He moved away, annoyed. “Don’t worry about her. She’s used to being alone. I’ve arranged for her to have her own compartment on the train, doors away from ours, and her hotel room is on the floor above us. I’ll accompany her to a few dinners and the theater. Just enough to alleviate any questions from my clients.” He pulled her to his body. “But I don’t want to talk about Heidi. I have other things in mind.”
Gloria placed her hands on his chest, and held him off. “I do feel a little bit guilty.”
He regarded her with raised eyebrows.
“I mean, this trip is her honeymoon.”
Clarence grasped her hands, and moved them to his shoulders, pulling her close again. “Think of it as payback for what she put me through this past month.”
Gloria shrugged, and smiled, as his lips descended on hers.
****
Michael’s legs had turned to lead. Although Mrs. Lester continued to stare at him, he couldn’t move. He couldn’t believe Heidi’s mother stood in front of him the day before her daughter’s wedding. And speaking of a disaster?
“Michael, can we go inside?”
“Ah, yes. Of course.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, I’m just, ah, surprised to see you.”
He unlocked the door as John approached from the opposite direction. Still troubled by Mrs. Lester’s announcement, he strode to the back of the store, and called over his shoulder, “John mind the store, I’ll be in the back.”
Micha
el held the curtain open for Mrs. Lester to pass. “Would you like some tea?”
She pulled her gloves off, and sat at the small table. “Yes, I would, actually. I came straight from the train station.”
His stomach clenched as he fixed the tea, his mind in a whirl. Mrs. Lester filled the time with inane chatter that bombarded his ears, but never made it to his brain.
She took a sip of the warming liquid, and closed her eyes in pleasure. After carefully setting the cup in its saucer, she folded her hands in her lap, and viewed him with narrowed eyes. “Why did you let Heidi leave Guthrie to marry that man?”
Michael’s eyebrows rose. “I thought Heidi’s marriage to Clarence is what you and Mr. Lester wanted?”
“Mr. Lester and I thought Clarence a decent man. A hard worker, who cared for our daughter, and would be a loving husband. We hoped they would enjoy a good life together, and Clarence would handle all of Harold’s businesses and provide well for Heidi.”
She took another sip of tea, and raised her head, a slight blush tingeing her cheeks. “We made the error of asking him not to, ah, not to…”
Michael nodded for her continue.
She took a deep breath. “We asked him to refrain from-well-bedding her. We were concerned what a pregnancy would do to her health.”
All the air left Michael’s lungs. Not bed her? His beautiful, vibrant, passionate, woman destined for a celibate marriage, on top of everything else wrong with Clarence?
“Whatever possessed you and Mr. Lester to do such a thing to her?”
She fumbled in her string purse for a handkerchief, and dabbed at her eyes. “You must understand. Heidi’s been sickly and frail all her life.” She raised the cup with shaking hands and took another sip. “Before Heidi was born, Mr. Lester and I had another daughter. Penelope.” She leaned back in her chair, and wiped her eyes again. “Also not a healthy girl.”
Michael covered her hand with his. “Go on.”
“She contracted a cold, and her weak lungs couldn’t fight it. She died within two days.” She regarded him. “Only two years old.”
After taking a deep breath, she continued. “When we had Heidi, and our baby had the same lung weakness, Harold and I panicked. Four years had passed after Penelope died before Heidi arrived. We assumed we would not be blessed with a large family, so we kept Heidi away from other children. In some ways, I guess you could say the poor girl became a prisoner in her own home.” She twisted the handkerchief in her hands. “We felt bearing a child would take her from us, because she wouldn’t survive it.” She glanced at him sideways. “A selfish plan, I know.”
“I can understand your fear.” Michael shook his head. “I can’t imagine burying a child. And then having another child with the same problem.”
“Thank you. You can’t imagine the guilt I’ve gone through over what we did to her.” She raised tear filled eyes to him. “And then she met you, and you found a way to help her. A way our doctor had never mentioned-or probably even knew about.” She fumbled with the cameo pin at her throat. “I wonder if she’ll ever forgive me.”
Mrs. Lester’s breath hitched as she attempted to pull herself together.