Redeeming-Love-By-Francine-Rivers

F R A N C I N E R I V E R S
Why didn’t she come back to him?
Something ominous hung in the air all day. He could feel it like a blackness
covering his soul, and he knew without a doubt it had to do with
Amanda. He prayed unceasingly for her.
He knew he was helpless. There was nothing he could do if she was in
trouble. He didn’t know where she was or what kind of help she needed,
but letting go of her was so hard. He still loved her so much. He trusted God
to protect and guide him. Why couldn’t he trust that the Lord would do the
same for her?
Because he knew she didn’t believe.
Angel tried the door, but it was locked. She went to the window and pushed
the elegant lace curtains aside to look out. No way out there, either. Duke
liked to safeguard his property.
She paced, palms sweating as she thought of what he might do to her.
She wasn’t fooled. He was seething with rage beneath his amiable demeanor.
Leaving her alone worked in his favor. He knew she would eat herself up
with all the thoughts of what he could do. “Not this time,” she whispered to
herself. “Not again.”
Looking around, she decided she could make the bed and tidy the room.
She could do something to keep her mind off the inevitable. Finishing those
small chores, she sat at the window and watched the people milling about
below. The fear rose again. Closing her eyes tightly, she wrestled with it.
“Michael, Michael, show me what to do.” She pictured him working in the
fields. She could see him straightening, the hoe in his hand, the smile on his
face. She could see him sitting before the fire, the Bible in his lap. “Trust in
the Lord,” he said. “Trust in the Lord.”
The door opened, and she forced herself to sit calmly where she was as
Duke entered. He was followed by a burly man. She feigned indifference as
the servant gathered the other girl’s things from the armoire and carried
them from the room. Duke stood studying her passively. She looked up at
him and smiled faintly. You won’t make me crawl, you devil. You won’t turn my
mind inside out this time. I’ll think of Michael. I’ll just keep thinking of Michael.
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