“You said you had a hunch. How did you know it was them?”
* * *
Parker assumed someday he’d tell Samantha about the strange voices he’d heard, but this wasn’t the time. She might worry she’d agreed to marry a lunatic. His heart skipped a beat when she put both cold hands on his injured thigh. “This happened when you saved the queen, didn’t it?”
Her hands anywhere on his body would have aroused him, but no woman had ever wanted to mention his deficiency, never mind touch it. The proximity of her delicate fingers to his manhood compounded the effect. His cock saluted her compassion. She truly did love him. “Oh, you heard about that.”
“You got a medal.”
“Yes.”
“But your limp is more of a badge of honor.”
A weight lifted from Parker’s shoulders. Long-held resentments fled. “I suppose it is,” he replied.
They rose from the bench when a loud cough heralded the arrival of her father. He might think Samantha had been compromised by being alone with Parker. “Sir,” he said. “I should have asked your permission first, but I’ve proposed to your daughter.”
“And?”
“I’ve accepted, Daddy,” Samantha announced gleefully.
Hindley clapped a hand on Parker’s shoulder and extended his hand. “Welcome to the family, Son.”
PEACE ON EARTH
The family set off in plenty of time for the memorial service, but the hall was full when they arrived.
Pride surged through Samantha when Parker was directed to reserved seats at the front of the assembly, though his blush indicated he seemed embarrassed by the attention. “Only if there’s room for my fiancée and her family,” he told the usher, who promptly hurried off to make it so.
Summoned after a few minutes of activity at the front, she nodded to several people she’d known all her life as she walked up the center aisle arm in arm with her true love. “By this time tomorrow,” she whispered, “the whole village will know we’re an item.”
“You think it will take that long?” he quipped in reply as they took their seats.
Several men came one at a time to shake Parker’s hand; the noise level gradually rose as people waited for the service to begin. A hush fell when Rev. Pilsbury appeared through a side door, though a few muffled sobs could already be heard.
“I forgot to bring a hanky,” Samantha said, thankful when Parker fished in the pocket of his coat and handed her a clean linen square.
“Thank you,” she whispered, confident the man she loved would always see to her needs.
As Pilsbury began the service, the deep sorrow and indignation felt by the people in the hall was almost palpable. Samantha couldn’t imagine how much worse it would have been if the culprits hadn’t been tracked down.
Pilsbury wasn’t known for his inspiring sermons, but he had trouble hiding his sorrow. The disaster had clearly affected him deeply.
“And yet,” he declared after a long lament about the evils of the world, “we must never allow ourselves to fall victim to anger and despair. In his Sermon on the Mount, Our Lord promised that those who mourn shall be comforted.”
Tears welled in Samantha’s eyes when Parker tightened his grip on her hand.
“However…” Pilsbury paused for effect as he scanned the crowd. “In the same sermon, Jesus also blessed those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.”
His eyes came to rest on Parker. “And we have a man in our midst who did just that today.”
Parker acknowledged his remark with a nod. “Let’s hope nobody applauds,” he whispered.
“But Our Lord also blessed those who are merciful, and we must find mercy in our hearts, though, today, it may seem impossible.”
“Above all,” Pilsbury shouted, “in this Christmas season, we must listen to Our Lord when He exhorts us to be peacemakers. This heinous crime came about because of conflict right here in our United Kingdom. Peace on earth cannot be achieved without the goodwill of all mankind.”
Utter silence ensued, until Pilsbury cleared his throat and quietly asked everyone to join in singingO Holy Night.