––––––––
"You want me to speak to the girls about what!" Meg cried out.
"You don't have to go into details," Victoria insisted. "But, I was right... about what we spoke about, wasn't I?" she said, grinning.
"Well," Meg said in a low voice, as she flushed and avoided making eye contact with Victoria, "yes."
"Wonderful!"
"Victoria, I can't talk to them about that. I can't even talk to you about it."
"I'm not asking you to share intimate details," she said, grinning. Then, laughing, added, "At least, not now. You can do that when we're alone.
"The thing is, Lynn became extremely distressed when Miranda tried to tell them why your furniture would be going out to Gus."
"But why would moving furniture upset her so?"
"Well, Miranda was talking about you two getting married.
"I still must be missing something," Meg insisted.
"Well, it was clear from their comments, the girls didn't understand about what 'getting married' meant. And, Miranda tried to explain that when a man and a woman love each other, they share a bed and bedroom and do what the girls were forced to do.
"Lynn was very upset and afraid for you. She wanted us to save you. She thought Gus would hurt you. So, Miranda was just trying to tell them that all men aren’t horrible.
"She wanted them to know that loving men and women shared things that, at first glance, might seem the same as what they were forced to do, but it isn't. It's much different."
"But why would she—"
"Because, she, we all, hope that the girls can have normal lives, eventually. They need to see that not all people are bad, just as not all people are good."
"Well, yes."
"So, can't you see how difficult that would be? These girls have been betrayed by so many people. And, it will take some time and a lot of work to convey those ideas."
"Yes, I can," Meg sighed.
*****
"Girls, Meg and Gus are here with the doctor and Mr. Stratton. At least come greet the new couple. I promise, I won't let the doctor bully you into eating anything," Miranda called up the stairs.
Both girls came bounding down the stairs.
Colleen, Kit, and Kathy seemed genuinely glad to know that Meg was back. But, Lynn held back, almost as if she was afraid what she'd find.
"Miss Meg! Mr. Gus!" Kit cried out. "Congratulations!"
"Thank you, Kit."
"Gus!" Miranda said, reaching out and pulling him into a hug. "Did you all enjoy Chicago?"
"Well, we had terrible weather, but I believe I can speak for both of us when I say, 'yes'."
"Well," Victoria said, looking at Neil, "why don't you and Gus go out and speak to Jake?"
"Ah... yes. Why don't we?" Neil said, tugging on Gus' sleeve.
Meanwhile, Meg and the doctor handed them their coats. When the men left, the women sat down at the table. Colleen gathered up cups and saucers, and things, as Miranda measured tealeaves into the pot.
"I'll take care of the rest," Kit said. "You go talk with the girls."
"Yes," she sighed. "I suppose we don't have any more reasons to put things off." Then she looked over at Meg, who seemed to give her an encouraging little nod. "Girls, don't you want to speak to Miss Meg?"
Lynn marched straight up to her, and even though she was getting too big, she climbed in Meg's lap and asked, "Did Mr. Gus make you marry him?"
"No, of course not. But you knew better than that already, didn't you, Lynn?"
"Yes, I, suppose so. Still, he didn't hurt you, did he?"
"No, of course not." She stroked the girl's hair back and said, "But, you didn't really believe he would, either?"
"Well, no, but Miss Miranda said... she said that when people married, they did bad things to each other."
"Lynn, I never said that," Miranda protested.
Lynn looked a bit sheepish, but finally she capitulated, "Well, no. At least, not exactly.
"But she did say that husbands did what those bad men did to us to their wives."
"And, what else did she say?"
"That when people love each other and get married, they might do the same things, but they weren't forced into doing anything."
Meg looked at Kathy and asked, "Do you have anything to ask me?"
"No, ma'am, not really. I always understood when they spoke about boys getting sweet on girls they eventually fell in love and got married.
"I knew about that before we came to Manchester and ended up in that awful place. I guess I just needed to be reminded about being in love and marrying. But, Lynn was really afraid for you."
"But, she's not going to be afraid anymore," Meg stated, and down at the child she still held. "Are you?"
"No, ma'am. And, I'll apologize to Mr. Gus when he gets in."
"Ah," Meg answered, coloring, "I don't think that's necessary. Why don't we just keep it between us ladies?"
*****
Victoria looked first at Miranda and then Meg, cleared her throat and said, "As long as we're all here—with the men safely outside—there's something else we need to talk about." She took Lynn's hand and asked, "Have you noticed how your body is changing?"
"What do you mean, change?"
"Your waist is thicker and your breasts are... well... becoming breasts."
"Yes, I suppose."
"And, you've been sick in the mornings several times, haven't you?" Victoria continued.
"Yes, but I didn't want any of you to know," Lynn answered, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.
"But, why?" Miranda asked.
"Because I'm afraid of what it means—that I'm going to have a baby, too. You all have already taken Kathy and me in. And, Kathy's going to have a baby. I was afraid that if I was having a baby too, it would be too much. And, I'd have to go somewhere else."
Miranda jumped up, rushed over to the child, and hugged her. "Oh, Lynn, dear, you don't need to worry about that. I'm keeping you all for as long as you want to be here." She smiled at the girl and added, "Besides, how much more work another baby make?
"But, we're all going to have to make more diapers." She kissed Lynn's tear-stained cheek and said, "Now, dry your eyes before the men get back inside. Men are terrified of tears!"
*****
The entire congregation greeted the newly married couple as they entered the church.
Meg blushed demurely, before she shot the doctor an evil look, and asked, "You told everyone?"
"Of course, we told everyone," Victoria answered before Ma could. "Didn't you think people would ask?"
"Why would they ask?" Meg inquired, wearing a peeved expression.
"Because you both disappeared at the same time. You both reappeared at the same time. And, you are no longer staying in back of the workshop.
"After all, in wasn't to be a secret. You only wanted to have Pastor Cleary marry you." Victoria told them.
"But now everyone knows..."
"Of course they do," Ma told them. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. It's not as if you did anything wrong."
"I suppose..." Meg answered, clearly uncomfortable because of the attention.
Gus took pity on his bride and, pulling her closer to him, announced, "Thank you for all your good wishes. We hadn't planned on marrying for another month or so. However, when we discovered the Clearys were leaving to go back east, we decided to marry quickly and quietly. And, I promise you, we'll be having a big celebration very soon.
"But, we need to get settled in our seats for services now."