Lena Jones 02 - Desert Wives

seconds, then finally muttered, “The woman needed correcting.”
    “So you hit her.”
    “Like I said…” Graff sounded like a weasel with laryngitis.
    “I heard what you said the first time, Brother Graff. You don’t need to repeat it.” Royal’s voice was still mild, but his blue eyes had grown cold.
    I tried to explain myself. “Brother Davis, Sheriff Benson brought Sister Cynthia back, but she said she didn’t want to marry Brother Earl, then Brother Earl threatened to punish her, so I said…”
    Royal raised his hand to silence me. To my surprise, I shut up.
    He turned to Graff. “It doesn’t matter how great you felt the provocation was, Brother Earl, I will not have violence in Purity. I will not have violence of
any
kind, especially not against women.”
    Graff’s jowls trembled as he nodded his head.
    Royal wasn’t through. “Yes, I know that under my father’s leadership, it was sometimes thought necessary to correct our beloved sisters when they stepped out of line, but this is a new day, and there is new revelation. If you have trouble with any of Purity’s women, and you do not feel you can handle that trouble without violence, you are to come to me. You will not strike
any
of them, not even your wives.
Do you understand me, Brother Earl?
”
    Graff went white at the change in Royal’s voice, and his own was barely audible when he replied, “Yes, I understand.”
    “One more thing, Brother Earl. Sister Cynthia is not yet sixteen. Do you remember what I said about marrying an underage girl?”
    Graff’s face looked like that of a child who had just lost his bag of candy to a tougher, bigger kid. “She’ll be sixteen in a couple of weeks. What’s the big deal?”
    “The
law
is the big deal, Brother Earl. The
law.
” Then he turned to me. “Sister Lena, you say Sister Cynthia does not want to marry Brother Earl?”
    Both Saul and I spoke at the same time. “That’s why she ran off.”
    I added, “She’s terrified of him! And with good reason!”
    Royal shook his head. “I don’t like this at all. Let’s say Sister Cynthia truly was of marriageable age. Granted, a young woman seldom knows her own mind, but when she shows outright
fear
of her intended husband, well, the situation obviously needs to be examined closely.”
    Did I hear right? Was Davis Royal actually going to help Cynthia? My hopes lifted, so I decided to crawl further out on my limb. “Brother Davis, I must tell you that Cynthia’s mother seems in favor of the marriage.”
    He shrugged. “What Sister Ermaline wants is of no consequence to me. She has her own sins to atone for.”
    What sins?
I wanted to ask. But I didn’t dare.
    Deep in thought, Royal stood in the middle of the room, his muscular arms crossed over his broad chest. He looked like something you’d expect to see on the Acropolis. Just before I started to drool, he unfolded his arms and motioned to Earl Graff.
    “Come back to my house with me, Brother Earl. We have much to discuss.” Then he turned, nodded politely toward Saul and me, and ushered Graff out the door.
    Silence gripped the room for a moment, then Saul said, “Lena, don’t ever get yourself in a situation where you’re alone with Earl Graff.”
    I nodded, having seen the look Graff gave me as he left. “Do you think Royal might stop the marriage?”
    “Maybe. He seemed concerned about the situation.” Then he looked over at Ruby, who still sat quietly in the corner. “Sister Ruby, Sister Lena has had a very bad day, and I think it might be nice if you made dinner tonight for a change.”
    “But I’m supposed to do the laundry! And maybe in an emergency, some housework,” Ruby squeaked. “It’s not my job to cook!”
    Saul scowled. “It is today. We’ll eat at five. The instructions are on the side of the Ramen packages.”
    Face livid, Ruby rushed out of the living room and down the hall, stomping every inch of the way. She slammed her bedroom door so hard the photograph of Saul’s naval officer son fell off the wall.
    Rehanging the portrait, Saul said, “We need to talk, Sister Lena. Follow me to the bedroom.”
    Like a dutiful sister wife, Ruby had made his bed. She’d even smoothed out my own night dress and draped it across the bedspread. I was touched by this evidence of thoughtfulness until I realized she probably hoped I’d get pregnant as quickly as possible, and thus be easier to control.
    Saul perched on the bed, leaving the rocking chair to