“I should’ve known better with a pretty, smart girl like you than to expect you to sign a second contract. We are fortunate you’ve lasted this long, really.” Miss Trent embraced her, offering her congratulations before glancing at her pocket watch. “The train should be here any minute. I’d best be getting to the dining room. Keep that foot elevated as much as possible and get some rest before starting your shift. Mr. Carver, follow me. We have made enough allowances for one day regarding gentlemen callers.”
With an apologetic smile to Sophia, Carver disappeared with the housemother as Nora closed the door and sank down beside Sophia.
“You need to go! The train—”
“I only had to tell you again that I am so sorry about your foot and everything that has happened to you lately.” Tears filled Nora’s eyes.
Sophia adjusted her pillow and leaned back. “You threw my shoe across the room and saved me from getting stung again. Or can scorpions only sting once? Like bees?”
Nora twisted her hands and looked up at the ceiling as a tear trickled down her neck as she muffled a sob with her hand.
Sophia sat up, her stack of back pillows toppling to the ground. “Whatever is the matter?” In the ensuing silence, Sophia squeezed Nora’s hands. “Tell me what is going on. Perhaps I can allay your fears?”
Nora’s shoulders shook from holding in her emotions. “I didn’t know that you and Mr. Ashton were so serious. I went by the stable this morning and heard what Kane said to Mr. Ashton.”
“Where were you? I was there too.”
“I was in the office broom closet. I was waiting for Kane and panicked when he brought in Carver.”
“In the broom closet?” Sophia shook her head against pressing further on that score at the moment. “But, if you were in there, you would’ve heard my rebuking him.”
Nora pulled a handkerchief from her cuff. “I departed directly after Carver through the backdoor. Kane wants nothing to do with me.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to confide in you sooner, but Carver and I wished to enjoy the secret a little longer. Haven’t you ever held a secret that warmed your heart, yet you couldn’t wait until someone knew?”
Nora’s countenance shattered as she buried her face in her hands, sobbing. “Once, but now it’s my secret that is crushing me. If I had known you and Carver were planning on marrying, I never would have—”
“You never would have . . . what?”
“I am the one who’s been trying to get you to break your contract and return home,” Nora whispered, her voice cracking.
Her grasp on Nora’s hand slipped. She stood and limped to the window, gathering her words. “You mean to tell me everything that has been happening to me, the scorpion, the mysteriously soiled linens and aprons, the second load of china I broke, and who knows what else, is because you have been trying to get me to leave?” She whirled around to face her friend who nodded, tears flowing.
“And the coffee pot lid when you poured it on Carver. I bent it so that when you came to the last cup, it would spill.”
“How could you? I thought we were friends?” She sank down onto the rocker beside the window, gazing through the lace at the street. “I don’t understand.”
“We are friends. But then I panicked. I didn’t know what else I could do.” Nora picked at her spotless apron.
“Why would you think your unrequited love justified such actions?” She frowned, anger filling her that, because of Nora, she wouldn’t be able to walk without pain for days. “Do you really hate me so much that you would want to injure me?”
“The sting was an accident. I never wanted to hurt you. I only wanted to scare you into going home.” Nora smoothed out the lace trim of her soiled handkerchief as she raised her eyes to meet Sophia’s. “Sheriff Kane was about to ask me to marry him before you arrived. He had made me all sorts of promises and I was about to have the fairytale life I have always dreamed about. What else was I supposed to do when I saw the only man I have ever loved throwing himself at you? It broke my heart to watch the interest he once showed me be bestowed upon another—especially a girl who has only ever had it all with no doubt scads of money.”
“If he is so fickle as to drop you the moment he sees me, be glad I came along and saved you from such inconstancy.” Sophia clenched her fists, attempting to keep her temper controlled. “If he acts like this now, what makes you think he will act any better once you are married? The man is fickle and his eyes wander.”
“Yes, he is fickle, but it’s a little late for that to matter.” Nora pulled on a strand of her ebony hair. “When I was secure in my relationship with Kane and the thought never crossed my mind that I might lose him, I informed him in casual conversation that you came from money—a lot of money. Well, his eyes lit up and I immediately realized what a horrid mistake I had made.”
Nora wiped her eyes with her fist. “I am such a fool. I knew he always wanted to be rich and move to a big city. I knew it, but I still told him because I believed him to be true to me. But he saw you as his ticket to wealth and his chance to redeem his mother’s financial choices, but—” her voice wavered and she paused to collect herself. “Before you came to town, he made such promises to me with passion-filled kisses and love in his eyes that he convinced me to slip into bed with him.”
And with those words, the anger ebbed from Sophia’s bones and in its place was only pity. “Nora.”
“We were only together once and I regretted it ever since, but once was all it took.” She placed her hand on her abdomen and sighed as her tears kept falling. “I have never been regular, so I didn’t think much of it at first, but I know for certain now.”
Sophia sank down beside Nora and wrapped her arm around her waist. That’s why she was ill. She rested her head on Nora’s shoulder. “You’re two months?”
She nodded, rubbing her forehead. “As soon as I begin to show, my reputation will be shattered, and I will lose my job. I’ve spent weeks begging him to love me for me until the social when I told him about the child. He was so angry with me.”
The cad. How dare he treat her so? “There’s still time to convince him otherwise.”
Nora released a bitter laugh. “The man wants nothing to do with me now that you are here. Can’t you see why I was so scared? The only way I could see to fix my problem was to frighten you to the point you left on the next train. I knew with you out of the picture, he would want me again. He would want our child.” She took Sophia’s hand and squeezed it. “Sophia, I promise I never intended to bring you harm. It was my fear, this horrible, dreadful fear, that caused me to be so wretched.”
“I only wish you would’ve told me, and I would have been firmer much earlier with Kane that his attentions to me would result in nothing.” Her eyes wandered to the window as she sighed. “I could’ve saved you so much pain.”
“I wish I had . . . I was just so scared. Can you ever forgive me for betraying our friendship?”
“Of course.” Sophia hugged her, thinking of all she had learned in her short time at the Harvey House. Sophia gently stroked her on the back, trying to calm Nora’s tears. “I used to be terrified too, and fear can make us do some foolish things. But when I stepped away from my parents and came out here on my own, alone, I learned to lean on the Lord for confidence and slowly, day by day, I have released my fear and anger.”
“I’ve asked for the Lord’s forgiveness and know I have received it, but I am still frightened. I don’t know how to be a mother and raise a child without a father. My child will be treated differently, and I will be seen as a fallen woman. Men will see it as an invitation to make unwanted advances. I am a good woman. I just love him so much that I-I got confused.” Nora shook her head at a loss of words.
“I know you are a good woman. I’m here for you, Nora, if you will let me.” She grasped her Harvey sister’s hand and began to pray for the Lord to give them each direction and courage to face the storm ahead.