Saturday's Child (32 page)
“Well, I want to know,” Gareth said, the other six brothers agreeing with him. Nate and Pastor Jack stood with them. Obviously, no one else wanted her out of sight either.
She took a deep breath. “Two of your farm hands tied me up. Drake and Tanis were there. I honestly don’t remember much. I just kept praying the whole time, and then I blacked out. When I came too, I was the guy and on the bonfire. But I knew that God would get me out of there somehow. And if He didn’t, then He’d be right there to take me home with Him.”
“I’m glad He led me and Pastor Jack to find you. I love you,” Aaron told her, his lips brushing against her forehead. “I wanted to tell you last night, but I didn’t see you and didn’t want to tell you in a message.”
“Message?”
“I rang four times and left messages on your voice mail.”
“You were worried about me?”
“Of course I was, you daft girl. I love you.” He kissed her lips, gently, not wanting to hurt her bruised and battered face.
She kissed him back, closing her eyes and leaning into him.
Breaking off, Aaron got down on one knee and looked up at her.
“Now who’s being daft? Get up. People are watching.”
“No, they’re not. They’re watching the fireworks.” He took her wrapped hand gently in his. “And I don’t care if they are. Meggie, I love you. I don’t want to lose you again. Is there a chance you’d consider marrying me or is it too soon to ask again?”
“Marriage?” she asked.
“Yeah. Go from being Meaghan Knight, the farmer’s daughter, to Meaghan Field, the other farmer’s wife.”
Meggie grinned. “Play happy families with you for the rest of my life? We could just skip to end of the song
the farmer wants a wife
and buy a new dog.”
Aaron groaned and rolled his eyes. He stood, aware that everyone was now watching them. “Way to go to ruin a beautiful proposal.”
She grinned and looked over at the others. “Hey, Pastor, how much notice do we need to give for a church wedding?”
Silence fell and Aaron wished a hole would open up so he could fall in it. This was so not the way he’d expected it to go.
“Three weeks is the minimum,” Pastor Jack replied. “Once you’ve posted the banns you’re good to go.”
“Tidy,” Meggie replied. She grinned at her brothers and then turned back to Aaron.
He ran a hand down her cheek. “So, is that a yes?”
“Yes, it’s a yes. I’ll marry you.”
Aaron wrapped his arms around her, kissing her with as much passion as he could manage. The cheers and whistles from those around faded. His life had been turned around. He’d gone from alone and haunted, to a life with the woman he loved and most important of all, possessed with love and the Spirit of the Living God.
All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before Him— those who cannot keep themselves alive. Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim His righteousness to a people yet unborn—
For He has done it.
Psalm 22:29-31
Pice ar y maen
or Welsh Cakes
225g plain flour 1 ½ cups
85g caster sugar ¾ cups
½ teaspoon mixed spice
½ teaspoon baking powder
50g butter, cut into small pieces 4 Tablespoons
50g lard, cut into small pieces, plus extra for frying 3 Tablespoons
50g currants 3 ½ Tablespoons
1 egg, beaten
splash milk
Tip the flour, sugar, mixed spice, baking powder and a pinch of salt into a bowl.
Then, with your fingers, rub in the butter and lard until crumbly.
Mix in the currants.
Work the egg into the mixture until you have soft dough, adding a splash of milk if it seems a little dry - it should be the same consistency as short crust pastry.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to the thickness of your little finger.
Cut out rounds using a six centimeter cutter, re-rolling any trimmings.
Grease a flat griddle pan or heavy frying pan with lard, and place over a medium heat.
Cook the Welsh cakes in batches, for about three minutes each side, until golden brown, crisp and cooked through. Delicious served warm with butter and jam, or simply sprinkled with caster sugar.
Cakes will stay fresh in a tin for one week.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Our help is in the name of the Lord. Who made heaven and earth The Lord be with you. And with your spirit Let us pray Almighty and merciful God, You conferred upon your priests above all others this great grace, that whatever they do worthily and exactly in Your Name, is regarded as being done by you. We pray that in your kindness you may be present wherever we are presence and may bless whomever and whatever we bless. At our lowly request, through the merits of the Blessed Mary ever Virgin, and of your saints, may demons and other unwanted spirits flee and the angel of peace be at hand. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. O God of angels, God of archangels, God of prophets, God of apostles, God of martyrs, God of confessors, God of virgins and of all right-living persons, God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, I call upon You and I humbly invoke Your holy name and the compassion of Your great Majesty, that You will lend me help against every spirit of iniquity, that wherever they may be, when Your name is spoken, they will at once give place and take to flight. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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May God’s glory shine through
this inspirational work of fiction.
AMDG
