by Delia Parr
With a sigh that came from deep within her spirit, she closed her eyes, bowed her head, and rested her chin on her fingers. She realized that her troubles did not start and end with the Burkes.
The uncertainty of not knowing when the legal owner of Hill House would arrive and whether or not he would agree to sell the boardinghouse to her was growing harder and harder to bear. Continuing to keep the whole matter a secret from Mother Garrett, as well as the others, was growing more and more difficult, even as she weighed the fairness or unfairness of her decision. She blinked hard to hold back tears of frustration and fear. She had worked so hard and so long to make a home here for all of them, and she could barely consider the prospect of losing this very special place for much longer. Not alone. Not without someone who would listen to her deepest fears and soothe her troubled spirit with patience and understanding and love. With humbled heart, she turned to the One whose presence and love had always been constant in her life.
“Please help me, Father,” she prayed. “I want to be a good woman. I want to accept your will for my life, and I want to follow your teachings and help the Burkes. But they haven’t even been here a day, and I’ve already lost my way. Please, I need your help.”
She drew in a long breath. “I’m frustrated, and I’m angry. I know life for Lester and Orralynne has always been difficult, but without knowing you and loving you, their burdens are many and their words and actions are as bitter as their hearts. Forgive me, Father, but I wouldn’t mind a bit if either one of them simply vanished from the face of this earth. I know they’re my neighbors, but . . . but they’re just so difficult to love.”
She pressed her cheek against her hands. “Please guide me. Help me to return their unkind words with understanding and their demands with patience. Help me to protect my family and the others who have come here seeking shelter from the discord these two people have already brought into my home. If you’ll just show me how to begin, I’ll do my best to follow and allow your plan for me to unfold in your time. Amen.”
With every breath she took, with every beat of her heart, she entrusted Him with her worries and her guilt. In return, in the quiet of the moment and with the surrender of her will, she received the gift of acceptance that only His love and His presence could bring. When her heart filled with peace, she received the answer to her prayer and knew exactly how to begin.
She rose, retraced her steps all the way back to the first floor, and walked down the center hall to the library.
Determination gave her the strength to gather up the cleaning supplies Liesel and Ditty had left on the floor and knock at the door.
Faith and faith alone gave her the courage to open the door and step inside.
8
THE LIBRARY FLOOR WAS STILL LITTERED with the contents of Orralynne’s dinner tray, but the Burkes had vanished.
Emma’s heart skipped a beat. Fearful she had forced them out with her impatience, she was halfway to panic when she spied Lester’s travel bags sitting on the floor in front of the glass-enclosed bookcases on the far side of the fireplace. The door to her adjoining office, which had been open earlier, was now closed.
She cocked her head, heard the sound of muffled voices coming from her office, and assumed the Burkes had both gone there to discuss what to do, rather than stay in the library to clean up the mess.
Feeling grateful she did not have to explain herself or apologize immediately, she sidestepped her way to the table. The plates on Lester’s dinner tray were empty. Apparently, he had not been too upset to eat his meal; she hoped he had had the decency to share it with his sister.
She set down her cleaning supplies, retrieved the tray and tableware from the floor, and set them back on the table. Working on her hands and knees, she wiped up the food from the floor and put the soiled cloths on the tray before washing the floor clean and rubbing it dry.
Next, she tackled the leather chair and washed it down. When she was done, she stored her cleaning supplies and both dinner trays out in the center hallway. After taking a final glance around the room to make sure she had not missed anything, she approached the door to her office in hopes of establishing peace between herself and the Burkes. She also had to remove her guest register and other important papers from her desk, as well as the personal items she had stored there when Aunt Frances moved into her bedroom.
Emma knocked on the office door and opened it. She took one step inside but immediately braced to a halt. Orralynne was sitting behind Emma’s desk, which riled her immensely, while Lester occupied one of the two chairs facing the desk. A man Emma had never seen before sat in the other.
Even though he was sitting down, the middle-aged stranger appeared to be very tall, if the length of his legs were any indication. He had a very narrow face and pinched features that made him look as if his face had been pressed in a vise, much like the one Reverend Glenn used when he whittled crosses out of candlewood for their guests.
Although she was surprised to find a total stranger sitting in her office, she was utterly stunned by the smiles on the Burkes’ faces and the amiable atmosphere in the room. “Excuse me. I . . . I didn’t realize you were entertaining a guest,” she managed.
“He’s not our guest,” Orralynne crooned. “He’s yours.”
The stranger shot to his feet, towering over everyone else in the room. “Widow Garrett? Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Malcolm Lewis. I’m an artist. I recently finished some work in Bounty. I was just explaining to your guests that I was hoping to secure some work here in Candlewood, but once I arrived this morning and learned of the recent tragedy, I realized that’s probably not going to be possible. In point of fact, I haven’t even been able to find a place to stay for the night. I have a small wagon filled with my supplies that I use for my travels. I’m not loathe to admit that I’ve slept more than a few nights in that old wagon, but never in weather as cold as this,” he admitted.
Orralynne smiled coyly at him, shocking Emma yet again. “I assured Mr. Lewis you would be able to make room for one more, especially for a man of artistic talent. He’s also been kind enough to agree to paint our portraits, which would help to pass the time until some of the others can leave and return to their own homes and we can move into more proper accommodations. Perhaps you might have need for some of his services, as well. In addition to portraits, he also paints landscapes and does stenciling.”
Lester nodded. “Fortunately, I was able to salvage most of my tools and a good supply of fabric, which Sheriff North has been kind enough to store in his office. I’ve agreed to make Mr. Lewis a new suit of clothes in exchange for his services. I’ll be using the library for my work room, so even when a proper bedroom becomes available, I’ll require that additional accommodation. In the meantime, I assume you’ll have those sleeping cots you promised us set up shortly.”
He eased from his chair and grabbed hold of his cane. “Come along, sister. You can help me unpack. I’m sure Widow Garrett would like to discuss her own wants and needs with Mr. Lewis,” he suggested before looking at the artist. “Mr. Lewis, please join us when you’re finished here.”
Emma was shocked speechless. She hardly had room for another guest, and she certainly did not need the Burkes to encourage this man to stay here to paint their portraits. Before Emma could organize her objections or even think to apologize to the Burkes for her behavior earlier in the library, Orralynne got up and followed her brother to the door. She turned to face Emma and smiled. “I told Mr. Lewis about our little accident at dinner. Are the cleaning supplies still available? I’d like to take care of that little spill before he joins us.”
Emma’s eyes widened. “I’ve taken care of that for you,” she managed. “I’d also like to apologize for—”
“There’s no need for apologies,” Orralynne insisted before walking into the library and shutting the door behind her.
Emma stared at the closed door for several long moments and tried to reconcile her experience with the
Burkes now with what had occurred earlier in the library. If she had stepped into a dream, she did not want to wake up. She had never seen such a turnabout in attitude. Not in all her years tending the General Store or in the two years she had been welcoming guests to Hill House.
At the same time, however, she did not want to allow a guest to dictate whether or not there was room to accommodate another guest or determine whether or not Emma would allow her library to be turned into a tailor shop.
“Widow Garrett?”
At the sound of her name, Emma turned, smiled at Mr. Lewis, and reclaimed her rightful place behind her desk. “I feel very badly that you’ve arrived under such difficult circumstances,” she offered. “At the moment, unfortunately, I believe your assessment of finding it hard to get work in Candlewood is probably correct. Most folks are still reeling from our recent tragedy, and they probably won’t be inclined to think about using their funds for themselves when so many others have such need.”
He shrugged. “After spending most of my life moving from one town to another every few months to secure work, I’ve learned to be grateful for the blessings I have today. I try not to worry about the ones I’ll receive tomorrow. Fortunately, I’m as happy painting landscapes or portraits as I am doing stencil work or creating silhouettes, so I manage to find enough work for myself one way or the other.”
She cocked her head. “I believe you might be rather unusual in that regard. Most artists have one or two specialties, or so I’ve been told.”
“Perhaps that’s true,” he replied. He leaned down, pulled a sketchbook from a satchel on the floor, and handed her the book. “If you like, you can look over some samples of stenciling and other work I’ve completed in the past. I’ve put some letters of introduction inside the book, as well, along with a list of the prices I charge for my work. Of course, that’s only if you’re agreeable to my staying here at all so I can paint the Burkes’ portraits. I’d need to spend a few weeks on them, at least. Like Mr. Burke suggested, I’d be spending most of my time in the library with them so I would try not to be in the way. After that, unless I’m fortunate enough to find additional work, I’ll be on my way.”
Emma laid the sketchbook on top of her desk. Though sorely tempted, she held back from looking inside. Once she did, she would be certain to find a design for the center hallway she found pleasing—and she felt she could not incur such an expense when her ownership was in question.
She was, however, reluctant to send this man away since he had managed to tame the Burkes’ negative attitudes so easily and so quickly, even though she had no room to offer him.
When she suddenly remembered that Reverend Glenn would not be returning to Hill House until tomorrow, she sighed with relief. “I do have one room open just for tonight,” she admitted and quickly explained that the room actually belonged to the retired minister. Because of his difficulty walking or managing stairs, she had converted a storage room off the kitchen into a bedroom for him. “Beyond that, since Reverend Glenn is expected home tomorrow, whether or not you can stay will depend on the other guests and how quickly they’ll be leaving.”
He smiled, softening the hard planes to his features, and rose from his seat. “The room will be fine for the night. Like I said earlier, I’m grateful for today’s blessings. Tomorrow will take care of itself. In the meantime, if you’ll excuse me, I left my other bags outside in the wagon. I’d like to bring them inside before I spend some time with the Burkes so we can discuss plans for the portraits.”
While he made several trips in and out of the house to retrieve his bags, Emma laid his sketchbook on top of her guest register. The only thing she left on top of the desk, other than the oil lamp, was a small decorative sampler. She scooped up the personal items she had moved into her office and moved everything to the back staircase that led upstairs to her bedroom. On impulse, she removed her apron, spread it out on top of her desk, and dumped the clutter she had stored in both desk drawers on top. After putting the drawers back, she wrapped up her apron and carried it with her.
By the time she made two trips up to the garret on the third floor and returned one last time to her office, she was flushed and winded. Mr. Lewis, apparently, was sequestered behind closed doors in the library with the Burkes, and his bags were lined up in her office.
In order to get to the kitchen to tell Mother Garrett they had yet another guest, at least for the night, Emma had three choices. She could go back upstairs to her bedroom, take the hallway to Mother Garrett’s room, and use the back staircase that led to the kitchen, but she did not think she could face climbing all those stairs yet again. She could cut through the library like she usually did, but that meant she would interrupt the Burkes.
Instead, she decided to take a faster, simpler way. If she slipped out the door to the porch, she could go around the house and get to the kitchen door in less than a minute. “I can tolerate the cold that long without my cape,” she muttered.
After crossing the porch and descending the steps, Emma rounded the house but immediately braced to a halt. The wind whipped at her skirts and nipped at her face and carried away what little scream escaped from her throat. Her heart slammed against the wall of her chest.
Straight ahead only yards away, a panther was crouched low, inching closer and closer to the pen housing the chicken coop. Fortunately the animal was upwind, facing the other direction, which gave her a few seconds to react and escape. Instead of racing back to safety, however, she was frozen immobile, too stunned to see an animal only rumored to roam this area several decades ago to do anything other than to watch with horrid fascination.
Until the chickens in the coop started squawking.
Startled back to reality, she stared at the wire pen. While it was strong enough to keep the chickens close to the coop, it would be too weak to hold up against the strength of this predator. She looked around frantically and picked up a rock the size of a loaf of bread.
Using both hands, she hurled it as best she could in the panther’s direction, hoping to startle it rather than hit it and hurt it. Almost immediately, Faith fluttered out of the coop, squawking her heart out.
The panther straightened up but hesitated, as if momentarily shocked or confused by the commotion. Emma could now see that the poor creature was very thin and obviously hungry. Still, her protective instincts overruled her common sense, and her need to protect her chickens was greater than her desire to see the panther assuage its hunger on them.
She grabbed a smaller rock and tossed it toward the panther. This time the animal turned and looked directly at her. Acting on pure impulse, she imitated Faith and then some. She grabbed her skirts and started flapping them like wings while screaming at the top of her lungs. “Go away! Scoot! Go! Go! Go!”
To her utter amazement, the panther quickly turned and leaped over the stone wall along the perimeter of the backyard. With her body shaking as much from fright as from cold, she offered a silent prayer of gratitude while she tried to catch her breath.
Faith, on the other hand, patrolled the inside of the pen, still agitated and still squawking.
“You’re all right for now,” Emma murmured before she hurried to the kitchen door. The moment she got inside, she slammed the door shut and collapsed against it.
Mother Garrett, who was sitting with Aunt Frances sharing a cup of tea while they peeled apples, looked up and frowned. “In case you’ve forgotten, it’s the middle of winter. Next time you decide to go outside without your cape, I hope you have the sense to wait until spring. Your lips are almost as blue as your eyes.”
Emma tightened her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering. “I’m sorry. I was only trying to take a shortcut to the kitchen so you’d be the first to know we have another guest. Mr. Lewis is here. He’s an artist. He’ll be staying in Reverend Glenn’s room for the night. And the Burkes will be taking their meals with us in the dining room. And in case you’re interested, on my way to the kitchen I encountered a panther that w
as headed straight for the chicken coop. But don’t worry. I chased it off.”
Her mother-in-law dropped the apple she was peeling. “A panther? Here? In the backyard?”
“And you chased it off? All by yourself?” Aunt Frances asked.
“Yes, yes. But Faith helped,” Emma quipped and plopped into the chair next to Mother Garrett. Now that the crisis was over, she started shaking. Hard. She wrapped her arms at her waist and pressed her elbows to her body, rocking in rhythm to the tremors rippling through her body from head to toe.
Mother Garrett took the knitted blanket she kept in the kitchen to keep the drafts off her legs and wrapped it around Emma’s shoulders.
Aunt Frances went to the cupboard for another cup, fixed some hot tea for Emma, and handed it to her. “Drink this. You’ll feel better.”
Now settled, Emma took the cup and curled her hands around it. “The panther will be back for the chickens, and the next time, it might get to them. The wire pen just isn’t strong enough to hold it back. That animal is starving. I could almost make out its ribs,” she whispered. “It’s not safe to go outside now. Not for anyone. What are we going to do?”
Mother Garrett patted Emma’s back. “We’ll send for the sheriff. He’ll know what to do. At the very least, he’ll have to alert everyone in town to be on the lookout for the panther.”
Emma closed her eyes and sighed. “He’s already got enough to do. He doesn’t have the time to go from household to household to warn everyone. We’d probably be better off if we could get someone to go to the General Store and the hotel and tell the tale. Gossip will spread the news faster.”
Mother Garrett grinned at Aunt Frances and stood up. “We can do that much.”
“You can’t go into town! What about the panther?” Emma argued.