Suse Lewis was distressed that night as she paced back and forth in her one room apartment in town. She could barely afford the place and was forced to eat bean soup again. She was at her wits‟ end. She hated to tell her parents that her efforts had been in vain. Nothing she told the bank employees made any difference. They were all a cold hearted lot. Her father wasn’t able to come in to make his case because he threw out his back and couldn’t afford the wagon ride into town. Her mother was an emotional wreck over the stress of losing her home. Her twenty-seven year old brother and his wife were busy trying to maintain the farm so they could put food on the table. Her sister Emma would have been twenty-four that year but had died three years ago due to pneumonia. Trevor was seventeen, so he couldn’t do anything until he was an adult. The ten year old twins, Luke and Patty, were still children. The burden rested on her shoulders.
She tried not to cry, but her situation seemed unbearably hopeless. “Lord, what am I going to do? Is there no one who will show mercy upon my family?” She spent the past two weeks praying and reading herBible every night, but the Lord didn’t appear to hear her. Perhaps He is saying no to my request. She knew that God didn’t always say yes. She sat on her small cot that served as a bed and stared at the wobbly kitchen table a foot away from her. Her job at the library barely paid the bills. She couldn’t afford to help pay her father’s debts. She was thirty-three. She was hardly of marrying age anymore. Most women by her age had already settled down and had families of their own. Who would want to marry her? Jake’s words penetrated her thoughts. “Perhaps with your family’s debt out of the way, you’ll find a man who’s willing to overlook your constant nagging.” She had been accused of coming off as too harsh to members of the opposite sex from other people. It seemed that no man wanted a woman who was strong-willed and outspoken. She hadn’t intended to be so abrasive at the bank, and originally, she wasn’t. But the more her request for mercy was denied, the angrier she got, and when she got angry enough, she said whatever was on her mind, whether or not it was appropriate. Oh Lord, I know I need You to tame my wild tongue. It’s so hard. Who would want to marry an old maid anyway? She was well past her prime. A man could be Mr. Mitchell’s age and still be an attractive catch, but a woman wasn’t worth much once she reached thirty. She sighed. Her sister-in-law was twenty when she married her brother. Gloria was sweet, quiet and soft. She was fragile. Her brothers often joked that Sue was too hardheaded for a man. But didn’t You make me this way? You don’t expect me to be what I’m not, do You?She knew what she wanted out of life and pursued it. She didn’t back out of a challenge. She even rode horses bareback and sought adventure when she could find it. She wasn’t content to stay in one place for long. She desired to see the world but couldn’t due to her financial situation, so she spent a great portion of her days in a good book where she could transport herself to places that she longed to see but never would. A man wanted a woman who was content to stay home all day and take care of the children. And she did want children. She just envisioned taking the children with her on her travels. The thought of being confined to a home just didn’t sit well with her. She picked up the birth announcement that rested on the table next to her. It was from her childhood friend Belinda. Belinda married at eighteen to Jim Hawke, a man twice her age. Because of Sue’s single status, she was not allowed to see Belinda much. They would talk if they happened to run into each other, but there was an unwritten rule that women who were married needed to stick with other married women. And a single woman was to never be alone with a married man since they tended to find the unmarried women a temptation. Sue made it a point to avoid private encounters with any male since her virtue was important to her. It was all she had that was worth of value. But even her virginity didn’t attract respectable single men. “Maybe Jeremiah is right,” she muttered. “Maybe I need to find anyone who is willing to marry me.” But it wouldn’t be just anyone. If she was going to commit her life to a loveless marriage, she would make it worth her while. She would marry a rich man who could bail her family out of debt. Then at least, her sacrifice wouldn’t be in vain. She took a deep breath. Alright, Lord. I don’t see what other choice I have but to be a gentle and quiet woman who will sit at home and take care of the children while my husband has all the adventures. Since I can’t talk anyone at the bank into showing me mercy, this is the only option I can see that will save my family.She did have one small consolation. Eventually, she would die so her time on Earth in misery would be limited. Besides, what were a few decades compared to eternity inHeaven? She felt much better now that her decision was made. She would set her sight on every available and wealthy bachelor. Perhaps someone would notice her and marry her. What other choice did she have? *** That Friday evening, she took all of her savings and bought an elegant light blue dress which accentuated her curves while leaving her modesty intact. She even went to the hairstylist who trimmed her long blond curly hair and set her curls in gentle waves against her face. She put on make up too. She couldn’t afford any jewelry so she borrowed Belinda’s diamond necklace. She hadn’t realized her hair reached slightly past her shoulders since she wore it in a bun so much. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. She didn’t recognize herself. She almost felt like a different woman. Deciding to use that thought, she went to the upscale dance, determined that she would find her future husband that very night. Her heart raced with nervous dread. She wasn’t looking forward to this. She loved to dance but since this wasn’t a social function on her part, she had a tough time enjoying herself. She entered the grand ballroom and sighed as she studied the available men in the room. Most of them were around her age or older, but they seemed to have set their eyes on the eighteen to twenty-five year old women. She sighed again. Who would want to marry a thirty-three year old? A seventy year old man from the corner of the room winked at her. She involuntarily shuddered. Of course, only an old man would be interested in her. But perhaps that was a good thing. He didn’t have many years left to live.“Sue?” Mrs. Walker called out as she walked to her. Sue relaxed. She liked her employer and was glad to see her there. It helped ease her anxiety. “Good evening, Mrs. Walker.” “I hardly recognized you.” The older woman took her to the side of the large room. “You look so different.” “I hope that’s a good thing.” “Oh, you’re a nice looking woman no matter what you wear.” Sue grinned. “Only you would be so kind as to say that.” “You sell yourself short, Sue. You have a lot to offer.” She shrugged. Mrs. Walker softly patted her shoulder. “What brings youhere? You’ve never made an appearance before.” “I’ve given up on the bank.” “Did you speak to Mr. Mitchell like I suggested?” She shuddered at the mention of his name. “Yes, I specifically went to his office. I have talked to him a couple of times and nothing ever gets resolved.” She shook her head in aggravation. “I don’t know why you speak so well of him. He’s just like George Leroy.” “That’s not true. Mr. Mitchell is a competent businessman. He knows his job and does it well. He has helped out a lot of people in this town. If there is anyone who would show mercy, it is him.” She didn’t feel like hearing a list of his qualifications. “That may be true of everyone else, but he refuses to help me.” “Speaking of him...” Sue turned in the direction she indicated. She noted that several prominent, younger women turned their attention to him as he entered the room. He was irritatingly attractive in his black suit and light gray tie. He seemed to be oblivious to the fact that so many women were staring wistfully at him. Instead, he walked over to a couple men and began talking to them.“I don’t see what’s so great about him,” she finally commented. She looked at Mrs. Walker. “It’s disgusting that a thirty-five year old man can have his pick of any available woman in the room but a thirty-three year old woman has to settle for someone who’s desperate enough to marry her.” The older woman’s eyes widened. “Is that why you’re here?” She nodded. “I don’t have a choice.” “I’m sorry, Sue. I tried to raise enough money to help your family.” “I know, Mrs. Walker. The debt is overwhelming. You have been most kind. It is not your problem. It’s mine. I do not wish to burden you anymore with my family’s troubles.” The older woman looked at her sympathetically. “Is marriage something you want, Sue?” “I don’t know. I have learned to be content without a man. It would be nice to marry for love but I’m not the kind of woman who attracts attention.” “There are several men looking your way.” “The old and creepy ones.” Mrs. Walker grinned. “It appears that Mr. Mitchell just noticed you.” “How flattering,” she sarcastically stated. “You should be flattered. He hasn’t given any of the other women a second glance. I do believe you caught his attention.” “That is ridiculous. He can obviously have any woman he wants.” “Which is why you should be flattered. He’s coming over here.” “I have nothing to say to him.” He was the last person she felt like talking to. “He has something to say to you.”Before Sue could protest, the woman walked away. Maybehe’ll just walk by me. “Miss Lewis, we missed you at the bank,” he said once he was right behind her. She spun around. “It’s obvious you have no intention ofhelping me, so I’m taking your advice.” “Your father’s going to turn over his property?” Did he actually sound sad by that possibility? She pushed the thought aside. “No. I’m going to marry a wealthy man and pay off my family’s debt.” “So you’re here for business.” She nodded and examined the men in the room. Some of them were with their wives but there were some who were available. “I come here for business as well,” he continued. “I’m not interested in the women here. I’m interested in the men’s pocketbooks. I come here to establish rapport with existingcustomers and potential customers.” “Is everything about money for you?” He shrugged. “I suppose it is. I’m in the business of making money and I do it well.” “You disgust me.” “Excuse me?” He sounded offended. “Think about it, Mr. Mitchell. You aren’t interested in people. You’re interested in things.” “That’s not entirely true. I do care about people. Sometimes the best way to show care for others is to help them financially.” She rolled her eyes. “You’re one to talk.” “If you had been at the board meeting Wednesdayevening, you would understand.” She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “Fine. Then explain what happened.” He shook his head. “I’d only be wasting my time.”“I thought as much.” “So you’re here to snag some poor rich bachelor into a life filled with misery? That doesn’t sound very warm-hearted to me.” Just as she was about to make a clever retort, a twenty year old beautiful redhead walked up to him.“Good evening, Mr. Mitchell,” she softly spoke. Her eyes met his and she offered him a gentle smile. “It is nice to see you here.” He warmly smiled back. “Miss Gordon, the pleasure is all mine.” Even though Sue didn’t know either of them well, she could tell they were lying to one another. Neither one really found the other one interesting. “I do hope you’ll come to my dinner party this Sunday,” she invited. “I saved a seat especially for you.” “I will try to make it,” he replied. Sue could tell he was lying. Jennifer Gordon continued to stand by him. “I would ask you to dance, but I already promised this one to Miss Lewis,” he politely said. Turning to Sue, he asked, “Are you ready?” She almost said no but there was an anxious look in his eyes that stopped her. She silently nodded and took his hand to the dance floor. She tried to ignore the way his strong arm felt around her waist and how his firm hand felt on hers. He was six inches ta
Jake spent four hours preparing the contract that he and Justin planned out in hopes of helping Sue’s family. He hoped that they could go over the board members‟ vote by discussing the situation rationally with Conrad who would be in his office on Monday. He and Justin waited in the lobby of the bank a little before nine for Sue’s arrival. Justin chuckled next to him. “What’s so funny?” he asked. He didn’t see what was so comical about a business meeting. “Did you hear what Miss Lewis did to Mr. Wilkins?” He shook his head. “On Saturday, she went over to Mr. Wilkins‟ house and threatened to lasso his buggy and hang it by the barn rafters unless he paid her father the money he rightfully owed him. When he refused to listen to her, she lassoed the front wheel and used a horse she borrowed to pull it to his barn. He realized she was serious, so he made the proper restitution. Then she thanked him as if nothing was wrong and went her way.”Jake stared
The next day, Jake sat in the lawyer’s office. He deliberately skipped the funeral to show how little he thought of his father. To his surprise, no one else attended the funeral either. It was hard to feel sorry for his father, though it did make him wonder who would bother to come to his funeral. He pushed aside the funny sensation in the back of his mind as the lawyer entered the office. “Jake Mitchell, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Mr. Barnett said as he shook his hand. “I wish I could say the same but I would rather be doing something else.” “Your father wasn’t an easy man to deal with.” “I’m sorry, Mr. Barnett. It’s hard to think of him without getting upset. I’m sure you are a decent man.” “I try to be.” He smiled to show that he took no offense to Jake’s earlier bland greeting. They sat across from each other. “Your father had no other children besides you. At least, there were no children that we are aware of, and he didn’t marry any women after t
As he walked into the ballroom, he saw Jennifer Gordon laughing and whispering to one her friends who was just as gossipy and giggly as she was. He sighed when he realized the two girls were making fun of Sue who was dancing with the seventy year old man who had his eyes glued to her last time. He didn’t know what was worse. Watching old man York staring at her bosom or the fact that Jennifer and a few others in the room believed Sue was making a public spectacle of herself. Two things are for sure: one, I’m not going to let York ogle her for the rest of the night and two, I’m buying her a new wardrobe as soon as she agrees to my plan. Just as he was about to walk onto the dance floor, Chad Walker stopped him. Chad Walker was one of the wealthiest clients at the bank, so he had to talk to him. At least York wouldn’t grope her in public. “Mr. Walker, how are you this fine December evening? Are you looking forward to Christmas?” he warmly greeted. “With Christmas being
Suse’s head was spinning by the time she got home that evening. She didn’t know whether to trust Jake Mitchell or not. He asked for her coat and slipped it over her shoulders by the end of the dance and escorted her to his personal taxi driver, Henry Reynolds, who congratulated them on their engagement and took her home. Jake walked with her to the front door of the apartment and wished her a good night and said he would see her at the bank on Monday. It almost seemed too good to be true, except she wasn’t marrying for love. She had always hoped to marry for love, but a spinster whose father was up to his eyeballs in debt could hardly expect her prince to waltz through the door and take her off to his enchanted castle where they would live happily ever after. She read enough books to understand the difference between fairytales and reality. She could be content with marrying Jake to fulfill a business agreement. The next day, Belinda sent her a telegram asking her to come by for
On Monday, Sue arrived at the bank around ten. As soon as George saw her, he stomped up to her and ordered her to leave. “I don’t appreciate you coming by here after all those vicious rumors you spread about me,” he hissed at her. She placed her hands on her hips and smiled in satisfaction. “You mean people actually care about what I think? How flattering.” He scowled at her. “You’re a thorn in my side and I’ll do everything I can to bring you down.” She laughed. “I’m just a simple librarian. Good luck on finding a deep dark secret looming in my closet.” “Get out of my bank.” “What are you doing with my fiancé?” Jake barked at him as he walked up to her. He put his arm around her shoulders. “Is he being mean to you?” She found Jake’s protective stance unexpectedly pleasing. “You can’t be serious.” George rolled his eyes. “Since when did you want to be with her?” “Ever since she showed up at the dance on Friday night. You would be
Jake spent the rest of the week fuming despite his best efforts to put Sue Lewis far from his mind. He wasn’t married to her yet, and he was already dreading having her around his house. He hadn’t even been aware of her a month ago, and suddenly, she was a big part of his world. Six months. All I have to do is survive the next six months and I’ll be free again. Justin did his best to console him. “I don’t think she’s that bad of a woman. My wife speaks highly of her. She may not be rich but she has found a way into the hearts of many prominent women in town. They can’t wait to invite her to their luncheons.” He grimaced. “Before I know it, she’ll insist on dinner parties at my house. The next six months of my life are going to be a living nightmare.” “I don’t know. She’s got a lot of passion. It could help warm up those cold winter nights. You might enjoy yourself so much you won’t want to end the marriage.” “No way, Justin. I’m not going to lay a hand on her exce
The moment of the wedding finally arrived and Jake stood by the preacher in front of the altar. He knew that this day was the bride’s day and everyone would be interested in her which was why he spent so much time preparing Sue for this day. The wedding colors were light blue and white. He picked light blue since it went with his tie. He had ordered blue ribbons and bows throughout the church, and the bridal bouquet featured white roses with a blue ribbon tying the flowers together. He supposed that women would prefer pink but he couldn’t stomach that color at his wedding, so he didn’t bother to ask her opinion. He didn’t want her opinion on any of the wedding plans for that specific reason. He was associated with this wedding, even though he wasn’t the main attraction. People would want to remember this day and he didn’t want pink to be associated with that memory. He considered the irony that she didn’t complain about the colors. She was bothered by the lace on her dress.