A Lady of Hidden Intent by Tracie Peterson

Author:Tracie Peterson [Peterson, Tracie]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 0100-12-31T22:00:00+00:00

Winifred’s words echoed in her head long after Catherine had returned to Mrs. Clarkson’s. She remembered Bible verses she’d marked in the forty-third chapter of Isaiah and went to look at them once again.

Taking up her father’s Bible she read, Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. She gave a sigh and closed the Bible, holding it close.

“I want to believe in a new thing, Lord. I want that more than anything. I want to forget the old things—the bad and ugly things that have sent me here. Please let me see your hand in all of this. Let me see the path through this wilderness.”

A knock sounded at her bedroom door, and Catherine immediately recognized it as Mrs. Clarkson and went to open the door.

“I saw the light and had hoped to talk to you before you retired for the evening,” Mrs. Clarkson stated. She held some papers in her hand and motioned to the small table where Catherine often sat to sew in private. “May I show you something?”

“Of course. Come in.” Catherine closed the door behind Mrs. Clarkson as she made her way to the table and spread out the papers.

“I wanted to surprise you with an early Christmas gift.” The older woman smiled. “I want to make you a partner.”

“Excuse me?” Catherine was sure she couldn’t have heard correctly.

“You have more than tripled my business in the last two years with your designs. You have brought prosperity upon this house in a way no other seamstress could have done. I am growing older, and although my age will not keep me from work for many years, I want to establish the person I want to take over when I am too elderly to work.

“As you know, I have no family, so I must name an heir from someone I trust. I want that heir to be you. When I am gone, you will know how to continue the business. You are an intelligent young woman who knows her own mind. You will not be easily swayed to bad choices.”

Catherine went to the table and skimmed the papers. Mrs. Clarkson had gone to a lawyer to have them drawn up, and the contents were quite explicit. It wasn’t until Catherine’s gaze caught the words Catherine Shay that she stopped and shook her head.

“This is all too much for me. I’m sorry. Let us discuss it another time.”

Without warning, Catherine fled from the room. She knew she must have appeared to be quite the ungrateful ninny to Mrs. Clarkson, but she couldn’t remain there to explain.

Pounding on Selma and Dugan’s door, Catherine practically fell into Selma’s arms when the woman opened it to see what was wrong. Tears poured down Catherine’s face, dampening Selma’s robe.

“What is it, child? What’s wrong?”

Catherine pulled away. “Everything.

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