Sean let himself quietly into the house and when he would have gone straight into his room, Rigg hailed him from the kitchen. Sean came only as far as the doorway and leaned against it with his hands in his pockets.
“I’m sorry about the way my sister acted tonight. I don’t know if it helps, but I’ve never seen her like that and I know she feels bad.”
“Moving is hard work; I’m sure she’s tired. How about some supper?” Rigg asked kindly and Sean was rather glad for the change in topics.
“I’ve eaten, thanks.”
“I remember being hungry all the time at your age. Are you sure you wouldn’t like something?” Rigg’s mother had brought over a large kettle of stew and the aroma was floating from the stove straight in Sean’s direction.
“Maybe I’ll have a little.”
Rigg turned away to hide his smile and filled two large bowls. There was fresh bread and butter on the table and a bowl of fruit. Rigg prayed for the food and the men ate without conversation for quite a spell.
“I normally stay out of my employees personal lives Sean, but would you mind if I asked you a question?”
“No, not at all.” Sean seemed genuinely surprised and Rigg wondered at his first impression that all was not well for this new family in town.
“What brings you to Santa Rosa?”
“We saw the ad for the job and came, hoping that Kate would get it.”
“Where are your folks?”
There was no mistaking the pain in those young eyes and Rigg waited in silence as Sean took a moment to answer.
“My mother just died and my father is in Hawaii.”
Rigg didn’t know what to say to this but he didn’t have to speak because Sean was ready to talk. He came close to telling Rigg his entire life story—how he had been born and raised in Hawaii, when he’d made a decision for Christ, and right up to the trip to San Francisco, including his mother’s death. He ended by explaining why his father left and that he was coming back soon.
“Did your aunt change her mind about your staying with her?”
Rigg considered the question a mild one in the light of all that Sean had shared but the change that came over the boy was startling. Tension radiated from Sean and again Rigg waited. He watched Sean move from the table to the window. He thought he might be calming down but when he turned from the window, his eyes showed deep anger and pain.
“I don’t think it’s right that a man forces a woman to do something against her will.”
The hair stood straight up on the back of Rigg’s neck over the image Sean’s words created. One woman’s face stood out in his mind, a woman he’d seen for so brief a time that it was unusual he would even remember her. But remember her he did, and he was surprised at the emotions flooding through him at the thought of someone hurting her. He worked at keeping his voice level.
“I certainly agree with you, Sean. Did you want to tell me about it?”
“I don’t know. I don’t want you to think badly of her. That is, I don’t know why you would but it’s just been so hard here. No one in Hawaii ever looked at my sister the way they look at her here. She told me that she even had to wear her cloak all the time on the ship because the sailors stared at her. And then our cousin grabbed her and . . .”
Sean could not go on, but then, he didn’t need to. The picture was now quite clear to Rigg as to why they were no longer living with their aunt. He didn’t think it had gone as far as rape but then it didn’t need to, evidently, to leave lifelong scars.
Rigg chose his next words carefully. “Sean, is your sister all right?”
“I think so. She hasn’t talked about it so maybe it didn’t bother her as much as it bothered me.”
Rigg didn’t believe that for an instant, but kept the thought to himself.
“I’m glad I came into the library when I did or I don’t like to think what would have happened.” Rigg knew great relief with those words but also realized that even though the worst didn’t happen, this was very serious.
“Sean,” he finally spoke. “Are you afraid that your cousin will show up here?”
“I’ve thought of that but no, I think he’s a coward. He won’t come here.”
“Then I’ll tell you what you probably already know. You’ve got to forgive this man.” Sean clearly did not want to hear those words and he sat back down in his chair with a dejected thud.
“Don’t be discouraged by my words, Sean. God can help you to that end. I believe that with all of my heart.”
“I believe it too,” Sean admitted quietly.
Rigg could see that he’d said enough. Silently he decided to look up some verses on forgiveness in his Bible and share them with Sean when the time was right. The life of Joseph came to mind, as recorded in Genesis in the Bible. Joseph was a man persecuted by his family and yet, when he was given the chance, he forgave them.
The men cleaned up the kitchen and Rigg, checking on Sean less than 15 minutes after he’d gone to bed, found him sound asleep.
One street away Kate wished for sleep. She’d confessed her actions to the Lord and knew that in the morning she had to make it right with Mr. Riggs.
Outside of that, the only reason sleep wouldn’t come was because she was freezing. After sundown the temperature had plummeted. Now in bed with only the lightest of blankets to cover them, the only warm spot on her was where Marcail was snuggled up against her.
She felt Marcail shiver and pulled her a little closer. She sighed in the darkness. It looked like it was going to be a long night.