A Place of Refuge

Chapter Three

Kathleen went down to breakfast for the first time the next morning to find Mrs. Heaton, Elizabeth and Ben already at the table.

“Good morning, Kathleen.” Mrs. Heaton smiled from the head of the table. “I’m glad you felt like coming down this morning. As you can see, we all eat breakfast at different times. Just help yourself, dear.” She motioned to the sideboard.

Kathleen was a bit disappointed that Luke wasn’t there, but tried not to show it as she picked up a plate on the sideboard and chose some fluffy scrambled eggs, bacon and a biscuit. She was going to have to watch that she didn’t gain weight living here, for the fare was much more than she was used to.

“Good morning. Have the others already had breakfast?” Kathleen took the seat she’d sat in the night before and was happy to see the utensil setting was one she could manage—one knife, one fork and a spoon.

“I’m not sure, but possibly,” Elizabeth said. “I slept in today.”

“Luke ate earlier. I ran into him on my way in,” Ben said. “He went down to get some writing done so he could go on the outing with us.”

Kathleen was glad Luke was coming. She really didn’t know him any better than the others, but she felt safe when he was around. “What does he write?”

“He writes dime novels,” Mrs. Heaton said.

A writer? Somehow that surprised Kathleen.

“I’m glad you feel up to going to the museum, Kathleen,” Mrs. Heaton continued. “Have you ever been before?”

Kathleen shook her head and swallowed the bite she’d just taken. “No, ma’am. But I’ve been told it’s wonderful.”

“It is. You’ll love it,” Elizabeth said. “Some of my friends have said that the Michelangelo collection is magnificent.”

“Yes, I’ve heard that, too. Mrs. Driscoll has talked about it.” She didn’t mention that she really wasn’t familiar with Michelangelo or his work as she’d never been to a museum of any kind. Hopefully she would be well acquainted with it by that evening.

“You can all tell me about it at dinner,” Mrs. Heaton said, pushing back her chair. “You know, I don’t believe you’ve seen all of this floor, Kathleen. Would you like a tour so that you know your way around?”

“Oh, yes, I would, please.” She was finished eating and she pushed back her chair.

“Let’s start with the kitchen,” Mrs. Heaton said, leading her through the door on the other end of the dining room.

It was large and sunny and smelled wonderful. Gretchen turned from the sink to say, “Good morning, Miss Kathleen. It’s good to see you this morning.”

“It’s good to see you as well, Gretchen.”

Mrs. Heaton led her back to the hall and to a room across from the kitchen. “This is the back parlor where you may bring a guest. Gretchen and Maida are always happy to prepare refreshment for you and your company. It’s a nice place to come to read or write letters or just a place to relax.”

It was a very inviting room, smaller but just as beautiful as the larger parlor, and done in blues and greens with a homey feel to it. After that was a smaller room, very cozy with a wall of shelves filled with books.

“This is my study. You’re welcome to borrow any book you’d like,” Mrs. Heaton said.

“I do like to read, but haven’t had much opportunity to in a while.” Kathleen couldn’t remember when she’d last had the time to read for pleasure.

“Feel free to help yourself anytime.”

“Thank you, I will.”

They walked out and Mrs. Heaton showed her where the telephone was in an area under the staircase. “Mrs. Driscoll has this number in case she needs to call you in. And I have hers if you should need to speak with her.”

They were back to the foyer and Mrs. Heaton said, “That’s about it for this floor—except there is a small garden out back. Downstairs is where the men’s rooms are, and the next floor up from yours is where Maida’s and Gretchen’s rooms are, with a few other rooms that are used from time to time.”

“It’s beautiful, Mrs. Heaton.”

The telephone in the cubby behind the staircase rang just then and Mrs. Heaton took it on herself to answer. She put her hand over the receiver and whispered, “This is a call I need to take. I’m sorry, I—”

“Oh, no, please take your call. I’ll see you later.”

Kathleen gave a little wave and hurried upstairs to her room. A room she’d never thought to live in and wasn’t sure she could afford to, until after she knew what Mrs. Heaton would be charging her. The woman had refused to discuss it until after Kathleen went back to work, telling her that she didn’t owe a penny until then.

She’d hate to leave, but after seeing the rest of the house, she couldn’t imagine that she could actually afford to stay. She might have to look into the YWCA. Kathleen made her bed—refusing to let Gretchen and Maida do it for her. They had enough work to do.

The bathroom was empty and she decided to wash her hair for the outing that afternoon. She toweled it dry as best she could and combed it out, knowing it would dry into near-uncontrollable curls.

When she entered her room, she noticed the door to her armoire was open slightly and went to close it. But color caught her eye and she opened it to find it full of clothing and a note attached to a gold dinner dress. At least that’s what she thought it was from the magazines some of her coworkers had brought to work.

She unpinned the note and read, “Kathleen, these are the outfits I told you about. As you can see, the colors are much more suited to you than to me. This gold dress will work nicely for dinner tonight. I hope everything fits. If not, we can alter them. I took a sewing course from Violet Heaton last summer.”

Kathleen hurried back into the bathroom and knocked on Elizabeth’s door. When her new friend opened it with a smile, Kathleen threw her arms around her neck.

“I don’t know what to say, except thank you, Elizabeth. I’m not sure I can accept your generosity though—it’s too much.”

“It is not too much, Kathleen. Aside from my buying on a whim, I have an aunt who buys clothes for me without taking into consideration the colors or styles I like. I wore them each once for her. I’ll not be wearing them again. If you don’t like them—” Elizabeth shrugged “—we’ll just gather them up and I’ll—”

“Oh, no. I do love them. And I’m sure they’ll fit. Thank you.”

“You are more than welcome. Come on, try them on and let’s see if they need to be taken up anywhere.”

They spent the rest of the morning with Kathleen trying on outfits, including a warm coat Elizabeth had assured her she didn’t need.

“I have another newer one, Kathleen, and I like it better. This one is just going to hang in my closet or be given to someone else.”

The coat fit perfectly, as did everything else, and all Kathleen could do was thank Elizabeth once more. As she tried on one outfit after another, Elizabeth ran back and forth between rooms to find the accessories that went with them. It was almost too much to take in.

By the time she and Elizabeth joined the others in the foyer to go to the museum, Kathleen felt as if she were the most blessed person on earth. Hard as it’d been for her to understand why things never seemed to get better for her sister’s family, now she couldn’t understand why things had changed so drastically, in the best possible way, for her. All she knew was that the Lord had blessed her beyond anything she’d ever imagined.

* * *

When Luke saw how happy Kathleen looked as she and Elizabeth came downstairs, he was very glad he’d written enough that he could take the afternoon off.

“Are you ready? Are your shoes comfortable?” he asked Kathleen.

“I’m ready and yes, my shoes are comfortable. Elizabeth gave them to me and she broke them in well.”

“That was nice of her.” Luke smiled and nodded at Elizabeth. He’d been sure the women at Heaton House would take care of any shortage in Kathleen’s wardrobe. They seemed to have plenty and were always bringing in more from a shopping trip on Ladies’ Mile.

“They look comfortable and that’s good, because you’re going to be walking a lot.”

They all left the house and he fell into step beside Kathleen as the group headed for the trolley stop.

“This is a very nice neighborhood,” she said. “I thought it would be, since Heaton House is so beautiful, but I haven’t been out since the night I was brought here.”

“Gramercy Park is a good neighborhood. It’s an old one, but very well kept as you can see. The park is nice, too. We’ll have to show it to you one day.”

“There’s a park?”

“Yes,” Elizabeth said from behind her. “It’s a small private one, open only for those living in the neighborhood. It really is a kind of oasis of sorts and you can’t get to it without a key.”

“It sounds lovely.”

The trolley to the museum arrived and Luke made sure to be right behind Kathleen as they stepped up into it. He had their fare paid before she could open her reticule.

“That’s all right, miss. You’re paid for,” the driver said.

Luke wasn’t sure how she would take him paying for her but it didn’t take long to find out. He found empty seats for them and motioned for her to take the one by the window.

As soon as they both had sat down, she turned to him, her eyes flashing. “Thank you for getting my fare for me, Mr. Patterson. But I have a job and I don’t expect you or anyone else to pay my way.”

“Please don’t be upset with me, Miss O’Bryan.” He smiled down at her. “I know you haven’t worked this week and I don’t want you to go short until you get your next pay. Forgive me if I’ve insulted you.”

Kathleen closed her eyes and gave a little shake to her head before releasing a sigh. “I’m sorry if I’ve insulted you after all you’ve done for me, Mr. Patterson. You and Mrs. Heaton know I didn’t arrive with much and I realize you are only trying to help me. Please forgive me for being so prideful.”

His heart twisted in his chest. This woman... “There is nothing to forgive you for, Kathleen. Not a thing. And if you want to pay me back, you can—after you get paid again.”

Then she smiled at him and said, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” The tightness in his chest eased somewhat but he felt awful for injuring her pride. He’d have to be more careful from now on.

“Mrs. Heaton told me you write dime novels.”

He was relieved that she’d changed the subject. “I do. Do you like to read?”

“Yes, although I haven’t done much of it in a while. Where do you usually set your stories?”

“Oh, all over. Out West at first, but lately, I’ve been setting them closer to home.”

“Does Mrs. Heaton have any copies in her library?”

“I believe I gave her some.”

“Then I’ll have to borrow one.”

He wanted to tell her he could give her copies of her own, but he didn’t want to upset her again. “Let me know what you think. Not everyone likes dime novels.”

“I look forward to reading your work.”

“I hope you enjoy it.” Luke felt nervous—would she like his writing? He hoped so.

They’d arrived at the stop right outside the museum and he stepped into the aisle to let Kathleen out. Once out of the trolley, the group gathered to go inside. He hoped Kathleen liked the museum as much as he did.

As they toured the museum, Luke saw again why the Metropolitan was one of his favorite places. Though it was full of all kinds of art, the paintings interested him the most. With the special Michelangelo collection on exhibit, they spent most of their time looking at these works.

From the look on Kathleen’s face, he was sure she was as enthralled with the paintings as he was.

He knew she was when she whispered, “I’ve never seen anything like this. The Lord certainly gave him a talent, didn’t He?”

“He did. I think I could spend several days straight, right here, looking at his work.”

“I’m so sorry we aren’t going to see everything in the museum today. Now I know why Ben wanted to get an earlier start.”

“Oh, we’d never be able to see it all in a day, Kathleen,” Elizabeth said from behind them.

“And I might not have been able to come if I hadn’t had a chance to get some writing in. Besides, it gives us a reason to keep coming back.”

“Oh, I would love to come back.”

“You will.” Luke smiled down at Kathleen. He’d certainly like to bring her again.

Hours later when they decided to call it a day, they went outside to find the weather had turned much cooler.

“Why don’t we go to the nearest drugstore soda fountain and get some hot cocoa?” Ben asked. “It’ll warm us up for the ride home.”

Everyone agreed and before long they were all sitting at a round table sipping the sweet chocolaty drink. He watched as Kathleen interacted with the others. She seemed to be enjoying herself and so was Luke. He couldn’t remember when he’d had such a good time on one of their outings.

* * *

Kathleen had never had an outing quite like the one that day, with men and women going together as a group. Everyone she knew was too tired to do much more on a weekend than get ready for the next workweek.

Which was what she proceeded to do when they got back to Heaton House. But she’d been surprised to find that her laundry had been done for her. She’d hurried downstairs in search of Mrs. Heaton. They hadn’t discussed her rent yet, but Kathleen knew she couldn’t afford to have someone do her laundry and she needed to let Mrs. Heaton know.

Kathleen found her in her study, sitting in front of the fireplace. “May I speak to you, Mrs. Heaton?”

“Of course you may. Come in, dear.” She motioned for her to take the empty chair next to hers. “Did you have a nice time at the museum?”

Kathleen sat down. “Yes, ma’am, I did, thank you. But, Mrs. Heaton, I must speak to you about my laundry. I’m not sure I can afford to—”

“Kathleen, dear, don’t worry. It’s included in the rent.”

“Yes, well, that’s something we haven’t talked about. I need to know what it is, please.”

Mrs. Heaton quoted her a figure that seemed much too low. “Oh, Mrs. Heaton, that can’t be right. I was paying my sister more than that for living with her and Clancy. I insist on paying you the regular amount.”

“That is what I’m charging you, Kathleen, dear. I didn’t start this boardinghouse to make money, but to help young women have a safe place to call home. And I set the rent accordingly.” With that Mrs. Heaton put up a hand as if to end the conversation.

Kathleen didn’t know what to say next.

Mrs. Heaton reached out and patted her on the hand. “If it makes you feel any better, there are those in need who spend a night or two here occasionally, just as you did that one time. I call them my temporaries and I don’t charge them at all for the time they spend with me.”

“But, Mrs. Heaton, I’m not a temporary now and I don’t feel right paying so little, and then to have you feed me and do my laundry on top of it?” She shook her head.

“Kathleen, food and laundry are part of the board you pay.”

“But you’re barely charging enough for the room, Mrs. Heaton.”

“Kathleen, this is my boardinghouse and I charge what I want. I want to help you, not make life harder for you. I know you worry about your sister and her boys. If you have enough left at the end of a week, send a bit to them.”

“I don’t know how to thank you.”

“Oh, child, it gives me comfort to know that I’m providing a safe home for you and the others. That is all the thanks I want.”

Remembering what Elizabeth had told her about Mrs. Heaton’s daughter brought tears to her eyes and all Kathleen could do was hug the woman and hurry out of the room before she saw them.

She’d no more than made it to the hallway before she ran into Luke. Or she would have if he hadn’t put out his hands to keep the near disaster from happening.

“Whoa there—are you all right, Miss O’Bryan?”

His hands were gentle on her arms but the moment she gasped, he immediately dropped them. “I’m sorry. I just didn’t want you to—”

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going.” She brushed back the tears and looked up at him.

“Are you hurting? What’s happened to make you cry?”

She’d never met anyone who seemed to notice so much about her. “I’m not hurting. It’s just— Mrs. Heaton has been through so much heartache, and still she reaches out to others and—” She swallowed around the knot of tears and shook her head.

“She does do that. And I’m very glad she reached out to you.” He pulled out a crisp white handkerchief and, knowing that the man intended no harm, Kathleen allowed him to dab at a lone tear that’d escaped and ran down her cheek.

“So am I.” She was very thankful that she was here, thankful for Mrs. Heaton’s support and for this man who stood there trying to help now.

He tucked his handkerchief in her hand. “You may keep it. If there is anything I can help you with, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you. I’ll wash it and get it back to you soon.”

“There’s no hurry. I have a lot of them.”

Kathleen wasn’t sure what to say next and was relieved when Luke spoke again.

“Are you going to join the others in the parlor before dinner?”

“Yes, but first I’m going to go up and freshen up.”

“All right. I’ll see you later, then.”

“Yes. I’d better hurry before Mrs. Heaton calls us down.” She hurried upstairs, aware of Luke’s gaze on her as she did. He seemed too good to be true. She’d never met a man like Luke Patterson. And she liked him a lot.

But could she trust her instincts where he was concerned? That she didn’t know. She’d seen too many men, abusive men like her brother-in-law, who treated their women badly. She thought it almost impossible to trust any of them. Still, believing it impossible didn’t keep her from wishing it could be different.

Chapter Four

“Do you think that brother-in-law will come after Miss O’Bryan, Luke?” Michael Heaton asked. He’d asked for a few minutes with him while Sunday dinner was being put on the table and they’d gone to Mrs. Heaton’s study.

“I don’t know. But you can be sure I’ll be on the lookout for him. I don’t think Kathleen’s sister will let him know where she is—she sent her here for her safety, after all.”

Michael nodded. “I’m just concerned about Mother. And yet I’d never want to stop the good she does. But since I’ve moved out, I do worry about her. You can’t be here all the time, but knowing you are around most of the time—actually more than I was before I married—and trusting in the Lord to watch over Heaton House...well, it gives me peace.”

“I’m glad to know that.”

“But I do remember that man from the park last year. He’s a bad one.”

“Yes, he is. I’m glad Kathleen—Miss O’Bryan got out of there. But I believe she worries a great deal about her sister and nephews.”

“I’m sure she does. Has she heard anything from her sister?”

Luke nodded. “They’re corresponding through a neighbor. Still, I think she worries about the time in between letters.”

“That’s understandable,” Michael said. “You know, she’s quite pretty.”

“Yes, she is.” In Luke’s opinion, pretty was an understatement. But then, Michael hadn’t seen her come downstairs dressed in a gold dinner dress the night before. She’d looked beautiful. Her hair had been done up in what looked like a cloud of fire and he’d had a hard time keeping his eyes off her all evening.

She’d looked just as lovely today when she attended church with Mrs. Heaton, Luke and some of the other boarders. Michael and Violet were there when they arrived and Mrs. Heaton had introduced them to Kathleen before sliding into the pew to sit beside her daughter-in-law. She’d motioned for Kathleen to sit beside her and Luke had taken the seat on the other side of Kathleen. Ben, John and Julia slid in the pew behind them. Luke found he had to really concentrate to keep his mind on the sermon. It was from Romans 8, about how all things work together for the good of those who love God, those called according to His purpose. He sent up a prayer that all things were working for the good of Kathleen and her sister.