A Place of Refuge

by Janet Lee Barton

His concern touched her heart but she didn’t want him worrying about her. “I’ll be fine. Just need to get used to being on my feet again.”

  “Kathleen!” Cindy called as she and Ruth came running up to her and Luke. “It was good to have you back at work. We missed you!’

  Then she turned to Luke. “I’m sorry. I don’t believe we’ve met before. I’m Cindy White and this is Ruth—”

  “Moore,” Ruth said, batting her eyelashes at Luke.

  My goodness, they were brazen. But it didn’t seem to affect Luke. “I’m Luke Patterson, a friend of Kathleen’s. It’s nice to meet you ladies, but as you can see, Kathleen’s first day at work was very tiring for her. If you’ll excuse us, I want to get her on the trolley so she can get off her feet.” He tipped his hat and propelled Kathleen away.

  Kathleen looked over her shoulder to see the two girls standing there with their mouths wide open. She couldn’t help but smile as she turned back around. This man...she was blessed to have him as a friend.

  Chapter Five

  Luke didn’t like that Kathleen looked so tired. And the trolley, with all its stopping and starting, didn’t help, he could tell from the look on Kathleen’s face. He’d rent a hack tomorrow. It might not be any more comfortable, but it’d get them there faster. He wanted to put his arm around her and let her lean on him, but he didn’t have that right and he didn’t want to frighten her. Carrying her upstairs when she was beaten and bruised was one thing. Pulling her close in public was something all together different.

  He saw her wince as the trolley came to a less than gentle stop. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  “My side is hurting a bit,” she admitted. “But I’ll be fine. I guess I’ve gotten lazy this past week.”

  Luke had a feeling there was nothing lazy about this woman. “I don’t believe that. You’re still healing. Can’t you sit down to work?”

  “Actually, it’s easier to stand most of the time. But I might try it tomorrow.”

  Elizabeth got on at the next trolley stop and even she could tell Kathleen was tired. “Long day?”

  “A little.” Kathleen smiled. “It will get easier.”

  Elizabeth gave Luke a questioning look. He shrugged. “That’s what she says. But I think maybe her rib is giving her trouble.”

  “We’ll wrap it when we get home. That should help a bit.”

  “I’m sure it will,” Kathleen said.

  But Luke could tell she wasn’t feeling any better. He didn’t know who was more relieved to get to their stop—Kathleen or him.

  Once they got to Heaton House, she and Elizabeth quickly disappeared upstairs and he wondered if she’d be back down for dinner. He quickly called the nearest livery and made arrangements for a hack to be delivered the next morning. Kathleen wasn’t going to ride the trolley again until she was much better.

  Mrs. Heaton came out of her study just as he ended the call. “How did Kathleen do today?”

  “I think it was hard on her. She seemed to be in some pain—her rib, I believe. Elizabeth was going to help her wrap it, I think.”

  “I’ll go up and see if we need to telephone the doctor.”

  “Good.” Luke felt better just knowing Mrs. Heaton would be checking on Kathleen.

  “It’s going to take a while for her to heal,” she said as she pulled a letter out of her pocket. “But I have something that I’m sure will make her feel better. She got a letter from her sister today—well, I think it’s from her sister. It has her neighbor’s name on it but Kathleen said that’s how they would correspond so her brother-in-law doesn’t find out.”

  Luke watched her go upstairs and prayed she was right. Hearing from her sister was bound to make Kathleen feel better. He went downstairs to wash up before dinner, and afterward he made a few notes on ideas that’d come to him for his next chapter. But his mind was on Kathleen and he couldn’t concentrate. He dropped his pencil and sighed. It was time for dinner anyway. He’d work later. He joined the others in the parlor and was pleased that Kathleen and Elizabeth joined them only minutes later.

  Mrs. Heaton announced that dinner was ready and he had only a moment to reach Kathleen’s side and ask, “Are you feeling any better?”

  “I am. Mrs. Heaton and Elizabeth wrapped my rib. I should have gone to work with it wrapped today. I’ll be sure to tomorrow.”

  He escorted her to the dining room and pulled out her chair for her. John Talbot said the blessing and once Mrs. Heaton began passing dishes around and everyone began to talk, Luke turned to Kathleen again. She hadn’t mentioned the letter so Luke took it upon himself to ask. “Mrs. Heaton said you received a letter. Is it from your sister? Is everything all right with her?”

  Kathleen’s smile told him it was good news—at least for now.

  “She said Clancy is still working and the boys are doing well. They were happy to hear from me and said to tell me they love me.”

  Kathleen’s eyes seemed to mist for a moment and she quickly blinked back whatever tears had begun to well there. “She said they aren’t happy with their papa that I had to leave but they’ve accepted it.”

  “Perhaps you and your sister will be able to get together one day.”

  “I hope so. But it will be difficult. I don’t dare show up at the apartment. And it’s hard for Colleen to get away when Clancy is at home.”

  Luke wished he could find a safe way for Kathleen and her sister to get together. He’d have to give it some thought.

  Once the meal was finished he pulled back Kathleen’s chair. “Are you going to join the others in the parlor?”

  She shook her head. “Not tonight. I really am tired and I think I’ll go on up. Thank you for seeing me to work and home again, Luke. But please don’t feel you have to keep doing it. I—”

  “I don’t feel I have to. But I will be seeing you in the morning. I hope you sleep well and feel better tomorrow.”

  “Thank you.”

  Luke watched as Kathleen made her way up the stairs to the landing. She was holding her side and he knew she wasn’t feeling as well as she said she was.

  He headed back down to get some work done, praying that Kathleen’s rib would heal quickly and completely. He’d come to enjoy evenings in her company. Chatting with the others didn’t hold the same appeal without her.

  * * *

  The week actually passed faster than Kathleen had thought it would. And she was getting used to being back at work. She’d taken to sleeping in a corset and her side was feeling much better by Friday.

  She gave part of the credit to Luke’s kindness in procuring a hack to take her to work and bring her home. She’d tried to tell him not to, but she was fast learning that the man had a mind of his own, and for the rest of the week she rode in relative comfort. The girls at work teased her constantly about Luke, insinuating that he was courting her, but she kept insisting he was a very good friend.

  And he was. She’d never thought she’d have a man friend, but she felt more comfortable in Luke’s company than any of the other boarders except for Elizabeth—and of course Mrs. Heaton.

  But now, as she left work for the day and saw Luke waiting for her, her heart skipped a beat. She told herself it was only because she was glad the week was over.

  Luke helped her in the hack and took a seat beside her as the driver moved out into the traffic. He grinned down at her. “You made it. A whole week. How are you feeling this afternoon?”

  “Glad it’s the weekend.” She chuckled, knowing that wasn’t what he meant, and quickly added, “My side feels much better.”

  “Good. But I’m glad it’s the weekend, too. Do you think you might feel up to going to Michael and Violet’s this evening?”

  The couple had asked everyone over to their new home for dinner that night. “I do. I’m looking
forward to seeing them again.”

  “Good. We’re all looking forward to it. It’s the first time they’re entertaining and I think they’re looking forward to having us as much as we’re all looking forward to going.”

  Kathleen had found that traveling by hack was much quicker than by trolley and they were back at Heaton House in no time.

  They parted ways inside, Kathleen to go upstairs to get ready for the dinner party and Luke downstairs to do the same. She felt excited to be going out for an evening. It wasn’t something she’d ever done before.

  Thankfully, Elizabeth had helped her choose what to wear and offered to do her hair. Kathleen still had trouble believing the life she was now living. Oh, she worked as usual, but the life she lived outside of work was so drastically different from where she’d been just weeks ago. She prayed that she wouldn’t get so used to it that she couldn’t go back, if she had to. But it wasn’t easy. She wanted to see her sister and nephews, but she didn’t want to go back to the tenements. She wanted her loved ones out of there!

  She’d received another letter from Colleen telling her how glad she was that Kathleen was with such good people. Colleen only wanted what was best for Kathleen, but Kathleen wanted the same for her sister. Only she didn’t know how to go about helping her to get it. At least, not now. All Kathleen could do was send what money she could—made possible only by Mrs. Heaton’s generosity to her.

  She was blessed. There was no other word for it. And whether it lasted or not, for now, Kathleen was determined to try not to feel guilty for it and to enjoy this new life the Lord had seen fit to give her—for however long it lasted.

  Now she twisted and turned in front of the mirror, as much as her still-tender ribs would let her, and was pleased with what she saw. The dinner gown Elizabeth had given her fit perfectly and the emerald-green color complemented her coloring. Elizabeth had swept up her hair into a fashionable knot on top of her head and added a green feather to it.

  “You look beautiful,” Elizabeth said, coming out of the bathroom. “I did a good job on your hair, if I do say so myself.”

  “You made me look beautiful.”

  “Oh, Kathleen, one only has to look into those eyes of yours to see beauty. It shines out of you. You could wear a flour sack and look lovely.”

  Kathleen laughed. “You aren’t of your right mind, are you? You look gorgeous in that color.” Elizabeth was dressed in a rose-colored gown that looked wonderful on her. “And your hair looks great, too.”

  “Well, let’s go see how Julia looks. She said she was wearing blue.”

  The three women met up in the hall and Julia did indeed look lovely in a deep blue gown. They hurried downstairs to join the others. Mrs. Heaton looked wonderful as always, dressed in an ivory silk. She, too, sported a matching feather in her hair and her eyes sparkled. It was easy to tell she was excited about her son’s first dinner party.

  The men all looked quite nice, and not at all uncomfortable in their evening dress.

  Kathleen found Luke by her side to help her with her evening cape—another gift, this one from Julia, who’d said she had too many. As he held the cape for her to slip into, he whispered, “You look lovely, Kathleen.”

  “Thank you. You look very nice, too. It’s fun to dress up, isn’t it?”

  “I don’t mind once in a while,” Luke said. “But I’m certainly glad Mrs. Heaton doesn’t make us dress for dinner every night.”

  “So am I,” Kathleen said.

  Mrs. Heaton had ordered an omnibus to pick them all up and it was a high-spirited group that headed out into the still, cool night air. Kathleen was pleased that Luke took a seat next to her for the trip to Michael and Violet’s home.

  “I’m so glad you were all able to make it tonight,” Mrs. Heaton said. “Michael and Violet are looking forward to seeing everyone. And a little nervous, too, I do believe.”

  “I can’t wait to see their home now that Violet has it all decorated,” Julia said.

  “It’s lovely. She has excellent taste,” Mrs. Heaton said. “It’s kept her very busy. But they did recently hire Gretchen and Maida’s sister, Hilda, to work for them, although Violet does most of the cooking—with a little help from Michael.”

  Their home wasn’t all that far from Mrs. Heaton’s. One could actually walk there easily in warm weather, but Kathleen was glad for the warmth Luke provided sitting beside her.

  “How fancy is this dinner?” she asked him in a whisper.

  “Not much different than dinner at Mrs. Heaton’s, I would imagine. Don’t be nervous. You’ll have a good time.”

  “It’s those eating utensils I worry about,” Kathleen surprised herself by admitting to him.

  “Oh, that.” Luke chuckled and leaned a little closer to whisper, “It can get quite confusing at times. I still watch what others are using.”

  “Yes, that’s what Elizabeth has taught me.”

  “Well, even if we should pick up the wrong one, no one in this group would make fun of us.”

  Kathleen’s heart warmed at the way Luke always made her feel better.

  They were welcomed into a home smaller than Heaton House, but just as inviting. Michael opened the door to them and he and Violet ushered them in.

  “Do we get a tour now that you have it decorated to your satisfaction?” Julia asked as they all shed their coats and hung them on a coatrack in the foyer. “Last time I was here, I was helping to move things over after your wedding. We saw the house, but not the home.”

  Violet laughed. “Of course you get a tour—right after dinner.”

  “And to that end, let’s go to the dining room,” Michael said. “I’m starving.”

  Violet had set place cards at each place setting and Kathleen’s was adjacent to her host’s end of the table and next to Luke. She appreciated the woman’s effort to make her feel welcome and comfortable.

  Once they were all seated, Michael said the blessing. “Dear Lord, we thank You for this day and for this gathering of family and friends to warm this home of ours. Please bless each one and keep us all Yours. Please bless the food we’re about to partake together. In Jesus’s name, Amen.”

  A woman—no doubt Hilda, who looked to be about Gretchen and Maida’s age—began to serve bowls of soup. Kathleen wasn’t sure what it was until Elizabeth said, “Oh, mock turtle soup. I haven’t had this in a long time!”

  Kathleen had never had it and watched to see which spoon to use. Once she took a taste, she was quite pleased. It hadn’t sounded very good to her but it was surprisingly delicious. The rest of the meal was just as good—a salad of lettuce and tomatoes, fillets of beef with mushroom sauce, green peas and creamed potatoes.

  As they ate, conversation flowed around the table. Kathleen had never been to a dinner party in her life. Having dinner at Heaton House had been the closest she’d ever come to it, and she found she quite liked sharing a meal with people who made dinner—or supper, as her family called it—an important part of the day. It was quite pleasant to have a meal with others who conversed with each other in a congenial way, instead of shoveling food in their mouths, complaining about their day and the meal. Or who left others at the table when one was through eating, as Clancy had always done. Much as she missed her sister and nephews, she did not miss anything else about living with her family. Only the three of them. And, oh, how she wished she could get them out of the tenements.

  “Did you make all of this, Violet?” Elizabeth asked.

  “Oh, no. Hilda is quite the cook and she did most of it. I did make the dessert, though,” Violet said just as Hilda brought in a lemon pie piled high with a golden meringue.

  “It’s all wonderful,” Kathleen said.

  “Thank you,” Violet said. “I’m glad you’re recovered enough to be back at work and that you felt like coming this evening
.”

  “So am I. Thank you so much for including me in your invitation.”

  “You’re welcome here anytime, Kathleen. And you never need an invitation to stop by.”

  Violet’s words touched Kathleen’s heart, for she could tell the young bride meant them. She looked around the table and realized that she’d made friends of each person there. Michael had prayed God’s blessing on each of them. But the Lord had already blessed her by bringing these people into her life.

  * * *

  True to her word, after dinner Violet showed them the rest of their home. The parlor was across the way as in Heaton House, and a bit smaller. Decorated in yellows and blues, it was quite inviting. There was no second parlor, but a small library connecting to the parlor.

  “This is where Michael works and I read,” Violet said. It was quite cozy with two chairs pulled near the fireplace.

  They headed upstairs afterward and there were three nice-sized bedrooms, a bathroom and one smaller room attached to the master bedroom.

  “This is perfect for a nursery,” Elizabeth said.

  “And will be used for just that one day,” Michael said.

  Kathleen couldn’t miss Violet’s blush as her husband looked at her. It was more than a little refreshing to see a couple so in love with each other. She remembered her parents’ devotion to each other but she hadn’t seen that kind of relationship in a very long time.

  She’d often wondered if her sister’s marriage had ever been a happy one. Was it the eventual struggle to get by that had made it an unhappy one?

  Once in a while even in the tenements, she’d see couples happy and pulling together to make it. Still more often than not, she’d seen the total opposite—men mistreating their wives and children—so much so that she thought what her parents had shared was no longer possible. And yet, if what she saw between Violet and Michael was real, could it be possible for her?

  “Your home is beautiful, Violet,” Kathleen said as they all headed back downstairs.

  “Thank you. We think so and of course, we love it. Up on the third floor are two other rooms and a bath. Hilda has one and, well, if Heaton House should ever be so full that Mother Heaton can’t take in a temporary in need, as she calls them, we can offer a room.”