Keturah by Lisa T. Bergren

Author:Lisa T. Bergren [Bergren, Lisa T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical Fiction;Young women—Fiction;Mate selection—Fiction;Christian fiction;Love stories;FIC042030;FIC042040;FIC027050
ISBN: 9781493413621
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2017-11-20T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

“Keturah, forgive me,” Verity said with a frown as Ket rose and told them to prepare to leave. “I have managed to ruin your festive mood.”

“No, no,” Ket said, forcing a smile. “It is good to be reminded of the truth, no matter the setting. Come. Let us thank the Welands and summon Primus to fetch the carriage. It is best to leave them all wishing for more of our company than less, is it not?”

Her sisters nodded, but she could tell that her swiftly evolving perspective was affecting them too. That was all right, for if men here sought Keturah out for her wealth, so might they attempt the same with her sisters. While neither Verity nor Selah had to their names what Keturah had, few here knew it. Certainly, they could see Tabletop had fallen on difficult times, yet they also knew the Bannings still held Hartwick Manor and quite a large tract of land back home. None would know of the debts on the ledgers there; they’d only see what so many saw. The outside. How things appeared. The grand, pristine lines of a mansion. The manicured gardens. The fine gowns the girls wore and the many servants.

All while the foundation crumbled from beneath their feet.

Keturah swallowed hard, said farewell to her new acquaintances, artfully dodging one flirtatious comment after another, keen now to the game that was afoot. It was with some relief that she sank into the back of the carriage, surrounded by her sisters’ stiff silences, displeased that they’d been pulled from what they considered a delightful party.

As they rode along in the quiet of the carriage, it was Verity who tried again. “Ket,” she whispered so that Primus wouldn’t overhear, “forgive me, but did it bring up memories of Edward?”

“It brought up memories of being used as a woman, in every sense of the word,” Keturah bit out. Instantly, she regretted her words. She should have framed them more delicately. She let out a groan and took Verity’s hand, then Selah’s. “It made me remember that I will not allow a man to take advantage of any of us. Ever again.”

They both paused. Then Selah said, “You can try. But our lives are in God’s hands, Ket. Not our own.”

This time, Keturah managed to hold her tongue a moment. Then, “But does not God himself expect us to use our minds? Our sound judgment?”

“Of course,” Selah said. “But this is a harsh world, full of harsh realities. We cannot expect to shield ourselves from all harm, forever. You cannot assume you can do that for us. We shall, as you say, use our good minds. Look for God’s lead and do our best to follow. But we cannot live in fear of hurt. It will keep us from venturing into new things, welcoming new people.”

“And we need to welcome new people into our lives,” Verity put in. “If we are to make it here, Ket, we cannot do it alone.”

Ket shook her head slowly.

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