A Place of Refuge. Janet Lee Barton

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СКАЧАТЬ I come in?”

      “Of course.” This was Mrs. Heaton’s home after all and she’d opened it to her, a total stranger except for that chance meeting in Central Park last summer.

      Mrs. Heaton entered the room and hurried over to her. “Are you still in pain?”

      “Some.” Kathleen tried to scoot up in bed and grimaced.

      “I think a little more than that. Let me give you some of the medicine Doctor Reynolds left for you. Then we’ll see if you feel like a cup of tea and maybe some toast.”

      “Yes, thank you.” She opened her mouth as Mrs. Heaton brought a spoonful of medicine to her lips. Kathleen swallowed the liquid and prayed it would work quickly to ease the pounding in her head.

      “You were out again when I brought a tray up last night and I didn’t want to wake you. I did check on you several times throughout the night and you seemed to be sleeping.”

      Mrs. Heaton talked as she straightened Kathleen’s covers and pulled back the draperies on one of the windows—just enough to let a bit of light in, but not so much that it bothered Kathleen’s eyes.

      “Let me look at you.” The compassion in the woman’s eyes touched Kathleen’s heart. She’d been nothing but kind to her. She sighed now and shook her head. “Doc said your bruising might look worse before it gets better. I’m afraid he was right. But don’t you worry, you’ll be back to your lovely self before you know it.”

      “Thank you for taking me in and for being so kind.”

      “You’re welcome. I’m glad you kept my card and were brought here. Try not to worry about your sister. Mrs. Driscoll said she would check on her and get word to you on how she and your nephews are.”

      Kathleen let herself relax a little at Mrs. Heaton’s words. Tears sprung to her eyes just thinking about the only family she had left. She tried to remember...why was she here? “I have so many questions about what happened, and I just can’t seem to remember. Everything is just so disconnected and yet I feel I’ve been here before.”

      “You were. But only for one night last spring.”

      “I was?” Kathleen tried to remember but couldn’t.

      “Don’t struggle with it, dear.”

      Kathleen tried not to show how much pain she felt leaning forward while Mrs. Heaton plumped her pillow and added another to prop her up. She bit her bottom lip as the woman eased her back onto the pillows.

      “Doctor Reynolds said you might not remember everything right away but he thinks your memories will all come back to you in time. He said it was a good sign that you knew your name and Mrs. Driscoll’s, and where you work.”

      “Work. I...” Kathleen furrowed her brow and looked at Mrs. Heaton.

      “Mrs. Driscoll said not to worry about coming in today. She gave you the rest of the week off and said she would be back today to see how you are.”

      Kathleen released a relieved sigh. Thank you, Lord.

      Another knock came on the door and Mrs. Heaton went to answer it. “It’s Gretchen, I’m sure. I asked her to bring a tray up.”

      A woman dressed in a maid’s uniform came into the room. She appeared to be around Kathleen’s age of twenty-four. Her hair was blond and curly and her eyes were light blue.

      “Put the tray on the dresser, please, Gretchen.”

      “Yes, ma’am.” She turned to Kathleen and said, “I hope you feel better today, miss.”

      “Thank you,” Kathleen said.

      “If you need anything more just let me know, Mrs. Heaton.”

      “Thank you, Gretchen.” The maid left the room quietly and Mrs. Heaton turned to Kathleen.

      “Perhaps, after you’ve had some tea and toast, Gretchen and I can help you to the bathroom so you can freshen up. That might make you feel better.”

      The thought sounded wonderful to Kathleen. “That would be nice.”

      “Well, then, lets get some tea in you. One or two teaspoons of sugar?”

      “Two, please.” The pain medication seemed to be working, for the pounding in her head had eased to a lesser throb. Mrs. Heaton placed the tray in front of her and Kathleen picked up the teacup and took a sip.

      “By the time you finish, Gretchen and I will be back to help you—”

      “Mrs. Heaton, I don’t know how to thank you for everything.”

      “You’ve already thanked me, dear. Just let yourself heal and know that you are safe here.”

      Kathleen managed a small nod.

      “Are you up to a little more light, dear?”

      “I believe so.”

      Mrs. Heaton opened the draperies fully on both windows and sunlight flooded the room, but it didn’t bother Kathleen’s eyes. She liked the way the light filtered through the lace panels behind the drapes.

      “I’ll be back in a bit,” Mrs. Heaton said. She hurried off and Kathleen took another sip of her tea.

      Only then did she really see the room she was in. It was huge—and more than just a bedroom. Decorated with lavender-and-yellow wallpaper and bed coverings of the same colors, the room was beautiful.

      There was a comfortable-looking chair in the corner between the bed and a window. And there was even a small sofa in front of a fireplace. An armoire that matched the headboard of the bed was on the other side of the room. She’d never seen anything this nice in her life and wished Colleen could see it.

      Tears gathered in her eyes once more at the thought of her sister and nephews. Dear Lord, please keep them safe. And please help me to remember all that happened to bring me here. In Jesus’s name, I pray. Amen.

      Kathleen couldn’t remember when she’d eaten last, and even though she didn’t feel hungry, her rumbling stomach told her she was. She picked up a piece of toast and took a bite. By the time Mrs. Heaton returned, she’d managed one slice and had finished her tea.

      “Oh, good. I’m glad you got something down. Gretchen is coming, and we’re going to help you to the bathroom. You’ll be sharing it with Elizabeth. She’s at work now, but you’ll meet her this evening.”

      Kathleen wasn’t sure she was ready to meet anyone else, but she didn’t have the inclination or the energy to argue with this woman who’d done so much for her.

      Gretchen came in just then and the two women helped her into a bathroom that was just off her room. She couldn’t believe the size of it. She and her sister’s family had to share a bathroom with the other tenants on their floor. This was so clean and large compared to that one—and she was to share it with only one other person? A room almost as large as their apartment and a bathroom connected to it? Such luxury was too much to take in.

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