Chapter 16 #2
Jenny had also been good for them. She was a natural mother and had won them over from the first moment she’d met them.
She seemed happy to have them there, so much so that last night he’d warned her against getting too attached since he was still looking for their father.
She’d assured him that she would take care of the children as long as they needed, but that they would be better off with their father when he was found.
“What do you have in mind?” Riley leaned in, giving Bellamy his full attention.
An idea had been formulating in Bellamy’s mind over the past couple of days. “Naturally I have a lot of connections and know a lot of people.”
“That you do.”
“With my knowledge, I believe I can be helping to find families for some of the homeless children.”
Riley nodded slowly. “Go on. Tell me more.”
“Many people are eager to do something. They just don’t know what.”
“And you think more families might be willing to house children?”
“After hearing about our taking in Seamus and Moya, I know some who already want to do the same. I’ll put out word of the need, if you’re agreeable.”
“I like the idea, and I do think we can make it work, but first I need to discuss with the committee rules to protect the children.”
Bellamy liked how Riley operated. He was open-minded but also smart.
“In the meantime, why don’t you put together a list of families who would be willing to take children in.”
“I can do that.”
“Good.” Riley stuck out his hand for a shake. “I’ll be back tomorrow, and hopefully we can start taking immediate steps to get orphans off the streets and into homes.”
Bellamy shook Riley’s hand before they parted ways.
As Bellamy returned to the pub, he made quick work of hauling the beer to the shed, where it would have to remain until they were notified that they could start selling it again.
Without the beer, they would have even fewer customers.
But if they only suffered a loss in profit when the cholera was over, they would consider themselves lucky when so many had suffered the loss of loved ones.
As he rolled the last keg across the alley, laughter wafted through the open window of the upstairs apartment. It belonged to only one woman. Zaira.
Against his wishes, his pulse spurted faster. He’d been telling himself he didn’t miss her and didn’t want to see her. But now that she was here, he needed just one glimpse of her beautiful face, just one smile, just one word.
He finished storing the keg, then he headed up to the apartment.
Jenny was sitting on the sofa with Moya on her lap, and Seamus sat beside Zaira on the floor, demonstrating how to tie a shoelace, something Jenny had taught him when she’d given him boots, the first pair he’d ever owned with laces.
Seamus had already proudly shown Bellamy his new feat. Now he beamed as he tied the laces for Zaira. She was chattering with Seamus and Moya, sparing Bellamy only the barest of glances and ignoring him almost completely.
He didn’t care. He leaned against the doorframe and watched her as openly as he wanted, not holding himself back from admiring the graceful curve of her neck, the few curls dangling loose by her ears, the slope of her cheeks, the slight dimple in her chin.
He didn’t paint many portraits, but she had the kind of beauty he would relish recreating. Every time he was with her, he saw something more in her that he wanted to capture on canvas, and today it was the relaxed, comfortable way she interacted with the children.
Would Zaira be a good mother?
He suspected she would be. She was compassionate and nurturing and soft-spoken, unlike his own mam, who’d been busy and distracted when Oscar hadn’t been fighting with her.
When Seamus finished tying his shoe, Zaira asked both children all about the past few days, and they excitedly told her about the food they’d eaten, their bed on the sofa, the chores they’d done, and more.
Zaira surprised the children by handing a book to them, an illustrated book of Aesop’s Fables.
Although Jenny had already reluctantly returned to the kitchen to help Gavin with the supper preparations, Bellamy wasn’t in a rush and took a seat at the table while Zaira proceeded to read one of the fables to the children.
When she finished, she closed the book with a tender smile. “I wish I could stay and read another story, but I really need to go.”
She’d probably come to town to turn in her weekly chapter to the Daily Republican.
It was about the time of week she usually did so.
Although she hadn’t told him she was using the name K.
S. Flanders, he’d guessed that was her column since it was new, and the story sounded like something she’d write—dramatic and intriguing.
And the kiss in segment two? Had she been describing the first kiss they’d shared in the pub? It had been romantic and passionate, and it had only made him want to kiss her again.
Moya held on to Zaira’s hand tightly. “Can you come tomorrow and read another story?”
Zaira brushed a hand over the little girl’s cheek. “I wish I could, but I’m afraid my parents don’t like me being in the city.”
Did they know she was here now? Or had she lied to them about where she was going?
His silent questions must have radiated across the short distance because she glanced over at him before focusing more intently upon the children and answering their questions about her family’s country estate.
“Bellamy?” Jenny’s voice rang up the stairway. “A man is here wanting to talk to you about taking in children.”
“Is that a fact?” Bellamy rose.
“Oh aye.”
Maybe word was already spreading that he was looking for families to house orphan children. If so, he hoped he would have a good list compiled before Riley returned tomorrow.
“Tell him I’ll be right down.” Bellamy was due back in the pub soon anyway. If only he could have had a few minutes more with Zaira, maybe even a wee bit of time without the children. But what would he have said to her? What would he have done?
He certainly wouldn’t have kissed her again. He’d only done so at the party because everyone had been calling for it and he’d felt pressured into it.
She rose, and the children did too, all three of them watching him expectantly. “Do you think the visitor has word about Mr. O’Reilly?” she asked.
“Maybe.” He didn’t want to disappoint anyone, but so far, all the information he’d uncovered about Seamus and Moya’s da had only led him to the wrong man. O’Reilly was a common Irish name, and Bellamy was surprised at how many Seamus O’Reillys there were in the city and surrounding area.
He made his way downstairs and out into the pub, where a young man was waiting to relay the news that a Seamus O’Reilly was living in the Carondelet district to the south of St. Louis, doing construction.
The young man didn’t know if this particular Seamus O’Reilly was from Galway or if he had a wife and two children.
But Bellamy could do nothing less than head down to Carondelet and find out if this was the Seamus they were searching for.
As soon as he returned to the kitchen, Zaira was waiting, her expression animated with anticipation. “Well?”
“It’s too late in the afternoon to go. I’ll wait until the morning.”
Seamus and Moya were less excited, probably because they’d already had their hopes dashed with each of his failed inquiries so far.
Moya held up her arms to Jenny, who scooped the little lass up and hugged her tightly, whispering reassurances that everything would be all right. Moya wrapped her arms around Jenny’s neck, and Jenny pressed a kiss onto the child’s forehead and then caressed her hair.
The two were growing really attached. What would happen to both if Mr. O’Reilly finally came to collect his children? Maybe it would be better to reunite them with their da soon, before they settled into life at the pub even more.
“On second thought,” Bellamy said, “maybe I should nip along now.” Carondelet was only a five-mile ride. He could ride there and back before darkness settled.
“The pub won’t be busy tonight, not with the ban on beer,” Gavin spoke up from the stove. He regarded Jenny with a worried look, probably because he realized that Jenny already loved the children and that she’d only be hurt when they left.
All the more reason to find the children’s da.
“I’ll take care of pouring drinks,” Gavin continued, “until you get back.” Tonight there wouldn’t be much pouring, maybe some whiskey or brandy or a few of their other hard liquors.
Bellamy shared a look with his brother-in-law—one in which they both silently agreed they needed to protect Jenny as best they could from heartache.
“Then I guess I’ll be running on.” Bellamy made it outside into the alley when the kitchen door opened, then closed with a bang.
“I’m going with you,” Zaira called, her determined footsteps thudding behind him.