Chapter 6: A Chance
“I
am so sorry, Reverend, that you had
to witness whatever that was between Mr. Higley and me,” Ms. Grace quickly apologized
as she and Mr. Tamrin stood in the open doorway of the schoolhouse. She was
simply damning Mr. Higley in her thoughts for possibly ruining her chances of
being courted by and courting the reverend.
The
reverend allowed a moment more of the crickets’ songs to pass
before he swallowed heavily. “It’s alright, Ms. Grace,” he looked down
shamefully at his ringless hand and he briefly imagined it remaining that way.
“Even as a reverend I understand attraction and romance.”
“No,
no, it was nothing like that at all!” Ms. Grace assured. Her eyes were
filled with a genuine pleading to the man she admired most. “Mr. Higley
cornered me. I want nothing to do with him. I think it was only by the grace of
God that you walked in when you did. You saved me, actually. I swear on my life
that I have no interest in him.”
The
reverend’s heart lightened, but he did not give himself too much hope for this
matter. He too had heard the rumors that Mr. Higley found interest in Ms.
Grace. However, on second thought, he had never heard anything regarding her
interest in the spoiled boy. “So you mean that you are not engaged romantically to Mr. Higley?”
The
way the question was posed drew a slip of hesitation from Ms. Grace. The
reverend sounded so hopeful. She bashfully turned her face away, hoping that
the shade from the cooler outside air would mask her blushing cheeks. Ms. Grace
softly answered, “No. There is no understanding between Mr. Higley and myself.”
She looked back to the reverend – it was a shame that her eyes could not
properly see that he was forcing his own expression from turning into a smile.
“I was wondering the second before you came in as to how many Hail Marys I
would have to say in order to redeem myself for somehow misleading Mr. Higley
into the thought that I found him even in the slightest bit interesting.”
This
was fabulous news to the reverend. His face erupted in a smile that he could
not control. Her words were almost like a choir from Seraphim, for it meant
that he stood a chance, a chance at last! Mr. Tamrin’s countenance simply
glowed even in the shade from the night. He cleared his throat nervously then
answered Ms. Grace’s question, “I think it’d be something around two-dozen Hail
Marys, at least.”
The
vampires who followed the reverend and who hid as shadows on the side of the
schoolhouse could not have been more delighted for their dear reverend friend.
Ms.
Grace returned her sight to the sweet reverend and they both shared the same
expression: their faces were alight with utter hope, but only the vampires hiding around the corner of Ms. Grace's house could fully see it.
~*~*~
As a head's up, dear readers, I will not be posting a chapter next week. I will be in El Paso to celebrate the Christmas season with my family, so have a marvelous holiday and merry Christmas!
Your humble author,
S. Faxon
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