A Searching Heart by Janette Oke

Author:Janette Oke [Oke, Janette]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2005-12-31T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 12

They 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.

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