Leave a Candle Burning (19 page)

“I’ve got to clean up,” Scottie announced, “and help with dinner.”

“Coming to eat with me?” Eli asked.

“Absolutely,” Scottie told him on her way out the door.

“Come in,” Troy welcomed Dannan at dinnertime, having heard from Conner that he’d started the morning in a rough way.

“Thank you, Troy.”

“Well, Dannan,” Reese spoke from the doorway of the dining room. “I didn’t expect to see you.”

“Why was that?” he asked cautiously.

“You’re certainly welcome,” Conner put in, having come to his wife’s shoulder.

“Yes, Dannan,” Reese clarified, having heard the way she sounded. “I just assumed you’d be with the Petersons.”

“Iris has given me an open invitation—I think I told you that—but I wanted to give Corina this first day on her own.”

“Is it hard not to go?” Conner asked as they were each finding a chair in the dining room.

Dannan’s smile was wry. “I’m just waiting for when I think she’ll be napping. Then I’ll check.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Troy encouraged.

Reese had seen to another place setting, and just minutes later they had prayed and begun to pass the steaming dishes. It was a great meal—Reese could always be counted on for that—but as with everything else that day, Dannan’s mind was half on Corina.

“Here you go,” Finn offered, setting a cup of water next to Corina and gaining a shy smile. “Does your doll have a name?” he asked.

She gave a small shake of her head, and Finn just smiled at her.

It was only the three of them. Scottie dined with Eli, and Corina, happily situated on a box for height, remained at the worktable in the kitchen with Iris and Finn.

“These potatoes are good,” Finn commented.

“Um hm.” Iris’ face was calm as she agreed, but Finn caught the pleasure in her voice.

Corina gave a small cough, and Iris came to complete attention.

“Easy now,” she cautioned, leaning toward her. “Did it go down?”

Eyes streaming as she tried to catch her breath, Corina coughed until she could find air and then sat still while Iris wiped her little face.

“Are you all right?” Finn asked.

She didn’t respond but drank from the cup he offered. A little bit of a shudder, accompanied by a huge breath, lifted her frame before she took the spoon Iris handed her. The whole action made her look very tired and vulnerable.

When Corina started to eat again, Iris and Finn exchanged a look, their eyes silently communicating that Corina MacKay was a treasure.

“We have an early morning appointment with Douglas,” Doyle informed Cathy when she stopped in to get his dinner dishes.

“Tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“Why so soon?” she asked.

“Well, Douglas stopped in on his way to see Eli, and I asked him.”

Cathy looked at him. She had been resigned earlier, but now she wasn’t sure about this.

“What’s wrong?” Doyle pressed her.

“I’m not sure what we’re seeing him about. Why don’t you go on your own?”

“I thought you had questions.”

He was right, she did. But at the moment she couldn’t recall a thing.

“I’m not going to cancel,” Doyle said, his voice calm and matter-of-fact. “If you remember by the morning, fine. If not, I’m sure we’ll find something to talk about.”

“Doesn’t Douglas have better things to do than visit with us?”

Doyle was on the verge of telling her that Douglas had been very pleased about meeting with them, but someone was coming in the door. It took a while, and by the time he finished, Cathy was back at the house. Doyle was quite certain that the subject would resurface the moment he closed and went home for tea.

“She’s sound asleep,” Iris informed Eli an hour after dinner.

“How did she do this morning? How did you do?”

“We got along just fine. She asked for Dannan when she grew sleepy but didn’t cry for him.”

“He’ll be glad to know that. What did she think of the town set?”

“I don’t have that out yet. Just a few toys at a time makes them all the more special.”

Eli’s smile for her was fond. “You should have married and had a family, Iris.”

That woman only chuckled and reminded him it was time for Douglas to arrive. “I’ll send him up” was her parting remark, leaving Eli on his own.

“You’re looking chipper,” Douglas greeted when he gained Eli’s room, shaking his hand as he always did.

“I knew you were coming,” Eli teased, his Bible ready on his lap.

Both men valued these weekly visits. Eli was given a personal sermon, and Douglas had a student who was keen and hungry for God’s Word.

“Did Scottie tell you about Corina and the bee?”

“As much as she could. She was feeling quite emotional.”

Douglas nodded in understanding. “I’m still wondering about the way I handled it, but no one has expressed upset. At least, not yet.”

“I think your comment, the one about how God feels when we sin, was very appropriate. I’ve only met Dannan a few times, and he doesn’t seem the type to wear his feelings on his sleeve.”

“I think you’re right, but I wanted to be sensitive to the feelings of others as well.”

“That’s kind of you, Douglas, but the only person I would worry about in that situation is Dannan.”

This gave Douglas pause, and after a moment’s thought, he wondered if Eli might be right. Dannan and Corina were the focus just now.

A moment later, Douglas realized he didn’t want to spend all his time with Eli on this subject. He opened his Bible and the men began.

Well over an hour later, as Douglas made his way downstairs, he heard Corina’s voice. He knew he was always welcome in the kitchen and stepped through to say hello.

“Well, look who’s here,” Iris said to her charge.

“Hi, Corina,” Douglas greeted her, glad to see recognition in her eyes.

“Tea,” she said to him, handing him a small cup when he drew near.

“Thank you,” Douglas just managed, wanting to laugh at her serious face. He noticed that her doll had tea as well, and it looked as if she had played in this spot all day.

“How is it going?” Douglas asked Iris.

“Very well. She’s a good girl.”

Douglas smiled down at the little girl, thinking it was quite true. Life had turned wrong side up for her, but as with most children, she was remarkably resilient.

“Thank you for the tea, Corina,” Douglas said as he handed back the cup, stooping a bit to be at her level.

Corina looked up at him and began to speak. Douglas caught
Danna, dolly,
a word that sounded like
teepee, missus,
and even
Porina Joy.
Attending as best he was able, he smiled all the while.

“Did you get any of that?” he asked Iris.

“As a matter of fact, yes. Once you spend a little time with her, she’s quite clear.”

“What did she say?”

“She makes tea for Dannan and her doll, and he calls her Corina Joy and kisses her.”

Douglas had to laugh. It all made sense now. He thanked Corina again for the tea, bid Iris a warm goodbye, and made for the door. It occurred to him that he usually saw both Scottie and Finn at the Peterson house, and neither had been in attendance. Nevertheless, it wasn’t long before he was back on the green, a place he always used to remind him to pray for the folks in Tucker Mills, effectively putting the folks at the Peterson house in the back of his mind.