A Love Transformed

by Tracie Peterson

  She didn’t wait for her mother to respond, which sent the woman into sputtering comments about Clara’s rudeness. It would have done little good to remain and try to calm the older woman. Instead, Clara picked up her pace and all but ran up the stairs.

  Just outside the nursery she found Mim speaking to one of the maids. Upon seeing Clara, Mim dismissed the girl.

  “Are you all right?” Mim asked.

  Clara nodded. “I am, but I have determined we must leave right away. I cannot subject the children to my mother’s ill temper. Neither have I any desire to be the center of her attention.”

  Mim smiled. “I’m sure it’s for the best. What can I do?”

  “Ready the children’s things. They needn’t take anything fancy. We’ll be living on a ranch, after all. Just bring their playclothes and perhaps one or two things they might wear for church.”

  “Perhaps one of the trunks should be packed with toys. I doubt your aunt and uncle would have any on hand.”

  Clara nodded. “Yes, a few things could be brought along. I’m sure there will be more than enough to amuse them. Still, I imagine Maddy will want her favorite doll, and Hunter will not sleep without his Steiff bear.”

  “How shall we arrange to have the luggage taken to the station without being noticed by Mrs. Oberlin?”

  “I’m sorry to eavesdrop,” Perkins said, coming from around the corner. “But perhaps I might be of assistance.”

  “Oh, Perkins, if you could, that would be wonderful.” Clara gave him a smile of gratitude. “Still, I’m afraid Mother will make life quite difficult for you once she realizes the truth.”

  “You mustn’t worry about it, madam. The staff and I are quite capable of handling the situation. Without you here, she will be vexed, of course, but once she understands you do not intend to return, she’ll no doubt depart for her own quarters.”

  Clara frowned. “How did you know that I don’t intend to return?”

  He shrugged. “It stands to reason.”

  Clara let go a sigh of relief. “I feel much better knowing you will help to arrange everything. But we must hurry to get it all accomplished without Mother becoming suspicious.”

  “Consider it already done, madam. The staff and I are quite loyal to you. You’ve always treated us fairly and with, shall I say, great affection.”

  Clara put her hand out to stop Perkins from leaving. “What will you and the others do? I mean, when Mr. Vesper sells this house, you will no longer have employment.”

  “Perhaps if you would be so kind as to leave us letters of reference,” he suggested, “we could assume other positions with relative ease.”

  She nodded. “Of course. I’ll go write them as soon as I finish seeing the children. I’ll leave them on my desk, and you may distribute them when I’m gone. I’ll also write Mr. Vesper a letter, encouraging him to help you all.”

  “Very good, madam. Now I will take my leave and see what I can arrange.”

  As he headed down the hall, Clara looked at Mim. “Well, it would seem our adventure awaits.”

  6

  Otto paced the small space of his office. Harriet Oberlin was going to be trouble. She already was. The woman was demanding and obnoxious, and he resented her interference. Especially since that interference threatened his own plans for Clara.

  “The afternoon mail,” Jack Brindleson announced, coming into the room. He put the letters on Otto’s desk. “Will you need anything else for the moment?”

  Otto stopped in mid-step. “I need a way to rid myself of Clara’s mother.”

  Jack gave an apathetic nod. “That woman would try the patience of Job. I heard she was back in town. News of such a tumultuous storm travels fast.”

  “Indeed. I’ve encountered her already. She’s installed herself at Clara’s, and I know she means to make trouble. Honestly, I cannot stomach the woman, and I don’t know how Clara will abide her without giving in to her demands.”

  “I’m sure it will be a challenge. I’ve never known Mrs. Vesper to show much backbone. She’s always been such a timid little thing.”

  Otto rubbed his chin. “She told me she could handle her mother, but she will surely fail. Mrs. Oberlin is a woman used to having her own way. No doubt she already has plans for Clara.”

  “What about the jewelry? Will she interfere in allowing Mrs. Vesper to continue designing the pieces?”

  “Her mother knows nothing about Clara’s involvement, and I mean to keep it that way.”

  Jack frowned. “You don’t suppose Mrs. Vesper will tell her, do you?”

  “I don’t think so. It’s been my experience that she offers very little information to her mother. For one thing, the old bat won’t shut up long enough to let anyone else speak, but I also think Clara enjoys having her secrets.”

  “Then perhaps we are safe. After all, you have those new pieces to work on. I heard that the wax molds are ready on two of them. They had to remake one of the others. The man working on them carelessly got a tiny portion of his fingerprint set into the wax.”

  “You fired him, of course.” Otto wouldn’t brook such nonsense.

  “Of course.” Jack shrugged. “He seemed unconcerned. Told me he was off to join the army.”

  “Hello? Mr. Vesper?” a matronly voice called from the outer office.

  Otto straightened. “That will be Mrs. Nash to see me.” He moved toward the door. “Show her in.”

  Jack went quickly to the task, and the portly Mrs. Nash soon appeared. The older woman was dressed impeccably in throat-to-floor black bombazine, with a very prominently featured brooch that Clara Vesper had designed some years earlier. She leaned heavily on an ornate silver-handled cane.

  “It is so good to see you again, Mrs. Nash. I must say I was delighted to receive your note asking to come to the office.” Otto helped her into the leather chair opposite his desk. “Should I have Jack prepare some tea?”

  “No. I shan’t be here long. I wanted to offer my condolences. I was most distressed to learn of your brother’s demise. I’m hoping”—she lowered her voice—“that there might be another piece or two from the Vesper collection which I might purchase.”

  She fixed him with such a determined look that Otto might have laughed out loud had she been anyone else. However, Mrs. Nash was very wealthy and influential. She was also known as one of the best sources of information. The old busybody knew the details on everyone around her and never hesitated to share them. It gave Otto an idea.

  Walking behind his desk, Otto took his seat and smiled. “I will share a secret with you, because I know you will keep it to yourself.”

  She smiled and touched her gloved hand to her breast. “I am the very soul of discretion.”

  Otto nodded. “Well, the truth is, I will have several pieces available soon. I intend to have a showing—a gala. You were the first one I thought to invite.”

  “How marvelous! I am so relieved to learn there will be other pieces available. I think I should want to buy them all. You truly wouldn’t need to arrange a party to display them.”

  He smiled. “Well, I wouldn’t want this to get around, but there will be additional pieces for some time to come. I will provide them as I . . . always have.” He waited for the idea to sink in.

  Mrs. Nash seemed momentarily confused, and then her expression changed. “Oh my stars! You were the designer—not your brother!”

  Otto thought for only a second to correct her but decided against it. He’d come this far and might as well see it through.

  “My brother was my life,” Otto said, hoping his feigned look of sorrow would touch the old woman. “He was far more interested in fame and glory, however. I was content to let him take credit for the designs.”

  “Oh my. Oh my. This is most exciting.”

  “Well, as I mentioned, it would be best to keep all of this to yourself. Although I do know there are others who are wise to this situation—workers here know the truth, but they have long been silent on the matt
er.” He ran his finger along his mustache, hoping the lie wouldn’t create problems for him with Clara. “But no, I still believe it is better to keep the truth to ourselves . . . for now.”

  “You can count on me, Mr. Vesper,” Mrs. Nash said with a knowing smile. “I have always been able to keep a secret.”

  “Thank you. In return, I am also happy to give you first rights to the new pieces. They will be costly. We intend to use only the finest gems, and they are much more difficult to get with the war in Europe.”

  “I completely understand. I will pay whatever is necessary.”

  Otto couldn’t have been more pleased. Not only was he assured of selling each of the new designs for a large sum, but Mrs. Nash would soon have word out on the street that Vesper jewelry was still to be available.

  “Well, I must go,” Mrs. Nash said, tapping her cane on the floor as if to signal for his help.

  Otto hurried around the desk to help the large woman from her chair. “I will be in touch,” he told her. “When the pieces are ready, I will be certain to send word.”

  “Thank you. I’m so relieved.”

  “And it will be our secret regarding the true designer?” Otto asked as they reached the door.

  “But of course, Mr. Vesper.” She put her gloved finger to her lips.

  Curtis felt like a trapped animal. After a month in bed, he was no closer to being up and around than when he’d started. At least it felt that way. After Paul and Joe had pulled him from the collapsed mine, Curtis had known nothing but pain and misery.

  “You have to stop being such a grump,” Madeline told him as she entered the room. “Doc said you were a bear to deal with.”

  “I’m sick of this. He won’t take me out of traction or remove the casts. He told me he’d send his father to cheer me up, but I told him not to bother.”

  “But seeing Pastor Cosgrove might improve your outlook. I know you’re hurting and unhappy to be cooped up. But with your back and leg broken, you’re lucky to be alive. Fact is, to hear what the doctor told me a month ago, you’re lucky to still have that leg.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know about that. What’s the use of having a leg if it doesn’t work right? Doc said it might never heal properly.”

  Going to the window, Madeline paused long enough to give Curtis a look of disapproval. “You’re not doing yourself any good wallowing in self-pity. Now, you know full well that you’ll recover from this and be back on your feet soon enough. As to why it happened, well, there’s no explaining it. God has His reasons, and I’m not about to call Him into account.” She opened the window. “There, that breeze will help.”

  She secured the curtains at the side of the sill. “Doc did say you’d most likely be rid of those casts before the summer heat sets in, so you should be thankful for that.”

  He sighed. “Sorry. I know you’re right, but I’m angry and hurting and . . .” He stopped and shook his head.

  “I can help with the latter, but not so much with the anger.” Madeline produced a bottle of medicine from her apron pocket. “Doc left this for the pain.”

  “I don’t want it. I can’t think straight when I take that stuff.”

  Madeline nodded and put the bottle on the bedside table. “I guess I can understand that.” She pulled up a chair and sat down. “Curtis, I know you and Paul have talked at length about what happened. You know that you have a home with us and we’ll see you through this bad time. But I’m worried about you. I’m afraid your anger is going to send you back to the bottle if you aren’t careful.”

  Curtis was surprised by her comment. Madeline had never before brought up the past or his drunken ways. He bit his lower lip and nodded. “I know you’re right. I suppose that’s why I’ve fought off taking the medicine. At first I didn’t have a choice. The pain was so bad I couldn’t think straight even without the medicine clouding my mind. Now it just makes me remember what it felt like when I drank. I don’t want to go back to being that man.”

  She reached over and took hold of his hand. “I know you don’t, and I want to do whatever I can to help you avoid that. Maybe it would help if you talked about who you’re really mad at. I know it’s not yourself, although you naturally have some frustration with your physical limitations. My guess is you’re mostly angry at God.”

  “And why not? All of my life He’s taken and taken. I know the Bible says He gives and takes away, but can’t He just leave me alone for a while?”

  Madeline squeezed his hand, then let it go. “You think you have it so much worse than every other person?”

  “Well, you have to admit, I’ve had it worse than most. My parents died before I was ready to be without them. The only girl I’ll ever love was taken away from me. I ended up running with the wrong folks and found myself in prison. I lost my hope and nearly my life.”

  “God didn’t steal those things away from you, Curtis. That much I know.”

  “If not God, then who? You and Paul keep telling me God is all-powerful and all-knowing. If that’s true, then He knew my parents would get sick, and He had the power to make them well. But He didn’t. He knew what those losses would do to me. He knew it would send me to drinking and abominable actions, and yet He let it all happen.”

  “Goodness, Curtis, it seems you can’t take responsibility for anything.”

  He glared at her. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean that you were the one who got yourself into that mess with drinking and gambling. You were the one who chose those means of comfort. I’m not about to sit here and let you off the hook for that. Nor am I going to sit here and let you feel sorry for yourself. We all make bad decisions in life, Curtis. We all make mistakes. We are sinful and human.” She crossed her arms and fixed him with a stern motherly look. “You are certainly no exception.”

  “Thanks for reminding me.” Curtis let out a heavy sigh. “I know I’m the one who made mistakes and headed down the wrong path. But I didn’t kill my folks, and I certainly didn’t send Clara into the arms of another man.”

  “No, and while I do agree that God was able to keep those things from happening, it’s not my thought that He was happy to see them happen. Like I said, the devil does a lot of interfering with folks in this world.”

  “But God could stop the devil from that interfering.”

  “Yes, you’re right. He can. I guess when He doesn’t, that’s where our faith is forced to grow . . . or die. Curtis, you have to know that God loves you no matter what the world tells you is fair or not fair, right or not right. Either God is worthy of your faith or He isn’t. That’s something you have to decide.”

  She got to her feet. “You know I love you. I’ll make you as comfortable as possible while you’re bound up in that contraption.” She motioned to the casts and the rigged-up traction for his leg. “But I won’t feel sorry for you. Nor will I stand here and let you feel sorry for yourself. It’s true you’ve lost a lot in life. Your folks and then Clara. It wasn’t fair and it wasn’t easy to bear, but it is what it is and no amount of sad thoughts will change it. Same goes for your accident at the mine. It was a horrible thing, and I feared we’d lose you altogether.” Tears came to her eyes. “I’m grateful to God that won’t be the case.”

  “But the doctor says I might never fully recover,” Curtis countered. “He says I’ll probably always walk with a limp and have trouble with my back.”

  Madeline nodded. “You just might. So maybe you ought to work on getting your mind around how you’re going to deal with that—if it happens to be true. You’ve overcome a great deal in a short life, Curtis. I know you have it in you to overcome this as well.”

  Madeline walked down the hall, drying her eyes on her apron as she went. She was sad for Curtis and his lot in life, but sympathy wasn’t going to help him. She’d been hard on him, but it was all for his own good. Still, she hated causing him even more pain.

  Lord, I don’t know what else to do. You’re going to have to show me how to help him,
because I’m running out of ideas.

  Three hours later, much to her surprise, the answer came in the form of mail brought back from town by Phil and Joe. Reading through her niece’s letter, Madeline could only smile. Clara was coming to the ranch. Coming home, as Madeline saw it.

  She couldn’t help but glance heavenward. “Thank you.”

  “Who you thankin’ and for what?” Paul asked, coming in behind her.

  Madeline turned to him and grinned. “I was thanking God for answering my prayer.”

  “What prayer was that?”

  “Well, what with all the work around here, I was thinking we needed to find a nurse for Curtis. The doctor says he still can’t remove the cast, so Curtis will need someone to help him when I’m out working with the lambs.”

  “I told you I could hire an extra man to help free you up. You don’t need to go hiring a nurse.”

  Her grin widened. “I don’t intend to hire a nurse, but I found someone just the same.” She held up the letter. “Clara’s coming for a visit.”

  Paul’s face showed concern rather than joy. “Don’t you think that’s askin’ for trouble?”

  Madeline laughed. “Trouble of the very best kind. She’s free from the demands of her mother. A widow with two young children able to make her own choices in life.”

  “And you figure to help her and Curtis get back to plannin’ a life together?”

  She nodded. “I do. I can’t help but see how this has been God’s plan all along. Curtis can’t run away, and Clara will help me out of my obligation to care for him. Throwing those two together to work through the past is the perfect answer.”

  “It could prove dangerous.”

  Madeline put her hand up to caress her husband’s face. “Love always is.”

  7

  What’s this all about?” Otto Vesper demanded. He stormed into Clara’s front parlor and stared at Harriet Oberlin in distain. “You’ve taken me away from very important business.”