Unseemly Ambition (5 page)

Sophia got up and began to
pace the room. “It’s all so nerve-wracking. I cannot believe
I’m...
married.
I
love him; I couldn’t imagine ever walking away from that. But so
many changes…. I should be braver than this.”

“
You’re the bravest person
I know,” Concordia said firmly, “but you cannot pretend this isn’t
going to profoundly affect you. Your life will never be the
same.”

Few among us heartily embrace change,
Concordia thought, even when we know it’s what we want. We cling to
the familiar. Even those like Sophia, who crusade for change.
Because when it’s your own life, it’s different.

The parlor door pushed open and
Capshaw walked in. He smiled briefly at Concordia, but made a
straight line for Sophia, joining her on the chaise and planting a
kiss on her forehead.

“
I should go,” Concordia
said, starting to get up.

Capshaw waved her back into her chair.
“I need to speak with you.”

Sophia sat up. “Where’s
Eli?”

“
At the settlement house.
We did find his cat—finally. But it was getting late, so I brought
him back there first.”

“
Sophia tells me you two
are going to adopt Eli,” Concordia said.
“Congratulations.”

Capshaw smiled. “He’s a wonderful boy,
and deserves a family of his own.”

“
What did you want to talk
to me about?” Concordia asked.

“
I have a favor to ask
you,” Capshaw began, hesitantly. He glanced over at Sophia. “When
Eli and I went out, we saw that same stranger—the woman who was
staring at us after the ceremony, remember?—lingering near the side
gate. When I approached to find out her business, she ran
off.”

“
That’s certainly
disturbing,” Concordia said. “What do you want me to
do?”

“
We leave by the nine
o’clock train tomorrow morning, and don’t return until next
Saturday,” Capshaw said. “I’m uneasy about Eli during that time. My
impression is that the woman is interested in
him
in particular. It will be
difficult to reach us in a timely way. Since Sophia’s family will
be gone this week as well, I told Martha at the settlement house to
contact you if there’s a problem.” He gave her a small smile.
“You’re the only family we’ll have nearby.”

Concordia was touched. “I’d be happy
to help. Did you tell Martha about the woman?”

Capshaw shook his head. “I didn’t want
to alarm her unnecessarily. I merely asked her to keep an eye on
Eli. He may feel lonely with us gone. And I told the boy to stay
close to the settlement house in the meantime, and not wander
off.”

Sophia’s brow creased. “Should we
cancel our trip?”

“
I’ve asked the district
patrolman to keep an eye on the settlement house,” Capshaw said,
“and I’ll send a note to Sergeant Maloney before we leave, to see
if he can find out more about this woman.” Capshaw patted Sophia’s
hand. “Eli will be fine.”

Upon malicious bravery, dost thou
come
To
start my quiet.

Othello
, I.i

Week 3, Instructor Calendar

February 1898

Concordia was enjoying a rare
opportunity for quiet reading in her quarters at Willow Cottage.
The girls were off at their various pursuits, with Literature Club,
basketball, and ice skating being the most popular at the
moment.

She relished the peace—no thumping
over her head, no illegal cooking, no screeches. Just silence. Even
Ruby was out shopping. The steam heat radiators and the bedside
clock were the only background sounds; so soothing....

She was startled awake by a
banging on the front door.
Mercy
, how long had she been asleep?
She sheepishly smoothed her skirts and adjusted her hairpins as she
hurried to the front door.

“
May I help you?” Concordia
asked the short, stocky man on the porch.

“
Ahm lookin’ fer Ruby,” he
said, sucking at a toothpick between his teeth.

“
Who are you?” Concordia
couldn’t imagine Ruby having dealings with such a man. He was
decidedly unkempt, his barrel chest straining the buttons of his
grimy pea-coat, his bushy gray beard untrimmed and harboring the
remnants of his last meal. Concordia felt a twinge of sympathy for
him, though, noting the deep scars across his balding head and the
missing left ear lobe. Thank goodness the students weren’t around
to see. Why hadn’t Clyde stopped him at the gate?

“
Ne’er ye mind who I am,
li’l miss,” he sneered down at her. Concordia’s eyes watered at the
stink of cheap liquor on his breath. He waved a scrap of newspaper
under her nose. “Jes’ tell the
famous Mrs.
Hitchcock
that I’s come back. She’ll
know.”

Concordia couldn’t imagine how the man
had gotten past the usually-vigilant gatekeeper, but she couldn’t
allow him to run around loose on campus.

She had an idea. “Are you hungry?
We’re serving dinner shortly, in the dining hall.”

The man wobbled a bit, but grinned.
“Lead the way, li’l lady.”

Concordia grabbed a shawl from the
coat rack and wrapped herself in it. The air was bone-chilling
cold, but with any luck, she wouldn’t be out long. After latching
the door, she took him back over the paths, but instead of the
dining hall, she led him to the gatekeeper’s cottage.

“
Hey! Wot’s this?” the man
demanded as Concordia knocked on Clyde’s door.

Clyde stepped out. “Yes, miss?” His
look swept over the drunkard in alarm. “How’d ya get in here? I
told ya to get lost!”

“
Can you please show
this...gentleman...out, and make sure he
stays
out?” Concordia
asked.

Clyde showed a gleam of gaping teeth
beneath his bristled mustache, and put one burly arm around the
man’s neck, twisting his wrist behind his back with the other. “Let
me show ya where the trolley is, my good sir.”

As the stranger was being
marched toward the gate, he glared over his shoulder at Concordia.
“This ain’t over,” he growled. “I’ll remember yer conniving ways. I
ain’t gonna be bested by a bitty thing like
you
.”

“
That’s enough outta ya,”
Clyde growled.

Concordia shivered and wrapped her
shawl more firmly about her as she walked back to Willow Cottage.
She had some questions for Ruby.

Ruby barely returned in time to help
escort the students to the dining hall that evening. She rushed in,
arms full of parcels. “Lemme jes’ put these away; I’ll be right
out,” she said breathlessly, scurrying down the hall.

Concordia and the girls waited
patiently until Ruby re-emerged. “Sorry,” she said, smoothing her
hair back. “I’m ready now.” She grinned. “Wait ’til I show you the
bargains I snapped up at Sage Allen’s white sale.”

As the girls walked briskly ahead on
the path, eager to get to their suppers, Concordia touched Ruby on
the arm. “A man came looking for you today.”

Ruby frowned. “A man? I weren’t
expectin’ anybody. Who was he?”

“
He didn’t give his name,
but he asked for you specifically.”

“
Me
? Wot did he want?”

“
He said to tell you he
was
back
, and he
waved a scrap of newspaper at me, referring to you as
the famous Mrs. Hitchcock
.
I think he was referring to the newspaper article about your
award.”

Ruby shook her head. “I never did like
the idea o’ that newspaperman writin’ about me. Wot did the man
look like?”

“
He was a rather
disagreeable character. Drunk and ill-mannered. I’m not sure about
his age, but close to sixty, I’d guess. Short, broad-shouldered,
bushy gray beard, blue eyes. Large hands. He was nearly bald, with
a big scar across the top of his forehead.”

“
It don’t sound like any
man I know, thank goodness,” Ruby said, her face growing
pale.

The girls were holding the dining hall
door open for them. Concordia and Ruby walked briskly to catch
up.

“
Oh, and one other thing I
noticed about him,” Concordia added, “part of his left ear lobe was
missing.”

Ruby hesitated at the door,
stiffening. “Ya don’t say? Well, let’s hope Clyde stops him at the
gate next time. It don’t sound like a man I want to know.” Without
a backward look, she went inside.

There are many
events in the womb of time which will be delivered.

Othello
, I.iii

Week 3, Instructor Calendar

February 1898

The next morning brought
the usual bustle of students dressing for classes, and a
time-pressed Concordia gathering her lecture notes and graded
themes.
Drat.
Where
were her pages on Elizabethan drama?

There was a tap on her
door.

“
Enter!” she called. She
hoped it wasn’t someone with a problem.

One of the students stuck her head in.
“A lady to see you, Miss Wells. I know you’re leaving, and I told
her so, but she was most insistent.”

Concordia grabbed her satchel and
followed the girl into the hall, where the head of Hartford
Settlement House waited.

“
Martha, what a surprise!”
Concordia exclaimed.

The woman’s worn face seemed more
deeply lined than usual. “I understand you’re on your way to class,
but it’s about Eli, and with Sophia being away….” Her voice trailed
off.

Concordia’s stomach clenched. “Is he
hurt?”

“
No, no,” Martha assured
her, “but—”

“
Can you walk with me?”
Concordia asked.

As they passed clumps of student
groups on the paths, Martha explained. “A woman came to see us
yesterday. At first, I thought it was someone in need of our
services. She was so thin and pale, and seemed quite apprehensive,
looking over her shoulder, shifting in her chair...but what she had
to say was a complete shock to me.”

“
What was it?” Concordia
asked, sidestepping a slushy pile of snow.

“
She says she’s Eli’s
mother. She wants to take him.”

Concordia stopped dead on
the path, causing several students to bump into her. “Sorry,” she
muttered. She stepped out of the way and dropped her voice.
“His
mother
? Are
you sure?”

Martha pulled at her lip,
troubled. “No, I’m not. She has the same coloring as Eli, but
that’s no way to tell. He doesn’t recognize her at all, says she
looks nothing like the mother he remembers, whom we’ve never been
able to find and assumed was dead. This woman claims to be on
speaking terms with the settlement house’s primary benefactors, and
has threatened to complain to them if we don’t give him up. I don’t
know what to do. Could
you
talk to her?”

Concordia took a deep breath. “I’m not
sure how persuasive I can be, but I could at least get more
information. What’s her name?”

“
Florence
Tooey.”

The bell rang. Concordia touched
Martha’s arm in reassurance. “I have to go. I can come to the
settlement house tomorrow at noon. Just get her and Eli there, and
I’ll see what I can do.” Martha nodded as Concordia hurried into
class.

By heaven, I’ll know thy
thoughts.

Othello
, III.iii

Week 3, Instructor Calendar

February 1898

The trolley ride from
Hartford Women’s College to the Main Street stop near Hartford
Settlement House gave Concordia the chance to think, but it didn’t
seem like nearly enough time to come up with a plan. Who was this
woman? Where did she come from? And why had she come for Eli
now
? Without any real
information to go on, Concordia would have to innovate as she
learned more. If the woman were indeed Eli’s mother, would she not
care enough about his emotional well-being to refrain from abruptly
uprooting the child?

Concordia walked the last few blocks
to the settlement house and up the stone steps, dodging the
children playing hoops near the entrance, her steps and her heart
heavy.

She’d known Eli more than a year now,
from the time he’d arrived as a homeless, raggedy ten-year-old who
couldn’t read or write his own name. But he was thriving here at
the settlement house, going to school, settling into a
routine.

Concordia approached the young girl at
the front desk. “I’m here to see Martha.”

“
Ah, yes, Miss Wells, she’s
been expectin’ you,” the girl said. “This way, if you
please.”

Concordia stepped into the
office, where Martha, Eli, and familiar-looking woman
waited.
Of course—
the stranger from Sophia’s wedding, the one who couldn’t stop
staring at Eli.