36 

Sarah walked with Simon through the empty upstairs hall of St. Andrew’s a few weeks later.

He nodded in satisfaction. “The work is almost finished. We’ll be able to bring the children back sooner than we hoped.”

Sarah ran her finger along one wall, hardly believing it showed no evidence of being buried in layers of soot. Volunteers had scoured smoke-damaged walls, and fresh paint made the walls look better than Sarah ever remembered they had.

“Structurally, the building is sound,” Simon said. “Brick and stone have their benefits.” He sniffed the air. “The smell of smoke might haunt us for a while. They tell me it will likely seep through the new paint eventually.”

Sarah looked at Simon’s red-scarred face and thought he had never looked more handsome. She had to quell her impulse to reach up and touch his cheek, lest she cause him pain. “Are you in pain today?”

He shook his head. “You worry too much.”

“How about your hands?”

“I only wish I could have helped with all the clean-up.” He turned his wounded hands palm up. “With time I’ll be fine.”

“Promise me you’re following the doctor’s instructions.”

“I’ll promise whatever you ask, Sarah Cummings.”

They moved into the fourth floor corner girls’ room. The furniture was all pushed to the middle of the room. Lillie and Lucy had their sleeves rolled up with rags in their hands and a bucket of water between them.

“It looks like you’re almost finished in here,” Simon said.

“We are,” Lucy said. “We’re just wiping up the last of the paint dribbles. That will be everything except the boys’ dorm where the fire started. The walls still have to be plastered in there, and of course we need all new furniture.”

“We’ll get there,” Simon said. “The boys will just have to double up in the other rooms until then.”

“All the children I talk to are eager to come back.” Lucy used a thumb to scrape at a stubborn dried paint drip.

“What about Jane?” Sarah asked.

“Jane is a special case.” Lucy dipped her rag in the bucket. “She still blames herself. She cannot accept that she was not responsible. She focuses on what she might have done with that match if she had lost control.”

“Jane needs a fresh start,” Simon said. “We were able to arrange a foster care setting for her.”

“You haven’t put her in service, have you?” Sarah asked, panicked.

“No,” Simon assured her. “She’s with a couple who are both teachers. They don’t have any other children and can give her the attention she needs. Even as muddled as she is right now, they can see how bright she is.”

Sarah laid a palm over her heart. “I’m so glad.”

Simon gestured around the room. “Lucy, you’ve done an amazing job mobilizing volunteers for the clean-up work.”

Lucy waved a hand toward Lillie. “I could not have done it without Lillie. She has turned out to be quite the administrator.”

Sarah looked at Lillie and smiled. “Thank you, Lillie. You’ve really thrown yourself into whatever St. Andrew’s needs.” And she had never mentioned Serena Cuthbert again.

Lillie blushed. “I didn’t know I had it in me until the job had to be done.”

“You’ve been spectacular,” Lucy said. “Clean-up crews, painters, making sure everything touched by smoke was laundered, getting the gas lines fixed. And all while you’ve been planning your own wedding. Only two more weeks!”

Lillie laughed as she twisted her rag above the bucket. “I’m not looking very bride-like at the moment. My mother has taken over the wedding. I’ve found it’s wisest to just stay out of the way.”

“I remember,” Lucy said. “I had to put my foot down with my mother on more than one point.”

“I hope you’ll be there.” Lillie looked around the room. “All of you.”

Sarah met Lillie’s speckled eyes and swallowed.

“Sarah, I wonder if I might have a word with you alone,” Lillie said.

Sarah glanced at Simon and Lucy. “Of course.”

In the hall, Lillie took both of Sarah’s hands. “I’d like you to stand up for me at my wedding. Would you?”

Sarah’s pulse surged. She had a friend. Serena was not between them anymore. She blew out her breath. “After I lied to you? Are you sure?”

“I’ve never really wanted anyone else,” Lillie said, “and Paul agrees.”

“Does he know . . .?”

“He knows everything. And he wants you there.”

“And your parents?”

“I’ll explain to them that the past doesn’t matter. It’s forgiven.”

“But what about . . .?”

“Mr. Townsend?”

Sarah nodded. “He’s a friend of your father, isn’t he?”

“I insisted that he not be invited to my wedding.” Lillie smiled slyly. “Besides, my mother heard the most scandalous thing the other day from Mrs. Pullman. It seems that Mr. Townsend’s lady in Lockport has changed her mind. She received information that his attentions were not as ardent and exclusive as he had led her to believe for the last few months.”

“Lillie, you didn’t—”

Lillie waved a hand. “It was anonymous information. No names were mentioned. Will you stand up for me or not?”

Sarah’s throat swelled and tears welled. “I would love to.”

Lillie grabbed Sarah’s wrist and dragged her back into the girls’ dormitory room. “Sarah is going to be my attendant!”

“Delightful!” Lucy bent and swiped a baseboard with her rag. “I have a feeling Simon and Sarah will have an announcement of their own pretty soon.”

Sarah blushed.

“Frankly,” Lillie said, “I don’t know what’s taking them so long.”

“We’ll make it official,” Simon said, “as soon as my hands heal enough to hold hers firmly.”

Sarah turned her head to meet Simon’s eyes. How could she have ever seen anything there other than what she needed most? She put her arm through the crook of his arm and gently kissed his scar.