A Place of Refuge. Janet Lee Barton

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ least in front of so many people.

      “And is there a young man in your life that we should have notified, Kathleen?” Julia asked as if she read his mind.

      Her timing couldn’t have been better and Luke was thankful for it as he listened for Kathleen’s reply.

      “No. I’ve had no time for young men,” Kathleen said.

      Luke told himself that it shouldn’t matter to him whether Kathleen had a beau or not. He barely knew her. But somehow...it did matter. He let out a pent-up breath he didn’t even realize he’d been holding.

      * * *

      After breakfast the next morning, Luke was ready and waiting to accompany Kathleen to work. He helped her on with the coat Elizabeth had given her.

      “Luke, you really don’t have to go with me. I ride part of the way with Elizabeth. I’ll be fine.”

      “But you don’t ride all the way with her. Besides, it does me good to get out first thing of a morning. I’ll walk part of the way home and think about the next chapter I’m writing.”

      There was nothing to do but accept his offer as he walked to the trolley stop with her and Elizabeth. The two women sat together and he stood, holding on to the rope hanging from the ceiling. When Elizabeth got off at her stop, he took her seat.

      He smiled down at Kathleen. “Did you get a chance to get to know Violet yesterday?”

      Michael and his wife had stayed awhile until supper Sunday night and she and Mrs. Heaton had invited Kathleen to join them for tea in the back parlor that afternoon. Violet was easy to talk to and they’d discussed all manner of things. Kathleen liked her. “I did. She’s very sweet and remembered Colleen and me from that day in the park. I think she was quite taken with my nephews Collin and Brody.”

      “Everyone who was there that day was concerned about you all.”

      “I’m thankful that Mrs. Heaton gave me her card for so many reasons. But one is that as much as it pains me to know everyone saw what kind of man my sister married, it is a relief not to have to explain it all to everyone. Besides, there is still so much I don’t remember.”

      “Kathleen, his actions are no reflection on you. You could have been killed trying to protect your sister and—”

      “But I wasn’t, thanks to you, Luke.”

      “Anyone would have done the same thing.”

      “No. Not anyone. I—”

      The driver called out her stop just then and Luke moved into the aisle to let her out, and then followed her out of the trolley. He walked the block to Tiffany Glass Company with her.

      “What time do you get off work?”

      “At five-thirty.”

      Luke nodded. “I’ll be here.”

      Kathleen felt certain it would do no good to tell him not to come, so she thanked him instead.

      Several of her coworkers came up just then and she joined them to go inside. She turned back to see Luke standing by the curb. Evidently he was waiting until she got inside. She gave him a little wave and hurried through the door.

      “Who is that, Kathleen? Do you have a beau?” a girl named Cindy said.

      Kathleen’s heart did a funny little twist at the very thought. “No. He’s...just a good friend.”

      “That’s too bad,” another girl named Ruth said. “He’s very handsome.”

      Kathleen was inclined to agree and yet she had no intention of giving her heart away to any man. Over the years, she’d seen Clancy change from the cocky young man her sister fell in love with to a hard-drinking, woman-beating, mean man. And no matter what her heart was doing at the thought of Luke being a beau, she was determined not to fall for any man. Not even the one who made her feel safe and cared for in a way she’d never experienced.

      “I wouldn’t mind having a friend like him,” Cindy said. “If he’s in the market for a wife and you don’t want him, you can send him my way.”

      That thought didn’t sit well with Kathleen at all.

      She’d never had a man friend before. And deep down she knew that Luke was more than just a friend. He’d been there for her when she’d needed a defender the very most and he’d been there when she’d been brought to Heaton House. He made her feel protected and special. And she was not going to send him Cindy’s way—or anyone else’s for that matter.

      As Kathleen stepped into the workroom, she put the thought of Luke paired with Cindy out of her mind.

      “Kathleen, it’s good to have you back with us,” Mrs. Driscoll said. “I’ve got a new project all ready for you.”

      The rest of her coworkers welcomed her back and all of them seemed glad to see her. Thankfully, no one asked many questions about why she’d been gone—probably because some of them lived in the same kind of conditions that Kathleen and her family did. And besides, they’d seen her bruised before. She didn’t feel the need to tell anyone she was no longer living in the tenement and she knew Mrs. Driscoll wouldn’t have said anything about it.

      It was still hard for Kathleen to believe that she’d begun a new life, and now that she was back at work she found it even more difficult not to feel guilty that her sister was stuck in her old life. It hurt to think of Colleen and the boys putting up with Clancy. She would so love to be able to get them out of the tenements. Much as she loved her work, she did wish she were able to help others.

      “Here you go, Kathleen,” Mrs. Driscoll said, bringing her the design and the cut-glass pieces she wanted Kathleen to start on. “It’s ready for the copper foil.”

      “Oh, it’s lovely, Mrs. Driscoll.”

      “Thank you. It’s one I’ve been working on awhile now. I’m eager to see it finished.” She patted Kathleen on the shoulder and lowered her voice. “Should you get tired, let me know. I can send you home early.”

      “I think I’ll be fine. Mrs. Heaton has taken wonderful care of me.”

      “I’m very relieved that you kept her card and that your sister sent you to her.”

      “Thank you for coming to check on me.”

      “You’re welcome.”

      Mrs. Driscoll went to check on another piece of work, and Kathleen concentrated on getting back to her job. She imagined she’d be tired by the end of the day, but it was good to be back at work. She carefully painted the outline of the brass design on what would become a Tiffany lamp, and smiled thinking about the weekend. It’d been the nicest one she’d had in a very long time—maybe ever. And never had she gone on an outing in mixed company, except with family.

      She’d thoroughly enjoyed going to the museum and then singing around the piano after dinner that night. Then, yesterday, she’d enjoyed getting to know Mrs. Heaton’s son and his wife.

      After Sunday dinner, СКАЧАТЬ