A Lady's Choice (25 page)

“Henrietta.” She called out to her friend from time to time, but no answer came.

The clock from the sewing room downstairs chimed midnight, and she realized six more hours had to pass before the new shift of guards would arrive. Would they release her, or would they leave her hanging as a warning to others?

She felt herself slipping toward unconsciousness and fought to stay awake. She could barely breathe now, and she knew her lungs were filling with fluid. If she slept, she might drown in the mucous filling her body.

Her head lolled against her shoulder, and she tried to straighten to relieve her labored breathing. Her chest hurt, and she felt as if she were drowning. She opened her mouth to scream for help, but she only succeeded in producing a soft moan. Was there nobody to help? Was she to die alone hanging with her arms suspended above her head?

Then the words of the song the women had sung earlier drifted into her fevered mind, and she thought of her mother. She had always received such pleasure from attending church, singing hymns, and praying. Sarah had enjoyed it once too, until her father's death. Her faith had waned when he died, and it had disappeared with the passing of her mother. She hadn't prayed in years.

In her mind she could see the church at Richland Creek and the faces of the people who worshiped there. She hadn't intended to like them, but she had come to know their kindness and their concern for her and her mother. Uncle Charlie and Aunt Clara had supplied them a house to live in, and Ellen had welcomed her from the first.

Then there'd been the most important one of all—Alex. She would never forget how he had looked the day he rode through the rain after her mother's funeral to tell her how much he loved her. He had begged her not to leave, and she had walked away from him and the love he offered.

The truth flashed into her head, and her body jerked against her bonds. God hadn't forsaken her during the days when she felt so alone. He had taken her to a community of people who offered her love and support, but she had been so filled with self-pity she couldn't see what He'd given her. She had made the choice to turn her back on Him and everyone else who loved her. Instead she had chosen the false friendship of a murderer and his aunt.

Tonight she hung shackled to the bars of her cell and had listened to the voices around her sing of God's amazing grace. It suddenly became clear to her that God had never deserted her. He was only waiting for her to come back to Him. She wasn't alone. She had never been alone. All she had to do was reach out to Him.

She closed her eyes and prayed for the first time in years. “Forgive me, Lord, for the years I've wasted, and the hurt I've given to others. Thank You for loving me and dying for my sins. Take care of Alex and give him a good life. I give myself into Your hands.”

“Alex, I love you,” she whispered. “Bury me by my mother.”

Her head dipped, her body sagged, and she welcomed the blackness overtaking her.

Sarah opened her eyes and turned her nose into her pillow. The smell of disinfectant hovered in the air, and she knew she wasn't lying on her cot. She could make out the forms of several people beside her bed, but she couldn't tell who they were. She lay very still and tried to make out the words above her that were being spoken in hushed tones.

“How is she, doctor?” The voice came from far away and sounded like someone calling into the depths of a well.

“She's very ill. The malnutrition coupled with the pneumonia has caused serious infection throughout her body.”

“Will she live?”

“I don't know.”

“You must save her. She doesn't deserve this.”

Sarah blinked again and stared at the figure standing by her bed. “Ruth? Is that you? How's Henrietta?”

A warm hand touched her cheek, and she turned her face toward the voice. “Yes, I'm here. Henrietta's fine. She just had a bad bump on the head. How're you feeling?”

Her muscles contracted as another coughing spasm shook her body. She tried to raise her head, but it was no use. When the spell had subsided, the reality of her situation became clear. A tear rolled from her eye. “I don't think I'll make it, Ruth.”

“Don't say that. Of course you'll be all right.”

The memory of what had happened in the cell returned, and she smiled. “It doesn't matter now. Everything's fine with me. I'm ready.”

“Sarah, don't talk that way. Do you want me to call your uncle and aunt?”

She lay back against the pillow, her eyes closed. Alex's face drifted into her mind, and she smiled. “Not my family. Someone else. Call Alex Taylor.”

Ruth leaned closer. “How can I reach him?”

“Telephone. He's a lawyer at Buckley, Anderson, and Pike law firm in Memphis. Tell him I remembered his promise. It's important for him to know that.”

“I'll call him.”

Ruth turned to leave, but Sarah grabbed her skirt. Ruth bent over her. “What is it?”

“You must tell him I remembered his promise.” She gasped, her ragged breath stressing each word. “Tell him I want him to bury me beside my mother.”

Ruth patted Sarah's hand before she slipped it back underneath the cover. “I'll tell him. Now you get some rest.”

Sarah smiled, sank back on the pillow, and surrendered to sleep again.

Alex wrote his signature on the last document in the stack Lydia had brought him and handed it to her. “That's the last one. Do you have anything else for me before I leave for the day?”

Lydia took the last paper, laid it on the stack in her arms, and shook her head. “No, sir. That's all I have for you today. I'll take care of these so you and Larraine can be on your way.”

She glanced at Larraine, who sat with her legs crossed and her elbows resting on the arms of the chair in front of Alex's desk. Larraine straightened and smiled at Lydia. “Are you sure you're through with him now?”

Lydia gave a curt nod, but Alex didn't miss the affectionate gleam in her eye. “He's all yours, Miss Larraine. I hope you have a wonderful dinner tonight.”

Larraine rose, walked to the middle of the room, and struck a pose worthy of a stage actress as she turned in a small circle. “Alex and I are having dinner with his sister and brother-in-law, who are in town. Do you think I'll pass inspection?”

Lydia smiled and nodded. “I know they will love you just like everybody else at the firm does.”

Larraine crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow in Alex's direction. “I hope so. It's certainly taken Alex long enough to decide he wanted to introduce me to his family.”

Alex's face grew warm, and he pushed to his feet. “Edmund's practice keeps him busy. They don't get to Memphis often. But there's no need to worry. They'll enjoy meeting you.”

“I hope so.” Larraine tilted her head to one side and smiled at him. “Like Lydia said, I want them to love me like everybody else here at the firm does.”

“I'm sure they will.” Alex dropped his gaze back to his desk, picked up the pen he'd used, and placed it in the top desk drawer. Taking a deep breath, he walked to the coatrack where Larraine had hung her coat when she walked in. He removed it and held it up for her. “Ready to go?”

He swallowed hard at the momentary look of disappointment that flashed on her face. She wanted him to reassure her that he loved her and would make sure his sister liked her, but the words stuck in his throat. Words like
love
and
affection
were no longer a part of his vocabulary. He had substituted
companionship
and
friendship
for them. Larraine knew this, but at times she appeared to want more.

She tilted her chin up and smiled as she walked toward him. “I can't wait to meet your family.”

He held the coat as she slipped her arms into it and then reached for his topcoat and hat. Lydia crossed the office and opened the door. “Have a good time tonight.”

Alex nodded. “We will, Lydia. I'll see you tomorrow.”

Larraine had just stepped out of the door when the phone on his desk rang. Lydia frowned and turned toward his desk. “I'll take that, Mr. Taylor, and leave a message for you.”

He shook his head. “No need for that, Lydia. Officially I'm still at work. I'll get it.” He tossed his coat and hat on a chair, strode toward his desk, and picked up the phone. “Hello.”

“I have a long distance call for Mr. Alex Taylor.”

Alex frowned at the voice of the operator. Which of his clients would be calling him long distance at this time of the day? “This is Alex Taylor.”

“Caller, I have your party on the line. You may go ahead now.”

“Mr. Taylor, my name is Ruth Cochran. I'm calling from Fairfax, Virginia.”

He searched his mind for a client who had ties to anyone in Virginia, but he could think of no one. “I'm sorry. Have we met?”

“No, we haven't. I'm a friend of Sarah's.”

The breath left his body, and he grabbed the edge of his desk to steady himself. “S–Sarah? H–how do you know her?”

“I'm a guard at Occoquan Workhouse in Fairfax, Virginia. Sarah asked me to call you.”

Alex's fingers tightened on the telephone receiver. “She did? Why?”

“Mr. Taylor, are you aware that Sarah came to Washington to work with Alice Paul and the National Woman's Party?”

“Yes.”

“She began demonstrating with the group in front of the White House nearly two months ago, and she was arrested for picketing. She's been a prisoner here ever since.”

“What?” Alex exploded. “A prisoner? How is she?”

“That's why I'm calling. She's very ill, and I thought her family needed to be called. She told me she had an aunt and uncle, but she wanted me to call you. She needs someone here for her.”

Visions of Sarah in prison swam before his eyes. Why hadn't Ben let him know? The answer popped into his mind. Ben was probably still on his honeymoon. But someone else in the office was supposed to call him. All this time he had assumed she was all right, and she was locked up in a prison cell.

He closed his eyes and rubbed his hand across his forehead. “What's the matter with her?”

“She's suffering from malnutrition because she went on a hunger strike, and now she has pneumonia. The doctor says there is so much infection he's not sure she'll live.”

Alex's heart raced at the words he heard. “Not live? It's that serious.”

“Mr. Taylor, I could lose my job for telling you this, but I think someone needs to know. After Sarah went on a hunger strike, the warden ordered her to be force-fed. They pushed a tube through her nostril and down her throat and fed her with a liquid. The doctor thinks some of that got into her lungs and caused the pneumonia.” A soft sob came over the line. “Mr. Taylor, when she was so sick, they shackled her to the bars of her cell and left her there all night. If she dies, it's because they've killed her. Can you get word to her uncle that he needs to come?”

Alex's heart pounded in his ears, and he shook his head. “There's no need for that. I'll leave on the first train to Washington. Will you tell her I'm coming?”

“I'll tell her, and one more thing. She insisted I tell you something else. Let me see if I can remember the words correctly.” Ruth paused before she spoke again. “She said, ‘Tell him I remembered his promise.'”

Alex's heart swelled and tears filled his eyes. “Please tell her I remember too, and I'm on my way. Thank you for calling, Miss Cochran. I'll be in Washington as fast as the train can get me there. And thank you for taking care of Sarah for me.”

He hung up the phone and turned toward Larraine and Lydia. Tears stood in Larraine's eyes, and she glanced at Lydia. “Would you excuse us for a few minutes, please?”

Lydia dropped her gaze and nodded. “Of course.”

Larraine waited until the door closed behind Lydia before she walked over and stopped in front of him. She threw her purse into the chair where she'd sat a few minutes earlier. “I suppose that was about Sarah Whittaker.”

Alex's eyes grew wide. “How did you know her name?”

“My father told me about your little suffrage friend when you first came to the firm. I have to admit I was glad when she went to Washington. I thought with her out of the way, things would work out for us. I guess I was wrong.”

Alex raked his hand through his hair and frowned. “Larraine, I'm sorry. I made her a promise that if she ever needed me I would come for her. That was a guard from Occoquan Workhouse on the phone. Sarah is a prisoner there and is dying of pneumonia. She wants me to come, and I have to go.”

Larraine shook her head. “No, you don't. Any promise you made to her is no longer valid. I know you're going to ask me to marry you, and I don't want my future husband running off to help out some old love. In fact, I forbid you to go.”

Alex narrowed his eyes and stared at Larraine. “I can't believe I heard you correctly. You forbid me to go?”

She squared her shoulders and nodded. “I do. I'm sure my father would agree. Your place is here.” She turned toward the chair, picked up her purse, and smiled. “Now let's have no more of this nonsense. Your sister and brother-in-law are waiting for us to pick them up so we can go to the club for dinner. Get your hat and let's go.”

Alex stared at her, and in that moment he saw what the rest of his life would be like if he married Larraine. How could he have been so blind to think he could marry a woman he didn't love? His failure to support Sarah's dream didn't mean he had to sentence himself to such a life.

He picked up his hat and coat from the chair and took a deep breath. “Larraine, I think we should cancel our dinner tonight. I'll make your excuses to my sister. Right now I need to go home and pack so I can be on the first train to Washington in the morning.”

Her face turned crimson, and her mouth pulled into a straight line. She advanced toward him, and jabbed her index finger into his chest. “Didn't you hear me? You're not going to Washington.”

He pushed her finger away. “Didn't you hear me?” he hissed. “Sarah is dying. I have to go.”

“Call her family. Let them take care of her.” Suddenly the anger on her face disappeared, and fear replaced it. She lunged at him, wrapped her arms around him, and pressed her cheek to his chest. “Please don't go, Alex. I love you. I don't want that woman to come between us. Please stay with me.”

Alex grasped her shoulders and pushed her back until he could stare into her face. “I'm sorry, Larraine. I tried to make it work with us, but I couldn't. I love her, and I can't turn my back on her. Now I've got to go.”

Her palm cracked across his face, and he staggered backward from the blow. She gritted her teeth and glared at him. “If you walk out that door, don't expect to come back. Your job won't be waiting for you.”

He nodded. “Somehow that doesn't seem too important at the moment. Tell your father I appreciate the opportunity of working here, but it just hasn't been a match. Maybe we'll meet in court sometime.”

Before she could respond, he strode across the floor and jerked the door open. Lydia stood in the hallway. “Mr. Taylor, I overheard part of your conversation, and I checked with the depot. There is a train leaving at seven in the morning headed toward Washington.”

He smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Lydia. I'll miss you.”

“I'll miss you too, sir.”

Alex turned and hurried from the office. For the first time since coming to Memphis, peace washed over him, and joy filled his soul. He had no idea what he would find in Washington, but Sarah had remembered to call for him. Now all he could do was pray that God would spare her so he try to make her love him again.