A Place for Lily Kate

A Place for Lily Kate

A Novel By

Pat Guerry Hodnett

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2011 by Pat Guerry Hodnett

All Rights Reserved

No part of this book may be copied or reproduced in any manner with the express permission of the author or publisher

Second Edition

This is a work of fiction.

(An early version of this novel was published by the author.)

Front cover illustration by Tish Guerry

Dedicated to the City of York, to which my heart returns no matter where I go.

~PGH

Chapter 1

A Change for Lily Kate

Lily Kate, in a habit from childhood, idly twirled a strand of dark auburn hair around her index finger as she sat on her grandmother’s bed, staring at the familiar surroundings, drinking in the last remaining moments of wholeness as she waited for the movers to come and begin dismantling the only home she had ever known. The lavender scent that Grandmother powdered on her arms after her daily bath still lingered around the bedroom’s furnishings.

The sterling hand mirror, monogrammed with her initials, lay gleaming in the center of the antique dressing table, never again to reflect her grandmother’s sweet, reassuring image. A nearby jar of Ponds facial cream stirred memories of playing beauty parlor on cold, rainy days: slathering her face with the fragrant concoction as she sat before the mirror, and then sliding Kleenex tissue over her soft skin to clean it. Hairpins in a glass dish waited to contain the twist of hair that had been carefully secured each morning in the back of Grandmother’s snow-white head. Now all was done. Finished. Gone.

The recollection of standing beside the casket at the funeral home and the sight of her Grandmother’s face, so still, so quiet, so blank, would not leave her mind. The startling news from the emergency room doctor, sad neighbors bearing casseroles, the funeral director needing service details, Father Murray taking control, all traumatized what used to be a happy eleven-year-old girl, leaving her with a jumble of new and unwelcome emotions. The mental picture of seeing her Grandmother unconscious on the floor flashed again and again in her head. The grief was overwhelming as she was thrust into an alien space with no apparent anchor. For as long as she could remember, Nana had been there for her. Lily Kate could hardly believe her new circumstances! Just three weeks ago, she had been with her Grandmother, safe, secure, and happy, and then, in an instant, her whole life had been altered forever.

This was too much for a girl her age to handle! She had no memory to compare to the empty feeling now in her heart. She had wept often, but the tears didn’t wash away the sadness, and nothing seemed able to fill the void that remained. Her thoughts kept trying to go in reverse, to retreat into the place of comfort that had been her Grandmother’s love and care.

Usually, Lily Kate was unafraid to face anything, but this was different, unimaginable. Being orphaned had never crossed her mind. And now terrible stories that she had read about unfortunate children left without parents returned to haunt her. What had she done to deserve this? Dreadful things were not supposed to happen to good little girls who worked hard and tried to do what was asked of them. She had been a good girl. Disobedience to rules at home or at school had almost never been a problem, and good grades were expected and achieved. Until now everyone had considered her to be talented and smart. Nana always encouraged her to give one hundred percent on all tasks – and she had tried! What would happen to her now?

Where would she go? Who would love and take care of her? These unsettling questions kept blinking in her mind like neon signs and refused to be switched off.

She thought about The Secret – the one that no one except Nana, Celia, and Celia’s parents knew. The Secret – the fact that she was illegitimate – had always seemed safe, had always been safe, in Charleston. People knew that her mother was deceased, but they had been told little else, and seemed satisfied with what little they knew. Then, by the time Lily Kate was ready to enter school, everyone seemed to think of her and Nana as having always been a family unit. Celia and Mr. and Mrs. McClendon were the only other people to whom the truth had been confided. But how would she answer questions from people she did not know in a new place? Truthfully? She thought not.

The answer to what would happen to Lily Kate had come all too soon and was not to her liking. Without her knowledge, Father Murray had called a meeting of the parish vestry of St. Michaels Episcopal Church, in downtown Charleston, to discuss where she would go since there were no relatives to take care of her. How dare they decide where she was to go without saying even a word about it to her! She was intelligent! She could take care of herself! Now that old stubborn streak that she had never acknowledged in herself was beginning to rear its willful head. Staunch resistance had begun to overtake reason, and when she heard that the vestry had decided to send her to an orphanage, she felt faint. This horrid place, called the Church Home, was far away, in the Piedmont section of the state in a town called York. The whole idea was, well, unthinkable!

Father Murray had volunteered to take her to this Church Home himself as soon as it could be arranged, and in the meantime she would remain at the home of her best friend, Celia. Well, she would see about that! Thoughts of packing her suitcase and running away darted back and forth in her head, and for a moment brought a sense of relief. Celia would understand and help her. Maybe she could even hide in the basement and have Celia bring her food at meal times.

Sitting on the bed, feeling sad, angry, and confused, all at the same time, Lily Kate heard Celia’s mother, Mrs. McClendon, calling her name. Lily Kate, where are you, dear?

The voice jolted her back to reality, but Lily Kate did not answer. She was still deep in thought about what to do. Then another idea occurred to her: Why, yes, she could stay right there in Grandmother’s house and take care of herself. She could keep house. She knew how to walk to the neighborhood store to buy groceries. How hard could that be? And washing clothes? Why, she had been doing laundry for a long time, and cleaning house, too. Grandmother had been a stickler for a neat house and had taught Lily Kate to do her part of the housework. And the school bus came to pick her up every morning and brought her straight back in the afternoon. Simple. And whatever it took, she was willing to do it. She was staying put – and she meant that for all she was worth! These childish thoughts and feeling of self-reliance were running amuck, but were nonetheless sincere to Lily Kate

Lily Kate sat stock-still and remained silent, listening to Mrs. McClendon’s footsteps as she came though the house. Only when Mrs. McClendon got to the hallway that led to the back bedrooms did Lily Kate reply.

I’m in Nana’s room! she called out.

Mrs. McClendon entered to find Lily Kate sitting Indian style on her Grandmother’s hand-crocheted bedspread and wearing a grim, determined expression as she fingered a white lace handkerchief that her Grandmother usually carried in her Sunday purse.

There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you. You frightened me running back over here like that.

Lily Kate looked down, her surly attitude unwavering. Then abruptly she glanced up at Mrs. McClendon and firmly announced her decision. I’ve decided that I will stay here in my house by myself. I can manage everything very well. I know exactly what to do everyday, and if I need any help you and Celia will be right next door. Lily Kate knew she sounded sassy, but she couldn’t help it. That was just the way she felt. Nobody was going to make her do anything she didn’t want to do, and she meant to have things her way!

Mrs. McClendon approached the bed and sat down beside Lily Kate. She was filled with compassion for the child, whom she loved like one of her own. If it were possible she would raise her, but with four school-age children of her own she lacked the resources to add another person to their already crowded house and tight budget. Feeling that what Lily Kate needed was the truth and then a big hug, she put her arm around the devastated girl and said, "Now, now, Lily Kate. Everything’s going to work out; you’ll