Temptation By Moonlight (Historical Christian Romance)

by Barbara Goss

  Temptation

  By

  Moonlight

  Barbara Goss

  All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this book is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage system without express written permission from the author.

  Copyright © 2015 Barbara Goss

  All Rights Reserved

  Kindle Edition

  Cover by Samantha Fury

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Epilogue

  1

  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-- 1900

  Springtime is long awaited in places like Pittsburgh, where the prolonged and arduous winters seem to drag on until the trees suddenly begin to sprout buds and the grass turns from yellow to green. The sun shines more often, and chirping birds greet the morning. Those same birds awakened Nora Bennett, who scurried to make breakfast for herself and her mother, and then dress for her nine o’clock appointment.

  She chose to wear a yellow dress and a straw hat to shield her face from the sun. To look confident and mature, she twisted her long, dark brown hair into a neat bun. Nora glanced at her image in the mirror. Satisfied with her appearance, she set out for her appointment. Lacking a horse or a buggy, she walked the mile and a half to the Vanderhorn home.

  Nora gasped with amazement as the home, an impressive fieldstone, castle-like, and with high gables, came into view. In addition to appearing impressive, it also seemed cold. Nora shivered. She patted her hair, and dusted her shoes with a handkerchief as she approached the double front doors, and tapped the door lightly with its golden knocker.

  A stoic woman, wearing a white apron over a black dress answered the knock. Nora introduced herself, and the woman held the door wide for her to enter. “Please follow me, miss,” she said without a smile, making Nora feel a bit uncomfortable. The woman led her directly to an office by way of a long hall, thwarting her a peek at the home’s interior. She pointed to a cushioned chair across from a tidy wooden desk.

  “Mrs. Vanderhorn will be with you soon,” announced the maid, and she closed the door quietly behind her.

  Nora sat and peered around the room, brightened by the sunlight streaming through an open window, where a light breeze made the sheer, lace curtains billow.

  When the door finally opened, a matronly woman of about sixty entered, her brown hair was streaked with gray, and pulled tightly into a bun. She balanced wire-rimmed spectacles on the edge of her nose and peered at Nora above them. Her dress was a plain black walking dress with long laced sleeves. She didn’t so much as smile upon entering the room, which made Nora squirm in her chair.

  “I’m Sylvia Vanderhorn.” She held out her hand.

  Nora took Mrs. Vanderhorn's hand in her own gloved one, and smiled. She felt even more uneasy when the woman failed to return the smile. Nora took a deep breath and held her head high.

  “I’m interviewing for the position of companion and aide to my twenty-eight year-old stepson.” Sylvia Vanderhorn asked while examining Nora over the top of her spectacles. “Have you any experience or references?”

  “I’ve had four jobs caring for elderly women.” Nora dug into her reticule, removed several papers, and handed them to Mrs. Vanderhorn. “My references.”

  Sylvia scanned each reference. “Excellent,” she said. “How do you feel about caring for a man who is not elderly? Judging from your references you must be about…what, twenty?”

  “I’m sure I can adjust,” Nora said. “I’m twenty-one.”

  “My stepson’s name is Alexander, but he prefers to be called Alex. A tragic carriage accident crippled him six months ago. This position requires general aide and companion duties. Max Sharple, his doctor, cares for his medical needs. You will be responsible for serving his meals, seeing to his comfort and being good company for him. Does that sound like a position you could fill?”

  “It does. I’m sure I can.”

  “The nursing is minimal as his doctor visits regularly.” Sylvia Vanderhorn looked Nora up and down. "Initially, I thought you too young and attractive for this position, but Alex is such a miserable man, that I doubt he’ll notice. Owed to his belligerence, all the elderly companions quit, so I’m hoping a younger woman, like yourself, will have more patience with someone who is …shall we say…upset…over his lack of ability?”

  “I’ll do my best.” Nora tried to sound positive, but inside she wondered if she'd be able to handle caring for this young man. Since she needed the job, she coaxed herself to act with assertive poise. Her mother couldn't clean houses as she once had due to arthritis, and Nora had to provide.

  Sylvia continued, “My son, Nathan, also lives here. He’s either toiling away at the mill or with his fiancée, Celeste. The other residents are Grace, our downstairs maid, Tillie, our cook, and Helena, my personal maid.”

  “Then, I have the job?” Nora looked hopeful.

  “Yes, but I need you to start tomorrow. Is that too soon?”

  “No. I can start tomorrow.”

  When they discussed her pay, the wages were twice what she’d received on her last job, which pleased Nora. Of course with a young, male charge, she would probably have to work twice as hard.

  “Oh, one other thing,” Mrs. Vanderhorn tapped her forehead. “Sorry, I forgot to mention it earlier, but you will need to stay in residence and be on call around the clock. You may have eight hours off on Sundays. Will that be a problem?”

  Forgot? How could she forget something that important? Nora struggled not to show her displeasure with the situation, yet it seemed she had little choice, seeing as she needed the job.

  “That will be fine. I can move in tomorrow morning,” Nora agreed.

  “Good.” Mrs. Vanderhorn rose, walked to the door, and then asked, “Would you like a tour of the house?”

  Nora nodded absently, still worrying about her mother.

  Nora stood in awe of the large chandelier above the dining room table, the curved main staircase, and the book-filled library. Upstairs, was another story. Her small room faced the street. The large window gave light to a four-poster bed, dresser, and wooden chair. The bright yellow bedspread and curtains gave the room a sunny feeling, despite its simplicity.

  “Across the hall is Alex’s room. This will be convenient if he needs you at night.” Mrs. Vanderhorn’s light knock on Alex’s door went unanswered, so she walked in with Nora behind her to see a young man who sat, staring out the window, his back to them.

  “Alex!” Sylvia purposely spoke loudly in an attempt to gain the attention of a figure who seemed to ignore her. “I want you to meet your new companion. Her name is Nora.” Sylvia whispered to Nora, “He is aware, but rudely doesn’t care.”

  Nora moved into Alex’s line
of vision and held out her hand. Surprisingly, he appeared an extremely handsome man, or at least, he would be if he'd smiled. He had wavy brown hair, a Romanesque nose, and a slightly dimpled chin. His emerald green eyes appeared disinterested. His muscular build showed he must have been a physically active man before the accident. The several days of facial hair he wore gave him a rugged look. In a home as elegant as this, it surprised her to see such a man dressed in an old wrinkled shirt, with faded pants and bare feet.

  Alex stared at her hand, and then turned his head toward the closet. “Go away!” he said. Each syllable sounded like a snarl.

  Nora retreated and looked helplessly at Sylvia.

  “He’ll get used to your presence. Give it time,” Sylvia whispered as she led Nora to the hallway, and closed Alex’s door behind them. She pointed to the end of the hall. “This is the supply room where we keep the linens, towels, and various nursing equipment. This room,” she swung open a door across the hall, “is the water closet. We had plumbing installed, and a flush commode.” She demonstrated how it worked, much to the delight of Nora, who had never seen a full water closet before. A second door to the water closet made Nora feel uncomfortable. Sylvia must have guessed her concern because she said, “That door leads to Alex’s room. We had that one installed after his accident. He uses this room as well. If you notice, there are locks on the inside of both doors. When you’re using the closet, make sure you lock and then unlock both doors.”

  “He manages his toilet by himself?”

  “Oh, yes. Notice the highly waxed floor.” She pointed. Nora must have looked puzzled, because Sylvia explained, “I gave his floor an extra coating of wax so he is able to push the chair. It was made easier when I got the idea to glue felt to the legs of the chair. He can’t move his legs much, but he can use his body to move the chair. It took us a while to figure it out, but he’s doing just fine.”

  “He sometimes requires a wash tub in his room if he is especially tired. He’ll let you know.” Sylvia opened a cupboard. “All his shaving equipment is in here. He seldom uses it though.”

  An archway in the middle of the long hall led to another wing. It was in this wing that Sylvia and Nathan had rooms with another shared water closet. Mrs. Vanderhorn pointed out the other rooms on the floor. The door of Mrs. Vanderhorn’s room had been left open, and Nora could see the opulence of her furnishings.

  The door across the hall was Nathan’s bedroom. Two more doors led to guest rooms. This wing had thick carpeting in the hallway, in contrast to the hardwood of Alex’s wing. Mrs. Vanderhorn explained that the door next to Nathan’s had once belonged to Alex. Since his accident he'd been removed to the bedroom that best suited his condition and needs. The wing that Nathan and Mrs. Vanderhorn shared could be reached by the same back stairway as Nora and Alex’s wing, and also from the curved staircase off the parlor.

  Sylvia Vanderhorn promised to send a carriage to Nora’s home first thing in the morning to assist in her move.

  Nora walked home, worrying about leaving her mother alone all the while. Some days, her mother could barely bend to put on her shoes. Hopefully, Aunt Frances would be available to come to her aid. Since her aunt lived only a few streets away from the Vanderhorn residence, Nora stopped there on her way home.

  Nora and Evelyn, her mother, had lived with Aunt Frances since moving to Pittsburgh. As soon as Nora had acquired a job as a companion to a ninety-year-old woman, she had rented a small home for Evelyn and herself. Last week, her patient, Mrs. O’Hara, died of old age, and Nora was forced to find another job, and quickly.

  Aunt Frances cleaned for a well-to-do family named Kirkland. A maid at the Kirkland house relayed the gossip to Frances about the position as companion and aide for the Vanderhorn family, and Frances had managed to get Nora an appointment for an interview.

  Nora’s Aunt's house was a bungalow compared to the Vanderhorn’s home. It had a large first floor with two dormer bedrooms under the roof. Surely, two sisters could live comfortably there, Nora thought.

  Nora sat in the living room, furnished with old, worn furniture, and Aunt Frances asked, “Well, did you get the job?”

  “I did!” Nora exclaimed. Then she sobered. “But there is one thing I didn’t expect. They want me to live in, and I’m worried about Mother.”

  “Will they be paying you well?” Frances asked, ignoring Nora’s problem.

  “Extremely well.” Nora played with the laces on her bodice.

  “Can you tell me anything about your patient?” Aunt Frances asked.

  “It’s Mrs. Vanderhorn’s stepson, Alex. A carriage accident crippled him,” Nora explained. “I don’t know what to do. I want the job, but I feel dreadful leaving my mother alone.”

  Aunt Frances smiled. “I’d never let that happen, which is why you stopped here on your way home, isn’t it?” She winked.

  Nora nodded. “I didn’t know what else to do.”

  “She is welcome to stay here. What are sisters for?”

  Nora let out a breath of relief. “Thank you, Aunt Frances. I will pay her board each month to help with your expenses.” Nora sighed. “Now, I can be truly excited about my new job...except for one other thing.” Nora hesitated before blurting out, “My patient is rude and angry.”

  “Oh dear,” Frances said. “I’m afraid I can’t help you there. Whatever is his problem?”

  “Mrs. Vanderhorn said he's upset over his condition…I think she understated his attitude.”

  “You’ll win him over in no time. With your charm, who could not like you?” Aunt Frances patted her hand. “Don’t worry. It will work out. You’ll see.”

  2

  Nora put her folded clothes into the dresser drawers and began hanging her outfits in the small closet. Her mother didn't seem to mind moving back in with Aunt Frances, which pleased her. Nora prayed she'd be able to hold on to this job, or she’d be homeless. Affordable houses for rent were hard to find. Upon their arrival in Pittsburgh, all three of them had lived in Aunt Frances’s small home, but it soon became cramped, as she had to share a bedroom with her mother, and while the downstairs rooms were large, the upstairs rooms had eaves that took away much of the wall space.

  As she put her things away, she could hear her patient ranting across the hall about something. She hoped he didn’t rant and rave like that all night. She needed at least, six hours of sleep a night to function properly. How could she make friends with a man who acted like a rabid animal? She half expected foam to froth out of his mouth. She smiled when she tried to picture that.

  Mrs. Vanderhorn had explained how things would work. She was to go down to the kitchen at meal times where a tray would be ready for Alex. She was to deliver his meal, and then come down for her own tray, and eat it in her room or in the kitchen, whichever suited Nora best. Someone had put wheels on an old, wooden, kitchen chair for Alex, complete with handles on the back to facilitate pushing, but Mrs. Vanderhorn said he'd refused to use it.

  As she waited for Mrs. Vanderhorn to announce the doctor’s arrival, Nora put her dark hair up in a bun, and donned one of her oldest dresses, and one of the aprons that had been provided for her.

  Sylvia Vanderhorn knocked on the door, and Nora followed her into the room across the hall, where the doctor was standing over Alex. Sylvia introduced Nora to Dr. Sharple who barely looked up from his examination; save for the quick glance and nod he gave her before returning to his patient.

  Alex didn’t move or say a word. The doctor finished his examination and finally addressed Nora.

  “He seems to be doing well physically.”

  Nora nodded.

  “See that he eats well-balanced meals.” He walked to the bedroom door and opened it wide. “If you ladies will step out, I’ll exercise his legs. He needs to keep trying to use them.”

  At lunchtime, Nora retrieved Alex’s lunch from the kitchen. She checked the tray. The cook, Tillie, had served him a meat pie, a biscuit, and a cup of tea.

  “Excuse
me, Tillie,” she said to the cook, “Is this all?” She pointed to the tray.

  “Yes, ma’am,” she said. “He doesn’t eat much.”

  “Yes, but he needs nutrition. Do you have any fruit to put on the tray? I assume there are vegetables in the meat pie?”

  Tillie frowned. “Yes. Carrots and peas.” She walked over to a basket, pulled out an apple, and tossed it onto Alex’s tray. “I doubt he’ll eat it.”

  Setting his tray on the table in the hall outside his room, Nora whispered a silent prayer before knocking. Alex did not answer. After waiting a few moments she opened the door and walked in, wearing a cheerful smile.

  “Hello, Alex!” she greeted brightly. “I’ve brought you lunch.” She readied a spot on the table beside the chair where he sat, staring out the window. Nora brought in the tray and set it down.

  “How do you take your tea?” she asked.

  Alex remained silent.

  “Fine,” Nora mumbled as she hurried to exit the room.

  She brought her own lunch up to her room. She had the same meal as Alex. Tillie had placed a plump red apple on her tray too.

  After she’d eaten, she got down on her knees and prayed. She asked God to give her the knowledge and insight she needed to handle Alex Vanderhorn.

  Nora entered Alex’s room to retrieve his tray, and she noticed that he was still sitting at the window, but he’d eaten half of his meat pie, and the entire apple. This pleased Nora. Instead of leaving with his tray, she sat down on the bed near him.

  “It’s a beautiful day. If you’d like, I can take you for a walk in the chair with wheels.”

  Alex gave her an ugly frown. “Please don’t patronize me.” He didn’t growl as he had before, but spoke in a bored monotone instead.

  “I don’t mean to patronize you. I just thought fresh air might make you feel better since you seem to enjoy your window so much.” She tried to make eye contact with him as she spoke, but he refused to look her way.