Secrets of Sloane House (25 page)

However, if there was one thing she’d learned during her time in Chicago, it was that far worse things could happen to a woman than a loss of reputation. Besides, soon she would be returning to Wisconsin and no one’s opinion of her in Chicago would really matter.

“I have no desire to hold on to your bag indefinitely,” she warned.

“I’ll be back by five or six.”

“I can’t be guaranteeing that I’ll have a room for you then.”

“I understand.” She stood up and grasped the handle of her worn carpetbag. “Where may I stow this?”

“Follow me.” The landlady led her through the dining room down the hallway and came to a stop at a door that was marked with a sign that said “Private.”

“I’ll put your case in here. Until 5:00 p.m.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll be back by then. I promise.”

After setting the suitcase inside the door, the woman walked her out. “I hope you know what you’re doing, miss. Chicago is a dangerous place. Especially for green girls like you.”

“Oh, I’m far less naive than one might think,” Rosalind stated.

The woman rested her hands on generous hips and eyed her more closely. “You know what? I think that might be true. Best of luck to you today.”

“Thank you.” She smiled tightly, then strode out the front door. She had roughly nine hours to find Reid Armstrong and to try to convince him to help her—or get back there to pick up her belongings.

If it look longer than that to find Reid?

She was going to run out of both time and money.

Reid was in a panic. So much so, he’d broken down and told his father everything at his bedside that morning, right after visiting Sloane House and learning nothing from the staff about where Rosalind may have gone.

The moment everything was off his chest, guilt surrounded him. His father was ill. He likely had only a few more weeks to live. He didn’t need to be burdened with Reid’s problems.

But instead of looking wearier, his father looked almost rejuvenated. Reaching out, he clasped Reid by the hand. “Help me sit up, son.”

Reid did as he was bid, fluffing pillows behind his father’s back
and trying to find a way to apologize at the same time. Finally, he said what was in his heart. “I’m sorry for burdening you like this.”

“You’re not burdening me, son. Actually, I think you might even be helping me.”

“I don’t see how that would be the case.”

“Truth be told, for the first time in weeks, I’m thinking about something other than my pain and impending death.”

Reid could barely hide his wince. “Father, don’t speak that way.”

“It’s the truth, son. We know my days are numbered.” He shook his head impatiently when he saw that Reid was preparing to argue that point. “Enough about me. Where do you think Rosalind is right now?”

“I have no idea. She could be anywhere. Walking the streets or in some cheap room.” He lowered his voice. “At some man’s mercy.”

His father scowled. “Son, you’re not thinking clearly. Stop letting your fears get the best of you and think.”

“I have been thinking.”

“Think harder. You’re a smart man. At least, you used to be.” He snapped his fingers. “Now, let’s review everything you do know. Is she the type of woman to have already left Chicago?”

That was one thing he definitely did not need to ponder. “No. There is no way Rosalind would leave right now. Not without trying at least one more time to locate her sister.”

“Good. It’s about time you started using your God-given smarts. Now that you know that, where would she look? Who would she talk to? Who would she ask for help?”

Reid replied after thinking for a moment. “At first I was going to say she’d go to the fair, but now I’m not so sure about that. Rosalind told me she’s already gone there several times without any luck.” He paused, then said slowly, “Actually, Father, I think she would try to find me.”

“Because you’ve offered to help her?”

“Yes,” Reid said, finding talking out his thoughts to be beneficial. “And because I think she trusts me.”

“Does she know where you live? Should we alert the staff that she might be stopping by?”

“I think that would be a good idea, though I don’t believe she has our address.” Mentally, he cursed himself. How could he have been so thoughtless?

“Where else would she try to find you?”

“Most every time we’ve spoken, it was at Sloane House. Of course she wouldn’t find me there . . .” Then it came to him. “But the last time we talked, it was at church.”

“You took her to church?”

Reid chuckled. “No.” Briefly, he relayed the story of Rosalind getting caught in the fray on the sidewalk and entering the church for safety.

“That’s it,” his father said excitedly. “It has to be. If Rosalind is the woman you believe her to be, then that is the safest place for her. She’ll go there because she trusts it. And she trusts you.”

“Dad, I think you might be right.”

“I’m certain I am,” his father replied with a gleam in his eye. “Now, when you do find Rosalind, bring her back here. She can stay with us.”

“I don’t know if she’ll trust me enough to come, but I’ll ask.”

“Do whatever it takes, Reid. I want to meet this girl, and you need to help her. My gosh, someone needs to help that poor child.” Grabbing the bell by his bed, he shook it with a new vigor.

Looking a bit alarmed, Redmond, his father’s longtime valet, appeared. “Yes, sir?”

“Go find Watterson. I need to speak with him. And you’d best call
for Mrs. Griffin too.” Looking spryer than he had in weeks, his father snapped his fingers. “Don’t dally, now. We don’t have much time.”

After glancing curiously at Reid, Redmond nodded. “Right away, sir.”

When they were alone again, Reid leaned back in the chair beside his father’s bed and crossed his legs. “A lot of people would say that a mere maid’s problems aren’t ours. But instead of pushing her aside, you’re offering to help her. You are a remarkable man, Father.”

His dad grunted. “It’s good you realized that before I’m gone.”

“As a matter of fact, I’ve known that for quite some time.”

“How long?”

“At least a few days.”

His father chuckled. “At least it’s not a recent development.” Turning more somber, he added, “Seriously, as I’ve been sitting in this bed, I’ve had a lot of time to think about all the things I had thought were important. Ever since our financial situation improved, I wanted to be sure that you had every opportunity I didn’t. I wanted you to be able to attend the finest schools, to be accepted in places that would never accept me.”

“And that happened.”

“Yes, but at what cost? I have to admit there have been moments when I’ve wondered if I’ve pushed you toward a life that was bright but meaningless. Beautiful but empty. To my regret, I wasn’t even sure you should be part of that choir. I didn’t think you would make enough connections there.”

Reid knew he’d made the most important connection at the church—a connection with his Holy Father. “I’ve respected your wishes for me, but inside I knew I needed to be there. Maybe it was so I’d be there for Rosalind.”

“That looks to be a very good possibility.”

Further conversation was delayed by the return of Redmond, with the housekeeper and butler in tow. They stood at attention, their postures straight, their expressions worried and grim.

“You called for us, sir?” Watterson said.

“There is a very good possibility that a young woman might be calling at our house today.”

“Yes, sir?” Mrs. Griffin asked. Only the slight inflection of her voice betrayed her confusion.

“If she does pay a call, I want you to invite her inside and make sure she doesn’t leave. She will be here to see Reid.”

The housekeeper looked indignant. “We would never turn away a lady. Even if she doesn’t know it’s not proper for her to be visiting a gentleman’s home.”

“This lady’s name is Rosalind. Rosalind Pettit. She will most likely be dressed as a housemaid.”

All three servants looked askance. “Yes, Master Reid,” Watterson said.

His father cleared his throat. “No matter what she looks like, I want her to be treated with respect.”

“She is a friend of mine, and she is in a bit of a difficult situation,” Reid explained. “Actually, I wouldn’t be surprised if she arrived at the back entrance.” He paused, choosing his words with care. “Please treat her with kindness. Many people have not done so.”

All three servants nodded, each one looking more curious than the last. Reid was tempted to tell them a bit more but decided against it. This was Rosalind’s business, and he wasn’t even sure how much her situation should become common knowledge.

When they left, he sighed and stood up. “Father, I’m going to take your advice and go to the church and wait.”

“In the meantime, if she shows up here, we’ll send word to you. I’ll fill your mother in on the latest events as well.”

“Thank you.”

“Let’s hope she reaches out to you, son.” He nodded. “Indeed, you—and the church—are her best chances for survival.”

Reid knew his father wasn’t exaggerating in the slightest. As brave as Rosalind was, Reid knew she was really only a young farm girl on her own in the middle of a big city. Her innocence and the sense of betrayal she surely had to feel were a dangerous combination. It could even propel her to make some poor decisions. “I shudder to think about what will happen if she doesn’t reach out.”

“None of that, now. You need to stay positive. Focused. I will pray. If we do those things, I know we’ll find her. And once we do that, we will all put our heads together and try to figure out what happened to her sister. And we will. I’m sure of it.”

Reid was humbled by both his father’s trust in the Lord and his hope for their success. Once again, he was reminded that he had a lot to learn to become the man his father was.

He only hoped there would be enough time to learn even more. He needed his father, just as he needed their Father in heaven. “Well, I’m off,” he said. He marched downstairs, took his hat from Watterson, and strode out the door.

The moment he stepped outside, he was struck at just how bright the sun was shining. He blinked a bit, letting his eyes adjust to the daylight. Took time to look around him, take in the beauty of the morning.

Yes, the day was beautiful. The trees and shrubs surrounding their home were neatly trimmed and flowers bordered the estate like vibrant ribbons. Few people drove along the streets. It was almost quiet.

For once the air wasn’t too hot or too humid, and the promise of fall was, perhaps, in the air. The winds their city was known for
weren’t gusting and kicking up dust and debris from the road. The air even smelled sweeter than it usually did.

Yes, all in all, it was a beautiful day. Beautiful in looks and in feel. It was a beautiful day to make a difference in someone’s life.

With that thought in mind, he stepped down his front steps, turned right, and started walking to the church. He’d start there. If she didn’t show, then he’d start exploring other places and other options.

All he could do was take one step at a time.

CHAPTER 26

R
osalind had been sitting in the same church pew she’d sat in before for an hour. For most of the time, she’d been completely alone. She’d passed the time by listening for footsteps and berating herself for not doing more to keep her job at Sloane House, telling herself she was ten times the fool.

Just like when she’d boarded that train in Milwaukee, determined to locate Miranda and bring her home safely, she’d been hopelessly naive.

Why had she cared whether Minerva had a bed to sleep in or not? Furthermore, why had she thought that she would have a chance of meeting Reid—or even anyone who knew him—at this time, on this day? The choir practice she’d stumbled upon had been later in the day, on another day of the week. She didn’t even know how often they practiced.

She should have come up with a better solution. More importantly, she should have prepared better. She should have asked him
where his home was, about his job. Asked him something of importance so if she did need him, she would be able to find him.

And, well, while she was at it, she certainly should have gone to the police station herself and asked about her sister, even though they had rebuffed her father. If they had no answers for her? She could have returned again and again until they took her seriously.

Instead, she’d taken the investigation into her own hands, even though she didn’t know the city or the first thing about locating a missing person. Yes, she’d been ten times the fool.

After sitting for that hour, she was already coming to the conclusion that the only things she did have any more were hope and her faith. She started praying then. Her words were rusty at first, but little by little they began to meld together.

Asking the Lord to join her felt, finally, like the right thing to do—as if at long last she was doing something right. Every time she began to doubt and worry, Rosalind did her best to breathe deeply and let the scent of incense, lemon oil, and aged wood fill her soul. Each time, the cool air, mixed with the comforting scent and a sense of faith, soothed her.