Jo Ann Brown (21 page)
Authors: The Dutiful Daughter
“And I have heard enough about your duty to these children.” She looked at Gemma and Michael who were listening with uncharacteristic silence.
“I vowed to God—”
“To provide for them, to guide them, to teach them of the Lord’s blessings, but no earthly father can keep his children from ever being hurt again.” Her voice softened. “Just as he cannot prevent himself from being hurt.”
“But he can learn not to hurt others.”
She nodded.
“Especially the ones he loves.” He cupped her chin and kissed her lightly. Turning to his children, he said, “I see two young people who are up far past their bedtime. Let’s go.”
“No!” said Gemma. She folded her arms over her chest and glared at him.
“No!” said Michael, copying her motions.
“Children,” Charles began.
“No!” they shouted in unison.
Sophia put her hands on their shoulders. “Please do as your father asks.”
“Why should we?” asked Gemma.
“Because he wants what is best for you. You are his children, and he loves you.”
“I don’t want him to love me.”
“Me neither.” Michael hesitated, then said, “Maybe a little.”
“No, you don’t,” Gemma argued. “Do you want him to yell at you like he yells at Sophia?”
The little boy shuddered. “No, not like that.”
“Then you don’t want him to love you. He will yell at you and then leave you. That is what he has always done. That is what Mama said. That is what Grandma says. He yells and then goes away.”
Sophia put her hands on Gemma’s trembling shoulders as color faded from Charles’s face, making his scar more pronounced. “Is this why you have been trying to make him angry? To see if he will leave again?”
“Yes.” Gemma choked back tears. “And we don’t care if he does. Right, Michael?”
The little boy glanced between her and his father, torn in his loyalties.
“Gemma,” Sophia said softly, “you don’t mean that.”
“I do!”
Charles squatted down in front of his children, so they were eye to eye. From the surprise on their faces, Sophia guessed he had never spoken to them from that position. “I am sorry you believe that, Gemma and Michael. I had to go away because of the war, but I don’t intend to go away again anytime soon.”
“But if we are bad and you get mad...” Michael’s eyes glittered with tears.
“If you are bad, I may get mad, but only because I want to make sure you never do anything that will hurt you. Even if I am mad enough that steam comes out of my ears, I still will not leave. You are wrong. There is nothing you can do that would make me love you less and not want to be with you. Nothing!” He paused, cleared his throat, then said, “But I have been wrong, too.”
“You, Papa?” asked Michael who had been trying not to grin after Charles mentioned steam coming out of his ears.
“Yes, me. I have said that I would die for you. I don’t want to die for you. God listened to my prayers and brought me back to you. Now I want to live with you, to be with you until long after you grow up and have children of your own. Will you let me do that?”
Michael did not hesitate. He threw himself into his father’s arms. Gemma hesitated for only a second, then whispering, “Papa!” flung her arms around Charles’s neck. He cradled them both as he looked over their heads at Sophia.
She let her tears of joy fall. So much healing was still needed, but it had begun.
When his children released him, Charles winked at them, then said, “As long as I am down here...” He shifted to be on one knee and smiled at the children. “Will you give me your blessing to marry Sophia?”
They squealed their excited agreement.
Sophia held her breath as he looked up at her again and asked, “Will you marry me, Sophia? I will not be an easy man to live with, but I will do my best with your help and God’s to find the healing my soul needs.”
“Yes,” she said, her heart trilling out her joy. “Yes, I will marry you.”
The children danced around Sophia and Charles as he came to his feet and took her hand.
Michael asked, “Will you be our mother, Sophia?”
“Forever and ever.” She kissed his cheek, then looked at Gemma. The little girl snuggled up against her, and Sophia understood how lonely the little girl had been for someone to love. Now she had discovered her father loved her and that Sophia did, too.
They all had been too lonely for too long, but that was over. Charles had told her once that they could not allow the pain of the past to taint their futures and that a tough lesson was worth the pain if they learned from it. And she had learned to trust that Charles truly loved her. As she gazed into his eyes, she knew joy awaited them as husband and wife and as the parents of his children and any other God gave to them.
Charles waved his children toward the stairs. “Go and tell Nurse Alice that you will be staying awhile longer.”
They paused only enough to give both their father and Sophia a hug, then ran up the stairs.
“I hope you know what you are letting yourself in for,” he said as he brushed her hair back from her eyes.
“A lifetime of adventures with you and the children we will share.” She locked her hands behind his nape and smiled at him. “I thought I would have to travel the world to escape the jeers about my height and to obtain my heart’s desire, but all I needed was to wait for you to find your way to me.”
“You are right about that, my love, but you were mistaken about being too tall.” He tilted her mouth toward his. “You are exactly the perfect height...for this.”
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from
A Place of Refuge
by Janet Lee Barton.
Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoyed reading about beautiful Sanctuary Bay. The setting was inspired by Robin Hood’s Bay in northern England. It is a spectacular location with a long history of smuggling and piracy. Visit my website
www.joannbrownbooks.com
to see pictures of the bay and village.
Wandering the village’s steep main street, my husband and I were enthralled by the peace, and the wind and waves against the cliffs. I knew I had to set a story there. I decided, because of my military experience, the stories would focus on three men who fought against Napoleon and were dealing with the aftereffects of war’s horror. They do not realize they can find healing in Sanctuary Bay, but in the beauty of God’s creation, it is possible. Watch for the next Sanctuary Bay book, available in December 2013, from Love Inspired Historical.
Wishing you many blessings,
Jo Ann Brown
Questions for Discussion
- Charles feels betrayed by his late wife. Have you ever felt betrayed by someone you love?
- Sophia is bothered by her height. What aspect of your appearance bothers you?
- Sophia and Edmund are both determined to do their duty to their family. Do you find it easy to be dutiful, or is it difficult for you?
- With his children, Charles can be overprotective. How much freedom do you think a child should have?
- Michael finds it easy to forgive his father while Gemma can’t. How easy is it for you to forgive? Is it easier to forgive a stranger than a loved one?
- Everyone joins in with the “clipping of the church.” What activities do you enjoy with your church and/or community?
- Which character in the story is most like you? Why?
- Sophia is expected to marry her cousin. What expectations have you had placed on you? How did you react?
- Charles and his friends travel throughout North Yorkshire in England. Do you enjoy visiting new places?
- Sophia believes no young man wants to court her and then she discovers she is wrong. Have you ever made a wrong assumption? How did you feel when you found out you had assumed mistakenly?
- Both Charles and Sophia struggle to trust each other. Is trust easy or hard for you?
- Regency England was a time of fashion and flirtations. Would you have liked to have lived then?
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired Historical title.
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stories lift the spirit as heroines tackle the challenges of life in another era with hope, faith and a focus on family.
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Chapter One
New York City
February 1896
A
knock on the door this time of evening was never a good sign. Luke Patterson paused at the staircase and frowned, looking around for Mrs. Heaton, the owner of his boardinghouse. Neither she nor Gretchen, the maid, were anywhere to be seen and everyone else had scattered after dinner. The knock sounded once more and he took it on himself to answer the door.
“Sir, I’ve a young woman in my hack and was told to bring her to this address.” The man at the door handed Luke a familiar-looking card. It was one of Mrs. Heaton’s, embellished simply with only Heaton House, then the address and telephone number underneath. She often gave the cards to young women she thought might be in need of a safe place to come.
“What is it, Luke?” Mrs. Heaton asked as she hurried out of her study.
“This man has a young woman in his hack. He says he was told to bring her here.” He handed Mrs. Heaton her card.
“Well, tell her to come right in,” Mrs. Heaton said.
“She’s in bad shape, ma’am. She passed out on the way over. In fact I think she’s more in need of the hospital right now than anythin’. My wife’s a friend of her sister’s and they told me to bring her here, and that’s what I’ve done. They told me you’d given her the card.”
Mrs. Heaton’s brow furrowed. “I’m sure I did. Luke, please help this young woman in.”
“Of course.” Luke didn’t bother putting a coat on against the cold February night air. He hurried out to the hack alongside the driver. The man grabbed a small carpetbag, helped him get the young woman out of the hack, up to the front door and into the house.
“I’ve got to get back to the family, sir. I hope she’s all right.” He dropped the bag on the floor and let go of the woman, leaving her to slump against Luke.
Luke immediately lifted her into his arms as the man hurried out the door. She was light as a feather and when she moaned, he shifted her in his arms, hoping to make her more comfortable.
“Where do you want me to take her, Mrs. Heaton?”
“Let’s get her upstairs, so I can see what she needs, Luke. I’ve had Gretchen call the doctor and let the other women know a man will be in the upper hall.”
Male boarders were normally not allowed on the upper floors, but there really wasn’t any other way to get this young woman upstairs. She wasn’t in any shape to maneuver the steps. As they passed under the light in the foyer, Luke cringed at what he saw. The woman in his arms looked as if she’d had a fist shoved in her face. Several times. And she had a cut on the side of her temple that oozed blood through a makeshift bandage. What had happened to her?
He followed Mrs. Heaton up the stairs to the landing and waited while she turned to go up to the third floor. Then she paused. “No, let’s put her in Violet’s old room. There’s no need to jostle her any more than necessary. I’m sure she’s in a lot of pain or she wouldn’t have passed out, poor dear.”
Mrs. Heaton hurried into the room and lit a lamp before turning back the cover on the bed. “Lay her down easy, Luke. The doctor should be here any moment now.”
He did as told and then tried to step back to let Mrs. Heaton see to her. But the young woman held on to his hand and wouldn’t let go.
“Pull up a chair, at least until the doctor gets here. For right now it appears she doesn’t want you to go anywhere,” Mrs. Heaton said.
Luke grasped the chair by the side table with his free hand and pulled it a little closer, sat down and clasped the young woman’s hand with both of his. If he could convey that she was safe, he’d sit there all night. “Do you have any idea who she is?”
From the other side of the bed, Mrs. Heaton lowered the hood of the woman’s cape and looked down on her. Luke could hear her sharp intake of breath. “It’s hard to tell with her face so bruised and swollen, but with that red hair of hers, I do believe she’s the young woman we met in the park last summer—the one you’d helped defend.”
Luke leaned closer. The young woman’s hair cascaded over the pillow and his heart gave a sharp twist at her moan. Its deep red color told him she might well be the woman in the park. Aside from the fresh bruising and swelling, he could see a fading bruise under her left eye—apparently she got beaten up on a regular basis. His fist clenched at the very thought of anyone treating a woman that way. And if she was the same woman from last summer, he had a good idea who did it.
Footsteps sounded on the stairs and Gretchen and another woman, whom he recognized as one who came to some of the benevolent committee meetings Mrs. Heaton often hosted, entered the room. She was probably a member of the Ladies’ Aide Society as was Mrs. Heaton, but he wasn’t certain.
“Clara! What brings you—”
“Kathleen’s sister contacted me and let me know she’d sent her to you. I’ve been afraid something like this might happen.”
“Kathleen? Is that her name? How do you know her?” Mrs. Heaton asked.
In what Luke thought was an effort not to disturb the injured woman, his landlady led Clara over to the windows. But in the quiet of the night, he could still hear what was being said.
The woman Mrs. Heaton had introduced as Clara Driscoll lowered her voice. “She works in my department at Tiffany Glass Company and yes, her name is Kathleen O’Bryan. Evidently her brother-in-law lost his job
again
and came home drunk today. When Kathleen got there, she found them in the middle of a fight and she tried to stop him from hitting her sister. That’s when he came at her, hit her and knocked her down and hit her again. He left saying she’d better be gone when he came back.”
White-hot anger surged through Luke as the young woman moaned. How dare the man touch her! He—
The doctor arrived just then and Mrs. Heaton turned to Luke. “Why don’t you wait downstairs, Luke? I’ll let you know what the doctor says and how Miss O’Bryan is doing in a little while. Thank you for helping me get her upstairs.”
“You’re welcome.” Luke tried to slip his hand out of the young woman’s, but she held on tighter. Her eyes fluttered open and she hoarsely whispered, “Thank you.”
He leaned close and whispered, “You’re welcome. And you’re safe here. Doc and Mrs. Heaton are going to take care of you now.”
Only then did she let go of his hand. He watched her eyelashes drift downward and turned to leave as the doctor took his place.
Luke cringed as he heard a louder moan this time and he fought the urge to rush back to her side. But the doc was the one who could make her feel better now. He’d only be in the way.
“Please do let me know how she is, Mrs. Heaton.”
She gave a short nod. “I will.”
Luke’s heart twisted in his chest as he hurried down the stairs to the main floor and then down the next flight to the first floor where he and the other male boarders’ rooms were. He’d try to get some work done—at least a scene or two on the book he was writing. Otherwise he’d only pace the floor waiting for Mrs. Heaton to let him know how Miss O’Bryan was.
He flipped through a few typewritten pages to get back into his writing, but in only moments Luke realized he wouldn’t get any work done this far away from what was going on upstairs.
He gathered a tablet and pencil and went back upstairs and settled at Mrs. Heaton’s desk. He knew she wouldn’t mind; she’d offered to let him work in here before. Maybe he could at least make a few notes about his next chapter. Luke tried to concentrate on what he was writing but the connection to it and the woman upstairs was so apparent he couldn’t concentrate on anything but her.
If not for meeting Miss O’Bryan that day in the park, he might not even be writing this book. Her name fit her well, or at least the woman he remembered from that day in the park last summer, when her brother-in-law was threatening both her and her sister.
She’d shown such dignity that day, but the look in her eyes told him how vulnerable she really was. Ever since that encounter, he hadn’t been able to get her out of his mind and every time he caught a glimpse of hair the color of hers, he took a second look—at the park, on a trolley, in the tenements, when he’d gone on an assignment from his boss, Michael Heaton. Michael was Mrs. Heaton’s son and owned his own detective agency. Until his marriage this past December, he’d lived here, too.
Michael felt he had reason to believe that his sister who’d been missing for several years might have wound up living in the tenements. He didn’t want his mother to know of his fears, but he’d confided in Luke that he’d almost given up hope of finding her at all.
It was the traveling in and out of the tenements that had precipitated the change in his writing career. He liked writing the lighter dime novels that made him a living, along with occasional investigative work for Michael, but over the past few months, his goal had changed. He wanted to make a difference in people’s lives with his writing. What he was working on now was a book that depicted life for those less fortunate in the city, and Luke hoped it would continue to call attention to their plight as Jacob Riis had done with his book,
How the Other Half Lives.
Tonight he realized the woman upstairs had everything to do with the direction his writing had gone in—because of the way she and her sister had been treated that day in the park. The conditions he was afraid they lived in. And seeing her tonight—
“Luke?” Mrs. Heaton broke into his thoughts.
He jumped to his feet and came around the desk. “Yes, ma’am? How is she?”
“The doctor says Kathleen is going to be all right. But he said she’s going to be in some pain for the next few days. He thinks she may have cracked a rib, too. Clara is giving her this week off and we’re going to try to find out how best to help her. She’ll be staying with us for now.”
“That’s good, I’m glad.” Relief washed over him, knowing she’d be here. He couldn’t explain the strange connection he felt for the young woman, but it was there and it was strong.
“Evidently her sister’s husband has beaten Kathleen several times, probably because she comes to her sister’s defense and keeps her from taking the beating,” Mrs. Heaton continued. “Clara says Kathleen’s sister, Colleen, is expecting a child. However, after tonight, she realized she had to get Kathleen out of there. Colleen was afraid that if she didn’t, her husband might hurt Kathleen even worse.”
Luke felt his lip curl in disdain for the man. “Kathleen will be safe here. I’ll see that she is.”
“I know you will. She’s awake now and trying to remember what happened and why she’s here. Things are slowly coming back to her. I’m going to take a food tray up to her and see if we can get her to eat something. I’ll let her know you were asking about her and helped to get her upstairs.”
“If you need me for anything at all—”
“Thank you, Luke. I know where to find you and I’m thankful you are here. We’re going to take care of her.”
Luke watched his landlady leave the room, thankful that she’d given Kathleen her card last summer. The pretty redhead might not know it, but she was in the best place she could be right now.
The vision of Kathleen’s face, so lovely under all the swelling and bruising, came to him. He clenched his fist once more and went to look out of the window. He didn’t know how long it would take, but he was going to find that no-good brother-in-law of hers. If the man were lucky, the cops would get to him before Luke did.
* * *
Kathleen opened one eye and then the other. A sliver of sunlight creeping through the slit in the draperies told her it was morning. The last thing she remembered from the night before was the nice lady... Kathleen closed her eyes and concentrated. Mrs. Heaton. Yes, the woman who’d given her a card last summer and who owned the home she’d been sent to...last night?
She took a deep breath. Why was she having such a hard time putting her thoughts together? Her face, her temple, her whole head ached, but nowhere near as bad as the night before—until she reached up to touch the bandage on her temple. The light contact was enough to make the throb feel like a pounding hammer.
She closed her eyes against the pain and held her breath until it eased off a bit. Then she lay as still as she could until she felt she could open her eyes once more.
Her mind flooded with unconnected memories. She remembered telling her coworkers good-night and leaving work. Money had been especially tight lately, so, though she was tired, Kathleen hadn’t given in to the urge to take the trolley. Instead, she’d trudged over to Second Avenue and down to Eighth Street to the tenement building where she lived with her sister and her family. They seemed to have traded one pitiful existence for another since they’d left Ireland two years ago. Believing they’d have a better life in America, they’d pooled what little they had to make the trip, only to find life wasn’t any easier here.
She didn’t think the dreadful place could ever be home to her or her family. All the buildings in the area seemed the same to Kathleen. They were made of brick, with stoops in front. The six and seven stories housed scores of families, some even larger than hers, crowded in two-and three-room apartments. One had to know the number of the building and where it set on the street to be sure of where they were going.
But last night, as she’d neared their tenement and saw her nephews sitting on the stoop, her heart had dipped into her stomach and she’d felt a little sick. She’d known something wasn’t right. Collin and Brody had looked at her with their big blue eyes and she could see they’d been crying. She’d bent and hugged them when they ran to her.
“What’s wrong? What’s happened?” she’d asked.
Collin had answered, “Papa came home early and started yelling and—”
“He was really loud.” Brody wiped a hand across his eyes. “Mama started crying, and he yelled more.”
“Mama sent us out.”
Kathleen’s heart constricted with dread. “Well, now, I’m sure things aren’t as bad as you’re thinkin’. Your papa does get worked up a bit at times. I’ll go see what all the ruckus is about.”
She hadn’t wanted to take the boys, but—
A knock sounded on the door, bringing her out of her thoughts. The door opened just a crack and she heard a whisper. “Kathleen? It’s Mrs. Heaton. Are you awake, dear?”
