Chapter 13 #3
She sighed. After sitting so close to him in church and hearing his rich baritone voice join in singing, she had felt a strange connection to him. His desires to aid society matched her own.
Since losing Alden in the war, Judith had put a wall around her heart that she swore would remain in place until she died. A solid rock wall, imperviable to love and romance. Roman had somehow chiseled a hole in that wall, and where that would lead them was completely unknown.
Returning downstairs, Judith went in search of Mary. She needed to exchange records and papers once again. She found the housekeeper overseeing a couple of the footmen as they polished the silver.
“Mrs. Deeters, I was just wondering if I might speak to you.”
“Of course, miss.” She followed Judith into her grandfather’s office. “What can I do for you?”
“I need to change out the ledgers again. They’re in my bedroom. There’s no rush. I won’t begin again until after dinner. Right now, I believe I’ll take a little walk in the garden.”
“This came for you earlier,” Mary said, pulling a card from her pocket.
Judith took it and looked at the information. “Seems there’s to be a charity event on the eighth of July. It’s to be held at the Wagners’.”
“Then it will be a gathering of the finest of Minneapolis families. The cream of our society. You’ll need a very nice dress. Something much more elaborate than what you have.”
“I don’t need to attend. Surely with my grandfather dying, I can be excused from such an event.”
“Yes, but you speak so eloquently regarding the plight of the poor. Perhaps the Wagners heard about this and extended the invitation to you because of that. They didn’t include your grandfather on the invitation, did they?”
“No, it’s addressed to me alone.” Judith frowned. “Perhaps I can find out something more about it before I decide.”
“Even so, we should arrange a gown.”
“I can send home for something. If I wire Helen, she can put a trunk on the train tomorrow. It should get here in plenty of time. Could you arrange for someone to send a telegram?” She opened the drawer of her grandfather’s desk.
“Of course. What should it say?”
Judith jotted down the information, instructing Helen to pack her two finest evening gowns. As an afterthought, she requested her mourning dresses as well. When grandfather passed, she’d definitely have need of them again.
“Here you are. I’ve put the address information on the opposite side.”
Mary took the paper and looked it over for a moment. “I’ll have it sent today.”
A knock sounded at the front door. Judith wondered who had come calling. She followed Mary to the foyer and waited to see who it was.
“Why, Roman, what brings you here?” Mary embraced her nephew and stood back.
“Actually, I came to see Mrs. Stanford. I wonder,” he said, looking past Mary to Judith, “would you take a short walk with me?”
“I was just planning to do something like that anyway.” Judith smiled and looked at Mary. “I doubt we’ll be long.”
“Take as much time as you like. I’ll get those papers for you.”
Judith felt her heart skip a beat as Roman offered her his arm. She hesitated, then gave a nod and took hold of him. He moved slowly down the outside stairs, giving her time to gather her skirt. At the bottom, he looked around.
“I’m not sure which way to go.”
“We have a lovely garden walk. Take the path here and go around the house.” Judith motioned with the tilt of her head.
They strolled in the direction of the south lawn. Judith felt out of place. She didn’t know why Dr. Turner had come, but there was discomfort in the awkward silence.
“I’m sorry, but I must ask why you came today. We hardly know each other, and walking the garden is usually reserved for . . . well . . .”
“Courtship?” he asked.
“Yes. Or family and close friends. We’re neither.”
“I wouldn’t mind being close friends. Which is why I’m here.” They reached the garden path, and Roman paused. “I know there’s been trouble between our families.”
“I know that as well. I’ve read the documents and ledgers my grandfather kept at the time.” She was surprised to hear herself confess this to Roman.
“Aunt Mary told me she explained things to you as well.”
Judith couldn’t look away from his intense gaze. “Yes. She did. I’m so very sorry to hear what happened. My grandfather was quite ruthless with people. Not just your father, although perhaps he wronged him more than most. I’m deeply ashamed of what he did.”
Roman looked at her oddly. “I wanted to hate you as much as I hated him. When I learned he had a granddaughter, I suspected you must be just like him, despite having met you years ago. But you, Judith Stanford, are nothing like him. You’re a woman of God, and generous to a fault.
You care deeply about people and put action to your words. I cannot hate you.”
“Well, thank the good Lord for that grace,” she said, giving a nervous laugh.
He grinned, and it seemed to light up his eyes. “When I first met you, I must say I was rather captivated. I’ve thought a lot about you over the years.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’ve thought about you as well.”
His eyes narrowed just a bit, and his expression grew quite serious. “I believe God orchestrated that meeting.”
She nodded. “I do, too, and for so many reasons.”
“Tell me.”
His voice sent a tingle up Judith’s spine.
“I don’t think I can, at least not all at once.
But . . . well, I don’t know if your aunt told you or not, but I intend to make amends for my grandfather.
Not just with your family, but all the others as well.
If my grandfather makes me his heir as he’s said he means to do, then I will use his wealth to at least set things in motion to make financial amends.
Obviously, I cannot turn back time and change what happened, but I will do my best to rectify the wrongs he’s done others. ”
“That would take a great deal of money. You’d probably be left with nothing.”
“It’s not my money anyway. I live quite well on what my father left me.
I’ve been praying for God’s direction on this, and I know He will show me what is to be done.
My grandfather is having me study his business arrangements so that we might discuss his desires and plans.
He just doesn’t realize that I’ve taken it to a deeper level, and I’m doing what I can to keep track of the people he swindled.
In time, I will return what I can to them. ”
“You are beyond all expectations. I have never met anyone like you.” His expression betrayed honest admiration.
Judith felt her cheeks warm at his praise.
She looked to the ground. “I desire only to do God’s will.
I see so much wrong in what my grandfather did, not only to the people here,” she said, looking up again, “but in how he treated my father and mother. I know it hurt my father terribly that my grandfather cast him out. Still, my father never spoke against him. He taught me that to hate him would only eat away at my heart.”
“As it did mine. I’m determined, however, that it is time to allow the Great Physician to heal me of my wounds. I’m resolved to forgive James Ashton.”
“As am I. For years I was determined to have nothing to do with my grandfather, even after my folks passed on. Now, I see that God has brought me here for a purpose, and that purpose is to set things right. And perhaps be an example of Christian charity to the one man who needs it most.”
“If your grandfather finds out that you want to right his wrongs, he might well disinherit you.”
She smiled. “I know. That’s why I’ve said nothing to anyone save Mary, and now you.
I’m not even sure why I told you, except that there is something about you.
” She studied him. “I know this will sound odd, but in some ways, I feel as if I’ve known you a very long time.
Not just because we met four years ago. It’s something deeper. ”
“Does that mean we can be friends? Perhaps even more?”
For a moment, Judith thought her heart might have stopped beating. She forced breath into her lungs. “Yes.” She barely whispered the word, but it was enough.
“May I call you Judith?” he asked, and she gave the slightest nod. “And you will call me Roman?”
She nodded again, uncertain she could even form words. She had felt something similar when Alden had come into her life. Similar, but not at all the same. Roman Turner had just demolished the wall she’d kept so closely guarded around her heart. What in the world was she to do now?