A Free Heart by Amelia C. Adams Page B

drawers opening and closing, no bedsprings squeaking, no footsteps. It was so tempting to knock and see if she’d answer, but she had been exhausted earlier, and it would be unfair to wake her. They had a long train ride ahead of them.
    He raised his hand, but paused before he actually made contact with the wood. He stood that way for several seconds before he heard a soft voice behind him.
    “I believe that works better if you actually strike your hand against the door,” she said merrily.
    “Oh, is that the best way to go about it? I knew I had missed something.” Tom turned around and saw that Harriet was looking much better. “You haven’t been wandering around without me, have you?”“No. I just visited the water closet.” She seemed a little embarrassed to mention such a thing. “I’ve been in my room the rest of the time.”
    “Were you able to get any rest?”
    “I slept for about half an hour. What have you been doing?”
    “I ate some dinner and then took a little walk around town. It would have been more enjoyable if you’d been with me, though.”
    “Oh, so that’s why you were standing here threatening my door. You missed me.” She put one hand on her hip and looked at him with those intense eyes.
    “I wasn’t threatening your door!”
    “I don’t know what else you’d call it. You certainly weren’t knocking—I’d say you were definitely threatening to knock without actually following through on it.”
    Tom held up both hands in surrender. “Very well, I was threatening your door. But now that we’ve established it, you’re obviously awake, and I have nothing to do. Come take a walk with me. Save me from my boredom.”
    She seemed to consider that for a moment. “All right. Just let me grab my hat.”
    Walking down the street with Harriet at his side was a completely different experience from walking it alone. He found himself noticing the little touches of culture and humanity everywhere—yards with flowers planted along the walks, small children dressed in neat and tidy clothing, the fine dresses in the shop windows. Being with Harriet made things come alive for him like never before.
    As they rounded a corner, Harriet stepped around a depression in the road and took hold of Tom’s elbow for balance. After she righted herself, she didn’t let go, and they strolled the rest of the way back to the hotel arm in arm. As Tom lay down to go to sleep, he was filled with a deep sense of satisfaction. If he did nothing else in his life, he could look back on today and say that he’d had the distinct honor and privilege of escorting Miss Harriet Martin around town one pleasant summer evening. That was a mighty fine accomplishment.
    * * *
    Something had definitely changed inside Harriet during their trip. She was talkative and friendly on the train ride back to Topeka, and Tom didn’t find himself wanting to escape into a nap even once. She told him a series of humorous tales from her childhood, including a time when she and Sam had dressed up as ghosts and chased the geese around the yard. The sorrow that had taken her over when she spoke of Sam before was now gone, and she seemed to be much more at peace. It was a beautiful improvement, and Tom found himself staring at her more than once.
    As the train neared Topeka, Tom feared that once they arrived back at the hotel, the wall she’d built between them would come right back up, but it didn’t. She alighted and stood on the platform, waiting for him so they could walk away from the train together. Tom saw Mr. Brody standing there and waved.
    “This is quite the change, having two of my people on that side of the travel experience,” Mr. Brody said, reaching out to shake Tom’s hand and giving Harriet a nod. “How was the trip?”
    “Exhausting, and I think you’re a brilliant man for starting up your hotel right where you did,” Harriet said. “I’m more than ready to wash up and eat a hot meal.”Mr. Brody chuckled.