Hearts Alligned

Chapter 25

Andrew's POV

After everybody went to bed, Father and Andrew were sitting alone in a library.

"Do you want me to go get a doctor?" Father asked him. "Just to make sure your wounds are okay?"

"No, thank you, Father. I'll keep putting the ointment on them. I feel so much better now."

"I'm glad you're doing okay. And I'm very proud of you, son. I always believed you would do good things."

How could Andrew ever be angry with his father for so many years? He used to feel like his father didn't understand him and didn't care about what he wanted.

"I must've seemed so stupid, always disobedient and angry."

"You were young and frustrated. Most people feel that way when they're young."

"But you never felt that way. You're the oldest son of a duke. You knew exactly what you would do for the rest of your life."

"That is definitely not true. I was told who I was supposed to marry. I was pressured with responsibilities that come with leading a nation, whether I wanted to do it or not. My father died when I was seventeen and I had no choice but to take over, get married, and be the best Duke I could, with no one telling me how."

"I never thought of it that way."

"I made mistakes, Andrew, but I married a wonderful woman and had five perfect children, including you."

They both smiled at him calling Andrew and his siblings "perfect."

They talked for a few more minutes about what was happening recently in his family's life. Then Andrew said, "Anne is the one who discovered what was happening to the children in Pinecrest. Isn't she brave, Father?"

"She is indeed." Father was looking at him with knowing eyes. "She's also smart and pretty, don't you agree?"

"Of course.People would be blind if they said she wasn't."

"Do you care about her?"

"Yes."

And I'm sure she cares about you."

"Why do you say that?"

"You don't think she cares about you?"

"I..." He remembered her kiss, but she made no effort to go near him since she and Father and all of the guards arrived in Greendale. "I think she may care about me, but... I'm not sure. I know I don't deserve her. She is a very good girl who has done nothing but good in her life, while I have done many bad things. I thought I could redeem myself if I could save the children, but I realized that nothing can make up for what I did." 

"Anne knows you have a good heart. An evil man is not sorry for what he did and rarely ever believes he's a bad person. You're not a bad person, Andrew, and Anne is smart enough to recognize that."

Maybe he wasn't evil like Arthur, but... "What have I ever done in my life that makes me worthy?"

"You aren't worthy because of what you've done, son, because no one can ever do enough to be worthy. You're worthy because God gave His Son to make us worthy." Father smiled. "And you helped Anne save fifty-two children."

It was true. He did help Annie save the children.

Anne's POV

Anne was tired and sore. She was tired from riding the horse all day the day before, and she was sore from being in the saddle too much. She didn't want to do the same thing the next day but, she was excited to think of bringing the children home to their parents. 

Had Duke Ben thought of how he planned to take the children back? The children certainly couldn't ride on a horse the whole way. Most of them had probably never been on a horse. Maybe she should go speak to him about it. He said that if she needed anything, to tell him.

She opened her door and stuck her head out. Had they gone to bed yet? A line of light streamed out from the crack of the library door, which wasn't completely closed. She heard low voices, and then she heard her name.

Anne held her breath as she crept closer to the door, trying to listen.

"You can win her over," Duke Ben said.

She heard Andrew's voice. "...didn't trust me... no one knows..."

Duke Ben cleared his throat "...that I will need to appoint a new mayor of Pinecrest. And since you have shown yourself to be brave and responsible, I've decided to appoint you as the new mayor of Pinecrest."

Anne's heart jumped in her throat. her first thought was how happy this would make Andrew, but then she felt the feeling... of jealousy? Resentment? Envy? She would be a much better mayor than Andrew, but a woman could never be a mayor. But, Andrew couldn't know as much about the duties of mayor as much as she did.

Her heart beat harder. She didn't like these thoughts. She moved as quietly as she could back to her room and closed the door.

She didn't want to think these things about Andrew, didn't want to be envious or resentful. Andrew would make a good mayor. He would never take a bribe, never cheat the town or steal money.And it must mean so much to him that his father had so much confidence in him. 

She had to get her feelings under control, and had to be happy for Andrew. He would be living in Pinecrest. That was good, right? She would be able to see him almost every day. That was what she wanted, wasn't it? And if Andrew had any feelings for her... but maybe everything would change when he was the mayor. 

Andrew's POV

Andrew couldn't speak. All the breath left him. Finally, he said, "Father, I'm so honored that you would think of me as the new mayor."

"You will be a very good one. You are honest and you have a good and honest heart."

He'd never imagined himself as a mayor. Could he do it? He had always imagined himself as a knight or the captain of a guard, maybe even the captain of his father's guard, though that might be a bit strange, since most of his father's men knew him as an immature boy.

Also, how would Anne feel about him being mayor? Would she be happy? Proud of him?

"Father..."

"Yes, Andrew?"

"I'm not sure I'm the best person to be mayor of Pinecrest."

"Do you not want to have that position? Is there a reason why you don't want to be Pinecrest's mayor."

Andrew thought about it for a moment. "I've never wanted that kind of position. I don't think I would like writing laws and having meetings with the town council. I'm a soldier. I enjoy protecting people." Especially Anne. 

"I'll let you give this some more thought." A slow smile appeared on Father's face. "Don't give up on Anne. If you want her, fight for her."

When they were in bed, Andrew lay awake thinking about Anne, of the kiss, and how long it would be before he could talk with her again.