An Inconvenient Marriage Page 3

  “Don’t you get it? You’re not the one doing it. He is.”

  “I can’t listen to you talk about my father this way. He is an honorable and good man.”

  “Yes but he is also naive and stupid.”

  She crossed her arms, suddenly feeling vulnerable.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he gently warned.

  “What? Cross my arms? Why not?”

  “Because women aren’t the only vultures in this room. There are some men who would like nothing more than to take advantage of you, and your dress isn’t high enough in the neckline to conceal all of you.”

  She blushed and quickly put her arms back at her sides. She didn’t intend to show any cleavage. “They don’t make dresses like this for women of my...” She couldn’t bring herself to say bosom.

  “I understand. I wanted to make sure you didn’t attract the wrong kind of attention. You see that man over there?”

  She glanced over her shoulder at a scrawny middle aged man who was grinning at her. She cringed.

  “He’s Tom Smith. He’s as smart as they come in investing money, but he gets his way with available and gullible women. He’s not much to look at but he’s convinced a couple of gullible, young women he wants to marry them and they think they’re going to be rich but they end up being duped because they don’t make it to the preacher before he has his way with them. They think since they’re about to get married, it’s alright to engage in sexual activity, but as soon as he gets what he wants, he changes his mind. Here’s the trouble with the games some of the men and women choose to play here. Women think they’re being smart by marrying into money, but they have to be careful which man they pick. A couple of men in this room can outwit them.”

  “What a horrible place this is then.”

  “I guess it depends on your company and your reason for coming. If you stay true to God and obey His Word, you can pick out which people to accept and which ones to avoid. Most of the people here are respectable.”

  “I didn’t realize you were a Christian.”

  “It’s not something I advertise.”

  “I don’t advertise it either.”

  “Look, Sue,” he began, “you need to be careful. I know you’re trying to do the right thing, but have you considered that God has other options available for you?”

  “That’s easy for you to say. You can buy your way out of trouble.”

  “Not always. Sometimes money creates more problems than it solves.”

  She hadn’t considered that angle before. “I suppose it is difficult to tell your friends from your enemies.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Do you have any friends then?”

  “I have people I don’t mind being around, if that counts.”

  “Not really. It sounds lonely.” She suddenly felt sorry for him. He had money but he had no one to share it with.

  “I have an idea,” he interrupted her thoughts. “Conrad Leroy is the president of the bank. Why don’t you come by at nine on Monday and I’ll arrange a meeting for you. Some bank members did come up with a possible plan for your situation, but it was vetoed because we didn’t have enough votes in your direction. Conrad has the final say. He’s a fair man and I think if another board member and I sit with you at the meeting, he will agree with the terms.”

  She didn’t hide her surprise at his invitation. “Why would you do that for me?”

  He shrugged. “I see the men here who are checking you out and they are either old enough to be your grandfather or out for one thing. If you were ten years younger, you would have a chance at a decent man in this room, but that’s not the case anymore.”

  “I feel so pretty,” she sarcastically commented. Though she knew he spoke the truth, it still stung.

  “You are pretty. You’re just not at the ideal age.”

  That made her feel better.

  “What do you say? Would you like to stop by the bank on Monday?”

  What did she have to lose? “Alright. I’ll come by at nine.” It beat the alternative. She didn’t really want to marry someone she was forced to be with.

  Jennifer walked back to them. “I see that your dance is over, Mr. Mitchell,” she gently remarked.

  Sue couldn’t believe the young woman had the nerve to act as if she wasn’t even there.

  Jake politely smiled at Jennifer. “Actually, we were taking a break. I am sure you understand that with this being Miss Lewis’ first social gathering that it wouldn’t be fair to leave my friend alone.”

  “Perhaps I can introduce her to a few gentlemen,” she offered. “It wouldn’t be right to keep her all to yourself.”

  “Maybe next time.”

  She gave a slight pout before she nodded and left.

  He sighed with relief. “She’s unbearable at times. Care to dance?”

  Sue shrugged. “Why not? I did spent a lot of money on the dress. I suppose it would be wasteful not to use it.”

  He led her to the dance floor and took her in his arms.

  “We’re not friends,” she quietly admonished him. “Do you really think it’s appropriate to lie to someone like that?”

  “I don’t know. Who says we can’t be friends? I thought we were having a good conversation. Didn’t you?”

  She considered their discussion. “I would hardly call it friendship but I suppose you’re not so bad after all.”

  He grinned. “At the very least, we do work well together on the dance floor.”

  “True. You haven’t stepped on my feet yet.”

  “And there’s something I do know about you. You wouldn’t pretend to like me to get something from me. You’re too honest for that.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate the comment.” She smiled and enjoyed the rest of the night.

  Chapter Three

  Jake spent four hours preparing the contract that he and Justin planned out in hopes of helping Sue’s family. He hoped that they could go over the board members’ vote by discussing the situation rationally with Conrad who would be in his office on Monday. He and Justin waited in the lobby of the bank a little before nine for Sue’s arrival.

  Justin chuckled next to him.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked. He didn’t see what was so comical about a business meeting.

  “Did you hear what Miss Lewis did to Mr. Wilkins?”

  He shook his head.

  “On Saturday, she went over to Mr. Wilkins’ house and threatened to lasso his buggy and hang it by the barn rafters unless he paid her father the money he rightfully owed him. When he refused to listen to her, she lassoed the front wheel and used a horse she borrowed to pull it to his barn. He realized she was serious, so he made the proper restitution. Then she thanked him as if nothing was wrong and went her way.”

  Jake stared at him. “Did she really do that?”

  He nodded. “Now whenever Mr. Wilkins sees her, he makes the sign of the cross and runs the other way. His wife apologized to her and gave her a little more money for the injustice her husband did to her father. What’s even funnier is that his wife now adores her because he doesn’t get away with lying to anyone anymore.”

  He laughed and shook his head. Good for her. “Apparently, she’s a force to be reckoned with.”

  “My wife and kids adore her. They attend the library children’s story hour that she’s in charge of. Personally, I’d hate to get on her bad side. There’s no telling what she’d do.”

  “Well, George is anxious about today. I just hope Conrad will veto the board vote.”

  Sue walked into the bank. He hid his disappointment at the sight of her. She had her hair pulled back into that obnoxious bun again. After seeing her with her hair down, he wanted to pull those pins out so her hair would fall softly over her shoulders again. She was beautiful but seemed determined not to show it. He forced his observation aside and followed Justin and her into Conrad’s office. He couldn’t help but note the gentle sway of her hips. The green dress was old and
faded with time, but it didn’t hide her figure.

  She sat in the chair across from Conrad and properly greeted him. George stood to the side of the room so he could hear the presentation. Her posture remained rigid. He didn’t realize she was so tense. She’s scared.

  Justin sat in the chair next to her while Jake stood and presented the contract to Conrad, outlining the plan for getting her father’s debt reduced to an amount that could get his finances back on track.

  “We can teach him what we know about handling finances so he won’t fall into more debt, and once he is out of debt, he won’t go back into it,” Jake concluded.

  He waited for Conrad to speak. Surely, his boss would show her the compassion she needed. To his horror, Conrad turned to his son.

  “What do you think, George?” his father asked.

  “I oppose it. It’s too risky,” George argued. “There’s no guarantee her father will follow the contract to the letter. He’s already breaking the ones he signed. We’ll make more money if we foreclose and sell his property to someone else.”

  Jake cringed at Sue’s gasp. “Sir,” he told his boss, “let’s think this through. Money is important, I grant you that, but it isn’t the only thing to consider here. We are talking about people who live in this house and farm this land. There are children still living there.”

  Conrad took a deep breath. “I can’t run this bank forever. It is time I hand over the hard decisions to my son. We will go with George’s plan.”

  “I would advise against that. People in the community will see how you treat the Lewis family, and I guarantee you that they will not like it. Sometimes it is best to do what will bring in more clients.”

  “We are the only bank in this city,” George protested.

  “Perhaps, but people can go to the next city if they want. This is the perfect opportunity to keep them here.”

  “This is just one family. It won’t make a difference with our wealthy customers.”

  “But it will make a difference to our consciences. We can’t afford to throw people out of their homes.”

  “That’s enough, Jake,” Conrad barked. “I already made my decision. George is old enough to take over the bank. As of next month, I will be retiring.”

  “I will say one thing, Mr. Leroy,” Sue spoke up.

  Jake recognized the anger bubbling beneath the surface of her cool exterior.

  “People will find out about this,” she continued. “I work at the library, and I have access to many of the citizens of the city. They will know what you decided today.” She stood up and stiffly walked out of the office.

  Jake ran after her. “Sue, we might be able to figure out something else.”

  She stopped and looked at him. “I appreciate what you and Mr. Monroe did today. You are not cold hearted, but I do see how your hands are tied. I will make it clear that you and Mr. Monroe did your best to help. I know what my option is at this point, and I will accept it.”

  He knew she meant that she would marry someone old enough to be her grandfather in order to save her family’s property. “There has to be another way.”

  She shook her head. “Thanks anyway.”

  He watched her as she left.

  Justin walked over to him. “I hope you do open your own bank. I don’t care to work here anymore either.”

  ***

  Jake packed his suitcase as he scrambled to get his things ready for the three day trip to Michigan. There was no love lost between him and his father ever since his father walked out on him and his mother. Though he was ten at the time, the memory still stung. During the divorce, his mother managed to obtain half of his father’s wealth which she left to him when she died when he turned twenty-three. He vowed that he would not let her heartache go in vain, so he carefully invested the money until it quadrupled. Now he could live the rest of his life in comfort, but since he had no wife or children, he focused all of his energy into his work. Upon his father’s death, a lawyer notified him of his father’s will, which mentioned him as the sole beneficiary. He almost refused to attend the reading of the will but decided it was his due after growing up without a father. How a man could leave his wife and child, he would never understand.

  He took the first train he could out of town and went to Michigan. The ride wasn’t so bad since he brought a couple of books he had been meaning to read. He particularly enjoyed Shakespeare and could read those over and over. He considered going to New York City and checking out a Shakespearean play soon. It had been a long time since he went to the theater. It would be a much needed break after the stress at the bank.

  He shook his head as he thought of Sue Lewis’ situation. For a beautiful woman to have to live a life confined to a grouchy old husband who would most likely only pay attention to her when he wanted her body made his stomach turn. She wasn’t as bad as he originally thought. After talking with her at the dance, he learned that there was more to her than her abrasive mannerisms. He considered the possibility that she presented herself to the world as being a woman who was so strong she didn’t need a man so that people wouldn’t feel sorry for her since she was a spinster. He knew he was lucky. A man could remain unmarried his entire life and not suffer public disapproval because of it.

  He forced aside his thoughts and picked up The Merchant of Venice. He always enjoyed this comedy the most. The women in Shakespeare’s plays were just as bold and endearing as Sue. He shook his head again. What was he doing? He made it a point to help people as much as he could, but if there wasn’t anything else he could do, he let the matter go. Why couldn’t he do that with her?

  He put the book in his briefcase and took out the Bible instead. He wasn’t sure what to do about George. That young man didn’t have good business sense. What am I to do about him? He turned to the book of Proverbs because it contained a great deal of wisdom. He used it on a regular basis as a guide for his life. Not that he didn’t read other books of the Bible, but this particular book had the most influence in his business dealings. He credited it with his success. He read the entire book during the next half hour. It wasn’t a long book and it was easy to read. He also stumbled upon the answer to his question. It came from Proverbs 23:9.

  Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,

  For he will despise the wisdom of your words.

  Jake set the Bible down and realized it was pointless to argue with any other stupid ideas George came up with. If Conrad was determined to run his business into the ground by handing over crucial business decisions to someone who put money before people, then he was going to reap the results of that foolish choice. Talking to Conrad or George would only be a waste of his time.

  Lord, there must be something I can do for Sue Lewis. What can it possibly be?

  ***

  The next day, Jake sat in the lawyer’s office. He deliberately skipped the funeral to show how little he thought of his father. To his surprise, no one else attended the funeral either. It was hard to feel sorry for his father, though it did make him wonder who would bother to come to his funeral. He pushed aside the funny sensation in the back of his mind as the lawyer entered the office.

  “Jake Mitchell, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Mr. Barnett said as he shook his hand.

  “I wish I could say the same but I would rather be doing something else.”

  “Your father wasn’t an easy man to deal with.”

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Barnett. It’s hard to think of him without getting upset. I’m sure you are a decent man.”

  “I try to be.” He smiled to show that he took no offense to Jake’s earlier bland greeting.

  They sat across from each other.

  “Your father had no other children besides you. At least, there were no children that we are aware of, and he didn’t marry any women after the divorce so there’s no heir but you. I think once you see the amount of money he was worth, you’ll be glad you made the trip.”

  He handed Jake a piece of paper that revealed his fat
her’s total assets. Jake’s eyes widened in surprise. He could easily triple his net worth with his father’s money.

  “There is one stipulation before you can receive this money,” Mr. Barnett slowly stated.

  Jake’s eyes narrowed. Leave it to that man to make me miserable from the grave. “Alright,” Jake said. “I’m a businessman. What are his terms?”

  “You must marry a woman and stay married for six months. He always regretted leaving your mother and didn’t want his example to turn you off from marriage. He used to say that leaving her was when his life went downhill. It wasn’t until two weeks ago that he came to Christ and got saved. I guess it gave him lots to consider as he laid in the hospital bed waiting to die.”

  “Why six months? Why not one year? Or two?”

  “He fell in love with your mother in six months.”

  He rolled his eyes. “And left her eleven years later.”

  “He thought the grass was greener on the other side. But after having a heart attack, he quickly learned it wasn’t. So this brings me to the qualifications that this woman you are to marry must possess. She must be a virgin, for sexual purity became a big thing for him. She must be a Christian who pursues honorable work, if she is out of her parents’ home. Also, she has to be close with her family so she knows the importance of being with loved ones.”

  “This woman is the total opposite of who he was,” he noted.

  “Yes. I notice that too.”

  “Tell me, did he give me her name? It seems that he has everything else planned out for me.”

  “I know his method for giving you this money is unorthodox, but it is legally binding. He heard you were still single and didn’t want you to miss out on the joy of marriage to a wonderful woman.”

  “Who can control me and make my life incredibly dull. I know what women are like. I have married friends who are stuck at home, helping with the kids and unable to do anything fun because if they were able to have fun, it would mean they would get their manhood back which is what every woman hopes to eliminate.”