The Hull Home Fire

by Linda Abbott

  Chapter 20

  MIKE AND TOM SAT IN front of the fireplace, each smoking a Camel cigarette. Tom puffed out perfectly shaped rings which disintegrated as they floated to the ceiling.

  “I’ve never been able to get the hang of that,” Mike said, attempting to blow out a circle. A mushroom cloud formed and flattened almost immediately.

  Tom grinned. “It’s a natural-born talent,” he said. “Either you have it or you don’t.” His grin faded. “Mike, you haven’t truly met the real Henry yet.”

  “He’s on your mind a lot lately.”

  “Normally he’s the kind of person who sees the bright side of things. If he wants something, nothing gets in his way.” Tom sighed. “He’s seems to have given up.”

  Alice stood in the entrance to the living room, looking at the grandfather clock. “I don’t know what’s keeping Henry,” she said, turning her eyes to the window. “He should’ve been here twenty minutes ago.”

  The front door opened. “Henry,” Alice said. “Where were you ? I was beginning to worry.”

  He stared in his mother’s direction, yet seemed to look through her. “I’m sorry,” he said, and walked past her into the living room without removing his coat or boots.

  Alice followed him. “Henry, are you all right ?”

  “No, Mom. Everything’s a mess.” He sat down on the chesterfield, his head bent low.

  Tom doused his half-smoked cigarette in the ashtray on the side table. “Son,” he said, “what’s the matter ?”

  Henry looked from his mother to his father, then back to a blank spot on the wall. “It’s gone,” he whispered. “I’m really sorry. You didn’t even know.”

  Alice and Tom exchanged a look, waiting for an explanation. When none came, Alice sat next to her son. “Know what ?” She tugged on his arm. “What’s gone ?”

  Henry continued to stare ahead, his eyes glazed over. “Maybe it’s my fault.”

  Tom leaned toward his son, trying to make eye contact. “We don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

  Henry’s gaze drifted to his father. “I should’ve told you, but I couldn’t.”

  “Please,” Tom said. “You’re not making any sense.”

  “I knew you’d come ’round.”

  “Come around to what ?”

  “Me being a doctor.”

  “Yes ?”

  “But... I decided against it. You couldn’t understand why.”

  “Yes,” Mike said. “It was quite a shock.”

  “I couldn’t tell you before because...” He paused as if unsure of what to say next. “... because Mary asked me not to.” Henry’s right heel tapped the floor. “She is pregnant, having our baby. I asked her to marry me, but she refused.”

  Tom and Alice gaped at each other.

  Mike spoke up. “I take it she doesn’t want to ruin your chance to be a doctor.”

  Henry nodded. “Every time I tried to talk to her she turned me away.”

  “Love,” Alice said softly. “It’s gone, you said.”

  “The — ”

  The front door smacked against the wall and Mary burst into the house. “Henry, I must talk to you right away.” Her cheeks burned scarlet. “You and me, alone.” She looked at Tom and Alice. “It’s very important.” Her chest heaved.

  Tom grabbed his crutches. “We’ll be in the kitchen. Come on, Alice.” Mike followed them from the room.

  “Mary,” Henry said as soon as the others had left. “What are you doing here ?” He led her to the chesterfield. “Sit down. You shouldn’t be out of bed in your condition.”

  “I still can’t believe I did it.” The groove between Mary’s brows deepened. “It was mean and cruel. You’ll never be able to forgive me.”

  “It’s not your fault you lost the baby. Maybe if I hadn’t hounded you all...” Henry left the sentence unfinished.

  Mary started to rock. “You can’t blame yourself. Oh, Henry, I’ve made such a mess of everything.”

  Henry stroked her cheek. “No you haven’t.”

  “I lied about the baby.”

  “What ? I...” Henry shook his head. “Lied about the baby ? It... doesn’t make any sense.” He ran a hand through his hair.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “You refused to marry me. Why pretend you were pregnant ?”

  Mary burst into tears. “You don’t understand. I was pregnant.”

  “Then what are you trying to say ?”

  Mary pulled a tissue from her pocket and wiped her nose. “I’m still pregnant. I didn’t miscarry.”

  “You lied about the miscarriage,” Henry whispered, his bottom lip quivering.

  “I was confused, desperate.”

  Henry stood up, staring at Mary as if she were a stranger. “What kind of game are you playing ?”

  “It was wrong of me. I realize that now.”

  “Why did you do it ?” Henry barked.

  “I couldn’t bear to marry a man who only wanted to give his child a name.”

  Henry’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know who you are anymore.”

  Mary’s fingernails dug into the palms of her hands, puncturing the flesh. “I deserve your anger. But I’d rather be alone than be hurt the way my mother was.”

  “The lie was your way of getting rid of me,” Henry snapped. “To hell with our baby.”

  “No. It was a test to see if you really wanted me for me.”

  Henry laughed, a guttural, unpleasant sound. “A test. How could you do that ?”

  “I felt shoved aside like a used dishrag when you applied for medical school. Then the fire happened and all those people died.” Mary sobbed. “When I found your grandmother dead, it hurt so bad. Then the roof caved in on both of us.” Her voice shook. “My life’s been turned upside down and I can’t think straight.”

  “A lot of people’s lives have been turned upside down,” Henry said, his voice cold. He turned to leave.

  “Henry, don’t go. I realize now that you really do love me.” She swallowed to ease the lump growing in her throat. “Has my deceit put an end to that ?”

  Henry looked back at Mary’s puffy red eyes, the tear-stained cheeks, and the blonde hair in disarray. He went into the hall without uttering a single word.

  Tom and Mike sat at the table smoking. Four butts and smouldering ashes filled an ashtray. Alice wiped down the countertops for the fifth time, scrubbing away at invisible stains. “Is everything all right ?” she said when Henry stopped just inside the door, standing as motionless as an ice sculpture.

  Tom tried to stand up without his crutches and plopped back into the chair. “You look winded, like you’ve been kicked in the guts.”

  “Can you all come back to the living room ?” Henry waited for them to follow him.

  Tom’s crutches thumped down the long hallway, loud in the awkward quietness.

  Mary wrung her hands as the silent group seated themselves.

  Alice sat on the arm of her husband’s chair. “Goodness,” she said, “there’s enough tension in this room to sink a steamship. It must be awful bad news.”

  “Now, love,” Tom said in a calm voice. “Don’t look for trouble. Let’s hear Henry out.”

  Henry moved to the chesterfield and stood over Mary. She looked up at him, her eyes pleading. He sat down. “It’s not bad news, Mom. At least I hope you won’t think so.” Henry took Mary’s hand and held it to his chest. “We’re going to have a baby.”

  There was a silent pause, broken by Tom. “And ?”

  “He wants to get married,” Mary said.

  Alice inhaled deeply. “How long have you known about the baby ?”

  “The day before the fire, Mrs. Gibbs. Henry found out after I came home from the hospital.”

  Henry looked at both his parents. “You’re some calm about this. Why aren’t you shocked, surprised ?”

  “Love,” Alice said. “You don’t reach our age with your head stuck in a paper bag.”

  “That�
�s the truth of it,” Tom said. “The sudden decision to drop medical school had to be prompted by an awful big event. The possibility of a baby did cross our minds.”

  “Why didn’t you confront me ?”

  “Because you’re not a boy anymore.”

  Mary covered her face with her hands. “I’ve made a mess of everything.”

  Alice put her arms around the young woman. “Don’t look so ashamed. It’s not the end of the world.”

  “Dr. Kennedy said the same thing. Oh, Mrs. Gibbs, I’ve done an unforgivable thing.”

  “Nonsense, child. You didn’t make the baby on your own.”

  “That’s not what I mean.” Mary glanced at Henry. “I — ”

  “Mary won’t marry me,” Henry said quickly. “She doesn’t want to hold me back from becoming a doctor.”

  Tom lit a cigarette. “I have only one question for you, Henry. If Mary doesn’t become your wife, will you go to medical school ?”

  Alice gasped. “Tom, what kind of a question is that, especially in front of Mary ?”

  “Please answer the question, Henry.”

  “I won’t run away from my child for any reason.”

  “You heard him, Mary,” Tom said. “There’s no reason to put my son off any longer.”

  Mike sat with his elbows resting on the arms of the chair. “If I may be permitted to make an observation.” All eyes turned to him. “Why does it have to be one way or the other ? Can’t we all work together to find a solution that will get both these young people what they want ?”

  HENRY WALKED MARY HOME. “Why didn’t you tell your parents about my horrible lie ?” she asked.

  “To what end ? I can only imagine how hard it was on your family when your father ran off.”

  Mary stopped and faced Henry. “I would never keep our baby from you or your parents, no matter what you decided about us.”

  “For the last time, Mary, please hear what I’ve been trying to tell you from the beginning. I want to give our baby a respectable start in life for two reasons.”

  “Which are ?”

  “The baby deserves both parents.”

  “That’s one reason. What’s the other ?”

  “I love you.”

  “BREAKFAST WAS WONDERFUL AS USUAL , Mrs. Simms,” Mike said, patting his stomach. “I’ve gained weight since I’ve been here.”

  “A few extra pounds never hurt anyone,” the housekeeper said. She looked down at her own voluminous waistline. “I can outwork any skinny young lass.”

  “I don’t doubt it in the least.”

  “Besides,” Mrs. Simms added, “you need some fat to keep warm in this cold weather.”

  Dr. Kennedy pushed his eggs and bacon around the plate.

  Mrs. Simms folded her arms. “What’s gotten into you, Doctor ? Any other time I’d have a second helping served by now.”

  “I’m not hungry. Maybe a nice hot cup of tea will do the trick.”

  “Right away,” Mrs. Simms said, taking away the empty teapot.

  “Frankie,” Mike said, “you’ve been sullen and withdrawn since yesterday. Does it have anything to do with the release of the Emerson report on the fire ?”

  “Afraid so. Emerson found Isaac Hull directly responsible for the fire because he was careless over the stove.” Dr. Kennedy threw his napkin over his cold breakfast. “Not enough staff and lack of a fire escape contributed to the many deaths which were all Isaac’s responsibility.”

  “How’s the man holding up ?”

  “I dropped by his house after the report came out. His wife laid into me about how unfairly her husband has been judged. She accused me of standing on the sidelines instead of defending him.”

  “It’s understandable she’s upset, but you could only tell the truth.”

  “You’re right, of course, yet...”

  “Yet nothing.”

  “I was the Home’s doctor and medical adviser. Perhaps I should share some of the blame.”

  “Don’t be absurd, Frankie.”

  “I suggested to Isaac that he needed to hire more nurses. But I didn’t press the issue.”

  “According to what Henry told me about both of the Hulls, it wouldn’t have made one inkling of a difference if you had sung it from the rooftop.”

  “City Hall and the Health and Welfare Department were equally criticized for not enforcing the improvements which were needed.” Dr. Kennedy shoved his plate aside like it was an annoyance. “No one in a position of power cared enough about the sick and old to make sure they were safe.” He looked at Mike. “What does that say about us as a society ?”

  “Hopefully it’ll wake the government up to the realization that changes must be implemented to protect those unable to care for themselves.”

  “Why does it always take a disaster ?”

  “We won’t allow ourselves to envision the worst, especially if money is involved. Do you know if criminal charges will be laid against Mr. Hull ?”

  “Afraid not,” Dr. Kennedy said. “Which isn’t going to sit real well with anyone.”

  Mike couldn’t hide his surprise. “How did he accomplish that feat ?”

  “Manslaughter charges are only brought against a person if they neglect safety with the knowledge that human life is at risk. Sir Emerson believes that Isaac Hull was negligent, yet didn’t really consider the full implications entailed by that neglect.”

  “I guess Emerson has to go by the letter of the law,” Mike said. “Still, it must be hard for family and friends of the deceased to accept.”

  Dr. Kennedy nodded. “Civil suits can be brought against him. We’ll have to wait and see if anyone does.”

  “Do you think Alice will bring one ?”

  “It’s not in her nature. As far as she’s concerned, Dot’s gone. Dragging the Hulls through court for what could turn out to be years won’t be worth whatever compensation she might win.”

  Mrs. Simms laid a fresh pot of tea on the table. “Dr. Gibbs.” She tutted. “Your missus will be at the airport, luggage in hand, thinking you’ve forgotten about her.”

  Mike rose from the table. “Thank you for the reminder, Mrs. Simms.”

  “A bit of good luck,” Dr. Kennedy said, the twinkle back in his eyes. “Lilah’s right on time for the wedding.”

  Chapter 21

  DOUGIE, DRESSED IN A BORROWED suit, walked Mary down the aisle. Flora sat with Alice and Tom in the first pew. “Dougie looks some grown up,” Flora said, a handkerchief to her eyes. “He looks more like his father every day.” She raised her eyes to the crucifix above the altar. “Thank the Lord that’s where the resemblance ends.”

  Father Whitten smiled at the boy. “Who gives this woman in matrimony ?”

  Dougie stood tall. “Me and Mom do.” Mary kissed his cheek and handed her white roses to Jean Baker.

  “You look beautiful,” Henry said as Mary stood next to him.

  The ceremony began with Alice and Flora wiping their eyes often, stopping only when they reached the reception for family and a few close friends. The meal of stuffed chicken was a big hit with everyone.

  “That’s a lovely pale green suit your daughter is wearing,” Lilah Gibbs said as Mary and Henry danced together for the first time as man and wife. “It’s very flattering. She could be featured in a fashion magazine.”

  “Mary is a picture to behold,” Flora said, her eyes watering.

  “Ah, Mom,” Dougie said. “Don’t start bawling again.”

  Fred Russell had left his bakery job an hour early to attend the wedding. He held his head up proudly. “They sure do make a handsome couple.”

  Lilah Gibbs smiled. “They certainly do.”

  Fred unbuttoned his jacket, which was made a little more snug from the two plates of dinner he devoured before anyone had finished the first. “Henry will make a fine doctor one day. Always said the boy was destined for good things.”

  “Tell me, Fred.” He had earlier insisted Lilah call him by his Christian name. “Have
you any children ?”

  Fred beamed. “Indeed I do,” he said, and held up seven fingers.

  “What a large family.”

  “Not in these parts, it ain’t. We had one every year. The oldest is twenty-six on down to twenty. Four boys, three girls. All married and living in town.” He made a face. “Still waiting on grandchildren.”

  “Your wife couldn’t make the wedding ?”

  “Her mother’s a mite under the weather. My missus is gone around the bay to look after her.”

  Tom leaned into Mike. “You’d better rescue Lilah,” he whispered. “Fred will talk her ear off.”

  Mike cocked his head to the side. “She’s loving every second.”

  The music ended. Henry and Mary walked to the table, the groom’s arm around his bride’s waist. “That’s enough dancing for one night,” he said, pulling out a chair for Mary.

  Lilah stood up. “Both of you come with me,” she said. “I want a private word.”

  Tom gazed at Mike. “What’s that all about ?” he said, watching his son and new daughter-in-law follow Lilah across the dance floor.

  Mike smiled as if he had learned a secret no one else knew. “My dear wife is always up to something.”

  Lilah headed toward the female washroom.

  “I can’t go in there, “Henry said, coming to an abrupt halt at the door.

  “Who’s going to stop you ?” Lilah said, herding him and Mary inside.

  Henry’s eyes darted around the room. “Someone might come in.”

  “That’s easy enough to remedy,” Lilah said, and locked the door. “Now we won’t be disturbed.”

  “But...” Henry’s voice trailed away when Mary giggled.

  Lilah took in the newlyweds with one glance. “Mike told me all about your dilemma.”

  Mary blushed all the way down to her neck.

  “My girl,” Lilah said. “You’ve nothing to be ashamed of. When Mike and I were married I was three months in the family way. In the family way,” she repeated. “I do love that expression.”

  “Mrs. Gibbs,” Henry said.

  “Call me Aunt Lilah.”

  “Aunt Lilah, I don’t feel at home in here. What is it you want to discuss with us ?”

  “A baby is a precious gift, not something that hinders what you want from life.”