A Careless Wind (Kansas Crossroads Book 7) Read online

  Some of the men were dressed much as he was, in homespun shirts and trousers. Others wore clothing that had clearly come with them from China—loose-fitting trousers, with satin shirts that looked like jackets. Most wore round hats with pointed tops woven from straw. Regardless of how they were dressed, they all worked consistently, communicating with each other in their own tongue. It was fascinating, a sound like Nicholas had never heard before. He wondered if it would be difficult to learn how to speak it.

  “Let’s work together to pull out this bush,” he said after several attempts at pulling it out by himself. This one seemed particularly stubborn—the roots must have extended fairly deep. He motioned a few of the men to come over and gestured what he needed them to do, and together, they were able to dislodge the huge root system.

  Nicholas noticed that his team worked slower than their American counterparts, but they seemed to need fewer breaks, making it all come out even in the end. He wished he could communicate with them—he had always dreamed of traveling and visiting new lands. He would enjoy hearing about China and the way the people there lived their lives.

  A pang shot through him as he remembered sharing this dream with Rachel. They had been sitting on the front porch of her parents’ home, looking up into the night sky and talking about how sailors navigate by the stars. He’d been reading a book on the topic, and they spent at least an hour discussing what it would be like to sail around the world and see the constellations from all the angles. Then her father had come out and chased him off. Nevertheless, he had never forgotten what it had felt like to share that dream with a beautiful girl.

  It would do him no good to dwell on that memory now. He had work to do. He and the crew took a water break, then jumped back into their task. A small part of him wanted to complete his assignment before the other crew finished theirs—if he could prove himself a good foreman, he might be given even more important jobs in the future. He also wanted his new Chinese friends to show what they could do and hopefully gain the respect of the other men in their camp. He didn’t know if that was possible, though—the prejudice ran pretty high. Strangely, this inequality seemed to bother him more than it did the Chinamen, who handled everything in stride. Maybe that’s how he should be—a lot more willing to let things go.

  Chapter Four

  Things at the Brody Hotel fell back into their usual routine after the funeral—well, as usual as they could, considering that they’d lost someone who had formed the backbone of the establishment. The new waitresses learned their roles quickly, and they each had such cheerful attitudes, Rachel enjoyed working alongside them.

  The whole town was stunned when two trains collided just west of Topeka and several were killed. Mr. Dupree had been conducting that trip, and Miss Hampton had been beside herself until she found out he was all right. Thankfully, he was only mildly injured, and no one was too surprised when Miss Hampton announced that they were getting married shortly afterwards. Rachel didn’t know how the Brody could continue to be the Brody without Miss Hampton, but when it was announced that Elizabeth would be taking her place as manager, it all seemed to fit.

  The morning after Miss Hampton’s wedding, Elizabeth called them together and asked them to be seated in the dining room.

  “We’ve had a lot of upheaval in the last few weeks,” she said, standing in front of them with her hands clasped across her stomach. “So many changes have taken place that it’s difficult to list them. The passing of my mother has been hard for all of us, but we’re so happy for Miss Hampton as she starts her new life. Now the best thing for us is to move forward as best as we can.

  “I would like you all to continue to call me Elizabeth rather than Mrs. Brody. I am your employer’s wife and your new manager, but I began here as a waitress and your friend, and I don’t want that to change.”

  Elizabeth looked around at the small gathering. Rachel thought she seemed a little nervous, but couldn’t imagine why. She would be an excellent manager.

  “I’d like to become more organized in how we handle things around here. You are each so skilled, and I would enjoy seeing you grow within those areas. Of course, you are to continue serving meals twice a day, but you’ll also be receiving a new assignment. I’m making each of you an assistant manager.”

  All the girls seemed stunned. Assistant mangers? Rachel blinked a few times. That was certainly better than just being a waitress, and much more than she had ever dreamed of becoming.

  “Rachel, you are the new assistant manager over the dining room. You are to see to it that it’s kept clean and tidy at all times, dusted and swept, and that each girl knows her table assignment. If a waitress is ill, they will report to you, and you will rearrange the serving chart. You’ll also gather the meal tickets from the waitresses and turn them in to Mr. Brody. Do you accept?”

  “I do,” Rachel said, her heart swelling at the thought of it. “And thank you for trusting me with the responsibility.”

  “You’ll do a wonderful job—I have no doubt.” Elizabeth smiled at her warmly. “Sarah, you are the new assistant manager over the kitchen. All the menus are now up to you. You will keep an inventory of the foods on hand and prepare lists of what we need to buy. You have full discretion over trying new recipes and determining which items sell and which don’t.”

  Sarah’s eyes brimmed with tears. “Do you mean that, Elizabeth? I can run it like my own restaurant?”

  “You can indeed.”

  Sarah wiped her cheeks. “I actually want to own my own place someday. This will help me prepare for that.”

  Elizabeth nodded. “I’ve heard you mention that dream, so I figured this would be something you’d enjoy.”

  “Oh, very much. Thank you. I’ve already got so many ideas.”

  Elizabeth chuckled. “Don’t get too far ahead of yourself, but I have every confidence in you.” She turned to the next girl. “Margaret, you are the new assistant manager over housekeeping. Your task will be to know which rooms have been occupied and to see to it that they are made up fresh.”

  Margaret nodded. “I’d like that. Thank you.”

  Elizabeth seemed more relaxed now as she continued on. Maybe she’d been worried that the girls would resist her new plan, but Rachel didn’t think she’d had any cause to worry. This was a tremendous opportunity. “Emma, you’re one of our newest additions, so I don’t know your strengths as well as I do the others. However, I noticed that you have a deft hand with the laundry. Would you take over the laundry and ironing? You would keep track of the work that needs to be done, assign it out accordingly, and make sure we always have clean, fresh linens available.”

  “I’d be glad to. Thank you, Elizabeth.”

  Elizabeth nodded. “Giselle, you are even newer than Emma, and I trust we’ll come to know each other quite well soon. I did notice yesterday that you were out tending the struggling flower bed we have on the east side of the building. Tom has been doing the best he can with it, but we keep him so busy with all his other tasks that I fear it will never flourish. I would like you to plan out a flower bed and a vegetable garden. The men will dig them up, and we can all help plant and weed. Speak with Sarah about the vegetables she’s most likely to use in the kitchen, and that’s what we’ll plant.”

  “Oh, I’d love that,” Giselle replied. “I took care of the garden back home.”

  “I’m so relieved that my instincts are correct.” Elizabeth looked around at them and then paused, her gaze falling on Harriet. “And now for you, my dear friend. I’ve known you longer than anyone else here. I’ve thought long and hard about what assignment to give you, and it’s perhaps the most important one of all.”

  “Gracious,” Harriet replied, glancing around with a chuckle. “You’re making this sound so serious.”

  “I’m not trying to sound serious. I’m just sad at the end of an era.” Elizabeth looked down and then back up, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “Your condition will soon be advanced to where you can no lon
ger serve in the dining room, and we’ll need to replace you. But I’m giving you charge over the most precious thing I have. Would you take over the role of watching Rose in my mother’s stead? Nothing would make me happier than for my baby and yours to grow up alongside each other and be good friends, as we are.”

  Harriet stood and threw her arms around Elizabeth. “Of course I will.”

  Elizabeth returned the hug, closing her eyes a moment, then faced the room again. “I hope each of you are pleased with your new assignments. I would like to meet together each morning a half hour earlier than we do now so we can discuss the day’s needs and determine who shall do what. If you have a difficulty in your individual department, bring that to me, and we’ll solve it together. I appreciate all of you so much, and I thank you for accepting these new roles. Miss Hampton handled them all so well, but I’m not Miss Hampton, and I’ll need your help to fill her shoes. Now, let’s get ready for that train.”

  As the girls lined up in the lobby to greet the hungry passengers, Rachel couldn’t help but feel a swelling of gratitude. Yes, dividing out the responsibilities in this way did make things easier for Elizabeth, but more than that, it would give each girl needed experience. If Rachel had to find another job, she would be able to tell her new employer that she had worked as an assistant manager, and he would be more likely to trust her with greater responsibility. This was an important thing Elizabeth had done, a way for the girls to place their feet more firmly on the ground and establish themselves as people of value and purpose. Rachel didn’t think she’d ever felt like a person of value before, and she liked it. She liked it a lot.

  Chapter Five

  The train passengers filed in, and the girls began to take their orders. Rachel had just returned to the dining room with a tray of pie when she saw Nicholas walk in. Her hands trembled as she served up the plates, and then she moved to his table.

  “Hello, Nicholas. What can I get you today?”

  He looked up at her with a grin. “You’re not going to run away from me this time?”

  She pressed her lips into a tight smile. She was trying to move past that—she’d hoped he would too. “I was just startled before. What would you like to eat?”

  “Why don’t you choose for me? I’m sure it’s all delicious.”

  “Very well.” Rachel took a deep breath as she walked into the kitchen and ordered some chicken and dumplings. She would not let him rattle her.

  When she slid the plate in front of him, he sniffed appreciatively and then said, “I’d like to talk with you for a minute, if I might.”

  “Whatever for?” Couldn’t he let the past stay in the past?

  “Please. It’s something we need to do.”

  She took a deep breath. “I don’t personally feel that need, but yes, I’ll meet with you. I’m in charge of the dining room, so it will need to wait until after we’ve cleaned up from the meal service. Is that all right?” She hoped the brisk tone in her voice would send him the message that he should just leave, but he smiled.

  “That’s fine. I’m not due back for a bit.”

  “All right. Enjoy your meal.”

  Rachel brought dessert around and saw to everyone’s needs, then supervised the resetting of the dining room once the crowd had left. She swept, being particularly certain to get all the corners, and then she dusted the tops of the few pictures that hung in the room. Truth be told, she was doing everything she could to put off this conversation, but at last, she ran out of busy work and had to face the inevitable. She took off her apron, tossed it into the laundry basket, and went to find Nicholas. If only her heart would stop pounding so hard.

  Finding him wasn’t difficult at all. He was sitting on one of the chairs on the front porch, watching the townspeople as they passed to and fro. He stood up when she came out, nodding as she closed the door behind her.

  “Thank you for meeting me,” he said, holding his hat in his hands. “I didn’t think you would.”

  “I didn’t think I would either.” She sat down in the chair next to his after scooting it away a few feet. “Did you say hello to Giselle?”

  “I did. She says she’s very happy here.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. She deserves to be happy.” Rachel then fell silent, waiting for him to say whatever it was he’d come here to say. She certainly wasn’t going to make it easier for him by asking him about it.

  Nicholas leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees, his hat dangling from his fingers. “Things at the railroad have gotten off to a good start. Thanks to Mr. Brody’s recommendation, they accepted me immediately and put me to work helping to oversee one of the ground-clearing crews.”

  “That’s good,” Rachel replied. If he expected more of a response, he wasn’t getting one.

  “I’m back today because some of the men were coming in for supplies, and I asked if I could ride along. I couldn’t leave things the way they were, Rachel. You were obviously upset to see me.”

  “I wasn’t upset to see you. For a moment, I thought you were Daniel.” A partial truth, a partial lie . . . but he didn’t need to know that.

  “I’m sorry. I wish I’d had any idea you were here so I could have warned you somehow. This whole thing must have been a nightmare for you. How are you? Are you all right?” His sincerity was obvious in his voice, making it difficult for her to maintain her distance. But she had to.

  “I’ve been fine. The Brody took me in, and I’ve made good friends here. It’s been an ideal place for me to start fresh.”

  “And your parents?”

  Rachel looked away. “Must we talk about them?”

  “I went to your house and spoke to them after Daniel’s accident. They didn’t know where you were.”

  “I wrote them. They know I’m fine.”

  “But is that enough?” Nicholas sounded exasperated. “When are you going to heal this rift with them?”

  “When they choose to heal it with me!” She turned back and fixed him with her gaze. “They are the ones who disowned me—not the other way around. I did nothing to earn it, Nicholas—you know that. You know me. But the other voice, the other witness, is dead, and nothing I can say or do will clear my name. It’s useless.” She lifted her shoulders and then let them fall. “But I’ve found a home here. I don’t need my parents’ approval to make me happy.”

  “I’m sorry about all that. I really am. I wish there was something I could do.” His eyes were warm, and she turned away from them again.

  “Sadly, there’s not. But you can be glad for me and wish me well.”

  “I do. Believe me, there’s nothing I want more than your happiness.”

  His tone of voice had become serious, and she didn’t want to discuss serious things with him. “Thank you,” she said lightly. “And I wish you every success at the railroad. It sounds like you’re being given tremendous opportunities, and I’m glad for you.”

  “So I’m glad, you’re glad, and we’ll continue on with this conversation as though it’s not the most awkward experience we’ve ever had?”

  “That sounds about right.” She flashed him a smile that she managed to paint on her face. “I do need to get back, though. I promised Sarah I’d help make up some fresh pies.”

  “Wait.” He arrested her before she stood. “There’s one more thing.”

  “Oh?” She’d hoped this miserable chat was almost over. She’d never been so eager to go make pies in all her life.

  “Have you . . . do you ever wonder . . . what might have happened if you’d chosen me instead of Daniel?”

  The question. The ever-looming question that sometimes woke her up at night. “If I hadn’t chosen Daniel, if he hadn’t gone away to earn money so we could get married, he might still be alive,” she said, coming to her feet. “That’s the only regret I carry.” With this lie burning hot on her lips, she went back into the hotel and closed the door, leaning against it while she tried to compose herself. Why did he have to ask?

 
Chapter Six

  After the second meal service for the day had been cleaned up and all was quiet in the hotel, Rachel decided to go for a walk. She hadn’t gone far when she heard footsteps behind her and her name being called. She turned to see Margaret hurrying to catch up.

  “May I come with you?” Margaret asked, slightly out of breath as she reached Rachel’s side.

  “Of course. I’m not going anywhere in particular, if that’s all right.”

  “I love wandering aimlessly.”

  They stayed on Main Street, glancing in the shop windows as they passed.

  “I have a confession,” Margaret said after a few more minutes had gone by. “I was walking through the lobby and overheard a little bit of your conversation with Giselle’s brother.”

  Oh, no. Rachel’s stomach clenched. Just what had Margaret heard? And what did she now think?

  “I wondered if you needed a shoulder to cry on. I have two very good ones right here,” Margaret continued.

  Rachel pressed her fingers to her lips as she thought about that. Secrets grew in private, and some festered and became too heavy to carry. “I think my tears are all dried up, but I could use a listening ear,” she said at last.

  “Through some sort of astonishing coincidence, I have two of those as well,” Margaret said with a smile.

  Rachel didn’t say anything for another minute or two, and then she began. “I grew up in a small town in Illinois not too far from the Hardys. Daniel and I started courting a few years back, and then . . . well, something happened.”

  Margaret’s eyebrows lifted, but she didn’t speak.

  “He went away for the summer to work on his uncle’s farm. He didn’t want to go, but he’d be paid good wages, and the family needed the money. While he was gone, circumstances threw me in with Nicholas, and we … well, we developed feelings for each other. It wasn’t right, not by any means, but it happened. When Daniel came back, I had to make a choice. I told him about Nicholas and he said he understood, and then he proposed. I accepted, Nicholas faded into the background, and I thought my troubles were over. Daniel left to work on the railroad to earn some money, saying he’d send for me as soon as he was settled.