At Rory's side, Elena was chewing on her knuckle, her eyes fixed on Sister Anna's list.
“Are you all right?” Rory asked.
“We are so close to having a family, I don't want anything to ruin it now,” Elena said. “Would that Sister keep Violet and William from us?”
Rory's eyes found Violet across the room and then focused on Elena again. She had known the moment she had seen Elena that she might be kind enough to make up for the awfulness of Clifton.
Rory reached out and touched Elena's hand. “I think you might be the mother for Violet. I'll tell Sister Anna so.”
“Thank you, Rory. Family means everything to me. If Violet's own sister did not approve, I don't know what we would do.” Elena abruptly hugged Rory. Startled, Rory froze then let herself enjoy the embrace. Now how could Rory convince Elena that two Fitzpatrick sisters were better than one?
“Next on the list,” Sister Anna said. She hesitated and looked around the room until she caught Rory's eye. “Is Elena Martinez here? She is assigned William Norris and Violet Fitzpatrick.”
Elena came forward. She was fairer than the other women and Sister Anna looked at her with approval. Sister Eileen brought Violet and William to stand in front of the desk. Rory made sure that she was in Violet's line of sight. Sister Anna always made the small children a little nervous. Vi's eyes sought Rory, and Rory winked.
“Mrs. Martinez,” Sister Anna said, “this list says you are to receive a boy and a girl.”
“Yes, Sister.” Elena stared at Violet and little William. She started to chew again on her knuckle but stopped herself.
“What does your husband do?” Sister Anna asked Mrs. Martinez.
“He works at the smelter.”
Mrs. Chacon stepped up to Sister Anna's elbow. “It is a very good job. Aboveground,” Mrs. Chacon interjected. “He spoke for the miners against the Anglos during last year's strike.”
“Anglos?” Sister Anna asked.
“The white mine workers. We call them Anglos.”
“Oh.” Sister Anna was taken aback.
“And Elena is educated. She will teach the children well.”
Sister Anna's pen scratched on the list. “Do you have clothes for the children?”
“Sí !” Mrs. Martinez nodded eagerly. “I brought them— and also these toys for the niños.” She reached in her bag and pulled out a cloth doll in a purple dress. “This is for Violet. I thought she would like this color.”
Violet looked to Rory for permission. Rory nodded and Violet clutched the doll to her chest. Rory mouthed the words “thank you,” and Violet remembered to whisper, “Thank you.”
“And for William.” Mrs. Martinez gave him a wooden horse. “My husband is skilled with his hands. He made this.” William wasn't afraid to step forward and take the toy.
“William … ,” prompted Sister Anna.
“Thank you very much,” he said, eager to start playing.
Father Mandin, who had been watching the proceedings with a broad smile on his round face, spoke rapidly to Mrs. Chacon. She nodded and translated for Sister Anna's benefit. “Elena is one of the Father's most devout parishioners. She helps to clean the church and decorate it for every holiday.”
Sister Anna searched around the room until she met Rory's gaze. She raised her eyebrows as if to ask Rory's opinion. Rory nodded slowly.
“Very well, you may take the children. But I will be visiting you in the next few days. The Foundling reserves the right to take the children back if everything is not satisfactory.”
Elena said, “You will be satisfied, I promise.” She started to move off with the two children.
Violet broke away and darted to Rory. Burying her face in Rory's skirt, she whispered, “I don't want to leave you!”
Elena's eyes appealed to Rory for help.
“Trust me, Vi. She's really nice. Just do what the Sisters want for now—it's part of my plan.” Rory swallowed hard. “Remember how well my last plan worked?”
“We'll be together?” Violet asked with a sidelong look at Elena.
“Always,” Rory said, praying she could keep her word. And if she failed, at least Vi was going to a good place.
“I'm keeping Mama's necklace just to make sure you keep your promise,” Vi said.
“Fine,” Rory said impatiently. “Now will you go with Elena?”
“Yes,” Violet said.
“Good,” Elena said, her words floating on a long sigh. “Here is the money Father Mandin asked for.” She reached into her pocket and slid a small stack of coins across the table.
As Elena turned back to Rory and the children, the door to the church slammed open. The breeze blew out half the candles in the room. A group of angry women stormed the building, led by Mrs. Gatti. Her booming voice followed the wind like thunder after lightning.
“No! Stop! Those are my babies!” Mrs. Gatti cried. One of the women tried vainly to hold Mrs. Gatti back as she strode through the crowd. Shoving Elena to one side, Mrs. Gatti stood in front of Sister Anna, her hands on her hips. “The children can't go off with that … person. She'll poison them with her tacos, burritos, and spicy food. They should go to me. I'd give them a good home with lots of good American food.” Without warning she reached for Violet.
Violet flinched and scurried under the table, near Sister Anna's feet. Elena pulled William to her side. Sister Anna rose to her full imposing height.
To Rory's surprise, Elena spoke first, loudly and clearly. “Father Mandin chose me to have these children!”
Rory was impressed. She wouldn't have thought the gentle Elena had so much fight in her.
Mrs. Gatti cried, “I saw them first. If it's a question of money, I'll pay more!”
Sister Anna looked down her long nose and said, “Mrs. Gatti, you are out of order. There is no question of the Foundling accepting money for children.”
“There's money on the table,” Mrs. Gatti insisted. “Something crooked is going on here!”
“Why should I have to buy the children when they are rightfully mine?” Elena asked scornfully.
Father Mandin hovered at the edge of the group of women, chattering in French. No one paid him any attention. The Mexican women were talking excitedly among themselves in Spanish. And Mrs. Gatti was shouting in English. Rory finally understood the point of the story about the Tower of Babel; she could only hope things in Clifton would end better.
“Louisa!” Everyone turned to the open doorway and to an enormous man wearing a bloodstained apron under his coat.
“Jacques,” she cried. “What are you doing here?”
“I'm looking for you and my dinner,” he bellowed.
Mrs. Gatti hurried toward him, speaking softly as though she hoped he would follow her example. “Make it yourself. I'm not leaving here until I get a baby.”
“A baby?” He raised his bushy eyebrows and didn't lower his voice in the slightest.
“I told you about the baby train,” she said. “It's here. The children are beautiful and I don't want to miss my chance.”
Mr. Gatti peered around the gloomy room, noting the nuns and the remaining children. “I'll handle this,” he said, striding over to Father Mandin. They began speaking rapidly in French.
“My husband is part French. He'll soon get me my babies,” Mrs. Gatti announced proudly.
The conversation between the men ended and Mr. Gatti said goodbye to Father Mandin and returned to his wife. “Come, Louisa,” he said, taking her arm and leading her to the door. “There's nothing for us here and I want my dinner.”
“But my babies!” She jerked her arm away from him. “I won't leave without them.”
“Just go,” Rory said under her breath. “You're not welcome here.”
“The priest told me they are out of children.” Gatti said it the same way he might tell a customer that he had no more bacon to sell.
“But there are so many.”
“They're already spoken for, Louisa,” he said imp
atiently, tugging vainly on her arm. “You're making a scene. Can we go home now? I'm hungry.” He glanced at her friend. “Mrs. Abraham, help me get her out of here.”
Mrs. Abraham spoke up for the first time. “Who gets to have the children? Not these women.” She pointed scornfully to the remaining Mexican women. “I won't permit it.”
“Who does that woman think she is?” Rory whispered to Elena.
“Mrs. Abraham's husband runs the hotel. He is very important in town. But even she cannot tell Father Mandin what to do.”
Mrs. Abraham spoke loudly, not caring if her words offended. “The little darlings are as white as snow. They can't go with Mexicans! They belong with people who look like them!”
Rory's eyes flew to Sister Anna. Sister had expressed the exact same concern.
Even though Sister Anna had repeatedly told Rory it was rude to point at people, she leveled her index finger at Mrs. Abraham. “You have no authority here. Take your friend and go.”
“Not without a baby,” Mrs. Gatti said stubbornly.
Mr. Gatti looked to Father Mandin and again tried to usher his wife outside. “Louisa, I know how much this means to you, but there will be other children. You've made enough trouble. Let's go.”
Mrs. Abraham gestured to the remaining white women to follow her. “You haven't heard the last of this,” Mrs. Abraham said with determination. “Those babies don't belong with drunks and savages.”
“To keep them safe, I'm willing to take the little boy and the redheaded girl,” Mrs. Gatti called from the doorway.
“Louisa, be quiet,” her husband said as he closed the door behind them.
“You'll never get Violet,” whispered Rory as she crawled under the table to coax Violet back into the room.
Sister Anna beckoned to Mrs. Chacon to come translate for her as she confronted the priest. “Father Mandin, we must stop for tonight. You and I have to talk about what just happened.”
The Mexican women began to whisper among themselves. Sister Eileen and the nurses gathered the children close and waited anxiously for Father Mandin's answer.
“Continue with the adoptions,” he commanded.
“But Father …”
“These arrangements have been made months ago. I asked my parishioners to take the children and they agreed out of the kindness of their hearts. It would insult them to delay.”
Sister Anna started to read the next name, but her voice caught in her throat. She took a small sip of water and tried again. “Josephine Ryan.”
Elena took a deep breath and beckoned to the children. “I'm going to get the children home before there are any more scenes,” she said.
“Where do you live?” Rory asked quickly.
“Quite close to here.”
William went to her willingly, but Violet hung back. “It's all right, Vi,” Rory whispered, nudging her forward.
Clinging to Rory's hand, Violet spoke directly to Elena, “Rory's promised not to leave me. Can she come too?”
“Of course, if she wants to,” Elena said.
Rory wasn't sure if Elena was only being polite, but she didn't care. “I do.” Rory made sure Sister Anna was fully occupied with the next placement. “Let's go.”
Elena glanced at Sister Anna. “You won't be missed?”
“They won't even notice I've left.”
CHAPTER Twenty-Six
HUGGING HER ARMS TO HER BODY, RORY LOOKED UP, BUT THE smoke from the smelter blocked out the sky. Having spent her whole life in a city, it was disappointing to still not see a full sky of stars. In Wild West Weekly the cowboys always talked about the stars when they sat around the campfire.
“Rory, I'm cold.”
“I'll warm you up.” Rory scooped Violet up in her arms and followed Elena, who was moving quickly along the street as fast as William's legs could take him. Most of the windows of the buildings were dark. The only light was the lamp in Elena's hand. How could people live without streetlights?
William began to whine about the walk, the cold, and how hungry he still was.
“You just ate,” Rory chided him.
“It's not far,” Elena told him. She glanced back and saw Rory carrying Violet. “William, why don't I pick you up? And when we get home, I have a special sweet dessert.”
“Really sweet?” William asked, holding out his arms.
“Did you hear that?” Rory whispered, Violet's ear close to her lips. “Elena has dessert for you.”
“I do like dessert,” Violet said. “But Rory, you'll stay, won't you?”
Rory wanted to stop the quiver she saw in Violet's lower lip. Frankly, if she didn't have Violet to look after, Rory would have been tempted to cry too. “I have to go back with the Sisters tonight. But I like Elena and I think you will too. If you don't, we'll have a long talk with Sister Anna. All right, Vi?” She nuzzled her little sister's neck.
“You promised we'd stay together,” said Violet.
Rory put Violet down and arched her sore back. When did Violet get so heavy? “I know, Vi,” Rory said. “Let's see how tonight goes, all right?”
Violet shook her head.
“No. I want you.”
“Oh, Vi,” Rory groaned.
“We're home,” said Elena, stopping in front of a small house with narrow windows. She put William on the ground and felt in her pocket for the key. A large figure emerged from the shadows on the porch. Rory pulled Violet behind her and tensed to meet the new threat.
“Children, it's all right!” Elena reassured them. “It's my husband, Ramon.”
The figure moved into the light spilled by her lantern. Ramon had a mustache and wore the clothes and hat of a workingman. Darker than Elena, he looked exactly like one of the cowboys in Rory's Wild West Weekly. Rory wasn't sure if he was one of the good guys or not, until he swept his hat off his head and gave Elena a big kiss.
“These are our children?” he asked.
Elena nodded, smiling, and gestured. “Violet and William.” Ramon jerked his head toward Rory.
“This is Rory,” Elena said.
Ramon raised his eyebrows, but he was more interested in meeting Violet and William than an explanation. He knelt in the dirt so he would be face-to-face with them. He offered his hand. “Hello, little ones. My name is Ramon.”
Violet pressed her body against Rory's legs, watching Ramon with huge eyes, but William took the outstretched hand and shook it.
“Ramon, I thought you were working tonight,” Elena said.
“And miss the children's arrival?” he asked simply. His accent was heavier than Elena's, but Rory could understand him if she listened hard.
“Why didn't you just come to the church?” Elena asked.
He pressed his fingers to his temples. “That Father Mandin gives me a headache. Eight months he's been in Clifton and he still can't speak a language anyone understands?”
“I thought the same thing!” Rory said, unable to keep quiet any longer. “How can he do his job if he can't talk to anyone?”
Ramon twisted his neck to look up at Rory. “And who are you, young lady?”
Elena said, “This is Violet's sister. She came to make sure Violet has a good home.”
He smiled slowly and nodded. “Then we should show Rory around.” He unlocked the thick door. Inside, the room was completely dark. He took the lantern from his wife and hung it from a large nail in the rafter in the center of the room. It cast wild shadows on the walls, illuminating in turn a plain crucifix on one wall and a colorful rug on another.
Violet tugged on Rory's sleeve. “Where are the lights?” she asked in a tiny voice.
Rory pointed. “That is the light. They don't have gas or electricity here.”
Violet began to whimper. “Look, Vi, you can reach the ceiling,” Rory said, to distract her. She lifted Violet until her fingers touched the rough plaster.
“I want to try too,” William said.
“Come on, little man,” Ramon said, swinging William onto his s
houlders. William squealed and slapped his hands on the ceiling.
“Ramon, be careful, he'll hit his head,” Elena scolded, but she couldn't help laughing.
Rory noticed that there wasn't much furniture in the room, only a small table with a bench along the wall and two stools. In the corner was a tall wardrobe for storage. Curtains separated two smaller rooms from the main one. The bright colors in the tablecloth shone even in the lantern light. It wasn't fancy but it was spotless. There was a shelf with plates and bowls. Exactly four of them. Well, Rory could share Violet's.
High on the wall behind the table was a painting of the Virgin Mary. Rory glanced from the picture to Elena—no, she hadn't mistaken the resemblance. Maybe Father Mandin was right. If everyone was a good Catholic, then they had that in common, no matter what.
“Why don't you girls sit down on the bench,” Elena said lightly. “William's a big boy. He can sit on the stool here.” Ramon swung William to the floor and William happily clambered up onto the stool closest to the stove.
Rory sat down on the bench and pulled Violet onto her lap. There was a small plate on the table, covered in a white cloth.
“Here are the sweets I promised. Cochinitos—little pigs.” Elena took the cloth off the plate to reveal white pig-shaped cookies. William laughed and bit off a curly tail. Violet ate her cookie with one hand, mouthing the word cochinito. With the other she traced the embroidered flowers on the cloth.
“Have as many as you like.” Rory rather liked how Elena's smile reached her eyes. “We don't usually have treats just before bedtime, but tonight is special.”
Ramon shook the fire in the iron stove to life with a poker. The stove was small, but it warmed the room quickly. Rory watched and approved. She had few memories of her father, but one was of him carrying firewood for her mother.
As the chill left Rory's body, she noticed that the uneven wood floors in the rooms were brightened with rugs unlike any she had ever seen before.
“What are the rugs made of?” Rory asked.
“I made them by weaving colored rags together,” Elena said. “Violet, if you like, I can teach you how.”
Violet nodded, but her eyelids were growing heavy. William yawned and put his head on the table.
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