Measure of Grace by Al Lacy

Author:Al Lacy [Lacy, Al]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-81441-8
Publisher: The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group
Published: 2012-01-17T16:00:00+00:00

When Derick and Diana moved outside and walked toward the wagon, which was parked down the street a distance, Diana wiped tears from her eyes and said, “I wish Mama would press charges against him. Maybe in that year he was locked up, we could find a way to move where he couldn’t find us.”

Derick let a few seconds pass. “He’d find us, sis. You heard his threat about what would happen if you tried to run away. Mama knows he’d find us, too. That’s why she’s afraid to press charges.”

They reached the wagon, and both horses whinnied at them.

Derick helped Diana up into the seat, rounded the wagon, and climbed up beside her. She was still crying as he put the team in motion, pulled into traffic, and started down the street.

Holding the reins with his left hand, Derick took hold of her hand with the other and squeezed it. “This is why I wasn’t keen on the idea of coming to see him, sis. I was sure he’d light into you for talking to Tom.”

Diana nodded. “So much for trying to show him respect as our father.”

“Well, at least we tried.”

“Yes,” she said, sniffling. “We tried.”

Diana kept sniffling and wiping tears as they passed through Richmond, and when they reached the outskirts and headed into the country, she said, “Derick, I’m really scared. When Papa gets out of jail, he’ll probably beat me to death. With that temper of his, once he gets his hands on me, he won’t stop pounding till I’m dead. If we all left as a family, we’d be easy to find. But if I go alone, since I’m the one he’s really wanting to chastise, I could probably find someplace to hide till he gave up looking for me. Then, of course, I would have to go on through life without ever coming back here.”

Derick sighed. “I’m afraid that he’ll beat you to death. I see no other choice for you but to run away.”

Diana thought on it while the wagon bounced along the road between the open fields of tawny grass. “Derick, where do you think I could go so Papa can’t ever find me? I know he said the world isn’t big enough for me to hide from him, but even this country is big enough to hide me, if I can find the right place.”

Derick rubbed his chin and shook his head. “I’ll have to think on that, sis.”

“And of course, I’ll have to find a way to make a living, wherever I go,” said Diana, a quiver in her voice. “And the problem is, I don’t have much time to figure out where to go and what to do to make a living. Papa will be out in a month. I’ve got to leave soon. Real soon.”

“I’ll put my mind to it,” said Derick. “I’ll think of something, I’m sure. There has to be a solution. You sure can’t stay here.”

“I was thinking about relatives who might take me in,” said Diana, “but that would be the first place Papa would look.

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