A Chance at Love (20 page)

Loreli glanced at Jake and all she saw was a man behind a mask that she wanted to shake until he told her the truth about what was bothering him. She understood why a man would be offended by his lady love carrying on about another man, but she wasn't Jake's lady love. Yes, they were physically attracted to each other—that had already been proven—but that's as far as their connection went. Loreli wasn't naive enough to believe there could be more; this was only a temporary arrangement. He was the one who'd made it clear that he would be looking for another woman to fill her role, so why get so upset about Trevor? If she didn't know better, she'd think he was jealous. A bit surprised by that thought, she looked over at him curiously. “Jake Reed, are you jealous?”

“Of what?”

“Quit dancing around, you know what I'm asking.”

“And if I am?”

She scanned his distant features. That was not the response she'd expected. “I don't know,” she said honestly. His answer had floored her.

“Then you shouldn't ask questions with answers you can't handle.”

He remained silent for the rest of the ride, and Loreli did too.

To Loreli's surprise, the Hanks Baptist Church was the same church that hosted the celebration for the mail-order brides and their new grooms. It was here that she'd met the twins. Had it really been such a short while ago? she
asked herself. So much had happened since then. It certainly was the same church. As Jake brought the team to a halt in the area reserved for vehicles, Loreli smiled at the sight of familiar faces. She saw Fanny and Trudy and a few of the other brides and their new families. Many of her friends waved and called to her excitedly. She waved and responded just as exuberantly. They seemed as happy to see her as she was to see them.

Jake helped her down, and she hurried off to receive hugs and give out a few of her own. In reality, the women had parted company about a week ago, but for many, including Loreli, it seemed like months.

Introductions were made. In all, thirteen brides had settled nearby and eight of them were attending the church service this morning, including Fanny, Ruby, Trudy and Zora. Loreli was glad they'd come.

Rebecca and her three friends didn't seem to share Loreli's sentiment, however. Loreli could see them standing by the church's door. Their faces were decidedly critical as they took in the happy reunions. All four women were dressed in black. They resembled disapproving crows.

As the church bell sounded, the people gathered around the grove began to move toward the church and head inside. Loreli, walking with Jake, took the girls' hands and joined the procession.

The brides and their new families sat on one side of the small whitewashed church. The old guard smugly chose seats on the other. Sol Diggs and his well-dressed wife came in and took seats in the front pew. With them was a stout boy. When the twins cut their eyes at his entrance, Loreli guessed he must be the notorious Anthony Diggs.
Loreli's gaze strayed to store owner Bert Green, seated behind the Diggses. Beside Green sat a beanpole of a woman, Loreli assumed to be his wife. Near the front of the church, Loreli spied her other poker partner, Howard Burke. She wondered if the painted-up young woman at his side was his daughter or his wife.

A short balding man in a flowing red and black robe appeared at the front of the church, and when he cleared his throat all the congregation's whispering and visiting ceased. “Good morning,” he said in a rich, rolling voice that filled the small space.

The congregation responded in kind, and the man in the robe smiled. He looked out over the gathering and said, “For all of the new people here this morning, welcome. I'm Pastor Dexter Appleby. I hope you will avail yourselves of this house of the Lord, and feel free to worship with us every Sunday.”

Loreli thought Pastor Appleby sounded much more charitable than his daughter.

Appleby said, “We're going to start our service this morning as we always do, with a hymn from the voice of our own resident angel, Sister Victoria Diggs.”

She stood and bowed regally. A very large man in a well-fitting suit stood and walked over to a corner of the church. He pulled aside a black tarp to reveal the organ beneath. The wood on it was cracked and warped, but a church with an organ was a church to be reckoned with. The first few notes the man played were so clear and pure, Loreli's mouth dropped. In spite of its battered looks, the organ was in perfect tune. Too bad the same couldn't be said for Victoria Diggs. Her first notes were as sour as month-old eggs, and the ones that followed were no bet
ter. Loreli looked over at Jake to gauge his reaction, but he wouldn't look back. She turned to Fanny, only to find her bent over, pretending to cough into a handkerchief in order to conceal her real reaction.

Everywhere Loreli looked, the people on her side of the church were either coughing into handkerchiefs or staring at Victoria Diggs as if she possessed two heads. The woman's singing was atrocious. The twins sounded like the great Black songstress Elizabeth Greenfield in comparison. Who in the world told this poor woman she could sing? Loreli wanted to know. She'd heard bullfrogs carry a better tune!

To the brides' distress, Mrs. Diggs sang two more verses. The man on the piano sounded as if he might be a skilled musician, but Victoria's terrible voice made a true determination impossible. Finally, she sat down, and had the nerve to appear pleased by her awful performance. Loreli looked over at the biddies' side of the church; they seemed unaffected by the horrendous singing. Loreli didn't understand this at all. Not at all.

A smiling Pastor Appleby stepped up to the pulpit. “Ah, Sister Diggs, just knowing I'm going to hear your voice makes it a blessing to wake up every Sunday morning.”

Loreli wondered if the man had been drinking. She glanced up at Jake, but again he ignored her.

Pastor Appleby sent the children off to Sunday school, which was conducted outside on the trestle tables. The two teachers, Rebecca being one, led the way.

Once the silence resettled, Appleby began to preach. His subject: The Perfect Wife. “The perfect wife, first and foremost, is a Christian,” he told the congregation. He then called everyone's attention to the Bible, Proverbs,
chapter 31, verses ten to thirty-one. Then he read the thirtieth verse:
“Favor is deceitful, and beauty is in vain, but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.”

In the way that preachers often do, Appleby asked his flock, “Does it matter if the woman is beautiful?”

“No!” came the reply from the old guard of the church.

“Does it matter if her skin is golden and her dresses fine?!”

“No!”

Loreli stiffened. Surely he wasn't referring to her. She looked over at Zora who raised a questioning eyebrow in response.

Appleby went on, “What matters, according to the Bible, is if she can seeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. Does it say anything about wearing fancy hats or shoes?”

“No!”

He looked out over the congregation and his voice took on a serious tone. “There are new elements in our midst that may make our ladies question their roles—elements that bring influences from places filled with vice, and reek of unclean places.”

Loreli's jaw tightened.

“Don't be taken in,” Appleby warned. “The Bible says a woman should maketh fine linen and look well to the welfare of her household. It says nothing about founding restaurants or opening schools. A woman's role is to rise while it is still night, and give meat to her household.”

So now it's Zora's and Ruby's turn, Loreli thought sarcastically. She had no doubts: the man had been drinking.

Upon hearing the pastor's words, the folks on the other side of the church were now looking even more smug, and
making a point of turning to gauge the reaction of the newcomers. Loreli wanted to react by standing up and telling off Pastor Appleby, but this was a house of worship, and she didn't wish to embarrass Jake or the twins. So Loreli and her friends had to sit there and listen while the pastor dragged them over the coals. He talked about Jezebels and harlots, strumpets and whores. It was the most unchristian Christian gathering Loreli had ever had the misfortune to attend. She and her friends were angry, as were their men.

Jake wanted to snatch Dexter Appleby by his sanctimonious collar and toss him in a pig trough. No man of the cloth had the right to be so judgmental. Appleby was mad because of Jake's decision not to marry Rebecca, and was taking it out on the reputations of Loreli and her friends. Jake had hoped to avoid being in the middle of this cat fight, but it didn't appear as if he would be able to. Appleby had tarred all the new women, and the results were that no one on Jake's side of the church was feeling the least bit charitable when Appleby left the pulpit.

Loreli couldn't believe Victoria Diggs was standing to sing another hymn, but she was. Once again the pure notes of the organ were buried beneath Queen Vicki's awful voice.

Blessedly, the service ended a few prayers later. Loreli and the brides couldn't leave the church fast enough.

Outside, none of the brides bothered to stand in the pastor's receiving line; they were too angry. Most gave Loreli a hug and a promise to help her with the wedding, then headed straight home. Loreli looked up into Jake's tight face and asked, “Is Appleby always so
charming
?”

“I didn't like it any better than you did.”

“Well, good. I thought it was just my imagination.”

“It wasn't.”

“Man like that doesn't belong in the pulpit,” Loreli drawled. “He belongs in the congregation with the rest of us sinners.”

Zora and Cyrus walked over. Zora huffed. “There is no way I'm going to call that nasty little man my pastor. If there isn't another church to attend around here, I'll start one myself! I'll see you in a few days to help with the wedding, Loreli. Nice meeting you, Jake.” Zora then turned to the upset Cyrus and said, “Let's go home, honey. If I stay here another moment, I may sock Appleby.”

Cyrus took his spirited wife by the arm and escorted her over to his buggy.

Jake and Loreli, like the other parents, were waiting for the children to be dismissed. Sunday school was still in session at the trestle table. In the meantime, the last of the congregation filed out of the church, and those who found the service inspiring waited in line for their turn to talk with Appleby. Loreli wanted to sock him, too!

Jake saw some men he needed to speak with about the union meetings, so he excused himself from Loreli for a moment to seek them out. While she stood there, members of the old guard walked by and flashed her triumphant smiles.

Millie Tate, the seamstress, breezed over to Loreli and asked haughtily, “Did you find someone to make those dresses?”

Loreli didn't believe in being a hypocrite, not even on Sunday. “Why do you care?”

Millie appeared taken aback. “Well, I was just being neighborly. It
is
Sunday.”

“Go away, before I smite thee with my strumpet's staff,” Loreli told her, showing her the parasol.

Millie's eyes widened and she hurried off.

Loreli smiled smugly.

The Sunday school was finally dismissed, and the twins came running to Loreli's side. They had with them two little dark-eyed girls who favored each other enough to be twins as well.

Bebe made the introductions. “Loreli, this is Aggie Gibson and this is her younger sister, Charlene Gibson. This is Loreli, she's going to be our new mama.”

“Hello, ma'am,” Aggie and Charlene said shyly. Both girls were nearly as fair-skinned as Loreli, and were dressed in starched calico dresses and dark stockings.

“Hello, girls. I'm glad to finally meet you. The twins talk about you two all the time.”

Charlene said, “You're awfully pretty, Miss Loreli.”

“Why, thank you, Charlene.”

“Did your parents come to church with you?” Loreli asked. She dearly hoped their parents weren't members of the biddy crowd; she didn't want the girls' friendships to be affected by this nonsense.

Aggie offered a reply, “Our papa did. He's over there talking to Mr. Reed.”

Loreli looked in the direction the girl indicated and saw Jake in conversation with the big man who'd played the church's organ. “Is that your papa?”

“Yes,” Charlene said proudly.

“Their papa plays the organ,” Dede said.

“And he plays very well,” Loreli added.

Jake and the papa of the Gibson girls walked over to
join them. Jake made the introductions. “Loreli Winters. Arthur Gibson.”

Gibson was even bigger up close. He had a receding hairline and shoulders wide enough to block out the sun. Loreli stuck out her hand as she always did; and although he appeared a bit surprised by the gesture, he took her hand in his and shook it in greeting.

Loreli said, “I'm pleased to meet you, Mr. Gibson. Your girls are lovely.”

“Thanks. Pleased to meet you as well.”

Loreli was accustomed to being stared at by men, so she paid Gibson no mind when he couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her.

“I hear you and Jake are marrying,” Gibson said.

Loreli looked at Jake and kindly said, “Yes, we are. I do hope you and your family will join us for the wedding.”

“Wouldn't miss it for the world. I'm sure my wife would be willing to lend a hand with the fixings if you need help.”

“That's a very kind offer. The girls and I will drive over next week so I can introduce myself.”

“She'd like that.” He was still staring, but trying not to.

Jake asked, “How about we stop over on our way home instead? That way Loreli can meet Denise, and you and I can talk about some things.”

The girls began jumping with glee.

Jake looked to Loreli. “Do you mind?”