A Searching Heart (16 page)

Virginia sighed. This might prove to be difficult. She didn't know whether to comb the crowd or just pick an unobtrusive seat and wait.

Just then her eyes caught a sign, held up high above the heads of others. There was her name. Virginia Simpson. With another sigh, now of relief, Virginia moved confidently toward the sign carrier.

As a path cleared before her, she saw the sign lowering, its bearer moving in her direction.

Good,
she thought to herself.
He's spotted me.

One last person moved to the side, and Virginia prepared a welcoming smile. She was so thankful for the wisdom that prompted the signmaker to simplify this meeting.

Then Virginia stopped abruptly.
There must be some mistake. No minister could possibly be this young,
she thought frantically.

———

“Miss Simpson?”

Virginia managed a nod. Her throat felt dry.

“I'm Pastor Black.”

He must have seen her bewilderment. “Your father, Andrew Simpson, called me,” he explained. “Made arrangements for me to meet your train. He said you have a friend in the hospital, badly injured from a car accident.”

He had all the facts. Surely he must be the right man.

He moved forward to take the suitcase from her hand. Virginia didn't know whether to let it go or not.

“I have a car waiting—this way.”

She still did not speak or move.

“I hope your journey was not too stressful,” he continued with a kind smile. “This way,” he said again.

Virginia knew he expected her to fall in step. She did, her legs moving woodenly forward.

“This must be very hard for you,” he was saying as they moved from the building.

Virginia nodded.

“I understand your friend is a student at the university.”

She nodded again.

“We have several university students who attend our church. I know she was not one of our usual group, but perhaps she had been an invited guest at some time.”

Virginia shook her head. It was highly unlikely.

“I haven't had opportunity since your father's call to make a hospital visit, but I certainly plan to do that first thing tomorrow. Just to let the family know that we will do all we can to help them through this difficult time.”

Virginia nodded again, wondering distractedly how welcome his services would be.

“I understand her father has come.”

Virginia knew she must find her tongue.

“Yes” was all she managed.

“I must look him up,” he continued.

They had reached the auto, and he was storing her suitcase in the backseat and opening the door for her to be seated.

Before she could check herself, she blurted out, “Are you married?”

He looked totally surprised by the question, then seemed to nod in understanding. He looked solemn for a moment, then he threw back his head and laughed. Virginia had never seen so many changes of expression pass so quickly on anyone's face before.

“I am not,” he answered through his chuckles, “but you are quite safe. I live with my mother—or rather, she lives with me.” He helped her in and closed the door.

He chuckled again when he climbed in beside her and started the engine.

He soon sobered and eased the auto from the curb and out into the street.

“Are you uncomfortable in an auto?” he asked, all of the laughter gone from his voice. “I can imagine that you would be uncertain—”

“No,” Virginia put in quickly. “I'm all right.”

“Good. I just thought—with your friend's accident and all—some people get very fearful.”

Virginia shook her head again, sure that driving with a minister was much different than being with Jenny and her friends on the night of the accident.

“You might not meet my mother until morning,” he informed her. “I encouraged her not to disturb her sleep. But she is there—let me assure you.” He smiled reassuringly. “If you are not certain about me, a stranger—trust your father. You can be sure he checked things thoroughly before he made this arrangement.”

Virginia relaxed. Of course her father would have checked.

CHAPTER 12

T
hey were prepared to tiptoe their way into the house where a cheery light awaited them, but a middle-aged woman met them at the door, welcoming Virginia with a pleasant smile.

“Do come in, my dear,” she invited.

“Mother. You were to stay in bed,” her son reprimanded gently.

She seemed to pay little attention to his fussing. “How was your trip?” she asked Virginia. “Miserable time of the day to be traveling. But then, train travel is an adventure at any time. Never did care for the train. All that rocking to and fro makes my stomach queasy.”

Virginia managed a smile. “I slept part of the way,” she offered, still surprised by the fact that she actually had.

“Oh, that's good. It makes the journey seem so much shorter if one can sleep. Well, come right this way. Your room is at the top of the stair. Tommy, take her suitcase up. Put it on the low stand by the door.”

She turned back to Virginia. “I'm so sorry to hear of your friend's tragic accident. Have you any further word on her condition?”

Virginia shook her head.

Virginia watched as her suitcase moved up the stairs in the hand of the young minister.

“Well, we have our people praying. We haven't had one bit of time to do anything more. Tommy had to go to Trent this afternoon to see an ailing parishioner, and then he had a church meeting this evening, and by the time it finished it was too late to get over to the hospital. But he'll get you on over the first thing in the morning. He has cleared his day so he might be available to help in any way he can.”

“Oh, he shouldn't have,” Virginia objected. “I don't wish to interfere with his pastoral duties.”

“Nonsense.” She smiled. “That's what his pastoral duties are.”

Virginia was relieved to find her hostess warm and talkative, though as weary as she was, she would have been quite content for the chat to take place after she had gotten more sleep.

“Do you want a cup of tea, my dear? Warm milk? Lemonade?”

With each shake of Virginia's head, the woman named something else.

“No, thank you. Mama fixed a lunch for me to eat on the train. I'm fine, thank you.”

“Then it's off to bed with you then. You must be exhausted.”

Virginia admitted that she was.

“Right up the stairs. Tommy will have your suitcase there for you.”

“Thank you,” said Virginia sincerely. As she turned to mount the stairs, she smiled at the “Tommy,” sounding as though the minister were still a small boy. She wondered what Tommy himself thought of it. He had given his name as Thomas.

Virginia was so tired she could not wait to climb between the cool, white sheets. There was her suitcase, just where it was supposed to be. There was no sign of the pastor who had brought her from the train station. She did wish briefly that she'd had an opportunity to thank him and to ask him to please have her called in the morning in the event she should oversleep.

But Virginia did not sleep in. She was awake and dressed before she heard stirring in the rest of the house. She waited nervously until she thought the minister and his mother were both up and about, then cautiously opened her door. Yes, she could hear the murmur of voices. She took a deep breath and began her descent.

Through the open kitchen door she could see the breakfast table already set for three. The woman, bountifully garbed in a blue checkered apron, was working at the stove. The young minister sat on a chair near a window, an open Bible in his hand. His head turned toward her as she appeared in the doorway.

“Good morning.” His smile greeted her.

The clock above his head said ten minutes past seven.

His mother turned also and graced Virginia with a warm smile. “Did you get any sleep, my dear?”

Virginia smiled, too. “I feel much better this morning, thank you. The bed was—just right. Not too soft, not too hard, just right. Did I happen to have ‘baby bear's bed,' by any chance?”

The young man looked up again from his reading as though surprised that she could put so many words together in a row. The woman chuckled at the little joke. “Baby bear's?” she repeated. “Perhaps.” Then she continued, “Sit down, Virginia. Take that chair right in front of you. Breakfast will be ready in a jiffy. I've just to dish it up.”

“May I help?”

“Oh no, no. I've got it all right here. Tommy, put that hot pad by the milk pitcher. This breakfast casserole is too hot for the table.”

Virginia had never had a breakfast casserole before and wasn't quite sure what to expect. The woman placed the dish on the table and went for the plate of muffins.

“Sit down, my dear,” she repeated.

Virginia sat down, wondering if everyone in Tommy's church was “deared” by his mother.

The minister led in the morning prayer, which was considerably more than a simple table grace. He referred to the day they were facing, needs in his congregation, which included Mrs. Tiffany's gout, Margaret, who had fallen and broken an arm, Jack, who was confronted with bills he had no money to pay, and Mr. Sloan, who had lost his wife.

His prayer was sincere and earnest. He remembered the young girl in the auto accident and her greatly concerned father. He prayed for Virginia and God's needed presence and help to get her through the difficult day ahead. In the closing sentences, he thanked a loving God for bountifully supplying the daily bread to sustain their physical bodies.

The meal was much more than bread. The casserole was delicious, an egg and ham concoction with browned crumbs sprinkled over the top, and seasoning that made one lick one's lips. The muffins were a wonderful complement, and Virginia found herself eating heartily.

“It's a bit early to be heading to the hospital,” the young pastor said. “Is there anything you want to do first?”

Virginia tried to think. There was nothing that she needed to do, and she did not know the city well enough to make any requests.

“No,” she answered. “I just want to see my friend. I came for no other reason.”

He nodded. “I understand.”

“Did you want to get in touch with the girl's father?” Mrs. Black asked.

“I don't know where he is staying. I imagine I'll see him at the hospital,” Virginia responded.

“Perhaps you'd like to call home. Let your folks know you have arrived safely.”

“If you don't mind, I'd appreciate that.”

But even before they had finished their meal, the telephone rang. It was Virginia's father. She was so glad to talk to him and then her mother. She felt connected, even though they were many miles apart.

“No, no, I haven't heard anything new yet,” she said into the telephone. “We are just finishing our breakfast, and then we will drive over. It's a bit early for the hospital to respond to visitors. Yes, I'll let you know as soon as I learn anything. Yes, I will. I love you, too. Bye-bye.”

Virginia returned the phone to its cradle and turned back to her host and hostess. “My mother says to tell you just how much she appreciates your kindness. They would not have let me come on my own without some . . . some connection here in the city.”

“We are most happy to be of assistance,” Mrs. Black answered for both of them. “Tell us about your family.”

Virginia wondered where to start. Did they want a full account or just a briefing? She decided on the briefing. “I have two sisters, the older one married with a little boy, the younger one still in school. And two brothers who are both university students.”

“Your father?”

“An attorney.”

“Ah yes.”

Virginia was not sure what Mrs. Black meant by “Ah yes.” She let it pass. “My mother was a nurse, but since the family arrived, she has only nursed when needed to assist in some emergency.”

Mrs. Black nodded, took another drink from her coffee cup, and then said, “This friend who was hurt. Tell us about her.”

Again Virginia did not know where to start. To really give a full account about Jenny would sound much like gossiping. Yet to refuse seemed rude.

“She—we went to school together. They moved to our town when her father bought the local newspaper.”

“A newsman?”

“Yes.”

“I always think that newsmen have such potential to do good. The moral values of the entire community are often set by the local newspaper and the person who runs it.”

Virginia had never thought of that before. She did not say that Mr. Woods certainly hadn't set the moral tone for their small town, nor did he represent the morals of the largest number of the town citizens.

“Is this her first year at college?” asked the Reverend Black.

“No. She attended last year, as well.”

“Is there some reason her mother wasn't able to come, or has she had the sorrow of losing her mother?” This probing question from Mrs. Black.

Virginia paused. How could she answer without either gossiping or dissembling?

“She—I guess you would say she—she hasn't been in touch.”

Mrs. Black exchanged a look with her pastor son. But there was no condemnation in her eyes. Only sympathy.

“Has she—the mother—been informed of the accident?” Virginia was sure it was the woman's mother-heart inquiring.

Virginia shook her head slowly. “I don't believe they have any idea where she is,” she responded honestly.

Mrs. Black seemed about to make further comment, but she lowered her head and pursed her lips tightly. Virginia appreciated her discreetness.

“If you'll excuse me, please,” Thomas Black said, “I have a few things to tidy up and then we'll leave for the hospital.”

“Of course.” Virginia nodded her assent.

“More coffee, my dear?” Mrs. Black asked as soon as her son had disappeared.