Chapter 44

"Peter that is outrageous!" Jacob protested.

"But true!" Peter shot back. Turning to look at Mary he asked, "Just how long have you been in love with Jacob, and remember now how you value honesty!?"

Mary looked frantically between the two men, unsure what to do. She did value honesty, but she didn't know how much Jacob, or Father, as she had only known him until recently, wanted her to reveal about what had been happening between them since Catherine and Vincent's wedding. There had been progress on the romantic front between them even though they had not gone beyond a few kisses. So she took her courage in her hands and bared her heart for both men to see.

"I think it began when we worked so hard to save Vincent as a baby. When I first arrived in the tunnels I was still grieving over losing my daughter. Then having a purpose again, to save Vincent, brought me out of my misery and back to the land of the living. As you know Peter, we worked side by side to save that tiny little baby. I began to see how wonderful he was, and have loved him ever since, but I always thought that was a selfish act on my part."

"Selfish?! Why?!" Peter wanted to know.

"It just didn't feel right wanting Fath…Jacob for myself when he was so desperately needed by so many."

"But the two of you lived and worked side by side, how could your being together have changed anything?"

"If we had been together, as you suggested, then we would have been trying to find time for each other during the day instead of having all our time to devote to others. Look at how hard it has been for everyone to learn that Vincent's not at their beck and call at every hour of the day like he was before he and Catherine were married. Now he needs time for her and once the baby is here his 'family time' will increase even more. I knew how much time Jacob needed to build this community and it just was selfish to try and take him away from that."

"Okay, maybe I can understand that back then, but what about now? This community is fully functional and there should be no reason to keep the two of you from being together now." Peter looked back and forth between the two and this time Mary didn't answer him. She lowered her gaze hoping that Jacob would say something at this point.

Father made a harrumphing sound before speaking. He looked at Peter with an arched brow and said, "This is not a subject to be discussed in a public forum."

"Public forum?!" Peter blurted out. "Oh come now Jacob! Three is hardly a public forum!"

"Be that as it may, there are still one too many here for a talk such as this!"

"Alright then, if that is your stance on the subject, then maybe Mary should leave the room?"

Jacob gave his old friend an affronted glare.

Mary's head came up with a look of astonishment and Peter couldn't help but laugh at the reactions he had gotten. He stood and said, "Don't get your feathers in a ruffle Jacob. I will leave the two of you alone to discuss this matter. But I do have one word of advice for you old friend…if you don't make a move soon, you might find that you are too late and someone else has thrown their hat into the ring." He left the study then leaving behind him two very surprised individuals.

Neither of them had ever thought what Peter had implied to be a possibility. Was he really interested in Mary, the way his words implied?

"Jacob, why didn't you tell Peter that we had been seeing each other? Are you ashamed of us as a couple?"

"Ashamed?! Of course not Mary! I think you are the finest woman I have even known!"

"Then why not tell him?" she questioned in confession.

To be continued…..