The White Knight (28 page)

“Well, you must need glasses,” Luke said, winking at Joelle. “You haven't looked at me lately, have you?”

“You think you're better looking than Errol Flynn?”

“Why, that poor fellow is as ugly as a pan of worms when he lines up next to me.”

The girls all screamed at this, and Sunny, who was sitting next to Luke, began to beat on his shoulder with the heel of her fist. “You're not as good-looking as a movie star.”

“Well, you are, Sunny. You're so pretty I'll just have to give you a reward.” He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

“That don't make you any better looking,” she said with a giggle.

The girls all pitched in and, with Joelle's help, soon had their breakfast on the table. When they sat down to eat, Sunny was once again at Luke's side. She was obviously fascinated with Luke, and Joelle listened to their conversation with amusement.

“How do you like being married, Luke?” Sunny asked.

“Why, it beats sliding down a forty-foot razor blade into a vat of alcohol, I reckon.”

“Ooo, that's awful!” one of the girls cried.

Luke glanced over at Joelle, who was pretending to glare at him. “I was just teasing. I like it fine. A fellow needs a woman. Needs somebody to wait on him and tell him how handsome he is and stuff like that.”

“If you're not careful, you're not going to get any
stuff like that.
”

Ignoring Joelle, Luke turned to Sunny and the girls. “All you girls listen to this now. I'm going to tell you how to have a perfect marriage.”

“I'd like to hear it,” June said. “I don't think there is any such thing.”

“That's because you've never seen anybody practice the Winslow formula for having a perfect marriage. It works every time. Why, people who follow my formula live happily ever after, just like in the storybooks.”

“I'd like to hear it myself,” Joelle said, cocking her head and turning a critical eye on him.

“I'm talking to Sunny here. You've already had a taste of the method—not quite enough yet, though.”

“What is it, Luke?” Sunny said. “Well, girls, if you want to have a perfect marriage, as soon as you get a man all married up, then you treat him like a grandmother treats her favorite grandchild.”

“What do you mean by that?” Sunny asked with a puzzled look.

“Haven't you ever watched grandmas with their favorite grandchildren? Whether it's a boy or a girl, grandmas spoil them to death. The instant they start crying, they go pick the kid up and give him whatever it is that makes him stop crying. They bring him presents all the time. They just devote their lives to making that grandchild happy. So that's the way to have a perfect marriage,” Luke said, looking as pious as he
could. “When you get a husband, just give him everything he wants as soon as he wants it. As a matter of fact, try to figure out what he wants and give it to him before he asks for it. Why, it'll work every time! He'll be so happy you'll stay married to him until they carry him off to the cemetery.”

“Don't pay a bit of attention to him,” Joelle said. “He's making all that up.”

“Now, wife, you know how you're always telling me when we're alone how wonderful I am and how perfect I am and all that.”

Joelle flushed. Sometimes Luke's teasing embarrassed her. She opened her mouth, but Luke beat her to it. “I won't tell any more secrets about how you make a big fuss over me. Just remember, girls, give your man whatever he wants, and he'll be sweet and good—like me!”

****

At the end of the day, Joelle found herself weary, as she often did. The joy she had found in her marriage did not diminish any of the work required to keep the Haven going, and by the time the girls were all in bed, she was tired to the bone. She heard the clock in the parlor strike eleven, and hanging up the dishrag, she went into the parlor and found Luke listening to the late news on the radio.

She sat down beside him, his arm around her, and listened to the news. The situation in Europe was sounding more ominous than ever. The Nazis were pounding British cities with air attacks, and a new problem had arisen between the United States and Japan. Luke and Joelle listened as the announcer spoke with an ominous tone.

“Tensions are mounting between the United States and Japan as talks between representatives of each nation seem to be deteriorating. Earlier this month Prime Minister Tojo of Japan assailed American and British exportation of the Asiatic people and threatened that they must be purged with violence.”

“The news isn't good, is it, Luke?”

“It's not bad in one sense. The Germans have gotten bogged down outside of Moscow. You know, attacking Russia was the biggest mistake Hitler's ever made. It'll be his downfall too.”

“Do you think we'll ever get into the war?”

“No way of telling,” Luke said. “It's possible. Roosevelt has been warning us to get ready. He's been sending supplies to England undercover—old naval vessels, things like that.”

When the news broadcast was over, Luke reached over and turned the radio off, and Joelle could see that he was deep in thought. “What are you thinking about, Luke?”

“I've been thinking about your dream.”

“What dream is that?”

“You know. To build another facility for boys.”

“I think God wants me to do it, but I don't see how. We've got enough money with your prize from the air show to build some kind of a structure for them to live in, but it would take every penny.”

“I don't think it's a good idea to put the boys' unit on this property.”

“Why not, Luke? We've got land here to build on.”

“I know, but boys with problems right next door to girls with problems?” He shook his head doubtfully. “I don't think that would work.”

“What could we do?”

“You know the Mackelson place?”

“You mean the one six miles down the highway?”

“That's the one.”

“It's been for sale for a long time. You're not thinking we should buy that, are you?”

“Well, it would do fine for a haven for boys. That old house must have a number of bedrooms. It's a huge thing with the addition they built onto it. And it's got enough land to raise some animals, plenty of room for gardens . . .”

“It's probably more than we can afford.”

“We'll have to check into it. See how much they're asking.

If this is something God wants us to do, He'll give us the means to do it. I think we should look into it.”

Joelle was stunned by the proposal. The two sat there talking about the possibilities for nearly an hour, and finally Joelle said, “Luke, that would take a lot of faith. We just barely manage to hang on to this place. And you're talking about buying another one. We would have two mortgages.”

“Well, it may be hard for you and me, but it won't be hard for God.” He reached over, gave her a hug, and kissed her cheek. “We'll pray about it and see which way God is leading us. I reckon God may just want to rear back and work a miracle!”

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Home to Liberty

Sunny was watching Joelle pack her suitcase. The thirteen-year-old had a sad expression on her face and had been unusually quiet.

“How long will you be gone, Joelle?”

“Not more than a week.”

“That's a long time.”

“No it isn't.” Joelle turned and saw that Sunny was unhappy. “It'll be over before you know it.”

“I don't want you to go.”

“Oh, Sunny, I thought you'd be happy for me.”

“Well, I'm not,” she said defiantly. She looked down at the floor and mumbled something that Joelle could not make out.

“What'd you say, Sunny?”

“I said I don't think you'll ever come back.”

Joelle was shocked at the child's attitude. “Of course I'm going to come back! I've explained all this.”

“I know, but I still don't want you to go.”

Joelle was aware that Sunny, like all the other girls at the Haven, had deep-seated anxieties. She also knew that most of the girls had formed an attachment to her, and more than one of them had experienced cruel separations in their life. Quickly she went over to Sunny, put her arm around her, and drew her down to sit on the bed. “I don't want you to worry about this. I have to go meet Luke's family. It was bad enough that we didn't go there to meet them before we married, but now they're having a reunion. That's all it is.”

“What's a reunion?”

“That's when the members of a certain family come together from all over to meet one another and spend some time together.”

“You promise to come back?”

“Of course I do.” Joelle leaned over and kissed the girl on the cheek. “You're going to have a good time while we're gone.”

“Aren't you afraid they won't like you?”

“That who won't like me?”

“Luke's family. They might not like you at all. They might be mean to you.”

“Now, why would you say a thing like that?”

“Because when my mama died I went to stay with a different family. They didn't like me at all.”

“I sure can't understand why. There must be something wrong with those people. Everybody here loves you, Sunny.”

“But aren't you afraid Luke's folks won't like you?”

For a moment Joelle hesitated, but she had determined to always tell the truth to the girls. “Well, I am a little nervous.”

“You see! That's the way I feel.”

But Joelle laughed and said, “It's all foolishness. They'll like me and I'll like them, and then I'll come back and it'll be just like it was before. You won't have to—”

At that moment a small herd of girls appeared in Joelle's room. They all got as close to Joelle as they could and were pumping her with questions. June, who had reformed to a great extent after Phyllis had run away, sat as close to Joelle as she could get. The other two, Gladys and Shirley, crawled onto the bed, leaning around to watch Joelle's face. It gave Joelle a good feeling to know that she had bonded with these girls. She was very proud of the progress they had made.

“We bought you a going-away present,” June said, mischief dancing in her eyes.

“You shouldn't have done that.”

“It was my idea,” Gladys said. “I thought of it myself.”

“What a nice thing to do.”

“I woulda thought of it if she didn't,” Shirley said.

“We all put all our money together,” Sunny told Joelle. “And we went down and picked you out a present at the store.”

“Here it is,” June said. “You better like it.”

“I'm sure I will.” Joelle began to unwrap the package. “Somebody did a good job of wrapping.”

“I did that,” Shirley said. “I'm the best wrapper here.”

“You are not,” Sunny said. “I can wrap as good as you.”

“Now, don't fuss, girls. Let me see what you got me.” Joelle untied the ribbon, opened up the colorful paper, and lifted the garment out. For a moment she could not speak. Her cheeks grew red, and she said, “Why . . . what a . . . nice present.”

The garment she was holding was a thin nightgown of sheer black silk. It was designed for a more daring woman than Joelle had ever been, and she knew she would be embarrassed to even put it on and see herself—much less let Luke see her in it!

“We all voted on it,” June said. “Gladys wanted to get you a vacuum cleaner, but we didn't have enough money for that. Besides, a bride needs a nightgown like this.”

“It's very pretty.”

“Look, you can almost read a newspaper through it,” Sunny said. “Why don't you put it on and let us see how it looks.”

“No. I'm not going to do that,” Joelle said quickly. She looked around and saw that they were all waiting expectantly, and despite her inhibition, she knew she had to show the proper response. “It's the most beautiful nightgown I've ever seen,” she said, holding it up against herself. “It's just beautiful and I'll treasure it forever. Thank you so much, girls.”

“You gotta keep a man interested,” June told her, “and that gown oughta do it.”

“I'm sure it will,” Joelle said, thinking,
If this won't do it, nothing will.

“Who's gonna look out for us while you're gone?” Sunny asked.

“The Taylors are going to stay here until we get back.” Ted and Irene Taylor were favorites of the girls. They were farmers in their middle forties and had no children of their own but had been very helpful with the girls. Anytime Joelle had to be gone for more than a few hours, she could call on the couple and they would come at once, and the girls all loved them.

“That's good,” Sunny said. “I can make Ted do anything.”

“I doubt that,” Joelle said. “At least I hope not.”

“Irene can't cook as good as you can,” Gladys said, “but I'll help her.”

“That's good, Gladys.”

At that moment Luke's voice drifted up from downstairs. “All right, wife, I'm leaving without you if you don't come down right away.”

“I've got to hurry.” Joelle started to close her suitcase, but Sunny said, “Wait a minute. You haven't put your present in it.”

“Oh, that's right.” Actually Joelle had been hoping to leave the nightgown behind, but she knew that would not do. Quickly she opened the suitcase and put the gown inside. Then the girls began to argue over who would carry the suitcase downstairs. June, being the largest and the oldest, won the battle and carried it down triumphantly.

“Are you ready for the big trip?” Ted Taylor asked. He was a big man with a weathered face from years of farming.

“All ready, Ted. I thank you and Irene so much for helping with the girls.”