“A foreign boy. He will go with you on the trip. He has a great future ahead of him. But…”
“But?” Kathleen prompted, totally caught up in the moment.
“You must find him the right home. His happiness is in your hands.”
Kathleen sat back in her seat. Granny was playing with her. Of course, the children’s futures lay with her. Her and the rest of the group working at the sanctuary and the outplacement homes. Granny didn’t like them taking children away from New York. This was her way of making Kathleen squirm.
Kathleen went to stand up, but Granny made a sound, and it terrified Kathleen. She glanced at the old woman and was immediately sorry she did for Granny was crossing herself. This from a woman who said she didn’t practice her religion any more.
Kathleen’s heart raced. “What is it? Tell me.”
“Nothing.”
Kathleen couldn’t let it go, “Granny, I’m a grown woman. I know you saw something. Please tell me.” But even as she said the words, she kept thinking of the Bible and how it forbade conjuring up spirits. Father Nelson would be furious.
“See these leaves. They say something bad is coming.” Granny held out the cup, her hand shaking. Afraid she would drop it, Kathleen reluctantly took the piece of crockery.
“Like bad weather?” Kathleen’s joke didn’t amuse Granny. She took the cup away and muttered to herself.
Kathleen didn’t want to know anymore. She had to get out of the room.
“Granny, it's late and I best get back to the sanctuary. I have things to sort out before the next orphan train goes out. I will ask Mini Mike or Tommy to come see you soon. Take care.”
Granny grabbed Kathleen’s arm in a vice-like grip. “Stay away from the water.”
“Now you are scaring me. It’s not nice.”
“I mean it,” Granny said, looking serious. “The leaves don’t lie. There is something bad, the leaves are at the bottom of the cup. If it were the past, they would rise to the top.” Granny stared into Kathleen’s eyes, but it was as if she could see right into her thoughts. “I know it’s a baby you want. Be careful what you wish for, young Kathleen Collins.”
Kathleen didn’t bother to correct her name. She wanted to go, out of the dark room for the walls seemed to come in on top of her. She snatched up her hat, muttered goodbye and was out the door before Granny could say another word. She walked as quickly as the hem of her skirt would let her. Why had she gotten involved in something stupid? Hadn’t her mam always said it didn’t pay to mix with the dark world? She would stop at the church and light a candle. But what if Father Nelson caught her? He’d know she was upset the moment he saw her. She wasn’t about to admit to him she had been getting her fortune read.
Kathleen Green, you can be a right eejit.
Chapter 4
Teddy Doherty waited at the window for his father to come home. He was always late home from work, but today he had promised to come early.
“Teddy, come away from the window. It won’t help make Charlie come faster.”
“But Mom, he said he would be home early. In time for our birthday party.”
His mom pushed her hair from her eyes as she smiled at him.
“Darling, when did your father ever break his promise? Now come and help me set the table.”
“That’s girl’s work. Grace and Evie should do it.”
“Theodore Doherty, you mind your manners. Your sisters have their own chores and are not your maidservants. Laurie has already done his bit by collecting the shopping. Now do what I tell you before I send you to bed.”
“Mom, you wouldn’t do that on my birthday,” he whined. “I’m ten today.”
Too late, he caught the look his mother exchanged with her friend, Kathleen Green. He liked Kathleen; she was like his aunty but even she looked rather cross today. It wasn’t fair. It was his birthday. Everyone should be happy. Kathleen spoke sharply.
“Teddy, ten years old is old enough to know when to admit you are wrong. Off you go now and help your mother.”
Kathleen put her hand on his shoulder, rubbing it slightly before pushing him toward the door. He knew it was time to leave and not grumble. But as he closed the door behind him, he couldn’t stop himself listening to their conversation.
“Poor Teddy, he’s just desperate to get his hands on his presents,” his mother said. “That child was born without patience, not like Laurie.”
Teddy sighed. Saint Laurie struck again. He loved his twin, he did, but sometimes, occasionally he wished it were his twin who did something wrong. Just for a change.
“Teddy’s the image of you, Lily. He can’t bear to sit still but has to be on the go all the time. Don’t look at me like that. You can’t deny it. Five children under the age of ten and you are still working all the hours you can at the sanctuary. Richard worries about you. We all do.”
“Kathleen, don’t fret for goodness’ sake. Hard work killed no one. Charlie is so busy at work these days. Seems to be no end to the corruption his bosses are investigating. Not that you are one to talk, we see more of you now than ever before. Are things all right between you and Richard?”
Teddy moved away from the door. He shouldn’t be listening to the adults. He didn’t like hearing anyone was worried about his mother. She was his world; he was so proud of what she had achieved. She took him to the sanctuary with her, sometimes. He got to play with the children going on the trains. He was often tempted to slip aboard one of those trains and go on an adventure just like the boys did in the books his father read to him.
Totally forgetting about the table, he went to find Laurie. Maybe his brother would finally get his nose of out his book and go outside to play ball.
He found Laurie with his nose in a newspaper. Tempted to grab the paper out of his twin’s hands, he stamped down the impulse.
“Want to go out and play ball?” Teddy asked. "Pa isn’t home yet.”
“Teddy, read this. The Wright brothers say we will all be able to fly someday. We could take a plane to Europe. Wouldn’t that be amazing?”
“Sure.” Teddy didn’t bother to hide his lack of interest. What was so wonderful about Europe anyway? Didn’t they live in the best country in the world? In the best city. They didn’t need to go traveling. If his brother wanted to meet people from Europe, all he had to do was walk down two blocks and meet Germans or Polish people or any other nationality.
He threw himself on the bed, wishing for about the hundredth time he had more brothers. Grace wasn’t too bad for a girl. She was quite a good catcher actually. But Evie, she didn’t want to do anything but play with dolls. As for Coleen, she just ate and slept. Babies were so dull.
He sighed, causing Laurie to look at him.
“What’s up with you?” his brother asked. “Aren’t you excited about Dad coming home?”
“Yes, but he isn’t here yet.”
“He said he would be back by four with a surprise for us. You know Dad. He’ll be here. Why don’t you do something to pass the time?”
“I want to play ball,” Teddy explained. “But I can’t do that by myself.”
Laurie looked at the newspaper in his hands, then at Teddy, and back to the paper. It was clear he was torn between wanting to please his brother and read about his favorite subject.
“Please Laurence. I already got in trouble with Mom. I can’t sit here doing nothing. Save me.”
Laurie threw a pillow at him. “After this much practice getting into trouble, you should be able to save yourself. Come on then. I’m batting.”
Teddy whistled. He didn’t care if he had to pitch, so long as he was outside.
“Thanks Laurie.”
“It’s okay. You can pay me back by letting me open my present first.” Laurie winked at him to show he was joking. In all their years, Laurie had never opened a present quickly but was content to pull back the paper slowly to reveal what was inside. By the time he found out what he had gotten, Teddy would be playing with his gif
t.
Teddy clapped Laurie on the back. “You know you’re not too awful for a brother.”
Laurie seemed to stand taller, but he didn’t reply. They were soon in the garden playing and laughing, all worries forgotten.
Chapter 5
“They play well together, don’t they?” Kathleen stared out the window at the twins.
“They do, despite their differences,” Lily agreed. “They are close. Too close, I know Grace feels left out.”
“Grace is almost nine. She doesn’t know whether to be a child or a little lady. It’s an awkward stage. She is a real mother hen too.”
“You mean how she looks after the younger children?” Lily asked. “Yes, I’m proud of her. I never knew she was learning German. She seems to have a gift for languages. She wants to be a teacher when she grows up.”
Kathleen continued to stare out the window, refusing to look at Lily although she knew of her scrutiny given the pink color in her cheeks.
“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong, Kathleen? You know I would never repeat anything. I’m worried about you. You smile and pretend all is right in your world, but your eyes hold a sadness I haven’t seen since before you found Shane.”
At the mention of her brother, Kathleen smiled slightly, but it didn’t remove the sadness. Lily took her arm and led her friend to the sofa where she sat beside her.
“Kathleen, tell me. Please.”
Kathleen looked everywhere but at Lily. Lily could feel the shudders running through her friend. Alarmed, she put her arm around Kathleen’s shoulders and pulled her close. Something broke inside Kathleen and the tears once they fell didn’t stop for some time. Finally, after a deep shudder, Kathleen broke away and rummaged in her purse for a hanky. Lily handed her one of hers.
“It’s clean,” she promised. “I hope you feel a little better. A cry often does that.”
“Look at me, Lily. I’m a mess. A grown-up woman crying like a baby. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I have everything I could want. A good husband, Patrick is doing well with school, a wonderful home and amazing friends. I have nothing to cry about.”
Lily paused, wondering if now was a good time. She glanced at the clock, but it would be a while before Charlie would be home. The children were occupied.
“Kathleen, why don’t you and Richard seek help?”
Kathleen looked shocked and for a second Lily wished she could take back her question. She held Kathleen’s gaze, remaining silent.
“For what?”
“I know you have Patrick and he is a wonderful blessing, but you were born to be a mother. You and Richard, well it’s been seven years since you got married. Haven’t you waited long enough?” Lily hesitated. Kathleen’s cheeks were bright red, almost a match for her own. “I don’t mean to pry. Maybe you both decided you didn’t want a family of your own, aside from Patrick, I mean.”
Kathleen shook her head, the tears once more rolling down her cheek. “I love Patrick, I do, but in two years he will be gone. He wants to study at John Hopkins so Richard is doing everything he can to help him get into the school. Then the house will be so empty. Richard works hard. I know his work is valuable, but it means…”
“You are left too much on your own. No wonder you come to the sanctuary so often. Have you spoken to Richard about how you feel?”
Kathleen nodded. She stared toward the unlit fire. “He said, we just need to be patient. He thinks the traumas I faced growing up may have caused some…some problems. I think he is just telling me that. He knows I’m a failure. I can’t give him children. He would be better off without me.”
“Kathleen Green, you stop that nonsense this minute. You and Richard are a team, a wonderful one. Anyone with eyes in their heads can see your husband is besotted with you.”
Kathleen didn’t reply but stared past Lily.
“Kathleen, how do you know the problem lies with you? It could just as easily be Richard. He’s the doctor. He knows it takes two people to make a baby and if the baby doesn’t arrive, it isn’t always the woman who has the problem. I think you should seek advice from someone like Doctor Pennington.”
“Richard wouldn’t like it.”
“Richard is a wonderful man, but he is a doctor who specializes in burns. How would he feel if Doctor Pennington tried to treat a burn victim?” Lily could see her point had struck home. “Exactly. Now please tell me you will make an appointment. Maybe Doctor Pennington can help. Maybe he can’t, but at least you will know.”
“Granny Belbin read my tea leaves,” Kathleen said, looking embarrassed.
Lily rolled her eyes. She liked the crusty old woman but had no time for reading tea leaves or Irish leprechauns or rabbits’ feet. She thought it was a whole load of nonsense, but she knew the Irish traditionally were a more superstitious group. Although, Kathleen had always seemed so practical to her.
“I know you don’t believe in that stuff, but she caught me on a bad day. One thing led to another…” Kathleen hated lying to Lily, but she just couldn’t admit that she had been desperate enough to ask the old woman to read the leaves.
“Kathleen, you don’t have to justify yourself. What did Granny say?”
“She saw a child in my future.”
“That’s good news then, isn’t it?” Lily wasn’t sure why Granny’s prediction hadn’t seemed to cheer Kathleen up. Instead, her friend looked even more miserable. “What am I missing? I feel like I am only getting half of the story.”
“Granny predicted some other things. She said there would be a young girl on the train who had been involved in a fire. A foreign boy whose happiness depended on me.”
“Kathleen, you can read all sorts of things into those predictions. All our orphans depend on us don’t they? I think we have had at least one foreign child on each trip, more if you count the Irish.”
The joke fell flat.
“Oh, Lily what have I done? I shouldn’t be messing with stuff like that. Mam didn’t have time for it, at least that’s what Bridget says.”
“You wrote to Bridget about Granny Belbin?” Lily asked.
“Yes. She told me to forget about the reading and go to see your doctor.”
Lily sat back into the sofa. “I knew there was a good reason for me liking Bridget. I wish she was here in New York. How are things going in Riverside Springs?”
“She didn’t say much. Said she would get a longer letter in the post soon. Kenny hates school, but what’s new about that? He wants to run away to sea, but she’s hoping he will change his mind soon. He loves the horses so maybe he will settle down and help his pa out on the ranch. Angel is still teaching; she brings Shane Jr. and Alex into school with her. Bella has her hands full with her three. She said she was feeling better now that Rosie was a little older.”
“Did she mention Maura?”
“Not really,” Kathleen answered. “She knows I am still looking for her, but she doesn’t believe I will ever find out what happened. Maybe she’s right. But I won’t give up. My brother, Michael, is being released from prison next year, so I still hope to have a family reunion. I guess you think I am soft.”
“You are anything but soft,” Lily said. “Your family means the world to you and always has. Someday, hopefully, you will get your happily ever after.”
A shadow crossed Kathleen’s face, along with a terrified expression in her eyes.
“What? What are you not telling me?”
“Granny Belbin said there will be a big tragedy before I get my child. How can I wish for a child if that’s the price I have to pay? She said people will die.”
Lily pushed down the urge to throttle Granny Belbin. She would have a word with Mini Mike and get him to talk to the old woman. Tell her to stop spreading stories of doom and gloom.
“Kathleen, people die every day. Nobody can predict the future. It’s all a lot of old rubbish—fairytales, just like the stories we tell the children. Please, turn on the sensible side of your brain. You never would
have taken any notice of tea leaves and all that in years gone by. Wanting a baby so much has made you desperate to believe anything. I am making an appointment for you with Dr. Pennington and that’s final. No more Granny Belbin, do you promise me?”
“Yes, Lily.”
At her tone, they both exchanged a look and then laughed.
“I feel like Teddy did when you told him off earlier,” Kathleen admitted with a smile. “You are rather fierce, Mrs. Doherty.”
“Ha! If you think I am fierce you should meet Charlie’s Nan. I wish she would come back from Clover Springs for a visit. She hasn’t seen the sanctuary since it first opened. But she maintains she is too old to travel.” Lily stood up. “Why don’t you go upstairs and wash your face and redo your hair? Then you can come and set the table with me.”
“I thought Teddy was supposed to do that.”
“I love my son, but I know him well. I bet you a dollar that table is as bare as it was an hour ago. But it’s his birthday so I will let him get away with it. Just this once.”
Kathleen didn’t argue. She was fond of Lily’s twins but if she had to be honest, Teddy secured a special place in her heart. He was such an adventurous young boy.
Chapter 6
The sound of a horn tooting drove them all outside to find Charlie sitting behind the steering wheel of a new automobile.
“Charlie, what are you doing with that horseless carriage?” Lily asked.
“Darling, it’s called an automobile, and this is our new mode of transport. They are all the rage. The boss let me borrow it to see if I would like to buy one. He reckons I deserve a treat. Says the law firm has an image to maintain.”
Lily couldn’t say anything, the look of sheer enjoyment on her husband's face told her he loved it and that was the end of the matter as far as he was concerned. She glanced toward her children and to Kathleen, whose facial expression was a mixture of horror and fascination.
Orphan Train Tragedy Page 2
