Orphan Train Sweetheart

Watching his face, Cecilia thought she saw his jaw relax and lips soften for a brief moment before his expression hardened again. “That would be nice. But I doubt that young couple can handle three older children. I’m afraid they’ll change their minds in a few weeks. James can be quite a handful.”

Cecilia couldn’t help herself. His tone was so condescending. Resting her hands on her hips, she faced Simon head-on. “I’ll have you know, that’s a lovely couple and I have no doubt that they understand what they’re getting into. They can handle three children.”

Finally meeting her gaze, Simon raised one eyebrow with deliberate slowness. “I’m not saying they aren’t good people with good intentions. But taking on three orphans is a lot of work that they might not be prepared for. I’m not going to intervene in the placement. I just don’t think it will last.”

“That’s awfully cynical. I would have thought that someone who helps create families for orphans would have a little more faith in people.”

His eyes slid away, focusing somewhere on the floor behind her. “Actually, it does the opposite. When it comes to orphans, most people aren’t as kind and compassionate as you are. I know that from personal experience.”

Trying to determine from his expression if that comment meant what she thought, Cecilia refused to let the moment pass without finding out a little more about him. “You’re an orphan, too?”

His jaw tightened. “Yes. And no, I don’t want to talk about it. Believe me when I say that I know what they’ll face in life. And it isn’t always nice, even if they do find a good home.”

Cecilia glanced at the children again, her heart aching for them and for Simon, for the pain in their lives that she didn’t understand. She couldn’t imagine the kind of hurt the little ones had felt over and over as they’d continued on the orphan train, stop after stop, without being chosen. “Well, I still think that Eleanor and Robert will handle those three without a problem. You’ll see. It will be one of the orphan train’s most inspiring success stories.”

Simon shrugged and crossed muscular arms over his broad chest. Cecilia squeezed her eyes shut as she turned away, chiding herself for noticing such things. She had a sure path before her and letting her heart hope for the love of a man who was leaving soon wouldn’t serve her purpose well. She had to stay unemotional while she fulfilled her commitment to help with the visits. Even if Simon was terribly handsome. In a brooding, gruff sort of way.

Clearing her throat, Cecilia kept her eyes focused anywhere except on him as she moved the conversation to a safer topic. “What kind of help will you need from me for the next few days?”

“Tomorrow, I’d like to visit Mr. Hartley. I didn’t get a chance to meet him and after what happened with Charles, I don’t know if I trust him with Patrick. I’d like to go get a feel for the situation now, rather than wait for our official visit in several weeks.”

Cecilia was about to answer when her sisters, Cat and Coralee, called to them from across the room. The two made a striking pair. Coralee always had a regal bearing and exuded complete confidence. And then there was Cat. Their youngest sister was small and delicate, with a perfect figure that would make any eastern socialite jealous. She had the most animated face Cecilia had ever seen and she was effortlessly delightful in public. Of course, her sisters had experienced her mood swings, but few other people saw anything but perfection from Cat. As much as she loved her sister, Cecilia had always thought it was rather sickening.

After her sisters greeted her with hugs, Cecilia nodded in Simon’s direction. “This is Simon McKay, the placing agent. Simon, you met Cat yesterday. This is our other sister, Coralee Hadley.”

Simon nodded in greeting to her sister, then stepped back as Coralee took one look around the room and started grinning. “Cecilia, this is wonderful. Have the children all found homes?” Since adopting twins Louisa and Phillip, Cecilia’s older sister had a soft spot for adoptions. She had been as excited as anyone when they’d found out the orphans were coming to Spring Hill.

Glancing toward the front, Cecilia noticed for the first time that only Charles remained. His head hung low and no one seemed to be paying any attention to him. A wave of helplessness washed over Cecilia. He had been so worried about not being chosen and now his fears might become reality.

Turning to find Simon still behind her, Cecilia grabbed his arm. “Simon, Charles is all by himself up there. What if no one wants to take him?”

His eyes slid closed as a pained look crossed his face. Cecilia wondered if he had felt the hurt of being overlooked in favor of other children. She certainly knew what it felt like to live in someone else’s shadow. Her spine straightened. She wasn’t going to let that happen to such a sweet little boy. But as she took a step toward him, Coralee spoke up. “We can’t have the little fellow left out. I’ll go talk to him.” Waving across the room, Coralee got the attention of her husband, Jake, and gestured for him to join her. Together, they went and spoke to Charles in low tones.

Simon’s eyebrows rose. “Are they interested in adopting more children? I don’t want him to get his hopes up if they’re only being nice.”

Resting her fingers on her chin, Cecilia tried to think back, to remember if Jake or Coralee had said anything about taking in another orphan. Beside her, Cat giggled. “Those two can’t stand to see a child alone. I said days ago that they wouldn’t be able to resist taking home another one.”

Cecilia fought the urge to pinch her sister. Cat never seemed to think anything was noble or important. She rarely took anything more seriously than she took herself. Cecilia crossed her arms, eyes still glued to her older sister and the boy. “Well, I’m grateful that they care so much. Charles was so worried about not being chosen by anyone. But thanks to Jake and Coralee, he might find a loving home, after all.”

Cat shrugged and wandered off to chat with their aunt Lily. Shaking her head, Cecilia turned her attention back to the scene unfolding across the room.

Simon’s voice was close to her ear when he spoke. “Are they good parents? Will they treat him well?”

She turned to see him absently run one hand through his hair, displacing a few of the fashionably long strands. Her heart melted a tiny bit. He looked like one of the boys himself. Uncertain, hopeful and a little afraid. Offering a confident smile, she responded with a firm nod. “They’re the best parents. Their twins are happy, healthy and well-loved.”

He didn’t respond as they watched Coralee wrap her arm around Charles’s shoulders and follow Jake to the approval committee’s table. Cecilia couldn’t resist a happy sigh. “It looks like they’ve come to an agreement. I’m so pleased. The twins will love having a big brother.”

The room was almost empty by the time Jake, Coralee and Charles finished their paperwork and left. The men from the approval committee approached Simon and Cecilia. Mr. Collins stuck out his hand to shake Simon’s. “It seems we’ve had a successful day.”

Simon’s face was impassive. “That remains to be seen, Mr. Collins. Miss Holbrook has graciously agreed to help me with the home visits I’ll be handling in the next several weeks since the other placing agent was called away as soon as we arrived. The placements will be successful if I find all the children are in happy situations.”

Cecilia could see Mr. Collins clench his jaw at Simon’s blunt response. But he and the other committee members tipped their hats and left the building without causing a scene. Noticing that everyone else had left, Cecilia went to the closet at the back of the room, grabbed a broom and started sweeping the floor. Without a word, Simon came along behind her and moved desks back into their places. They had the schoolroom put to rights soon enough.

By the time they finished and she locked the door behind them, Cecilia was feeling the effects of the emotional strain of the day. She was more than ready to get home. Simon gripped her elbow with one hand when she stumbled stepping off the last stair. “Thank you for all you’ve done, both today and before we arrived.”

She mustered a smile through her embarrassment. “It was worth it to see those darling children find homes.”

“Speaking of homes, I’ll walk you back to yours. It’s nearing dusk and I wouldn’t feel right about leaving you to walk alone.”

A hot flush started creeping across her cheeks and Cecilia was grateful for that dusk he spoke of, hoping it covered a bit of the pink tinge. After all the time she had spent trying to learn how to keep control over her emotions when it came to men, all it took to reduce her to a flushed mess was an offer to walk her home. Drawing her spine straighter, she pushed her chin in the air. “Thank you, but I can find my own way. I’ll meet you outside the hotel tomorrow morning for our trip to Mr. Hartley’s farm. Good night.”

Without giving him the chance to insist and wear down her already weak defenses, Cecilia turned on her heel and walked away from the school and the distractingly handsome placing agent.

* * *

Simon stared after Cecilia until he realized he was standing in the middle of the street with his mouth open. Her refusal of his genuine offer stung more than he would have expected. Was it his company that made her walk away or had his thoughtfulness in some way offended her?

Making his way back to the hotel, Simon’s mind retraced the events of the day. Had he done anything during those hours together that might have upset her? He gave up long before he arrived at the Thomas House. He hadn’t had the best attitude that day. Or the night before. Any of his words in their short acquaintance could have hurt her feelings.

A stab of guilt hit his stomach at the realization. Cecilia had been kind and helpful. He could tell that she cared about the orphans. And he had treated her the same way he tended to treat most people when she deserved better. Deep down, Simon guessed his gruffness was a reaction to the judgment he usually faced when people found out about his childhood. But Cecilia hadn’t responded with the contempt or suspicion he was used to. She had to think he was being mean on purpose. And, oddly enough, that bothered him. He hardly knew her, but he found that he cared about what she thought of him.

Forcing the guilt into a corner of his mind, Simon tried to go on with his evening. He started to write down some of his impressions of the placing out for his reports. But worry about how the children were getting along with their new families plagued him all night, which didn’t improve his mood for the next day.

He ate breakfast in a hurry so he had a few minutes to sit and pray while he waited for Cecilia outside the hotel. But his time alone was cut short. Her brother-in-law, Jake, approached Simon’s bench before he got far into his list of prayers for each child.

The man stuck out a hand with a wide smile. “I saw you yesterday, but we weren’t introduced. Jake Hadley, Spring Hill’s physician. I saw you sitting here and couldn’t resist the chance to welcome you to Spring Hill.”

There was no choice but to respond to the greeting in kind, no matter how much Simon wished for quiet. Simon shook the doctor’s hand while examining his fine suit and expensive-looking leather case. “Simon McKay. Nice to meet you, Doctor.”

“Oh, Jake is fine.” Without waiting for an invitation, Jake dropped next to Simon on the bench.

So much for some quiet reflection to put himself in a better mood.

Wondering when the doctor would get to his purpose, Simon let his gaze roam over the landscape visible beyond the close-set buildings. The rolling hills covered in yellowing grass were peaceful in a way. Simon had been surprised by how comfortable he felt out here after spending his life in New York City.

After a few long moments of awkward silence, he decided that if the doctor wasn’t going to move on and leave him alone, he might as well ask after Charles. “How was the first night with a new child under your roof?”

Jake snorted, catching Simon off guard. “Charles is a wily one, isn’t he? I think he’s a bit afraid to let us get close to him and I can understand that. We hope that once he realizes nothing he does will make us get rid of him, he’ll settle down and open up.”

Simon sagged back against the bench as the words brought a burst of admiration and relief. Jake seemed to have a good handle on what Charles was feeling and what he needed. Much more than Simon would have expected. Maybe Cecilia was right about this family being a good fit for the boy. “I’m pleased to hear you say that. And I...well, thank you. For taking Charles.” Simon didn’t know whether to go on or not as emotion thickened his throat.

But the doctor saved him the trouble. “You know, it took me a long time to come to terms with adopting our twins. When their parents died in a cholera outbreak, Coralee and I worked for months to find a family that would take them. We weren’t married yet and I couldn’t imagine how it would ever be possible for me to keep those children. But God arranged it all so everything fell right into place. The four of us are happier now than we could have dreamed.”

Pushing up from the bench, Jake slapped Simon on the shoulder as he continued. “I believe God arranged for Charles to come to us, too, so I’m confident it will work out in the end. And I’m sure there’s a reason you’re here, too. Now, I’m glad I got a chance to talk to you, but I need to get to the clinic. I’ll see you later.”

Simon said goodbye and watched the doctor head down the street. What was it about Jake’s confident faith that was so striking? Simon believed in God and he prayed for the children he worked with often. But Jake was so certain that God was in control of everything. Simon wasn’t sure he had that much faith. He had seen too many cases where God could have stepped in and fixed a horrible situation, but He hadn’t.

Cecilia’s voice next to him startled Simon out of his deep thoughts. “Was that Jake I saw leaving?”

Turning to her, he was struck by her flawless skin and the way her eyes glowed in the bright morning light. With great effort, he forced the awareness of her away. He couldn’t let himself get attached to a woman in some frontier town when he would head back to New York in a matter of weeks. In spite of his determination to be nicer to her, the conflicting feelings made his words come out sharper than he intended. “Yes, it was. He said things went well with Charles last night.”

Her smile faded, sending another rush of guilt through him.

“That’s wonderful to hear. I know you have doubts, but I’m sure the other placements will turn out well, too. The people of Spring Hill are good and caring, on the whole.”

Praying she was right, Simon offered her his arm and led her to the street. “I guess we better be going. Here’s the buggy I rented for our ride out to Mr. Hartley’s farm. You know how to get there, right?”

Settling on the buggy seat, she nodded. “Yes, I do. I’ve never been to his farm, but one of my students lives nearby.”

Simon went to the other side of the vehicle and climbed in. As they started out of town, he focused his eyes on the rutted path in front of them. “Did I mention I taught school back home for a time?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so. How long did you teach?”

“Two years. I enjoyed aspects of it, but I got restless too much of the time. I do much better when I can get out in the open now and then.”

Cecilia’s expression turned shuttered and her voice got quiet. “I can understand that. I’m not sure teaching is what I would have imagined doing when I was a girl. I love children, but being in the classroom all day, going over the same material every term, I feel...well, restless is a good word for it.”

Simon let his eyes rest on his lovely companion for a long moment. It was strange to think that a dislike for their teaching careers was what might connect them, but at that moment he felt a bond forming with her. Pulling his gaze away, Simon reminded himself that a feeling of connection was one thing. But letting his heart get involved in any way beyond that was not acceptable.

Clearing his throat, he pointed across the prairie. “Have you been any further west than Spring Hill? I’ve been watching with interest to see where the railroads expand. It would be exciting for the orphan trains to reach all the way to California one day.”

Simon almost missed the way her face tightened. Had he somehow offended her again? Her reply was curt. “No, I haven’t been anywhere since my family came here when I was very young.”

Before he could stop it, the question that popped into his mind slipped out of his lips. “Would you like to travel, if you had the chance?”

His heart chilled when she turned away. That question had been a mistake. He had no right to pry into her hopes and dreams. If she hadn’t wanted him to walk her home, she certainly wouldn’t want him nosing around in her personal business. She spoke right before the moment turned awkward.

“I suppose not. I wouldn’t have much reason to go far from home. Not to mention, as a single woman, traveling alone wouldn’t be advisable.”

Hoping to ease the tension that had risen with his thoughtless question, he tried to answer in a light tone. “Well, I can tell you, after all the time I’ve spent traveling on trains and stagecoaches with the children, the sights are hardly worth the difficulty of getting there.”

Her lips pulled tight, drawing his attention to the pretty pink shade of them. What was the matter with him these days? He never had so much trouble keeping focused on his tasks. Maybe he had been away from home and familiar surroundings for too long. It would feel good to finish up in Spring Hill and head back to the east in a few weeks.

Silence settled over them as the horsed pulled the buggy up a small hill. At the top, Cecilia pointed to the left. “That’s Mr. Hartley’s farm. Looks like his house isn’t too far from the road.”

“House” was putting it nicely. Even from a distance, Simon could see that the dwelling was more of a haphazard shack than a house. His heart echoed with a prayer for Patrick, an innocent child who had been dragged into what seemed like a mess. If anything bad happened to the boy, it would be Simon’s fault for letting him go with Mr. Hartley. And he knew from experience how that guilt would feel.

Before that fear got the better of him, Simon turned the buggy toward the shack and in a few minutes they pulled to a stop in the dirt nearby. There was no movement in the yard or around the dwelling. The place almost looked deserted and uneasiness settled like a rock in Simon’s chest, making it hard to breathe. Something was wrong.

But by the time Cecilia’s feet hit the dirt as he helped her down from the buggy, the door had creaked open on uneven hinges and Mr. Hartley stood in the entrance, scowling at them. “What do you want?”

His barking voice didn’t do anything to calm Simon’s fears. “I’m Simon McKay, the orphan train placing agent. I’m making visits to the children’s new homes on the authority of the Children’s Aid Society of New York City. I only need to speak to you and Patrick for a few minutes.”

The annoyed scowl turned into a full-blown angry glare. “Now, I don’t care who gave you authority, you’ve got no reason to go poking around in my business. I think it’s about time you got off my property.”

Before Simon could formulate a response that wouldn’t make things worse, he heard a young voice shout from behind the shack. “Mr. McKay!” Patrick ran around the building at full-tilt, throwing himself into Simon’s arms and nearly knocking them both off balance.

“Patrick, I’m glad to see you. But you don’t have to hold on quite so tight.” He loosened the boy’s skinny arms from his waist, but rested one hand on his shoulder, feeling a need to keep the orphan close by his side while he was there. “How are you and Mr. Hartley getting along?”

Simon thought it was possible that his heart would explode with emotion when he saw tears welling in the boy’s eyes. “Fine, sir.” The words were mumbled and Simon wasn’t sure if he could believe the statement or not. He had to talk to Patrick away from Hartley’s earshot.

“Mr. Hartley, we can get off your property faster if you’ll show Miss Holbrook around your farm a bit while Patrick shows me the house. That’s all we need to do today.” Simon tried to sound as harmless as possible while praying desperately that the man would agree and not run them off his land.

Chapter Three

Cecilia didn’t mind that Simon volunteered her to tour the property with Mr. Hartley. After all, she had agreed to help in whatever way she was needed and she got the impression that Simon wanted a few minutes alone with Patrick. But she wasn’t at all happy that she had to handle the old farmer all by herself. The way that man looked at her made her skin crawl.

As soon as Mr. Hartley had offered a curt nod of agreement, Simon whisked Patrick into the ramshackle dwelling before she could blink. The old farmer cleared his throat before acknowledging her for the first time, his eyes raking her up and down. “Well, there’s not so much to see, but come this way.”

She followed him, stepping around muddy puddles that remained from the rain showers several days ago. She was watching her steps with such care that she didn’t see Mr. Hartley stop and ran straight into his back. A smirk twisted his face. “You better watch where you’re goin’. Hate to see you fall and ruin that nice dress.”

The way his gaze lingered on her dress turned her stomach. Wrapping one arm around herself, she tried to take a discreet step back while forcing a tight smile. “Yes, thank you, Mr. Hartley.”

The farmer motioned for her to go into the shed first. Cecilia’s mind screamed that it was a bad idea. She didn’t need to see inside the outbuildings. But she wasn’t sure how else to occupy the man until Simon had a chance to talk with Patrick. There wasn’t that much to see on the run-down property.

Stepping into the damp, dark interior of the shed, Cecilia stifled a shiver, almost tripping on the uneven dirt floor. She paused to let her eyes adjust to the dimness when she felt Mr. Hartley standing far too close behind her. Close enough that his dirty shirt brushed her back and the unwashed smell of him wafted around her. She wanted to retch.

Before she could step away, he grabbed her arm and pulled her around to face him. Again, he was too close, making her want to cough when his breath hit her face. “Seems we’ve got ourselves a minute alone, my dear. Why don’t we have a little chat?”

Trying not to panic, Cecilia tugged her arm but couldn’t pull away from him. “Actually, I’d like to get some fresh air. Please let me go.”

He raised his free hand to run dirt-stained fingers down her cheek, making her flinch. A rumbling chuckle erupted from his throat. “Going to play hard to get, eh? Well, let me tell you what I have in mind. Now that I’ve got that boy around, I need someone to care for the place for us. Why not the pretty little schoolteacher? You’re getting past your prime. Can’t be many other fellas lining up to claim you.”

This time she couldn’t stop the shudder that racked her body. The farmer laughed again and leaned closer still. Her eyes burned with tears that she refused to let fall. “Come on, what do you say? You get a roof over your head and the boy for company. And I get a clean house and warm meals. If you’re smart, you’ll take me up on the offer—”

With a sudden whoosh of air, Mr. Hartley was gone, leaving her arm aching but free from his grip. Cecilia wrapped her arms around herself in an effort to stop her hands from trembling. When she stepped outside, Simon had Mr. Hartley by the front of his shirt, lifting the farmer until he was on tiptoes. “What’s the meaning of this? Are you threatening Miss Holbrook?”

The older man raised both hands, trying to shake his head. “We were having a little talk, that’s all, McKay. Get your hands off me.”