Lanterns and Lace

Chapter 9

Grant left Morgan’s law office and headed to the boardinghouse, where he knew Jenny had taken up residence. The heaviness of dealing with her no longer plagued him. He imagined Jenny had gotten over her anger, and they’d be able to discuss their differences reasonably like adults.

He walked across the boardwalk in front of the general store and glanced inside the display window to see Jenny with Pete Kahler. He hesitated. Perhaps waiting outside for her made more sense than calling on her at the boardinghouse.

The moment she exited the store, he caught her attention. “Morning, Jenny. How are you doing?”

“Very well, until now.”

Ouch. “I was hoping we could talk.” She carried a purchase along with a drawstring bag draping from her wrist. “Would you like for me to carry your package?”

“That’s not necessary. I don’t want to talk, and I don’t need your help.”

A surge of anger snaked up his body, but he refused to let this little bit of a woman cause him to lose his temper again. “I think that if anyone should be angry in our situation, it should be me.”

“Oh? I don’t recall calling you a liar.”

“Are you still insisting that you and Aubrey Turner did not travel to Kahlerville together?”

“Yes. I repeat. I do not know the man.” A snippet of emotion edged her final word.

“Why would he tell me otherwise?” Grant almost believed her, or maybe he wanted to, which made no sense at all.

She drew in a quick breath. “Maybe he wants Rebecca.”

“Jenny, he couldn’t possibly be her father. He admitted never being in Kahlerville before, and Jessica lived here over a year and a half before she died.”

Her eyes moistened. “I . . . feared he might be. Why else would he follow me from Cleveland?”

“I have no idea.” Grant studied her a moment longer. “Are you frightened?”

Her lips quivered, and she pressed them together. “I’m not sure. The idea of Mr. Turner knowing things about me is a little disconcerting.”

“Do you want to talk to the sheriff—my brother-in-law?”

“Maybe. But not today.” She lifted her shoulders. “I must be going now.”

“May I check on you later?”

She shook her head. “No. It’s better this way.”

“If you change your mind, I’d like to introduce you to one of Jessica’s old friends.”

She turned in obvious interest. “I think I’d like that.”

“She knew Jessica better than anyone in this town.”

Jenny tilted her head in a charming manner. “My goodness. We’ve talked for five minutes without arguing. I’ll think about it all.” She nodded and walked away. With a swish of her skirts, she faced him. “Will I be allowed to see Rebecca?”

“I think we can do that.” He moved closer. “I’m very curious. Why didn’t your parents come with you?”

“They don’t know I’m here.” Jenny stared off down the street.

“Wouldn’t they worry about you? Or is that none of my business?”

She shook her head, fixing her eyes on the bank adjacent to the boardinghouse. “They think I’m traveling with friends in Boston.”

“You traveled all this distance without telling anyone where you were going?”

“You disapprove?” She faced him with a cold stare.

He arched a brow. “I just find it strange. What if something happened to you? Your parents would have lost two daughters.”

The pained look on Jenny’s face moved him. “My parents are difficult to understand. They never fully recovered when Jessica ran away from home. You see, when she deserted them and involved herself in . . . other activities, they grew bitter. If they had known about this trip, they would have disowned me.” Suddenly, she stiffened, and a slight gasp escaped her. “I must be going now.”

“Then exactly why do you want Rebecca?” Grant battled the turmoil inside him. The strength he found to contain his temper was certainly not his own. “Jenny, I want to understand you, and I want to be your friend.”

Her face blanched, and he viewed an endless array of emotions in her face. For a moment, Grant saw a weakening in her otherwise stoic facade.

“Talk to me,” he said softly. “Tell me why you feel compelled to take my daughter away from the only family she’s ever known.”

“I’m neither ready nor prepared to answer your questions. Besides, it’s very complicated.”

He wanted to believe this woman could be won over. Hadn’t he observed her enough times to believe her crusty exterior masked something entirely different? “I have plenty of time to listen.”

She focused on the goings-on in the street as though they held more fascination than their conversation. A mangy dog trotted past. “Not today,” she said. “They are my parents. I owe them a life free from pain.”

Grant heard the misery in her fragile voice. “That’s not possible. Life will always have its hurts and sorrows. Everything in this world is temporary. Only God can give us true peace and contentment—”

“Grant, I must try. They are all I have.”

Long moments followed. Grant realized he couldn’t make any further progress at the present, but today had been a beginning. “I guess I’ll be on my way,” he said. “I need to see Mama and the reverend before heading home.”

She forced a smile. “Of course. I’m really anxious to get settled. Thank you for the assistance and medical attention.” Jenny extended a gloved hand.

He grasped it lightly. “You’re welcome. And don’t forget, Mama invited you to spend next Sunday with us.”

“I’m not sure.” Jenny’s slender shoulders drooped momentarily. “I do appreciate the invitation, though.” She reached inside her drawstring bag. “I did write her and Reverend Rainer a note for yesterday. Would you be so kind as to deliver it for me?”

“Most certainly, and I’ll talk with you later on in the week about Sunday.” He accepted the note and deposited it inside his shirt pocket. “Let me know if you need anything.” He took a deep breath. “You are welcome to visit Rebecca as often as you wish, but she isn’t to leave the house without Mimi or me.”

He saw how his words cut through her like a jagged knife. Her lovely face visibly seethed with anger. “Are you merely being kind to me so that I’ll keep my behavior under control?” She shook. “Has all this talk about me being a part of your family just been a syrupy pretense?” She took a ragged breath. “Please, just leave me alone.”

Grant obliged, comprehending that more discussion inevitably invited an argument. Watching her leave, he questioned what kind of relationship Jenny shared with her parents—and she certainly did not know the Lord. Her sister lay buried, and he’d heard enough to perceive remorse on her part. Without Rebecca, she had no hope at all. All that remained for Jenny was the anticipation of having for her own, a brown-eyed little girl.

He shook his head and shuddered. Oh, heavenly Father, it appears that Jenny is using Rebecca as her savior. Show me how to help her find You.

Grant watched her disappear into the boardinghouse, bewildered at his response to her and frustrated that she’d ever come to town. But what role did Turner play in this? Could the man be a potential threat? Question upon question filled his head while he stood in the middle of the hot street.

He shrugged and thought he’d pick up a licorice stick or two inside the general store. The reverend shared the same fondness for the candy, and he wanted to make sure he had some in his pocket.

“Hey, Grant. How are you doing?” Pete said.

“Good, I guess. If I started complaining, I’d be here all day.” He lifted the lid from the licorice jar and pulled out a half dozen pieces.

“That little gal who just left here sure surprised me.”

“Why’s that?” Unless Pete had tasted Jenny’s temper.

“She just bought a revolver.”

*****

Jenny finished unpacking and walked downstairs to the boardinghouse’s dining room. She’d worked through the rest of the morning, making sure her belongings were put away neatly. For the moment, she felt optimistic about the future. Grant would allow her to see Rebecca, and she had a weapon to protect both the child and herself from Aubrey Turner.

She heard laughter and someone humming a nondescript tune. The sound of music always soothed her. The smell of chicken and dumplings made her mouth water. Life could be good. This had to be a positive omen.

The dining room looked inviting, not formal and sophisticated, but homey. Odd how her preferences had changed since leaving home. Mother and Father would never lower themselves to eat here. She smiled. She’d become a bit rebellious of late. The blue and white gingham tablecloths and curtains were faded but clean like her room upstairs. Jenny seated herself at a corner table and requested the chicken and dumplings from a woman who wore a pale blue sun bonnet.

“Are you having a good day, Miss Martin?” Aubrey Turner said.

Jenny’s heart raced. She had the revolver in her crochet and beaded reticule, but it wasn’t loaded. She needed someone to show her how to fill its chambers with bullets and fire it. “It’s a fine day, Mr. Turner.”

“May I join you?”

“Of course.” She forced a faint smile. No point in refusing him when she didn’t know his capabilities. Surely he’ll not harm me here. Or am I being foolish?

“What an honor.” He removed his hat and placed it on an empty chair. “Thank you for your company this afternoon. Are you satisfied with the boardinghouse?”

“So far I’m pleased with the services here.”

“Archibald and Jeanette would not agree, I’m sure.”

Did Jessica tell you our parents’ names? What do you want from me? “You’re quite right. They would be appalled.” She leaned closer. “What do you know about my sister?”

His violet eyes sparkled. “A beautiful woman. My love. My life.”

“You said you were engaged?”

He nodded. “We would have been married by now if she hadn’t left me.”

“Left you? Why? Excuse me if I’m prying into your affairs, but I need to understand how you met my sister and why she ended up here.”

His face softened. He reached to take her hand, but she pulled it back. “I’m sorry,” he said. “You look so much like Jessica that it’s impossible for me to gaze upon your exquisite features without remembering the love I had for your sister.”

“Can you tell me about her?”

He nodded. A young woman served their dinner and set two tall glasses of lemonade on the table. Once the young woman moved toward the kitchen, he gave her an engaging smile. No wonder Jessica was attracted to him.

“First of all, please call me Aubrey, and may I call you Jenny?”

“Certainly.” Jenny lifted the lemonade to her lips. She needed to learn more about this man, and befriending him seemed to be the only way.

“Jessica and I met in Cleveland. She was with friends, and I was quite captivated with her beauty. I’d barely gotten to know her before she became ill. Do you remember when she caught the measles and your parents feared her face might scar?” Concern etched his brow. “I missed her so during those weeks.”

Jenny cringed with yet another accurate accounting of her sister. She vividly remembered the two weeks Jessica lay in a darkened bedroom, tossing fitfully in a raging fever.

“Despite their worries, she only received a tiny scar below her left earlobe,” he continued. “Ah, but you, my dear, are as perfect as a freshly budded rose.”

Aubrey’s lavish compliments may have pleased Jessica, but Jenny found them repulsive. In the next few moments, he repeatedly praised Jenny’s beauty, her intelligence, her bravery for embarking upon a journey across the country alone, her resemblance to Jessica, and various other flatteries that nauseated her.

He is insufferable. It’s no wonder Jessica left him. Only an ignorant ninny would place any value in his superfluous words.

“What is your profession?” she said.

He straightened. “I’m an actor. That’s how I first met your sister—at a cast party at the theater in Cleveland.”

While sipping lemonade, Jenny willed the time to miraculously slip by. Her parents would have forbidden Jessica to see Aubrey. She could only imagine the turmoil in the Martin house. Her stomach twisted and churned, as it often did when she felt distressed. He did not answer her questions about Jessica but changed the conversation to talk about himself. During a rendition of Aubrey’s leading role in Romeo and Juliet in Cleveland, a yawn escaped her.

“Excuse me,” she said.

“It’s I who must beg your pardon.” Aubrey said. “You asked me why Jessica left Cleveland . . . and me.”

“This is very important to me.”

He moistened his lips and glanced away. “I don’t really know the reason. One moment we were happy and making plans for the future, and then she vanished. I was prepared to ask your father’s permission to marry Jessica the very day she disappeared.”

“She didn’t leave you a note?”

“No. I was to meet her at noon that day, but she never showed up. I’ve been looking for her ever since. That’s why . . . that’s why I followed you. I thought maybe she’d contacted you. And the little girl—how old is she?”

Jenny remembered Grant’s words earlier today about Aubrey. He could not possibly be her father. “She’s two and a half. According to Grant, Jessica lived here for more than a year and a half before giving birth to Rebecca.”

Troubled lines creased around the edges of his eyes. “How did she pass away?”

“Childbirth.” When he indeed looked grieved, she feared her own frail emotions. “I’m so sorry.”

“I had many hopes for our future,” Aubrey said.

There were many things I wish were different, too. She attempted to suppress another yawn. No point in being excessively rude.

Aubrey pulled a gold chain from his trouser pocket and eased aside the cover to reveal a gold and diamond studded timepiece. “You are definitely Jessica’s sister. She always insisted upon a nap in the afternoon and wanted to retire early in the evening.”

Jessica never napped! Her ability to get by on little sleep usually got her into mischief. Jenny’s thoughts raced with suspicion.

“The idiosyncrasies must be in our blood.”

“Exactly, and I need to excuse myself so you can rest.”

“And I am very tired.”

“It amazes me how much you two are alike. I may fall in love.” He touched her arm.

“That would not be fair to you, Aubrey,” Jenny said and placed both hands in her lap. “Jessica lived as your love, and I’m but a physical image of my sister. You must find an entirely different woman on whom to focus your attention, someone who deserves your individuality.”

“Are you shattering my dreams?” Aubrey spoke barely above a whisper. “I have thought of little else but you since the train left Ohio. I feared deep in my heart that my beloved Jessica had met her demise, but seeing you is like being born again into paradise. I keep thinking that if you and I were married, we could provide a home for little Rebecca.”

“I am expected to marry a gentleman in Cleveland,” she said, fighting the repulsion for Aubrey in the pit of her stomach. “A fine man by the name of Oscar DeHayes.”

“Ah, yes, the wealthy entrepreneur—who is much older than you, I might add. I assume your father arranged it.” He leaned across the table. “I can overcome your affections for him. All I want is an opportunity to court you. You know, my Jessica feared telling your parents about me because of my profession, but I can see you are much braver.”

She vowed to change the topic of conversation. Her relationship with Oscar already plagued her without Aubrey’s interference.

“Jenny, I beg of you to give me a chance to prove my affections.”

“But I’m not the woman for you. Listen carefully to me, for I don’t reveal my faults lightly.” She hesitated and lowered her voice as though others might hear her undesirable characteristics. “I am much too independent and have a frightful temper.”

His facial expression changed sharply, and the bitterness that met her eyes caused her heart to beat fiercely.

“Oh, I remember Jessica’s temper. She had her moments.”

Jenny felt the color rush from her face. If she had doubted Aubrey’s relationship with Jessica before, she certainly held no misgivings now. From his abrupt reaction, he must have experienced her sister’s fury and vacillating mood discrepancies. Most assuredly, Aubrey knew Jessica, for only the immediate family knew about her unpredictable rages.

She rose from her chair, and he walked her to the staircase. With a nod, she climbed the staircase to her room. Her thoughts returned to Jessica. Whatever had drawn her sister to Aubrey Turner? True, he was incredibly handsome, and his violet eyes nearly hypnotized her, but his way of attracting the attention of those around him mortified her. Perhaps actors distinguished themselves in this manner. Jenny couldn’t fathom Jessica enduring that facet of Aubrey’s behavior. At least not for very long.

It’s time I met Ellen Smythe. She may be able to answer some questions for me.