“Judge Winters says he’ll come to the house tonight,” Camri said, coming back into the room. She paused and gave Patrick a sympathetic look. “You’re exhausted. Go home and get some sleep.”
He stood and moved toward her. She had told him she intended to join her friends at work as soon as the plans were laid for meeting with the judge.
“I think I should be walkin’ ye to the trolley. Then I can go home to sleep.”
Camri’s face took on a look that he had come to recognize. There seemed to be some question on her mind, yet she was hesitant to ask it.
“Ye might as well go ahead.”
She looked at him and shook her head. “Go ahead?”
“Aye. Go ahead and ask whatever question it is ye have in that pretty little head of yers.”
She cocked her head to one side. “You think you know me so well. What if I were to tell you that I didn’t have any question on my mind?”
He chuckled. “I’d be callin’ ye a liar.”
She looked momentarily embarrassed, then gave a shrug. “And you’d be right. I do have a question.”
“So be askin’ it.” He wanted more than anything to pull her into his arms, but given his stench, he didn’t want to leave her smelling as badly as he did.
Camri took a step closer, much to his surprise. “Were you serious about wanting to marry me?”
“Now aren’t ye a brazen one? Why, you’re just as bold as any Irish lass.”
“Maybe so, but I’ve learned in life—especially being a woman—that if I don’t ask questions, I don’t get answers.”
“And what kind of answer would ye be wantin’?”
They were only inches apart, and Patrick could see the love in her eyes. He knew how she felt, because he felt the same way.
“The truth,” she whispered.
He nodded. “Then answer me true. Would ye be sayin’ yes, if I were to give ye a proper proposal?”
She grew thoughtful. “I never figured to marry. From the time I was quite young, I thought that I would probably be single all of my life. I knew that I wanted an education and then to help other women with their education. I thought a career and women’s rights were what I desired, and—”
Patrick pulled her toward him and kissed her with a passion he’d long denied. The feel of her in his arms stirred his blood. The way she responded to his kiss gave him all the encouragement he needed.
Without warning, he pulled back, dropped to one knee, and took her hand. “I love ye, Camrianne Coulter. Will ye be consentin’ to marry a poor Irishman?”
She looked down at him, wide-eyed. Her lips were reddened by the kiss, and her cheeks were flushed. She’d never looked more beautiful to Patrick than in that moment.
“Aye. I’ll be marryin’ ye, Patrick Murdock,” she said, doing her best to imitate his brogue.
He laughed and got to his feet. “I’ll make an Irishwoman of ye yet.” He started to leave, then turned. “Tá mo chroí istigh ionat.”
She shook her head. “Which means what?”
“That I love ye. Maybe a more exact translation is, ‘My heart is in ye.’”
CHAPTER
27
After Patrick headed home, Camri made her way to her brother’s office. She found Caleb at his desk, writing furiously on a pad of paper.
“Do you mind if I interrupt you for a moment?” she asked.
He looked up and shook his head. “Not at all. What is it?”
She smiled. “Patrick has asked me to marry him, and I’ve said yes. I hope that meets with your approval.”
“And if it doesn’t?” Caleb asked in a somber tone.
Camri blinked. She hadn’t really considered that her brother would protest the marriage. “Well . . . I’m not sure. I suppose I will still marry him, because I love him. However, I also suppose I will strive to win you over to my thinking.”
Caleb leaned back in his chair. “You do know that a great many folks will look down on you for your choice? Marrying an Irishman isn’t going to be widely accepted among the socially elite.”
“I know, but I really don’t care. Those same socially elite weren’t exactly accepting of my attending college and taking up a career. They certainly weren’t supportive of women’s rights and the suffrage work I did.”
“So you’ve thought this through?”
Camri pulled up a wooden chair and sat down. “I’ve given it a lot of thought, Caleb. When I first came here to find you, I learned rather quickly that I was a snob.”
To her surprise, he laughed. “And how did you surmise that?”
“I was constantly berating the girls for their lack of education and did my best to encourage them to better themselves. I had a run-in with Patrick too. On more than one occasion, I might add.”
“I can well imagine. So what happened?”
“Well . . . I suppose God granted me the wisdom I was lacking. I started seeing that Judith and Kenzie had talents and knowledge that I didn’t. I saw how capable Patrick was and how much he knew about things that couldn’t necessarily be learned in a book. It humbled me and shamed me at the same time.” She shook her head. “All of my adult life, I’ve wanted to help people get a better education so they could rise above their limited situations. It never dawned on me that they could be content in those situations.”
“Sometimes we are blinded by our ambitions,” Caleb offered.
“It’s true. I presumed that education would somehow resolve any and all class difficulties, but I can see now there are things it can’t change. You know, for all my work in Chicago, I never really got involved with the ethnic issues. Coming here, I see them all too clearly.”
“Yes. San Francisco is rife with tension regarding the various cultures represented here. The last few years we had problems with the plague—especially in the Chinese areas of town. That led people to believe that the Chinese were carriers of the disease and therefore they should be forced out of the country or killed. All of this despite scientific evidence that it is rats that carry the disease. But the people in this town had been looking for a reason to get rid of the Chinese for decades, and this just stirred up everything once again.”
“Do you suppose there is something I might do to help?” Camri asked, forgetting she’d come here purely for Caleb’s blessing. “I mean, not necessarily with the Chinese, although that would be all right. But I’ve been to Patrick’s neighborhood and seen how bad things are there. Can I put my education and knowledge to good use to better their lives?”
“I don’t know. I suppose only time can tell, but the fact that you’re willing to try speaks for itself. I’m proud of you, Camri. You’ve learned to care about more than just the cause at hand. You’ve come to see the people for themselves.”
She hadn’t really considered it that way before. Always in the past she had taken up her parents’ battle cry of equal rights among the sexes, as well as freedom from oppression for all. She had lectured groups of women to get their education and better themselves, but until Ophelia, she’d never really thought of the individual, nor of their living conditions.
“I suppose I have. I never realized before that I wasn’t looking beyond the benefit education had given me. I presumed it would be beneficial to everyone. I still believe education is a good way to better oneself, but I’m starting to understand that there are needs far more immediate. I’m just not sure what I can do.”
“Well, perhaps with Patrick at your side, the two of you will find the answer.”
She remembered her original reason for coming. “So you don’t mind my marrying him?”
Caleb chuckled. “Not at all. That’s why I gave him my blessing when he came to tell me his intention.”
“And when did he do that?”
“When we were talking alone the other day. Patrick, being rather old-fashioned, came to ask me for your hand, since Father is so far away. I told him I couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to take on such a stubborn, headstrong woman for a w
ife, but I could see that he loved you and that was really all that mattered to me.”
“I’m glad you approve. It means a lot to me.”
“I’ll give you the same caution I gave Patrick, however.”
“And what is that?”
“Take your time. You two hardly know each other, and what little time you’ve had together has been surrounded by sorrows and tragedy. Take time to learn about each other and what you want out of life. Make sure you’re a good match.”
His words of wisdom made complete sense, and despite her overwhelming feelings of love, she agreed.
Caleb got up and came to her. Camri rose and embraced her brother. After a brief hug, he went back to his chair.
“Now, if you don’t mind, I have work to do, and if I’m not mistaken, you need to get to the chocolate factory.”
She smiled. “Indeed, I do. We’re preparing for Valentine’s Day, don’t you know, and Mr. Lake is quite certain that spies and sabotage await around every corner. I doubt he’d trust Cupid himself if he showed up at the factory.”
At work, Camri could scarcely think of anything but Patrick and the danger he was putting himself in. She knew it wasn’t exactly her fault that he was working at Daniels’, but she couldn’t help feeling responsible.
When lunchtime came, Judith and Kenzie suggested they go to the corner café. For so long they’d saved every penny in order to aid their search for Caleb, and now that it wasn’t necessary any longer, they decided a little celebration was in order.
“I’ve wanted to eat there since we first came to work for Mr. Lake,” Judith admitted. “Every time we walk past, it smells so inviting.”
“I agree.” Camri took up her coat. “Besides, I have something to tell you. Something that may come as a surprise.”
“You’re going to marry Patrick Murdock,” Kenzie said matter-of-factly.
Camri’s brow knit as she frowned. “How did you know?”
Judith clapped her hands. “We didn’t, but we hoped. The two of you are clearly in love.”
“We are. I have to admit, I hadn’t planned to fall in love.”
“No one ever does,” Kenzie said, securing her hat.
Camri felt sad for her friend. Kenzie still bore the pain of her loss. The rejection of her fiancé would no doubt haunt her for a very long time.
“I hope you’ll let us help you plan the wedding,” Judith said. “I don’t know much about such things, and sadly have never been to one, but it sounds terribly romantic.”
“Of course, you can help.” Camri followed them outside.
“When do you plan to marry?” Kenzie asked.
It dawned on Camri that she hadn’t even thought about that yet. “I really don’t know. I suppose soon. I can’t imagine either of us wanting a big wedding.”
Kenzie nodded. “It’s probably better that way. Less expense and headache should anything go wrong.”
Camri linked arms with Kenzie. They exchanged a glance, but Camri said nothing. She knew Kenzie’s pain ran deep, and Kenzie knew Camri cared. Nothing needed to be said.
“When had you planned for your wedding, Kenzie?” Judith asked.
“September. The twenty-ninth.” She offered nothing more.
Camri gave Kenzie’s arm a squeeze. She wished she could say something encouraging, but nothing came to mind. For all her education and knowledge, words simply seemed inadequate.
“Will you get married at our church?” Judith asked.
Camri frowned and looked away lest either woman see. She realized she had no idea where Patrick went to church or where he’d expect them to marry. He had been raised Catholic, but over the years had fallen away from the church all together. Ophelia had told her that much. Now that Patrick was working to restore his walk with God, would he want to return to the Catholic Church?
“I don’t know,” she murmured. “I guess I don’t know much at all.” Caleb’s warning came to mind.
Kenzie surprised her by patting her arm. “Sometimes even knowing all that you can doesn’t help a bit.”
Camri was still pondering her lack of knowledge where Patrick was concerned when Judge Waters’ arrival was announced. She stood and smoothed the skirt of her plum-colored gown, then beamed at the white-haired judge as Mrs. Wong showed him into the sitting room.
“You must be Miss Coulter. I think we met when you were here visiting last year. One of our local newspaper owners gave a party. I believe Caleb brought you as his date.”
“Yes, I remember. Caleb continues to speak so highly of you.” Camri motioned the older man to sit. “It’s because of Caleb that I asked you to come tonight.”
He frowned. “I don’t suppose there’s been any word.”
“Oh, but there has been,” Caleb announced, coming into the room from the hall.
“Caleb! When did you return?” Judge Winters leapt out of his chair and extended his hand. As they shook, he embraced Caleb and patted him on the back. “I don’t know when I’ve been happier to see anyone in my life. I feared Ruef had most likely killed you.”
“I’m sure he’d like to,” Caleb admitted. The two men stepped away from each other but continued to clasp hands.
“Tell me everything,” the judge said. “I want to know it all.”
“Well, that’s partially why I had Camri call you. You see, only a few trusted souls know I’ve returned, and it’s to our benefit that we keep it that way. Have a seat, and I’ll explain.”
“And while he does that,” Camri interjected, “I’ll have Mrs. Wong bring coffee.”
She left as her brother began to tell his tale. Instead of ringing the bell, She made her way to the kitchen and found Mrs. Wong already busy with the refreshments.
“You may serve the coffee anytime now, Mrs. Wong.”
The housekeeper looked up, and Camri could see she’d been crying. Without thought, Camri went to her and embraced the older woman. Mrs. Wong stiffened but didn’t pull away.
Camri realized she was probably causing the other woman further discomfort and stepped back. “Can I do anything?”
“No. You good to care. I just thinking about my Liling. It make my heart sad to think about her.”
“But soon, once Caleb and Patrick figure out how to get her out of the dance hall, she’ll be back with you, and then the healing can really begin.”
Mrs. Wong nodded. “So much bad happen.”
“There has been more than our share of bad, that much is certain. But, Mrs. Wong, there has also been good to come out of all of this. I probably wouldn’t have said that a month ago, but Caleb has helped me see how God has directed this situation. He has a plan in all of this, and I know we will be better for it.”
“My mother and father hear about God when I was very young. They went to hear a man speak, and the things he said made them glad in their spirit.”
Camri smiled. “When I was a little girl, I heard a man talk about God, and it made my spirit glad too. I remember hearing him say that even with all the people in the world, Jesus loved me—that He knew me and wanted me to know Him.”
Mrs. Wong nodded. “My father worked for the railroad and he gone many days, but my mother took me to church and I hear about God too. I asked how I get God, and Mama tell me to ask Him to come into me. That made me afraid. So many of my friends say there were ghosts who would come instead, but I believed Mama. She loved me and not want me to get hurt. She said God would not let bad ghosts come hurt me. She said God had special Holy Ghost who would protect me.”
“I love hearing your story, Mrs. Wong. It blesses me to know how God touched your heart. Do you go to church?”
The older woman nodded. “We go to church for Chinese. We have good pastor who speaks Chinese.” She smiled for the first time. “He come from China, where missionary teach him English and about God.”
Camri couldn’t help herself. She hugged Mrs. Wong again, and this time the housekeeper didn’t stiffen. When she thought about the missionary who answered God
’s call and went to China, and then the people he brought to the Lord, Camri couldn’t help but be amazed. All of that came full circle back to America, where one of those people now preached to others. “I am praying for Liling. I feel certain we’ll get her home soon.”
“I pray too. I prayed for God to bring Mr. Caleb back to us, and He did. Now I keep praying for Him to bring Liling.”
Camri nodded. “And He will.”
“It won’t be easy,” Judge Winters told Caleb. “Ruef has a great many men on the police force who do his bidding. However, I know a few we can count on. I’ll call them tonight and see what we can work out.”
“Patrick said there’s a warehouse at the docks where Daniels is keeping the men. He’s got someone there who keeps them drugged so they won’t try to escape. Late Saturday or early Sunday is when they plan to make the exchange.”
“That just gives us Friday and Saturday to coordinate everything. Frankly, I would move heaven and earth in that time just to see Ruef behind bars, but this won’t help us to do that.”
Caleb shrugged. “Maybe not, but it’s a start. We’ll put Daniels and his ruffians in jail and send a strong message to Ruef that we’re not going to tolerate any more shanghaiing. Say, I know—let’s get one of your newspaper friends to come down and report on the matter. With photographs and a big flashy story on the front page, people are going to take notice.”
“I agree. That would be helpful, but you know as well as I do that putting Ruef away is going to take time. Some people have been working on this for quite a while. They’re making progress, but Ruef is a slippery one.”
Caleb nodded. “I know, but we have to make people aware that there really is a force out there willing to fight for them. I think this will help. Seeing other good men willing to make a stand should encourage folks to join in.”
Camri arrived with Mrs. Wong behind her, bringing a large silver tray with coffee and cake. She placed the tray on a polished table by the piano. “You want I serve now?”
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