Page 32

“We prefer that you join us if you are able. If you are ill, we can arrange a tray.”

“No, I’m not ill.” Natasha sat down on the edge of her bed. “I’ll see you at noon.”

Leah nodded and left the room. She felt sorry for the girl. Nothing would ever be as she wanted it to be. Leah couldn’t give back her innocence. She couldn’t remove the awful memories of what had happened, nor reverse her condition.

She headed for the top of the stairs just as Erik’s voice could be heard downstairs.

“I just hope she understands the situation. You did talk to her, didn’t you? Bethany Home was her training ground by her own admission, and they have nurses on staff. Surely she can be reasoned with to see the importance.”

“I haven’t yet had a chance to talk to her. I think, given the brilliance of my granddaughter, she’ll figure it out for herself.”

Leah frowned and paused. Figure out what? Why couldn’t Erik just accept that she was answering her calling and doing a good thing?

“All it’s going to take is one of these young women going into premature labor, and she’ll realize just how quickly things can turn bad. I think we’d all feel better if there was a full-time nurse living here.”

“That again,” Leah muttered. She wanted to storm down the stairs and tell Erik to mind his own business, but she held back. She knew he made a good point, and she’d been meaning to talk the matter over with her grandfather. Time had gotten away from her in the move, and Grandfather had been much too busy with his own responsibilities to stop and help her figure it out.

She shook her head and drew in a deep breath. She’d see about it later.

11

Seeing Randolph Vanhoutte again so soon hadn’t exactly been Leah’s plan, but when he’d so sweetly sought her out after church, she found it hard to resist. Now as their evening was drawing to a close, Leah found herself lost in thought on Turner House and her two expectant mothers. Was she doing enough for them? There was still the issue of her inexperience and lack of nurse’s training. She knew she needed to do something about that. She had hated to leave the house this evening, thinking it was possible one or both girls might need her.

“You seem tired. Did you enjoy the play?” Randolph asked as they lingered over dessert and coffee at a nearby French restaurant.

“I did. It was fun. I haven’t been to a play in some time.” Leah looked down at her dessert. “And this pastry is amazing. The crust is so flaky and the filling so creamy. Our cook makes some wonderful pieces, but never quite this good.”

“I’m told it’s all due to a special oven being used, brought directly from Paris.” Randolph leaned in. “No doubt that was prior to the war.” His tone had a sound of irritation.

Leah frowned. “I know the war is ever on your mind. Has there been any word at all about your mother and grandmother?”

His eyes seemed to darken as his brows knit together. “No. There’s been nothing. Everyone fears the worst. Of course, there has been talk that Germany and its allies would allow for peace talks, but the United States has been against it.”

“It’s hard to believe our country would be against peace.”

“Well, it is,” he snapped, then shook his head. “I’m sorry. Forgive me.”

“I’ve read about some of those rumors. I even discussed it with my father, who said it’s mostly just propaganda to turn people against America.”

“Do you believe that?”

Leah shrugged. “I’m not sure I’m qualified to form an opinion. I read what’s in the newspaper but have seen of late that it often proves unreliable. Whether it’s a misquote about the affairs of war, a sales price wrongly stated, or a story about my own Turner House, the press pretty much writes whatever it chooses and then offers a small, insignificant retraction at a later date. I’m very careful as to what I take to be the truth.”

“You are smarter than the average woman, my dear,” Randolph said, smiling. “I think perhaps I admire that most about you.”

Leah turned her attention to the coffee. “I think you might be surprised to find there are many highly intelligent women.”

“Most of them are in your family, my dear, which makes them above average. I think if you allowed yourself to see the situation as it is, you would find people in general are happy to be ignorant.”

Leah wasn’t sure this was an argument she wanted to get into. Randolph seemed more than a little out of sorts this evening. “You know, just a few days ago it was all the way up to forty degrees, and now it’s back down to negative single digits.”

“And more snow is due.”

“Yes, the snow has been quite plentiful.”

“Indeed.” Randolph reached for his coffee, then paused. “Oh, I see a friend of mine, Mr. Aubert. I hope you don’t mind, but I need a word with him.” Randolph stood to catch the attention of his friend.

Leah noted the bearded man. He gave a nod toward Randolph, then made his way across the room to greet him.