replied.
“He"s not what he appears to be.”
“Have you met his parents? You always told me that
I should judge a man by his parents.”
“Ann, I am the voice of experience and wisdom. You
have to trust my judgment.”
“No one else is appealing to me, Father. I have
been paraded through this town in front of countless
bachelors who are only interested in my dowry. And a
couple of those men were old enough to be your age. What
kind of life am I going to have if I"m confined to a loveless
marriage? All these men care about is what I can give them
instead of who I am. At least Kent doesn"t know about the
dowry, and he enjoys my company.”
My mother sighed. “What about Todd?”
“We"ve already had this discussion. I don"t want to
marry him.”
“Ann,” Father began, “marriage is more than fleeting
emotion. It is best built upon a foundation of friendship.
You aren"t looking at things clearly. Kent may be charming
but there"s something wrong with him. Todd, on the other
hand, is stable, trustworthy, and loyal. You can be sure that
he won"t do anything to harm you.”
“What proof do you have that Kent would do that?”
He stared at the fork in his hand. “I don"t have proof.
I just have a bad feeling about the boy.”
My mother nodded. “You should consider Todd. I
see the way he looks at you during church and when we"re
at the Brothers" home. He loves you. Why, a boy like that
will treat you as you deserve to be treated. What you and
Todd need is to spend time together. Then you might see
him the way he real y is.”
“I spent time with him in October. He"s alright but
he"s not... Wel , to be frank, he"s not exciting.”
21
Falling In Love With Her Husband
My father set his fork aside. Picking up his pipe, he
looked at me. “So you are opposed to Todd?”
“Yes! I don"t love him.”
“Alright. Your mother and I wil speak with Kent"s
parents so we can get a better idea of what he is like.”
He kept his promise and both he and my mother
concluded that his parents were respectable people, so they
allowed the courtship. I was ecstatic. Kent did mention
marriage and the possibility of checking Europe out on our
honeymoon. He said he had an uncle in Ireland who could
give us a personal tour. He even brought over brochures
and pictures. He frequently told me I was pretty and bought
me little gifts for no reason at all. I loved surprises, so this
was a treat. He took me to symphonies and the theatre. He
would only kiss me on the cheek and occasionally hold my
hand, so I knew he respected me.
Debbie, Rachel and Agnes sat with me and planned
out my future wedding. Agnes would be my maid of honor
while Debbie and Rachel would be my bridesmaids. They
were excited for me and it was fun to look forward to the
future instead of dreading it.
***
Then April came.
I got ready for Kent"s arrival at my house.
“Miss Ann, you have a caller,” Ginny announced.
I turned from my bedroom mirror in anticipation.
Ginny giggled.
“Do I look alright?” I asked her. I wore a dark blue
satin dress. He liked the color blue the best.
“You look as beautiful as usual. Come along. It
wouldn"t be right to keep him waiting.”
I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. When I
entered the parlor, my heart raced with excitement. He
looked to be larger than life with his broad shoulders and tall
22
Falling In Love With Her Husband
frame. “Good afternoon, Kent,” I greeted warmly as I
approached him. “It"s good to see you. Will you sit down?”
“No thank you, Miss Ann.”
Surprised by his formality, I stood awkwardly. Out of
the corner of my eye, I noticed Ginny shrug, just as
bewildered as I was. I waited for him to speak but he
refused to look at me. I knew something was wrong, so I
took great care in asking my question. “Did you have a bad
day?”
“No. I...I have to tell you something,” he mumbled,
staring at the lace