A Girl Like That Page 16

  She nodded and shouted, tears running down her ash-smeared cheeks. “Lucy Owens. God bless you, sir. You saved our lives.”

  “How old is your infant?”

  Her face crumpled and tears filled her eyes. “He was born less than an hour before you found me.”

  “Do you have family?” He leaned closer to hear her better.

  She shook her head. “My man died of the fever just three months ago. There’s no one but me. And him.” She nodded at the baby.

  “Are you lame or just weak?”

  She blushed and ducked her head. “I’ll be fit as a fiddle when I get my strength back.”

  Sam looked around, frustrated. He had to look for Katie. But he didn’t feel right leaving Lucy alone. Heat and ash from the mile-wide fire fell on them as it raged past, less than a block away. Dear Lord, please don’t let it spread closer to the shore.

  “Sam Nelson, is that you?” The cry was followed by arms flung around his neck. She pulled away, and his eyes rested on the exhausted face of Rosie Riley.

  ❧

  The child slept on the sand, one hand under her soot-coated cheek, oblivious to the terror and bedlam around her. Betty had fallen exhausted on the shore and lay motionless, covered by the damp blanket Bridget had thrown over her.

  Katie leaned against a trunk and shut her burning eyes. The roar of the fire filled her ears. She forced them open. Why did it seem louder with them closed?

  “Katie! Daughter!” She jumped up at the sound of her father’s voice. His wonderful face was glowing, a smile stretching across his face as he ran toward her, followed by several members of the troupe, almost unrecognizable from the soot and ash. When he reached her, she fell into his arms, leaning against his strong, safe chest.

  Now she could close her eyes. But immediately they flew open. “Pa, I’m so sorry. I got separated from Rosie. I don’t know where she is.” She hid her face in her hands.

  She felt his hand gently remove hers from her face.

  “Daughter, it’s not your fault. The city is a madhouse. We’ll trust God to keep Rosie safe.”

  “We’d just crossed the bridge when someone pushed this little girl into my arms. I looked around to see who it was, and when I looked back, Rosie was gone.” She wiped at the tears that rolled down her cheeks. “Should I have searched for her, Pa? I had to get the child to safety, didn’t I?”

  He pulled her head back to his chest and patted her. “Of course, Katie girl. You did the right thing. Don’t fret yourself now.”

  “Do you think Sam’s all right? What if he’s trying to find me? What if he got caught by the fire?” Panic clawed at her, like something wild attacking, draining her strength.

  “Katie, stop it. You’re imaginin’ all sorts of things that aren’t so. Sam can take care of himself. They’re both in God’s hands.”

  Katie swallowed and took a deep breath.

  Of course, they were in God’s hands. She had to stop falling apart like this. She stood straight. “I’m sorry. I’ll be all right now.”

  Emma Gallagher knelt beside the sleeping child. “You don’t know who she belongs to?”

  Katie shook her head.

  “Katie. Look.”

  At her father’s excited voice, she glanced his way. Sam was running down the sandy beach, his face and clothing gray with ash, just as hers were.

  Then she was in his arms, and he was holding her tightly.

  “I couldn’t find you. I searched everywhere and couldn’t find you. I was so afraid.” He held her at arm’s length and stared into her eyes then pulled her to him again.

  Her father cleared his throat, and Katie pulled away from Sam. She looked into his eyes and smiled.

  Sam turned to her father. “Sir, Rosie Riley is down the beach. She’s helping someone there. I told her if I found you, I’d let you know.”

  Katie watched joy brighten her father’s face. He started off running down the beach, heedless of the wall of fire that had stretched closer to the shore, consuming building after building.

  Tiny pieces of ash and debris floated on the wind. How close could the fire get to the lake? Would they be safe here?

  Emma reached down and picked up the sleeping child. She trudged off across the sand.

  Katie tugged at Bridget’s arm. “Come. We have to go with Pa.”

  Bridget lifted Betty, and she and Mrs. Thornton dragged themselves after the others.

  Sam took Katie’s hand, and they tripped and stumbled across the sand through a red glow as Chicago burned.

  Twenty-two

  Katie snuggled into the downy soft bed. She closed her eyes, and a satisfied sigh escaped from her throat. Wonderful.

  The hot, sudsy bath had relaxed her tight muscles, and drowsiness washed over her. Could Bridget and Mrs. Thornton and that poor young mother be in as much heaven as she was? The kind housemaid who’d drawn her bath had laid a soft nightgown on the bed and told her she’d be back to help her out of the tub. Katie had almost laughed but didn’t want to seem rude. She’d been taking her own baths since she was three and was quite capable of getting herself out of a bathtub.

  Someone tapped on the door, but she was too tired to call out. She heard it open.

  “Dear, do you mind if I come in?” The door closed.

  Katie started and jerked from her reverie. Wide awake now, she glanced across at the white-haired woman standing by the door, her gentle smile resting on Katie’s face. Katie drew in her breath sharply. She’d know those eyes anywhere. “Yes, of course.” Her voice shook a little, and she cleared her throat.

  Sam’s mother stepped across the carpeted floor. “I hope you found your bath and bed to your liking.” Her voice rippled like water over stones, gentle and singing.

  “Oh yes, ma’am. Everything is wonderful. Thank you so much.” She swallowed. “Please, would you like to sit down?”

  The lady stepped to the wingbacked chair beside the bed and seated herself, smiling brightly at Katie. “I’m Mrs. Nelson. Sam’s mother. And you are the lovely Miss O’Shannon.”

  Katie blushed. “Please call me Katie.”

  “Thank you. I believe I will.” Wrinkles formed between her eyes. “I know you’ve been through a dreadful ordeal. Sam thought you might be concerned about your friends, so I came to tell you they are being cared for.”

  Relief washed over Katie. “Thank you. It’s very kind of you to take strangers into your home.”

  “Nonsense. Any Christian soul would do the same.” She gave a little nod. “The servants brought Sam’s old cradle down from the attic, and our doctor has been here to care for the young mother. Lucy? I think that’s her name. He says she needs bed rest but otherwise seems fine. Your friend Bridget and her little sister are sharing a room. Their mother is across the hall from them. They’re all well but exhausted, with a few minor burns.”

  Katie felt the worry that had been nibbling at the back of her mind fade. “That’s wonderful. I was a little worried. And the little girl I carried from the Patch?”

  Mrs. Nelson lowered her eyes. “The doctor says she needs food and rest. She seems to have suffered neglect for quite some time.” She sighed and looked into Katie’s eyes again. “We’ve requested a nurse to care for her until she’s well again. In the meantime, my husband and Sam will attempt to locate the parents. Then we shall see.”

  “The poor child. How old do you think she is?”

  “The doctor says not more than two. Don’t you worry. She’ll be taken care of. And now you’d probably like to know your father has had his supper and is on the front porch with my husband, drinking lemonade. I think they might become fast friends.”

  “What about Rosie?” Katie had lost count of the times she’d thanked God for keeping her friend safe.

  “Miss Riley has accepted
the invitation of a member of the troupe whose home was out of the fire’s path.”

  “Sam?”

  A dimple appeared in Mrs. Nelson’s cheek as she smiled. “My son has cleaned up and eaten an enormous dinner. He plans to join the men on the front porch after a while, as his father requested. But only after I assured him I would guard you with my life.”

  Katie gasped and blushed.

  Laughing, Sam’s mother stood. “My dear, you’re just as precious as Sam told me you were. And now that I’ve made you blush, I’ll get out of your way. Nancy will be here shortly with your tray. And you may sleep as long as you like.” She stood and looked down at Katie, mist forming in her eyes. “It’s quite easy to see why my son has fallen in love with you, my dear. And I must say I couldn’t be more pleased.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Nelson,” Katie whispered, barely able to make any sound at all.

  Mrs. Nelson gave her one last smile. “Good night, my dear. Tomorrow, we shall get to know each other.” She walked softly to the door and left the room.

  Sam had spoken of her to his mother. Not only that, Mrs. Nelson said he loved her. A thrill washed over her, and a spontaneous giggle sprang from her throat. Then another thought crossed her mind, and she sobered. What would his father think of her?

  ❧

  “Everything was black. The buildings. The ground. Ash falling all around.” Sam’s voice cracked. How could anyone convey the reality in words? He sat in a chair by his father on the front porch and watched the rain almost with disbelief. If it had only come earlier.

  He gathered his thoughts and continued. “Father, you can’t imagine what it was like. In moments, buildings, trees, everything incinerated.”

  He paused, reliving the horror. “We could feel the heat by the lake and had to dodge flaming debris as we watched Michigan Avenue demolished block by block.”

  He stopped and took a deep breath. Pain tore at his singed throat. “I’m sorry. Our building was reduced to rubble along with the others.” Most of the factories along the river, including those belonging to Jeremiah Howard, had burned to the ground. No one had heard from him since the fire, not even his wife, so he was assumed dead.

  “A lifetime of work for us and so many of our friends—gone in an instant.” His father sighed loudly. “However, we have other things to attend to for now. We’ll talk about rebuilding in the days ahead.”

  “I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about my bringing my friends home with me.”

  “I’m not totally heartless, Sam.” He frowned. “Did you see any sign of the Flannigans?”

  “None. Katie said they left their home at the same time as she and the Thorntons. They got separated somewhere along the way. I can only hope they made it to safety.”

  “We’ll find them.”

  Sam relaxed. They’d find them.

  “I’m pleased that Miss O’Shannon is safe.”

  Sam darted a look at his father.

  “Harrumph.” His father cleared his throat loudly. “She’s welcome here. As your friend. As your bride.”

  A heavy weight lifted off Sam. Thank You, Lord.

  “I can’t tell you how happy you’ve made me, Father. I plan to speak with her father. With his blessing, I’ll ask her to marry me at the earliest opportunity.”

  “I suspected as much. Let me be the first to congratulate you.”

  Sam laughed. “She hasn’t accepted me yet.”

  Hooves pounded up Prairie Avenue. A horse and rider galloped up the driveway and stopped in front of Sam and his father. The horse’s wet sides heaved.

  “Mr. Nelson, I’ve a letter for you, sir.” He reached into a saddlebag and produced a long, thin envelope.

  “Thank you.” Sam took the letter and handed it to his father. “Can you give us any information about the damage?”

  “Reports are starting to come in. Just about everything on the southeast side of town is gone. Then a mile-wide path from the river all the way to the far north. Seventy-three streets, that’s what I’m hearing. Many of the bridges are gone. The business district is all but gone. Post office, Palmer House Hotel, just about everything.” He shook his head, and his eyes looked dazed. “Don’t know what’s gonna happen.”

  “We’ll rebuild, of course.”

  Admiration for his father rose up in Sam. He just hoped when he saw the devastation with his own eyes he’d remain optimistic. “Do you know how they finally stopped the fire?”

  “Some buildings had to be blown up. After that, there wasn’t anything left but a little prairie grass. The fire still tried to keep going. But when the rain started, it kind of burned itself out in the old graveyard.” He sat up straight in the saddle and stretched. “I have to go. More of these to deliver.”

  Sam watched his father rip open the envelope and scan the letter. “They’ve already started making plans to help the homeless. The mayor has called a meeting for in the morning to discuss the situation. Homeless are our priority. Of course, the city waterworks is gone. It’ll take awhile to get it operating again. Those of us with wells should consider ourselves very fortunate.”

  ❧

  Katie looked over her shoulder at Bridget as she pinned a sheet to the clothesline. “Would you bring me that basket? This one’s empty.”

  Three weeks after the fire, the Nelsons were now hosting over a dozen people, including the babies. Which made for a lot of meals, dirty dishes, and of course, dirty laundry. The servants couldn’t keep up with it all, so all the women except for Lucy, who was still weak after months of nearly starving while trying to keep her unborn child alive, insisted on helping.

  Sam had initially protested when he saw Katie bending over a washtub, but when his mother walked up and plunged her manicured hands into the rinse water, cheerfully singing at the top of her lungs, he threw his hands in the air and walked away.

  Katie finished hanging the sheets and went inside. Sarah Flannigan was coming out of the door with rugs slung over her arm. She smiled and ducked her head as she passed Katie.

  Fred, the coachman, had found the Flannigans three days after the fire, living in a tent among rows of others. Mr. Nelson insisted the man who’d cared for Sam the night of the attack wasn’t living in a tent and they must accept his hospitality until a proper house could be constructed for them.

  The gesture solidified Katie’s love for the man who raised Sam. It was easy to see the man she loved came by his kindness naturally.

  That evening, she headed for the kitchen to help with dinner when Sam walked in the front door. A lock of hair had fallen onto his forehead. His eyes lit up as they met hers. He smiled that smile that made her knees go weak. Her heart pounded. Why did it have to do that every time he was near? Hastily she reached up to rescue the curls that had slipped from the long braid that hung down her back.

  “How’s the building coming along?” A nice safe subject. She hoped her father wasn’t working too hard on the construction that had provided jobs for all who wanted to work. He wasn’t getting any younger and wasn’t used to that kind of work. But what was he to do? The troupe had disbanded until the theater could be rebuilt, and as he’d told her sternly, he wasn’t about to be anyone’s charity case.

  “I can’t believe how much has been accomplished in less than a month.” He smiled. “Maybe Chicago will thrive again.”

  Mrs. Nelson came into the hall. Her eyes sparkled as she glanced from Sam to Katie. “How would you two like to share a pot of tea with me on the porch?”

  Katie nodded as Sam threw a questioning glance her way. She went to get the tea then joined Sam and his mother on the porch. She set the tray on a small wrought iron table. Sam motioned her over to the swing where he sat. His mother rested on a wicker chair across from them.

  “Doesn’t the air feel lovely?” Excitement trilled in Mrs. Nels
on’s voice.

  “Yes, ma’am.” In spite of everything, the autumn air was now crisp and fresh. Katie smiled. “Sam told me how much you love autumn.”

  Mrs. Nelson nodded and smiled. “It’s my favorite time of the year. You know, I’ve been thinking we should have a party.”

  “A party? With the city in shambles?” Sam lifted an eyebrow. “Who would come?”

  “Don’t be foolish. Everyone will come. We’ll do a benefit auction with a ball to follow. It will do wonders for the citizens of this city.” Mrs. Nelson picked up her cup and stood. “Well, I think I’ll have my tea inside after all. It’s getting a little cold for me. You two stay.”

  Katie stared in astonishment as Sam’s mother went inside and closed the door, leaving them in the dark. Katie glanced at Sam.

  He gave her a tender smile and took her hand, rubbing his thumb across it.

  She shivered.

  “Sweetheart, don’t mind her. She’s always wanted a daughter.”

  Warmth washed over her. He’d called her “sweetheart.” And “daughter”? What was he saying? Did he mean. . .

  “Katie, I’d planned to do this differently, in a more romantic setting, but. . .”

  Her heart raced, and she looked into his warm brown eyes. Eyes filled with love for her.

  “I spoke to your father last night and received his blessing.” He swallowed, slid off the swing, and knelt down on one knee in front of her.

  “You must know how I feel about you. From the first moment you lifted those big blue eyes in the train station, I’ve been unable to think of anything but you. I love you, sweetheart. And it would give me the greatest joy if you’ll agree to be my wife.” He reached into his pocket and removed a small velvet box. The lid sprang open, and she gasped.

  “Katie, this ring belonged to my maternal grandmother. I hope with all my heart you’ll wear it. Will you marry me?”

  “Oh, Sam,” she whispered, “I love you, too. And to be your wife would be the most wonderful thing I can imagine. It will be an honor to wear your grandmother’s ring.”