Patricia (24 page)

And who was this minister who was presuming to perform a wedding service right in her house without having gone over the service with her! He had rather a nice voice. It couldn't be the minister from George's ridiculous little old-fashioned church, could it? Well, he wasn't so bad. Perhaps she would go to church with George now and then just to make it seem that they were all in perfect accord.

And now suddenly the ceremony was over. They were pronounced man and wife. It gave her a shudder to think that all this latest spectacular part of Patricia's life had been taken right out of her hands and she hadn't managed a thing about it. But it had been very pretty, and she must let people think she had done it, of course.

And now the bride and groom were kissing each other. They made a very pretty picture she thought. Only she wondered how her child felt so free to kiss an utter stranger. Patricia, who had been so ridiculously squeamish about a childish kiss from dear handsome Thorny. But then Patricia had always been difficult and done the thing she least expected her to do.

And suddenly Mrs. Prentiss realized her duty and bustled up to enfold her child and give her the most tender motherly kiss she could muster on the spur of the moment this way. Then she took her stand in a line that she at once took command of and waved into place, while the whole party of guests fell into line and congratulated the bride.

“You always did do everything in a different way from anybody else,” said Gloria as she gave Patricia a wicked little kiss edged with lipstick and then flung off to find Thorny. Since Patricia had put herself out of the running, why shouldn't she take over Thorny herself?

But Thorny was in the butler's pantry getting himself several drinks, and she stayed so long trying to cajole him that she entirely missed the bride's bouquet as she flung it down from the stair landing when she went up to get ready to leave.

“Oh, are they leaving at once?” somebody asked of Mrs. Prentiss, and with quick adjustability that lady smiled and purred:

“Isn't it too bad?” although she had as yet no idea whether they were going away or not. But she didn't intend to let anybody suspect that.

Patricia, in her new spring suit of a lovely soft green with a bunch of the lilies from her coronet at her throat, slipped downstairs with John and said good-bye quite informally to her unready guests. Some of them were searching the kitchen for rice, which Marie, being requested beforehand, had hidden utterly, and some other of them were preparing to take off satin shoes to throw after the car. But Patricia kissed her mother softly and slipped into the kitchen to say good-bye to the cook, leaving them all on the front porch tying Gloria's white satin sash to the back of the waiting car; and then, all in a jiffy, she was out the back door and hand in hand with John, rus
hing through the garage to a waiting car where her father stood to give her another kiss. And then they were gone, while Mr. Prentiss went in grinning and told them it was too late.

Just a quiet moment the two had together before they reached the station and the train, which was almost due, and this they spent in each other's arms.

“Patricia, my wonderful girl! Are you sure you ought to have done this so suddenly?” asked John, as he held her close. “I'm—only a plain man, you know.”

“John,” said Patricia, lifting her happy eyes to his, “it isn't sudden! Maybe I didn't always understand, but it's what I've always been waiting for. I've loved you ever since that day in the rain—or, maybe—even before that!”

GRACE LIVINGSTON HILL (1865–1947) is known as the pioneer of Christian romance. Grace wrote over one hundred faith-inspired books during her lifetime. When her first husband died, leaving her with two daughters to raise, writing became a way to make a living, but she always recognized storytelling as a way to share her faith in God. She has touched countless lives through the years and continues to touch lives today. Her books feature moving stories, delightful characters, and love in its purest form.