Chapter Six

The following Monday, Charles had some time on his hands after a cancellation in court. Since curiosity and concern were eating him alive in turns, and since he was only two blocks away from the department store where Eliza worked, he decided to walk over and check on things. He found Eliza in the women’s department.

She smiled when she saw him. “Charles, hello! What brings you in today?”

“I was passing by and thought of you,” he said as he accepted her hand for a warm squeeze. “I wanted to see how things are, how Kathy’s doing.”

Eliza sighed, folding her hands on the metal bar that formed the round clothing rack whose contents she’d been rearranging. “She’s holding her own, I suppose. She’s been at the clinic since Friday. I can’t thank you enough for that referral. Dr. Milton really seems to care, and she’s very sharp. I think she might be able to help Kathy.”

Charles shook his head and played with one of the small purses on top of the rack. “I was glad to help, to be able to give the recommendation. Like I told you when I called, she did wonders for my sister, and she’s not your typical headshrinker.”

Eliza patted his hand again. “I’m glad. Kathy wasn’t thrilled to have to stay, but Dr. Milton put her at ease as well as anyone could. The doctor wants me to come in once a week or so and see someone too. I wasn’t expecting that.”

“She tends to believe that if the whole family is treated, the patient sees better results. I saw one of her colleagues a time or two myself after Daphne started going,” he admitted softly. “I went at first for my sister, but I did learn a lot.”

“Then I suppose I can’t argue, can I?” Eliza winked at him, though her expression remained solemn. “I think we have a long, hard road ahead of us, one that’s different from any journey we’ve made so far. With any luck, she’ll come home tomorrow.”

Charles smiled. “That’s when the real work will begin. There’s a lot more to therapy than most people think. It’s ridiculously simple and yet complex at the same time.” He looked around and sighed. “I suppose I’d best let you get back to work. I just wanted to check in.”

To his surprise, Eliza hugged him. “Stop by any time. Thank you again for everything you’ve done.”

“You’re very welcome. I’m happy to have been able to do it. I know what Kathy went through was tragic, but I hate to see her give up on living. Not if there’s any way she can be helped.”

As he walked back to his office, he pondered what he’d told Eliza. He did hate to see Kathy waste away with grief. What he was having a hard time figuring out was why exactly helping her felt like such a personal mission. Was it because he’d lost his father to suicide? Was it simply that she was young and his sympathy had been struck?

He didn’t think so. Charles would have helped the family however he could regardless of what his motivations were. But the fact was he was fascinated by Kathy, had been since the first time he’d met her a few months back. They’d not exchanged more than a handful of words in all that time and had in fact talked more during the hour or so last week than the total sum of three or four conversations combined over dinners.

The time didn’t matter. He was smitten, intrigued. He’d taken one look at Kathy, with her solemn quietness, her dark-fire hair that only shone red in the sunlight, her brilliant blue eyes, and he’d been trapped. She was a mystery. He could sense the depth in her, the buried curiosity fighting to escape the protective shield she’d encased herself in. He wanted to cast that shield aside with an almost desperate need.

He’d never have acted on his desires while Kathy was in such a terrible state, but he couldn’t pretend he didn’t have a quiet hope deep inside that someday she’d heal enough to get rid of the shadows haunting her. If that happened, maybe he’d get a chance to get to know the real Kathy Browning and see if he’d been right about who he thought she was.