Read Online Till Death by William X. Kienzle - Free Book Online
Authors: William X. Kienzle
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her.
Everything appeared to have deserted her. Her desire not to embarrass her parents by quitting had perished in the face of the grungy toilet bowls she continued to keep immaculate. Her special Scripture lesson probably would make sense in some setting other than the Theresians.
That left standing only Father Casserly.
Six
Over the months of counseling, the relationship between Sister Perpetua and Father Casserly evolved. It had to. She was revealing her inmost soul.
Gradually she began seeing him in a different aspect. She had never been this candid with anyone—parents, girlfriends, even Father Anderson. When she’d been under his direction, she had not been undergoing the enormous stress that the Adalbert group was now inflicting.
Looking back on their work together, she would have to guess that, for whatever reason, Father Anderson had been more interested in her than she was in him. Perpetua and Anderson had operated on the surface. When he was sent to another parish and she was exiled to Adalbert’s, there had been no emotional tugs—certainly none on her part.
Not so her dependence on and feeling for Rick Casserly. For both obvious and subtle reasons she felt more emotionally involved with him.
And so she stayed and suffered and soldiered on, almost entirely for Casserly’s sake. He was determined that she would, with his faithful help, make it. They would conquer.
Slowly, quietly, steadily, her feelings for Casserly deepened. She had given him her soul with all its hidden places, strengths, and weaknesses. She didn’t say it—she didn’t dare think it—but she was about to give him her body. It was all there was left.
But how?
It couldn’t be as simple as removing clothing and hopping into bed. Not for people like Rick and her.
What if she had badly misread Rick’s feelings for her? What if she were to offer herself to him and he rejected her? She couldn’t imagine him doing anything like that. But what if …?
She had to fantasize a plan—if she were indeed mistaken, that would give her a face-saving way out.
Good Lord, she had never even read a romance novel. Never mind. She had an active imagination.
For the first time, Sister Perpetua was grateful for the isolation imposed by the other nuns at St. Adalbert’s. Instead of suffering cabin fever, she was planning an assignation. She was aware that customarily the male was the instigator in a tryst. But, hell, it was the 1980s—a time for women to take charge. Or so she’d read.
The simple act of planning this very special get-together provided stimulation. She’d never done anything like this before. She found she had some latent talent for plotting.
In the end, this is how it should play out:
She would ask for the keys to the car. She was going to consult with her spiritual director. (That much was at least partially true.)
Although as a member of the Theresians she had never had occasion to wear one, she did possess a swimsuit—modest and functional, rather than openly seductive. She would put it on, then stand under the shower. After she drip-dried she would don her full outer habit and drive to Father Casserly’s rectory.
It would be a Saturday afternoon, so he should be there making last-minute preparations for the evening Mass.
He would answer her ring. “Sister,” he would exclaim, “what are you doing here? I mean, did you make an appointment? Did I forget something?”
“Noooo …” She would be smiling broadly. “It’s like they say, I was in the neighborhood and I thought I would just drop in for a while.”
“Well, I don’t quite understand. But … come on in.” He would lead her into the living room.
The rectory was a two-story building with full basement. Originally it had been built to house at least five priests. Four suites had once been occupied by four priests. There was an extra suite for the housekeeper that could have been converted to rooms for a priest, if they’d ever gotten the desired
Everything appeared to have deserted her. Her desire not to embarrass her parents by quitting had perished in the face of the grungy toilet bowls she continued to keep immaculate. Her special Scripture lesson probably would make sense in some setting other than the Theresians.
That left standing only Father Casserly.
Six
Over the months of counseling, the relationship between Sister Perpetua and Father Casserly evolved. It had to. She was revealing her inmost soul.
Gradually she began seeing him in a different aspect. She had never been this candid with anyone—parents, girlfriends, even Father Anderson. When she’d been under his direction, she had not been undergoing the enormous stress that the Adalbert group was now inflicting.
Looking back on their work together, she would have to guess that, for whatever reason, Father Anderson had been more interested in her than she was in him. Perpetua and Anderson had operated on the surface. When he was sent to another parish and she was exiled to Adalbert’s, there had been no emotional tugs—certainly none on her part.
Not so her dependence on and feeling for Rick Casserly. For both obvious and subtle reasons she felt more emotionally involved with him.
And so she stayed and suffered and soldiered on, almost entirely for Casserly’s sake. He was determined that she would, with his faithful help, make it. They would conquer.
Slowly, quietly, steadily, her feelings for Casserly deepened. She had given him her soul with all its hidden places, strengths, and weaknesses. She didn’t say it—she didn’t dare think it—but she was about to give him her body. It was all there was left.
But how?
It couldn’t be as simple as removing clothing and hopping into bed. Not for people like Rick and her.
What if she had badly misread Rick’s feelings for her? What if she were to offer herself to him and he rejected her? She couldn’t imagine him doing anything like that. But what if …?
She had to fantasize a plan—if she were indeed mistaken, that would give her a face-saving way out.
Good Lord, she had never even read a romance novel. Never mind. She had an active imagination.
For the first time, Sister Perpetua was grateful for the isolation imposed by the other nuns at St. Adalbert’s. Instead of suffering cabin fever, she was planning an assignation. She was aware that customarily the male was the instigator in a tryst. But, hell, it was the 1980s—a time for women to take charge. Or so she’d read.
The simple act of planning this very special get-together provided stimulation. She’d never done anything like this before. She found she had some latent talent for plotting.
In the end, this is how it should play out:
She would ask for the keys to the car. She was going to consult with her spiritual director. (That much was at least partially true.)
Although as a member of the Theresians she had never had occasion to wear one, she did possess a swimsuit—modest and functional, rather than openly seductive. She would put it on, then stand under the shower. After she drip-dried she would don her full outer habit and drive to Father Casserly’s rectory.
It would be a Saturday afternoon, so he should be there making last-minute preparations for the evening Mass.
He would answer her ring. “Sister,” he would exclaim, “what are you doing here? I mean, did you make an appointment? Did I forget something?”
“Noooo …” She would be smiling broadly. “It’s like they say, I was in the neighborhood and I thought I would just drop in for a while.”
“Well, I don’t quite understand. But … come on in.” He would lead her into the living room.
The rectory was a two-story building with full basement. Originally it had been built to house at least five priests. Four suites had once been occupied by four priests. There was an extra suite for the housekeeper that could have been converted to rooms for a priest, if they’d ever gotten the desired
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