“Technically, $4 of that $8 is for the renter’s insurance.”
She took a deep breath. She didn’t even have enough for two weeks. “Does the $4 include meals?” Even as she said it, she winced. It sounded pathetic. But what could she do?
“Well, yes. Food can get expensive.”
“What if I didn’t eat here?”
“Then I suppose we could agree to $3 a week. So you would only have to pay me $7.”
So that made it $4 for the insurance and $3 for the week. She had $3 left. That at least gave her another week. “Alright, Mrs. Richie. Here’s the $7.”
The woman took the money and stood up. “I will show you to your room.”
Eliza obediently followed her up the narrow staircase. “That woman you mentioned who needs her house cleaned...What’s her name?”
“Harriet Lube.”
“Do you think I could stop by her house tomorrow to ask about the job?”
“I’m sure she’d welcome it, dear. The poor thing hasn’t had anyone to clean her place in almost a year.”
“That long? Why?”
The woman shrugged as they reached the top of the staircase. “Who knows? The last person who worked for her just quit and never said why.”
Good. That would give her a start on earning money. “I’ll stop and see her tomorrow then.”
“She’ll like that. It’ll help ease the loneliness.” Molly pointed to the opposite end of the hallway. “Alan Grey stays in that room. He’s been a recluse ever since his wife died. Now, in the next room is Erica Strickland. She’s nearing sixty and spends most of her time sleeping and sitting in the parlor. Then there’s you. My bedroom is next to yours.”
Eliza followed Molly to the small room with a made up bed, a dresser, and a rocking chair and small table.
“This is your room. That big window will give you the view I told you about.”
Eliza entered it and set the travel bag down. In some ways it reminded her of her place next to John’s house. She walked to the window and looked out of it. Just as Molly said, she could see the main street and most of the houses in the area. She could even see the road that led out to John’s land. She quickly closed the curtains. They weren’t going to block out all of the light, but they blocked the view well enough and that’s all that mattered.
“This room is perfect,” Eliza said.
Molly gave her a wide smile. “I’m glad you think so. I pride myself on being a good hostess. I’ll bring a pitcher of water and a bowl for you. If you need the privy, it’s out back. There’s also a chamber pot under the bed. Baths are allowed once a week. Your turn will be Saturday at six in the evening. We all must be as clean as possible when we go to church.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll return with that pitcher and bowl.”
As soon as Molly closed the door, Eliza pulled the picture from her sleeve and stared at it. It had given her comfort ever since her son’s adopted parents sent it to her. He’d been six months old when it was taken. She wondered what he looked like now. He’d be twelve. She imagined he was a happy boy. His parents seemed like nice people. She crawled into bed and held the picture to her breast. The exhaustion of the day suddenly caught up to her. She hadn’t slept much the night before, and the day had been grueling. At least it’s over. I can finally rest. She slowly inhaled and then released her breath.
She’d make it. She always did. No matter what life handed her, she would survive. She did before and she would again.
The door creaked open.
Her eyelids fluttered and she saw Molly gently placing the pitcher and bowl on the dresser. “Sleep well, Miss Sweet.” Then she turned the knob on the kerosene lamp until only a dim light lit the room.
Eliza wanted to respond, to thank her, but she was too tired, and before she knew it, she fell into the bliss of sleep where all aches and pains disappeared.
Chapter Thirteen
John had hoped that Eliza would be back at his place when he returned. The first thing he did was check the little home he’d given her to stay in. But it was empty. He stood in the doorway, unsure of what to do. He’d looked all over town, starting with Frank and Addy’s place and then to the boarding house before he finally made his way to Charity’s home. He couldn’t think of anywhere else she might stay. While he was at Charity’s, he tried to ask the marshal to search for her, but the man shooed him away as if he were a child. When John grabbed the marshal by the shirt collar, Daphne intervened and after a good fifteen minutes of trying to write down what he wanted, she finally translated it to the big oaf who—at long last—left the house to notify everyone in town that he was looking for Eliza.
John had also taken the time to tell Daphne that since she had been delayed, he had gotten to know Eliza and wanted to marry her. He apologized and hoped she would soon find one of the other single men in town who were more to her liking. Daphne said she understood, and Charity started making plans on which available bachelor would be the best pick to go after.
John took his time in returning home. The sun was setting, which made it hard for him to examine the landscape. Perhaps Eliza had decided to leave town altogether. But where would she go? There wasn’t anything around them for miles.
He heard a noise. Hoping it might be Eliza, he turned around but only saw a deer leap out of sight. He lowered the lantern and lumbered to his house. The absence of Eliza’s chitter chatter was deafening. He’d been used to silence before she came, but once she made her home here, he’d had the pleasure of her voice. Whether she talked to him or sang, she had delighted him with her presence. And now she was gone.
Where did she go?
He swallowed the lump in his throat and blinked back his tears. He didn’t want to cry. Crying didn’t solve anything. He needed solutions. He needed information. He needed to act. But what else could he do? He’d already exhausted all of his ideas. Entering the house, he set the lantern on the kitchen table and sat down. He took a moment to look at the yellow walls. She enjoyed the color yellow.
His gaze drifted to the wilting yellow flowers at the center of the table. Flowers didn’t last long once they were plucked from the ground, but there were so many on the property, she could pick a dozen each day and still have more to choose from. Now she wouldn’t be picking flowers and that made the place seem emptier as well.
I shouldn’t have run from her. I should have stayed. It was his fault she left. She told him a part of her past that he hadn’t wanted to hear and he ran away from her. He put his face in his hands and took a deep breath, fighting off the tears. No. Don’t cry. Crying won’t solve anything. In many ways, crying was admitting defeat. People cried when things were hopeless.
But this couldn’t be hopeless. Once Eliza found out that he was no longer engaged to Daphne, she’d understand how much she meant to him. Then she’d come back. He couldn’t marry Daphne. If he did, he’d always be wishing he’d married Eliza instead. Then he’d be doing wrong by Daphne, for what woman wanted to be married to a man who secretly loved another? He sighed. No. If he couldn’t marry Eliza, he didn’t want to be married at all.
***
Eliza sat up and straightened her back. The late morning sunlight struck her eyes and made her wince. She lowered her head and wiped the sweat off her brow. The kitchen floor was almost clean now. She leaned forward on her knees and dipped the rag into the soapy water and rang out the dirt. Harriet Lube had needed someone to clean her house in the worst possible way. As tired as Eliza was, she was satisfied that she was doing honest work. Work she could be proud of. That counted for something.
She placed the rag back on the floor and scrubbed the grime from the wooden surface. Several strands of her hair fell into her mouth. She tried to spit them out but the strands were resistant things, so she threw the rag down and forced the rebellious hair back into the bun. She’d have to wear a braid tomorrow.
“Girl?”
Eliza glanced up as Harriet used her cane to help her limp across the f
loor. “Yes, Mrs. Lube?” She sat up and placed the rag in the bucket.
“After you’re done in here, I need you to go into the attic and clear it out. I’m not getting any younger, and it’s time I threw some things out.”
“Yes, Mrs. Lube.”
“I will need you to haul all that junk to the garbage heap out past Third Road.”
“Where do I get a wagon to carry everything?”
“I don’t know. That’s not my problem.”
“Do you know someone who’d loan me one?”
“Girl, I hired you to figure that kind of thing out. Now, I must get something to eat.”
Food. Eliza’s stomach grumbled, reminding her that she hadn’t had supper the previous night or breakfast that morning. “May I make it for you? I can cook.”
“I’m not paying you to eat. I’m paying you to work.”
She clenched her skirt so she wouldn’t snap at her employer. She needed the money. The woman promised $5 a week. That’d be enough for the rent and food. If she was careful, she could buy clothes or other necessary items as the need for them arose. She waited for a moment to calm down before she spoke. “I haven’t had anything to eat since yesterday afternoon. Couldn’t I grab a quick bite? I’ll even make the meal.”
The woman frowned. “I’m being generous with the money I’m going to pay you at the end of this week, aren’t I?”
“Well...yes, ma’am, and I appreciate it, but I can’t do my job if I’m hungry.”
“Then go and eat. While you’re taking the things from the attic to the garbage heap, stop by Rhonda’s restaurant.” Harriet shuffled over to the table in front of the window and took a loaf of bread out of her breadbox. “Now, when you go out to eat, don’t take more than twenty minutes. And that will be once a day.”
Eliza knew when it was pointless to argue, so she turned back to her work and continued scrubbing the floor while Harriet made a large sandwich and ate it right in front of her. Eliza’s mouth watered and stomach rumbled to the point of pain, but she pressed on in the task.
Finally, when she was done, she dumped out the bucket of dirty water and went up to the attic which was full of cobwebs and junk that hadn’t seen the light of day in well over ten years. She sat down for a moment and closed her eyes. She was hungry, and her employer just told her she had to take away some of this junk in order to eat. But she had to find a wagon first. Maybe she could slip into that restaurant as she looked for the wagon. Harried didn’t have to know.
Eliza decided on that plan and climbed down the ladder and then down the steps to the first floor where Harriet had nodded off to sleep. Good. She could just do her task and not worry about upsetting the old bat. Eliza realized it wasn’t a Christian thing to do—thinking poorly about another human being—but she couldn’t deny that she didn’t like the woman. From the moment she met her, Harriet Lube struck her as a crotchety woman who had nothing better to do than sulk in her own state of misery. Miserable people often made others miserable. Life had taught her that, and that was why Eliza vowed that no matter what, she wouldn’t fall into that trap. Despite her circumstances, she’d be pleasant to others.
She slipped into the restaurant and saw Addy talking to Cynthia Taggert. As soon as Addy saw her, she waved to her. Glad to see a friendly face, Eliza rushed over to the table and sat down. She glanced at the clock. She’d have to be careful to keep her time to twenty minutes.
“You had me worried,” Addy said, clasping her hand.
Eliza blinked. “Why?”
“Don’t you know?”
Cynthia stood up. “I’ll leave you two to talk. I’ll see you both at church.”
Eliza smiled and nodded as the woman left. Turning her attention back to Addy, she asked, “What is it? What don’t I know?”
“That John’s been looking all over for you.”
She shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “Yes. Well, I thought it best if I stop working for him. Miss O’Conner will be out there soon enough, and the last thing they need is for me to interfere.”
“Oh, then you don’t know.”
“Know what?”
Rhonda left a table of laughing men and came over to them. “Good day. What can I get you two to eat?”
Addy glanced up. “I’d like the ravioli.”
“I’ll have the same,” Eliza said not really caring what she ate as long as it was edible. She couldn’t wait until the food arrived. Just the smell coming from the kitchen made her weak.
Once Rhonda left, Addy said, “John broke off the engagement.”
She gasped. “What? But why?”
Addy smiled. “Isn’t it obvious?”
Her face flushed. She hoped it wasn’t because of her. “Isn’t what obvious?”
“He loves you. I could tell when I saw you in church together.”
Rhonda set two cups of coffee in front of them.
“Thank you,” Addy said, picking up her cup and taking a sip. “Ooh. It’s still hot.” She quickly put it down.
Eliza felt sick to her stomach. Why would he go and do something so foolish? Did he think she was lying about being a prostitute? It’d hurt to tell him. She knew he had thought of her as a lady. He certainly treated her like one. But she had no choice. Still, he couldn’t give up the chance to be with Daphne. If he did, Eliza would never forgive herself.
“He promised Daphne that he’d marry her,” Eliza finally said and took her cup in her hands.
“Maybe, but she didn’t show up and you did. It seems to me that God had other plans in mind.”
She gave a bitter laugh. “God didn’t plan that one. I assure you of that.” She took a sip of the coffee despite the fact that it was still hot. She needed something to occupy her mouth, and it felt good to drink something. Harriet had allowed her one glass of water when she arrived at her house that morning but that had been it.
“God works in mysterious ways,” Addy said, grinning.
Eliza breathed a sigh of relief as Rhonda placed a plate of ravioli in front of her. She eagerly grabbed her fork and dug into the meal. As soon as she realized how unsophisticated she must look, she forced herself to slow down.
“Where are you staying?” Addy asked as she bit into her food.
Eliza brought the fork to her mouth. “I’m at Molly’s boarding house.” Then she ate the ravioli. Cheese never tasted so good!
“John went there. He must have been there before you arrived. Eliza, can you afford a boarding house?”
“Yes. I got a job that pays well. I’m doing fine.”
“That’s good. You do know that if there’s anything you need, you can come to me.”
Eliza ate another bite of ravioli and smiled. “Thank you, Addy, but I’m doing fine. I came here to be on my own, and now I’m doing it.”
Addy nodded.
“Oh, I do need something. Do you know anyone who has a wagon that I might borrow?”
“Sure, I do. Frank has one. He needs it for the store. Do you need someone to drive it?”
She hadn’t thought of driving it. “I should. I am not familiar with horses.”
“Well, if Frank is unavailable, then you can go to Willy. You’ve met Willy, haven’t you?”
“Yes. He’s a nice man.”
“Very nice. Willy’s the kind of person who’ll do anything for anyone in need.”
“Thank you, Addy. I’ll remember that.”
After she was finished eating, she went to Frank and asked for use of the wagon. When she realized that Frank had to stay at the store, she went to Willy’s house.
As she was about to knock on his door, Troy called out to her. She quickly knocked and turned to him. Willy would open the door soon, and she’d feel better. She didn’t know what it was about Troy that bothered her, but she felt it best to limit their conversations.
“How are you doing?” Troy asked her.
“Good.”
“You managing alright?”
“Yes. I’m doing fine, thanks.” Whe
re was Willy?
“I’m glad to hear that.”
The door opened and she said a silent prayer of thanks for the interruption. “Hello, Mister Jafferty.”
“Hello, Miss Sweet, Mister Evans,” the man replied, straightening his shirt. “How may I help you?”
“I was just over at Mister Garrison’s store, and he said I could borrow his wagon but I’ve never driven one before so I was wondering if you could help me with that? I need to empty out Mrs. Lube’s attic, and she wants her things taken to the garbage.”
“I’d be happy to help you,” Willy said. “Let me get my hat and vest on, and I’ll be right out.”
“Thank you.”
Troy smiled. “You know, I have a wagon too. Should you ever need one in the future and if Willy’s not able to help, I’d like to offer my services.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, and it’s nice of you to offer.” She prayed she’d never need to take him up on that.
To her surprise, the marshal walked over to them. “Thank goodness I finally found you, Miss Sweet.”
Her eyes widened. Did Harriet send the marshal to look for her? “Is there a problem, Marshal?”
“No, but at least Miss O’Conner can rest assured you’re safe. That John came by last night and insisted that I do a search for you. Never mind that you are an adult woman who is fully capable of leaving him if you wish. Quite frankly, I don’t know why you agreed to work for him in the first place. But that’s just me. Anyway, now I can tell Miss O’Conner I found you.”
“Miss Sweet is staying at Molly’s,” Troy said on her behalf.
“That’s a good choice. Molly is a nice woman. She’ll do you right. That’ll make Miss O’Conner feel better, which means that my wife will feel better.”
Eliza wondered if she should have left John a note. Then he wouldn’t have worried other people. Oh well. There was nothing to be done about it now. Hopefully, things would settle down and he’d rethink breaking off the engagement to Daphne. She could only hope he’d do that, even if a part of her dreaded it.
As the marshal headed off, Willy asked, “Why did you leave John’s place?”
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