A Place of Refuge

As conversation flowed around them, he leaned toward Kathleen and asked, “Are you sure you’re ready to go back to work tomorrow? Did the doctor give his okay?”

“He did. I’m sure I’ll be fine. And I must get back to work. Mrs. Driscoll was good to give me a week off, but I can’t ask for more time.”

“Are you worried that your brother-in-law might show up there?”

She gave a little shake to her head. “Not really, but the thought has crossed my mind from time to time.”

It’d crossed Luke’s and Michael’s, too. “Well, just to be on the safe side, I’m going to accompany you to work and back, at least for a while.”

“I can’t be taking that much of your time, Mr. Patterson. You have your own work to do.”

“You aren’t taking it. I’m giving it. And don’t you think it’s time we call each other by our first names? Everyone else here does.”

She looked around the table and nodded. “Yes, they do. I suppose we should...Luke.”

Luke liked the way she said his name in her Irish accent. “And I agree, Kathleen.” He also liked the way it felt to say her name out loud. He watched soft color flood her cheeks and wanted to say more, but before he could, Violet captured Kathleen’s attention from across the table.

“What is it you actually do in Mrs. Driscoll’s department at Tiffany Glass Company?” she asked. Her question got the attention of all the diners at the table.

“I help cut the glass at times and I work on foiling the pieces with sheets of copper.”

“Oh, how interesting,” Violet said. “And how do you go about that? Foiling the pieces of glass?”

“Bee’s wax is applied to foil sheets, which are then cut into strips. Then the strips are wrapped around the pieces. Once we tamp down the edges and reassemble them, our work is done. Then the copper is soldered to the adjacent pieces of glass.”

“It sounds as though it’s very tedious work,” Ben said.

Kathleen nodded. “Sometimes it is. And it’s tiring. But seeing the finished product makes it worthwhile.”

“Would you change workplaces if you found something else that might be easier on you?” Mrs. Heaton asked.

“If it were something I felt qualified for, possibly. Mrs. Driscoll hasn’t said anything to any of us, but I’ve heard through some of the girls that she might be thinking of remarrying one day and they won’t allow a married woman to work there.”

“Not even the supervisor?” Julia asked.

“I don’t think so,” Kathleen said.

“So, if you got married, you wouldn’t be able to work there?”

“Oh, no. That’s why there’s a lot of turnover in the department. Someone is always in training because it seems one of the girls is always getting married. But if Mrs. Driscoll does get married, I’m not sure I’d want to stay.” She looked at Mrs. Heaton. “Has she said anything to you about leaving?”

“Not really. But Clara is very quiet about her private life. I know she cares a great deal about her ‘Tiffany Girls,’ though.”

“She does, that. I’ll be sad to see her go if she does.”

“But you’re bound to marry one day,” Violet Heaton said. “You’d be leaving then, too.”

For some reason the conversation had Luke wondering if there were some young man in Kathleen’s life and he wanted to ask, but thought it’d be impertinent to do so...at least in front of so many people.

“And is there a young man in your life that we should have notified, Kathleen?” Julia asked as if she read his mind.

Her timing couldn’t have been better and Luke was thankful for it as he listened for Kathleen’s reply.

“No. I’ve had no time for young men,” Kathleen said.

Luke told himself that it shouldn’t matter to him whether Kathleen had a beau or not. He barely knew her. But somehow...it did matter. He let out a pent-up breath he didn’t even realize he’d been holding.

* * *

After breakfast the next morning, Luke was ready and waiting to accompany Kathleen to work. He helped her on with the coat Elizabeth had given her.

“Luke, you really don’t have to go with me. I ride part of the way with Elizabeth. I’ll be fine.”

“But you don’t ride all the way with her. Besides, it does me good to get out first thing of a morning. I’ll walk part of the way home and think about the next chapter I’m writing.”

There was nothing to do but accept his offer as he walked to the trolley stop with her and Elizabeth. The two women sat together and he stood, holding on to the rope hanging from the ceiling. When Elizabeth got off at her stop, he took her seat.

He smiled down at Kathleen. “Did you get a chance to get to know Violet yesterday?”

Michael and his wife had stayed awhile until supper Sunday night and she and Mrs. Heaton had invited Kathleen to join them for tea in the back parlor that afternoon. Violet was easy to talk to and they’d discussed all manner of things. Kathleen liked her. “I did. She’s very sweet and remembered Colleen and me from that day in the park. I think she was quite taken with my nephews Collin and Brody.”

“Everyone who was there that day was concerned about you all.”

“I’m thankful that Mrs. Heaton gave me her card for so many reasons. But one is that as much as it pains me to know everyone saw what kind of man my sister married, it is a relief not to have to explain it all to everyone. Besides, there is still so much I don’t remember.”

“Kathleen, his actions are no reflection on you. You could have been killed trying to protect your sister and—”

“But I wasn’t, thanks to you, Luke.”

“Anyone would have done the same thing.”

“No. Not anyone. I—”

The driver called out her stop just then and Luke moved into the aisle to let her out, and then followed her out of the trolley. He walked the block to Tiffany Glass Company with her.

“What time do you get off work?”

“At five-thirty.”

Luke nodded. “I’ll be here.”

Kathleen felt certain it would do no good to tell him not to come, so she thanked him instead.

Several of her coworkers came up just then and she joined them to go inside. She turned back to see Luke standing by the curb. Evidently he was waiting until she got inside. She gave him a little wave and hurried through the door.

“Who is that, Kathleen? Do you have a beau?” a girl named Cindy said.

Kathleen’s heart did a funny little twist at the very thought. “No. He’s...just a good friend.”