by Annie Boone
Were they honest with one another? She couldn’t help but wonder. But it was a foolish question and Delilah knew it. Mr. and Mrs. Jessup were certainly too good to lie to one another and wouldn’t dream of such a thing. She swallowed hard and nodded farewell before stepping up to the station.
She needed to get out of there, before the pain overwhelmed her. Clinging to the last of her coins, she glanced around and found the ticket station. With a deep breath, Delilah clung to her bag and went to purchase her ticket. It was time to leave Rocky Ridge.
Chapter Fifteen
Biting her lip, Susannah bounced slowly on her toes as they watched the girl leave. Lucas draped his hand loosely around her waist but it was too late to keep her grounded. She grabbed his other arm and watched anxiously.
It hurt her heart, seeing Delilah in such distress. Susannah just didn’t understand. How was this happening? What part had Rachel played in this disaster. She’d get to the bottom of that, but now wasn’t the time to worry about that. Concerns about Rachel would have to wait until she figured out how to get Ethan to forgive Delilah before she left town. There wasn’t much time to make that happen.
Biting her bottom lip, she fidgeted until the girl was completely out of view and then turned around in a circle. She couldn’t allow everything to end like this.
“Where do the Townsends live again?” She wondered if Lucas would tell her. He didn’t like her getting into other people’s business any more than she did to match them up. And that was fair, she knew, for she had no right to interfere. But she had to at least try to make things right for this couple. Susannah took a deep breath and clung to her husband as she looked around. “I know you don’t think I should get in the way, dear. But this is different. She can’t just leave and Mr. Townsend clearly needs someone to talk to him. He’s being ridiculous.”
Slipping his hand away from hers, her husband rested it on her shoulder. The effect was immediate as she stopped and looked up. Her heart skipped a beat and she tried to imagine letting Delilah leave and never return. There was so little for her back in Philadelphia. Please don’t tell me to stay back, she prayed for her husband, don’t tell me to just sit here. If he asked her to stop, she would listen. But she wouldn’t be happy about it.
“Two streets over, on that end,” he pointed with his other hand. “You’ll take the path past the blue house. It’s about the size of his office, but white. You can’t miss it. There’s an evergreen tree in the front.” Susannah turned and beamed at him, realizing what he was saying. Lucas winked but kept a sober expression. “But don’t push them if they won’t have it, my darling.”
She leaned up and kissed his cheek. Truly, Susannah was a fortunate woman. “Thank you, dear. I’ll be back at your office soon. It’s going to be all right, I know it! I just need to speak with that boy.”
As she straightened up, Susannah received a hand squeeze from her husband though he was never one for public affection. She grinned at him and then took off down the street. Following his directions, she soon found the Townsend home.
She rapped on the door several times, but no one came. Instead, Susannah heard something from behind the house and paused. Were they voices? She glanced around and decided to see if someone was in the back. After coming this far, there was no reason to quit. And she’d gone further in her endeavors to help the women that had come through her home before, so she wasn’t going to stop. Picking up her skirts, she went around the side of the house where she found Ethan Townsend and his mother by their barn.
Something was clearly going on. The young man was pacing back and forth, clenching his hat in his hands as he went back and forth. And his mother stood there, arms crossed, watching him. Susannah paused, wondering if this might be going too far from the sound of their raised voices. Running into cheerful folk was fine, but into a heated discussion?
“You didn’t see her face,” Ethan was saying. “She was lying, and she knew it. She’s guilty! I can’t… I can’t believe I trusted her. After everything. I just… I was so foolish.”
Mrs. Townsend shook her head. “No, dear, you were trusting her. And you’re being ridiculous. If you want honesty, there it is. You must stop this nonsense and pull yourself together. I don’t know what you’re thinking, my boy, but it’s not clearly. Now would you stop this pacing? I can hardly focus.”
“No,” he moaned. “I can’t just stand there. I don’t know how you’re doing it.”
Susannah sniffed and tried not to smile. Fixing her skirts, she started forward quietly. They had to be speaking about Delilah; she was pleasantly surprised to find the other woman taking her defense. It always helped to have friends on one’s side, she had discovered. Someone needed to be rooting for them. At this point, Susannah realized, she might not even need to be there.
Only, she thought, she did need to ensure this happened quickly. “Mr. Townsend?” She waved to them and stepped forward deciding there was no need for niceties. She got right to the point. “I spoke with Delilah. She was very upset over what happened this morning. I wanted to come and speak on her behalf, if I might?”
“That’s very kind,” his mother began but he just scoffed.
Finally he waved a hand in the air. “No, that’s unnecessary. I understand you want to be of service, ma’am, but I’m afraid that you don’t know what’s going on. It would be like ignoring everything that happened. But I can’t do that. I’ve been in this situation before. I trusted someone and she lied to me. I promised myself I wouldn’t let myself get hurt again and I was a fool. What was I thinking?”
The two women exchanged a glance for neither of them knew about that. His mother grew concerned and reached out to touch him but he put up his hands. Susannah frowned, wondering why he was throwing such a fit. “Yes, she kept information from you,” she sighed. “That’s what people do sometimes when they are scared. But she was only waiting for the right time to tell you. It’s a heavy weight she had to bear and she didn’t want to force anyone to carry it.”
His mother nodded hurriedly, going along with it. “Right. I’m sure she didn’t want to scare you away. She thought you were a good man and when the time was right, she would tell you.”
Ethan frowned. “When would the time be right? When we were wed and she suddenly brought them all into the house? How could I… why would anyone do that? The time would never be right. There is no right time for laying the truth on the table, except at the beginning. Waiting for the right time. That’s ridiculous.”
Susannah would have smiled at his pout if it were any other occasion. But time was short. She glanced behind her shoulder and shifted her feet impatiently. “Please, none of us know what it was like for her. If we just gave her the chance to explain herself, I’m sure it would help. Why don’t we go see her?”
Cynthia nodded. “I think that’s a wonderful idea, Susannah, thank you. Ethan?”
But he was pacing and faster than a minute ago. “No, thank you. You want me to see her so she can weave more lies? I can’t keep letting this happen and I won’t stand for it.”
The women exchanged looks. “Ethan,” his mother swept in front of his path and took his arm. “I’ve lied to your father before. Will you treat me in the same manner?”
That stopped him up short. Susannah watched the young man’s face turn pale as he glanced around for an escape but they all knew there wasn’t one. There was no right answer for that. “Well, no. Of course not. But that’s different. You’re my mother and the two of you are married.”
“It happens,” Susannah interjected delicately. “There are things we keep from each other. We don’t like it, no matter the occasion, but it takes time and effort and heart to be truthful all the time. In fact, my husband doesn’t tell me everything. And do you know why that is?”
They turned to her but Ethan couldn’t—or wouldn’t—meet her gaze. “Well, no…” his fingers danced across his thighs, his body still filled with nervous energy.
Susannah spoke quickl
y and carefully. “Because we trust each other. No matter what happens, we know the important things which is the truth behind what we do and why we do it. As the sheriff, he deals with many characters that I never meet or ever hear about. Why, he comes home with a black eye and he doesn’t always tell me how it happened. Are you telling me that he has to tell me every detail, whether I want to hear it or not?”
“Of course not,” he cleared his throat. “Some details aren’t for general knowledge. Those things shouldn’t be shared. But that’s different. It doesn’t impact you, at least not that much. But this? What she was thinking about, bringing her family and more mouths to feed?”
“It’s only a small explanation why the truth doesn’t always come out at first. Her example is just one of many that married couples face,” Cynthia sighed. “Ethan, think about it. Put yourself in her shoes. Would you have arrived and told everyone you needed to find someone to take care of your family?”
The young man scoffed. “No. I’d be a leper.” He paused as the realization struck him. “Oh.”
Both women let him mull for a minute before Susannah spoke up. “We’re not defending her in the way you think. Yes, honesty is always the best path and truth is necessary. But we’re defending her because she was scared and she was trying to protect her family in the only way she thought was possible. We don’t always do what is best, though, we do what we think is right.”
“Which it sometimes is and sometimes isn’t,” Cynthia finished.
Though Susannah had hoped this would calm the young man down, he only shook his head and started to pace again. This time, he moved around his mother to continue treading his path. “Even so,” he muttered just loud enough to be heard, “even if it was something she planned to share soon and she was scared and worried and all this nonsense was not malicious… even so, how could she expect me to take care of three children? I have so little experience. I don’t have my own practice yet to raise a family. Where would we live? I’d need to find a bigger house than the O’Connell’s. I’ve planned to buy their place. Three children! Five people in one tiny house! I’d need to add another floor at least. But I’m not prepared for that, I wouldn’t be ready. I couldn’t do enough to—”
It was Cynthia Townsend who was ready with an answer. When her son passed by, she looped her arm through his as though they were taking a stroll. “You don’t have to,” the mother said kindly. “I’ve been thinking about retiring from the school, and we always did want more children.”
He stopped and looked at her.
Susannah tried to understand what was going on through his mind right then. Please, she prayed, Lord help his heart to be open and his mind find the right path. Biting her lip, she watched anxiously. There wasn’t much time.
“I know you wanted more, but I never thought…” he murmured softly.
His mother smiled and patted his cheek. “Because we have cherished you, my dear. But we wouldn’t dream of stopping you if you have found your happiness. And what are we to do if you leave the house again? I’ve seen the way you look at her, my boy. Don’t stop now just because you’re a little angry and frightened.”
“I suppose…” he started hesitantly.
Susannah groaned and couldn’t take it anymore. Waving a hand, she threw him a stern look. “You had best to decide because she is at the train station. Miss Waterford is planning to go back to Philadelphia on the next train!”
“What?” He cried out incredulously. His eyes widened and he looked around wildly. Cynthia stepped away and nudged him towards the street. Ethan threw his hat aside and took off running.
“Careful, dear!” Cynthia called after him, and picked up the hat he’d tossed in the dirt.
Susannah watched him disappear and clasped her hands beneath her chin. She wasn’t certain when the train was arriving, but she prayed that he made it in time. “I hope he’s a good runner,” she murmured.
Mrs. Townsend came up to her and looped a hand through hers. “Don’t you worry, dear. He’s very quick. Albeit not always in the head,” she added with a wink. “But he’ll get there. They always do, don’t you think?”
Chuckling, Susannah nodded and thought of her husband. “Yes. They only need a little practice. Thank you for talking with him,” she added, changing the topic. “Delilah really treasured their relationship and I’m hopeful they can make it work. She was sad when she arrived, you know, quiet and sad. But Ethan brought out the joy; I’ve never seen her happier. You know what you’re doing, don’t you?”
“Oh,” the woman winked. “I learned by watching the best. And besides, every mother wants to see her children happy.”
Though she wasn’t a mother, Susannah understood that sentiment. She lifted the sadness out of her smile and nodded in response to her friend’s words. Together, the two women waited and prayed.
Chapter Sixteen
The station was only two blocks away, but Ethan could already hear the whistle ringing loud and clear. His heart drummed in his ears as his feet pounded against the ground. There were so many thoughts running around in his mind that he could hardly concentrate. So he focused on her.
Delilah Waterford.
He still remembered the moment he had first seen her. When he’d really seen her. While Ethan was certain he had known she existed before then, his first clear memory of her was that afternoon she came to the barn at work. They had said very little, but the kindness in her eyes had been evident from the beginning. And that smile had made his heart pound from the very start.
Then there was that evening when he had found her on the porch. It had been an accident, but a happy one. Delilah had talked with him so openly and kindly. Ethan Townsend ran faster and saw the train station in sight. “I can’t be too late!” He ran faster when he could see the train sitting on the tracks.
“Delilah! Wait!” He waved his hands, hollering as loud as he could.
When he made it the station, it was almost empty. He came to a stop at the end of the benches as he looked around and realized the people were already on the train. The porter was making the last call to board.
The whistle blew again. Swallowing, he tried to think fast. She couldn’t be gone. How could he fix this if she wasn’t there? He had to get to her. He scanned he windows of the cars trying to find her there, but he couldn’t find her. He hoped if he could find her maybe she’d agree to get off and talk to him.
And finally, he saw her. She was sitting still with her head down and her eyes closed. She looked miserable and his heart ached for the pain she was feeling. Just as he called her name, the whistle blew again drowning out his voice. Then it lurched forward, pulling away on its journey.
He shouted again, but no matter how he shouted, the train wasn’t stopping.
“No, it can’t be too late…” he trailed off, running his hands through his long hair. And that’s when he made the decision. He had to do it, it was the only way. Surely, Ethan prayed, if it was meant to be, then everything would work out all right.
He watched as the train started to gain a little speed. He hurried to the edge of the platform and felt a breeze brush past his face from the train’s movement. Ethan tentatively reached out for the handle at one of the doors, but he wasn’t sure he’d be able to get in.
“What are you doing?” The older gentleman asked from behind his gate. “Stay back or you’re going to get hurt!”
But Ethan was ready. Rubbing his hands together, he took a deep breath. With one last prayer, he waited for the last car to chug up next to him. There was a ladder and a door. He knew he could get in that way with the ladder to hold on to. He ran as fast as he could and when he reached the car, Ethan grabbed for the ladder. His body crashed against the metal as he held tight. Every part of his body ached as the wind rushed past him.
Clinging to the ladder, he threw his leg over a railing where he could reach the door to the last car. His hair flew around his face as he pulled the door open. Ethan’s legs trembled from what he had j
ust accomplished, thankful he’d made it inside the car. Taking a deep breath he continued to the front of the car, and opened the door to jump to the next one. As he entered that one, he looked back at the people staring at him. Managing a half-hearted wave, he glanced down at his windswept clothes. Red in the face and only growing redder, he sheepishly tucked his shirt back in and worked on straightening his tie as he anxiously started to look around. Wasn’t this the car he’d seen her in?
Slowly and carefully he combed the aisle. If he could just find her, he knew, everything would be all right. Ethan worked his way towards the front, looking for that familiar head of light hair. Just as he was getting ready to move to the next car, he found her. He would recognize her anywhere.
And he stopped.
His goal was to talk to her, but now that the time had come, Ethan froze. He swallowed hard, trying to fight the impulse to hide. Trying to flatten his hair and straighten his vest, he took the steps to stand next to her seat.
Delilah looked up and their eyes met.
The flowery speech he’d planned was forgotten. His heart lodged in his throat. Delilah’s lips parted in surprise. For a minute, the world was silent. And then he swallowed, and the sensations returned. The constant motion, the thrumming of the wheels on the rails, and his thudding heart.
“Ethan?” She asked hesitantly and started to stand. “What are you doing here? How did you get in here?”
He took her free hand. “I cannot believe I almost missed you,” Ethan said breathlessly. “Delilah, there’s so much to say.”
She shook her head. “But how did you get here? When did you board?”
“It doesn’t matter, Delilah. I’ll tell you all that later. But right now, we need to talk.”
She nodded anxiously. “Yes, of course. I, um, Ethan, please try to understand. I’m so terribly sorry about not telling you. I was scared you would see it as too much and I didn’t want to burden you. And then I was just carried away with everything. With you. I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t know how after that long. I never meant to hurt you or lie to you. Please, you must understand. I would never—”
