A Passion Most Pure (6 page)

"I know. I just don't want special attention because of it. I'd much rather, well, earn the respect on my own, if you understand my meaning."

"I do, and I applaud you for it, my dear. Come, I will introduce you to the girl who will assist in your training. She's one of our most experienced typists."

Hattie maneuvered Faith to the back of the room like a tugboat pushing a barge, creating a ripple effect of curious eyes. She halted in front of a pleasant-looking girl with a persistent spray of freckles and a wild mane of tawny curls restrained by a black barrette. The girl smiled, and the freckles made way for dimples.

"Maisie, this is Faith O'Connor, our newest member of the typing pool. Faith, this is Maisie Tanner. She'll get you set up. These are Underwood machines. I understand you were trained on Royals in school, is that right, dear?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Well, they're basically the same with a few minor differences, but Maisie can run you through all of that. This section of the pool is responsible for typing and proofing all copy from the obituaries to weather. The other section handles art through music-it's alphabetically divided, of course. A few copywriters prefer to type their own copy, but most will give you sheets and sheets of chicken scratch, which you will become quite adept at deciphering." Hattie's puffy hands fluttered in the air while her twinkling eyes rolled in Maisie's direction. "When you can't make heads or tails of it, you'll find Maisie's help invaluable. She's a wonder at reading their minds."

Maisie nodded and smiled, wisps of stray curls bobbing in agreement.

"You're assigned to the day shift, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Maisie will show you where to clock in. Lunch is at noon; you get thirty minutes. I have a few papers for you to sign before you leave today, but that about covers what you need to get started. I'll leave you with Maisie. Good luck, young lady." Hattie waddled to her desk, where the squeaking commenced once again.

Faith stooped to store her purse on the small ledge beneath her typing table, her stomach a jumble while Maisie rattled on. All at once, Maisie patted her arm. "First-day jitters-everybody gets 'em. You're gonna be fine."

Faith's smile was weak. "Do you really think so?" she asked, poising her fingers over the keys of her very own Underwood.

Maisie grinned. "Sure, once you get that shaking under control. Yeah, you're gonna be fine."

Faith sighed. Oh, how she had missed this-the heady warmth of the early autumn sun on her face, the crisp, earthy scent of fall in the air, the riotous blaze of color. It was hard to believe only two weeks had passed since she'd been here last, her favorite spot in O'Reilly Park. Only two weeks since she had begun her job at the Herald-two weeks that had changed her life so completely.

She lazed on the blanket like a contented cat, prayer book, journal, and pen by her side. Closing her eyes, she tilted her face toward the warmth of the sun. Oh, there were so few days like this left! The mournful echo of a loon filled the autumn air, its melancholy song bittersweet to her ears. It was a new season, and in some small way, she mourned the passing of the old-the summer, her school years, her adolescent daydreams.

But the new was certainly not without promise. Turning to lie on her back, she thought about her first weeks at the Herald. True, it had not been as exciting as she had hoped-passion was hard to come by when typing obituaries and weather eight hours a day. But it was, in a way, rewarding.

It was strange. Only two weeks had passed, and yet she felt so different, older, more alive. Ina mere eight days-on September 30-she would be nineteen, but it was more than that. A feeling of importance, of contribution. She was, after all, part of the inner workings of one of the finest newspapers in the country. A minute role, to be sure, but a cog nonetheless in the wheel of a great machine. One that kept its fingers on the pulse of one of the grandest cities on the Eastern Seaboard.

Faith breathed in deeply, the expanse of air filling her chest with a sense of pride. Despite the monotony of her job, she rather enjoyed it. Well, perhaps not the job as much as riding the trolley to work with Father each morning. She loved listening to tales of his early days or colorful commentary on co-workers. She'd always been close to her father, but within the last two weeks, she sensed something new in their relationship. Over and above their love as father and daughter, they now had a common bond, a kinship that had nothing to do with blood. They were newspeople who loved the smell of ink and the demand of a deadline.

Then there was Maisie. Never had Faith met anyone who made her laugh more. Throughout high school, Faith had developed several friendships, but none even came close to what she and Maisie had shared in two short weeks. They had connected immediately, babbling on about the latest fashions, and Mary Pickford's hairstyles, and their dreams for the future. At the most inopportune times, Maisie's droll sense of humor would make Faith giggle out loud, catching the disapproving eye of Miss Hayword, who would tap a chubby finger against her lips in a scolding fashion.

Faith smiled. Everything was perfect. Or almost perfect. She rolled on her side and felt her smile stiffen.

Except forBriana. The image of the typing pool's resident bully invaded her thoughts. A hardened beauty from the wrong side of town, Briana reveled in picking on Faith. The moment she'd learned Faith was Patrick's daughter, she and her sidekicks had taken every opportunity to bombard her with insult and innuendo.

Faith sighed, remembering the knock-down fight that had finally resulted after a week on the job. The memory of Briana sprawled in a sea of trash flashed before her, and Faith couldn't help the smile that twitched on her lips. For a solid week she had taken the bullying, biting her tongue so many times her teeth ached. She'd even managed to hog-tie Maisie when Briana's words had been particularly nasty. And then it happened-Briana breached the bounds of Faith's temper, striking at the soft underbelly of all that Faith held dear: her father.

With frightening speed, Faith had rammed the palm of her hand against Briana's chest, felling her like a tall, leggy oak. Briana toppled against a row of overflowing trash cans lining the dock wall, her face frozen in shock. She attempted to rise, smelling faintly of sardines.

Mortified, Faith reached to help her up.

"Don't you touch me! You better believe Miss Hayword is going to hear about this. Let's see what your precious daddy thinks of his little girl bullying her fellow workers."

Briana's cronies brushed bits of trash off her clothes as she stood to her feet. "Get out of my way," she rasped, pushing past Faith while her entourage trailed behind.

Faith had been aghast, but the moment she spied Maisie's red face, the two of them had howled until they cried. In the end, she had received a gentle reprimand from Miss Hayword, who never even mentioned it to her father. Apparently she didn't like Briana either.

Feeling a wee bit guilty, Faith squeezed her eyes shut. "Okay, okay, bless her, Lord," she muttered through clenched teeth. She shifted to lie flat on her back, then stretched lazily to soak in the surprising warmth of the late-September sun. With eyes closed, she kicked off her shoes and hiked her green muslin skirt above her knees. She shimmied out of her navy stockings to bare her legs. Thrusting her crisp, white shirtsleeves up, she clasped her hands over her head and breathed in deeply. Oh, how she cherished moments like this! To lie here in her own personal haven, hedged by massive forsythia bushes that spilled over a peaceful pond. It was the perfect place for reflection.

Through her eyelids, she could feel rather than see the flickering sun as it danced and shimmered between the fluttering leaves of the massive oak overhead. Intermittently its warmth was stolen for a moment, as it was now, by a stray cloud in an otherwise perfect sky. Somewhere high in the canopy of boughs, a mockingbird chattered, luring a smile to Faith's lips as she rested, content in her wait for the warmth to return.

"You know, there's a good chance you could burn those beautiful legs."

Heaven help her, she was paralyzed, unable to move anything but her eyelids. They flew open in utter horror, and she blinked, sunlight blinding her eyes to a shadowy figure standing over her.

Collin McGuire.

He assessed her bare legs with a grin, which promptly produced an onslaught of heat in her cheeks. "I'd be careful, you know. Looks like your face is pretty red too."

Faith yanked her skirt down and shielded her eyes from the sun as she looked up at him. Please don't let him see me shaking. With a sweaty palm, she clutched at her dress.

He sat down on the blanket beside her, his long legs stretched out next to her own. He leaned back, tugged at a piece of grass, and put the stem in his mouth. He chewed it slowly, deliberately.

Her breath hitched in her throat. "What are you doing?" she stuttered, inching to the far edge of the blanket.

Collin turned to face her, his gray eyes nonchalant. "Sittin'." He looked away and tilted his face to the sun as if being there were the most natural thing in the world.

Warmth washed over her. Her pulse raced chaotically. "I don't understand. Did you follow me?"

"Uh-huh."

"But why?"

He sat up straight and shifted to face her. The blade of grass continued to rotate in his lips. He plucked it from his mouth. "Honestly? I came here to vent. I was pretty mad that you made it difficult for me to see your sister. I'm quite fond of her, you know, and hope to see more of her. Why'd you tell your parents you saw us on the porch?"

Faith blinked and looked away. She felt as if he could read her mind, and it made her uneasy. She shivered. "I didn't mean to, honestly I didn't. It just . . . well, it just came out. We were fighting, and Charity said something hurtful. Then I did."

When he didn't answer, she straightened her shoulders and thrust her chin to stare at him boldly-then caught her breath. He was only inches away, and she'd forgotten the mesmerizing effect of those eyes, so serene and light. They were a striking shade of gray, not quite blue, and as clear and deep as the purest spring. Her mother often remarked how eyes were the windows to the soul. Faith stared into the depths of his now and felt as if she were staring into the inner sanctum of Collin McGuire. The blade of grass was back between his teeth. His gaze locked with hers, and a strange calm came over her. At the same time, her heart accelerated, a paradox that confused and frightened her.

His smile faded as he stared back, transfixed, almost as if he too felt the startling connection. Abruptly, she turned away, her fingers grasping at her hair to push it from her face. "I suppose it shocked me ... seeing you with Charity like that. She's only sixteen. And you're twenty-one ..."

He didn't respond, and she looked up. The deadly smile had reappeared. Another rush of warmth invaded her cheeks. "My parents aren't comfortable with that," she said.

Collin reached for an acorn and rolled its nubby hull between his forefinger and thumb. He certainly hadn't expected this, to find himself enjoying Charity's meddling sister. Suddenly he was following her every move. He tossed the nut in the air. "And what about you? How's your comfort level?"

It was like watching a scene in a play. He remembered her from high school, of course, and the memory broadened the smile on his lips. But he hadn't noticed then how pretty she was.

She'd grown up a lot since then. Gone were the steel braces that had shackled a little girl who'd looked as if the next breeze would wisp her away. As a freshman she'd been skinny and gangly with haunting green eyes. But now ... He grinned, allowing his eyes to rove the length of her. He could tell by her blush that his gaze made her uncomfortable. He didn't care. It was too much fun studying her-the slightly upturned nose, the delicately sculpted face, the glint of sun in the red-gold hair. And the eyes-as green as a field of grass with tiny specks of gold scattered throughout.

Her head jerked up, and the green eyes glittered. "Me? I don't give a fig what you do or with whom you do it," she snapped. "Except for Charity. She's too young."

The eyes had him riveted. There was something about Faith O'Connor that stirred him, and he wasn't sure why. Charity's appeal far surpassed that of the pretty girl who sat beside him, and yet ... there was something deeper he couldn't explain. Something he'd never experienced in the countless encounters he'd known. It thrilled him-and scared him-all at once.

He batted the acorn high in the sky and looked away, squinting at the sun. "Too young?" He spit out the chewed blade of grass to emphasize his point and felt his heart beating faster than usual. "Not from my vantage point."

With great difficulty, he kept his breathing steady and calm, his eyes indifferent. Well, well, Collin McGuire, this is certainly uncharted territory for you. And although he desperately wanted to explore it, something stopped him cold. Faith O'Connor seemed like the kind of girl who could put a stranglehold on his heart. And that was something he preferred to avoid. His smile eased into arrogance. "As a matter of fact, I'd say she's the perfect age."

She shot off the blanket and glared down at him, elbows flaring at her side. "You leave her alone! She's not one of your common girls at Brannigan's. She's a good girl. Too good for the likes of you."

"Too good for the likes of you ... " The words of his mother assaulted his memory, flaming the fuse. Springing to his feet, he towered over her and gripped her shoulders, fingers digging in. For an instant, it appeared as if she didn't dare breathe.

"Don't ever say that again," he whispered. Fury pulsed in his temple. He tightened his grip. "Too good for the likes of me, is she now? Well, then, what about you, Faith O'Connor? Are you too good for the likes of me?"

She caught her breath just before his lips found hers, and he felt the fight within her as he locked her in his arms. The taste of her mouth was so heady to his senses that a soft moan escaped his lips at the shock of it. She shivered before she went weak in his arms, and instinctively, he softened his hold.