“Thank you, dear.”
Michael’s mother cleared her throat before going on and he knew Elizabeth’s words had touched her deeply...along with the problems of the young woman they’d just taken in.
“You all know not to mention this to anyone, of course. This young lady has been treated very badly where she’s been living.” She sighed and tears came to her eyes. “It seems her brother-in-law kicked her out of their tenement and she had no place to go. Clara says she’s a hard worker and will help to find her a more permanent place. For now, though, she needs encouragement and the peace of knowing she’s safe.”
“How sad,” Violet said.
“I’m sorry that I haven’t gotten around to explaining all this to you, Violet.”
“I’ll explain to Violet later, Mother.”
Mrs. Heaton took a deep breath. “Thank you, Michael. For now let’s get on with our meal. I’ll have something sent up to her after she’s settled in her room.”
“Oh, Mrs. Heaton, if you are needed upstairs, please don’t give me another thought. We’re nearly finished with our meal anyway. Thank you very much for making it so special.”
“I’m not leaving until we have the cake. Michael, please bring it to me. And, Julia, would you be a dear and get the dessert plates, please?”
Michael and Julia hurried to do as requested. Once the cake was in front of her, his mother cut large slices and sent them around the table.
“Too bad Lila didn’t feel like joining us,” Elizabeth said. “Coconut cake is one of her favorites, too.”
“She won’t miss out,” Michael said. “Mother will send a plate up to her.”
“I already did—all except for the cake,” Mrs. Heaton said. “But she sent it back down. I’ll leave it in the kitchen in case she changes her mind, and I’ll make sure there’s a slice of cake for her.”
“If she doesn’t want it, I’ll be glad to take her piece of cake so it doesn’t go to waste,” Benjamin said.
Everyone laughed at that. It’d been mentioned on more than one occasion that with men in the house, there wasn’t much food that went to waste. From what his mother told him, Michael knew it was true. But she always took that into account and he was certain there would be plenty left for both Lila and the new boarder. And he was pretty sure Lila’s appetite would be back before the evening was over—in fact she’d probably be starving by then. He had a feeling that migraine was only a ruse to keep from celebrating with Violet.
* * *
Violet joined the others in the front parlor after dinner, but her thoughts were on the young woman the Heatons had just taken in. What must it be like to be kicked out of your home...even if it was a tenement? Thoughts of the area she and Michael had wound up in made her shudder. But still, it was home to many. It was all they had. And to be forced out... Where did one go from there?
It appeared they could possibly come here. Violet had known there were rooms on the third floor and that Gretchen and Maida stayed in two of them, but she really hadn’t thought about the other empty rooms. Nor did she know how many there were. But she was pleased to know that the Heatons reached out to those in need. Much like they did her, only in a different way.
Mrs. Heaton went upstairs right after dessert to see about the young woman they’d taken in and Michael seemed to have disappeared. Violet wondered if it had anything to do with their new boarder. Everyone else was there, except for Lila, who still hadn’t made an appearance.
Violet wondered if she should go check on her. She’d just decided to do that and had excused herself when Maida met her in the foyer.
“Miss Burton, Mr. Heaton would like to talk to you, if you have time for him. He is in Mrs. Heaton’s study.”
If she had time for him? Violet couldn’t imagine ever not having time for Michael Heaton. “Thank you, Maida.” Violet headed down the hall to the study. She knocked lightly on the door frame and was pleased to be greeted with Michael’s smile.
“Maida said you wanted to talk to me. If I’ve come at a bad time—”
“No, you haven’t. Please, come in and take a seat, Violet. I didn’t forget that I would try to explain about our temporary boarders to you. Would you like me to have Maida bring us some tea?”
“No, thank you. I’m still quite full from supper.” She took a seat in one of the chairs by the fireplace. “And please don’t feel you have to explain. It’s really none of my business.”
“Oh, but it is. You live here, and while most of our boarders know Mother takes people in from time to time, they don’t know everything. But Mother and I want you to know what it is we do here besides take in boarders.”
Michael took the seat on the other side of the fireplace. “It’s been a busy evening. We were expecting this new boarder, but we didn’t know exactly when she would arrive. There’s been trouble in her family for a while now, but evidently things escalated last night and her brother-in-law insisted that she move out of the apartment she’d been sharing with her sister and him and their children.”
“How sad.” Violet’s heart broke for the woman upstairs.
“It’s a story we hear often. Families all crowded into a small apartment, with little income to provide for everyone.” He shook his head and looked into the fire. “Tempers flare and relationships are sometimes damaged forever. This may be one of those cases.”
“I hope not.”
“So do I.” Michael’s gaze turned to her once more. “But to explain about how we came to take in temporary boarders—”
“Michael, you don’t have to explain to me. This is your home. You have the right to do whatever you want with it. And I am the last person who would have a problem with you helping others less fortunate. Your mother came to my aid. It does not surprise me at all that she would do the same for others.”
“It is a little different with you, Violet. You’re a family friend and you’ve become very special to mother and...” Michael paused and chewed his bottom lip. He shook his head and continued, “I cannot thank you enough for moving here and becoming part of this household. Your presence has made my mother very happy. Since Becca’s disappearance, she’s poured herself into this house and helping others. But with each passing year, much of the hope of finding my sister has disappeared, and, well, you’ve brought joy back into my mother’s life. I am so glad you are here.”
“Why, thank you, Michael. But it’s I who am blessed to be here.”
Michael smiled and shook his head. “Shh. I’m trying to thank you for what your being here means to my mother. And I’m getting off track. I’m supposed to be telling you how this all came about.”
“I just assumed it was because of Becca’s disappearance that your mother decided to open the boardinghouse.”
“And you’d be right in that assumption. From the first, Mother’s goal has been to provide a place for young women to live where they could feel at home and safe.” Michael got up and began to pace and Violet could tell it was hard for him to continue. She waited in silence, not knowing what to say.
Finally, he continued, “When it became obvious that Becca wasn’t coming home, we came here and went to the boardinghouse where the last letter we’d received had come from. But it was only to find that she’d lived there just a week before disappearing. She’d never given them our address to contact us, if something happened, never even—” He shook his head and sighed.
Taking his seat once more, he looked at Violet. “It’s been very hard on both Mother and me. Not to know where she is, for the few leads we had go nowhere. Still we look for her, but I’m not sure we’ll ever get the answers to all the questions we have.”
The sorrow in his voice had Violet blinking back tears as she reached out and touched his arm. “I’m so sorry, Michael.”
“I pray you’ll never have to know the feeling.” His hand covered hers and he squeezed it before letting go. She quickly moved her hand back to her lap, her pulse racing up her arm and straight to her heart at his touch.
&n
bsp; “So, Mother decided to move here and open a boardinghouse. I wasn’t going to let her do it alone, so I came, too. She’s comfortable with the number of boarders we have, but she’s always wanted to have room for those in dire need, if only for a night, a week or a month or so. It took a year before she began to make the connections that let others of the same mind know she was willing to help in that way.”
“How was she able to get the word out?”
“There are several boardinghouses in the area and many all over the city. She met the owners and let them know that she keeps some rooms available for such a need. In my work, I’ve come to know several policemen, firemen, others who came into contact with young women who needed help, and I let them know. After a few months, we began to get calls from boardinghouse owners who had no room and knew someone who needed a place for a night, then we’d have a knock on the door from a policeman or fireman who’d run across someone in real need for a temporary place to stay to get away from a situation...somewhere safe until they could decide what to do.”
“What wonderful work you and your mother are doing, Michael. If there is any way I can help, please let me know.” Violet paused. “After seeing only a small part of the other side of the city, I’ve not been able to get it or the little boys we saw out of my mind. I realize I’ve lived quite a sheltered life in Ashland.”
“I understand. I realized the same thing. It is quite a shock at first—to know there is poverty at such high levels just blocks from here. Does it make you want to go back?”
“I don’t like it. But no, it doesn’t make me want to go back—at least not until I have the money to pay off the mortgage on my family’s home. However, it does make me feel selfish for feeling sorry for myself. I never had to live in those kinds of conditions. Never had to worry about my next meal or having a roof over my head. Oh, I worry about not being able to keep my home...but if that happens, I’ll be able to work and stay here. I worried about finding work, but I was blessed to find it so quickly. I’ve never had to live in squalor. I’d like to help in some way, if I can.”
“You have the heart of my mother and the others who want to make a difference. And I’m sure you’ll be able to. There are all kinds of opportunities and ways to help, Violet. We just wanted you to know how we came to the point that we take in more than just our regular boarders. You’ll find there is a group of people working to help in many ways. We can’t do it all, and there will always be more problems than we can solve, but we try to do our part, one person at a time.”
Violet had never felt prouder to know this man than at that moment. “Thank you for explaining it all to me. I see now why this house feels like a home. It holds much love for those who come to it.”
* * *
Long after Violet went upstairs, Michael sat in his mother’s study thinking about their conversation. Violet had a huge heart and he could tell she was sincere in wanting to help others. Well, she’d have plenty of opportunity in this house. And his mother would be thrilled to have her help.
Perhaps it was a good thing their hack driver had taken a wrong turn the other day. Although Violet just saw the tip of the iceberg, she at least knew for certain that New York wasn’t all mansions and fancy shops. And she’d find out more the longer she lived here.
There were many who didn’t want to see or even hear about those less fortunate. Sadly, a few of their boarders were like that. Lila came to mind. She was much too self-absorbed to care much about others.
Her actions this evening were a prime example. She might have had a headache, but he’d seen her act that way before and he was pretty sure that Lila was just plain jealous of Violet and didn’t want to be part of her celebration tonight. If she had any idea how transparent she was, she’d see that her attitude was what actually made people less inclined to want to spend time with her. Lila wouldn’t want to know about the temporary boarder. She would barely acknowledge her existence once she joined them downstairs.
She and Violet were total opposites, and it was no wonder that Violet was getting most of the attention Lila craved. Violet cared about the others in this house, how their day went, what was going on in their lives.
Michael had never felt about a woman quite the way he did about Violet. On one hand, it was as if he’d known her all his life, which he had. On the other, it was as if he was getting to know her for the very first time and he was aware of her presence in a way that made him feel more alive than ever. Not even his ex-fiancée, Amanda, had made him feel the way Violet did.
He wondered if he should have told her that he’d sent someone to Ashland to try to find out where her attorney had gone and to try to find out what Harlan Black was up to. He’d talked to his mother more about the Burtons’ finances and she was quite sure there would have been no need to take out a loan. Not unless something had happened that her best friend hadn’t told her.
It was enough to see what, if anything, could be found out. There would be time enough later to let Violet know if something turned up. Until then, he would just be glad that she was here and had a job and wouldn’t be thinking about going back home.
The relief he felt when she’d said she didn’t want to go back just yet had surprised him in its intensity. He didn’t want Violet going back to Ashland. Certainly not until he knew what Black was up to. Truthfully, he didn’t want her going back at all. He told himself it was for his mother’s sake, but to be honest, he wanted her to stay right here where he could get to know her better. For him, it was a big admission to make. And he wasn’t ready to make it to anyone but himself.
* * *
Violet half expected to meet the temporary boarder the next evening, but when they sat down to dinner Mrs. Heaton announced that she’d returned to her family. It saddened Violet to know the woman had gone back so soon. Would anything have changed by then? How would she be treated?
“I don’t know why you bother yourself with these people, Mrs. Heaton.” Lila shook her head. “All the trouble you go to for one night.”
Violet opened her mouth to come to Mrs. Heaton’s defense, but the older woman quickly came to her own.
“Sometimes, in some instances, that is all that is needed to bring clearer thinking and for things to get better,” Mrs. Heaton said. “And sometimes it is too soon. In this case, I feel it was. But all I can do is offer a safe place for however short or long a time is needed and pray it helps.”
“Still—”
“We knew we wouldn’t be able to help everyone who came here for a night or a week or longer when we began to open our home to those in need,” Michael said. “But if we can help a few, then we’ve done what we set out to do and what we feel the Lord has called us to do.”
Violet’s heart warmed at his words. He and his mother would be here for those in need no matter what the objections from others.
“And it is very noble of you to want to help. But—”
“Lila, you’re fortunate you’ve never been in the position some of the young women who come to us have found themselves in. Mother has her reasons for opening her home to regular boarders like you and they are as important as her reasons for taking in those who need help immediately. But if you are unhappy here with what we do...”
It was no surprise to Violet to hear Lila backtracking. “Oh, no, of course I’m not. Who wouldn’t love living here?”
“Good,” Michael said. “I’m glad that is settled.”
Conversation quickly turned to small talk as if everyone wanted to change the subject, and Michael turned to Violet, speaking in a voice meant only for her ears. “It’s been a beautiful day and I wondered if you would like to take a walk later. There’s something I’d like to show you I think you’ll enjoy.”
At this moment she wanted nothing more than to get away from Lila and her sulky silence and resentful stares. “I’d like that very much.”
“Good. But I’d like not to have to go with the others. We’ll head out once everyone has gathered in the parlor, i
f that’s all right with you?”
Violet nodded as her heart flooded with warmth that he wanted to spend some time with just her. But when she took a sip of water, her eyes met Lila’s over the rim of her goblet and she knew the other woman wanted to know what they’d said to each other.
It was doubtful they’d ever become friends, but Violet was determined to keep trying—if for no other reason than for the Heatons’ sake. She wondered what it was Michael wanted to show her but wasn’t sure it mattered. It would be good to get out of the house for a bit.
Once dinner was over, she hurried up to her room to freshen up and have a reason not to join the others in the parlor without a lot of questions. When she came back downstairs, she was pleased to see that the parlor doors were closed and Michael was waiting for her at the front door. She felt like a child slipping out of the house with him, but she knew she was safe in his company. He’d never harm her.
He pulled her hand through his arm and they headed down the street. “I don’t know why we haven’t shown you Gramercy Park yet, but it dawned on me today that you might want to know we have a park nearby for those days when you feel you must be outdoors. Mother’s garden is wonderful, but it is small. It was she who suggested that you might need an outing.”
“Your mother reads people very well. I love being at Heaton House, but I must admit that there are times when it’s—”
“Too much noise—too many people?”
“Considering it was just Mother and I for the last few years, at times it does seem a little overwhelming. I’m sure I’ll get used to it, though.”
“I hope so. Mother would be very upset if you left us.”
Violet couldn’t help but wonder how he would feel, but couldn’t bring herself to ask, so she changed the subject. “Is Gramercy Park large?”
“Nowhere near as large as Central Park and only residents can get in.” He flashed his dimples at her. “I feel the same way you do—I’m glad that everyone in the city can go to Central Park and I feel they should. But it’s nice to have an oasis in the middle of this neighborhood we live in.”
Somewhere to Call Home (Love Inspired Historical) Page 11