Sharing Corrie

Chapter Forty Two

The sound of his heartbeat set a tempo for them as they held each other and swayed in the quiet of the night. Corrie felt as if they were entrapped in a snow globe and no outside force could shatter the shield around them.

When a gust of wind, however, slammed into them, Alex pulled her closer until her head was tucked under her chin.

"I knew I should have brought you inside first," he murmured.

Corrie laughed again. "You would have had a captive audience in Christina and Jack. Even my Aunt Elisabet is your acolyte now."

"They'll all know soon enough," Alex said.

The thought seemed to shatter their glass shell and a thousand thoughts rushed in, those thoughts that had served as excuses but were not so difficult to face with him by her side.

"What about my family?" Corrie queried, cocking her neck back to look at him.

Alex grinned down at her. "They already know; I asked your parents' permission. Apparently I'm a much better match than a recently widowed pastor with several children." Corrie laughed at the jibe. "I really wasn't sure if you would say yes, but since you have, I have two gifts for you."

"Besides the ring?" Corrie inquired, admiring the simple, stately diamond on her finger.

"Of course. First, I want you to have this journal. It's quite a mess, frankly, but if you ever doubt me, let this be a testament to what I feel, what I've always felt." Corrie accepted the journal from his outstretched hand and resisted the urge to start reading it immediately. "And this gift, well, I was afraid you would think that I would keep you from your dreams. Do you remember the poem you asked me to read?" Corrie nodded though she had forgotten it until now. "Well, I read it and sent it to a friend of mine anonymously, requesting if he thought it would be publishable. This was his response."

Alex proffered the letter and Corrie felt a tingle of anticipation. How had so much changed? Hours ago she was planning for a life as a governess with meager aspirations, yet now...

Taking the letter, she scanned a few lines and then read aloud. "This poem could easily, with minor edits, be published in our upcoming poetry anthology. Your anonymous poet has quite the talent and I hope he will not remain in hiding for long."

"Do you like it? I hope you don't mind..."

"Alex, this is perfect!" Corrie exclaimed. "You don't know, you can't know..."

"Know what?"

Corrie grimaced. "There's a letter being sent to you right now. In it, I told you that I was leaving Irvington and returning to New York where I was going to work as a governess and pursue publishing. I didn't think...I thought I had to choose between my emotions and my aspirations, but now, you've given me both." Corrie took his hand, so large it swallowed hers. "How can I ever thank for everything you've done?"

"You don't have to thank me," he said with a grin. "You just have to marry me."

Corrie laughed, and it felt as if the reservoir of hope inside her was overflowing. She knew she had been wrong to suppress it; Dr. Benjamin, Alex, was a good man, better perhaps than she deserved.

"What about the war?" Corrie asked.

"If you approve, we can stay in Irvington until it ends, which it must, and then we'll find a way for you to finish your education even if we have to move to New York City."

Corrie leaned her head back. "What about you? What about your dreams?"

"My dreams? They're already coming true. This is all I want," he murmured softly in her ear.