Captive Restored by Grayson Aubrey

Author:Grayson, Aubrey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-07-17T00:00:00+00:00

***

Alex turned to Amelia, reaching for both her hands and scanning her over, as though looking for damage. “Are you all right? I’m so sorry you had to face that buffoon on your own.”

The corners of her lips turned up, and she gently wrested her hands away from his, batting the air dismissively. “Of course I’m fine. I was glad when you arrived, but no worse for wear.”

He continued to look at her with concern, until she added, “No, really. Did you need something? Or were you simply finished with Lord Weston?”

“No, the butler stopped by to tell me that Weatherly had come into the library. I didn’t come right away, but if I’d realized he’d be in here berating you, I would have. Yet another time I’ve failed you.”

A strange look came over her face. “Yet another time you’ve saved me, you mean.”

What was she saying? “How so?”

She touched her index fingers together, then moved the right one to her middle finger, as though counting. “On the carriage journey, you saved me from highwaymen. When you arrived in London, you saved me from further toil under Mrs. Clifford, and you gave me a place to stay and help finding my sisters. Now, you saved me from that oaf yelling at me. Oh! And also, you saved me from boredom by loaning me books. That’s an impressive record.”

He felt a wry smile cross his face. “Kind of you to see it that way.”

“And how else should I see it?” There was a dangerous gleam to her eyes.

He shook his head. “I wasn’t here to take over your guardianship when your parents died. You and your sisters all suffered because of it. And I didn’t rush back after I was saved by the Americans. I could have returned earlier. It may still have been too late to help you and Eleanor, but Susannah would have benefited.”

“Do you remember the verse you shared with me the other day? The one your fellow prisoner shared with you?”

“The one about being God’s workmanship? Yes, of course.”

“But what about the part where God has predetermined our good works? If God ordained you to be in Tunis, then it wasn’t his will for you to be here, was it?”

He stared at her, his jaw tightening.

“You can’t have it both ways,” she said gently. “Either He meant for you to do the good works there, or you were supposed to be here. In which case, you should certainly feel guilty. But I don’t think that’s the case.”

“You know the part about that verse I could never resolve in my mind?”

“What’s that?”

“I’ve never been able to wrap my head around the slavery. And not just the slavery, but the way people were treated. As though they weren’t people at all. That was no good work. It couldn’t have come from God. At least no God I would wish to believe in. Was it punishment for my sin? And if that was true, why would He have ‘good works’ set aside for me?”

Amelia nodded slowly.

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