Rory's Promise (7 page)

“R
ORY, YOU'RE TYING
M
Y BOW TOO TIGHT.
M
Y H
A
IR HURTS. ” Violet scowled at her sister.

“Hush, don't be foolish. Your hair can't hurt. Your scalp can hurt like the dickens, but not your hair,” Rory said. She finished fixing Violet's hair and tugged the little girl's dress to make the hem even. “There you are. Pretty as a picture. Your new family is going to love you.”

Violet shot Rory a startled glance. “But I thought …”

“Shhh!” Rory warned, jerking her head to indicate Sister Anna, who was moving about the dormitory trying to catch little Jimmy Harris. He scuttled under the first of the cribs lined up against the wall. Wise to his five-year-old ways, Sister Anna waited at the last crib and when he emerged, she scooped him up with one arm. With her other hand she checked his collar. “Number fifty-four,” she said and then let him go. Her assistant, Sister Eileen, a sixteen-year-old novice who had just come to the Foundling, consulted a list clipped
to a board. Sister Eileen, with her sweet face, sparkling black eyes, and dimples, was going on the train to help Sister Anna manage all the paperwork with so many adoptions.

“Fifty-four. Jimmy Harris. He is going to Clifton, Arizona, to the Flores family. His ribbon should be purple.”

“Violet, Sister Eileen,” Sister Anna corrected with a quick glance over at Rory and Violet.

Every child's assigned number had been painstakingly sewn into his or her clothes. The ones that Rory had done might have included a few specks of blood for her pains. The number was matched to the adoptive family Sister Anna had chosen for him or her. The color ribbon said which city the children were going to. Rory marveled at Sister Anna's power to organize fifty-seven adoptions all at once. Rory had been trying to catch a look at the list all week. She still didn't know anything about Violet's family. She only knew that Violet's number was twenty-two and her ribbon was also violet. But now Rory knew that a violet ribbon meant Clifton, Arizona.

“Vi,” she whispered. “You're going to Arizona.” She stumbled on the unfamiliar word.

“What's Arizona?” Violet asked.

“It's a nice place,” Rory lied. In fact, she knew nothing at all about Arizona except that it was a territory. What was Sister Anna thinking—sending Vi into a place that wasn't even grown up enough to be a state?

Rory glanced outside the window. The carriages were lined up, waiting to take the children to the train station. The youngest children were running around the dormitory,
overexcited by all the commotion. The Sisters bustled in and out, picking up the small case for each of the children chosen to go west. Each child had a brand-new dress or set of boys' dress clothes. The rest of their clothes had been mended and made as presentable as possible. Violet's small case was a little fuller than the others because Rory had stashed an extra bundle of clothes and treasures inside, including her copy of
Wild West Weekly.
Where they were going, she might find it useful.

Violet stared into Rory's blue eyes, identical to her own. “Rory, tell me again that we'll be all right.”

“Yes, as long as you do what I say.” She bent in and whispered into Violet's ear, “Remember what I told you. You are going to get in the taxi without me. I'm going to say goodbye and you have to look sad.”

“But I will see you again?” Violet had asked this question a dozen times and her anxiousness broke Rory's heart.

“Yes. I'll find you,” Rory assured her. “But you have to be convincing when you leave. Cry if you can. Sister Anna has been watching me like a hawk ever since … Never mind. She's been watching me lately.” Rory had no intention of telling Vi that a cop had hauled her off to jail. That unfortunate episode was a secret known only to Rory and Sister Anna.

“Rory, I'm scared.” Violet grabbed Rory's hand and squeezed hard enough to leave marks. “I don't want to go on a train.” Her lovely blue eyes started to tear.

“It's going to be a grand adventure, Vi,” Rory said enthusiastically, to ward off the crying storm. “And remember, you won't be alone. The other kids will be there and Sister
Anna. Sister Eileen is coming too—stick close to her. And I'll be there as soon as I can.”

“What if you don't come?” Vi whispered.

“I'll come,” Rory said in a voice that should end the matter. But she didn't reckon on Vi, who could be as stubborn as Rory herself.

“How can I be sure?”

With an impatient sigh, Rory pulled a silver chain from around her neck. Hanging from the chain was a tarnished saint's medal. “See this?” she asked.

“It was Mama's,” Violet said, staring at the medal swaying from Rory's hand. “And you got it because you are the oldest.” Rory had had to reinforce that lesson several times because Violet wanted the medal for herself.

“You know I'd never risk losing this, right?” Rory said.

“Right.”

“I'm going to lend it to you.” She lifted up Violet's thick red hair and clasped the necklace around her neck.

Violet stroked the medal, her lips in a round
O
of pleasure.

Rory pointed at the necklace. “This is my promise that we'll be together soon.” She hugged Violet. “So you have to give it back when we
both
get to Arizona.”

Vi fixed her eyes on Rory's face and nodded slowly. The medal was more convincing than Rory's reassurances.

“Rory!” The girls sprung apart at the sound of Sister Anna's voice. She stood behind them, like a great bird of prey watching over its dinner.

“Sister Anna!” Rory said. How much had she overheard?

“You're needed to help the rest of the children too, not just Violet.”

Violet hid her face in Rory's skirt.

“Violet,” Sister Anna said in a kind voice. “Let me see your collar.”

“She's number twenty-two,” Rory said, speaking quickly, hoping that Sister Anna wouldn't notice the necklace and begin asking questions.

“Twenty-two,” Sister Anna repeated for Sister Eileen's sake. Sister Eileen looked up from the list. “Violet Fitzpatrick. She's going to Ramon and Elena Martinez in Clifton, Arizona.”

Rory mouthed the name. Elena Martinez. What kind of name was that? What would she be like? Would she be kind to Violet? Would she understand that Violet was very brave except when it came to hairy spiders? Would she notice that Violet might not talk much but that was because she was thinking so hard? Would she love Violet? And most important of all, would she welcome a second red-haired daughter who was good with children and knew her letters and multiplication tables?

“Rory!” Sister Anna's voice broke through her troubled thoughts. “The other children …” she prompted.

Turning to Violet and giving her a last hug, Rory said, “I'll see you outside, Vi.” Hurrying to assist the other Sisters, Rory carefully did not look back at Sister Anna but she imagined she could feel the Sister's eyes watching her even as she supervised all the other children.

T
HE GRE
A
T BELL R
A
NG IN THE
M
AIN H
A
LL OF THE
F
OUNDLING. Rory squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. It was time. She helped the nuns shepherd fifty-seven children, the youngest only three years old and the eldest just six. Outside a line of horse-drawn taxicabs waited for the children. The nuns kept the smallest children from wandering under the hooves of the horses. Older boys from the school hoisted the trunks high onto the roofs of the taxicabs. The trunks were full of the children's suitcases, as well as ample supplies of foodstuffs, medicines, and linens for the journey. Rory kept Violet close by her side. At first Violet tried to pull away but the moment she saw the hubbub, she pressed herself into Rory's skirt.

Sister Anna seemed to be everywhere: overseeing the luggage, directing the drivers, counting the children. The other nuns who cared for the babies on a daily basis watched from the top step, like a line of stone-faced bowling pins. If they were affected by so many of their charges departing for
the Wild West, Rory could not tell from their faces. Except for Sister Maureen, who dashed the tears from her eyes, only to have to do it again seconds later.

“Sister Maureen, if you cannot control yourself, return to the dormitory.” Sister Anna's stern voice instantly dried Sister Maureen's tears. “I won't have you upsetting the children.”

Sister Maureen inclined her head. “I'm sorry, Sister Anna; it's just that they are so small. And they are going so very far.”

“They are going to proper families who will give thema home and raise them as good Catholics,” Sister Anna said loudly. “They are very lucky.”

Rory overheard and snorted. “Some home, on the other side of the country.” Rory's impudence was carefully planned; she didn't want Sister Anna to wonder why she was being so docile.

Sister Anna fixed Rory with a stern glare. “Rory, that's enough. Now say your farewells to Violet; we'll be leaving soon.” Raising her voice, she scolded one of the boys for letting a trunk drop to the ground.

Rory knelt down so she could be at Violet's level. “It's time for you to go.”

Violet glanced at Sister Anna. “All right, Rory.”

“I won't see you for a very long time,” Rory said deliber-ately, conscious of Sister Anna's listening ear.

Nodding, Violet said, “I know.”

“You're being very brave,” Rory said, watching Sister Anna from the corner of her eye. As soon as the nun's attention was diverted, she whispered sharply to Violet, “Too brave! You've
got to look upset! Like this.” Rory made a sad and anxious face. As though Rory was looking into a mirror, Violet's face contorted to match Rory's. Violet blinked so many times that her bright blue eyes filled with tears and she stuck out her lower lip so it could tremble in a pitiful manner.

“Good girl,” Rory said approvingly. “Now, a last hug.”

Pressed tightly against Rory's body, Violet whispered, “This is a game, right? You're coming to rescue me?”

“Sooner than you think.” She unwrapped Violet's armsfrom around her waist. “I promise.” She touched the medal hanging around Violet's throat with the tip of her finger. “Take care of Mama's necklace. I want it back and it had better be in perfect condition.”

Squeezing her lips together, Violet nodded. Rory buried her face in Violet's neck and inhaled everything she loved about her little sister. Then she lifted Violet up and into the waiting seat in the taxi. Each cab would carry half a dozen children and at least one minder. Now, it was time to make sure she wasn't left behind. She turned and stopped dead, almost running into Sister Anna's dark skirts.

Her voice unusually tender, Sister Anna said, “I'll watch over her on the journey.”

Rory nodded. The tears she brushed away were not as pretend as she would have liked. What if something went wrong? What if this really was the last time she saw Violet?

“Sister, it's too hard to watch Vi leave,” Rory said. “I'm going inside.”

Sister Anna looked as if she was about to say something
when a trunk crashed from the top of a carriage to the pavement. She rushed over to make certain there was no damage.

This was her chance. Rory slipped between the cabs to the street side. Shielded from the Sisters' view, she ran to the last of the carriages. Catching hold of the lowest rung on the ladder on the back of the cab, she pulled herself up as quickly as she could. This was one of the most dangerous moments of her plan. Could she hide on top of the cab amidst the luggage without being seen? She squeezed between two trunks, tucking her skirt close to her body. The only way to see below was to slither to the front of the cab and prop herself up on the rail to peek at the street.

Then one child realized he was leaving the only home he had ever known. The wailing started with him and spread to the other children, from cab to cab, like a tenement fire leaping from building to building. Peeking over the railing, Rory saw the nuns were crying too. Even Sister Anna had tears in her eyes. As though Sister Anna had a sixth sense, she glanced up at the top of the carriages. Rory pushed her body into the cab roof and closed her eyes tight. With relief she heard Sister Anna announce it was time to go to the ferry that would take the group to the train. Sister Anna stepped briskly into the first cab in line without a backward glance at the Foundling. Why should she, Rory asked herself. Sister Anna would be coming back.

The first cab lurched into motion, followed by the rest. Rory's driver shook his reins and the taxi moved forward in line.
Rory propped herself up on one elbow and watched the bulk of the Foundling disappear down the street. Then it hit her. She would never see any of this again. No New York. No Foundling. No Sister Anna.

Rory shook herself. Enough of self-pity. Hadn't Rory always known exactly what she wanted? If Rory had to abandon every familiar person, place, and thing to stay with Violet she would do it. Just before the cab turned a corner, Rory waved and whispered, “So long, Foundling.”