Miz Scarlet and the Bewildered Bridegroom by Sara M. Barton Read Free Book Online Page B

be casual in our affairs, taking the easy path, or we can
deliberately put our foot forward in a positive direction,
providing influence to raise the human heart to a higher level.
Before you act, ask yourself what you would want someone to do for
you, if those were your shoes....” Pausing momentarily, Reverend
Hoskins adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose. “It’s not
always the easy choice that is the best one. If we only do what
comes easy to us, we often make life harder for those people around
us.”
    My mind started to
wander as the steady, soothing voice of the minister rumbled on,
becoming white noise. What did I know about Florence Vinson? Not
much. She was visiting the Four Acorns Inn from Minneapolis. She
had come to visit an old school friend who lived in the next town
over. That was it. That wasn’t much to go on, was
it?
    When the service was
over, Dr. Van Zandt and Laurel waited until the crowd cleared out.
I could see Florence chomping at the bit to get back in the race,
but Lacey made a point of joining her, so I
followed.
    “Nice sermon, wasn’t
it?” Lacey touched the other woman’s elbow, gently trying to steer
her attention away from the object of her desire and the woman who
was her chief rival for the prize.
    “Indeed,” Florence
replied brusquely, straining to catch Thaddeus’s attention. He was
sharing a story with my mother, who looked lovely when she tossed
her head back and laughed. Glowering, Florence tried to break free
of the constraints of social etiquette, ignoring all attempts at
conversation. When it became abundantly clear that there was no
dissuading the determined Ms. Vinson, Lacey did the one thing she
knew would put those granny pants in a bunch.
    “Reverend Hoskins, what
a wonderful sermon! Let me introduce you to one of our guests. This
is Florence Vinson.”
    That did the trick. The
woman didn’t dare dismiss one of God’s messengers. She took the
hand offered to her before trying to resume the chase.
Unfortunately for her, Reverend Hoskins is a man who likes to chat
with parishioners. The longer we stood beside the kindly minister
in the gray robes, conversing, the thinner Ms. Vinson’s patience
became, until finally it shattered in one very obvious shrug of the
shoulders.
    “I have to go! Excuse
me!” Panic seemed to overcome her -- the woman was on a mission and
no one was going to stop her from completing it.
    “My word,” said the
reverend as he watched Florence crabwalk her way out of the pew in
pursuit of my mother and Dr. Van Zandt. “What an unusual woman. Is
she okay?”
    “The jury’s still out
on that,” Lacey sighed. “Thank you again, Jim. You certainly gave
me plenty to think about.”
    “Indeed,” I concurred,
sticking out my hand to shake his. “Thank you.”
    “It was my pleasure,
ladies. Enjoy the day.”
    Out in the parking lot,
a passing crowd of rubberneckers began to gather around a silver
sedan. Lacey and I headed to the scene as voices became louder and
more animated.
    “I’m more than happy to
sit in the back seat,” said a huffy Ms. Vinson.
    “I’m afraid that’s just
not possible. Mrs. Wilson and I have plans,” the doctor replied
firmly. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’ve got to be
going.”
    “But, we haven’t had a
chance to catch up, Thaddeus!” Ms. Vinson grabbed his arm and held
fast to it, even as the doctor recoiled from her touch. “It’s been
fifteen years!”
    “Yes, it has. But now
you must excuse us.”
    I turned to Lacey at
the same moment she whirled around to face me. “They know each
other?”
    “Apparently they
do.”
    A moment later,
Thaddeus got into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and drove
off, leaving a very agitated Florence in his wake.
    “I don’t understand.
How can he treat me that way, after all we’ve been through
together?”
    “You’ve known Dr. Van
Zandt a long time?” Lacey delicately probed, even as she urged Ms.
Vinson towards my Ford Focus.
    “We