Page 78 of Spilling the Tea

She licked her lips, loving his taste still there, while trying to get her thoughts and body back under control. “Something like what?”

“A picnic at this lake? Around noon on Saturday.”

“That sounds nice.”

He smiled. “I’ll see you then. I’ll also bring an extra horse to ride to the fruit grove, so we can pick some fruit. The muscadine grapes should be ripe now. Maybe I’ll show you how to make them into wine while you’re here.”

“I’d like that.”

“Good night, Zoey.”

Feeling bold, she leaned up on tiptoes and brushed a kiss across his lips. “Good night, Chance.”

***

That night, Felicia Laverne lay in bed and stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep. Dinner was outstanding. It was always good when members of her family dropped by.

Thanks to the ringing of the lunch bell, she’d avoided talking about Waylon’s relationship with Victoria. When their talks resumed, she only spoke about his marriage to Deedra. Zoey had no reason to know Victoria had been the love of her great-grandfather’s life. Nor did she need to know Waylon had built the cabin she was staying in for Victoria as a wedding gift, and it was to be their home.

Zoey had mentioned that Deedra, Arabella, and Michelle’s diaries, along with photo albums would be shipped to her. When she began reading the diaries, there was no doubt Zoey would learn a lot of things; especially the true nature of Waylon and Deedra’s marriage. Felicia Laverne needed to prepare herself for Zoey’s questions, which meant—reliving many sad memories.

Remembering everything Victoria and Waylon had gone through always brought tears to her eyes. She could recall that night that they had made plans to elope.

Felicia was glad Victoria had not confided her elopement plans with her. Doing so would have made her an accessory to their plans. She and Milton were still newlyweds, and such a thing would have strained their marriage and her relationship with her in-laws.

Although the elopement plans had been kept secret, Penny Satterfield managed to find out and ruin everything. The woman’s spitefulness had ended up costing Waylon and Victoria the happiness they had been willing to give up everything to have. As Felicia Laverne closed her eyes, seeking sleep, she couldn’t help but remember that night so many years ago.

Part Four

“When a person has been your greatest treasure and the love of your life, the parting will never end with a goodbye.”

—Brenda Jackson

Chapter Twenty-Five

Back to the past…

Victoria checked the clock on the wall before easing out of bed. Time was of the essence. She had made sure her window would not make a sound when it was time to climb out of it. Waylon would be there waiting for her. They’d met at the fruit grove two days ago and reviewed their plans. Her father’s heart hadn’t softened regarding the Satterfields, and she and Waylon refused to live apart any longer. Penny Satterfield wouldn’t welcome her to her family, and Pa wouldn’t welcome Waylon to theirs. For those reasons, they decided to defy both parents and marry anyway. Life was too short not to be happy.

Waylon had made all the arrangements. Tonight, they would catch a train to Austin, where they would marry. They would remain there for a week before returning to Houston. Since Mr. Kurt had given Waylon back the cabin and land meant to be theirs, that would be where they would live. They hoped that eventually, in time, their parents would accept their marriage and be happy for them.

She quickly began dressing in the dark. Clothes she had laid out and hidden under the chair in her room. Her suitcase was under the bed, packed and ready to go. A short while later, she was tiptoeing toward the window with her suitcase in hand when the light in her room suddenly came on. Her father was standing there, nearly taking up the doorway. She gasped when she saw him.

“I just got a call from Penny Satterfield, and she was right,” he said, entering her bedroom. “You and Waylon plan to elope tonight. How could you even consider such a thing, Victoria? After all that family has done to ours?”

Penny Satterfield?How on earth had Waylon’s mother found out about their plans? Waylon would know something was wrong when he saw the light in her room. The look on her father’s face almost broke her heart. It showed both anger and disappointment.

Lifting her chin, she said, “Waylon and I love each other, Pa. It’s not fair that we’re being punished because of Charlotte’s lies. You and Ms. Penny leave us no choice. We want to be together as husband and wife.”

“As your father, I must protect you, Victoria.”

“Protect me? Waylon would never hurt me.”

At that moment, both her mother and brother appeared in the doorway. “What’s going on?” Milton asked, wiping sleep from his eyes. As far as Victoria was concerned, it should have been obvious what was wrong since she had her suitcase in her hand.

“Your sister had planned to elope with Waylon tonight. I can’t believe she would do such a thing.”

Before she could say anything, there was a loud knock on the door. She knew it was Waylon, and Milton said as much. “A Satterfield is not welcome in my home,” her father said in a loud, angry voice. “Then I will go to him, Pa, since I plan to marry him tonight.”

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