A Daughter's Return Read online

  He hoped she did. For some reason, the upcoming changes in boarders left him feeling odd, longing for something more and he wasn’t even sure what that was.

  Ben looked at Jenny, who was staring at him. He smiled and she grinned at him—right before she ducked her head, touching his heart. He looked up and found her mother’s gaze on him. Something stirred inside as their eyes met.

  “I’ve been thinking,” Mrs. Heaton said from the head of the table. “Before I put in an advertisement for new boarders, I want to tell you all what I’d like to do and hear what you think about it.”

  “What is it, Mrs. Heaton?” Matt asked from the other end of the table.

  “Well, even gaining Rebecca and Jenny, this place has begun to feel a little empty with our married couples moved out.”

  “That’s for sure,” Julia Olsen said. “I’m certainly glad Rebecca and Jenny moved in. We barely have enough to play a good game of charades as it is.”

  “I’m more than thrilled my girls are here,” Mrs. Heaton said. “And I’d like us to have a full table again, but I want to do a little remodeling first. I’d like to change things up a bit on the third floor.” She lowered her voice. “I want to give Gretchen and Maida a small sitting room between their rooms and then redo several more rooms for more possible boarders, making sure I keep at least two for emergency arrivals. It’s going to be a bit of an inconvenience for a few weeks, but the work will be done while you’re all out for the day and—”

  “Mrs. Heaton, this is your home. Whatever you want to do is fine with me,” Julia said. “If you need me to move into another room, I’ll be glad to. I’m just happy to be here and glad there’ll be more boarders coming in.”

  “So am I,” Millicent said. “I’ll be happy with anything you choose to do.”

  Everyone chimed in, telling her she had their support, including Ben. “Will you be changing the downstairs, as well?” he asked.

  “Not right away. You men are fairly safe for the time being.”

  “I feared you might decide to close Heaton House to boarders now that—” Millicent clapped a hand over her mouth.

  “Rebecca and Jenny are here?” Mrs. Heaton asked. “I did think about it, but I had good reasons for opening Heaton House and those reasons still remain and, in fact, are stronger in knowing my Rebecca could have used a place like this.”

  “Oh, I’m glad you’ve made that decision,” Julia said.

  So was Ben. The last thing he’d want would be for Heaton House to close. This was home to him and the others.

  “I’m thinking of taking some business courses,” Rebecca said. “Jenny and I love being here, and I want to help Mama out some, to give her more time to spend with her grandchildren,” Rebecca said. “I’d like to be able to learn the skills I’ll need to do that, and to make a decent living should I ever need to, without counting on my family to provide for us.” She turned to Ben. “Mama says you teach business, Ben, but I’m not sure I want to go to school full-time and leave Jenny that long. When does the next session begin?”

  “I do teach business classes. The new term at college is under way, but I also teach two nights a week at the YWCA. I mostly teach young women who are struggling to get out of the tenements and need to make a living. Some want to add to the family income, and others have to provide for their children.”

  “Two nights a week? That wouldn’t be too bad. That way I wouldn’t have to be away from Jenny too much while we’re getting adjusted to the changes in our life.”

  “I think you’d be quite an asset to the class—and you’d be able to meet your goals, too. You’d only be gone a couple of hours this way.”

  “I’ll be glad to get Jenny ready for bed while you take some classes, Rebecca,” Mrs. Heaton said.

  “Thank you, Mama. I know you will. When could I start, Ben?”

  “Well, classes are under way at the Y, too, but I can get you caught up with the others pretty quickly, if you’re willing to study here for a week or so. Then you’d be able to start as soon as you feel ready to,” Ben offered.

  “You would do that after working all day?” Rebecca sounded as if she couldn’t believe his offer.

  “Of course I would.”

  “I’d really appreciate it, Ben.” Rebecca looked relieved. “I’d like to begin as soon as possible.”

  He smiled at her. “I’ve got some books you’ll need downstairs. I’ll get them after you put Jenny to bed and give you your first assignment. Let’s meet in the small parlor.”

  Rebecca rewarded him with the biggest smile he’d ever seen from her. “Thank you.”

  “Yes, Ben. Thank you very much.” Mrs. Heaton’s look of gratitude would have warmed Ben’s heart even if Rebecca hadn’t looked so happy, but the expression in the young woman’s eyes touched him to his core. And yet he was the one who should be grateful. They were giving him an opportunity to do what he felt called to do—help a young woman with no man to support her provide for herself and her child.

  Rebecca was with her family again and she wouldn’t have to worry about taking care of Jenny. But it was obvious she had an independent streak and wanted to be able to provide a good life for herself and her daughter, no matter what happened, which was understandable after struggling on her own for so long. And he wanted to do all he could to help her reach that goal.

  Chapter Two

  After the excitement of the afternoon, it only took a few minutes for Jenny to go to sleep. And, once asleep, her daughter usually didn’t stir until Rebecca woke her the next morning. Even so, she was sure her mother would slip upstairs and check on Jenny in her absence.

  She smiled as she freshened up before meeting Ben. Her mother seemed overjoyed to have them finally at Heaton House and Rebecca felt the same way. She wished she could make up for the lost years. But she couldn’t, and she’d do her best to never put her family through the kind of pain they’d endured during those years thinking they might never find her.

  She splashed water on eyes that suddenly filled with tears. Her family had forgiven her; even more important, the Lord had forgiven her. One day, she hoped and prayed she’d be able to forgive herself for what she’d put them through.

  Rebecca dried her face and let out a deep breath. Until then she would go forward, thanking the Lord for seeing to it that she and her family were reunited and for all the blessings in her life.

  She quickly neatened her hair, smoothing back an errant strand, then went to kiss Jenny’s sweet brow before heading downstairs to the back parlor— excitement warring with nervousness. She reached her mother’s study and peeked in.

  Her mother glanced up from her desk and smiled. “Jenny asleep?”

  “She is.”

  “I’ll check on her in a bit.”

  “I know you will.” Rebecca smiled at her mother and crossed the room to kiss her cheek. “I’ve caught you coming in to check on the two of us.”

  Her mother nodded. “I still can’t believe you’re both here. I love you, Becca.”

  “I love you, too, Mama. I’m sor—”

  Her mother lifted her hand and sliced the air in a way that told Rebecca no more needed to be said. “Becca, the past is just that and we’re going forward now, remember? I’m so glad you want to take business courses. I understand you want to know you can make your own way and if you ever feel you must, I want you to be able to find a position that will make doing so easier on you. And until then, I’ll enjoy your help with Heaton House. I’m sure Ben is a great teacher. I’ve heard wonderful things about him.”

  “I’m relieved he’s willing to help me until I can enroll for the next term. He’s going out of his way to make this easier for me.”

  “As long as I’ve known Ben, he has always reached out to help anyone in need. He’s a good man.”

  Rebecca
nodded. Although she couldn’t imagine putting her complete trust in another man ever again, she did realize there were a few good ones out there. “Guess I’d better go see if he’s waiting for me. I don’t want to take up any more of his time than I need to.”

  She hurried out the door and down to the back parlor, but Ben wasn’t there yet. Rebecca let out an uneven breath, unsure of why she felt so jittery. She’d always done well at school and loved learning. She shouldn’t be nervous about this.

  She took a seat at the round table in the middle of the room and looked around. The parlor was decorated in blues and greens and Rebecca loved it. The colors always seemed to comfort her and she and Jenny had already spent a lot of time there. During the day, the boarders were at work and the small parlor wasn’t used much at all. Her mother had set up an area to keep some of Jenny’s toys where she could get to them and Jenny loved playing there.

  It would take a while to get used to living in such a large home after their apartment in the tenements, and in the meantime this parlor would work wonderfully for the two of them, as Rebecca would be able to study while Jenny played.

  “I’m sorry I’m late,” Ben said from the doorway. “I had to do some hunting to find what I wanted to bring. I hope you haven’t been waiting too long.”

  “No. Just a few minutes.” She smiled at him.

  Ben brought a stack of books and dropped them on the table before taking a seat adjacent to her. “I suppose we need to determine what classes you might be interested in.”

  “Anything that will let me take some of the work off my mother. Michael has been keeping the books for her, but now that he’s starting his own family, Mama doesn’t want to burden him with the day-to-day business.”

  “I understand,” Ben said. “So, let’s start with what you already know and are accomplished at. Did you take math in school?”

  “Actually, I did very well in it. I graduated at the top of my class.” For some reason, she didn’t want Ben to think she’d never finished her schooling. At least she had managed to graduate. But with a child to raise alone, her degree hadn’t helped much in finding the kind of work she needed.

  “That’s a plus. I suppose you might like a course in accounting?”

  “That would be wonderful.”

  “What about typing? Do you want to—”

  “Oh, yes! Mama said she wants to buy a typewriter like the one at the Ladies’ Aide Society, to keep up with the times, and I’d love to learn to type.”

  Ben nodded. “I think you should. It’s a great skill to acquire. Many large companies hire typing pools now and I believe the future for typists will only get brighter.” He chuckled. “Maybe Mrs. Heaton would like to learn to type, too?”

  Rebecca laughed. “She might, but I think mostly she wants me to learn.”

  “We’ll make sure you do, then. I’ll speak to her about typewriters. The new Underwood is a wonderful machine. So right now, we’ll get you started on basic accounting—some of which you may be familiar with from high school, and then we’ll move on to advanced accounting—more in keeping with running a boardinghouse or any business.”

  “That sounds wonderful.”

  “Once we get you a typewriter, I’ll give you practice lessons you can do here.” He handed her a small manual. “In the meantime, look this over. There are illustrations showing the keys on the keyboard so you can become familiar with them—they will be the same no matter what typewriter your mother buys.”

  “Thank you, Ben. I’m excited to get started.”

  “I can tell, and I’m glad you are. It’s always easier to teach someone who wants to learn.” He pulled out a book and tablet from his stack. “The first few chapters of this math book might be familiar to you. There are problems at the end of each chapter you can work and I’ll check them tomorrow.”

  Rebecca flipped through the first few pages and nodded. “I should be able to manage, although it’s been a while since I had to study.”

  Ben sat back in his chair and smiled. “You’ll get caught up with the class in no time, I’m sure. And you’ll be learning other things from your mother about how she runs Heaton House, too. That should definitely be counted as a business course, for it’s directly connected to what you’ll be doing here. Hands-on experience is the very best kind.”

  “Mama said she’ll start me off with the meal planning and shopping, so I know what we should be spending and can tell if we’ve been charged too much. And I need to learn how to order enough food for everyone, but not be wasteful with it.”

  Ben chuckled. “She does do a wonderful job of keeping us from going hungry. Your mother is a very special woman and there isn’t anyone here who would want to live in any other boardinghouse.”

  “She loves you all, you know.” And she did. Her mother’s boarders were some of the nicest people Rebecca had ever met and suddenly she realized how grateful she should be to each one of them. For, while her mother and brother had constantly searched for her, having these people in their lives must have made the wait a bit easier. Once more she fought back the guilt for what she’d put her loved ones through.

  “We’re thankful for her. And we’re all very glad you and Jenny are here with her now.”

  The compassion in Ben’s eyes made Rebecca wonder again how much he knew about what had happened. But she wasn’t going to ask. She gathered the books Ben had given her. “I’ve taken up enough of your time this evening. I—thank you again, Ben. For this and especially for coming to Jenny’s rescue today.”

  “I’m glad to do it, Rebecca. Anytime. I’ll have a better lesson plan for you tomorrow evening.”

  “All right. I’d best go check in on Jenny. Good night, Ben.”

  “Good night, Rebecca.”

  Something in the way Ben looked at her made Rebecca a little breathless and sent her hurrying out of the room, down the hall and up the stairs before she could give any thought to why.

  * * *

  The next afternoon, Ben tidied up his desk after the last class and was on his way out when one of his students knocked on the door.

  “Mr. Roth? Do you have a minute?” Josh Benson asked. He was one of the orphans Ben had helped get a scholarship and would be graduating with honors at the end of the spring term.

  “I always have time for you, Josh. Come on in. What can I help you with?” He pulled a chair up to his desk and motioned to the young man to take a seat.

  “Well, I have some news to tell you and I want your advice about it.”

  “Fill me in.”

  “I’m applying for a position teaching math at the new Morris High School opening this fall, and I’d surely like an endorsement from you.”

  “Are you sure this is what you want to do, Josh? Teaching isn’t the best-paying job out there, at least at first.”

  “Yet, you do it. I’ve admired you for years, Mr. Roth. I want to follow in your footsteps and help others get ahead the way you do for so many.”

  Ben couldn’t contain his smile. “Thank you, Josh. You will make an excellent teacher and I’ll be more than happy to give you a solid recommendation. What does Annie think about all this?” Annie was Josh’s fiancée and Ben hoped she loved Josh more than Mary Reynolds had cared for him. Ben had thought he and Mary would have a wonderful life together—until he’d proposed and Mary told him she couldn’t live on the salary of a teacher, that there would never be enough money.

  A grin split Josh’s face. “She’s behind me one hundred percent, sir. She knows we won’t be making much, but she shares my dream of helping others.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. Annie is an admirable young woman. Don’t let her get away.”

  “I won’t.”

  “I’ve got an errand to run this afternoon, but stop by tomorrow and I’ll have the recommendation ready for you.” />
  Both men stood and shook hands. “Thank you, sir. I appreciate everything you’ve done to help me.”

  “You’re welcome. I wish you all the best.” Ben quickly locked up his room after Josh left, and headed down the stairs. He prayed things worked out well for Josh and Annie. They deserved a wonderful life together.

  At the corner, Ben caught a trolley to pick up paper and extra ribbon for the typewriter he’d ordered for Mrs. Heaton at her request last night. He’d spoken with her after Rebecca went upstairs and they’d made arrangements for him to order her a brand-new Underwood. Ben eased the front door open and made sure no one was around before hurrying to Mrs. Heaton’s study. The Underwood had been delivered and Mrs. Heaton clasped her hands together and watched as he unpacked the box.

  “I’m glad Rebecca was out when the delivery boy came, so we can surprise her,” Mrs. Heaton said. “I can’t wait to show it to her.”

  “Neither can I.” Ben set the gleaming typewriter on her desk. “Here it is. What do you think?”

  “Oh, my, it is a beauty, isn’t it?” Mrs. Heaton said.

  “It’s the newest model out. I realize it cost a bit, but it should last you for years to come.”

  “I’m sure it will. I want the best for Rebecca to use.”

  Ben set the typewriter up, installed the ribbon and put in a sheet of paper. “Want to try it?”

  Mrs. Heaton grinned. “I suppose I should find out if it works before we surprise Rebecca with it, shouldn’t I?”

  She looked as excited as he hoped Rebecca would when she saw it. “Oh, I think so.”

  Mrs. Heaton sat down at her desk and began to peck at the keys. “Oh! These keys are much easier to press than the one I’ve tried at the Ladies’ Aide Society! They sometimes stick.”