Touched by Angels Page 0,72

mother and father, but nearly impossible to maintain the pretense in front of her grandmother.

Hannah joined Carl, and it seemed everyone was staring at them, waiting for something to happen.

Carl reached for her hand and whispered, "I spoke to my father."

A sense of relief nearly swallowed her whole, and she turned to face him. "You did?"

Carl's gaze shifted about the room. "He's going to talk to the school board as soon as possible and see what can be done. I'm confident he'll be able to straighten everything out."

"That's wonderful, Carl."

His fingers tightened over hers. "I can't tell you how worried I've been over this."

Hannah had been concerned as well, but not for the reasons Carl assumed.

"Everything's going to work out, Hannah, I promise you that."

"Of course it will." And as soon as Carl's misunderstanding with the headmaster was cleared up, she'd be free to break the engagement.

Hannah's father asked Carl's father, Rabbi Rabinsky, to say a short prayer before they ate. The rabbi stepped forward and placed one hand on his son's shoulder and the other on Hannah's. He closed his eyes, and the room went still.

The prayer was short and potent, asking God to shower His love upon the two of them and to fill their lives with good things.

When he raised his head, there was a murmur of agreement. Her family loved her, Hannah realized, and they wished her and Carl much happiness.

Soon her relatives and other guests were busy filling their plates. Hannah wasn't the least bit hungry, but to not eat might have alerted her mother that something was wrong, so she dished up with the others.

Hannah and Carl were ushered to the seats of honor, and she noticed that he didn't seem to have much of an appetite himself.

The party sat in a large circle, their plates resting on their laps. It was Aunt Edith who asked the question first.

"Well, you two, don't keep me in suspense any longer. When's the wedding date?"

Everyone seemed to wait for Hannah to answer. The room filled with an expectant silence. Hannah looked first to her mother for help and then to Carl. Neither seemed inclined to respond.

"I believe Mother and Helen felt that the wedding coordinator should be the one to decide that," Hannah explained when no one came to her rescue.

"Nonsense," Edith said, dismissing the idea with a wave of her hand. "It's up to the two of you to set the date. Let the wedding coordinator work around the one you've chosen."

"But - " Hannah wasn't allowed to finish.

"I agree," Cousin Hariette intoned. "If you're going to have an outsider make all the arrangements, then it's vital they know from the first who's in change. A wedding's no small thing, and it's best to get started on the right foot."

"I've wondered about this," Hannah's father murmured, looking to Ruth.

"Springtime," Edith suggested next. "When the flowers are starting to bloom. There's nothing like fresh flowers for a wedding."

"Oh no," Hannah said quickly. "We can't possibly have the wedding so soon . . . there wouldn't be near enough time, would there?" She looked to Carl for support.

"I'm afraid Hannah's right," her mother concurred. "We were thinking June."

"June," Edith repeated. "June would be perfect."

Cousin Hariette brought out a new calendar and flipped through the pages until she located the month.

"I don't think Carl and I are in any rush," Hannah offered, but it seemed no one was listening to her. Both her own mother and Carl's crowded around, peering over Hariette's shoulder, scanning the June page on the pocket calendar.

"The sixteenth sounds perfectly lovely."

"The closer to the middle of the month the better, from what I hear," another aunt offered.

"I don't think we need to choose a date right now, do you?" Hannah tried once more.

Her grandma Morganstern studied her closely, and Hannah realized she'd best not say anything more. Not then, at least.

"What do you think of June sixteenth?" The question was directed to Carl, who had his fork poised in front of his mouth.

"Give the young man a chance to eat," her father said, coming to Carl's rescue.

With his mouth full of food, Carl nodded enthusiastically. Hannah felt he was silently commenting on what her father had said. Unfortunately everyone else in the room seemed to think he was agreeing to the wedding date.

"That settles that," Ruth said cheerfully. "The wedding is set for June sixteenth."

The news of Modesto Diaz's injury spread quickly, and soon a number of Brynn's students had gathered at the hospital. Again