A Passion Most Pure Read Online Free PDF Page B

father into anything. But then again, if she were Faith, she would have never caught the eye of Collin McGuire. And that was a trade-off that carried too high a price. Charity tossed the dish towel over the chair and took a deep breath. "Into the lions' den," she muttered, completely certain it was well worth the fight.
    The scene was too cozy to disrupt. Her mother rocked Katie by the fire while Elizabeth and Steven lay on the floor, tending to their studies. Faith huddled in a blanket on the love seat, engrossed in her writing while Patrick and Sean debated good-naturedly over chess. But disrupted it must be, Charity concluded when her father glanced up from his game. Despite the blazing fire, she felt a sudden chill in the room. Her mother rose with Katie asleep in her arms.

    Sean jumped up and reached for his sister. "Mother, I'll carry her for you. She's getting way too big."
    Marcy's smile was weary. "Thank you, Sean. She's already had her bath. Just put her in bed. Goodness, where did the evening go? Beth, Steven, it's time to head up. Faith, Charity, I'll kiss you good night upstairs." Marcy bent over her husband and kissed his cheek. "Good night, my love."
    "I won't be long, my dear." Patrick reached for his pipe.
    Charity could feel the uneasiness in the room as everyone cleared out. She sat ramrod straight in the chair, waiting for her father to begin.
    Patrick stood, walked to the hearth, and leaned to light his pipe. The sweet smell of tobacco filled the room. Puffs of smoke swirled above his head. He turned to Faith.
    "Faith, you're the oldest girl in this family, so you have to set an example. I'm asking you from my heart to work on your relationship with your sister. We are family, and a family loves each other. There will be no cutting words spoken here. You'll both get enough of that in the world. This is our home, our haven-treat it as such and treat each other as the precious gift you are. You're sisters. Few bonds are stronger than that. Do you understand?"
    Faith nodded.
    "Good, then come kiss your tired old father good night so I can have a word in private with Charity." Patrick embraced his eldest daughter and kissed her lightly on top of the head. "Good night, Faith," he whispered. "I love my girl."
    "Good night, Daddy," she answered softly. "Sleep well." Faith glanced at Charity and gave her a nervous smile.

    Charity nodded stiffly. She watched her father take a deep breath before he turned his full attention to her.
    "Charity, your mother and I love you very much ..."
    Here it comes. She fixed her gaze on a spot in the carpet, the one where she'd spilled hot chocolate at the age of six.
    "And it's because we love you that we are so strict regarding, well, certain things."
    "You mean certain people, don't you, Father?" Charity never looked up, continuing to trace the chocolate stain in her mind.
    She heard her father shuffle and glanced up to see him puffing on his pipe as if he wished he could lose himself in its smoke.
    "Well, yes, as a matter of fact, I do. Look now, Charity, apparently your mother and I did not make ourselves clear when we tried to dissuade you from your interest in this McGuire boy. But, darlin', I want there to be no mistaking what I'm putting before you now. You're to have no association whatsoever with that boy. He's a wild one, Charity, the kind better suited to taking up with the women at Brannigan's Pub, not a sixteen-year-old girl from a family where morality and honesty are expected."
    She stared straight ahead, her face serene like the stone bust that graced her mother's mantel. Cool and unaffected-except for a single tear trailing down her cheek.
    Her father laid his pipe aside and moved to where she sat in the chair. He stooped to his knees, a pained expression on his face. He clutched her hand. "Charity, I love you more than I can say. I was Collin's age once. For pity's sake, I was Collin once. I know what goes through his head when he sees a pretty girl. I know