Free Daughters of the Heart by Caryl Mcadoo Page A

glared, and still stood. “Did you talk to her?”
    “Please, won’t you sit?” She offered the seat with an open palm.
    He took the wingback again, but stayed on the edge. “Why would she do such a thing?”
    “Because she’s a young woman. Certain that she’s in love. And yes, I have spoken with her. She admitted it. Claimed she had to, went because he was vying with Clay, making eyes at Gwen through supper. Cecelia wanted to make him understand she was worth waiting for.”
    He exhaled. “Two minutes. Chester sure about that?”
    “Positive.” She waited a few seconds as the hot blood drained from his cheeks. “Please, Henry, I have something else to tell you…the best part.”
    For a bit, he just stared like how could there be any good part in the whole episode. Still on the ready, he looked as if he would act, if only he could figure out who to shoot. “Go ahead. Enlighten me.”
    “CeCe said she kissed him, but he didn’t kiss her back or even lay a hand on her.”
    His arms uncrossed and fell to his lap. His chin lowered to his chest. She’d never seen him so dejected, even when he first heard Mary Rachel’s news. What was he contemplating? She eased out of the chair, but he didn’t look up.
    “It’s all my fault.”
    “What? No! Nothing is your fault. Nothing’s happened.”
    He raised his head and looked at a spot over her. “There’s something about Sue I never told you.”
    She slipped back into his chair. A flutter danced from one side of her tummy to the other, then rolled, but she kept her peace. More about Sue? What could it be? May wanted to hear what he had to say, and let him talk.
    “Right after we married, she wrote me a song.” He glanced at the place on the wall where her picture once hung, seemingly focused on May’s bullet hole, for more of her heartbeats than she was comfortable with. Finally, he looked back. “If you want to read it, I hid it in the frame after she died.”
    “I never knew Sue wrote songs.”
    “Called it Susannah’s Ballad.”
    “Why would you hide that, dear? It doesn’t bother me that she wrote you a song.”
    He swallowed. “It ended with her promising…to give me a…son.” His voice cracked and tears glistened in the lamplight. “I killed her, May. And now that sin is being visited on me through my girls. First Mary Rachel, and now Cecelia.”
    She jumped to her feet and hurried around the desk then knelt beside him.
    “Cecelia is not Mary Rachel, and they’re both good girls, Henry. You’ve raised wonderful young ladies. We all make mistakes, but God watches over us. He watched over Mary Rachel, bringing Jethro Risen into her life, and now He’s sent Elijah for Cecelia.”
    The chuckle that escaped could only be described as sad. “I’d tell Sue, no. Then she’d sing that song, ‘Hallelu, hallelu! Oh, how I love you!’ With each baby girl, she’d tell me it was getting easier.” He rested his elbow on the armrest and dropped his head into his palm. “Her love…the promise…I killed her, May.”
    Oh, God.
    Suddenly she understood why he was so adamant about her having only one baby.
    She rose and extended her hand. “Come on. It’s time we went to bed.”
    He took her hand but resisted her tug.
    She raised both eyebrows, and he let her pull him out of the chair.
    Please. Don’t let him ask any questions, Lord.
     

     
    Henry beat the rooster up, but only by half a cup’s worth of coffee. Midway around the home section, it hit him. His calculations were not off.
    Dear Lord, have I gone and done it again?
    It couldn’t be. Maybe something else….
    Instead of asking Father God for wisdom and understanding, as he had been, he glared at the brightening eastern sky. “Take me instead. Not May. I couldn’t bear it again.”
    Once back to the barn, with no signs spotted, as he brushed out the Black, the Lord pierced his heart, and he repented.
    “Forgive me, Father. I can do all thing through Christ who strengthens me. Your