Somewhere to Call Home
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“We’re having roast chicken this evening.” Mrs. Heaton took up a pot holder and checked the contents of a large pan in the middle of the oven. There appeared to be at least two big hens in the pan. Mrs. Heaton seemed to determine all was well as she closed the oven door and motioned to Violet to follow her.
Across the hall from the kitchen was the back parlor. A bit smaller than the front parlor, it seemed cozy and inviting. It was decorated in greens and blues and was quite restful. “This parlor is more for reading or quiet conversation. Several of our boarders bring their callers here to visit with them. Gretchen or Maida are always glad to bring tea or coffee for our guests.”
The next room, between both parlors, was Mrs. Heaton’s private study. It was paneled with shelves reaching from floor to ceiling, packed full of books. “You’re welcome to come see me here anytime, Violet. And the books are available for all the boarders.”
Although she’d only gotten a glimpse of each room, the homey feel of the house comforted Violet. “It is quite lovely, Mrs. Heaton.”
“Thank you, dear. I’ll show you to your room now, as I’m sure you’re longing for a rest after your trip.” She led the way down the hall and it was then Violet noticed a telephone on a table in the curve of the staircase. Mrs. Heaton motioned to it as they passed by. “The telephone is for us all to use. Many times an employer will ring up to ask someone to come in early or change their schedule. And sometimes their families or friends need to contact them.”
They continued up the staircase to the second floor. “All my lady boarders reside on the top floors. Michael and the gentlemen have rooms on the bottom floor. They may use the outside entry or come up through the kitchen stairs, but they are not allowed past the main floor. Most boardinghouses cater to gentlemen, but there is a great need for rooms to let for women and I wanted to help fill it.”
She passed several rooms before stopping and opening a door. “I’ve given you a nice bright corner room. I hope you like it.”
Violet smiled as she entered the room. Mrs. Heaton was right. Sunrays glinted through the windows, splashing the lavender-and-yellow wallpaper and the striped bedcoverings of the same colors. It reminded her of her own room at home, only it was larger.
This room easily held a nice bedstead and armoire to match, an upholstered chair with matching footstool in one corner, a round table and lamp beside it. A writing table stood in front of one of the windows, and a small sofa set was grouped in front of the fireplace. It seemed to be a combination sitting room and bedroom, and Violet had no doubt she would be quite comfortable in it.
“Oh, this is a wonderful room, Mrs. Heaton. I’m certain I’m going to feel right at home here.”
“I hope so, my dear.”
“How nice of you to remember my favorite colors.”
“It wasn’t hard. I remembered how pretty your room was in Ashland. The bathroom is just next door, and you’ll be sharing it with another young woman. I’ll introduce you to her at dinner. Gretchen may finish helping you unpack, if you like. Then we’ll leave you to rest awhile. Dinner is at seven but, of course, you may come downstairs anytime before.”
Violet looked around and found Gretchen was hanging up her nicer gowns. “Thank you for what you’ve already done, Gretchen. I think I’ll wait to unpack the rest. I must admit I am a bit tired.”
Mrs. Heaton motioned to Gretchen, who immediately left the room. “I understand, dear. You try to rest. We only dress up for meals on the weekends—Saturday evenings, Sundays and holidays. All of the boarders work, and they are much too tired at the end of the day to follow society’s rules for dress during the week. A nice skirt and shirtwaist will suffice. If you aren’t down by dinnertime, I’ll send Gretchen up to fetch you.”
“Thank you.”
“You are quite welcome, Violet.” Mrs. Heaton moved out into the hall and quietly shut the door behind her.
After all the noise and confusion, the sights, sounds and smells of the depot and then the ride to Mrs. Heaton’s, Violet felt she needed some quiet time to take everything in. And she was more than a little nervous about meeting the other boarders. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to get her bearings first.
For now, she was glad just to be at Mrs. Heaton’s. She sank onto the bed and looked around the room once more. It did remind her of home. But would she ever have her family home free and clear from Harlan Black?
She’d paid this month’s payment the day she walked out of his office. And she’d given her best friend the money to pay the next month’s payment right before she left. Violet had barely had enough money left to get to New York City and live on for a few months. She must find work as soon as possible.
Once more she wondered if she’d done the right thing by leaving—but she’d worry about that later.
* * *
Michael found his mother in her private study, sitting in her favorite chair with her Bible in her lap and with her eyes closed as if she were praying. He had turned to leave when she called his name.
“Michael, come in, dear. I’m not asleep.”
He took a seat in the chair opposite his mother’s and put his feet up. “I didn’t want to disturb you.”
She closed her Bible and laid it on the table between them. “I’m through with my conversation with the Lord, at least for now. I was just taking a few minutes to talk to Him about our new boarder and asking Him to make Violet’s transition to our home an easy one.”
“I’m sure it’s been difficult for her since losing her mother just a month ago, especially after finding her home was mortgaged and not being able to find work. Having to leave her home couldn’t have been easy, and New York is very different from Ashland.”
His mother nodded. “I’m so glad she came here. But I think she was a bit overwhelmed today. My being late to meet her train didn’t help, but she was very gracious about it.”
“We’ll do what we can to make things easy for her, Mother.”
“I know. We can begin tonight. I’m sure she’s a little apprehensive about meeting everyone. She’s grown into quite a lovely young woman since the last time you saw her, hasn’t she?”
“Yes, she has.” Michael hadn’t been able to quit thinking of Violet all afternoon. He couldn’t remember when thoughts of a woman had interfered with his work so much, and he didn’t know quite what to make of it.
The sound of doors opening and closing signaled that many of their boarders were home from work, and his mother got up from her chair. “I’d better go see to the finishing touches for dinner.”
Michael stood, as well. “Good. My mouth has been watering ever since I walked in the door.”
“I figured as much. You might want to go to the front parlor and greet Violet when she comes down. And make sure our gentlemen boarders behave themselves.”
“That I will do.” Michael bent and kissed his mother’s cheek. “She reminds you of Rebecca, doesn’t she?”
His mother sighed and gave a quick nod. “She’s the same age that Becca was when—”
He knew she couldn’t bring herself to say the words. His sister had been missing for over three years now, and still they didn’t know what had happened to her. “Is this going to be too hard for you...having Violet here, Mother?”
“Oh, no, dear. She does bring back memories of being in Ashland before Becca left to come here...but those memories are good ones and I welcome them.”
Michael gave his mother a quick hug. “I’ll be grateful that she’s here then and do all I can to make the transition to the city easier for her.”
“Thank you, son.”
Michael watched his mother leave the room, hoping that she was right and that it would be good for her to have Violet here. She could use some joy.
Becca’s sudden disappearance after she’d moved to New York City three years earlier had changed their lives forever. It’d been the catalyst for selling their home in Ashland, moving here and starting the boardinghouse. Thankfully, his father had provided for his mother well so that they could fulfill her wishes. She wanted to give safe haven to the people who lived under her roof, especially the young women. She wanted them to have a place they felt was home even while missing their own. And she wanted to make sure that their families would never have to hear that their loved one was missing, never to be heard from again.
Michael had been trained as a private investigator by the best. He’d worked for Pinkerton before opening his own detective agency, and now he made it his life’s work to try to help his clients who had heard those same words—or others similar to them—and to follow each and every lead that might turn up about his sister.
That Violet was the daughter of his mother’s best friend and their next-door neighbor was enough to make him want to watch her as closely as he would Becca, if she were here. Becca was several years older than Violet and while one wouldn’t have called them best friends, he’d always considered them friends and had teased Violet as much as he had his own sister. He knew that if anything happened to Violet, his mother would blame herself, and Michael couldn’t let that happen.
He stood and rubbed the back of his neck before heading down the hall to the front parlor. Their boarders were a good group for the most part, but after what his mother had told him about Violet, he wanted to be there to try to put her at ease among strangers.
“Why, Michael, how nice of you to join us early tonight!” Lila Miller, a young woman who’d been with them for nearly a year, left the side of Luke Patterson and headed in his direction as soon as he entered the parlor.
“Good evening, Miss Miller, everyone,” he said, trying to make eye contact with each person in the room.
“To what do we owe this honor, Michael?” Lila asked. “You’ve barely been on time for meals the last few weeks.”
He’d like to tell her that it was her company he’d been trying to avoid lately, but that was out of the question, of course. Michael didn’t want to offend her. He just didn’t like the way she fawned over him.
“I thought I’d greet our new boarder when she comes down.”
“Oh?” Lila raised a narrow brown eyebrow. “She’s here then?”
“She arrived this afternoon.”
“And she’s here now.” Elizabeth Anderson, one of his mother’s favorite boarders, entered the room just ahead of Violet. “Everyone, meet Violet Burton. I met her at the landing. She seemed a bit hesitant to come down, but I promised her that we’d all be on our best behavior. At least until we get to know her better.”
The young woman who’d followed Elizabeth into the room smiled at everyone and said, “I took her at her word.”
That brought chuckles from the boarders gathering around her, and Michael quickly crossed the room to her side. “Violet, I hope you’ve been able to get some rest?”
His mother was right. This was not the Violet he remembered. That one had been a young girl and, while pretty and sweet, this Violet was a fully grown woman and a lovely one at that. Her black hair was swept up on top of her head, and when her gaze settled on him, he was struck by how brilliantly blue her eyes were.
“I did, thank you, Mr. Heaton.”
She hadn’t called him Mr. Heaton back home. It’d only been Michael...and that in an exasperated tone when he’d been teasing her and Becca. He chuckled at the memory. Perhaps she was only doing it now because of the boarders, but he didn’t like it. “Oh, come now, Violet. Surely as long as we’ve known each other, we can dispense with the formalities, can’t we?”
She looked up at him and her smiled deepened. “I suppose we can...Michael.”
But her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes and the wary expression in them reminded him of all she’d been through so recently. Suddenly his protective instincts rose up full force, shocking him with their intensity. In that moment, Michael knew he’d do all he could to keep Violet Burton safe and to help her adjust to her new surroundings.
Chapter Two
“Dinner is served,” Mrs. Heaton announced from the dining room. “Come along, everyone, we’ll make the remaining introductions while we dine.”
Michael held out his arm and Violet hesitated for a moment before taking it. This was Michael Heaton, after all, not a complete stranger. He’d been her neighbor for years and he was only escorting her across the hall to the dining room. Although he was several years older than Violet, she’d known him all of her life. And his teasing manner was just the same as it had been when she was growing up.
But Violet hadn’t been prepared for the effect of his smile on her. The sheer force of it, with those twin dimples that hadn’t been in evidence earlier that day, left her a little stunned and bewildered that she felt so drawn to him. She told herself it was because it was so good to see another familiar face in this strange city so far away from home, but she wasn’t sure she was telling herself the truth. Her heartbeat hadn’t slowed down since her gaze met his.
He led her across the foyer and into the dining room. Pulling out a chair, he seated Violet while another of the boarders seated his mother at the opposite end of the table. Then Michael took his own place at the head of the table; his chair was adjacent to the one Violet was sitting in.
The brown-haired, brown-eyed woman who’d been standing with her hand on Michael’s forearm when Violet came into the parlor had slipped into the chair opposite Violet, but her attention was solely on Michael.
Others who were in the parlor took their seats at the table, and Violet was relieved to see that, just as Mrs. Heaton had said, most of the ladies were dressed in skirts and nice shirtwaists. Mrs. Heaton had changed into a dark brown skirt and beige shirtwaist as well, and Violet felt as if she fit in with the navy skirt and crisp white shirt she’d chosen. It had a lace insert at the top of the bodice and she’d worn her mother’s cameo, which made her feel a little dressed up, but not so much that she felt out of place. She let out a small sigh of relief.
Once everyone was settled, they all looked to Mrs. Heaton for direction.
“Michael, will you please say grace?”
“Certainly.”
Violet bowed her head while he said a simple prayer of thanksgiving. She was touched that he thanked the Lord for her safe travel as well as for the food. Once he’d finished the prayer, he began passing dishes family-style with some help from Gretchen and Maida. The other boarders began to talk amongst themselves as the dishes were passed around, and Violet felt herself begin to relax.
Michael held the tray while she selected a piece of chicken, and then he handed it off to the man beside her while Gretchen and Maida helped keep the rest of the dishes moving around the table. The side dishes were creamed potatoes, peas, carrots and baby onions. The rolls were crisp and hot, and Violet was glad there were so many small conversations going on that hopefully no one could hear her stomach growl.
When all the dishes had made the round of the table, and Gretchen and her sister had slipped into their chairs, Mrs. Heaton introduced Violet to the other boarders.
“This is Violet Burton, our new boarder. She’s a dear friend of the family and we’re very happy that she’s come to live here.” She then motioned to the young woman on her right. “Violet, this is Julia Olsen, who works at Ellis Island. It’s a busy job she has.”
The auburn-haired girl smiled down the table at Violet. Her green eyes sparkled. “It’s certainly an interesting one, too. I’ve many stories to tell.”
“I look forward to hearing them.” Violet took some potatoes and passed them down.
“The gentleman next to her is Benjamin Roth, who is a teacher,” Mrs. Heaton continued with the introductions. “And across from you is Lila Miller, who works at Butterick.”
Benjamin had blond hair and blue eyes. “Good to have you with us, Miss Burton.”
“Thank you, Mr. Roth.” Violet then smiled at Lila. “Butterick! Oh, wonderful! Their patterns certainly have made it easier for the home seamstress to make garments that fit,” Violet said.
Lila gave a half smile and slight nod while Mrs. Heaton continued, “On your right is Luke Patterson. Luke writes dime novels.”
“Dime novels?” Violet asked. She’d never met a real writer before. “How interesting.”
Luke’s blue eyes seemed to twinkle as he brushed his brown hair off his brow and smiled. “I think so.”
Mrs. Heaton continued, “And next to him is Elizabeth Anderson, who works for The Delineator. She’s also the young woman you’ll be sharing a bathroom with.”
“We met at the landing, Mrs. Heaton,” Elizabeth said with a smile. She had blond hair and hazel eyes.
“And Elizabeth was kind enough to accompany me down to the parlor,” Violet added. “I love The Delineator. Mother subscribed to it and we pored over it, looking at all the newest styles.” She looked from Elizabeth to Lila and back again. “Isn’t The Delineator owned by Butterick? Do you two work together?”
Lila gave a brief shake of her head, but Elizabeth explained. “Butterick does own the magazine. And we joke about being coworkers, but The Delineator has its own offices at Butterick Publishing Company on Thirteenth Street.”
“I see.” Violet liked Elizabeth. She was quite friendly and helpful. She wished she could say the same about Lila, who only seemed to smile for Michael’s benefit.
Mrs. Heaton continued with her introductions. “Of course you’ve met Gretchen and Maida. We have another boarder, but he’s out for the evening. You’ll meet him tomorrow.”
“It’s probably better this way. The whole bunch of us at one time might intimidate Miss Burton,” Luke Patterson said.
“I’m sure she can handle being around us all, Luke.” Julia took a roll from the basket Mrs. Heaton passed her and handed it to Benjamin. “She’s got to be a brave woman to move to New York City on her own.”
Violet almost laughed out loud. If Julia could have seen her at the train station today, she might not think she was so brave.
“Violet will be able to handle this household with ease. I’m certain of it.” Mrs. Heaton smiled at Violet and then looked around the table. “What we need to do for her now, though, is try to come up with places that she can apply for employment. Do any of you know of any openings?”
“What is it you are trained to do, Miss Burton?” Julia asked from down the table.
“Well, I can’t say I’m trained to do anything. I can cook and clean. And I can sew, but I’m not sure I could call myself a seamstress. I’ve only sewn for my mother or myself.” Suddenly, Violet realized she wasn’t really trained for any kind of employment. She’d been groomed to be a wife, but that wasn’t anything she wanted any part of at the moment—if ever. “I really don’t know what kind of work I’d be best suited for....”
“Don’t worry,” Elizabeth said with a chuckle. “I most certainly wasn’t trained to work for a magazine. Most of us have positions where we’ve been trained to do the job. I don’t think The Delineator has any openings at present, but I’ll check. I’m sure you’ll find something, though.”
“Lila, didn’t you say recently that Butterick was needing help?” Michael asked.
Lila glanced over at Violet and chewed her bottom lip for a moment before looking back at Michael. Her smile brightened as she fluttered her eyelashes at him. “I believe they were needing help with folding and packaging the patterns or possibly with cutting them out. I know they hired one girl, but I can ask tomorrow if they still need help.”
“Oh, would you, dear?” Mrs. Heaton asked. “I would think of it as a personal favor to me, if you would.”
“As would I,” Michael added.
“Then I will certainly ask.” Lila batted her eyelashes once more.
“Thank you, Lila,” Violet said. “That is very kind of you.”
The other girl’s smile dimmed somewhat as she glanced at Violet. “I’ll let you know what I find out.”
“Anyone else know of anything?” Michael asked.
“I have a friend who works at Tiffany Glass. They might not be hiring right now, but she says someone is always getting married and there are bound to be openings before too long,” Elizabeth said.
“We can look at the classifieds in the morning paper, too,” Michael suggested.
Several other ideas were mentioned as they ate their meal and Violet felt her hopes for employment grow. Surely in a city this large, she could find something before long. At least Harlan Black didn’t have an influence here. He couldn’t stop people from hiring her.
Coconut cake was served with coffee, and Violet enjoyed it while she listened to the others talk about their day. So far everyone seemed nice, but Violet couldn’t help but notice that most all the women at the table seemed to hang on to every word that came out of Michael’s mouth. And if Lila Miller batted her eyelashes at him each time he looked her way, she wasn’t the only one doing so. Even with two other men at the table, Michael seemed to be the one who had the attention of every woman, and—much to Violet’s dismay—that included her. She couldn’t really blame them. Those dimples were hard not to watch for.
* * *
During the meal, Michael watched the interaction between the boarders and Violet. She listened more than she talked, and she seemed to be totally unaware that Luke and Benjamin were both taking in everything she did say. On the other hand, he hadn’t missed the way the two men watched her every move.
A new woman in their midst was always of interest to the male boarders. Just as he supposed a new man would be to the females sitting at the table. But Luke and Benjamin appeared to be totally captivated by Violet. While he couldn’t blame them—she was lovely and quite unpretentious—Michael felt a little out of sorts about the attention they were giving her.
He watched as Violet asked Luke about his writing and wondered, what would she think if she knew Luke sometimes did investigative work for Michael’s detective agency? It was something few people knew about, which worked to Michael’s benefit. No one would suspect one of his agents was the dime-novel writer living in his mother’s boardinghouse. Violet seemed interested in Luke’s writing—was she interested in him?
It shouldn’t matter. Michael had made up his mind never to become interested in any of the women living in his mother’s boardinghouse—an easy thing to do since he’d been burned once and was determined never to let it happen again. But Violet wasn’t just a boarder. They’d lived next door to each other, and their mothers had been best friends. He couldn’t ignore that connection. Nor did he want to.
He glanced her way as she spoke to Elizabeth, and realized how much she’d changed since he last saw her. She seemed to have lost the smattering of freckles that once graced her nose, and her skin was smooth and flawless now, but he found he missed those freckles.
It took some effort to pull his thoughts back to the present and he was glad to see that most everyone seemed genuinely interested in helping Violet find employment, with the exception of Lila. She didn’t seem enthused about assisting in the search—at least not where she worked. He was certain she’d mentioned that Butterick was expanding and needed more help just a week or so ago, and he’d almost laughed at the look on Lila’s face when he’d backed her into a corner so she had no choice but to say she would check on it. However, he wasn’t totally confident that she would keep her word.
He’d had no reason to check the classifieds, so he didn’t know if Butterick might have placed an ad. Hopefully they’d find something in the paper tomorrow, whether it be Butterick or some other place. It would make things easier if Violet found a position where one of the other girls worked. She’d be able to learn her way around a little faster if she had someone to go to work and come home with. But this was New York City, after all. Violet would find something. He was sure of it.
* * *
When everyone adjourned to the parlor, Violet excused herself saying she had unpacking still to do. That was the truth, but the real reason she felt the need to escape to her room was that she was quite overwhelmed by her whole day. It had been a very long one and she hadn’t had time to let it soak in that she really was going to make her home in New York City, in this house, with these people.