Awake Unto Me (33 page)

“Er. I’m not sure.”

“I am Dr. Grant’s wife. We met at the hospital at your daughter’s graduation from nursing school last year. Oh, I think it must be a year and four months ago.”

“Oh. Yes, I believe I do.”

“Mr. Hammond, I wish to speak to you and to your wife.”

“I beg your pardon, Mrs. Grant. It’s the middle of a workday and…” He looked as though he might refuse.

Laura thought impatiently, Oh, deliver me from small-time shopkeepers
.
“It is important. It concerns your daughter, Beth. Please indulge me. I beg you.”

“Very well.” He reluctantly put the Closed for Lunch sign on his door and they went upstairs to the flat.

Mrs. Hammond offered a cup of tea, which Laura refused, and they settled uneasily around the kitchen table. The Hammonds gazed curiously at her, and she had a brief moment of doubt before she steeled herself. She abruptly said, “It concerns your daughter, Elizabeth.”

George raised his eyebrows and glanced quickly at his wife, whose expression was blank, impassive. He said nothing, however, and waited for Laura to continue.

“I feel I must tell you something extremely painful and difficult to say. I only say this for her sake and for yours,” Laura added. She was gaining confidence; she knew her motives were pure. “She has fallen in with bad company. I do regret to say that the company is Dr. Grant’s foster daughter, Kerry.”

Now the Hammonds looked deeply confused. “I beg your pardon, Mrs. Grant, but I’m not at all clear what your concern is.”

Laura, having stated what she considered sufficient cause for alarm, was at a loss what to say further. In her mind, the only course of action for the Hammonds was clear: they must fetch Beth home without delay.

“I, um, wish to say that Beth has come under evil influence and—”

George said, abruptly, “This would be your foster daughter, Kerry? She is the evil influence?” The tone with which George uttered “foster daughter” indicated clearly that he felt that Laura was definitely at fault for whatever had happened. It was irksome, since Laura never used the term “foster daughter” in regard to Kerry and herself, but it seemed she couldn’t attempt to explain that now.

“Well, yes. I have reason to believe she harbors unnatural tendencies.” She was uncomfortably aware that she had inadvertently implicated herself and Addison as possessing some guilt for allowing such a situation to develop, but she forced herself to ignore that thought and soldier on.

George looked angry. “You have a great deal of gall to come here and tell us this when she has been living in your house these many months.”

“George—” Frieda said, but he waved away her protest.

“You must leave now, Mrs. Grant. You have said what you came to say. I scarcely think the three of us have anything more to discuss.” He stood up and Laura followed, uncharacteristically at a loss for words. She had expected a
little
gratitude, at least. She walked stiffly to the cable car stop, angry at having a mere shopkeeper dismiss her, one whose daughter was living under her roof, at that. She could only hope some of what she had said had gotten through their thick skulls.

Addison was irritated when Nurse Bennett called him off the ward to speak with George Hammond, who had appeared and demanded an audience with him, immediately.

Addison protested that he had a full load of patients to examine. When Nurse Bennett told him the name of the caller, it took him a moment to understand who it was. He then grew worried that something was amiss with Beth. When he saw Mr. Hammond’s expression, he invited him to come to his office where they could have some privacy.

“What is it?” he asked anxiously. “Has something happened to Beth?”

George looked at Addison contemptuously. “I think you might be able to tell me that.”

Addison raised his eyebrows. “Please, sir. I have no time for foolishness. State the reason for your visit,” he said impatiently, hoping to convince the man to get to his point. Thinking of George’s complicity in Beth’s childhood torture filled him with fury.

“Your wife came to see us, Frieda and me. She wanted to let us know that Beth was in some trouble.”

“Good grief, man. What is it? Has she had some accident?”

“Naw. Nothing like that. Your missus, she said Beth was in some trouble.”

“What sort of trouble?” Addison demanded, completely out of patience.

“She said Beth’s come under a bad influence and the bad influence was your girl Kerry.”

“What do you mean exactly by ‘bad influence’?”

George cleared his throat, then swallowed convulsively. “Uh. She and Kerry. They—you know—Kerry’s gone and turned her head, and now she won’t know how to behave.”

“Could you be a little plainer in your speech, sir? I’m still not following you.” Addison was beginning to think that his barely conscious awareness of the nature of Beth and Kerry’s relationship was in fact correct.

George turned bright red. His hat was bent entirely out of shape from his restless hands.

“It’s Kerry. Doctor, she isn’t a natural woman. She’s gotten our Beth turned on the wrong path. That’s what Mrs. Grant said,” he said, a little defiantly.

Addison didn’t know whom he was more incensed at: his meddling wife or this self-righteous fool. He wasn’t sure a man who let the family pastor abuse his daughter had any right to the moral high ground. He knew, however, that George was finally asserting his paternal prerogative.
I can understand even if it’s far too late.
He was, however, even more angry that Laura had taken it upon herself to interfere. Her belated spate of maternal worry about Kerry and Beth was deeply suspect.
I’ll have the whole story out of her, but in the meantime, I must deal with Hammond.

“I am sure we will sort this all out, Mr. Hammond. I will be in touch with you soon.”

George was clearly surprised at his abrupt dismissal, but he scuttled from the office, his hat still mangled in his hands. After Hammond left, Addison sat in his office for a while.
Laura has truly crossed a line this time. I always knew she was self-absorbed and rigid in her thinking, but I never thought she would be such a terrific busybody. There surely is something afoot with Beth and Kerry, but that’s none of our business.
Then he shook his head and returned to the ward and to his patients. He would deal with the situation when his workday was over.

*

Beth was called to the charge nurse’s desk at midmorning. Her father stood there with his hat in hand.

“Papa, I’m surprised to see you,” she said in a neutral tone of voice.

“Elizabeth, I must speak with you.”

Beth glanced at the charge nurse, who was bent over a chart. “I cannot speak to you. I am at work now, Father. You don’t wish me to abandon my work, do you?”

“Ah, I thought because I asked you to, you would.”

“Papa. I can’t.” It was typical of him to assume she would just drop everything and go with him.

“Your mama and I must speak to you as soon as possible.”

“What? Is Mama ill? What’s the matter?” The charge nurse had noticed the tenseness of their interaction and had left discreetly. They were alone.

“No, nothing like that.” He looked embarrassed then. “But we must see you.”

“But what is this about, Papa? Can you not give me a small hint?”

George mauled his hat and wouldn’t meet her eyes. “I can’t say. Not here. Please, Elizabeth. It is important.”

Beth felt a little sorry for him. He’d never quite grasped that when she was seventeen years old, she decided that her parents would no longer have a say over anything to do with her. She saw that her papa still wanted to play the
paterfamilias
and expected her obedience.

“Very well. I’ll come directly after work.”

*

Laura was unusually quiet. She wouldn’t meet Addison’s eyes. Beth wouldn’t be home for another hour, Addison knew. Kerry would be cooking at the Palace and not return home until much later. It was time. Addison thought of the visit from George Hammond.

“Laura,” he said, quietly, “we must speak.” She was looking down at the table and she raised her eyes to meet his. He saw a look of guilt. He dreaded the conversation they would have, but he knew they couldn’t avoid it this time.

They ate in silence for a while as Addison gathered his thoughts. In a neutral tone, he remarked, “Beth must have had an emergency at the hospital. She wouldn’t wish us to wait upon her.”

“I’ll leave a plate for her on the stove.”

He put his fork down and looked at her for what seemed to her an eternity. “I had an unexpected visitor today,” he said.

Laura looked back at him, apparently not comprehending.

“George Hammond. Beth’s father.”

She blanched slightly.

“Why don’t you tell me why he said he wanted his daughter back home again. Immediately. He expected me to take care of it. He was polite, but it was clear he considered me guilty of some sort of oversight. I pretended to understand what he was referring to, but in truth I didn’t. He told me of the visit from you.” Addison stopped speaking and looked at Laura.

“I’m waiting, Laura. What did you tell Mr. and Mrs. Hammond?”

She raised her eyes, which were flashing and defiant. “I had to do it, Addison. They had a right to know.”

“A right to know what?”

“About their daughter.”

“
What
about their daughter? Speak plainly, Laura. I’m losing patience.”

“I told you a long time ago and you wouldn’t listen to me.”

He opened his mouth but waited for her to say more.

“It’s Kerry. She has—”

“What about Kerry?” he asked, harshly.

“She has caused Beth to—” Laura hesitated. “Oh, I don’t know how to say this, Addison.”

“What are you talking about, Laura?”

“She’s no good, as I told you from the beginning. She is, well, she isn’t a real woman.”

“What does that mean, Laura?” He kept his voice quiet, dangerously quiet.

“She has seduced Beth into unnatural acts. I saw them. I…” Laura was speaking very hurriedly.

Addison raised an eyebrow. He knew what she was trying to say, but he wanted her to own it. He wanted her to be honest.

“You saw them? What?”

“Oh, Addison, you’re just being cruel. You know what I mean. You do! Through the keyhole of the bedroom door. They were touching, they were…” She faltered again, her hands moving distractedly in the air as though that would explain it.

He stared at her. “You spied on them?”

“I had to know! I had my suspicions and I had to know the truth. Addison, you must send Beth back to her parents. You must tell Kerry to leave this house. I will not have such a person in my home. What she’s doing is despicable. It’s time you admitted she is a horrible person. I don’t know what she is, but she doesn’t belong in a respectable home and we must save Beth. You must see that.”

*

After saying good-bye to Captain Reynolds, Beth walked into her parents’ flat, kissed them each perfunctorily, and sat down at the kitchen table. Her mother and her father were in their usual chairs.
Nothing much has changed with them, nor will it ever.

“Well, Papa. What caused you to come seek me at the hospital?”

“We needed to see you,” Frieda said abruptly. “We want you to come home.”

“I see no—”

“You are to come back here to live with us immediately. I am ordering you to,” George said, but his voice betrayed his lack of confidence in his own authority.

She looked at him with a mixture of contempt and defiance. “Papa. Why are you saying this now?” she asked calmly.

“We have a duty to you. We are your parents,” George said with a tiny bit more conviction. “Mrs. Grant has informed us you are in danger. You have come under the influence of a bad person and she is greatly concerned.”

Now Beth was genuinely confused. “Who? What?”

Frieda interceded. “Mrs. Grant thinks your friendship with Kerry isn’t good for you.”

“She’s mistaken,” Beth said coldly. She was pleased that her voice didn’t show any of her sudden fear.
Laura knows about us. How? We’ve been careful.

“No, she is not. Why would she have come to us? You’re entirely too sure of yourself, girl. It’s time you paid more attention to your elders and time you returned to live with us. We should be looking after you. I’m ready to agree that your head may have been turned by this young—this person, but enough. You will come home.”

“You’ll look after me?” Beth asked George. “As you looked after me when the right Reverend Svenhard was molesting me?” She spoke in a conversational tone, but the effect on George and Frieda was remarkable. They both flinched.

“Oh, you know exactly of what I speak, do you not? Mama? Papa?” She looked at each of them in turn. “You abandoned me to that monster. You were complicit. Mrs. Rocco tried to tell you but you wouldn’t listen. Neither of you would listen. Instead you forbade me to see the Rocco family.”