Just Above a Whisper

  “I have until Monday to be out of Mr. Zantow’s house. I think I’ll take the weekend to decide what I should do.”

  Doc MacKay wanted it settled immediately, but Douglas spoke first.

  “That’s fine, Reese. Remember that you have at least two options, and if you want to bounce ideas off of us, you know you can.”

  Reese nodded and said she had best get home and back to work. Alison gave her a hug, and Mrs. Greenlowe reiterated her offer before leaving. Douglas saw Reese and the doctor out the door soon after.

  “Are you all right?” Doc MacKay checked on the walk back.

  “I think so. It’s all such a surprise. With so little warning, my world has been turned on its head.”

  The doctor agreed, still wishing he could do more for Reese, and Reese herself wishing she wasn’t so helpless in the situation.

  Had they but known it, Douglas was in the same boat. He returned to his office, his heart in turmoil, and then decided some air might help. After telling Alison he was headed out, he took a walk toward the woods, thinking and praying.

  He wanted to trust God for this, but it was testing him. He feared for Reese’s safety if the bank manager sent her all over town on her own. Douglas couldn’t picture why a bank would do this, and that made him even more uneasy.

  Walking swiftly, Douglas prayed and asked God to protect Reese and put His saving hand on Mr. Jenness. He was confident that God had a plan and knew that his job was to trust and keep obeying.

  A face and a name popped into Douglas’ mind so fast that he stopped walking. He’d been so taken with Mr. Zantow’s death, Jace’s and Maddie’s conversions, and Reese’s problems, that he had forgotten there was something he could do.

  Douglas made a beeline for home. He had a letter to write, and the sooner he sent it, the better.

  Four

  “Jace,” Reese called, approaching him on Sunday morning when she saw him arriving for services.

  “Hi, Reese. How are you?”

  “I’m doing all right. I wanted to ask you something and hope you won’t find me intrusive.”

  Maddie came up at that point, and Reese greeted her.

  “Go ahead,” Jace said.

  Reese’s voice lowered. “Did you by any chance order a cradle from Mr. Zantow when you came that day?”

  “Yes, I did,” Jace admitted; they were still not telling people their news, although they knew it was spreading fast.

  “He finished it,” Reese told the couple. “I was cleaning in the workshop, and I found a cradle.”

  Jace and Maddie smiled at each other.

  “What exactly will happen to it?” Maddie asked.

  “All of Mr. Zantow’s belongings will be auctioned, so watch for the notice. I assume the cradle will go too.”

  “Thanks, Reese,” Jace told her sincerely before asking about her future plans.

  And he was just the first. Nearly everyone in the church family asked after her, brought her something, or invited her to eat or stay with them. As she knew it would, news about the bank holding her papers had spread swiftly, and people asked after her needs.

  By the time the sermon began, Reese couldn’t think of a person in the room who hadn’t checked with her. She didn’t hear Douglas’ opening remarks. She was too busy praying for this small church family, so thankful to be a part of it.

  “How is it going?” Douglas asked when both Jace and Maddie headed his way after the sermon.

  “It’s going well, but we were wondering about the seven Rs,” Jace admitted, referring to something Douglas had mentioned in the sermon.

  “I wondered if that might not be confusing for you. We’ve been talking about the seven Rs off and on for years now. It’s just a little formula I made up to help us keep short accounts with God. By short accounts, I mean confessing sin regularly, and not repeating it.”

  “What are they again?” Jace asked.

  “Recognize, Repent, Rethrone, Replace, Rejoice, Remember, Repeat,” Douglas said, working not to rattle them off too swiftly. “Recognize is the step where we see that we’ve sinned and we’re out of fellowship with God. Repent is the next step, when we agree with God about our sin and confess to Him. Rethrone is the mental action of putting Christ back in the center of our lives, because sinning pushes Him out.

  “Replace is understanding that we’ve got to put something else there or the sin comes right back. Working on a memory verse that deals with the sin, or even getting your mind busy with prayer and good works helps. Rejoice is my favorite. We need to stop and realize that our fellowship with God is unbelievably sweet and not forgot to rejoice in that fact. Remember might be the hardest of all. Keeping these good thoughts in mind as we move through each day. Repeat is simply that, repeating the process again and again, as often as necessary.”

  “It’s so much,” Maddie couldn’t help but say.

  “And I probably rattled them off too fast. I’m sorry.” Douglas was compassionate. “If you only remember one thing this week, Maddie, let it be the R that stands for repentance. God loves a repentant heart. You’ll be learning for years about all the ways we push God out of the center of our lives, but if you can first of all learn to be a woman of repentance, God can change and work in your heart in a mighty way.”

  Both Jace and Maddie couldn’t help but smile at him. He was always so encouraging, and they were helped every time they talked. When the couple finally left the meetinghouse, the seven Rs were all they could talk about.

  While Jace and Maddie discussed their questions with Douglas, Reese and Alison sat in the rear pew and discussed her decision.

  “Have you told Mrs. Greenlowe?”

  “Yes. She’s expecting me this afternoon.”

  “Are you sure, Reese?” Alison had to check. “We still wish you’d come and stay with us.”

  “Why, Alison? You have five children. Why would you want an extra person under foot?”

  Reese watched as Alison laughed. “Do you remember when we met?”

  “Sure.” Reese smiled as well, thinking back to that day almost three years ago. “I had just run an errand for Mr. Zantow and had had a run-in with a pig at the Eppling farm.”

  “You were so angry and so funny,” Alison said, still laughing at the things Reese had said about mud, pigs, and farms in general.

  “Is that why you and Marty walked me to the pond?” Reese asked. “Because I made you laugh?”

  “That and the color of your hair.”

  Reese’s mouth opened in surprise. “The color of my hair?”

  “Yes.” Alison couldn’t stop smiling. “My sister’s hair is the same red as yours. She’s nowhere near as tall as you are, but that was the first reason I was drawn to you.”

  Reese laughed but still said, “You didn’t really answer my question.”

  Alison put a hand on the younger woman’s arm, her face now serious.

  “I want to take care of you. I want to know you’re safe. But even more than that, I love having you around. I love your hardworking attitude, your hunger for God’s truth, and your marvelous sense of humor.”

  Reese was very touched. She did not regret her decision to live with Mrs. Greenlowe—somehow she thought they would do very well together—but it was good to know that she was welcome at the Muldoon home.

  “Are you willing to feed us on short notice?” Maddie asked when she opened her uncle’s front door and put her head in.

  “Come in,” Doyle Shephard called from the parlor, managing at the same time to let his wife know that Jace and Maddie had arrived.

  “Where are you coming from?” Cathy asked, carrying a bowl from the kitchen to the table in the parlor.

  “The new meetinghouse,” Jace answered.

  Maddie watched the faces of her aunt and uncle, wondering how this news would be received, but she saw nothing out of the ordinary. They both looked interested and not the least bit upset.

  Maddie felt herself relaxing. Her faith in Christ still so new,
she prayed, trying to remember the things she’d been taught in just a few weeks.

  Please forgive Doyle and Cathy, Lord. Show them the truth. Help Jace and me to always have this good relationship with them. And please show them what You’ve shown me.

  Linden Heights, Massachusetts

  Dalton Kingsley’s brow lowered in concentration and very real concern as he read the letter in his hand. He hadn’t heard from Dooner—Douglas Muldoon—in many years, but that didn’t change his opinion of this old friend. He knew Dooner to be a man of great faith and integrity, which made it easy to believe every word of the missive he’d sent.

  Much as he hated to do it, Dalton wasted no time in sending for his brother. This was not a situation that could be ignored.

  When silence fell on their conversation, Dalton stared across the small parlor at his youngest sibling, Conner Kingsley, thinking the younger man still looked tired. Their mother had died just two months earlier, and for the last six months of her life, her mind had slipped. She had wanted Conner with her constantly, becoming frightened and tearful if she couldn’t see him.

  Conner had done everything in his power to be with her, even giving up his job at the bank, but it had taken its toll. The fact that she was like a small child when she died had hurt all of her children, but especially Conner, since he had been with her so much at the end.

  “I hate to ask this of you, Conner,” Dalton added, “but I feel this has to be handled by a family member. I would go if Jamie’s condition hadn’t just worsened.”

  Jamie, Dalton’s youngest daughter, was very ill.

  “I understand, Dalton,” Conner said softly, which was his way. “Don’t worry about it.”

  “I’ll get a letter off to the bank manager tomorrow. When do you wish to leave?”

  Conner thought about it, named a date he thought he could manage, and fell silent.

  “How will you do in Tucker Mills, Conner?” Dalton asked when the silence lengthened. “It’s been a long time.”

  Conner smiled a little. “I guess I’ll find out.”

  “Thank you, Conner,” his brother told him sincerely, the two men embracing when Conner stood to leave.

  The younger man climbed into the waiting coach, thinking about what needed to be done to leave Linden Heights and trying not to think about how draining the last months had been. His brother needed him to do this, and he would. He’d take Troy Thaden—a friend and coworker—with him, and that would make a huge difference.

  For a moment his mind was assailed with memories from the past, but he pushed those thoughts away. It was not time to think about them. He would be forced to deal with his past in Tucker Mills soon enough, but not today.

  Tucker Mills

  “It’s a hot day,” Mrs. Greenlowe told Reese about a week after she moved in. “I’m going to check on you at Zantow’s.”

  “I’m done at Mr. Zantow’s. I’m headed to the bank to see what needs to be done.”

  Mrs. Greenlowe frowned. She wanted to tell Reese to check in with her but knew that wasn’t practical.

  “Well, drink plenty of water” were her only words.

  Reese thanked her with an amused smile and headed out. The walk to the bank didn’t take long, Reese’s long legs eating the distance, and before she was ready, she was giving a small wave to Mr. Leffler behind the counter and heading toward the alcove that was Mr. Jenness’ office.

  “Come in,” Mr. Jenness commanded as soon as he spotted her. No greeting, no invitation to sit down, no attempt at formality— just an order. “Is the house complete?”

  “Yes, Mr. Jenness.”

  “Very well,” that man said, standing and going to the coat rack for his hat. “I shall go directly there. You will accompany me,” he stopped long enough to say, and then finished pompously, “I will be the one to judge if you are finished.”

  Reese did not follow Mr. Jenness around the house. He had an adverse effect on her emotions. She stayed in the kitchen, not because she’d been told to, but because she hadn’t been told to follow. She had no desire to trail after Mr. Jenness, whose mere presence made her tense and irritated.

  Hearing him on the stairs, Reese tensed all over again and waited for him to enter.

  “This will do,” he condescendingly announced as he stepped across the threshold, and Reese knew that it pained him not to find something to criticize. “You may go to my home now and help my wife. Return to the bank promptly at 4:00. I will give you one hour to clean there.”

  Reese didn’t comment but nodded silently and headed for the door. It occurred to her as she exited that, negative or not, this had been her home for more than five years. Memories of the early days, days when her father was still alive, came rushing to her, swiftly followed by the days and years after his death.

  “Reese!”

  In her preoccupation with leaving Mr. Zantow’s house, she forgot that reporting to the Jenness home would take her directly past Mrs. Greenlowe’s.

  “Where are you headed?” that lady demanded. Reese moved closer so as not to shout her answer.

  “You don’t want to know,” Reese surprised her by saying.

  Mrs. Greenlowe’s eyes narrowed. “You’re going to his house!” she hissed.

  Reese only smiled at her, waiting for the tirade to begin.

  “Who does he think he is? How is that helping the bank? He’s got no right, I tell you. And that Lillie Jenness! She’s a cold one. You mark my words. All she does is work.”

  When the words seemed to run out, Reese calmly said, “Then I’m headed to clean the bank at 4:00. I’ll be back as soon as I’m done.”

  Reese turned away, but Mrs. Greenlowe’s voice, calmer now, stopped her.

  “You might be an indentured servant, Reese, but you’re still a person. Make sure they treat you like one.”

  By way of a reply, Reese waved but didn’t say what she was thinking. Being an indentured servant meant they could treat her any way they liked.

  He had said he was going to do something. He had said that he had a surprise for her. But even though Reese Thackery was standing in her parlor, Mrs. Lillie Jenness could hardly believe her eyes.

  Lillie found her voice after a few pained moments of silence. “What did he tell you to do?”

  “He didn’t, Mrs. Jenness. He said to come here and be a help to you.”

  Lillie’s eyes all but closed in frustration. She was a woman who prided herself on a spotless home and a perfect table. She didn’t need help. What could Victor be thinking?

  “All right, Reese.” Lillie stayed calm, willing to take this matter up with her husband. “Come into the kitchen. I’ll have you work on some candlesticks that need polishing.”

  Reese didn’t comment, but she was surprised. She expected to be given the most difficult, arduous job in the house. Polishing at the table was not it. Nevertheless, Reese didn’t complain. She took the apron that was handed to her—it was spotlessly clean— and sat down to work.

  Reese didn’t look up while Mrs. Jenness moved around the room a bit. She didn’t look up until the lady of the house exited and the door to the next room closed rather hard.

  Reese had been working along for the better part of an hour when Gerald, the Jenness’ teen son, came into the room.

  “Who are you?” were the first words out of his mouth.

  “I’m Reese,” she stopped humming and replied, barely glancing up from her work.

  “What are you doing?”

  Reese spoke before she thought. “I’m swimming in the pond. What does it look like?”

  Not until the sarcastic words were out of her mouth did Reese look up, her eyes a bit wide until she saw that Gerald was laughing. She relaxed a bit but still kept her eyes on him, watching as he sat down, still chuckling.

  “Where’s my mother?”

  “I don’t know,” Reese answered, going back to the candlesticks.

  “Why are you here?” Gerald tried.

  “Because I was told
to come.”

  “Do you always do as you’re told?” Gerald asked, and Reese heard a tone she didn’t like. She looked up into his eyes and saw something she dreaded: interest.

  Reese’s gaze returned to the work at hand, even as she wished she had a reason to stand up. If Gerald was no taller than his father, he would find himself looking up to Reese. She’d yet to meet a young man who could overlook this fact and believed it to be the quickest way to cool any ardor he might be feeling.

  “Well, do you?”

  “It depends on who’s doing the telling,” Reese responded, trying to keep her voice light.

  “You’re different,” Gerald said, lounging back in the opposite chair as if he had all day.

  “Am I?”

  “That’s what I mean.” Gerald came forward in his excitement, as though she’d made his point. “Just by the way you said that! I can tell you don’t let folks boss you around. You’re your own person.”

  Reese glanced up at him and then back down before he could read the unbelief in her eyes. He clearly had no idea to whom he was talking. It was true that the Jenness house was not situated on the green, but it was still in town. Reese wondered if Gerald Jenness got out of the house much. Every other person she knew, and many she didn’t, had heard about her situation with the bank.

  “Gerald?” Mrs. Jenness called from the other room. “Gerald? Where are you?”

  Reese listened to Gerald’s impatient sigh, but he still pushed to his feet and exited by way of the door his mother had used. Reese heard their low voices from her place at the kitchen table but didn’t try to listen. She went back to polishing, humming once again and wondering what she would be asked to do for the rest of the day.

  “So tell me,” Mrs. Greenlowe waited only until they’d sat down for tea to question Reese. “How did it go at the Jenness house?”