have, that one visitor at a time is enough.”
“But we could send word, so she’ll know the children would be welcome.”
Weston hesitated. Much as he loved the children in question, he wasn’t certain that Anne needed them to visit just yet.
“You’re not saying anything.”
“I’m just thinking.”
Anne didn’t need to ask the subject of his thoughts. Everything he did these days was with her health and the baby’s delivery in mind. She didn’t want to do anything to make it harder for him, but she thought that visiting with Penny Jennings or seeing baby Catherine would do her a world of good. It was
Cassandra saw no help for it. She was there to help him relax, and if this was going to work, then she would do it. She repeated the words back to him, over and over again, and then Tate told her to try both verses on her own.
“ ‘O praise the Lord, all ye nations; praise him, all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us; and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord.’ ”
“Cassandra Steele, you close that Bible this instant!”
Cassandra’s laughter filled the room.
“How did you know?”
“I could tell that your head was bent, the way it is when you read.”
“I told you I would fudge.”
“That wasn’t fudging; it was cheating,” he told her, trying to sound firm but unable to stop smiling. “Here we go now, this time without the Bible.”
Cassandra did as she was told, and by the time she was ready to leave, she knew Psalm 117 by heart, every word perfect.
“Thank you for coming,” Tate said as she made to exit.
“No, Mr Tate, thank you for teaching me those verses. I didn’t think I could do it word perfect.”
Tate smiled. He was still smiling when his aunt came to check on him almost an hour later.
“Cassandra,” Harriet called to her the moment church was over; she hadn’t even had time to move from the pew.
“Good morning, Mrs Thorpe. How are you?”
“I’m very well, and I wanted to catch you before you left.” Harriet sat next to her, turning so she could see her face. “Is it still working for you to come each day, or have we completely ruined your schedule?”
“Not at all. I can always fit it in, and on those days when it is impossible, Mr Tate has been very understanding.”
Harriet took the younger woman’s hand.
“I can’t thank you enough, Cassandra. He so enjoys your visits. They give him something to look forward to.”
“I’m pleased to hear that, but you must believe me when I tell you that I no longer come just for Mr Tate. I enjoy the visits too.”
“I’m glad, my dear. I would love to invite you to dinner and tea, and offer you our hospitality, but I must give Tate as much time as he needs.”
Cassandra squeezed the older hand, which was still nearby.
“Don’t give it another thought. I don’t expect such things. We want Mr Tate to heal. That’s all that matters right now.”
Harriet hugged her. She couldn’t help herself. Cassandra gladly returned the embrace, thinking she had made a lovely friend.
Lizzy, watching them from a little ways off, smiled as well, but for an entirely different reason.
Brown Manor
“Hello, love,” Weston said softly, sitting down on his own bed and watching his wife’s eyes open. He leaned to kiss her before asking, “How did you end up in here?”
“I was tired of my room, so after my bath, I told Jenny I wanted to move. Do you mind?”
Weston’s smile was intimate. “Since when do I mind finding you in my bed?”
Anne smiled back at him.
“How was church?”
“Excellent. We’re still in Jonah, and I shall tell you all about it after we’ve eaten.”
“I would like that.”
“Oh! Before I forget, Marianne Jennings will be coming tomorrow.”
“Good. Will she bring any of the children?”
“I don’t know. She might assume, just as Judith and Lydia have, that one visitor at a time is enough.”
“But we could send word, so she’ll know the children would be welcome.”
Weston hesitated. Much as he loved the children in question, he wasn’t certain that Anne needed them to visit just yet.
“You’re not saying anything.”
“I’m just thinking.”
Anne didn’t need to ask the subject of his thoughts. Everything he did these days was with her health and the baby’s delivery in mind. She didn’t want to do anything to make it harder for him, but she thought that visiting with Penny Jennings or seeing baby Catherine would do her a world of good. It was
Similar Books
