Orphan Train Series Boxed Set: Books 1 - 4 Page 25

  “Oh no, my dear girl, it looks to me like I’ll be able to find exactly what I want from these materials. I have been more than happy with the first dress you made for me. But my daughter has been after me for so long about my need for new clothes. Now she says one new dress isn’t enough.” Mrs. Jenkins shook her head over the folly of the younger generation. “It’s not as though I go around very much. No one is going to be looking at me.”

  “But you want to look good for your own enjoyment, don’t you? I can assure you, while I wouldn’t want to affront anyone’s eyes with a decrepit appearance, I dress well for myself. I don’t really care what anyone else thinks. I like looking good for me.”

  “And it doesn’t hurt if it catches the eyes of a few gentlemen, does it?” Mrs. Jenkins teased her.

  Katie blushed. “To be honest, I would rather gentlemen didn’t look at me.”

  “Why ever not? You are young and beautiful. You should be trying to snag a good man.”

  “No, I shouldn’t. If I thought it would keep them away, I would dress in a sack,” Katie insisted.

  “That hardly seems reasonable, Katie.”

  Katie shrugged. “You do know I’ve already been married, right?”

  Mrs. Jenkins blinked at the question. “Well, we do call you Mrs. Carter on occasion, so I guess I must have known. Are you a runaway?”

  Katie laughed, but it was a little hollow. “Not at all. I am a widow. My husband caught the flu and brought it home with him. He and our baby died within a couple days of each other.”

  “Oh, my dear, that is tragic. I am so sorry for your loss.” There was a quiet moment while they both brushed a tear away. Mrs. Jenkins cleared her throat before asking, “How long has it been, my dear?”

  “Two years, four months, and sixteen days since my sweet baby was taken from me. He was only nine months old, but he was such a charming little boy.”

  “I can only imagine how lovely a son of yours would be. He would have grown up to be a fine man, I’m sure.”

  Katie’s smile was wan. “I struggled with wondering if he would, to be perfectly honest with you, Thea. While he was a sweet and happy baby, his father was less than kind, and it had troubled me terribly to wonder what he would grow up to be. Now I’ll never know. I almost died from my grief. It’s how I ended up with the orphans. I thought it would fill the hole in my heart where my baby used to be.”

  “Did it work?”

  With another empty laugh, Katie shook her head. “Not really. But it filled my life with purpose, which was at least something. It saved my life. But it also broke a bit of what little heart I had left, which is part of why I needed the fresh start here in Bucklin. I couldn’t take it anymore, seeing all the tragedy that the poor children faced, so I jumped at the chance to come out with the train of orphans and try a new life away from New York.”

  “But what about the hole in your heart? Surely finding a new love and having more babies is just what you need.”

  Shaking her head vigorously, Katie denied her friend’s words. “Not at all. While no one could ever replace my sweet baby, now that I have my dear daughter, Annie, I am at peace. I have no need for a husband. In fact, I am far better off without one.”

  “I would beg to differ with you,” Althea argued.

  Grinning, Katie asked, “Why?”

  “While men can be messy and stinky and annoying at times, there’s nothing like having a partner as you walk through whatever life throws at you. Mr. Jenkins was an excellent father to my children and a steady companion for me. He worked hard to provide food and shelter for me and the children, but he always took the time to attend to any one of us. I think it’s a good part of why our children grew up to be such wonderful adults. A good man is worth picking up after,” she concluded with a girlish giggle.

  Katie’s smile was a little sad as she said, “Maybe so, but he’s mighty hard to find.”

  The shrewd look Althea cast at her brought a lump to her throat. “Not so terribly hard, I’d say. I don’t know many who aren’t.”

  “Well then you’ve been far luckier in life than I have, Althea. I don’t know very many men who are.”

  “I take it your marriage wasn’t a happy one, then,” Thea commented, her usually strident tones softened. “What about your parents’?”

  Katie shrugged again. “While not as bad as my husband, my father was cold and distant. He wasn’t very pleased about having daughters, I think. There were four of us girls before my mother finally had two sons. From what I can tell, he had gotten pretty bitter by then, and my brothers didn’t turn it around very much. They weren’t very healthy. My father blamed my mother for that instead of the poor circumstances we were living in. Both of my brothers, my parents, and one of my sisters died in the past ten years. I’m glad I’m not living in the stews of the city anymore.”

  “You sure have faced more than your share of tragedy in your short life, Katie dear. But going it alone isn’t the solution.”

  “There isn’t a problem that needs a solution, here, though, Thea. I’m more than satisfied with the life I’m building here in Bucklin with Melanie and Annie.”

  “But what if Melanie finds a husband?”

  “Well, then there will be more room in the house for me and Annie,” she laughed.

  “But what about when Annie grows up? Surely you don’t want to grow old alone.”

  “Like you’re doing?” Katie asked gently.

  “I’m not alone,” Althea declared with a chuckle. “I have a big, beautiful family. And while my poor Mr. Jenkins is no longer with me, I have so many wonderful memories to keep me company.”

  Katie knew her smile was wistful but couldn’t help it. “That’s lovely, Thea, but I think it’s very rare.”

  “I don’t,” the older woman insisted again. “And I don’t think you should be so cynical at your young age, despite the tragedy you’ve faced. You really ought to give love a chance. It’s worth everything once you’ve found it.”

  Katie gazed out the window, debating whether or not to open herself up to her new friend. She never spoke of her past to anyone. Not even Melanie knew the extent of what she had suffered. She didn’t have to tell Thea everything, but maybe if she told her some of her experiences it would get her to forget about trying to find a husband for her.

  She took a deep breath and proceeded. “I had just turned seventeen the week before I got married. My husband was so very handsome. That’s all I had the sense to think of when I was so young. And he was so attentive. Coming around to visit me every day, wanting to know who I had been with that day, who I had spoken with. He hated to hear if I had spoken with any other man. Even my brothers. I thought his jealousy meant he truly loved me. I found out later it just meant he was a jealous person.”

  Her next deep breath was a little shuddery, but Althea hadn’t said anything, so she continued. “He was a few years older than me. I thought he was wonderful. So handsome and experienced. And I was so happy to get away from my dull existence at home. But he used all that supposed experience to squash my youthful exuberance. After the first couple of weeks, he began to tell me how stupid I was. That I wasn’t doing anything right. The apartment wasn’t how he wanted it kept. The meals weren’t cooked to his preference. And when I didn’t get pregnant immediately, well that had to be because something was wrong with me, too.”

  Katie again paused, staring out the window at the swaying trees. She absently thought about Annie, hoping she had on a warm enough sweater. Althea still hadn’t commented on Katie’s story, and Katie didn’t look at her. Her voice was strong despite her desire to crawl into a hole and not come out for at least a week after reliving these memories. Now that she had started, it seemed she couldn’t stem the flow of words.

  “He didn’t hit me right at first. He stole all my joy and enthusiasm first. I almost never saw anyone in my family after the first few months. I never saw any of my old friends after the first couple of weeks. It wasn’t worth the figh
ting. But just when I thought things had settled down and I was keeping him satisfied, he started drinking. And that’s when he started hitting me. It was always my fault, of course. Or so he told me. I believed him at the time. I thought I was going to die several times. I wished I would die many times.

  “When we realized that I was pregnant, he didn’t hit me as often, nor as severely, for which I was grateful. Until right near the end of my pregnancy. Because I was so ungainly, I was clumsy and awkward. He didn’t like that at all. Then he didn’t want me to see a doctor because he didn’t want anyone to see me like that. But I convinced him we could say I fell down the stairs and that we had to get help because the baby was coming. When my water broke, he finally believed me and went for help. I was profoundly relieved when the baby was born quickly and perfect. He gave me a reason to live. Until my husband brought the flu home and took the baby from me. I wasn’t in the least sorry when he died.”

  Her eyes flew up. “My husband, I mean. I wanted to die myself when the baby died. I can still hear the rattle of his breaths as he gasped for air. There was nothing I could do. The doctor wouldn’t even come into our neighborhood since the sickness was such a pandemic. No one could help me because anyone who was still standing had too many patients of their own to care for. I don’t know which cruel providence spared me from death, but I didn’t even get a sniffle. I was weak as a kitten by the time it was all over, but that was from crying myself dry over the baby and not sleeping at all from caring for my husband and child, as well as my sister. My sister made it. The others didn’t. She was left a little damaged after the illness, but she’s still alive to this day.”

  Katie finally looked up to meet Althea’s gaze. Her own eyes were dry, but Thea’s were streaming with tears. “I didn’t have any tears left after my baby died. Not even when my mother passed. Once it became obvious that I wasn’t going to be getting sick, and after most of my family had been buried, I started volunteering at the orphanage. I thought being with the children would help me feel close to my own sweet Henry. It sort of did. It helped me heal. Children are a gift to the world, even when their circumstances are tragic, like the orphans. But as I regained my sense of self, my tolerance for the suffering I was witnessing all around me began to decrease. By the time I had lost most of my numbness, I could no longer remain in New York. When I was asked to accompany the children to Missouri, I jumped at the chance to start fresh.”

  Katie took another deep breath, this time feeling restored, as though telling her story had lanced the wound. “And now that I have been blessed with another child, I feel whole again. I would never want to take the risk of marriage again. Too much is at stake.”

  ~~~

  Wyatt felt his jaw clench over what he had heard. He knew he shouldn’t be eavesdropping. He hadn’t even meant to. But when he had been about to knock, he had heard Katie’s clear voice coming through the open window. And he had hesitated. Just long enough to hear what they were talking about. And when he realized what it was, he couldn’t interrupt. There’s no way Katie would talk about any of this in front of him. From what he knew of her, he was amazed she was talking about it with Mrs. Jenkins. But hearing what she had been through made everything in him clench, not just his jaw. His stomach burned. His hands were inadvertently forming into fists. A part of him wanted to give her husband a taste of what he had been doling out. Not that Katie would welcome more violence. She probably wouldn’t welcome him having this knowledge either. He really ought to alert the women to his presence. But he just wanted to hear a little bit more. It explained so much about the woman’s prickly response to him. Why would she welcome any contact with a man after what she’d experienced?

  “But don’t you think Annie would benefit from having a man helping to raise her? Don’t shake your head at me, young lady.” Wyatt almost gave away his presence with a snort of laughter over Mrs. Jenkins’ tone. “You might not think she needs a father, after the rough ride you’ve had, but surely you could use help. I’ve always thought God knew what he was doing when he arranged for a father and mother. No matter how capable you are, you are only one person. Raising a family is hard work.”

  “I’m sure it would be ideal for her to have a father, but I will do everything in my power to be enough for her. At least there’s only one child, so I won’t be outnumbered. And her teacher is a man, so she won’t lack for a different perspective.”

  Katie paused, and Wyatt wished he could see her face to try to figure out what she was really thinking.

  “I understand what you’re trying to say, Thea, and I appreciate you sharing your thoughts with me, but I think we might just have to agree to disagree on this one. I cannot take the chance now, even more so than before. I would never forgive myself if I brought someone into Annie’s life only to have him hurt her.”

  Mrs. Jenkins made a sound of protest, and Wyatt realized he had learned enough from the conversation he had overheard. He really needed to make his presence known before they caught him spying. With some exaggerated clomping of his feet, he made his way to the door and knocked.

  When Mrs. Jenkins’ granddaughter opened the door, he wasn’t even surprised to see Katie hastily grabbing her bag and kissing Mrs. Jenkins’ cheek goodbye.

  “I’ll stop in again in a couple days. Hopefully by then your tyrant of a doctor will have given you the all clear for moving around.” Katie tried to make a light joke, but Wyatt could see that her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. His heart ached for the pain he could see reflected in their depths.

  “Good day, Mrs. Carter.” He greeted her with a slight bow, chuckling when pink stained her cheeks.

  “Doctor Jeffries.” She nodded at him before scurrying away.

  He stood, staring at the door after it closed behind her retreating form. He turned back to face Mrs. Jenkins.

  “Was it something I said?”

  She grinned at him. “You know perfectly well that it’s something she said.”

  Wyatt felt all the blood drain from his face before it quickly returned with full heat. “You knew I was there?” he demanded.

  “Of course,” she retorted. “I might be getting old, but nothing gets past me.”

  “Did she know?”

  If he hadn’t been so embarrassed, he would have laughed over the withering look she cast him. “Do you really think she would have said any of that if she knew?”

  The answer was so obvious that Wyatt didn’t even reply.

  Mrs. Jenkins continued studying him like a specimen in a science lab. “Does it make you like her any more now that you know why she’s so independent?”

  Wyatt smiled. “It’s not a matter of not liking her, Mrs. Jenkins. I think Mrs. Carter is a lovely woman, despite her modern ideals. I understand her a little better now that I know about her past. But that doesn’t mean I could live with those ideals. Yes, the strength of character she has displayed in order to survive and even thrive after what she has been through might be attractive. But a man wants to feel needed by a woman he’s going to take for his wife. And he doesn’t want to have to fear having his ears blistered whenever he does something not quite to her liking.”

  “Has Katie ever blistered your ears?”

  Wyatt gave a half shrug.

  “You’re thinking about your wife again and putting that on her, aren’t you?” Mrs. Jenkins asked shrewdly.

  Wyatt sidestepped the question with one of his own. “Have you met the woman Mrs. Carter is living with? I believe she arrived on the same train.”

  “Now don’t be getting any ideas about her, Doctor Jeffries. I know you think you want a meek and mild wife sitting home keeping your supper warm for you, but you need a woman who isn’t afraid to speak her mind or leave the house once in a while. No, I haven’t met Miss Melanie yet. While she has a way with her needle, I don’t think it’s normal that she has barely set foot outside their door.” Mrs. Jenkins shook her head and interrupted whatever Wyatt was about to say. “No, you might not agree
with how Katie has dealt with her past experiences, but at least she’s dealing with them. And as sociable as you are, you need someone who can accompany you, not someone who is going to shrink into your shadow.”

  Wyatt frowned over Mrs. Jenkins’ words, wondering if there was wisdom in them. She surely had seen more of life than he had, despite living in this small town. He hesitated to accept them, though. He couldn’t picture a peaceful future with the small but mighty Mrs. Carter.

  “Well, never mind about my quest for a wife, Mrs. Jenkins, tell me how you’re feeling today.”

  “I am feeling like a new woman with the entertainment I’ve been provided between you and the dear, sweet Mrs. Carter.” She cackled over her words before growing serious. “But I’m pretty sure my nasty boils are healing up now. Surely you’ll let me get up soon.”

  “Well, let me take a look, and I’ll let you know.”

  Chapter Eleven

  H ello? Mrs. Mitchell?” Katie called out from the doorway. She checked her watch. Eleven o’clock. She was right on time. “It’s Katie, Mrs. Mitchell. We had an appointment for me to take your measurements?”

  “Help me! Please!” Katie heard a young voice coming from the back of the house. She dropped her bag of supplies and ran in that direction, skidding to a stop when she came across the boy standing over Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell’s prone bodies. He looked terrified. “It’s the flu, isn’t it?” he demanded.

  Katie’s stomach turned over, and she wanted to run back in the direction she had come from. If she never heard those words again for the rest of her life, it would be too soon. She took a deep breath and did what needed to be done.

  “Hello. My name’s Mrs. Carter, what’s yours?”