Page 73 of Margins of Love
“What is in this contract?” Rachel asked.
CHAPTER46
Gustav and Ilan hunched over the contract. They looked up at Fave and Rachel.
A moment of silence that seemed to last forever hung in the air. Rachel held her breath. She looked at Fave and saw his forehead frozen in a stern frown.
“This says,Rachel bat IlanandFeivel ben Gidon.”
Lizzie gasped. “You mean, Rachel, daughter of Ilan? Newman? And Feivel? Son of Gustav Pearler?”
Ilan nodded and his expression lightened.
“I cannot believe it!” Lizzie beamed at Fave and ran toward him for a hug.
He was frozen in place.
“I… ehm… I was prepared to pay off the breach.” Fave rushed to Rachel. “Ask Arnold. I was coming for you. I heard you when you went to themikveh. You spoke Yiddish with Pavel. I knew and I came for you tonight. Arnold was going to help me get out of the contract.” Fave took Rachel’s hands in his and looked into her clear eyes.
Rachel’s look was indescribable, her eyes darted from Fave’s to her father’s, then to her mother’s.
“I… eh… I did not mean to betray…” she whispered to Fave.
But his face beamed and he shook his head. “It does not matter, don’t you see?”
She shook her head.
“It was you all along!”
Arnold, Eve, Lizzie and Ilan closed in on them.
Only Stella held back. “Who did you betrayMaidale?”
Rachel gave her a knowing look and thought the loss of her virginity must be visible. She felt so changed, it must have shown.
“Oh dear,” Stella said, but she came closer. “It’s too late, isn’t it? It’s always too late.”
Eve looked at Fave with the look of a mother fearing his heart would be broken all over again.
“Oh oh,” Arnold agreed with Stella.
But Fave couldn’t stop smiling. “It doesn’t matter. Everything’s in perfect order.”
“How did I not see it?” Rachel looked at him, and suddenly, it seemed like they stood alone in the room. Their family surrounded them but nothing mattered anymore.
“Your teacups, the pomegranates,” Rachel said.
“I was afraid you noticed.” Fave grinned. “And you never touched the pork stew even though you were starving.” Fave smiled lovingly at his young wife. “I promise to never make you eat pork stew.” He smiled and kissed her hands, which he had still been holding.
“Only marzipan?” She smiled now.
“Only marzipan.” He leaned down to kiss her.
“But what about the wedding today?” Lizzie asked, swept up in the excitement of the moment.
Arnold took her arm and said, “We’ll hold it anyway. It’s a match after all.” And he signaled their family to leave the newlyweds alone.
* * *
