Page 118 of The Formation of Us

She extended her hands to him. “I’ve always kept a place for you in my heart, and I can make a place for you in my life.”

o0o

As Faith received her first hug from her father, Duke felt as choked by emotion as he had at his own father’s funeral. It shamed him to think he’d taken so much for granted.

He thought about the times his dad had taken him fishing or swimming or hunting, or even when they cleaned the barn or worked the mill together. His dad had been always there, always taking care of him, until he grew too ill. Only now, as Duke witnessed Faith’s pain, could he understand just how blessed he was—and how right she was. It was easy to choose between right and wrong when you had respectable and loving parents providing for you.

And maybe that’s what his father meant when he said a man had to live with his actions and be able to face himself in the mirror. Maybe he wasn’t talking about the laws and rules Duke had built his life on. Maybe he’d meant that a man should make choices he could live with, that each man had to decide for himself what was important, what was worth fighting for, and set his own standards. And the only true direction for Duke was to love and protect his family.

Chapter 36

At home in Fredonia the next evening, after an exhausting train ride from Syracuse, Faith put Cora to bed. Duke had gone to Boyd’s house to get Adam, but only Adam returned, slamming through the door, his face pinched with worry.

“Is Cora all right?” he asked, huffing like he’d run all the way. “Duke said she was fine, but—”

“Yes, honey, she’s fine.” But Faith could see that Adam wasn’t. She hugged him and kissed his temple. ‘This wasn’t your fault.”

“Yes, it was.” He wrenched away. “If I wasn’t so weak, the judge wouldn’t have taken her.”

“The judge didn’t give you a chance to fight, Adam. He kicked you in the chest. Believe me, even if I’d been outside, he probably still would have gotten her away from us. He’s a smart, powerful man. He’d probably been watching and waiting for exactly the right time to make his move.” She nudged the bottom of her brother’s chin to make him look at her. “Cora’s sleeping, but I need to run across the street to let Dahlia and Iris know we’re back. Will you stay with her?”

His eyes widened. “You still trust me to protect her?” he asked in disbelief.

“Yes, Adam, I trust you. You can lock the door and let me in when I get back.”

“What if Duke comes home first and has to knock?”

“Then he’ll know what a smart young man you are.”

She stepped outside, listened to the grating sound of the key turning in the lock, then hurried across the street. She entered the house without knocking, and found Iris in the kitchen near their small cookstove.

“Duke got Cora back, and she’s all right,” she said, feeling relieved and thankful to have her baby back unharmed.

Iris whirled, her black-diamond eyes startled and full of tears. “Thank God,” she said. “Did Duke kill the bastard?”

In all the years Faith had known her, Iris had never cried. “N-no, I . . . we didn’t see him.”

“Well, I’ll pay the judge a visit when I get to Syracuse.” Her shoulders drooped and she faced the stove. “I’m leaving.”

“What? Why? Aunt Iris, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t belong here.”

“This is your home. You have honest work here, and a decent man who wants to marry you.”

“I can’t marry Patrick.”

“Is that what’s making you cry?”

Iris shook her head. “I can’t drink this tea.”

Confused, Faith glanced at the steaming liquid. “What’s wrong with it?”

“It’s a purgative.”

“Oh, Lord . . .” Faith eyed her aunt. “Did you and Patrick . . . are you expecting?”

“I could be.” Iris sloshed the brown liquid in her cup. “I’ve taken a small dose of tansy and pennyroyal oils in my tea once a month since I . . . since I started this life. I always drank it before my monthly was due so I wouldn’t know if. . . . I couldn’t even consider having a baby.”