The Pruning by Jan Cline

Author:Jan Cline
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: sweet romance, historical romance, strong female protagonist, Great Depression, family, christian
Publisher: WordCrafts Press
Published: 2019-07-24T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

“I want you to tell me what happened with William before we were married.”

Frank sat on the edge of the bed, his head bowed and hands folded. His silhouette in the twilight of the rising sun revealed a posture matching his tone of voice. The strong breeze through the open bedroom window played with a lock of hair on his forehead.

Clarissa pushed herself up against the headboard and leaned her head back. Sleep had just come when she had felt the nudging on her arm. Her first reaction had been that something was wrong with James, but it was soon clear that Frank was at the end of his patience. Of course he should have the facts about her past relationship with Will, but her words would cut deep and possibly leave permanent scars.

“I know it’s early,” he whispered. “But I can’t take it anymore. I have to know about the past before I can deal with the future.”

“I know.”

“I need to have a conversation with William today, and I don’t want to go into it blind. I know it’s hard for you, and I’m not going to like what I hear. But knowing the truth is better than my imagination running wild.”

Clarissa forced out a slow breath. He would get the truth, but not details. That she could not bear and would not do. Frank would know only what he needed to know—that a very young and foolish girl made a mistake and paid dearly for it. She was still paying for it. Perhaps when she shared the facts with Frank, it would abate everyone’s suffering.

She grabbed up a wad of the white sheet in her hand. “Okay, I’ll start at the beginning. I don’t want you to look at me while I talk.”

Frank nodded and slid next to her on the bed, his back also against the headboard. “Can I just sit here? Can’t see you in the dark anyway.”

“Yes.”

The words she had to say caught in her throat. She turned her face to the window. The lace curtains blowing on either side reminded her of the day her mother died. Clarissa had stood at her mother’s window, staring out at the garden they both loved. The silence in the room that day was the silence of death. She hoped nothing between her and Frank would die from what she was about to say.

“I met Will Larson through a mutual friend. Jonathan Hill.”

Frank sighed. “I knew him, but not well. He was William’s friend.”

“Frank, please don’t interrupt. This is hard enough.”

“Okay.”

“Anyway, Jonathan introduced us at an event downtown. I don’t even remember what the event was. Maybe a concert in the park. We spent most of the evening talking, and I guess I was pretty taken by him. He was handsome, like you, and very charming. Too charming. He asked me to meet him the next day. Well, to make this story shorter, just know that we met many times over that summer. We had to be very careful because Father didn’t approve of me seeing young men at that time.

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