Lost and Found in Lavender Bay (The Lavender Bay Chronicles #2)

30. Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Eight

O n her day off, Laura found herself walking over to her sister’s house on Pearl Street. She wanted a distraction to take her mind off of Les and his lies. Her parents were feeling good that day and had taken the girls for a drive. Although she missed her girls, she was looking forward to having some time for herself. As she walked, her thoughts turned, as they often did, to Edwin. Rumors abounded that the war was winding down. She wouldn’t believe anything until Edwin was discharged from the military, but she was hopeful. Some days she missed him so much she wanted to cry.

Remembering her sister’s instructions, she let herself into Lenore’s house, and was met with the clean-smelling fragrance of Murphy Oil Soap and the sound of Big Band playing on the radio: Benny Goodman’s “String of Pearls.”

She called out. “Lenore?”

“Hello, Laura,” her sister called. “Come on back, we’re in the kitchen. ”

Laura followed the sound of amiable chatter coming from the kitchen. Hilda and Lenore stood at the sink. Hilda was washing the dishes, and she looked over her shoulder at Laura and smiled. “Hello, Laura, how are you?”

“Good, you?”

“Fine. How are your mother and father?”

“Good. They took the girls for a drive.”

Lenore stood next to Hilda, drying the dishes after Hilda washed and rinsed them.

“Do you have an extra towel?” Laura asked. She didn’t feel like drying dishes, but she also didn’t feel like sitting around and watching Lenore and Hilda work.

“Almost finished.” Lenore’s smile was bright. “Sit down and I’ll put on the kettle. Did you want some toast and jam?”

Laura shook her head. “No thanks.” She looked around. “Where’s Johnny?”

“Over at a friend’s house.”

“And your boarders?”

“Everyone went out,” Lenore replied.

“It’s nice when the house is quiet,” Hilda added, rinsing a plate and laying it on the drainboard.

Lenore set her towel down and turned on the kettle. She pulled three cups down from the cabinet.

“I’ll get another chair.” Laura stood and went to the dining room.

Once the dishes were dried and put away, the three of them sat down to have tea.

“How’s work going?” Lenore asked.

Laura laughed but it wasn’t funny. “Not good. I’m probably going to lose my job. ”

Lenore could not hide her surprise. “What? What do you mean?”

“Why would you think that?” Hilda asked.

In between sips of tea, Laura relayed the whole sorry tale.

Lenore and Hilda were outraged.

“He deserves more than a few stitches,” Hilda said. “If butter wasn’t rationed, you could have put a block of it in a sock and given him a few belts.”

Laura wanted to laugh, but then she saw that Hilda was serious.

Lenore sighed. “I know you like your job, but you did the right thing in reporting him to the boss. You can’t work under those conditions.”

“I see that now.”

Lenore gave her sister a sympathetic smile. “I know how much this job means to you, but if your safety is at risk, you’re better off without it. If Les gets away with this, and it sounds like he might, you could be in even more danger. Who knows what he’ll do, now that he knows he has carte blanche.”

“It’s awful.” Hilda shook her head. She picked up her teacup and drained it.

Laura hadn’t given that thought consideration: that now Les might ramp up his advances. That thought made bile rise in her throat. What she had endured that day had been terrible, and she never wanted to go through something like that—or worse—again.

“I’m glad you told your boss what happened. It’s unfortunate that Les lied, but at least you spoke up. That’s the most important thing.”

Hilda agreed. “You were very brave. ”

Laura didn’t feel brave at all. She was scared and worried. And she felt helpless and powerless. She might have to give up a job she liked, all because of some man who couldn’t keep his hands to himself.