As soon as things settled down to a more even keel, he meant to declare himself. But first he had to keep her alive to make sure they could have a future together.

  She let him in and made a point of sliding the bolt home on the front door before she ushered him into the parlor, where Mrs. Purvis and Lucy greeted him. Adam spotted him from the corner that had been designated as his play area. He sprang up and raced pell-mell to wrap his arms around Stephen’s knees.

  “How’s my boy?” Stephen caught the youngster under his arms and tossed him into the air until Adam dissolved into a mass of giggles. The irony of it struck him, calling Adam “his” boy when he was, in fact, the offspring of a hardened criminal and a kept woman. He looked into Adam’s clear blue eyes. He’d heard it said it was impossible to choose one’s relatives. Never had he seen that thought illustrated more clearly than in Adam’s case.

  Stephen glanced into the dining room and saw trays heaped with an array of baked goods. He turned to Mrs. Purvis. “Am I interrupting anything? It looks like you’re ready for company.”

  She beamed at him. “Indeed we are, and you’re invited, as well. I heard from a former boarder today who asked if she and her husband could drop by this evening. Of course, I was delighted to have them over. They’re one of my little success stories.” She looked over at Emily and Lucy and gave them a quick wink.

  Stephen turned in time to see a light blush tinge Emily’s face. She ignored him, staring fixedly at the toe of her shoe.

  “That’s very nice of you to include me, but are you sure I won’t be in the way?”

  “Not at all.” Mrs. Purvis continued to radiate goodwill. “In fact, I hear someone at the front door now. I’m sure it’s them.”

  “Make sure of who it is before you open the door,” Stephen called after her retreating figure.

  He looked at Emily, who had stooped to straighten Adam’s collar. No matter what the little fellow wore, it always seemed his collar wanted to curl up. And just when was it, he wondered, that he had become so well acquainted with the mannerisms of the members of his little…

  Family. The thought took his breath away. But that’s what it was beginning to feel like.

  If only he could always be around to protect them. But that wasn’t possible. He had no right to stay with Emily night and day. Now, if her were her husband…

  His pulse quickened as he turned the idea over in his mind. His parents had liked her right off, and his mother had already begun hinting that she wouldn’t mind having Emily as a daughter-in-law. Maybe that’s what he should do. Just take Emily along with him right now and hunt down some preacher who would be willing to marry them at a moment’s notice.

  “Here they are.” Mrs. Purvis ushered in her guests. “Come right in, you two. I want you to meet my current boarders and a special visitor.” Stephen stared at the young couple who followed Mrs. Purvis into the parlor.

  She waved Emily and Lucy over to her. “Emily Ralston and Lucy Welch, I’d like you to meet Mr.—make that Reverend—and Mrs. Seth Howell. They’ve only been married a short time. They met while Dinah was rooming here earlier this summer.”

  Stephen hoped she didn’t have any illusions about her actions being subtle. The way she waggled her eyebrows was enough to inform the densest person of her intent. He stared at the newcomers. Hadn’t he just been thinking about going to look for a preacher? Maybe Seth’s appearance was a sign, some sort of divine encouragement.

  “This dear little boy is… Adam.” Stephen noticed she avoided use of a surname. “And this—”

  “You don’t have to introduce me to this big galoot.” Seth Howell punched Stephen on the arm and grinned, then lowered his voice so that only Stephen could hear. “What did I tell you? Your days are numbered. How often are you over here, twice a week? Three times?”

  “I’ve been here every night this week so far,” Stephen admitted.

  Seth burst out laughing. “You’ve really got it bad. You might just as well give in. Let me give you a piece of advice. If you’re looking for a romantic spot, I can highly recommend the gondolas on the lag—ow!”

  He broke off, rubbing a spot on his ribs and giving his wife an unrepentant grin.

  Dinah Howell glared at her husband, then bestowed a sweet smile upon Stephen. “How nice to see you again.” She turned to Mrs. Purvis. “Seth introduced me to Stephen while he was working at the fairgrounds earlier this summer. And I’ve met one of your charming boarders already.”

  Mrs. Purvis blinked, and Emily laughed. “That’s right. Dinah stops by the Children's Building to pick up the daily reports.”

  “We haven’t had a chance to do more than just exchange hellos, though. It will be a treat to be able to sit down and have a real visit.”

  Emily and Lucy helped Mrs. Purvis carry out the refreshments, and soon the four women were chattering away like old friends. Adam sat between Dinah and Emily, happily munching on cookies and drinking in all the attention lavished on him by the circle of female admirers.

  Seth wandered over to the fireplace, where he leaned back against the mantel and watched the convivial scene. Stephen joined him and angled his body so the women wouldn’t hear his part of the conversation.

  “It’s funny, but I was just thinking about hunting up a preacher when you knocked on the door.”

  Seth’s eyes lit up. “So you’ve already popped the question?”

  “No, but I’m thinking I need to do that soon.”

  Seth drew back and gave him a quizzical smile. “Need to or want to?”

  “Well, both.” Stephen glanced over his shoulder to where Emily sat talking to Dinah. He watched her animated face and the quick gestures she made with her hands. “Even though we haven’t known each other all that long, she’s bowled me over like a ton of bricks. This is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

  “You’ve prayed about it, of course?”

  “Ever since the first day we met.” Stephen managed a sheepish grin. “There’s something special about her…”

  Seth looked over at Dinah. “I know what you mean. All right, I can understand the ‘want to’ part. What about the ‘need to’?”

  Stephen hesitated. “I can’t go into that right now. Let’s just say I think it would be in Emily’s best interests if she had a husband on hand to protect her.”

  Seth clamped his hand on Stephen’s shoulder. “You haven’t asked my advice, but I’m going to give it to you, anyway. You need to think this through. I don’t know what kind of protection she needs, but that in itself is not a good foundation for a marriage. Do you believe God is leading you to rush into this?”

  “No,” Stephen admitted after a pause. “But it seems like the right thing to do.”

  Seth smiled. “Then my recommendation, unsolicited though it may be, is to keep on praying about it and wait until you get a definite yes. Wait until the other distractions are out of the way and you can both think clearly. Marriage is far too important to enter into it lightly.”

  Adam let out a shriek of laughter, and Seth grinned. “So that’s the little fellow you told me about?”

  Stephen nodded. “He’s a real charmer isn’t he?” He should have known Seth and Dinah would be drawn to the boy. They worked with children of Chicago’s lower class and had a heart for needy youngsters.

  “Wait a minute.” A frown tightened Seth’s forehead. “This is the boy who was abandoned at the Children's Building, the one whose mother was killed? Are you telling me you haven’t been able to find his other relatives yet?”

  The room grew quiet. Stephen looked over to find the women staring at them and realized he and Seth had forgotten to keep their voices down.

  Lucy hopped up from her chair. “Adam, why don’t I take you upstairs and get you ready for bed?” The little boy’s mouth opened on a wail of protest.

  Mrs. Purvis stepped over and took him by the hand. “How about if I come up, too, and read you a story about Jesus from the Bible?”

  Adam gave in with relatively good grace. After bestowing good-night hugs and kisses around the room, he allowed himself to be led upstairs.

  Both the Howells stared at Stephen and Emily. “Did I say something wrong?” Seth asked.

  Stephen crossed the room and took Emily’s hand. “We already know who he belongs to.”

  Seth’s eyes widened. “But you’re still keeping him? I can see why you’ve grown attached to the little fellow, but a child belongs with his family. Perhaps you’re worried about it being difficult to explain to them why you’ve kept him all this time. If so, I can understand your reluctance to step forward now. Maybe I can help in some—”

  “His father is Ian McGinty.” The words fell into the room like a stone dropped into a well.

  “McGinty!” Seth’s jaw tightened, and he put his arm around his wife.

  “I take it you’ve heard of him.”

  Dinah nodded, her face ashen. “He’s involved in… in…” She looked at her husband.

  “In more things than anyone should discuss in polite company.” Seth turned back to Stephen. “I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions. You’re in a difficult situation, I can see that. What can we do?”

  Stephen leveled a solemn gaze at his friend. “You can pray.”

  Stephen seemed reluctant to leave after the Howells departed, and Emily couldn’t help but be pleased. He lingered on, helping the women carry cups and saucers to the kitchen. He even proved to be handy with a dish towel, and with the added help, the dishes were washed and dried in no time.

  Mrs. Purvis carried the largest of the trays to the corner cupboard and stood on tiptoe to fit it into its place.

  “Let me do that for you.” Stephen hurried over to take the heavy tray from her.

  “Wait a moment.” The landlady stared at the platter before relinquishing it to him. “That was one of my mother’s trays, and I’d never want to get rid of it, but with it being so big and cumbersome, trying to get it out and put it away is such a struggle. If you don’t mind, I think I’d like to put it in the cupboard under the stairs instead. That way it will still be available whenever I want it, but it won’t be taking up space in here where I’d rather store the pieces I use more often.”

  “Your wish is my command.” Stephen grinned and followed her out to the spacious cupboard where bric-a-brac was stored. Emily and Lucy trailed along behind. He set the tray in the spot she indicated, then regarded the interior of the cupboard thoughtfully.

  “It’s an interesting place you have here,” he told Mrs. Purvis. “The cupboard is a good use of space that would otherwise be wasted.”

  Her eyes sparkled and she gave him a gentle smile. “Most of it was my Randolph’s doing. He came up with the ideas for the floor plan and worked on them with the architect.”

  Stephen nodded. Emily watched as he stepped back and turned in a slow circle, studying the layout of the open space. “Was Ralph Armstrong the one he worked with?”

  Mrs. Purvis brightened. “Yes, that was his name.”

  “I thought so. I studied his work at Cornell.” Stephen continued his inspection. He leaned back into the cupboard and ran his hand along the left wall. “Pardon my curiosity, but I wonder why you decided to block this end off.”

  The landlady blinked. “Block it off? No, it’s been that way since the day we moved in.”

  Stephen pulled at his chin. “Maybe I’m wrong, but I could have sworn…” He reached inside and started tapping along the cupboard wall.

  Emily looked at Lucy, who edged over and whispered, “Maybe it’s contagious.”

  Stephen straightened and looked at Mrs. Purvis. “What’s on the other side of the back wall?”

  Mrs. Purvis shrugged. “It’s a spare bedroom. The door is just down the hall there.”

  “May I look at it?”

  Emily could hear the excitement in Stephen’s voice. She glanced at Lucy again, receiving a quizzical look in response. All three women followed Stephen as he strode down the hall and turned right at the door Mrs. Purvis indicated.

  “See?” The landlady pointed at the corner nearest them on the right. “There’s a closet there. It backs up to the cupboard on the other side.”

  Stephen opened the closet door and stuck his head and shoulders inside, then turned back to Mrs. Purvis. “Not quite. It’s a small closet, not nearly large enough to take up the space that’s missing from the cupboard.”

  Mrs. Purvis’s eyes grew round, and she clasped her hands under chin. “You don’t think… There couldn’t be…”

  Stephen grinned. “A secret room? Let’s go take another look.” He led them back down the hall to where the cupboard door stood open. “See?” He indicated the left-hand wall. “It doesn’t make sense for this space to end so abruptly. I don’t have a tape measure with me, so I can’t take an accurate measurement, but my guess is there’s a good three feet unaccounted for.” He leaned back into the cupboard, examining the wall with care.

  Mrs. Purvis peered over his shoulder. “I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve tapped along this wall over the years. It sounded just the way I’d expect it to, with the closet on the other side.”

  Stephen nodded eagerly and continued to press his hands along the surface of the wall. “And I’m sure that’s exactly what Armstrong intended. I believe you have some sort of hidden space back here. He didn’t mean for it to be found by anyone who didn’t know exactly what they were looking for.”

  Mrs. Purvis pressed her hands against her mouth and danced from one foot to the other. “This must be the surprise Randolph told me about. It has to be! But how do we get in?”

  “Like this.” Stephen pressed on a knot in the paneling almost hidden underneath the top shelf. With a soft click, the entire left wall swung back, revealing a sizable opening.

  Emily gasped and clutched Lucy’s arm. Beyond the doorway, a set of steps led downward.

  “Oh my.” Mrs. Purvis pushed past Stephen to stare down into the darkness. “We’re going to need a lamp. Lucy, could you fetch one from the parlor, please? And bring some matches, too.”

  Lucy hurried off on her errand and returned a few moments later with the matches and lamp. Mrs. Purvis reached for it, but Stephen held out his hand to block her.

  “I know you’re aching to see what’s down there, but I think you should let me go first. I want to check out the structural soundness so we don’t have any unwelcome surprises.”

  Mrs. Purvis stepped back, although Emily could see it cost her an effort. “All right, if you think that’s best.”

  Stephen descended the stairs one slow step at a time. Mrs. Purvis moved onto the top tread, giving Emily and Lucy room to crowd together in the doorway and watch his progress. He reached the bottom then moved out of their view. Emily took three long, slow breaths before they heard him give a low whistle.

  “What? What is it?” Mrs. Purvis leaned forward so far it looked as if she might topple over at any moment.

  “It’s safe. I think you’d better come down here. You’re never going to believe this.”

  Mrs. Purvis didn’t need a second invitation. Emily followed her down the stairs, with Lucy at her heels.

  “I’ll need those matches,” Stephen said to Lucy. Taking them from her, he lit a series of candles seated in brackets at intervals around the walls. The light grew with every one he lit, chasing the shadows away. Emily stared openmouthed, too thunderstruck to make a sound.

  They stood in a furnished room about ten feet square. Stephen pointed to the brick-lined walls that met overhead, forming a vaulted ceiling. “Fire brick. And look at this.”

  He trotted over to a door that stood open at the foot of the stairs. “It’s four inches thick and made of steel plates.” Pounding on the door with the side of his fist brought only a dull thud. “My guess is that it’s filled with sand to make it fireproof. This room would be totally safe for valuables—or people—in the event of a fire. It’s a wonderful idea, and the execution is flawless, as far as I can see.”

  Emily looked around her. “It’s amazing. Except for not having any windows, it looks like a small sitting room.” A square wooden table and two chairs sat in the middle of the floor. Shelves lined one wall, and boxes of assorted sizes were arranged against another.

  “What’s this?” Lucy picked up a square of paper from the table and peered at it closely. Emily could see her blink rapidly then swallow before she handed it to Mrs. Purvis. “This is addressed to you, and I think I recognize the handwriting.”

  The landlady glanced at the page, then sank into the nearest chair and fanned herself with her hand.

  Emily hovered over her. “Do you want me to get you some water?”

  Mrs. Purvis shook her head. “I’m all right. It just came as a bit of a shock, getting another message from Randolph this way.” She opened the paper and began to read:

  My dearest Ethelinda,

  Since you are reading this, I know you have discovered our secret room. You’ve become so adept at following my clues over the years that I had no doubt you would persevere until you found it.

  What do you think of my little surprise? I pray we never need the room as protection against another fire, but it will give us peace of mind to know it exists to guard our dearest possessions. Instead of having them on display upstairs, we can enjoy them down here, secure in the knowledge we won’t ever lose them.

  You, of course, are the prize I value above all others. The years we’ve shared already count as my greatest blessing, to be surpassed only by the joys the future has in store for us.

  With all my love,

  Your devoted husband,

  Randolph

  No one spoke for several moments after she finished reading the note. Emily dabbed at her eyes and heard a sniffle from the corner where Lucy stood.

 

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