by Jody Hedlund
He studied her, his tired eyes crinkling at the corners with a smile of understanding. “Tell her I’d love to have more if she can spare it. And let her know that it was one of the best meals I’ve eaten in a very long time.”
“In light of such a compliment, she may be willing to bring you another cup of lukewarm coffee.”
“More lukewarm coffee? I don’t deserve such a treat. But tell her I humbly accept.”
Elise nodded. How was it that this man could make her smile so easily when few people could elicit even the tiniest amount of joy from her? She supposed in some ways she convinced herself that she didn’t deserve joy, not when she’d failed to protect and provide for her family. They deserved so much more than a life of poverty, and she hadn’t been able to change their circumstances . . . except for the worse.
As her humor faded, his expression turned more serious. “How’s Miss Pendleton doing?”
“She’s worried about the reverend and rightly so.”
Thornton peered out a crack between the boards covering the window nearby. “I expected him back by now.”
After the long day of waiting and wondering what was happening on the streets, some of the women had talked about leaving. They were worried about their children being home alone amidst the violence and wanted to be with them. Elise would have wanted to leave too were she in their situation. Reverend Bedell was sympathetic and agreed to accompany them for their protection.
“Do you think something happened to him?” Elise asked.
“I’ve been praying he’s safe.” Thornton rubbed a hand across his eyes. “The streets have been quiet for the past hour. Hopefully the worst is over.”
“Would you like me to stand guard for a little while so you can take a break?”
He hesitated. “I’ll be all right now that I’ve had that delicious meal.” The delay was enough that Elise wondered if he was anxious to return to his home too. She guessed a man like him probably had more important things to do than watch over the women who worked at the mission.
She went back upstairs and filled his plate with more chicken and dumplings. Then with another tepid cup of coffee and the full plate she returned to the front hallway. He ate the second helping more slowly, seeming to savor every bite. Finally he finished the meal along with his coffee.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to stand guard so you can rest for a bit?” she asked, taking the empty plate and cup from him again.
“No.” He leaned back against the wall, his eyes softer and the worry lines gone from his forehead. “But I would appreciate the company. Otherwise I’m afraid I’ll die of boredom.”
“I may not be all that more exciting.”
“Trust me, you’re more exciting than I am.”
She wasn’t sure if Miss Pendleton would approve of her staying with Thornton unchaperoned. Nevertheless, she set the plate and cup on the floor next to the lantern and leaned back against the wall across from him. She couldn’t refuse his request for company, not after the way he’d helped all day and without a single complaint.
Besides, there was something intriguing about him. She could banter easily with him, and for a while he entertained her with stories of his escapades during his childhood with his twin brother.
“Bradford sounds like he was quite the instigator,” she said after reining in her laugher in response to his story about how he and Bradford had climbed out of their bedroom windows and crawled across the roof of their house in order to switch rooms. Bradford had been the one to suggest the plot after their nursemaid locked them in their rooms and then bedded down in the hallway between their rooms to prevent them from switching places in the middle of the night as they’d done too many times in the past. But the nursemaid failed to take into account what lengths the brothers would go to cause trouble.
“Bradford was the mastermind behind most of our adventures,” Thornton admitted with a nostalgic smile. “And I willingly went along with him, so I wasn’t without blame.”
“It sounds like you really love your brother.”
“We’re still friends,” Thornton said slowly as if choosing his words carefully. “But the downside to being a twin is that only one of us can come out on top.” In the flickering lantern light, emotions played across his face. Regret, frustration, sadness?
“Does it matter if there’s a ‘top’ or not? Can’t you be equals?”
Thornton released a sigh that made his shoulders sag. “Unfortunately no. Not with a father like ours.”
Before she could find the words to respond, a rattle of the door handle made them both jump.
“Thornton.” A raspy voice spoke from outside. “It’s me, Guy. Reverend Bedell. Let me in.”
Thornton quickly unlocked the door and swung it open, helping the reverend inside before closing and locking the door again.
Elise assessed the reverend at the same time as Thornton, noting he appeared disheveled but unharmed. “You’re all right?” Thornton asked.
The reverend nodded. “Yes, I’m fine. And the women are home safely.”
Elise let out a breath, relieved.
“Thank God,” Thornton whispered.
“Yes, I thank God for another miracle. It was no easy feat delivering them to their apartments, considering some of their buildings were overrun with gangs, who were on the rooftops showering the police and any other militia with stones and bricks.”
“Has the fighting stopped?” Elise asked.
Before he could answer, Miss Pendleton came running down the hallway toward them. Her normally tight hair was loose, and her usually composed face was taut with anxiety.
At the sight of her, the reverend broke away from the door and started toward her with long strides that spoke of his own relief. When he reached Miss Pendleton, she gave a small cry and threw herself into his arms at the same moment that he swept her into an embrace. He held her for a long moment before leaning back and pressing a kiss against her forehead.
Finally the reverend released Miss Pendleton, but held her hand as they ambled toward where she and Thornton stood near the door. Miss Pendleton’s smile up at the reverend could have lit an entire city block. From the tenderness with which he regarded her, Elise was reminded of the love her father had bestowed upon Mutti. He’d adored her. With each passing year of increasing poverty and debt, he blamed himself for the hardships his wife had to endure. Sometimes Elise couldn’t help but think that all of his guilt and despair had been the cause of his failed heart.
She reached up and touched Mutti’s wedding ring, which hung on a thin leather strip beneath her bodice. She traced the edges of the cross that formed the front of the silver band. Other than the cross, the ring was simple and without jewels, not the kind of heirloom she had to worry about anyone stealing. Even so, it was the most precious thing she owned. Mutti had given it to her just before she died.
Elise thought of the love shared between Miss Pendleton and Reverend Bedell. It was refreshing to see a couple who cared so deeply about each other, a couple who also worked well together. It was as if God had handpicked them for each other—if that sort of thing were really possible. She certainly didn’t expect such an intimate relationship for herself. She was too busy to think about love and marriage.
“So when’s the wedding?” Thornton winked at the reverend.
His grin widened. “Not soon enough.”
“Guy,” Miss Pendleton whispered with a reprimanding tug on his arm. Even in the dim light, it was easy to see that her face had turned a bright shade of pink.
Elise tried not to fidget at the nature of the jesting, but she was suddenly aware of Thornton’s arm near hers. When he smiled and winked down at her, her heart began to race. She pressed her hand against her chest, feeling Mutti’s ring again. She’d never reacted this way to a man before. Of course, she hadn’t had any real suitors, and even though Reinhold had asked her to marry him, he didn’t count. He was her friend only, more like a brother than a beau.
/> She held herself absolutely motionless so that Thornton wouldn’t sense her strange reaction. Thankfully he didn’t seem to notice and instead queried the reverend for more information about the condition on the streets.
The reverend informed them of the news he’d gleaned during his time away. The hostilities had escalated. By midday close to a thousand armed men from rivalry gangs were fighting in the area of Five Points. The police had attempted to stop the aggression and had begun arresting gangsters. But as soon as the police left the area, the fighting resumed in greater force. The Dead Rabbits and Bowery Boys each set up barricades of pushcarts and large stones, all while firing weapons, hurling bricks, and clubbing each other.
Thieves, thugs, and other criminals who weren’t affiliated with the gangs used the opportunity to attack businesses, stealing whatever they could get their hands on and wreaking destruction in their wake. Several fires had been set to houses with the residents still inside.
When the police learned the fighting had grown in scale, they tried to return to the area but had been pushed back, many of them getting injured in the process. The police commissioner then called in the military, and around nine o’clock in the evening the New York State Militia, their bayonets affixed and ready for use, marched down White and Worth Streets. Two police regiments had accompanied the militia, going ahead of them and fighting back the gangsters and rioters.
“The show of force was enough to send the gangsters fleeing back to their hideouts,” the reverend said.
Thornton shook his head, his expression one of disbelief at all the reverend had shared. “Do you think they’re done now with their brawling or will it resume again?”
“Well, the police and national guardsmen are patrolling the streets and arresting anyone who looks suspicious.”
“I guess that means I should wait to leave?” Thornton asked.
“Yes, since you look so suspicious, you probably shouldn’t show yourself.” The words were out before Elise could stop them, and once they were, she wished she could take them back, especially as Miss Pendleton’s eyes narrowed at her in disapproval.
Thornton chuckled. “I think you’re right. After all, I do look like quite the rogue, don’t I?”
Another sardonic remark was on the tip of Elise’s tongue, but she glanced at Miss Pendleton and held it back. Instead she forced herself to respond respectfully, as a young woman ought to. “I was only jesting. The truth is that no one would mistake you for anything other than a gentleman.”
Thornton’s brows rose. His brown eyes dared her to tease him again, as though he was waiting expectantly for more.
Rather than give him what he wanted, she said, “I should be going.” She retrieved the empty plate and coffee cup and started down the hallway.
“Good-bye, Elise,” he called after her. “It was nice meeting you.”
She nodded at him in return. And as she shuffled down the hall, she suspected his good-bye would be the last time she’d hear from Thornton Quincy.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this special sample of With You Always by Jody Hedlund. For more information on this book, please visit www.bethanyhouse.com or your favorite bookstore.
Jody Hedlund is the bestselling author of multiple novels, including Love Unexpected, Captured by Love, Rebellious Heart, and The Preacher’s Bride. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Taylor University and a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin, both in social work. Jody lives in Michigan with her husband and five children. Learn more at JodyHedlund.com.
Books by Jody Hedlund
The Preacher’s Bride
The Doctor’s Lady
Unending Devotion
A Noble Groom
Rebellious Heart
Captured by Love
BEACONS OF HOPE
Out of the Storm: A BEACONS OF HOPE Novella
Love Unexpected
Hearts Made Whole
Undaunted Hope
ORPHAN TRAIN
An Awakened Heart: An ORPHAN TRAIN Novella
With You Always
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