by Barbara Goss
Nora took the paper from him. “Thank you, but Alex left us in good shape. I have a chauffeur, too.”
“What should I do if I need Alex’s decision at the mill while he is away?” Nathan asked.
“Alex had his attorney draw up papers that enable me to make any decisions, which scares me because I have no idea what goes on there.”
“Since Alex’s accident I’ve only had to come to him twice to make a decision so don’t worry. And I would be happy to advise you in anything.”
Nora thanked him.
“I hope that whatever happens in Sweden is successful, and not just so that I can go back to school. I care about Alex.”
“I know you do, Nathan. How are you and Celeste doing? Have you tied the knot yet?” Nora wanted to get off the subject of Alex before she broke down in tears.
“Not yet, but we’re getting close to committing. Having taken her out from under her father’s influence, she’s slowly becoming a better person. She's more down-to-earth and likable now.” He smiled at Nora and said, “I guess you're my stepsister-in-law now.”
“Yes. We're family now.”
Nathan stood. “Keep that address safe. You never know when you might need something, and I’ll be here if you need me for anything.”
“That’s so kind.”
Nathan rubbed her cheek gently with the back of his hand. “If you need anything—” he turned and walked to the door. “Goodbye, Nora.”
Nora had always liked Nathan, but the last thing she needed was for Alex to hear she’d been entertaining his stepbrother. Although she sincerely liked Nathan, she hoped he would not call often.
Early on a Sunday morning, a month after Alex’s departure, Nora went into Evelyn’s room to discover that her mother had passed away during the night. Her bedclothes appeared unruffled, giving Nora the comfort that her mother had experienced a peaceful, gentle passing. After weeping and praying, she felt confused as to what she should do next. She covered her mother gently with a sheet, and trudged downstairs. She informed Sarah and Ina, who both consoled her, but she still had no idea how to proceed.
How she wished Alex were here. She opened a kitchen drawer and fingered the paper Nathan had given her. Should she send him a message? He’d said she should contact him if she needed anything. He was family, and she knew no one else she could call. She rang the bell for Jake and gave him a message to take to Nathan who appeared within an hour of Nora's sending the message.
As soon as he stepped through the door, she said, “My mother died this morning. I don’t know what to do next! I don’t know who to contact or what comes next.”
Nathan encircled her in his arms and comforted her. “I’m so sorry, Nora.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’ll take care of everything. It’s only been a few years since Alex and I had to do this for our father.”
Nathan handled everything. He contacted the undertaker and the cemetery, and he even helped her pick out a coffin. Nora thanked God for Nathan. She didn’t know what she’d have done without him. Persistent letters from Alex claiming she wasn’t writing to him bothered her because she’d written daily, except for the day her mother died.
Surprisingly, Sylvia came to her mother’s funeral. Nathan had told her Celeste would be there, but she had no idea his mother, of all people, would make an appearance. Sylvia gave Nora a loose hug, and said she was sorry for her loss, but her kind words didn't seem to match either her facial expression or eyes.
Celeste approached Nora as she stood by her mother’s coffin during the first day of the wake. “I’m sorry, Nora,” she whispered, patting Nora’s back gently. She turned and helped serve refreshments to some of the other guests, leaving Nora to stare, amazed at Celeste's transformation. She’s even gotten her name right.
Few people showed up at the house for the wake and funeral, since both Nora and Evelyn were new residents in Pittsburgh. Aunt Frances came, of course, and stayed for a full three days. She brought a wreath with her, which they hung on the door. Nora was glad for her company. Kind Dr. Weissman paid his respects, too, and Harry Easton attended the funeral, as did a few of the foremen from the mill.
After the short service, Sylvia cornered Nathan outside, near his carriage.
“No greeting for the woman who labored for fifteen hours giving birth to you?” she asked.
Nathan turned to her. “Hello, Mother.” He turned back to straightening the tangled reins of his carriage.
“So why wasn’t Alex at his mother-in-law’s funeral?” she asked.
“He’s in Sweden with his doctor. Something about a new treatment,” Nathan said, without thinking, since he concentrated on his reins.
“I hope he gave you power to make decisions at the mill while he is away. Who knows what might come up there?” Sylvia said.
“Nora’s in charge, now,” Nathan muttered, having finally freed his reins. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an appointment.”
“Celeste snubbed me. I’m sure I did nothing to offend her.” Sylvia shrugged. “What’s going on with you two, anyway?” Sylvia asked.
“We are close to setting a wedding date.”
“I suppose I won’t be invited…” Sylvia remarked.
“Did you and her father marry?”
“No. I really need to make things right between us, Nathan. I was disappointed in you for switching those documents, but I forgive you. You always were a sympathetic soul.” Sylvia straightened her shoulders. “I need you to come back home. I have no income, and Phillip isn’t making any wedding plans. I miss you, son.”
Nathan jumped onto the driver’s bench of his buggy. “I’m sorry, Mother, but my relationship with Celeste has flourished, now that we're away from the both of you and Phillip.” Nathan whipped his horses, leaving her standing in the street.
Since the funeral, Nathan checked on Nora every week, usually on his way to or from somewhere. Usually he did little more than stick his head in the door and ask her if all was well.
Once Alex finally arrived in Sweden, the Institute gave him twelve letters from Nora and more came each day. Doc found them a hotel room where they could walk the short distance to the institute for treatment. The letters from Nora were all that kept him going, and he wrote as many letters back to her. The Institute continued to accept and deliver the mail to him.
Alex’s treatment had thus far consisted mostly of exercises, followed by some type of manipulation of the spine. He also underwent electric shock treatments that he found horribly painful.
When it came time for his spine manipulations, he was surprised that the therapist was an attractive woman. Outside of a few nurses, most of the attendants at the Institute had been male. Greta, a tall, thin, blond with blue eyes, had an hourglass figure, and a peaches-and-cream complexion. Alex tried not to notice her beauty, but it became difficult, due to the close contact.
Greta had him lie on his stomach with a pillow under his head while she stood on a stool and massaged his spine from neck to tailbone. At first his sessions with her were impersonal, but after a dozen or so visits, they became friendly, and he told her about Nora and his steel mill. She told him of her strong desire to come to America and help invalids. Alex found himself telling her about America and Pittsburgh.
Suddenly, Nora’s letters stopped. Alex worried for he lived for the communication from her. Not getting letters filled him with an empty and loneliness, and he pined for her thoughts and words.
“So,” Greta said one day when Alex went on and on about Nora. “Was it a family arranged marriage, or love?”
“We don’t arrange marriages in America, Greta. I married for love. Nora is the light of my life.” As he said that, he felt her massage become a bit more aggressive.
“Ah, this is good, then,” was all Greta said.
“Are you sure there isn’t mail for me?” he asked.
“Nej, no mail.”
For Alex, the manipulations were more painful than pleasurable at times, and he was glad, beca
use he didn’t feel comfortable with an attractive woman making him feel good.
With the lack of letters from Nora on his mind, he had another worry—Greta’s manipulations slowly turned more into backrubs, and he felt uncomfortable. He spoke with Doc Sharple about it, asking he if might get him a different therapist, but Doc said that she was the only one available.
Alex knew that Doc thought he'd just imagined Greta’s seductive behavior, but the worst of it was that Nora’s letters had stopped, and he missed them terribly. He also worried that something might have happened to her.
Greta continued to do sensual things to Alex, forcing him to grit his teeth and try to ignore it. She was always bending over him, purposely rubbing her large bosom along his back. She’d sometimes even lean too close over him and let her breasts rub against his face. He prayed to God for the strength to resist her maneuverings.
She acted oblivious to her sensual movements. Instead of talking, she’d whisper close to his ear. He felt he couldn’t handle it much longer, and when the final personal invasion came, when during a massage she coyly slipped her hand around to his front and briefly touched his privates. Alex sprang up.
“Why did you do that?” he demanded.
“I don’t know,” she shrugged. “You are a handsome man. I am attracted.”
“I’m a happily married man!” Alex grabbed his shirt. “I’m ending these sessions,” he said.
“Oh, no! You cannot! I will behave. I am truly sorry,” she begged.
Alex thought about the whole situation. He might be crippled, but his brain still functioned well. Greta had told him her greatest wish was to come to America. She was making obvious passes at him, and Nora’s letters, delivered to the Institute, had suddenly stopped.
“Where are my letters?” he demanded.
“I do not know what you ask,” she said in her broken English.
“My wife writes me daily and recently her letters have stopped. Where are they? If I don’t get them, I will speak with your superior.”
Greta shrugged and left the room. Alex dressed while she was gone. When she returned, she handed him a stack of letters.
“Please, do not report me. I need this job. I am sorry,” she cried. “My dream is to live in America. You are handsome and wealthy, I could not pass such a chance.”
Alex looked at her. He knew he wouldn’t report her, but he didn’t want her treatments anymore, either.
“Do you have any idea how I felt without those letters from my wife? Her mother is dying, she is all alone, and I love her.”
Greta silently pouted. “I thought you could take me as your mistress back to America. I would be a good mistress.”
“I don’t want a mistress! Our marriage is not like that! We repeated vows before God!” He turned his wheelchair to the door. “Goodbye, Greta.”
He wheeled out of the treatment room, found Doc, and relayed the whole story to him.
Doc said, “I’ll see what I can do about a replacement therapist. They told me she was the only one available, but I’m sure, for a price, they’ll find another therapist. In the meantime,” he said with a sparkle in his eyes, “maybe I'll see whether she likes older men.” He raised and lowered a thick and furry eyebrows.
Alex was pleased with his new therapist. Serge stood over six feet tall and was about three hundred pounds of mostly muscle.
Alex devoured the lost letters and discovered that Evelyn had died in her sleep. Nora wrote that, not knowing what else to do, she’d called Nathan and he came to her rescue, helping her to handle her mother, the undertaker, the cemetery, the tombstone, and the funeral.
Alex grew angry. Nathan! How did she even know how to reach him? Alex could do nothing from this far away. He did, however, make subtle inquiries about it in his next letter. The last thing he wanted was to argue with her through the mail, or for Nora to know he was jealous.
21
In her letters to Alex, Nora tried to communicate the situation with Nathan as best she could. Although his letter was as loving as usual, she read between the lines that he was a bit upset over her renewed relationship with Nathan. Did he doubt her again? Was he still not sure of her love? She tried to write more reassurances than usual in her letters. She mentioned Nathan’s upcoming marriage, and how he sometimes did nothing but stick his head in the door to make sure she was all right.
Nora became bored. She had enough money that she didn’t need a job, but she had too much time on her hands. Sarah, her maid, suggested she volunteer at the hospital. She thought that would be an excellent idea, a sort of live memorial to her mother. She contacted Dr. Weissman, and he arranged an interview for her at the hospital.
As a volunteer, Nora’s duties included taking meals to patients, bringing them fresh water, and taking them for wheelchair walks. She volunteered daily, and loved that she was helping people. It was similar to what she’d done before her marriage. She worked mostly on the elderly ward, but sometimes the hospital needed her on other wards as well. The one she disliked working in most was the ward where there were ten patients in one room. She wondered how anyone could recover from an illness or injury with that many people crowded into one room. With it always noisy and congested the way it was, how could anyone get any rest? Sometimes, someone lay dying next to a person with who had no more than a slight illness. The ward always had an odor. She much preferred the elderly wing, where there were only two or four to a room. One wing even had private rooms for the wealthier patients.
After an extremely tiring day, Nora came home, kicked off her shoes, and plopped onto the sofa. She wished Alex were here to massage her sore feet. She threw her head back and sighed. She was thinking of Alex, when Sarah announced a visitor.
Nora rolled her eyes, and then sat up straight and nodded to Sarah who then escorted Nathan in.
“Nathan!” she said. “You don’t usually visit in the evenings.”
“I couldn’t wait to tell you that I am marrying Celeste, in a few days, privately due to the separation of our families.”
“Congratulations!” Nora exclaimed. “I’m happy for you both.”
Nathan smiled. “Celeste needed to get away from her father. She’s actually become a different person… with my help, of course.” He smiled.
“I’ve noticed.”
He smiled, then sobered and changed the subject. “Something is bothering me, Nora. With my impending marriage I decided it was time to clear the air between us, as well as give you our news.” He took a seat at the end of the sofa. “Nora,” he said. “I’m in love with Celeste, but I love you too. At first I felt confused about it, but now I think I’ve sorted it out. I’ve discovered the difference between loving someone and being in love with someone. I’m in love with Celeste, romantically, and I love you as a person, and as my brother’s wife. It bothers me that you back away from me whenever I approach you with affection. I hope you don’t think I'm trying to become amorous with you, though when Celeste and I were going through our hard times, I may have, in my confusion over the matter, had that intention.”
When Nora didn’t answer but sat stunned; he continued.
“My mother never displayed affection while I was growing up, or ever, for that matter. Maybe that’s why I feel the need to express my fondness for people I care about with hugs and kisses. Truly, my intentions are honorable.”
Nora folded and unfolded her hands. “Alex became furious when he discovered I’d met you in the park that day in July. He felt I'd betrayed him as Celeste had after his accident. So I’m trying to be careful not to put myself in that sort of predicament again. I love Alex, Nathan, so much so that I don’t ever want anything to separate us emotionally again.”
“I had no idea. I’m sorry, Nora. The only reason I sent the note to you and not Alex is because I figured he couldn’t get himself to the park. I’ll be careful to not put you in that position again. I want only the best for the two of you.”
“Thank you, Nathan, for explaining. I trul
y appreciate all you’ve done for me.”
“You’re family, Nora. Maybe I’ll try to curtail the hugs and just squeeze your hand to show my affection from now on.” He winked. “Especially around Alex.”
Nora’s life became a pattern. She worked at the hospital, came home, did all the necessary and perfunctory things, wrote to Alex, and then went to bed. She preferred to sleep in one of the spare rooms in a single-sized bed, because she didn’t like to look at or feel the empty bed on Alex’s side. The bed had too many memories attached to it. Then the letters from Alex stopped, and she worried.
She walked to the cemetery three blocks away, located behind the church where she and Alex had married, to lay flowers on her mother’s grave once a week.
One morning, she received a polite message from Sylvia, inviting her to come and pick up her things from the house. At first, Nora was inclined to refuse. She and Alex had bought all new things. Then she remembered that the charm bracelet her father had given her for her eighth birthday, as well as her Bible and her favorite necklace all remained at the Vanderhorn house.
She sent a message back saying she’d stop by that afternoon. The cemetery was located halfway between her house and Sylvia’s. She’d stop in after her trip to the cemetery.
Sylvia led Nora upstairs to her old room. It felt strange to be back in that house. As she walked into her room she couldn’t help but glance at Alex’s vacant room.
Nora took the belongings she wanted, and left the others, telling Sylvia to discard them.
Sylvia stepped into Alex’s room. “Nora, can you assist me for a second? As long as you’re here, would you mind helping me move this bed?”
Nora wondered why she needed the bed moved, but she was happy to help. She set down her possessions, and entered the familiar room. As she gazed around, stirring up memories, she saw Sylvia slip out, and slam the door closed behind her. Then she heard the key turn in the lock.
Nora banged furiously on the door. “Sylvia! Let me out! Sylvia!” She remembered the double doors in the bathroom, and ran to use the door to the hallway, but as she reached that door, she heard the key turn in that lock as well. She leaned against the door, frustrated and scared. Held captive in the same room in which Alex had been imprisoned for months, she slid to the floor, and cried in frustration.
