Promise me tomorrow (28 page)

Rusty heard him approach, and rather than stand to her feet, she only sat back on her heels and remained on the floor. Chase grabbed an ottoman, brought it over close, and sat on it.

"Is everything all right?" Chase asked of Rusty, but she immediately looked to Quintin.

"Do you want to tell your father, Quin?"

He shook his head, tears coming to his
eyes.
Rusty's heart broke. What a horrible, painful way to grow up. Such fear, and without purpose. Rusty sighed, this time not caring who heard. She spoke with her eyes still on the younger McCandles.

"He was afraid to come to you with a dirty face and hands."

"Its all right, Quintin," his father said in his usual, quiet way. He felt very moved by his son's upset and by what he saw in Rustys face. She looked shaken. "I understand that you're playing," he continued kindly.

"Mrs. Harding—" Quintin began but stopped, his hands wringing together with frustration.

"Is that what Mrs. Harding expected, Quintin," his father pressed him, "that your hands must be clean when I sent for you?"

He nodded, still miserable. When he sniffed loudly, Chase produced a large white handkerchief. He didn't help his son wipe his face or blow his nose, but when Quintin was through he put the cloth back in his pocket as a matter of course.

"You don't need to clean up when I call you into my office, Quintin. And today I can tell you right here what I need."

Hearing this, Rusty began to rise .

"Please don't go, Katherine. You'll need to hear this too." He waited until she had settled back on her heels. "I'm going out of town on business tomorrow, Quintin. I have plans to be gone a few days, but if it's more than that, I'll send word."

Quintin nodded, his eyes still looking as though he thought he were in trouble. Rusty could hardly stand it. She couldn't look at Quintin or his father. It was a relief when Chase stood, presumably to return to his office.

"Plans for the afternoon?" he asked of Rusty, who knew it was time to come to her feet. Chase's hand was there to assist her, and she thanked him, unaware of the way her face showed all her emotions.

"'Yes," she tried to sound as normal as possible. "I think we might read for a time, or maybe we'll draw."

Chase nodded. Something was very wrong. Rusty had only glanced at him, but he could still see that she was completely distraught over something. He was strongly tempted to speak with her immediately, but reminding himself that he needed to seek her out that evening anyway, he held off.

"Well, don't let me stop you," he said, knowing Rusty would not feel free to go without his leave.

'Thank you," she said briefly before they moved off with Rusty leading the way to the kitchen. Rusty's emotions threatened to overwhelm her, and she thought it would be a blessing if Quintin just wanted to finish his snack and draw for a time. Cook had left things just as they were, and for the space of several minutes, Rusty thought she would get her wish.

"I thought we were going to climb the tree," Quintin said between bites of pear.

Rusty shook her head. She wouldn't have tried to coerce him for the world. "You don't want to Quin, and I dont want to force you." Her voice was gentle. She didn't want him to feel any guilt.

"But you said there might be a bird's nest."

"That's true, there might be. Would you like me to climb up and look?"

"You'll do that?"

"I certainly will," Rusty was able to tell him with a smile. At the moment she wanted to lay the world at his feet.

"What if you fall?"

"I won't fall. I've been climbing trees since I was just a little girl."

Quintin gazed at her in awe. They finished the snack moments later.

"Well, Quin, what's it to be? Drawing, reading, or tree climbing?"

"Tree climbing."

"Okay, let's go."

Rusty was tired, but she wouldn't have denied him for the world. They thanked Cook and headed back outside. Some of Rusty's fatigue fell away as she watched Quintin's excitement. He climbed into the tree with her even after finding that it didn't have a nest. Rusty chose to put the earlier experience behind her and be thankful for all that God had done so far. In doing this, their trek into the woods turned out to be a wonderful adventure.

***

The evening was passing swiftly when Chase climbed the stairs. He hadn't seen Rusty the rest of the day, and for some reason he felt compelled to speak with her before she retired. It wasn't at all unusual for her to come down and get something cold to drink after she'd put Quintin to bed, but tonight she hadn't done that. Chase speculated about what he'd seen in her face earlier but still had no answers.

He gained the top of the stairs, ready to knock on her doorjamb, but he heard voices from the nursery. He went to Quintins door and entered. Both Rusty and Quintin were sitting on his sons bed, their backs against the headboard. Rustys hands were folded on a closed book in her lap.

"Hello," Rusty said.

"Hello. I thought you might have retired."

"We're just talking."

To Chase's eyes they both looked very tired, but he didn't comment.

"Did you need something?" Rusty asked.

"Just to speak with you when you have a chance."

She nodded. "Will you be in the drawing room?"

"Yes. Come at your leisure."

"All right."

"What happened then?" Quintin asked when his father left.

"Well, Zacchaeus ran ahead of the crowd and climbed into a tree. He knew that Jesus was going to come that way, so he waited, and sure enough, Jesus stopped right under the tree, looked up, and spoke to him. Jesus even told Zacchaeus that He wanted to have a meal with him. The two ate together, and Zacchaeus' life was changed forever. He saw that he was a sinner and needed Jesus Christ to forgive him."

"Why is that your favorite Bible story?"

"Well, I love all the stories about Jesus, but I especially like Zacchaeus because he's short like me.

"My father is tall. He could have seen Jesus."

"Yes, he is. You'll have to tell him that."

The look that Rusty had become accustomed to seeing at the mention of Chase McCandles now covered Quintins face. Was it yearning or indifference? She honestly couldn't tell. What did this little boy think of his father? Did he know him well enough to have any opinion about him?

"I think you'd better sleep now, Quin," Rusty suggested. If she didn't rein in her thoughts on this subject, she'd be sorry.

"Are you going downstairs?"

"Yes. Will you be all right?"

"I think so."

"If you need anything, just come to the drawing room."

As had become their custom, Quintin now stood on the bed so Rusty could give him a long hug. She rocked him from side to side as her arms held him close.

"I love you, Quin."

"I love you, Aunt Rusty."

"Sleep well, Quin," she said as she kissed his small cheek. He scrambled into bed and waited while she tucked the covers close. This was the way Clayton Taggart had always put his children to bed. Rusty's father would have wrestled Quintin a little and snuggled him again, but Rusty only leaned down so they could rub noses. Quintin smiled up into her eyes. Rusty exited but left the door open. Her mind was busy, but her movements were serene. Indeed, her feet made almost no noise as she moved to the stairs.

32

After leaving Rusty and Quintin on their own, Chase found his usual chair in the drawing room, the one that let him see the stairs and foyer. He hadn't been looking for her, but because he was expecting her, he came to his feet the moment he saw Rusty descending. She smiled kindly when she saw him, but to his eyes Quintin's caregiver still looked tired. He determined not to keep her long.

"Would you like anything? I'm sure Mrs. Whitley is still in the kitchen."

"Thank you, no. I'm fine." Chase nodded and took his seat. "I wanted to speak with you about Quintin. How do you feel he's doing?"

"Very well. He climbed a tree today, and it was his idea to go and see Dobbins."

"Have you taken the cart around the grounds yet?"

"Yesterday. I thought we might be noisy, so we tried to stay away from your office windows."

Why such a statement would bother Chase, he wasn't certain, but it did. Was it her tone or just the fact that he would have enjoyed seeing them come past the window? For a moment he was incapable of responding. As the silence lengthened, Rusty shifted in her seat, drawing Chases attention back to her. He had the impression that she was ready to make her excuses and head upstairs for the night, but Chase had one more thought on his mind. "I saw Pastor Radke today," he said suddenly. "He commented to me that you and Quintin seemed to be getting along well."

Tired as she was, Rusty smiled. "I'm glad he noticed. Quintin and I have been by to see him a couple of times. He always has a kind word. And Quin genuinely seems to enjoy him."

Chase was surprised that Rusty and Quintin would visit their pastor, so much so that he had no immediate reply. Again he was silent for so long that Rusty thought they were finished.

"Was there anything else, Mr. McCandles?"

"No." Chase shook his head and then cordially asked, "Unless there was something you wanted to discuss with me."

Rusty looked at him, at least 20 things coming to mind, but only shook her head no.

Chase nodded, but he knew very well that she had things she wanted to say. Had she not looked so weary he might have pushed the point.

"I'll say goodnight now, and if I don't talk to you again, have a good trip, Mr. McCandles."

"Thank you. Goodnight, Katherine"

A study in courtesy, Chase came smoothly to his feet and remained standing until Rusty was well out of the room. He sat down again but felt immediately restless and stood up. He wasn't scheduled to leave for Pueblo until the following afternoon, but it wasn't that easy to find an audience with Rusty when she was taken up with Quintin's care.

Chase suddenly caught himself and stopped pacing. He debated going back into his office to work, but that was not a habit he wanted to fall into. He stood now in the huge bay window on the east side of the drawing room, his eyes roaming over the spring landscape.

I
have no idea what to do. Lord. I have the uncomfortable impression that Katherine wishes shed never taken the job. I knew how good she would be
—
I've never seen Quintin so happy
—
but I cant shake the feeling that she wishes shed never come. Should I say that outright? Should I come right out
and ask her? The staff all enjoy her, I can see that, so it must be Quintin or me, or possibly both of us.
Chase had no answers. It wasn't enough for him that the job got done. If Rusty was disturbed, he wanted to know. Chase turned to look back at the sofa
where
she had been sitting. She had looked so tired. Although there were things he needed to prepare, his train didn't leave until two o'clock the next day. He would keep an eye on things over breakfast and as the morning passed. If anything seemed amiss, he would talk to Rusty on the spot. The plan gave him rest, and when he sought his bed and opened his Bible, he felt at peace. He read for more than an hour and slept as soon as he turned down the lantern.

***

Rusty woke slowly and stretched. She had slept so soundly that her hip ached where she had lain on it most of the night. It took a moment to get her eyes fully open, and when she did, she reached for her Bible. The morning was chilly, so she rolled off her painful hip and onto the other and sank down beneath the covers to read in the book of Ephesians. She silently studied Pauls prayer in the third chapter.

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend, with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.

Here Rusty had a note in her Bible. It simply said: "Filled with all the fullness of God." That as much as God is, we will be like Him.

Rusty mulled the words over in her mind and then read them again. "Filled with all the fullness of God" was a line of Scripture that captivated her. The fullness of God was an awesome thing, almost too much to take in. But Paul had prayed it for the believers in Ephesus, and this told Rusty that it was something to be attained.

Rusty read on:
Now unto him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.
Rusty closed her eyes to think about what she had just read. Not many seconds passed before she began to pray.

/
might be overwhelmed in trying to learn what Your fullness is, Lord, but You're able to do more than I can even ask of You. Thank You for the prayer in chapter one. Father. Thank You for this reminder that I must never forget what You did for me. Thank You for dying for me and then coming from the dead to conquer death forever. Thank You for bestowing on me all the riches of heaven. Such riches are not without responsibility, Lord, so please help me to stand strong and keep going even when I don't want to.

Rusty lay still and thought about what she'd just asked. She had never dreamed how hard it would be to live in this house. She thought back to her brief conversation with Chase the night before. He knew something was wrong—she could tell by the way he watched her—but she still believed it wasn't her place to give advice.

So what is my place?
she asked the Lord. Without having to think very long, she had her answer.
Tm here to take care of Quintin. That's all. If I see things that go against Your Word, Lord, then I can ask You to intervene.
Her mind resolved, she got out of bed in order to clean up and dress.