Of course, with not being able to find them jobs, that might be the solution. She’d have to think on it and speak with Morrison. He had more life experience and might be able to advise her on a safe way to find men for her ladies.
Safe was the key word. She hadn’t heard from Helga, even though Lilah’s father and step-mother promised to forward a letter when it arrived. It had been a year now with no word, and Lilah’s limited patience had run out.
During the last eight months, Charity had stayed in Idyll Wood to learn from both her uncle and Lilah. Lilah taught her to bake as well as to behave like a lady. With the time they spent together, Charity and she had many long talks about the Lord. It encouraged Lilah as much as she knew it did Charity.
Whenever possible, her uncle would come back to Idyll Wood. He worked on Charity’s defensive skills as well as how to be more crafty as a detective. The two would leave soon to head to Minnesota and investigate Helga’s situation.
After all, what good was having money if Lilah couldn’t spend it to be sure her friend was safe. Hiring the uncle and niece was a way to send someone she trusted to Helga’s rescue if there was a problem.
Dear Lord, let it be a problem and not that Helga had passed away.
Smiling sadly at Marta’s remark about marriage, Lilah only shook her head and waved good bye. She would think more about matchmaking. Maybe Morrison could find out if more brides were needed in Minnesota where Helga went.
The women’s shelter was close to Lilah’s own home so she was back in her warm kitchen in two shakes of a dog’s tail. There, she settled beside the stove into her rocker. Contentment washed over her, and she picked up the bible from the small table nearby.
With her own baby on the way, she’d been reading through Isaiah. The promise of a special baby in that book had drawn her to it. Today, she read a verse in chapter forty that stopped her.
They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. She hadn’t exactly waited for the Lord to allow Fred to notice her. But, while in Chicago, she’d prayed and even asked God to take away her love for Fred. Instead, that love only grew stronger. She’d felt led to return and act on the advice from the Lovelorn.
Closing and setting her bible aside, Lilah allowed her heavy lids to slide shut. Like so many other days, she needed a nap.
The gentle touch on her cheek woke her. She opened her eyes and saw her husband’s concerned gaze.
“Are you ill, love?”
With the fog of sleep clouding her brain, she blurted out the question that nagged at her. “Am I really your love?”
Fred straightened from squatting beside the chair and studied her. “Have I done something wrong?”
She struggled to control the tears that wanted to escape and moved her head from side to side. Speaking would only allow the moisture to flow.
With tender hands under her elbows, her husband helped her out of the rocker. He wrapped her in his arms and stooped down to bring her head to his chest.
His eyes twinkled. “If you’d only eaten your vegetables, lady, you would have grown tall. Then, I wouldn’t have to bend down to kiss you.”
It was a familiar joke. Lilah knew he wasn’t criticizing her. Even so, his words loosened the torrent of tears she’d tried to stop. Wailing, she snuggled into his chest and soaked Fred’s shirt.
He pulled her away to look into her face. “What’s brought this on? You know German men aren’t good with crying women.”
Again, he was trying to get her to laugh. She only wailed louder and struggled to choke out her words.
“I—I—I was reading—” The sobs interrupted her words. Breathing in through her nose and out of her mouth, she worked to stop the tears with the same technique she used to stem her panic. One she hadn’t had to use much since marrying. With Ledbetter’s conviction and Fred’s presence with her at night, she’d rested easier.
The technique worked and soon she only gave the occasional hiccup. Fred cradled her close again, and rested his chin on her head.
“Such a nice chin rest. Glad you came my way so I have a soft head to put it on.”
Lilah pushed against him and pulled away. “What a horrid thing to say. That’s not funny.”
Looking perplexed, Fred held his hands up plaintively. “Tell me what’s set you off. I want to know what I’ve done.”
Trying again to explain it, Lilah began telling him about her bible reading. “And I came to the verse that says if we wait on the Lord then he’ll give us strength. But I am so tired of waiting for you to love me.”
A little sob escaped her. At his blank look, that sob escalated into a wail. Really, she’d never cried like this, not even after being rescued from the brothel. It must be the baby.
His arms pulled her stiff body against him. “Seems to me you waited long enough while you helped me see the right of us marrying. It didn’t take me long to know I love you.”
Her tears suddenly stopped, and she frowned fiercely, again pulling out of his arms. “You love me. Well, why didn’t you tell me?” Her voice rose as she said those words, and Fred’s eyebrows lifted at that. She knew that she surprised him since she never yelled.
“Didn’t you think that I’d want to know how you felt? After all, the town all but strong armed you into marrying me.”
He shook his head, confusion knitting his brows. “Haven’t I been
