by BJ Hoff
“I looked for you after church yesterday,” she said, clearly expecting some sort of explanation.
“Oh…yes,” he said, fingering his tie. “I had to leave right after the service. I had…some things to do.”
She continued to regard him with that speculative expression that never failed to make him uncomfortable. “Well,” she said, “I was going to ask you if you’d like to escort me to the cake social next Saturday night. Since I missed you yesterday, I’ll ask you now.”
He had never been any good at dissembling. He usually ended up a stammering fool if he even tried. The rare occasion when he found himself in such a situation was when he was trying to avoid hurting someone’s feelings.
A situation much like this one.
“I…can’t really say for sure right now. Let me get back to you on that, all right?”
She nodded, even smiled. But he hadn’t missed the faint flush that stained her cheeks. He’d made things awkward and perhaps embarrassed her.
That couldn’t happen again. He would have to talk with her. And soon. As soon as he spoke with Matthew, as soon as he and Maggie could be openly…engaged.
Engaged.
He was going to marry Maggie. He repeated it to himself half a dozen times or more, testing the way it sounded in his head.
It was still playing through his mind when he walked into the classroom and called what seemed to be an unusually rowdy group to order.
At noon Jonathan ate about half of the lunch he’d packed. Food seemed so unimportant, he felt as if he could go for days without even getting hungry. He then took Figaro outside, knowing the children would be hoping for a few minutes of playtime with the dog before afternoon classes.
Maggie was nowhere to be seen. She usually ate her lunch at her desk and read for a few minutes while the children were outside. To his relief, Carolyn had also stayed in. This wasn’t the place to initiate a conversation of any sort, much less the kind of conversation he knew he needed to have with her.
He sat down on the top step, watching the children. It was cold, but an invigorating cold with no bitter wind accompanying it. The three or four small groups that usually dotted the school yard had merged together as soon as they spotted Figaro. They all vied for his attention, but Jonathan was keenly interested to see that the dog seemed to have latched onto Huey Lazlo as a special friend.
The boy was sitting on the ground, leaning against the same hickory tree from which he had fallen three weeks past, apparently carrying on a discussion with Figaro. The big dog rested on his haunches directly in front of Huey, looking unusually solemn as he took in whatever the boy was saying.
Jonathan smiled at the sight. Perhaps…just perhaps Figaro would be able to do what no one else, himself included, had been able to accomplish: break past the isolating wall the boy had built around himself.
A movement in the woods across the road caught his eye and he watched. One had to be constantly on the lookout for a wild boar or even a bear in this area. It wasn’t unusual for either to pay an unwelcome visit to the town. The school was close to the woods and out just far enough that they were never entirely safe from wild animals.
When he saw nothing after a few minutes, he went and rang the bell to call the children in. He noticed that for once Huey Lazlo wasn’t trudging along by himself toward the building. Figaro loped along at his side, his tail circling happily, as they made their way up the school yard.
Jonathan decided that this new relationship could be a good thing. A very good thing indeed.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
A Visit from Dr. Gordon
Remember to show hospitality.
There are some who, by so doing,
Have entertained angels without knowing it.
Hebrews 13:1-2 NEB
Maggie told no one what had transpired between her and Jonathan—except Eva Grace. She had to tell someone, had to give vent to at least a measure of her new joy or her heart would surely burst. Besides, she’d already confided her feelings about Jonathan to her sister, not to mention the fact that Evie claimed to have seen how things were before Maggie figured it out.
Evie seemed genuinely happy for her, but Maggie couldn’t help but feel awkward, even a little guilty, that her own happiness was coming at a time when her sister’s life had fallen apart. Evie tried her best not to inflict her pain on anyone else in the family, but there wasn’t a one of them unaffected by her sadness. Maggie only hoped that Jonathan was right, that the baby really would make a difference for her sister.
After school Monday afternoon, she was working in the kitchen with Evie and her mother when a commotion sounded outside. The three of them headed for the front room to look out the window.
Dr. Gordon was just pulling up in a sturdy black buggy. Two of the neighborhood dogs had circled her, barking and growling and generally making themselves obnoxious. The doctor quickly dispatched them all with the shake of a fist and a loud shout before climbing down and starting for the house.
Maggie opened the door for her and made the introduction to her mother, who clearly found the lady doctor interesting, to say the least. Kate MacAuley had probably never been rude a day in her life, but she couldn’t stop staring at Dr. Gordon.
Just as Maggie remembered her, the physician was tall, with an ample figure and strong features. Her fairly long gray hair was in disarray, with no hint of styling. She carried a scarred medical case and wore what looked to be a man’s work jacket, unbuttoned to reveal a faded ticking apron.
“I’m sorry to come by so late,” she said, “but this is the first chance I’ve had all week.” Without being asked, she tossed her coat over the back of Da’s rocking chair, and then turned to Eva Grace.
As Maggie watched, the doctor’s piercing blue gaze took in Evie’s appearance in one sweep. She didn’t seem particularly pleased with what she saw.
“Let’s go to the bedroom so I can have a look at you,” the doctor said, dismissing both Maggie and her mother with a look as she followed Evie out of the room.
As soon as they were out of the room, her mother turned to Maggie. “She’s all business, isn’t she?” she said, her voice low.
Maggie nodded. “Yes, she’s very…professional.”
“Well, so long as she takes good care of your sister, I don’t care about her manners. I hope they don’t finish before your father gets home though. I’d like him to meet the doctor. He’s been curious about her.”
“Evie’s been wishing he’d see the doctor. She has as little faith in Dr. Woodbridge as Da does.”
“She surely knows your father well enough not to think he’d let a woman doctor touch him,” Mum said with a wry look.
“Oh, yes. We talked about that. Still, you never know.”
“If the two of you think there’s any hope of such a thing, you might just as well forget it. That’s as likely to happen as the chickens laying goose eggs.”
Maggie had to smile. She knew her mother was right. It was too bad though. Da clearly needed more help than Dr. Woodbridge could provide. In fact, he seemed to be getting worse all the time.
It was another half hour or more when Dr. Gordon finally walked into the kitchen where Maggie and her mother had just sat down to have a cup of coffee.
“I thought I’d talk with you while Eva is getting dressed,” the doctor said. At Mum’s insistence, she accepted a cup of coffee and sat down. “You may have noticed the swelling in Eva’s hands and ankles. It’s more noticeable now than when I saw her last week. She told me she’s eliminated all salt from her diet, and she’s elevating her legs several times a day.” It seemed more question than statement.
“I’m not cooking with any salt at all now,” Maggie’s mother said, returning to her chair after getting the doctor’s coffee. “And as far as I can tell, Evie is doing everything you’ve told her to do. Isn’t it helping?”
The physician shook her head. “Some swelling is natural at this stage, of course. But not this much. I’ve explained to her t
hat she needs to stay off her feet as much as possible. Most of the time, in fact. Other than that, and totally eliminating her salt intake, there’s little else she can do. She did say that she’s not having any headaches or dizziness, which is good. But be sure to let me know right away if that changes. I’m still concerned about toxemia.”
Maggie knew she was going to have to reassure her mother as soon as possible, but she also wanted to ask the doctor about the Lazlo children. When Dr. Gordon got up to leave, she followed her out.
The mine whistle had already blown, so Da would be home soon. But little Huey and his sister had been much on Maggie’s mind all day, and she trusted this woman’s expertise. It couldn’t hurt to ask for any advice she might be willing to give.
As they walked down the front yard to the buggy, she wished she’d grabbed a sweater. Darkness was drawing in, and the evening air was cold and still damp from the previous day’s rain.
She hugged her arms to herself as they reached the buggy. “Dr. Gordon, I wanted to ask your opinion about two of the students at our school. Can you spare me another moment?”
The doctor nodded, her demeanor still brisk but interested.
Maggie explained about Huey and Selma: the obvious beatings Huey had suffered; his refusal to confide in anyone; his prolonged silences and detachment from his classmates; and the futility of her own efforts—and Jonathan’s—to extract any information about the abuse from either the boy or his sister.
“Huey’s sister apparently shows no sign of mistreatment. And though she seems to be a naturally shy girl—she’s very quiet and reserved—she finally seems to be warming more and more to the Wallaces, and, to some extent, to Jon—to Mr. Stuart, her teacher.”
She went on to explain her fear that if Huey didn’t open up and confide in someone about what was going on at home, both he and his sister were likely to be sent back and the beatings might well start up again.
“We’re at our wits’ end, not knowing what we can do to protect them.”
The doctor didn’t reply right away, but stood watching the procession of miners now coming up the road, the lamps on their caps lighting the way. When she finally turned back to Maggie, she said, “Without having seen either child, I can’t possibly give you a medical opinion. But based on experience and what you’ve told me, I would caution you to do everything possible to keep those children from being returned to the home situation.”
She paused. “If you want, I’ll be glad to have a look at them myself. I’m not questioning your company doctor, understand, but I’d need to see the boy and his sister before I could say anything more.” Again she stopped, then added, “It’s curious that the girl hasn’t been mistreated also. What do you know about the mother?”
“The mother? Nothing, really. We don’t actually know anything about either parent. I met the mother. She seemed—I’m not sure how to put it—perhaps not exactly feeble-minded, but…slow, almost certainly. She was very peculiar.”
“Mentally impaired in some way?” the doctor prompted.
Maggie nodded. “Yes. There’s definitely something wrong there.”
“And the father?”
Maggie couldn’t stop a shudder. “He frightened me a little.”
“You suspect a mental problem there too?”
Maggie thought about the question and shook her head. “No. He’s just a very rough type of person.”
“Well, as I said, if you decide you’d like me to see the children, I’d be glad to.”
“Thank you. Let me talk with Mr. Stuart and see what he thinks.”
“I’ve heard a lot of good things about this Mr. Stuart. He’s the principal at the school?”
Maggie tried not to beam. “Yes. And he teaches too. In fact, he was my teacher the entire time I was growing up.”
“Well, he’s certainly held in high regard around here.”
Still smiling, Maggie saw that her da was nearing home now. She waved to him, then turned to the doctor. “My father,” she said.
Dr. Gordon was watching him closely. “That’s a bad limp. What caused it?”
Maggie watched him approach. He appeared to be practically dragging his leg as he came closer.
“He was injured in the cave-in last year,” she said. “His knee was shattered, and he broke his back. Da never says anything much, but my mother told me he’s never without pain.”
“That’s a hard way to live,” the doctor said, still watching Maggie’s father as he walked up to them.
Maggie introduced them, and Da touched his fingers to his cap, saying a quick hello. He was covered with coal dust, of course—his clothes, his hands, his face. His eyes, green like Maggie’s own, were the only bright spots to be seen behind the black grime that masked his skin.
He was polite, but wasted no time in taking his leave. Maggie watched him go around to the side of the house, where he would enter directly into the washroom. For as long as she could remember, her father had never stopped to make an appearance in the kitchen or any other part of the house until he’d shed his dusty mine clothes and had his bath. She suspected he observed this ritual as much out of respect for her mother as for any personal dislike of the coal dust that was an integral part of a miner’s life.
“Does he wear a brace?”
Maggie turned back to the doctor. “A brace?”
“Yes, for his back or his leg.”
“I…don’t really know. I don’t think so. Why? Would that help him?”
“It might. By now some arthritis has probably set in as well. These days there’s help for that too. Well,” she said, “you have a nice family, Miss MacAuley. And I can see that you’re taking good care of your sister. Keep it up. Now I really have to go. I still have one more call to make.”
Maggie thanked her again, then started for the house. She wished she had the nerve to mention to Da what the doctor had said about a brace—and the arthritis. But she knew her mother was right. It would be pointless to even bring it up.
Still…if she could find a way to get around his stubbornness, she wasn’t beyond venturing a suggestion. Da was used to the women in his family not minding their own business.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
A Secret Revealed
Why is it effects are greater than their causes…
And the most deceived be she who least suspects?
Oliver St. John Gogarty
Finally the longest week Jonathan could remember was nearing an end. Two days more, and he would speak with Matthew MacAuley. It might just as well be two months more, so slowly did the hours pass.
On Thursday Jonathan combined his class with Maggie’s so that she could take Selma Lazlo out to see Dr. Gordon. Somehow Maggie had gotten it into her head that this new doctor might be able to provide insight into the Lazlo children’s situation—insight that had so far eluded everyone else.
Jonathan had serious doubts this would be the case, but then he hadn’t met this Dr. Gordon, had not as yet had a chance to discover for himself what it was about the woman that inspired such confidence in Maggie. Certainly for the children’s sake, he was willing to give it a try.
Earlier he had tried to coax Huey into going along with his sister and Maggie, even offering to send Figaro with them, but the boy was adamant in his refusal. Finally, seeing that the child was becoming distraught, he gave up the effort, cautioning Maggie not to press the boy.
She had planned to take the MacAuley’s farm wagon, but Jonathan insisted that she use his buggy. “It’s too cold for the two of you in that wagon. You’ll both take a chill. At least you can put the top up on the buggy and close the flaps.”
As soon as they drove away, he went back inside the school building to face the daunting task of capturing the interest and attention of a room full of energetic, high-spirited youngsters of all ages.
Times like these made him wish the school budget would allow for a third teacher.
He had thought about asking Carolyn to take his class so
he could go along with Maggie and Selma, but at the moment he wasn’t comfortable asking any favors of her.
He absolutely must talk with her sometime today. As yet he hadn’t given her his reply about the cake social, and he was beginning to feel guilty for putting her off. Not only that, but it wasn’t right to keep it from her any longer that he was seeing someone else.
He wished he knew how to deal with the situation delicately. Of course, he had no intention of telling Carolyn about Maggie until after he spoke with Matthew and then everything could be out in the open. The last thing he needed was for Matthew to learn about his and Maggie’s…understanding…from someone else.
If anything would get him off on the wrong foot with Maggie’s father, that would do it.
Maggie agreed with Dr. Gordon’s opinion that she should probably see Selma alone. Given the girl’s excessive shyness, the doctor explained, and also because she was in daily contact with Maggie at the school, no doubt it would be wise to keep things as private as possible for her.
“I’m not going to examine her—just talk with her. I promise that I’ll call you in at once if she asks for you or if I see that she’s uncomfortable with me. But let’s try it my way first, all right?”
“What exactly do you plan to do?” Maggie asked.
“I’m just going to try to win her confidence and put her at ease. You said she likes to draw, didn’t you? I’ll have her draw some pictures for me, perhaps let her play with a couple of dolls I keep on hand for children. She’ll be fine.”
Even though Maggie trusted the doctor’s judgment, it wasn’t easy to watch Selma follow her into the examining room alone. The child’s reluctance couldn’t have been more obvious as she continued to glance back at Maggie with almost every step.
Jonathan had almost forgotten why he’d fought so hard to convince the school board to add an extra room and an extra teacher. It took no more than half an hour alone with thirty-nine energetic, high-spirited youngsters from the ages of six to sixteen to refresh his memory.