Page 18 of Harvey

“Normally, it would have been.” Taking a deep breath, he plunged into the story, leaving nothing out. After he had exhausted the topic, he felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. The silence that followed stretched until he was almost afraid to look at the other two people in the room.

“Please say something.” He pleaded.

“The marriage is valid.” His father said slowly.

“Yes. I am afraid so.”

“Legal and binding.” He turned to look at his mother, puzzled at the soft smile on her lips.

“Yes.”

“That might be wonderful news.”

“Mother, have you been listening to a word I just said? Harvey is distraught, and Kendra is willing to go through with it, but I ruined her dream of having a proper marriage. They are going to have to live together if I can persuade Harvey not to murder me and do me the favor. If not, my career will be ruined.”

“Your mother is right.” Gregory gave his wife an amused glance before concentrating on his son. “It might not be such a disaster after all. We could talk to Harvey- “

“No.” Silas shook his head, wondering why they were taking it so well. “It must be me. I am going to give him a couple of days to cool down- “

“Sunday is two days away, and you know there will be an announcement in services. You will have to convince him not only to accept the status quo but also to persuade him to attend services. And announce to the congregation that they are a couple.”

His color fled as the truth of that hit him. Leaning back in the chair, he closed his eyes and felt the despair cloaking him again. It was like a never-ending cycle that was getting worse.

“There is no way he will agree to that,” he said dully. “I might as well accept failure right now.”

“Your brother loves you, and he is all about family.” His mother reminded him gently.

“She is right. Give him tonight to blow off some steam and go and see him again tomorrow.”

“In the meantime,” Julia said firmly. “Go to bed and have a good night’s sleep. Things always look better in the morning.”

They watched as he shuffled heavily out of the room.

“Poor dear, he looks so done in.”

Her husband gave her an indulgent look. “And you just had an answer to your prayer.”

Her brilliant smile came, light green eyes dancing. “Precisely. God does work in mysterious ways.”

*****

He wasn’t drunk enough, Harvey thought savagely as he switched from beer to scotch. That dolt. That damned moron, and he could not blame his brother alone. He had been the fool who had agreed to this fiasco that was now coming back to bite him in the ass.

He was married. If it weren’t so severe, he would be having a good laugh, but it was severe; it was disastrous. He was married to a stranger, a woman who spent most of her time at church, one who looked as if butter would not melt inside her mouth.

One he would go across the street to avoid. He preferred his women to be worldly and sophisticated, not churchgoing and sweet, with an air of innocence about her.

He was being punished, he decided as he chugged the liquid directly from the bottle, almost choking as it went down too fast. He was going to murder Silas, but first, he was going to tie him to a tree and strip him naked in the blasted cold.

What the hell was he thinking? I agree with some sham ceremonies in a chapel. He was getting soft. Love and devotion for his family had loosened his strict code of conduct. He should have said hell to the no and let him find another fool to do his bidding. And that nonsense about the impossibility of the marriage being annulled.

What utter ludicrous reasoning is that? It would ruin his career, calling, or whatever it was called. That could not be right. And if that was the case, he was better off than being in an inflexible environment that does not allow a person to make a mistake.

Taking the bottle with him, he sat on the side of the bed and felt the headache pounding at his temple. Their parents had been lobbying for one of them to take his position at the corporate headquarters. Perhaps this was a sign that Silas should. They had both been given solid college educations, and he was young; he would fit in very well.

But Harvey could not ignore the stricken look on his brother’s face. They had spoken at length about his decision to take up ministry, and each time they had the conversation, he saw the light in the younger man’s eyes and the animated look on his face.

Silas was right where he wanted to be, and like him, going into the corporate office would make him exceedingly unhappy.

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