A Passion Most Pure (22 page)

"If he's such a great catch, why don't you go out with him?"

"Believe me, I would if I could, but he doesn't want to go out with me. He wants to go out with you! He's from a very devout family-your parents would love him. Come on, he's lots of fun."

"And how would you know that?"

Maisie's eyes twinkled. "I've tangled with him once or twice, and trust me, if I had a choice, I wouldn't be setting him up with you. But alas, he wants a good Catholic girl, not a Protestant, and let me tell you, I considered converting!"

Faith had to laugh. Maisie had a way of disarming her from the foulest mood and the most determined intentions. "Okay, you win. I'll go out with Danny O'Leary. Are you happy?"

Maisie frowned. "Not particularly. I really want him for myself."

"You are so crazy. So what are you going to tell him?"

"That you've been dying for him to ask-"

"I'll wring your neck if you do."

"Don't get your knickers in a knot. I'll tell him the truth. You're trying to get over someone, so you're not really interested in anything serious, but doing a few things together might be fun. How's that?"

"As good as it gets, I guess. Hey, Maisie, you'll come along, won't you? I mean, we'll do things in a group, won't we? I ... I really don't want to be alone with him."

"You are such a chicken. You have to grow up sometime, Faith, and I'm afraid men are part of that process. I suspect they've always been interested in you, but you've had your nose buried so deep in a book or your journal, you haven't noticed."

The strain on Faith's face caused Maisie to roll her eyes. "Yes, Faith, I will tell him only group outings, all right?"

Faith nodded, her face relaxing into relief.

"When?" Maisie demanded.

Faith chewed her lip. "Give me a little time, will you?"

Maisie cocked a brow. "He won't wait a year, you know."

Faith gave her a playful swat and made a beeline for the door, hoping to buy time. It didn't work. Within the week, Maisie had arranged an outing.

Amazingly enough, Danny O'Leary turned out to be much better than Faith believed he would be. She had noticed his stares from time to time when she walked through the newsroom, but thought little of it. She wasn't used to the attention of men, and it hadn't occurred to her he might be interested.

Their first group activity had been skating in the park in late January. Faith was surprised at how much she enjoyed it. Danny wasted no time whisking her onto the pond, hand firmly in hers, his easy chatter dispelling any shyness she felt. Maisie was right-Danny was fun to be with, and it felt good reveling in the attention he lavished on her.

At twenty-three, he was the youngest copywriter at the Herald, a fact he mentioned no less than three times as they spun on the ice. He was tall and thin in a somewhat bookish way, with a shock of brown hair that fell across his forehead in disarray. He could have easily been mistaken for a poet or an intellectual, so studious was his manner-until he smiled. Never had Faith seen a smile transform anyone quite so much. It was a bit of a crooked grin that lit his face with a mischievous light, like a little boy about to misbehave. It was his smile Faith loved best, and it was his smile that eventually charmed her into seeing him again.

Each time they'd meet, they'd lose themselves in lengthy conversations about everything from Keats and Milton to what the Germans would do next. Before long, Faith found herself completely at ease in his presence. They laughed a lot, often at Maisie's antics or the droll looks she'd give them. In a matter of weeks, Danny had become as much a part of Faith's life as Maisie and Briana, and the four often ate lunch together and chatted away like lifelong friends. Friends who would prove to be a godsend, she prayed. And friends who would usher her into a new season of her life, hopefully keeping her mind from straying too far in the direction of her heart ...

January gave way to February, and Patrick could tell Faith was happier. Her first piece on the bingo-playing parishioner had been well received by the editor, who was slowly assigning her additional filler pieces here and there. Her color was better; she had more of the usual glow back in her cheeks of late, and for that, Patrick was grateful to Maisie and Danny O'Leary. He liked this young man who suddenly hovered over his daughter at every turn. He had a lot on the ball, Patrick thought, and most importantly, he made his daughter laugh again.

Their plan had worked. Faith seldom saw Collin anymore, except on Sunday mornings at mass when Patrick and Marcy took great pains to position her as far from him as they could. Collin and Charity seemed to be growing closer all the time, exchanging knowing looks and holding hands. Patrick was grateful Faith was spared the closeness that was developing between the two. There would be time enough to face it down the road, when she was better able to do so.

Patrick sighed. He was certainly relieved things were working well for his daughters; he only wished he could say the same for the state of affairs in the world. He didn't discuss much with Marcy as he didn't wish to alarm her, but he had an uneasy feeling about President Wilson's commitment to stay out of the war. At the beginning of February, Germany had declared submarine warfare against all shipping to and from Great Britain, a policy that quickly altered Wilson's pacifist point of view. Wilson broke diplomatic relations with Germany, and Patrick feared it did not bode well for U.S. peacemaking efforts. He was convinced they were straddled on a time bomb, one whose ticking had become dangerously difficult to ignore.

What would happen if the U.S. entered the war? The army was minimal at best, its population no larger than it had been in the year 1800. Without question, they would need an influx of men willing to fight. The mere thought caused his blood to run cold. No, he would not talk of his fears to Marcy, not yet. The time was all too quickly coming when she would learn of them soon enough.

"I don't know why I let you talk me into this." Faith was tense as she studied herself in the mirror. "We're just friends. We have no business going out alone together on Valentine's Day." She spun around to face Maisie, who sat cross-legged on her bed. "Hey, why don't you come along? Please, Maisie, it'll be fun!"

Maisie doled out one of her infamous looks of sarcasm. "By whose definition? Fun for you, maybe. Fun for Danny and me? Nope, don't think so. Come on, Faith, he's crazy about you. You do like him, don't you?"

Faith turned back to the mirror, fussing with her hair. "Of course I like him-as a friend. He's funny, charming-"

"Handsome."

"Mmm, that too. I'm just not sure ...

"Not sure? What's there to be sure about? You go out, eat some dinner, laugh a little, and come home. Why is this so hard for you?"

"What if he kisses me?"

Maisie's jaw gaped. "So what! Enjoy it. Besides, you may find you like it. Won't know till you try. Faith O'Connor, you are such a chicken."

Faith took a deep breath and flopped on the bed. "Okay, okay." Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "Hey, wait a minute. Why don't I see what Sean is doing, and the two of you can-"

"Oh no, you don't!"

"Now who's chicken? Come on, I know you like him. And he thinks you're pretty cute."

"He does? Mmm, well, I guess I won't argue if you start inviting me for dinner on a more regular basis. That seems to be the only time that brother of yours is home."

"Oh, you've noticed?"

"Maybe."

Faith laughed. "Okay, he's home on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays-take your pick."

"How 'bout all three? He's real cute, you know."

"Yes, you're right. You'll need all three," Faith teased.

Maisie lunged at her just as Charity wandered into the room. "Honestly, whenever you two get together, you act like overgrown puppies," she muttered, interrupting their horseplay with a look of disdain. Her eyes suddenly narrowed. "What are you all dressed up for? You don't actually have a date, do you?"

Maisie settled back on Faith's bed, her jaw clamping tight.

Faith stood to smooth her dress. "As a matter of fact, I do."

"Well, fancy that-big sister is finally dating. I thought it was another 'group event.' Wonders never cease. Who is it, the copywriter?"

"If you ever paid attention to anything I said at dinner, you'd know his name is Danny O'Leary."

"Mmm, very nice." Charity's tone was borderline civil. "So, is this your 'official' first date, not in a group?"

"Yes, our first time out ... alone."

Charity honed in on the tremor in Faith's voice. "Worried?"

"No, why should I be?"

"No reason. It's just I know you're very anxious to please God, so if he tries to kiss you, you'll want to make sure it's on the forehead like a good girl."

Faith took a step forward, her fingers curled in a fist. "Why do you do this? Why do you pick at me like you do? You have everything you want. Why attack me?"

Charity smiled easily as she selected her clothes for her date with Collin.

"I don't know, for sport, maybe? You're just so easy to pick on, I guess."

"Can't you be happy for me, just once? I'm happy for you."

Charity pivoted slowly, ice crystals in her eyes. "Are you, Faith? Are you happy I'm marrying Collin? Truly?"

"I am ... for you." Faith swallowed hard.

"And for you?"

"Leave her alone, Charity. Danny O'Leary's done wonders to get Faith's mind off of Collin. He's crazy about her, and she's crazy about him."

Charity turned to Faith with grudging admiration in her eyes. "Well, big sister, I have to hand it to you-you certainly work fast. I'm anxious to meet him. Maybe we can double sometime." She grabbed her robe and sauntered to the bathroom while Faith glowered at Maisie.

"Crazy about him?"

Maisie giggled and stretched out on the bed. "Trust me, you will be. Once he kisses you!"

It was one of the best dates she'd ever had. Of course, it was the only date she'd ever had, but that didn't matter-it was the best. Danny arrived promptly at 7:00 p.m., quite handsome in a charcoal-gray suit. He shook hands with Patrick, charmed Marcy with his boyish smile, then led Faith out the door to his father's automobile, on loan for the night. The Italian restaurant he'd chosen was enchanting, like him, and Faith listened with delight to his endless repertoire of stories, laughing until her sides ached.

In the car, he suddenly became very quiet, and Faith smiled shyly. "Not all out of stories, I hope?"

He flashed her a grin, but his tone was serious. "No, I just think it's time I do some listening. Tell me about you."

"Well, you've already heard all about my family, and you know my father ..."

"No, I mean tell me about you, you and this guy you're trying so hard to forget."

Her stomach tightened. She had the sudden urge to throttle Maisie. "So, she told you."

"Afraid so. Said you were head over heels, but it didn't work out. Is that true?"

Faith shifted in the seat. "Something like that."

"Do you still care for him?" Danny's voice was quiet.

"I don't know. I'm desperately trying not to, but I honestly don't know. I don't allow myself to think about it. There are times when I think I'm over it, and then something happens and, well, then I'm not so sure."

Danny parked in front of the house, switched off the ignition, and turned to study her. "You still see him?"

She nodded.

"Why don't you just tell him to get out of your life? Why even let him come around?"

Even in the dark, she could see the pucker of his brow. Faith held her breath and then exhaled slowly. "Because he's engaged to my sister."

"What?"

Faith bit her lower lip and turned to face him. "He's engaged to my sister. Like it or not, he's going to be around for a long time."

The look on Danny's face was priceless. "Tell me you're joking."

"I wish I were, but I'm not. I had a crush on him long before he began seeing my sister, and when he did, my feelings started to grow. They escalated, I'm afraid, when he ... well, we had several encounters when he ..."

"He made a pass at you while he was seeing your sister?"

Faith nodded. Danny rubbed his chin with his hand and shook his head. "What a snake! What a two-timing, doublecrossing snake. Do your parents know what he is?"

She nodded again. "It proves they were right to forbid my sister from seeing him, initially. But then things changed. He changed. He knew he had to if Father was going to allow him to come around. He's stopped drinking, as far as we can tell, and goes to church with our family every Sunday. He's a charmer, and he's won everyone over. Now we all love him." Her tone was edged with sarcasm.

Danny looped his arm over her shoulder. "Faith, I'm so sorry."

"That's okay. You've helped a lot, really. You've been such a good friend, and we've had so much fun together."

Danny inched closer, and Faith's heart stopped for a split second. "I hope we've been more than friends," he whispered. He kissed her softly on the lips.

"I ... I don't know, Danny. Friends are good . . ." she sputtered.

"Yes ... friends are good," he whispered, "but this is better." Gently he kissed her again, arms huddled around her.

All warmth evaporated into a cold chill at the sound of Charity's voice. "So, this must be Danny O'Leary ... at least, I hope you're Danny O'Leary."

Faith was certain she levitated several feet in the air as she whirled in the car, cheeks surging with heat. Charity exhibited one of her most becoming smiles while a stonefaced Collin looked on.

"Charity, you scared me! Why on earth did you sneak up like that?" Faith rasped. With shaky fingers, she swept away strands of hair from her face. She swallowed a lump and pressed toward the door. Undeterred, Danny scooted closer, hand possessive on her shoulder.

"Don't blame us," Charity said. "All we were doing was walking down the street. Hello, Danny, I'm Faith's sister, Charity. And this is my fiance, Collin McGuire."

"Pleasure to meet you," Danny said. He smiled at Charity and gave Collin a curt nod.

Collin scowled. "It's better we startle you than your parents, wouldn't you say, Faith?" His eyes narrowed. "Besides, I thought this sort of thing was against your beliefs."