by Terrie Todd
She could hear Reverend Fennel walking back toward the bed. “What did you think it would be like?”
Charlotte rolled over onto her back and looked at him with a sigh. “I don’t know. I thought I could just go back to my old life. Finish school. Marry Reginald as soon as this awful war is over. Then have real babies that we could keep.”
“But . . . ?”
“But Darcy is a real baby. My life will never be the same, no matter what happens. If I never see Darcy again”—her voice caught in her throat. “I will still always know he’s out there, somewhere, with someone else. Always.”
Reverend Fennel sat down again. “There’s a verse in the Bible about that.”
Charlotte raised her eyebrows. “There is?”
He nodded, twirling his hat in his hands. “Somewhere in Isaiah, I think. It says, ‘Can a woman forget her child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.’ It was God’s promise to his people that He would never forget them.”
Charlotte thought about that. Maybe someone did understand after all. “Isn’t there some way out of this?” she asked.
“I don’t know, Charlotte,” he said softly. “Maybe the better question is, what’s best for Darcy?”
At this, Charlotte began to sob all over again.
“May I pray for you?” When Charlotte nodded, Reverend Fennel placed his hat on the bed and took Charlotte’s free hand between his own. “Lord, you know how difficult it is to be separated from your child. You know Charlotte’s heart. You’ve made her a mother, and a good mother always wants what is best for her children. Please flood Charlotte’s heart with peace right now so she can get the rest she needs to heal. Help her, Father. Amen.”
Without another word, the man gently wiped a tear from Charlotte’s cheek with the back of his fingers, then turned and left the room.
CHAPTER 20
Reuben found Maggie at the nurses’ station in heavy debate with Nurse Dobson. As he approached, he had to grin at the contrast between the two. The nurse was a good six inches taller than Maggie, and her shiny, nearly black hair looked like she’d just walked out of a salon—especially when seen beside Maggie’s mass of unruly red curls. Even so, it appeared the little spitfire was managing to intimidate the head nurse.
“This is incompetence, that’s what this is.” Maggie had both hands on her hips.
“Ma’am, please do not blame this on my staff. She told us she was married. We could not possibly have known this baby was supposed to be withheld from her. She didn’t exactly volunteer that information!”
Maggie’s volume rose a notch. “You didn’t find it the least bit odd that this mere child—?”
“We see seventeen-year-old married girls in here all the time, Mrs. Marshall.” In contrast to Maggie, Nurse Dobson’s voice got quieter but firmer. “We were flooded with them about nine months after Canada entered this senseless war.”
Maggie pressed her lips together, her face red. “She was traveling alone. In her condition. That should have tipped someone off.”
Another nurse approached. “Excuse me, but I couldn’t help overhearing. I’m Nurse Bailey. Maybe I can help. I went with the ambulance to meet Charlotte at the train.” She reached out to shake Maggie’s hand and explained briefly about how the railroad had wired ahead and what Charlotte’s condition had been when she got off the train car.
“Another passenger had kindly taken Charlotte under her wing and made sure we had her belongings and her name. Although in the end, I guess we had that wrong, too.” She looked up at Reuben. “Are you her parents?”
“No. We’re—I’m—her guardian.” Maggie answered. “Her parents brought her to me in Winnipeg, where she was supposed to stay until the baby was born. Arrangements were in place for his adoption. Instead, she took off on her own without a word while—”
She stopped short before finishing her sentence.
Reuben thought Maggie had been about to say “while I was at my husband’s funeral” and thought better of it. When she didn’t continue, he placed a gentle hand on her arm and spoke for her.
“Her parents are traveling and we haven’t been able to reach them. Thank you for taking such good care of Charlotte. She and the baby are safe now, which is the main thing. And we have all of you to thank for that.” He looked at Maggie, hoping she would follow his cue and show the staff some gratitude. Instead, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Not what he was hoping for, but at least she was calmer now.
Nurse Dobson had moved behind the desk and was sorting papers. “This baby will have to be returned to Winnipeg. Our hands are tied, other than to release him to his mother or, in this case, his mother’s legal guardian.”
“Her parents are still her legal guardians,” Maggie said quietly. “I don’t know what to do.”
“There is also the matter of the hospital bill.” Nurse Dobson’s eyes darted from Maggie to Reuben and back again.
“Her parents will cover it.” Of that, Maggie sounded confident.
“In any case, neither Charlotte nor the baby is ready to be released yet. We generally keep all our mothers a full week, and we have no way of knowing how much this afternoon’s little escapade may have set her back. Her doctor will be in to see her in the morning.”
“And until then?” Maggie asked.
The nurse sounded as puzzled as Maggie, and Reuben knew this must be a highly unusual event. “Until then, I suggest you keep trying to get a hold of her parents. If the baby isn’t leaving with his mother, we need to start feeding him in the nursery and keep them separated. It will go a lot harder on her now that she’s been nursing him.”
Reuben remembered the Bible verse he had just shared with Charlotte. Though he would never experience her pain, he found himself wanting to cry for the poor, lonely girl.
“She even gave him a name,” Maggie said sadly. “Something Irish. What was it, Reuben?”
“Darcy.”
“Oh yeah.” Maggie sighed again. “So? Which of us gets to tell her?”
Reuben took Maggie’s elbow and led her away from the nurses’ station. “She’s resting. Let’s go get a cup of coffee.”
Maggie relaxed into the padded seat of the restaurant booth and sipped her coffee. This place was a definite step up from the one they’d eaten breakfast in, and she spotted a couple of decorating ideas she might be able to use at Bert’s, like the slowly turning overhead fans. Reuben had excused himself to make some telephone calls, and she could see him through the restaurant window as he stood inside the booth, looking up numbers in a thick book. As he bent over his task, she couldn’t help but notice how capable and determined he looked. He’d be almost handsome if it weren’t for that goofy clerical collar. And he was in desperate need of a shave.
Maggie pushed away her thoughts about her traveling companion. Reuben’s appearance didn’t matter. What mattered was, what was she going to do next? If she’d known this was going to turn into such a mess, she never would have approached Reuben for help in the first place. The poor man had had no idea what he was getting into, yet he acted like the problem was his own to solve. He’d been a real peach about it all, but she couldn’t ask any more of him.
She could wire enough funds from her bank in Winnipeg to get her through the next few days, then bring Charlotte back to Winnipeg on the train. Perhaps she could find a boardinghouse to stay in here in Fort William, something more affordable than a hotel.
Meanwhile, every day that she was away, Bert’s sat empty. She worried that her customers would find other places to eat, maybe even form new dining habits that would keep them from Bert’s even after her return. Darn that Charlotte!
Then again, Maggie admitted to herself, maybe Charlotte was not the only one to blame. Maybe if Maggie hadn’t been so hard on her, she wouldn’t have been so determined to run off. Maybe if she’d shown more kindness, the girl would have confided in her. Still, it was maddening. Of all th
e childish, idiotic things to do! Clearly, this girl was not ready to be a mother. She had way too much growing up to do.
The seesaw ride between indignation and self-blame was giving Maggie a headache.
Reuben returned to his seat. “We’ve got a place to stay.” He picked up his coffee and took a sip, but it must have been cold. He made a face, put the cup down, and waved the waitress over for the check.
“What do you mean?” Maggie asked, surprised. “You need to get in your car and head home.”
He looked up. “Why would I do that? I can’t abandon you and Charlotte here.”
“Why not? I’m half-tempted to abandon her here myself. You’ve done more than enough. Your congregation needs you. I’ll stay until she’s discharged and then bring her back with me by train. The rush is over. She’s safe now.”
Reuben acted like he hadn’t heard her. “I called a couple of churches in the area. Pastor Cooper at St. Paul’s Anglican answered. When I introduced myself and shared our dilemma, he said they have folks in their congregation who are willing to billet people in emergencies just like this.”
Maggie stared at him. “This dilemma is not ours, Reuben. It’s mine.”
“Of course, we’ll be in two separate homes, for the sake of propriety.”
“Did you not hear me? This is not your problem. And I think propriety went out the window when I climbed into your car and rode halfway across the country with you.”
He grinned. “Not nearly halfway. It’s a big country, Maggie.”
Maggie rolled her eyes, but smiled in spite of herself. “Are you being stubborn, Reverend? Because let me tell you, it ain’t pretty.”
“Look who’s talking. You invited me along on this escapade, remember? I intend to see it through.”
“I did no such thing! I asked to borrow a car. You’re the one who butted your way in.”
Reuben did not dignify this with a response. “We’re meeting Reverend Cooper at the church in fifteen minutes. Our hosts will meet us there; we can settle in and freshen up.” He pulled a wallet from his pocket. “Then I think we’d better head back to the hospital and have a good long talk with Charlotte, don’t you?”
Maggie didn’t know what to say. It had been years since anyone had “taken charge” with her, and the last time someone had, it had not been a good thing. This was so much different. Reuben’s actions made her feel cared for, provided for. As much as she wanted to send him on his way and solve her own problems, she had to admit, this felt awfully good. She had felt alone for so long.
“I think I’m glad I roped you into this, Reverend.” She swallowed the last of her coffee and stood, without looking him in the eye. But as he was laying some coins on the table, she stole a glance back at him.
The fool was grinning from ear to ear.
CHAPTER 21
Maggie tossed her bag onto the bed and looked out the window in time to see Reuben’s car driving away, following after the Anglican minister. He and Reuben had dropped her at the home of an older couple whose names were Peter and Pansy Flannigan. She learned that the couple had an unmarried son who was fighting overseas and a married daughter who lived just across the street with her husband and four children.
“We just want to help out however we can,” Mr. Flannigan had said. His wife had shown Maggie to this room and pointed out the bathroom just across the hall. Reuben had promised to return for her in forty-five minutes. Now she pulled her one remaining clean outfit out of her bag and hung it over the tub while it filled, hoping the steam would rid it of wrinkles. After taking a short soak, she tossed her dirty clothes into the tub and swished everything around. That would have to do. She wrung them out as tightly as she could and hung them around her room from chairs and bedposts.
By the time she was dressed again, she felt much better. At the bottom of the stairs, Mrs. Flannigan offered her lemonade, and they chatted at the kitchen table while waiting for Reuben to return.
“The reverend told me about your husband,” the woman said. “I’m so sorry. It must have been a real blow to you, dear.”
Maggie nodded. No need to explain to this stranger.
“Do you have children?”
“No.”
“Well, you’re young yet. There’s time.” Mrs. Flannigan’s soft gray curls flattered her round face. “I hope and pray for my boy’s safe return every day. His father was in the great war.”
“The war to end all wars,” Maggie murmured.
“Wasn’t that the biggest lie?” She gave a resigned sigh. “Maybe this one will finally be the last.”
“Maybe it will.”
“But if not, may you never have to go through the agony of saying good-bye to your son, wondering if you’ll ever lay eyes on him again. It’s a heartache I wouldn’t wish on anyone.”
The doorbell rang and Maggie followed Mrs. Flannigan to the entryway, where the sight of Reuben on the other side of the screen door made her heart do a little flip. I must be nervous about having this talk with Charlotte, she reasoned.
“Feel better?” Reuben asked as they got into his car.
“Much.”
“Me too.” They both pulled their doors shut.
“Not sure I’m ready for this next task, though.” Maggie could picture Charlotte’s sad face, her sobs still clear from the last time they’d parted.
“Me either.” As he had done before on their trip, Reuben bowed his head and prayed aloud. “Lord, thank you for helping us find Charlotte and the baby. Please give us wisdom as we speak with her. Show us how to handle this. Help us get in touch with her parents, somehow. Amen.”
Maggie mumbled an amen. How could Reuben talk to God so easily, about anything? He really seemed to expect answers, too. And the crazy thing was, he got them.
She turned her attention to the matter at hand. “Tomorrow I should try to contact the adoption agency in Winnipeg and see what I can learn.”
“Tomorrow’s Saturday,” Reuben reminded her. “We may have to wait until Monday.”
Maggie had completely lost track of the days. It seemed months, not a mere week, since she’d received the telegram informing her Douglas had been killed in action. How could she have grown so comfortable with Reuben Fennel in such a short time?
Then it struck her.
“Wait a minute. If tomorrow’s Saturday, don’t you need to get back to your church and preach on Sunday?”
“It’s already arranged,” he said. “I telephoned Deacon Ellis, who fills in for me when I’m away. Turns out he had a sermon all ready to go the last time I was scheduled for a holiday and was quite disappointed he never got to use it.”
“Why didn’t he get to use it?”
“The war broke out. I didn’t take the holiday.”
Maggie gave a snort. “Guess you’re taking it now instead.”
Reuben grinned. “I also asked Deacon Ellis to let my landlady know I’d be a few more days.”
“You think of everything. I don’t suppose you checked up on my restaurant while you were at it?” Maggie’s face held a mischievous grin.
“Yes, I did. It said to tell you it hardly misses you at all and is enjoying the peace and quiet.”
Before heading to Charlotte’s room, Maggie and Reuben stopped by the nurses’ station in the maternity ward. Nurse Dobson was gone for the day, but had instructed her staff to begin bottle-feeding Darcy in the nursery. It was not going well, the ward nurse told them, but their orders were to keep trying. When he was hungry enough, he should accept the bottle.
They found Charlotte picking at a supper tray of meat loaf and mashed potatoes when they got to her room.
“May we come in?” Reuben asked from the door.
Charlotte looked up. Her face was drained of color except for red tear streaks that remained, though her cheeks were dry. A Bible lay open beside the food tray on her over-bed table. “I thought you’d left town.”
“We’re not leaving without you,” Maggie said.
Cha
rlotte raised her eyebrows. “When will that be?”
“When you’re ready to be discharged.”
“Are we leaving Darcy here?” The girl’s voice sounded flat.
Reuben spoke up. “We don’t know all the details yet, Charlotte. Right now your job is to get your strength back and rest. Try to trust that everyone involved will do everything in their power to do what’s best for Darcy.”
“I’ve been doing some thinking about that.” Charlotte laid her fork on the tray. “Mrs. Marshall, I owe you a big apology. I can see now how foolish and selfish I was, taking off like I did. I was only thinking of myself. And then running away again today. I don’t know how I could have endangered Darcy like that.”
Now it was Maggie’s turn to raise her eyebrows. Had the girl grown up that much in just two days?
“Can you forgive me?” Charlotte looked her straight in the eye.
“It’s water under the bridge now.” Maggie shrugged. “Like the reverend said. You need to concentrate on getting strong enough to leave here.”
“But that doesn’t answer my question,” Charlotte looked ready to burst into tears again. “I need to know if I’m forgiven.”
Maggie glanced at Reuben, who slowly nodded.
“All right.” Maggie cleared her throat. “I forgive you.”
“I can make it up to you,” Charlotte said. “I’ll work as long as necessary, help you make those changes to the restaurant you want. Anything.”
“That won’t be necessary.” Maggie picked some lint off her skirt. It would have been easier to stay mad at the girl.
“And you, Reverend Fennel. I’m sorry for all the inconvenience I’ve caused.”
“You’re forgiven, Charlotte.” He stepped over to the bed and pointed to the open Bible. “May I ask what you were reading?”
“Nothing in particular. I found the Bible in the drawer and was hoping I might find some reassurance that God would forgive me. For everything. I’ve just made one big mess of things.”