Chapter 45

Kristen trembled as they waited. "I think I'm going to be sick," she muttered, and Mark squeezed her hand.

"Be calm, love. They can't hurt us."

"I hate him," she confessed in a guilty whisper. "Even if he is a preacher. He scares me to death. I didn't know he was going to be here tonight." She shivered, and moved closer to Mark.

"I'm not too fond of him, either," Mark said. "But they can't do anything to us. We haven't done anything wrong."

"I know. He's just always scared me, ever since I was a kid." She laughed humorlessly. "I think I have a phobia."

"No," Mark said, smiling. "A phobia is an irrational fear."

"You said he couldn't do anything to us," she pointed out. "So it is an irrational fear."

"Mmm. Point."

Shortly, the board members started filing back in, taking their seats and watching the front table expectantly. Eventually, the secretary finished counting the votes. The mousy little woman bit her lip, then nervously whispered to the Reverend, wincing at his thunderous scowl.

He stood, calling for attention. "Well, the people of this board have decided. Mr. Hasseran retains his employment despite his breach of contract and his amoral behavior. I am, frankly, shocked, but the vote is clear. This meeting is hereby adjourned."

Kristen looked up at Mark in shock, and he smiled down at her. "Told you so," he whispered, and she ducked her head, blushing, then smiled up at him, her eyes shining.

"I ... um ... I love you," she whispered. "I was so..." At a loss for words, she squeezed his hand, and gave him another bright, happy smile. "I was so nervous. Wow. Um, I'll be right back," she said, pointing towards the restroom, and he nodded understandingly.

While he waited for her, Emily Rogers approached, reaching out to shake his hand. "Congratulations, Dr. Hasseran," she said warmly.

He returned her smile. "Thank you for speaking up for us in there," he said. "It's fairly obvious that the Reverend had his mind made up before hearing the first word."

"Unfortunately," she said, "you are almost certainly correct. However, our chairman is chosen by lot, not by vote of confidence. It was pure bad luck that his name was picked tonight. Not that he's not always one of the louder voices, but that doesn't mean that everyone agrees with him."

"That makes me feel better," Mark said.

"Don't get me wrong ... not everyone approves of a man your age marrying a 14 year old girl," she said. "However ... well, the changes in her have been obvious to many people, and if you're the reason behind them, then her father's right; you are good for her." She smiled fondly at Kristen, then her face sobered. "Were I you, though, I'd be prepared for more of a fight, though. It'll be rough for a couple of weeks. Rumors, accusations. Likely there'll be a petition to get her expelled and you fired. However, the board's decision is final."

Mark smiled wryly. "Would it help if I said I wouldn't normally approve? Most of the time, it wouldn't be about love. In this case ... well, to be honest, and not to insult her, but if I'd been after what most men would be, I wouldn't have had to marry her."

"That is another point that was in your favor," Emily said. "If you'd just been sleeping with her, you'd be fired and in jail so fast your head would spin."

He met her eyes squarely. "If all I'd wanted from her was sex, and I didn't care about her, just used her that way, that's exactly where I'd belong."

She smiled again. "You've chosen a rough path, Dr., but I think you've done the right thing. I am delighted to have my daughter in your class."

"Thank you. Stephanie is, to be honest, something of a teacher's dream. Literally," he said. "She does her homework and pays attention in class!" He grinned. "Though I do have a few tricks up my sleeve to help with that last. Nothing like minor explosions to get attention." Then he sighed. "There is one aspect of this I'm not particularly happy with, though. I have a bad feeling that many of the parents will no longer feel comfortable allowing their children to come over and use the telescope."

"With you safely married to the most beautiful girl in town? Why would you even look at any of their daughters?" She shook her head. "Don't worry. As many will be relieved as worried. Though I'm not going to lie and say there won't be an uproar. Prudence is a very conservative place, and likely Sunday's sermon will be very ... targeted. But if you ride it out, things will go back to normal soon enough. A lot of the more conservative ones are old enough that 14 doesn't seem all that unlikely an age for a girl to get married to 'a nice older man, a good provider, someone who can keep her in hand'. It'll be okay, eventually."

He raised his eyebrows. "Well, that makes me feel better. I'd worried ... I was afraid it would be bad for her."

Emily sighed, looking at the girl sympathetically. "It will. But it always has been, and it will get better."

He nodded solemnly. "And I'll be there for her if it gets too bad. Worst comes to worst..."

"Worst comes to worst?"

He sighed. "We can move. But I'd hate to do that. She's finally started making friends as opposed to ... well..." He shrugged awkwardly.

Emily nodded comfortingly. "Indeed. Just hang in there. I'm sure it will all work out." She patted him on the shoulder, and left him to wait for Kristen.

She came bouncing up shortly, smiling. "Ready to go?"

He nodded, reaching for her hand. "Let's go home, love."