“Thank you, sir. I’m beginning to think the same thing.” He actually hoped so. He’d love to take Emma ice-skating soon. The thought of gliding over the ice with her at his side put a smile on his face.
As usual, Jones opened the door for them before they rang the bell and took their overcoats once they stepped inside.
“Everyone is in the parlor. Supper will be ready shortly, gentlemen,” Jones said.
“Thank you, Jones,” Sam and Mr. Collins said at the same time.
They were welcomed into the parlor in a way that never failed to warm Sam’s heart. Emma’s smile reached into his heart and seemed to give it a little twist.
“Is it cold out? Your face looks a little pink from the weather. Come warm yourself by the fire.”
She was standing in front of the fireplace, and Sam wasted no time in joining her there.
“It is cold,” he said. “Mr. Collins and I were just talking about how it looks as if we might have an early winter.”
“I hate for you to work out in the cold, and I certainly don’t look forward to standing at the trolley stop in the cold, but I do like snow and skating at Central Park.”
“We’ll go as soon as we can,” Sam said. He bent a little closer and lowered his voice. “I heard from my partner earlier. He found out that there was a raid of sorts on a suffragette meeting the other night.”
“Oh Sam, I—”
“Now, there’s no way to know if what you overheard had anything at all to do with it, so don’t start feeling as if you are responsible for it in any way. I just wanted you to know that you might have heard something important enough to tell me or your supervisor, so if it happens again. . .”
Emma nodded, and he knew she understood what he was saying. No need to push any further. She’d tell someone. He only prayed it would be him.
“A telephone call for you, Mr. Andrew. It’s Mrs. Robertson from the orphanage. She said it was important,” Jones said from the door. “And supper is ready, ma’am.”
“You all go on in,” Andrew said. “I’ll be there as soon as I finish the call.”
They’d barely taken their seats when he rushed back in. “I’ve got to leave. The new baby, Mandy, is sick and Mrs. Robertson wants me to check her out. She’s been running a fever and she can’t get it to break.”
Emma sprung up from her chair. “I’m going with you. Mandy has taken a liking to me and I might be able to help.”
Andrew nodded. “Come on, then.”
“I’m coming, too,” Sam said. “I’m sorry to mess up your Sunday supper, Mrs. Holloway.”
“Oh, don’t worry, Sam. I totally understand. You all go on over and we’ll keep things warm for you.”
“If Andrew and you two are going, so am I,” Esther said.
“I want to go—”
“Oh, please stay with us, Grace. We don’t know what the baby has, and I don’t want you to get sick.”
“Mrs. Holloway is right, Grace. It could be something contagious that you haven’t come down with yet. I think you should stay here,” Andrew said.
The younger girl looked at Mrs. Holloway who gazed at her imploringly. She sighed and nodded. “All right, I’ll stay.”
Everyone quickly donned their cloaks, hats, and gloves before heading out to the hack Andrew had called for.
Emma’s brow was furrowed, and Sam knew she was worried about the baby.
“How old is this little one, Emma?” Andrew asked.
“She appears to be a little over a year old. She seemed to be just fine when Sam and I saw her yesterday. I don’t see how she could get sick so quickly.”
“Oh, it happens with babies. More than likely she’s teething or something simple like that.”
“I pray that’s all it is.”
Emma bowed her head and Sam knew she was doing just that, praying for little Mandy. That Emma could care so much about a child who wasn’t her own made Sam even more certain that she would make a wonderful mother and that he wanted her to be the mother of his children. He sent up his prayer that joined Emma’s in asking for the baby to be all right.
When they arrived at the orphanage, it was to find Mrs. Robertson rocking the crying baby. The older woman looked exhausted, and when Mandy cried even harder when Andrew tried to take her, Emma hurried over.
The glassy eyes of the child told even Sam that she had a fever, but it was when she stopped crying and held out her hands for Emma to take her that he realized this child did have a very strong attachment to Emma.
Emma quickly took Mandy, and only then did the baby let Andrew come close. Emma held her while Andrew began to speak gently to the baby as he looked into her eyes and ears and then listened to her heart. With Emma’s coaxing, he was able to look into Mandy’s mouth and began to nod.
“It does appear that she’s teething—cutting several at a time, from the looks of it,” Andrew said. “I know many of my peers say babies don’t run fevers when they are teething, but I don’t agree.”
“I thought that was it, but she wouldn’t even let me get my finger in her mouth to check. Shut it tight or tried to bite me,” Mrs. Robertson said. “Obviously, I’m losing my touch with babies.”
“No, you aren’t,” Esther said. “She’s just formed some special kind of attachment to Emma.”
“Maybe she reminds her of her mother in some way,” Sam suggested.
“That’s what I was about to say,” Mrs. Robertson said. “I’m just glad she’s stopped crying for a bit. Poor baby, breaks my heart to hear her cry.”
“I know. I’m going to leave some medicine with you.” Andrew pulled a small bottle out of his medicine bag and handed it to Mrs. Robertson. “Just rub a little on her gums. It should ease her pain and give you both some rest, as it will make her sleepy.”
Mrs. Robertson tried to take Mandy, but the baby jerked away and put her head on Emma’s other shoulder.
“May I?” Emma asked.
“Yes, please. No need to upset Mandy by having me try to open her mouth again right now,” Mrs. Robertson said.
Andrew used a dropper and put a bit of the liquid on Emma’s finger. “Just gently rub her gums with it.”
Whatever it was seemed to work quickly because Sam could see the child relax in Emma’s arms.
“That should take care of her for tonight. But if her fever seems worse, telephone me. Otherwise, I’ll stop by first thing in the morning,” Andrew said.
“Thank you, Dr. Andrew. I will.”
“I suppose we should be on our way,” Esther said.
“You all go on. I’ll take the trolley back. I want to stay until Mandy goes to sleep,” Emma said.
As if he’d let her take the trolley alone this time of night! “I’ll stay with you and see you home,” Sam said.
“Do you mind?”
“No, not at all.” He could watch Emma with that baby for the rest of the night, if need be. The way she gently patted Mandy’s bottom as she held her, the little kisses she placed on her head, told him she was just as attached to the child as Mandy was to her. “I’ll be glad to.”
“We’ll go on, then,” Andrew said.
“It looks like she’ll be asleep pretty soon,” Esther said. “We’ll tell Mrs. Holloway you’ll both be along shortly.”
Mrs. Robertson showed Andrew and Esther out.
“Thank you, Sam,” Emma said. “I just couldn’t leave Mandy yet.”
“You’re welcome. I understand and I’m glad you feel that way.”
Her gaze moved from the baby to him. “You are?”
In that instant Sam imagined she was his wife and it was their baby she was holding, caring for.
“Sam?”
Her question brought his attention back to her, but the image in his mind stayed. “Oh yes, I’m sure.”
❧
Mandy stirred in her arms, and Emma pulled her gaze from Sam. Something in the look in his eyes set her pulse racing faster than lightning. For just a moment Emma felt a longing s
o strong she caught her breath.
Something about sitting in this room with just Sam and Mandy seemed right, but at the same time, it unsettled her. Her feelings for Sam seemed to grow each time she saw him, and she—
“Oh, look.” Mrs. Robertson brought Emma out of her thoughts. “You’ve got her to sleep, and from the look on her sweet face, her pain has eased. I can take her now, or you can put her to bed, if you’d like. I’ve had her crib moved to my room so I’ll hear her if she wakes.”
“I’d like to put her down,” Emma said. She didn’t want to relinquish the baby in her arms to anyone else right now. Didn’t really want to leave her, but she knew Mrs. Robertson would take excellent care of Mandy.
She followed the woman to her room and laid the child down in the crib. Mandy gave a little jerk, and Emma gently patted her long enough to soothe her back to a sound sleep.
Both women tiptoed out the door and went back downstairs.
“You are going to make a wonderful mother one day, Emma.”
“Thank you. I hope so. Maybe I can telephone tomorrow to see how she’s doing? I’ll be glad to come back and give you a break if she keeps you up tonight.”
“Thank you, dear. By all means, feel free to telephone me. And thank you for your offer. I think she’ll sleep good tonight, now that her pain has eased.”
Sam was talking to several of the young men when they got back to the parlor, but he stood as soon as they entered the room. “Mandy’s all right?”
“She’s sleeping,” Emma said.
“Thank you for staying and getting her to sleep. She really has taken quite a liking to you, Emma. You come see her anytime.”
“I will. She’s kind of claimed a piece of my heart.”
“I could see that.”
“Yes, so could I,” Sam said, looking down at Emma. “I think Emma is a natural nurturer.”
“She is,” Mrs. Robertson said. “You two best be on your way. Bundle up good; it’s getting colder out.”
Sam helped Emma on with her cloak, and she pulled the hood up over her head, grabbed her gloves from her pocket, and put them on.
“Good night,” they called as they hurried outside so as not to let any more cold air in than necessary.
“I hope the trolley is on time. I hate for you to have to stand out in the cold,” Sam said, pulling her hand through his arm and walking as close as was permissible.
“It’s all right. The wind isn’t blowing too much.” Sam’s arm felt warm, and he blocked what breeze there was.
They arrived at the trolley stop about the time it made it there, and they hurried on. The trolley was nearly full with only two empty seats left. Emma felt warmer the instant Sam sat down beside her.
“Better?” he asked.
“Much. Thank you for staying with me.”
“There’s no way I would have left you to come home by yourself after dark.”
“I know.” Emma told herself he was only doing what he thought was his duty and that it didn’t mean anything that he was escorting her home. But what really bothered her was the realization that she suddenly wanted it to mean more.
As if he could read her thoughts, he leaned close to her ear and said, “And it has nothing at all to do with being a policeman.”
Her heart fluttered, and she could feel warmth creeping up her cheeks as she told herself it only meant that he was a good man. Nothing more.
The wind had picked up by the time they got off the trolley, and they hurried to Mrs. Holloway’s. Jones quickly opened the door for them, and Emma was glad to find that, true to her word, Mrs. Holloway had kept their dinner warm. She’d hate to send Sam back into the cold on an empty stomach.
Everyone joined them in the dining room while they ate.
“Emma got Mandy to sleep not long after the two of you left,” Sam said to Andrew. “That medicine must have eased her pain quickly.”
“I’m glad. She was exhausted, anyway. I’m sure she’ll cut those teeth overnight or by tomorrow afternoon. I’ll check in on her in the morning, and if she isn’t better, I’ll look in on her before I come home tomorrow,” Andrew said.
“I hated to leave her,” Emma said. “But Mrs. Robertson will take excellent care of her. I remember when Grace got so sick just after we were taken in, do you, Esther?”
“I do. We were so worried she had the same thing that took our parents.”
Emma nodded. “We were. But thankfully, Mrs. Robertson nursed her through it. I don’t think I realized then what a wonderful woman she was. I know we took her for granted, thinking she was just doing her job, but not understanding that she really did care about us.”
“We owe her a debt of gratitude, that’s for sure.”
“I can tell you that helping with the older ones is helping to repay her,” Sam said. “She really is so happy that we are doing that. It makes her feel better about them leaving.”
“I’m glad we’re keeping contact with them and with her,” Emma said.
“I wish I had realized how much it would mean—not just to the orphans, but to her, to stop by once in a while,” Sam said.
“She’s a good woman,” Mrs. Holloway said. “Both she and her husband were in charge when he was alive. She couldn’t have children of her own, and they both loved them. It was a way they could have children in their lives and make a home for them.”
“I didn’t know that,” Emma said.
Esther shook her head. “Neither did I. How wonderful for us that she’s made it her life’s work to take care of those who have no one. And from what I’ve learned about other orphanages, we’ve been blessed to have been sent to the Ladies Aide Society Orphanage.”
“Oh, no doubt about that. I’ve seen many orphanages in the city,” Andrew said. “I’ve let those near my office know they could call me. And sadly, some of them are horribly run, and of course they are all overcrowded.”
“She’s one of the few who’ve never sent anyone off on an orphan train.”
“I remember lying in bed at night worrying about that and wondering if we would be separated,” Emma said. “Mrs. Robertson could tell I was fretting over something and asked me what was wrong.”
“What did she say when you told her?” Sam asked.
“She said she’d never separate us or send us away. Once a child was under her care, she saw that they stayed with her, unless a wonderful family came to adopt them. But she promised that Esther and I were old enough to let her know if we wanted to stay or go and all we had to do was tell her.”
“Yes, she assured me of the same thing. Of course, most people who adopt want a baby or a very young child. I know there aren’t many orphanages run the way Mrs. Robertson runs the Ladies Aide Orphanage, and I am so thankful we were taken there,” Esther said.
“So am I,” Emma said. But her mind turned back to the baby.
“Something is bothering you now,” Sam said. “What is wrong?”
“Baby Mandy is so precious. I’m sure she’ll be adopted soon. Surely Mrs. Robertson will. . .”
“She’ll make sure Mandy goes to a good home. You know that, Emma,” Esther said. “We know how well she interviews potential parents. Remember, we listened outside her office one day?”
“I do remember.” Emma felt a little better, but not much. That baby had worked her way into her heart, and Emma was no longer a child. “If I could adopt her, I would.”
“You know that’s not possible, Emma. You aren’t even engaged—much less married.”
“I know. But please pray that whoever adopts her will love her and take the very best care of her.” Emma brushed at a tear that threatened to fall. “Let’s change the subject. Do you think it might snow soon?”
fourteen
Emma telephoned Mrs. Robertson early the next morning to find that Mandy’s teeth had come through, her fever had gone down, and she was feeling much better.
“May I stop by and see her when I get off work?”
“Of course you may,
Emma. You may stop by here anytime you want, dear.”
“Thank you. I’ll see you this afternoon, then.”
“I’ll be looking for you.”
Emma let Mrs. Holloway know she’d be a little late that evening and headed out to work. The wind had died down, and it was a sunny, crisp fall day. Thanksgiving would be here before they knew it, and Mrs. Holloway was adding the planning of that to all the other things she had going on.
Mary got on the trolley at her stop and took the seat Emma had saved for her. She looked quite pretty this morning, and there was a sparkle in her eyes.
“You seem to be in high spirits this morning. Did you have a good weekend?” Emma asked.
“I did. Oh Emma, the most wonderful thing happened. You know, I’ve told you about Edward?”
Edward was a neighbor who Mary had been sweet on for a long time. “What happened?”
“Mama asked him to Sunday dinner yesterday. At first I was so embarrassed, but Mama said it had nothing to do with me. She asked him because he’s always alone and she felt sorry for him.”
“And? How did it go?”
“Oh, it was wonderful. He’s very easy to talk to, and he entertained us with stories about his students. He’s a teacher. Did I tell you that? And he’s so handsome and—”
“But what kind of man is he?”
“Very responsible, I believe. He owns his own home. It’s just a few houses down from ours. And he goes to the same church we do. He asked me to a church social this coming weekend.” She let out a deep sigh and smiled again.
Her smile told Emma everything she needed to know. “You said yes of course.”
“I certainly did.”
“I’m happy for you, Mary.” And she really was. But she also felt a little envious. She wanted someone to show that kind of interest in her. And she knew who that someone was.
“Thank you, Emma. I don’t know how things will progress, but I’m happy right now.”
The trolley stopped, and they hurried to work. Emma was glad it was a busy Monday. It gave her less time to think about how she wished—what? What was it exactly she wanted? She wanted a home and a husband, a family of her own. But the only person who came to mind when she thought about it was Sam. And she still had problems with him being a policeman—it was a dangerous job. And he’d loved his wife dearly. Could he love another woman as much? Besides, she really didn’t have any idea of how he felt about her. Did he think of her as an old friend, a little sister, or something more?
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