Courting Misfortune

by Regina Jennings

  The thin boards and sparse roofing materials were the bare minimum one could have and still claim the title of house, but Calista knew not to pity the Campbells anymore. On their walk to Silas’s claim, Matthew had told her that their fortunes had changed. Dan hoped they would soon be able to construct a home, maybe even one in town. Such were the fortunes of the miners in the area. Starving one day, rich as Midas the next. If only there was a story where a king turned everything he touched to zinc and lead instead of gold, it would be more fitting.

  Calista knocked on the door, then stepped back to wait. A miner’s wife and two children strolled by happily, carrying groceries for the week. What a blessing to live simply, to know your neighbors, to bring home food to prepare for your family. Calista had left Kansas City because she didn’t feel needed. Her job with the Pinkertons gave her purpose, but would she still have her position once all the facts were known?

  Loretta opened the door. Without a word, she stepped aside, opening the way for Calista to enter. Calista looked around but didn’t see Howie. Unease crept into her chest. Calm, she reminded herself. You’re just on edge because of Silas. Moving gracefully and deliberately, she took a seat on a rickety cloth-covered chair.

  “Where’s Howie?” she asked.

  Loretta sat next to her in a posture almost of supplication. Despite her shaking hands, she looked more hopeful than Calista had ever known her to be. “He’s asleep on the bed, but I wanted to talk to you about him. Now, don’t feel ill-at-ease. No matter what you tell me, it’s your choice. I have no rights in the issue. I just want you to listen.”

  “I’m always happy to listen.” Calista tried to look past the sheet that divided the room, but she couldn’t see the child. Now would be a good time for Matthew to arrive. She didn’t know Loretta well, and she could tell something important was about to be shared.

  “You know about Dan’s injury last year, don’t you? He lost his job at the mine when he broke his leg. We were destitute. We lost everything and didn’t know where our next meal was coming from.”

  Calista nodded. “You shared that at our gathering. It was a dark time.”

  “But there’s something I didn’t share. It was too painful, and I was afraid no one would understand. Last year, when that happened, I was pregnant.” Her mouth twitched in a smile of remembrance. “Dan kept telling me that it would be alright, but when the baby was born, we had no money. Nothing in the cupboard. Dan couldn’t walk, much less shovel ore. We were new to town. Every once in a while, people tried to help, maybe share a meal, but our future was grim. I was so hungry, and I didn’t want the baby to feel that way. When I couldn’t feed him any longer, I had to put his needs first.”

  “You put him in the Children’s Home.” Calista’s eyes stung. With the pain of an upcoming sacrifice looming, she felt a kinship with Loretta.

  “It was only for a little while. Just until we got back on our feet. Then we figured we’d go and adopt him back. They allowed for that with other mothers, they told us. But we waited too long. Dan thought that after his leg healed, the mine would hire him again, but they didn’t want him. They said he was accident-prone. So then he was left doing odd jobs until we could get enough together to lease a claim. The last claim failed, and then we heard the news. They were going to sell raffle tickets to decide who got Howie.”

  Calista’s eyes darted to the hanging sheet as understanding dawned. “Howie is your baby?” With a yelp, she slid off her chair onto her knees. Loretta startled, but Calista caught her hands. “Tell me, is Howie your baby?”

  Loretta nodded, sending Calista into unladylike laughter.

  “All this time, I was worried sick over how I was going to take care of him.”

  “And I’ve been distraught that he was gone. I couldn’t even bring myself to look at the paper and see who had him. It seemed easier not to know. After Matthew failed to get the raffle canceled, I told myself that was that, I had to forget him. I’m just surprised you bought tickets, knowing how opposed Matthew was.”

  “I didn’t. It was a prank by my cousins, but Matthew insisted that it was God’s provision. He said for me to take Howie and have faith that everything would be settled in the end. And it is. I will gladly return your son to you. You made a sacrifice to keep him well, despite the judgment and sorrow it brought. That was the most selfless act you could’ve undertaken. And now, just a few months later, you’re able to provide for him.”

  “Truly, you’ll let us have him?” Loretta stood, yanking Calista to her feet and wrapping her in a hug. “I didn’t know if it was legal, since you’d filed paper work.”

  “There’s no law on the books that can keep him from you,” Calista said. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to see him returned. I was worried, with me leaving, but this is the perfect news at the perfect time.”

  Loretta stepped out of the embrace. “You’re leaving? But I thought you and Matthew . . . ?”

  Why did everyone think stuff about her and Matthew? There was a lot of speculating going on in this town, and it had nothing to do with minerals. And what would it take to convince Matthew that she didn’t love him? The longer she thought about it, the more convinced she was that rejecting him was the kindest way, but it would be the most trying performance of her life.

  “Do I need to take Howie for now?” Calista asked. “If you aren’t prepared . . .”

  Loretta’s eyes widened. “Don’t you dare. I put him to sleep in the other room because I thought it safer to keep him out of your reach. If you left with him, I’m afraid I’d be right at your heels.”

  Calista held out her arms, and Loretta gave her another hug that made her backbone crack.

  “Thank you for watching over my boy,” Loretta said. “We’ll never lose him again.”

  “Thank Matthew. This was all his doing.” Calista went to the door. “I have some clothes for Howie and a bottle or two. I’ll send them this way.”

  Loretta started to answer, then covered her mouth and with shining eyes headed toward her room to wake the boy she’d thought she would never see again.

  Calista would long remember how thrilled Loretta was to have her baby back. She could imagine how Loretta would fuss over him, bathe him in tears and prayers of thanksgiving, and how eagerly she would wait for Dan to come home and share their news. It would be the happiest day of their lives.

  If only Jinxy Seaton could have the same reunion.

  CHAPTER

  24

  Matthew clipped another daisy from the raised patch of flowers in his garden and set it aside. He’d miss this little square of beauty when he got his own place, but there was nothing written that forbade him from planting his own garden once he got a house for himself. Or for himself and Calista.

  The sun had gone down behind the Keystone Hotel, but there was still an hour of daylight left. The air had begun to cool, and bugs were buzzing around the more fragrant bushes. How could Calista leave? She couldn’t. She had to stay, and Matthew would convince her of it. But the later in the day it got, the more he worried that trouble had befallen her. Perhaps another man like Teddy or a crooked policeman had attacked her, or Silas had come looking for her to even the score. It might be something as simple as her going to Granny Laura’s to say good-bye and after that catching the train. Whatever it meant, he didn’t like it.

  From the alley, he heard the rustle of cloth. The blooms of tiger lilies shivered as someone hurried past on the other side of the fence. It was Calista. His throat tightened when she opened the gate and came in.

  “For you.” He held out the untidy bouquet.

  She dropped the small, soft bundle she was holding and reached to take the flowers. “There’s so much. I don’t know where to start. Has Silas been dealt with?”

  “I’m flummoxed,” Matthew said. “How could he stand there and show no remorse?”

  “Those poor women. And the children . . .” Her eyes shone. “But I have unbelievable news. Guess where Howie is.”
<
br />   “With Maisie?”

  “With Loretta Campbell. He’s their baby.”

  Matthew frowned. “You’re not making any sense.”

  “He was born during Dan’s injury. Remember them talking about how hungry they were? How they had no money even for food? They took him to the Children’s Home. They hoped to get him back when they got some money. You can imagine how distraught they were when the raffle was announced.”

  Matthew shook his head. He couldn’t think of anything more painful. And ever since then, Loretta had mourned bravely, never telling them the reason. “They didn’t know you had him?”

  “She said the pain was too great to bear. They avoided the newspapers. They didn’t want to read about how happy he was to be going with another family. She just prayed that he would be cared for.”

  “But now she has him?”

  “These are his things.” She pointed to the bundle. “I told Loretta you would bring them. You’ll want to see them. They’re so happy. It turns out you were right. God used Maisie and Amos’s prank for good. I’m glad I listened to you.”

  The bruises on her neck hadn’t faded yet. Her face was flushed with excitement and animated by her good news. She was beautiful, and he had something important to tell her.

  “I have news too.”

  “Did you find Mrs. Bowman?” she asked.

  “No, but I found Mrs. Cook.” When Calista made no remark, he continued. “Calista, I’m not a humble man. I think I can improve the world. I think I can help people. And I think I can make you happy. Your parents might be wealthier than I ever aspire to be, but you’ve told me that it doesn’t mean much without a purpose. If you’re willing to get by on less money, you’ll never lack for a purpose here. You’ll be with me, looking after the miners and working girls in Joplin and making it a city to be proud of.”

  He felt the release of days of frustration. His speech had been easier to deliver than he’d expected. Once he got rolling, it had been the most natural thing in the world.

  Calista dropped her arms. The flowers dangled from her hand. She reminded Matthew of a weary miner who’d just dropped his shovel, only to learn that he had to take it up again.

  “You have some nerve.” She sounded more wounded than outraged. “You think you can make an offer that will tempt me to give up everything I’ve worked for?”

  Was it surprise or wounded pride that made him sputter? “You want to stay. I can tell you want to stay.”

  “I want a lot of things. I want a nap. I want a new locket to go with my damask corsage. I want ice cream—no jokes about me eating it. But what kind of woman would I be if I neglected my duty for any of that?” She’d started this as a recital of facts, but she was growing more passionate. “Have you considered how fortunate I was that the Pinkerton Agency allowed me to join them despite my age? Did you take any time to look at my accomplishments and think if it was fair for you to ask me to give up my job?”

  What was she saying? It was like she’d flipped the whole world on its head and was reading a script backward.

  “I have to accept this position at the mine,” he said. “The timing, the offer—it’s God’s moving. If I quit, what would that accomplish?”

  Calista blinked back tears. Matthew wanted to comfort her, but he recognized it was her struggle. She looked up, eyes full of sorrow.

  “I don’t want to leave you, Matthew. I don’t. There’s so much more that I thought we’d get to do together. So much more that I thought we’d get to be to each other, but I failed. I didn’t find Lila, and I can’t see past this failure. It’s not my pride. It’s that a girl is out there, somewhere, separated from her family and friends, enduring Lord knows what, and I didn’t find her.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded picture. “This is her. This is my duty right now. That’s all I can think about.”

  Bless Calista and her single-mindedness. Matthew nodded his understanding as she folded the picture away. Although he felt her rejection all the way to his marrow, he’d take it on the chin. They both had their callings. The woman he’d assumed was thoughtless, heedless, and fickle had turned out to be principled—and those principles were keeping them apart.

  Instead of admitting that it wasn’t going to happen, Matthew would tell himself that it wasn’t going to happen yet. He would set his disappointment aside and do what he could to ease her mind.

  “You furthered the investigation,” he said. “You found the connection between the Rushes and the Bowmans. When they find Lila, it’ll be because of the work you did.”

  She raised her head and took his hand. “You’re kind. Kinder than I deserve. Don’t think that I want to say no to you. Don’t think that it’s easy for me. I wasn’t expecting it. I thought that I’d love my job so much that there wouldn’t be room for anyone else.” Her chest rose with a deep breath. “I love you, but there’s a chance that the next assignment might be just as important. I might catch a killer, or prove someone’s innocence, or locate another missing child. I don’t know what God has in store, but I’m determined to follow Him, no matter the cost.” She pressed his hand to her lips. “Please don’t hate me.”

  No, there was no hate. Just unbelievable sadness.

  “What time do you leave?” he asked.

  “First light in the morning. Graham is making the arrangements for me. I’ll meet the new agent in Kansas City, tell him what we know, and then go back to the office in Chicago and see what awaits me.”

  “Will you tell Mr. Pinkerton about me?”

  She stood. “Not everything. I couldn’t tell him everything.” She looked up shyly. “You’re too special to share.”

  He’d been a gentleman. He’d been considerate of the rough handling she’d endured. But here was the woman he loved telling him that she was leaving. Leaving with no words of when she’d return, when she’d see him again, when her conscience would release her to be his.

  He moved slowly, deliberately. He slid a hand around to her back and held her against him. She didn’t object, but her hands remained hanging at her sides. He wanted something more than resignation. He bent his head to catch her lips. A kiss—sure and sweet, but a good-bye, nonetheless, with no promises implied.

  He sighed and rested his forehead against hers. “You can’t give me anything more?”

  “I’d be better off forgetting.”

  He’d always been able to tell when she was lying, even when she was lying to herself. “If I thought you could forget, I’d be miserable right now, but I’m not. As soon as you get settled somewhere else, you’re going to realize that you miss me, and you’ll work particularly hard to figure out a way for us to be together.”

  “I’ve got to go, Matthew. The way things stand right now, it’s all I can do.”

  His confidence wavered. What if she were right? What if she’d always walked away from a case and never thought about it again? Where would that leave him? How long could he pretend that she was coming back?

  “God be with you,” he said. “It’s in His hands. If it’s His will that you come back, then I pray that it happens in good time.”

  “Amen.” She looked him over, and he’d be lying if it didn’t feel like she was memorizing him for the future. A future without him. “Good-bye, Matthew. Thank you for all you’ve done.”

  He hadn’t done enough, or she’d be staying. But he let her leave with a friendly wave. Her skirt swished and rasped as it brushed against the tiger lilies that lined the walkway in the garden, and then she was gone.

  Calista closed the door of her hotel room behind her, then, on shaking knees, stumbled to the window. Gripping the sill, she peered at Matthew down below, still looking at the closed gate that she’d passed through. She’d barely managed to tear herself away from him before she’d crumbled, threw out all her resolve, and accepted his offer of marriage. Pulling away without some word to soften the separation was like a knife’s slice across her heart. After stumbling through the lobby, she’d counted th
e floors in the elevator, willing herself to think on anything besides the despair and regret flooding through her. But now, with the door closed behind her, she could finally release the emotions she’d hidden from him.

  She had to leave. She’d made a commitment to Mr. Pinkerton, and until she satisfied her agreement with him, she couldn’t entertain another contract, however attractive. In the depths of her heart, she told herself that she’d come back. That she’d check in at the office, see what the next assignment was, and then make her decision on whether to return, but she knew it was unlikely. Calista wasn’t very old, but already she’d learned that paths, once taken, rarely allowed you to go back and change direction without some penalty. Once the decision was made at the fork in the road, it was incredibly hard to change course.

  She couldn’t allow Matthew to wait in hope, because sooner or later there’d come a day when she’d have to tell him that he should extinguish that hope. She’d have to write, or visit, and tell him again that she wasn’t coming back. It had been better not to procrastinate. Better to tell him now and end it cleanly.

  But this didn’t feel like a clean break—more like a jagged tearing. How she wished there was something she could have said to ease the sorrow. She laid her chin on the sill and let the tears fall freely as she watched him go to the gate and look down the alley where she’d been.

  The pain was too great. Calista turned from the window and gathered her things. Graham and Willow were going to let her use the guest bunk in their private car for the trip to Kansas City. She would go there now and get some sleep while waiting for the train to leave. Better now than to wait until morning and have to be up at the crack of dawn. Better to barricade herself in the private car tonight than to wait at the hotel alone and fight the temptation to go next door and say yes.