.Aiding and I want to continue feeding him myself." This
punctuated with yet another yawn as Stacy's eyes slid
it.
She was almost asleep when her grandfather rose to leave
id was uncertain later if he tenderly touched her hair and
leek or if she only dreamed it.
177
Q/u^~QMtee
more than
Two years later
"would you like something, Lady Stacy?"
"No thank you, Mercy. Grandfather should be here any
minute, and I'm really not hungry."
Stacy fell silent then and continued to watch her son eat.
He was working on bread with jam. A cup of milk sat at his
elbow, and he already sported a milk mustache. Completely unconscious of the adorable picture he presented, Drew sat
staring out the kitchen window at the half-dozen ducks that
waddled complacently across the grass.
"You look miles away," Mercy commented as she sat down
beside Stacy and studied the younger woman's face. Stacy
knew that this type of familiarity with servants was unheard
of at Winslow or even at Roddy and Luanda's, but this was all
Stacy had ever known.
"I just can't believe he's two," she told Mercy with a voice
of wonder. "I don't wish the months back, but I do wonder
where the time has gone."
"It flies, it certainly does. Did you say Lord Andrew is
going with you today?"
"Yes. Drew misses him terribly when he doesn't come to
the pond, and that was all Grandfather had to hear to be
176
177
r~ed Anyway, Papa claims that you don't need eyes to t fish, only the feel of them tugging on your line."
rfercy chuckled Having Stacy and the child with them had i like a tonic for the old viscount and his entire household y had no trouble believing that the old man would do
Liing the boy wished. Andrew's sight had been completely
,j for months now, but his face was constantly wreathed in
lies since his great-grandson was always at his side.
"Are we ready to go then?"
Peters had led Lord Andrew into the kitchen just then, and
pfore anyone could answer the viscount, Drew was out of his
iair and running to embrace those long legs.
"Drew, you're getting jam on Grandpapa," Stacy said to
young son as she stood readying to leave.
Mercy moved toward Drew with a damp cloth. The little ~/ obediently removed his arms from Andrew and held his
Jliands out for Mercy's attention. Andrew nearly protested, but
file, as well as the rest of the household, had found out during
Drew's first year what it had finally taken to make Stacy a
fighter. She would brook no interference with the discipline
of her son.
This did not make her impossible to live with; in fact,
quite the opposite. Everyone concerned was thrilled with the
outcome. Lord Andrew Tanner Richardson, whose status as
the future Duke of Cambridge outranked everyone's at Morgan,
was the sweetest, most obedient child any of them had
ever encountered He was not perfect, but Stacy dealt with all
willfulness swiftly and effectively, thus showing Drew his
boundaries and his mother's love.
"Well, are we ready?" Andrew asked again, peering down
as though he could actually see the small child at his feet.
"Ready," Drew said and reached for Andrew's weathered
hand.
Stacy led the way with the poles and then came Peters,
walking a step ahead for Andrew, the older man's arm tucked
in his. Drew skipped along with childish ease, chattering all
178
the while. It was a bit of a jaunt to the pond, but he didn't S(
to notice.
"I saw the ducks," Drew said to Andrew, catching his h;
again.
"Did you now? How many were there?"
"I think 200."1
Everyone walking to the pond smiled. It was Drew's stan-1
dard number. Stacy was in the habit of saying, "I have at least I 200 things to do today." So the little boy was only mimicking
his mother.
Just ten minutes later the three fishermen were seated on
the banks of the pond, their lines in the water. Drew's string
did not have a hook on the end, which was for everyone's
Gaff*tr Kill-hdnmf
^-,. .: '*
_-- w u iUiMi* lv 1113 giaiiuiauier ana the
older man's hook and line. His own pole was poised over the
water, but he spent all of his time watching for a tug on
Andrew's line.
"I think I've got one," Stacy called just a few minutes after
her pole went into the water.
"Oh, Mumma," Drew jumped with excitement, dropping
his own pole. "Can I help? Can I?"
"May I," Stacy corrected automatically, "and, yes, you may.
Here you go." She passed him her pole and kept he-hands ready to assist. She laughed out loud when Drew couldn't lift
the heavy catch from the water and ended up backing up the
bank and dragging the poor dying fish from the pond.
"Drew." The little boy had no more finished with Stacy's
fish when Andrew needed him. Drew was swift to attend. So that her grandfather could enjoy the moment, Stacy, out of
habit, quietly described everything she was seeing.
They fished on in such a fashion for more than an hour,
until Peters came to retrieve Drew. It was the boy's naptime
and indeed he was beginning to flag. They had talked that
morning about the fact that Drew would go to nap with Peters
that day, but still there was some protest.
"No, Mumma, not yet."
179
*t)rew." Stacy's voice was stern without being loud "You
go with Peters immediately, and you will not fuss about
F
' Drew stood for just a moment, and Stacy watched a look of
jptance come over his face. She spoke again. "Kiss Grand-a
and then come and kiss me."
Drew did as he was told, and just moments later he was
jping off with Peters, chattering fifteen to a dozen. The two
raining fishermen were quiet for a time, but Stacy was
_rly certain she knew what her grandfather was thinking.
ie was correct of course, and when he spoke, it was con-
plrmed
"You should have let the boy stay."
"I appreciate your not saying that in front of Drew, but ; you're wrong. He needs his nap."
Andrew chuckled. "I wouldn't have believed anything
could change you so much, but becoming a mother certainly
has."
"I will admit that becoming a mother alters everything,
but the greatest changes in me have little to do with motherhood"
"You mean this thing between you and God?" Andrew's
skeptical voice spoke volumes.
Stacy sighed very quietly. Her grandfather refused to
believe that a person could have a personal relationship with
God or his Son, but at least he was talking. This was the first
time he'd brought the subject up. Stacy was usually the initiator,
and when she did talk of her beliefs Andrew changed the
subject very quickly. Seeing an open door for the first time,
Stacy chose her words carefully.
"I believe the Bible, God's Word, to be true. And in His
rf *
Word, I've read how much I mean to God and how much He
wants to mean to me. My belief is a choice, Papa, one that I'm
more than satisfied with."
"What about the church?" It was a sore subject between
them.
180
"The bishop never has answers to my questions," Stac
explained as she had before. "I don't think he studies the Bib!
at all. I haven't given up on the bishop, but it concerns me thafl
he only stares at me in dismay when I ask questions and tellsl
me that I must not take the Bible too literally. Well, that's!
absolute rubbish." Stacy's voice was very earnest, but not
accusing or angry. "Noel and Elena have spent enough time in
God's Word to help me. If they don't have an answer to my
questions, they at least know where to look.
"The Bible is our standard and if we shift our foundation,
we're going to fall. It was in the Bible that I read that because I
was a sinner without a Savior, I was headed to a lost eternity, i
But I've now met that Savior, and I know where I'm headed 1
"I love you, Papa, but I think the very reason you argue
with me is that you're afraid. You have no peace about your
eternity, and that terrifies you; it would me also. I have peace,
and if you would let me read the verses to you, I could show
you how to have it too."
"Does your Bible also teach you how to speak disrespectfully
to your elders?"
Stacy wanted to cry, but now was not the time. She hadn't
been disrespectful, and they both knew it. Her voice was
gentle when she went on, and unbeknownst to her, somewhat
defeated.
"I'm sorry if you find me disrespectful, but if that's all you
got out of what I just said, I'm even more sorry for what the
future holds for you."
A heavy silence fell between them, and Stacy prayed. She
asked God to give her patience and not to say things that
would antagonize her Papa or drive him further from the
truth. She loved him so much, and it was at times like this that
she had to remind herself that God loved him more.
You are not the one who saves, Stacy, she said to herself.
"I'm ready to go in now," Andrew said then.
"All right," Stacy answered simply and rose to help him. In
the past she would have apologized for what she said, but just
181
ffche last few days she had realized that was a mistake. She
to be bold for Christ. She had spoken the truth, and
, couldn't possibly be sorry for that.
That her grandfather expected an apology was more than
nous by the time they arrived at the house. He stood just
ide the kitchen, his face turned toward her, a look of
ifused anticipation in his eyes. Stacy did not satisfy him.
"Would you like me to get Peters or ask Mercy to fix you
nething?"
Andrew was silent for a moment, and Stacy knew he would
3t to go to his room.
"Peters, please." His voice was low, and Stacy had all she
,ould do not to throw her arms around him and beg his
I forgiveness. It was so hard to admit that the man you have
always loved and respected was wrong. She swiftly moved
from the room before she could change her mind
"Does Grandpapa love Jesus?"
Stacy smiled. It was bedtime, and Stacy had just read Drew
a Bible story about Jesus and His disciples. What a question to
come from her son the very day she'd laid things on the line to
her grandfather!
"I'm not certain how he feels right now, Drew, but we can
pray that he'll understand how much God loves him."
"God loves me."
"Yes, He does," Stacy agreed and wrapped her arms around
his sturdy little form.
He was the image of his father, and at times it pained Stacy
to look at him. He was tall for his age, which was no surprise,
and other than Stacy's straight, thick, honey-blonde hair, he
was every inch Tanner Richardson's child
Because Drew lived in a houseful of adults, his speech
habits and vocabulary were rather advanced She read to him
184
from the Bible every night and was amazed at how much 1
retained, and how excited he became whenever Jesus was
the story. Stacy believed his understandng of the Script!
was a gift from the Lord.;
It had been a temptation to sugarcoat the truth of Christ'^
death and resurrection, but Stacy had not yielded. She knew:
well that this was the foundation of all she believed The
sooner Drew understood, the sooner he could make his own
decision and commit himself to Christ. Stacy prayed for his
belief every day as she did for her grandfather's and everyone!
else's at Morgan.
She also prayed for Tanner. She asked God to prepare his
heart for acceptance. Stacy was beginning to believe that she
would never see him again, but still she prayed. Each and every
time she considered writing about Drew, she knew it would be
a mistake. But at some point Stacy knew she needed to explain
to Tanner about what had happened to her concerning Jesus
Christ.
Tanner had always been cynical about things concerning
the church, something that had never bothered Stacy before
to any great degree, but now it made her fearful of how he
would respond to her beliefs. "Religious fanatic" was sure to
be the nicest thing he would have to say.
The thought gave Stacy no peace, and she wrestled inside
of herself often as she tried to give her husband to the Lord At
times she would lie in bed and dream about their first weeks
together, when he made her feel treasured and cherished
Stacy ached for her husband's love, but knowing how godless
their life had been cast something of a damper on her memories.
Tonight as Drew fell asleep, Stacy remained by his bed and
let herself remember. After a time she prayed.
"Please save Tanner, Father, and bring us back together. I
know You love him, and I believe You would want us to raise
Drew together. How long do I wait, Lord? He never acknowledges
my letters, I know unless he sees him, Tanner will never
believe Drew is his son, but You can work this out, Lord. You
183
move in hearts and lives so that Your will is done and You
glorified."
The day ended, but Stacy's faith and hope did not. Days
id weeks passed. She continued to pray, committing her life
ad loved ones to God. But time moved on, and before Stacy's
_/es she watched her son blossom toward his third year. At the
Lame time, she watched her grandfather wither as he approached
his last.
185
Q/uwfo-
drew
galloped along beside his mother on the way to the
pond, pausing now and then to inspect a stone or watch a bird.
It took some time, but eventually he turned and noticed that
Peters was not following with his grandfather.
"Where's Grandpapa?"
Andrew had not fished with them for several weeks, but
Drew still asked after him eve
ry time they went.
"He wanted to rest today." Stacy's line was becoming
standard. "We can go to his room as soon as we're done,
however, and show him our catch."
Drew seemed content enough with this, and Stacy was
glad when he did not chatter on. Her grandfather's ill health
was a source of great concern for her these days, and some
quiet hours at the pond were just what she needed. However,
Drew had other ideas. He was quiet only until he remembered
the special event of the next day.
"Are we going to have cake?"
Stacy smiled. He knew they were because Mercy had
talked of nothing else for days, but she answered him anyway.
"Yes, we're having cake."
"And surprises?"
"Surprises too."
"When?"
"Oh, maybe a little bit all day."
"I'll be two."
"No, you're two now. Tomorrow you'll be three."
"Please show me the fingers."
Stacy placed her pole on the ground and used both of her
hands to carefully position Drew's tiny fingers until three
stood in the air.
"This is three," he stated
"That's right. Tomorrow you'll be three."
"How old are you?" the small boy suddenly asked
'Very old," Stacy told him with a twinkle in her eye.
"Two hundred?"
Stacy laughed and grabbed for him. She tickled him and
laughed at his small giggles until they both lay spent on the
ground. After just a moment Drew heaved a great sigh and sat
up in order to peer down into his mother's face.
"I love you, Mumma."
"I love you, Andrew."
"I'm Drew."
"I love you, Drew."
The little boy smiled, and Stacy smiled in return. They
didn't fish again for a time because Drew wanted to hear a
story. Stacy told him all about Noah and the ark God told him
to build. Before Stacy could finish naming the animals that
came two by two, her almost three-year-old had fallen asleep
in her arms.
"It's a train, Grandpapa! Look at it, look at it."
Drew shoved his favorite birthday present into his greatgrandfather's
hands and waited for him to respond. They
were sitting around the fire in the main salon, for Morgan was
cold until midsummer.
186
j
"Well, now," Andrew spoke with proper seriousness. "An! engine. Who's going to drive this fine train?"
"Me," Drew nearly shouted and proceeded to make the
sound of a train so his great-grandfather would be convinced
"And who will you take on your train?"