sorry,” she blurted. “I feel overheated. This room is quite stuffy. Perhaps we could continue this meeting at a later time. I fear I may be sick.”
“Of course, Miss Kenner,” the president said, getting to his feet. “We can resume this at a later date. Just make an appointment with my secretary.”
“There’s no need for that, Josiah,” Lakewood said. “I think Mr. Kenner understands perfectly well the consequences of pressing this matter. I think we’ve already dealt with all the particulars.”
Faith got up and moved to the door. She couldn’t bear to hear anything more. She had wondered for a long time what the price of her deception might be. Now it was coming clear. She would be refused her certification to practice surgery, and if they were lucky, that would be all. But Faith didn’t believe in luck, nor the goodwill of men like Lakewood. Somehow, he had found out the truth about her conception, and he was the type of man who would do whatever he deemed necessary to humiliate them all.
She didn’t remember the walk to the carriage, but once inside, she burst into tears and sought her father’s arms. She felt as if she were a small child again as he held her and reassured her that it wasn’t the end of the world.
“Faith, the truth is what it is. We’ve always known it would come out one day. You mustn’t grieve yourself over this.”
“But Mother. Poor Mother. She will face such ridicule. People will be cruel.” She struggled to get her breath. “I . . . I don’t care . . . what they think of me.”
“Shhh, it’s going to be all right. Your mother and I talked about this in detail. We’ve always known that this might happen one day. Few people know that you are your mother’s natural child. Most people think you’re adopted—that you were Isaac and Eletta’s child. It’s very possible that Lakewood learned of Isaac’s Cherokee blood. Remember, he stressed that you were our adopted daughter.”
Faith sat up and nodded. “Yes. Yes, that must be what this is about. I hadn’t thought of that. Oh, it would be such a relief if that was all that Mr. Lakewood knew. I could bear that. I’ve always known I could bear whatever came my way regarding the past, but I didn’t want Mother hurt. She doesn’t deserve to go through that. It would be as if she were raped all over again.”
Her father nodded. “I know.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so blunt.”
He shook his head. “You owe me no apology. It is the truth. Like you, I don’t want her to suffer, and if it goes in that direction, we may well move away to save her from further embarrassment. Still, I don’t think Lakewood knows anything beyond believing you are part Cherokee. Isaac’s past would have been easy enough to learn, and Lakewood has plenty of resources.”
It was such a relief just to imagine that her mother might be spared. Faith fell back against the carriage seat. Her father handed her a handkerchief.
“God has a plan even in this, Faith. Even in what happened to your mother. No matter what, we have to trust in the Lord.”
“And lean not unto our own understanding.” Faith wiped her eyes. “God’s been speaking that verse in Proverbs to me over and over. But my own understanding has no patience for this, no belief that good can come from it.”
Father put his arm around her and hugged her close. “I know, but no matter what, we have Him and we have each other. Your mother is a strong woman, and she will get through this, but she’ll be worried about you. I need to be able to tell her that you’re doing just fine—that they haven’t defeated you.”
She nodded and squared her shoulders, pulling slightly away from his hold. “I will be fine. They won’t defeat me.”
“That’s my girl.” He smiled. “Besides, we’re not done with them yet. Lakewood is facing more than he realizes. He’ll be sorry he ever got involved in his scheming to see you ruined and the Indians at war.”
Faith’s eyes widened. “You know about that?”
“I do, but it’s probably best we leave it at that.”
“Yes. I’m sure it is.” She leaned back against her father’s shoulder and sighed. “Thank you for always loving me despite, well, everything.”
“You’re easy to love, Faith. You always have been.”
Samuel Lakewood got up to leave Parrish’s office. He’d accomplished his purpose and defeated the