A Perfect Gentleman(4)

Grace clenched her jaw tight to keep from saying anything rude or worse, something completely inappropriate to say to a vicar. She inhaled through her nostrils. Who was he that he could judge her? She forced herself to relax and blew out a breath. I will remain calm. “As I said, the children enjoy acting out the stories. They take much more from them than simply reading it in the Bible.”

He pivoted on his heel and put his hands behind his back once more, but did not walk back. The children were still carrying sticks to the woodpile beside the parsonage and stacked them neatly beside the already seasoned wood. “Then might I suggest that you teach quieter next time.”

Oh dear, they had disturbed him. No wonder he was irritated. Grace hurried to catch up. “I am sorry. Were you working on something very important?”

He stopped and looked down at her again. “Next week’s sermon.”

Already? “But that is not until next week.”

“Miss Cooper much goes into making a sermon perfect.”

“Isn’t the Lord’s word already perfect?”He blew out an exasperated sigh and looked up to the sky. “This from a woman who made the walls of Jericho out of a bunch of twigs.” He turned to her, his face rigid and Grace feared she had gone too far. “Man, however is not.”

She had a hard time believing it took an entire week to write a sermon. Then again, he did ask a lot of repetitive questions today. Perhaps his memory truly was faulty and it did take him that long to remember his words.

She returned to the children who were waiting further instructions now that the wood had been neatly stacked and ready for use this winter. .

James ran up to them. “Is our lesson done?”

Grace smiled down at the three dozen eager faces. She loved each and every one of them. “That is all for the day. Why don’t you gather on the blankets? I’ll be over in a moment.”

They ran to the shaded area set up for their lessons. Tommy jumped up in the middle of the group. “But what happens after they gain access to the city?” He wielded a stick as a sword. “Did they kill the enemy?”

The children laughed at his antics.

“The Word of God is nothing to laugh about,” Vicar Trent said only loud enough for her ears. “What you are learning is not fiction.” Vicar Trent turned to stomp back toward the house.

Grace raced after him. “There is nothing wrong with laughter. I am sure even Jesus laughed on occasion.”

Vicar Trent stopped and straightened and turned to her. “Where did you ever get such a ludicrous idea?”

Oh dear, now she had really made him angry. “I assumed…”

“Assuming is what gets everyone in trouble. It is hard enough to avoid sin when we know what the law is. It is impossible when we start making up parts about our Savior’s life.”

Grace took a step back and crossed her arms over her chest. How dare he chastise her? “And you know for a fact that Jesus never laughed.”

“It is not in the Bible.” He stepped forward and towered over her.

They stood toe to toe, both with arms crossed, challenging the other. “Not everything is in the Bible.”

“Are you calling the Word of God inaccurate or incomplete?”

“Of course not.” She threw up her hands but refused to back down. “We know when Jesus was born.” She held up her thumb. “We know as a child he disappeared from his parents to go to his Father’s House.” She stuck up her index finger. “And, we know that at the age of thirty he began his mission to save us.”

“And nowhere does it say Jesus laughed.”

“There are a lot of years missing, Vicar Trent.” Honestly, she’d never met a more aggravating man.

“So you have decided to make up stories about what he did during this time?” He threw his hands up as if disgusted and walked away. He turned and pointed at her. “Danger lies in making such suppositions, Miss Cooper.”

“How? By believing Jesus may have laughed. How is that sinful?”

“He was the Son of God, sent to this world to save us. He had a very serious role.”

“And, he was a child for a good portion of it. You can’t believe he never once ran and played with friends.”

“He was a serious boy, which scripture has shown.”

“Yes, it does provide that evidence,” Grace admitted with some reluctance. “But I find it hard to believe he didn’t have some happiness. His first miracle occurred at a celebration.”

“True.” Vicar Trent nodded his head, and then took a step forward. “However, it was for the benefit of others.”

It saddened her to think that Jesus never laughed and she could not accept the possibility. “How could a man, so full of compassion and love, so much so that he gave up his life, not have known the feeling of joy? I am sorry. I cannot accept that God would not have allowed his own son to find happiness while on this earth, no matter how fleeting.”

Vicar Trent stared at her. A few times he opened his mouth as if he were going to speak, but closed it again. After a moment, he turned and stalked away.

Goodness that had not gone well.





Matthew paced in his study, grumbled and paced some more. He couldn’t believe the audacity of that woman. How dare she question him on something as simple as laughter? It further aggravated him that she may be correct. He had always envisioned Jesus as a serious child, going about his Father’s work and helping his earthly father before he went out into the world. Was it farfetched to believe he may have laughed and played? Just because he hadn’t been allowed to laugh and play as a child didn’t mean Jesus hadn’t.

He shook the thoughts from his mind. He didn’t want to question what he always believed to be true. Such questions lead to further questions and soon one’s faith was in question. He would not sink into that sin. It had been a constant battle for as long as he could remember to not question and wonder and he couldn’t let it happen now. This was the first church he had been assigned to and he could not be the perfect vicar for his parishioners if he started wondering about things, even as minor as if Jesus laughed. Besides, Miss Cooper and the children may have the freedom to laugh but he did not. His work was for a serious gentleman. If one was to preach the word of God, he had to be above reproach and respected. One did not gain respect by playing with sticks. He stopped by the window and glanced out. Just because he hadn’t been allowed the same freedom as a child did not make it wrong. He could see how her teaching methods would be beneficial and perhaps it was a better way to learn for the younger children.

His chest tightened. He should not have chastised her. Miss Cooper had done nothing wrong. Matthew just wondered why he was so irritable of late. He knew his duty and what was expected of him, but why was it so hard, almost as if he were forcing himself to read and write the sermon. It did not need to be completed and memorized until the end of the week but he knew from experience that if he put it off even one day he would find an excuse to put it off for another until Friday arrived and he had no choice and usually prepared a poor excuse of a sermon. That had been his experience the times he substituted for an absent vicar or when it was his turn in larger churches. Those sermons were important, but not as the ones he now needed to deliver in his own church so why was it so difficult to get on with the necessary work?

He poured tea into his cup and settled back into this chair. Instead of continuing with his work he watched out the window. Miss Cooper had settled on a blanket beneath the tree. The children surrounded her and she handed an apple to each of them. He didn’t know what to make of her. Tardy this morning, playing with the children this afternoon. Though she acted young, he could tell she was of an age to marry and wondered why she hadn’t. She certainly was pleasant to look upon. With such deep green eyes, and shimmering dark hair, no doubt she turned many a head. There was something about that young woman that rattled his brain. No woman had ever flummoxed him before, nor had he ever been reduced to incoherency because of a lovely face, and kissable lips.

Matthew stood suddenly, spilling the lukewarm tea onto his coat. Where had those thoughts come from? She was a parishioner in his church and not only that, she’d mocked him. He should not have even noticed she was pretty, or had lips, and Miss Cooper was the last person he should be thinking such thoughts about. He couldn’t remember noticing a woman’s eyes and lips before. Why did he remember hers?

The children squealed with laughter and he looked back out the window. Miss Cooper shushed them. Why had he been so hard on the children, and her? They were just having a bit of fun. Perhaps it was jealousy, as it was behavior he would not have exhibited. He never had, nor been allowed to have fun. Not even as a child, and he never would.

Matthew blew out a breath. Thinking about the children and Miss Cooper was not how one prepared a sermon so he must put them from his mind. He picked up his notes and began to read what had already been written. More laughter intruded on his solitude. He tossed the parchment onto the desk. He would get nothing done while they were about. Was there nowhere else they could go? Then again, he really shouldn’t kick anyone off of the church property. It just seemed wrong to do such a thing.