A Tapestry of Secrets by Sarah Loudin Thomas

Author:Sarah Loudin Thomas
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FIC042000;FIC042040;FIC026000
ISBN: 9781441269621
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2016-06-15T04:00:00+00:00

Ella skipped church the Sunday after Christmas. The holidays had been hectic, and since starting work on the crazy quilt with Gran, she’d been having the most marvelous ideas for art quilts. She craved a morning alone to sketch out some pieces and be away from her family for a bit. So while everyone else went off to church, she camped out at the kitchen table at Gran’s house, where the late December sunshine streamed over her paper and colored pencils. She became so absorbed, she hardly noticed the passage of time.

When Gran’s mantel clock—which sat on a side table rather than a mantel—struck noon, Ella felt like she’d been jolted back into the real world. She stretched and rubbed her eyes, admiring the drawings she’d completed. Two were exactly the way she wanted them, while the third still needed work. She debated skipping Sunday dinner with the family. Aunt Sadie would bring her something when she and Gran came home. She looked at the drawing again and decided it might do her good to step away and come back with fresh eyes.

Ella slipped on her jacket and walked to her parents’ house. “How was the service?” she asked, easing into the friendly whirl of activity.

Sudden silence met Ella’s question. Her parents looked uncomfortable. Only Gran would meet her eyes.

“T-t-tell her,” Gran said.

“Tell me what?” asked Ella.

Dad cleared his throat. “Looks like there’s a pretty strong movement to sell the church property to Keith Randolph. I didn’t really think it would happen, but it seems quite a few members are convinced it’s a good idea.”

“What? Sell the church? But . . . but it’s our church.” Ella wasn’t sure what she wanted to say as questions swirled through her brain.

“Yes, but as Steve Simmons pointed out, the church is dying. I guess there was some hope Richard could come in and revive it, but we haven’t really gained any ground since he came.” Dad pulled a chair out from the table and sat, stretching his legs and folding his hands across his belly. Ella had the distinct impression he’d already resigned himself to the inevitable.

“Ella, I know you’re sentimental about the church, but it’s only a building.” Aunt Sadie helped Mom transfer hot dishes to the table. “It could be a good thing. If you build somewhere else with better road access, the congregation might have a chance to grow.”

“But we’d be losing the church our ancestors built,” Ella protested. She glanced at Dad, stunned that he wasn’t more upset. “Right, Dad?”

He shrugged, so Ella turned her attention to Gran. “What do you think?”

Her grandmother sat at the table, the fingers of her left hand tracing the place setting in front of her as though memorizing the silverware. “Luke . . . warm.”

Ella’s mouth dropped open. “Are you saying the church members don’t care enough, don’t have faith enough to keep the church going?”

Gran sighed. “No passion.”

Ella sputtered, at a loss for what to do or say. She braced her hands on the counter and took a deep breath.

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