What your father needs to do is start drawing up his own contracts demanding money. The last thing your family needs right now is dancing lessons. I could offer those for free.”

“We only accepted it because we thought he had no money.”

He closed his eyes for a moment. “I can understand why your father did what he did, but he‟s making poor financial decisions. It‟s no wonder that he can‟t make his payments to the bank. I‟m not even sure he‟ll be better off if you do marry

someone who pays off his debts for him. He‟ll probably just end up back in the same hole he‟s in now.”

“Surely that doesn‟t have to be the case.”

“Not if someone talks some sense into him. I‟m guessing he won‟t listen to his daughter either. It has to be someone who

carries some financial weight, someone he can respect.”

“Then what I am supposed to do? Let my brothers and sisters get kicked out of the house and go hungry?”

“Don‟t you get it? You‟re not the one doing it. He is.”

“I can‟t listen to you talk about my father this way. He is an honorable and good man.”

“Yes but he is also naive and stupid.”

She crossed her arms, suddenly feeling vulnerable.“I wouldn‟t do that if I were you,” he gently warned.

“What? Cross my arms? Why not?”

“Because women aren‟t the only vultures in this room.

There are some men who would like nothing more than to take advantage of you, and your dress isn‟t high enough in the neckline

to conceal all of you.”

She blushed and quickly put her arms back at her sides.

She didn‟t intend to show any cleavage. “They don‟t make dresses like this for women of my...” She couldn‟t bring herself to say bosom.

“I understand. I wanted to make sure you didn‟t attract the wrong kind of attention. You see that man over there?”

She glanced over her shoulder at a scrawny middle aged man who was grinning at her. She cringed.

“He‟s Jack Spare. He‟s as smart as they come in investing money, but he gets his way with available and gullible women.

He‟s not much to look at but he‟s convinced a couple of gullible, young women he wants to marry them and they think they‟re

going to be rich but they end up being duped because they don‟t make it to the preacher before he has his way with them. They

think since they‟re about to get married, it‟s alright to engage in sexual activity, but as soon as he gets what he wants, he changes his mind. Here‟s the trouble with the games some of the men and

women choose to play here. Women think they‟re being smart by marrying into money, but they have to be careful which man they

pick. A couple of men in this room can outwit them.”

“What a horrible place this is then.”

“I guess it depends on your company and your reason for coming. If you stay true to God and obey His Word, you can pick

out which people to accept and which ones to avoid. Most of the people here are respectable.”

“I didn‟t realize you were a Christian.”

“It‟s not something I advertise.”

“I don‟t advertise it either.”

“Look, Claire,” he began, “you need to be careful. I know you‟re trying to do the right thing, but have you considered that

God has other options available for you?”

“That‟s easy for you to say. You can buy your way out of trouble.”

“Not always. Sometimes money creates more problems than it solves.”

She hadn‟t considered that angle before. “I suppose it is difficult to tell your friends from your enemies.”

“Exactly.”

“Do you have any friends then?”

“I have people I don‟t mind being around, if that counts.”

“Not really. It sounds lonely.” She suddenly felt sorry for him. He had money but he had no one to share it with.

“I have an idea,” he interrupted her thoughts. “Matthew Moore is the president of the bank. Why don‟t you come by at nine on Monday and I‟ll arrange a meeting for you. At the board meeting, some members did come up with a possible plan for your situation, but it was vetoed because we didn‟t have enough votes in your direction. Matthew has the final say. He‟s a fair man

and I think if another board member and I sit with you at the meeting, he will agree with the terms.”

She didn‟t hide her surprise at his invitation. “Why would you do that for me?”

He shrugged. “I see the men here who are checking you out and they are either old enough to be your grandfather or out

for one thing. If you were ten years younger you would have a chance at a decent man in this room, but that‟s not the case

anymore.”

“I feel so pretty,” she sarcastically commented. Though she knew he spoke the truth, it still stung.

“You are pretty. You‟re just not at the ideal age.”

That made her feel better.

“What do you say? Would you like to stop by the bank on Monday?”

What did she have to lose? “Alright. I‟ll come by at nine.” It beat the alternative. She didn‟t really want to marry someone she was forced to be with.

MISS petty walked back to them. “I see that your dance is over, Mr. Hansworth,” she gently remarked.

Claire couldn‟t believe the young woman had the nerve to act as if she wasn‟t even there.

Austin politely smiled at miss petty. “Actually, we were taking a break. I am sure you understand that with this being Miss

Lewisville ‟ first social gathering that it wouldn‟t be fair to leave my friend alone.”“Perhaps I can introduce her to a few gentlemen,” she offered. “It wouldn‟t be right to keep her all to yourself.”

“Maybe next time.”

She gave a slight pout before she nodded and left.

He sighed with relief. “She‟s unbearable at times. Care to dance?”

Sue shrugged. “Why not? I did spent a lot of money on the dress. I suppose it would be wasteful not to use it.”

He led her to the dance floor and took her in his arms.

“We‟re not friends,” she quietly admonished him. “Do you really think it‟s appropriate to lie to someone like that?”

“I don‟t know. Who says we can‟t be friends? I thought we were having a good conversation. Didn‟t you?”

She considered their discussion. “I would hardly call it friendship but I suppose you‟re not so bad after all.”

He grinned. “At the very least, we do work well together on the dance floor.”

“True. You haven‟t stepped on my feet yet.”

“And there‟s something I do know about, You. wouldn‟t pretend to like me to get something from me. You‟re too honest for that.”

“Thank you. I appreciate the comment.” She smiled and enjoyed the rest of the night.

**********'***

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