“Yes, as a matter of fact, it does. Am I correct in assuming that’s tea in there?” She nodded at the kettle.
“Yes,” Mrs. Berringer replied, reaching for one of the cups. “Would you like some?”
“If you don’t mind, I’d love some.”
“But of course, my dear. I prepared it just for you.” She poured and handed Annabelle the cup. “So you see, it’s a good thing you did come. Otherwise I might have been forced to either drink everything in this kettle or dump it out. And I do so hate to waste anything if I can avoid it.”
How long had it been since she’d sat with her mother like this, talking about anything and everything? A few months at least. And that was too long. A pang of guilt struck her that she wasn’t confiding in her mother. She’d do that at the earliest opportunity. For now she’d make the most of this situation.
William’s mother settled in place and gave Annabelle her undivided attention. Her motherly demeanor reached out and touched Annabelle’s desperate longing to share her innermost struggles.
“Drink your tea and tell me what’s on your mind. . .or perhaps your heart.”
Yes. No doubt about it. Lucille was straight to the point, just like Mother. The build up of concerns that burdened Annabelle’s weary soul teetered right on the edge of her lips, wanting to spill forth like water from an upended pail. Her thoughts scattered in every direction at once.
“I. . .I’m not sure. I mean, I don’t know,” she babbled, trying to gather her thoughts into some semblance of coherency. “I hardly know where to begin.”
“Maybe I could help somewhat?” the kindly woman asked.
“Please,” Annabelle encouraged.
“I am quite certain a good bit of what is plaguing you is somehow connected to my son. If I’m not correct, stop me now.”
Annabelle dipped her chin and whispered. “No, you’re correct.”
“And if I haven’t missed my guess, it’s because you have feelings for my son yet are torn because your parents have limited your time here at the fields.”
Annabelle could hardly believe it. All those emotions tumbling around inside her wanting release, and William’s mother had summed it up in just a few words. Sometimes hearing it spoken from someone not involved in the mess proved beneficial. Meeting Mrs. Berringer’s gaze over the rim of her teacup, Annabelle blinked back the tears that had gathered.
“I can see the purpose behind Mother and Father doing what they did. I mean, they are only looking out for me, keeping what they believe are my best interests at heart.” She shook her head and wiped away the overspill from her cheek with the back of her hand. “And I truly believe that of them,” she declared. “I just don’t agree with how they’re going about it.”
“Have you spoken with them about this and told them how you feel?”
“No. Not yet.”
“Then I strongly encourage you to be honest. It’s clear your parents love you, but how can they truly know what’s best if you don’t share the truth in your heart?”
Mrs. Berringer was right. She had told them only what she knew they’d wanted to hear, so her current situation was as much her fault as theirs. “You’re right. They had asked for my input, but I didn’t refute anything. And William”—Annabelle sighed, remembering their last conversation—“he didn’t even allow for a rebuttal of any kind from me. He just reacted and walked away.”
Instead of acting surprised, Mrs. Berringer simply nodded. She no doubt knew her son quite well, and this behavior wasn’t unexpected.
“Unfortunately, William gets his impatience and impulsiveness from his father. But he means well, even when he doesn’t show it.”
“Yes, I know that. The last time I saw him, I could tell he was fighting a battle all his own,” Annabelle said hesitantly.
“I will confess,” Mrs. Berringer began, “William did come to see me after he spoke to you that day. He confessed everything he was feeling and even shared about your sadness, but he knew that moment was not the right time to do anything about it. I could tell that hurt him a great deal.” The regret in her tone spoke volumes. “He always wants to fix things, to come up with solutions. Feeling like his hands are tied is not a good place for him to be, nor a comfortable one.”
William? Hurt by her sorrow and what she had said that day? She thought back. There had been a definite melancholic quality in his mannerisms. And if she called it what it was, she had seen the hurt his mother now mentioned. He’d covered it so quickly, though, she hadn’t been sure at the time. Then he’d stormed off and was now nowhere to be found, leaving her to interpret his true feelings.
“I’m so sorry, Mrs. Berringer. I would never intentionally hurt William. But he deserved to know what my parents had dictated.”
“He cares a great deal for you, you know.”
Care for her? After the way she’d initially shoved all those Bible verses at him instead of waiting to get to know him better? Then again, there was the afternoon on Belle Isle and the teasing moments they’d shared at various times. Still, hearing it from his mother felt odd. She had wanted to hear it from William first.
“You must be mistaken.”
Lucille squared her shoulders. “I know my son, Miss Lawson.”
Now she’d done it. Annabelle should know better than to imply to a mother that she was wrong about one of her children. “Please forgive me, Mrs. Berringer. I didn’t mean to imply that you don’t, but William hasn’t exactly given me a lot of substantial evidence to prove that statement. There have been moments when it’s seemed clear, but I’m still not sure.”
William’s mother placed a warm and comforting hand on Annabelle’s arm. “He tries to hide it, but a mother knows the heart of her son.” She took a final drink of her tea and smiled. “Give it a few days. And trust God. I have a feeling everything isn’t quite as hopeless as it might seem right now.”
Annabelle continued to ponder those words long after she left and returned home. As she’d confessed to Mrs. Berringer, there had been times when William appeared to feel the same as she, but he’d never spoken the words aloud. Besides, how could he possibly care about her if he was intentionally avoiding her?
What was a girl to think? She sighed. As Mrs. Berringer had said, there was little left to do but wait on the Lord. If no one else knew what was on William’s mind, He would. Now she had just one thing to do. Wait. All right—two things. She had to speak with her Mother.
❧
Felicity reached out and wiped a tear from Annabelle’s cheek and smiled. They sat facing each other in the two wingback chairs in the study, their knees almost touching.
“Why didn’t you speak of this sooner? The conversation your father and I had with you would have been the perfect time.”
Annabelle offered a rueful grin. The confession had gone a lot smoother than she thought it might. Thanks to the brief preparation during her earlier chat with Mrs. Berringer, she had been able to share her heart with Mother with more clarity.
“I am sorry I didn’t say anything then, Mother. But I thought you and Father had already made up your minds. And I suppose since I myself didn’t know where William stood, I didn’t feel comfortable at the time.” Even now the explanation sounded weak. In truth, she didn’t have a good reason for holding back.
“I could tell something wasn’t quite right that day,” Mother said with her keen understanding. “When you didn’t protest at all, though, I assumed you were being forthright as usual. I’m glad you’ve decided to be honest this evening.”
Remorse filled Annabelle. She should have told Mother how she felt from the start. She’d made foolish decisions in the past, and this would be added to that list. “I know. And my reasons don’t even make sense now.” It felt like a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. “I’m so relieved I didn’t allow this to go on any longer.”
Mother clasped one of Annabelle’s hands in her own, giving her a loving squeeze. “As am I. We have always been able to ta
lk about anything. I don’t like it when I feel there’s an unexplainable rift.”
“Nor do I.” Annabelle sighed. “But where does that leave us now?”
Mother pressed her lips together in what appeared to be an apologetic expression. “Well, I cannot cancel on some of the meetings that have already been put in place, but I promise not to arrange any further ones.” Amusement danced across her face. “I only ask that you at least give these young gentlemen a chance.”
“I shall remain cordial at all times.” Annabelle giggled. “Unless, of course, one of them becomes insufferable.”
“Your father and I have chosen these men quite well. I highly doubt you will encounter a circumstance such as that.” A twinkle entered Mother’s eyes. “But if you do, I give you full permission to put an early end to the outing.”
It felt so good to relate like this again. The past few months hadn’t been a good measure for the depth or closeness she shared with Mother. Now things had been put right again, and they could move forward from here.
All she needed now was to hear William admit his feelings himself. She prayed it would happen soon.
FOURTEEN
Everything seemed to be falling into place. One of the open doors turned into an opportunity beyond his wildest dreams. All because Mr. Lawson had taken the time to make a few inquiries. William could hardly wait to find Annabelle and tell her the good news. He should probably thank Mr. Lawson as well, but he wanted to start with Annabelle.
Of course, she’d have to agree to see him first. With the way he’d left things the last time they spoke, he might have ruined his chance of that.
Only one way to find out.
“Berringer, do you have a moment?”
William paused on his way out the door of the Edison factory and turned to see the man who would soon become his supervisor.
“Sure, Mr. Hudson. Something on your mind?”
Ralph Hudson came to stand before him, a serious look in his eyes and his mouth formed into a thin line. Had William done something wrong already? He hadn’t even started working yet. That couldn’t be possible. Could it?
Hudson motioned to a bench near the main walk to the building. “Shall we sit?”
This sure felt important. At least half a dozen possible scenarios ran through William’s mind.
“Mr. Berringer, first allow me to reassure you this has nothing to do with our interview earlier this morning.”
William released a silent sigh. All right, so that answered one question.
“But there was something I gathered from your response when I remarked about the kindness of Mr. Lawson in informing us of your name in the first place.” Hudson put up one hand in a staying motion. “I could be way off base, and if I am, I invite you to correct me.”
With a shift of his arm from the back of the bench to his lap, William wasn’t sure if he should respond or wait for Mr. Hudson to continue. William was thankful the man decided for him.
“I know the Lawson family rather well through our various business dealings. Although this recent financial recession has left us not keeping in touch as much as we once did, I know Mr. Lawson to be a rather devout Christian, putting his love for God above everything else. Your acquaintance with Brandt made me speak with Mr. Edison on your behalf.” Hudson kept his gaze direct and steady. “When I remarked that God had brought you to our company, your disposition changed. Do you perhaps not agree?”
That was the last thing he expected Mr. Hudson to ask. “Pa–pardon me, sir?”
“I assure you that your response to my question bears no weight whatsoever on my decision to hire you as my assistant. This is strictly for my own benefit.”
William looked down at his lap then stared out across the street. So it wasn’t something he had done; rather, it was his reaction. Returning his gaze to Mr. Hudson, he took his time in formulating a response. After all, God and His plan had been the very thing that had plagued him for weeks—ever since hearing that sermon the Sunday they went to Belle Isle. In fact, a lot had happened that day.
“Sir, I will not disagree with your assessment of Mr. Lawson’s character and devotion. In fact, his entire family follows his lead. I have no doubt it’s what caused his daughter to speak to her father on my behalf in the first place.”
“His daughter?” Hudson quirked an eyebrow. “Annabelle?” A slight grin formed on the man’s lips as he nodded. “So that’s the real connection, then. I had wondered how Lawson managed to find you.”
“Yes, sir. Miss Lawson has spent a great deal of time helping the workers on the land where my family farms.” William brought her beautiful face to mind, an easy feat considering how often he’d thought of her lately. “She has given so selflessly, while at the same time making no attempt to hide the fact that her faith in God is what led her to get involved.”
“Was that the reason, then, for the change I mentioned?”
“That was part of it.”
William wasn’t sure how much he should share. He didn’t know Hudson at all. Then again, the man had taken the time to seek him out to speak on matters related to God. Perhaps it was God’s way of saying He was indeed still looking out for him.
“As you are no doubt aware, Miss Lawson can be rather persuasive when she sets her mind to something.”
Hudson chuckled and rested farther against the bench, draping one arm across the back. “Well, I don’t know her as well as I know her father, but from what I hear, yes. That is true.”
“And I’ll confess, sir, that when my family suffered so greatly following the failed banks, I blamed God.”
“That’s understandable.”
“When Miss Lawson arrived and seemed to make me her target for her personal crusading, it only angered me further.”
Hudson seemed to follow his thought process. “And now?”
“Now?” William appreciated Hudson’s desire to get to the point. “Well, sir, how could I not see God’s hand in everything that’s happened lately? I never fully turned my back on Him. I was just angry.” He thought of how persistent Annabelle had been and how often evidence of God’s involvement had almost smacked him in the face. “I highly doubt this all happened by chance.”
“You are right about that. And don’t misunderstand me. Your qualifications are the reason you were hired. However, hearing what you’ve confessed, I see it was God at the center of it all.”
William offered a slightly nervous chuckle. “Guess I have some thanks to be giving.”
“Perhaps to a certain young lady as well?” Hudson suggested with wisdom and an acute perception in his eyes.
A lazy grin formed on William’s lips at the idea of resuming his original plan to go find Annabelle. “Yes. I believe that’s in the works as well.”
Hudson stood, and William did the same. The man extended his hand, which William took. “Mr. Berringer, I look forward to having you join us on our team. This company is poised right on the edge of some amazing developments. I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to being a part of these exciting times.”
“As am I, sir.” William dropped his hand. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I do believe there is someone I must seek out.”
Hudson held up both his arms in surrender. “By all means, my boy. Don’t let me delay you any further.”
As William walked away, Hudson called to him.
“We’ll see you first thing Monday morning.”
Monday. After the past year and a half of struggling, it almost seemed impossible that his life was about to change in such a profound way. Yet it would. For that, and so much more, he owed God, Mr. Lawson, and Annabelle his gratitude.
❧
William paused just outside the door to Mr. Lawson’s study. The butler had directed him down the hall and said Mr. Lawson was expecting him. Of course he was. William had requested this meeting. Now that he was here, though, his stomach clenched and tension rippled across his shoulders.
With a quick prayer for
strength, he took a deep breath and raised his hand to deliver two short knocks to the closed door.
“Come in!” came the immediate response.
He turned the knob and pushed the door open, stepping into the darkened interior and immediately removing his hat. His eyes searched the room and found Mr. Lawson standing next to his desk. The man’s expression was too difficult to read from this distance, though.
“Mr. Lawson,” William plunged forward. “Thank you for seeing me on such short notice.”
“It’s my pleasure, Mr. Berringer.”
Annabelle’s father didn’t make any attempt to move from where he stood, so William approached him instead.
“I know you probably have a lot of business to attend to, so I won’t take up too much of your time. I just wanted to come here today to thank you in person for all you’ve done on behalf of my father and me. You’re no doubt aware that we have both secured positions at Edison Illuminating Company, and for that we owe you a great deal of thanks.”
“I’m pleased to hear everything has worked out. And I was happy to do what I could to help.”
The man William thought might be intimidating was anything but as his congenial expression became clear. Whatever preconceived notion he’d formed in his mind about Annabelle’s father that might paint him in a less than appealing picture vanished. In its place was a man William looked forward to getting to know better. If things went the way he hoped, he’d have ample opportunity in which to do so.
“Father and I both begin work Monday. In fact, I have just come from the meeting where the job was offered to me. I didn’t want to wait any longer before letting you know how much I appreciate your interventions.”
“I’m glad you did come, son. It says a lot about you and affirms so much of what my daughter has said when she’s spoken of you and your family.”
William licked his lips and shifted from one foot to the other, turning his hat in his hands. Mr. Lawson’s approval meant so much, but standing before the man still put him on edge.
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