The Forgiving Heart (The Heart of Minnesota Book 1) (12 page)

S
he held up a hand when he would protest, “I know the fault was not mine, but as long as I am here, he loses business. I dislike being a burden to them after their great kindness to me.”

Michael smiled at her, “You’re going to love my mom.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

About thre
e weeks later, Michael appeared in the Anderson's kitchen.

“How long will it take you to get ready to go?”

Karlijna winced a little.

“I'm sorry,” Michael reached across the table and touched her arm, “that w
as a thoughtless thing to say. I didn't mean to say we are in such a hurry that you should drop everything, but that –”

“It is o-kay,” Karlijna interrupted him.  “I know I am safe with you.”

The words hit Michael hard. Karlijna had been so abused and tossed around the past year that she was willing to place her safety in the hands of a near stranger. Yet, Michael did not feel she was a stranger to him. He felt a desire – a need to protect her. His heart caught him off guard.

Was he in love with Karlijna? She wa
s just a girl. No, he decided, he did not love her. She just needed his help; it was a protective instinct.

“Are you ill, Michael?” Karlijna
walked around the table and put a hand on his shoulder. 

Michael dragged his attention back to the girl before him, “I'm good,” he cleared his throat, “I'll just go into the store and talk to
Leif. ”

Michael was sure Karlijna's eyes were on his back as he left.

“Michael,” Leif greeted him with a slap on the back, “It is good to see you.”

Michael nodded, but co
uldn't quite gain his footing. His emotions were running in circles, and he needed a moment to himself to sort them.

“I am here for Karlijna.
Can we be ready to leave tomorrow?”

Ingrid came to stand by her husband, “So soon?”

Leif put an arm around her, “The sooner, the better. She no longer leaves the apartment.”

Michael swallowed hard, “The lies are not dying down?”

“For a time they seemed as though they would, but the woman went to the trouble of writing a letter to Karlijna and posting it on the door of our store. We did not know what had happened until a customer tore it down and showed it to us.”

“But surely people do not believe it?”

Ingrid turned away from the conversation and went to find Karlijna.

“It is to their shame if they do,”
Leif’s eyes were on his wife's back, “and more to their shame that the majority of those who bear the tales come from the church.”

“Tomorrow we go,” Michael resolved.

“You were able to accomplish your goal very quickly.”

“I have a friend who is dating a woman in the records department in London.  She got me the necessary papers.”

“Praise the Lord,” Leif whispered as a customer came in the door.

The customer stayed to shop for a while and then d
iscuss the weather with Leif. It was some time before he returned to Michael.

“I've been wondering, boy,” he began while replacing the
canisters, “how will you be paying for this journey?”

“When I was here last
, Karlijna gave me some money. Apparently, her boss gave her a large sum when he last spoke to her.”

“Blood money,”
Leif muttered.

“She had been intending to give it to you,” Michael began.

“She did give us quite a sum. We thought to give it to you.”

Michael shook his head, “I have more than enough.”

Leif whistled, “Roald must feel pretty guilty.”

Michael growled, “I'd like him to feel more than guilty.”

Leif’s eyes widened as he looked at the younger man, “Do I hear a little more to your tone than an angry brother or cousin?”

Michael turned and paced away from his uncl
e, “She doesn't deserve this – nobody would deserve it.”

“But,”
Leif followed him, “your feelings, Michael. . .”

Michael turned around, “I don't know, but,” he held his hands in front of him and spok
e quickly, “she's safe with me. I would never harm her or take advantage of her.”

Leif
looked up, eyes narrowed, “It does change things.”

Michael heaved a sigh, “It could, I know.  But I'm still not sure how I feel about her,” he glanced toward the back room and lowered his voice. “I just realized today how much I was looking forward to being with her – then I saw her and couldn't think straight.”

Michael realized he said, “Sorry. That sounded stupid.”

Leif
was looking at him like he had lost his mind, “It sounds like you'd better figure out what you want so you don't hurt our little girl.”

Michael nodded, “I know.  I'll figure it out, but I don't have the time before we have to send her to Mom.”

Leif grunted and went back to work. Michael knew it was a bad situation. He and Karlijna were going to be spending the next few days in close proximity – possibly having to pretend they were married. It would give him ample opportunity to get to know her but also to make a mistake. Michael was serious, though, about protecting Karlijna. He wasn't going to say or do anything without time on his own think and pray.

“I thought we were going to send her with you for protection,”
Leif was speaking from across the store.

Michael raised his eyebrows, “You think she needs it?”

Leif laughed, “Probably not. I'd say God has a whole crew of guardian angels following her around. Now with this new threat, she needs them more than ever.”

“New threat?”

“You,” Leif was only half-serious, but he did laugh when Michael frowned at him and left the room.

The next morning Karlijna and Michael hugged everyone goodbye and climbed aboard
a train headed for Göteborg. He informed her they would be speaking Swedish on the trip because as they drew nearer to Norway, people's allegiances were uncertain and English speaking people were often looked on with suspicion.

“Do you not think our accents will give us away?”

“If they do, people will not know what to think. You sound German and I sound American.”

Michael had hoped to find passage on a ship the same day, but instead they were forced to wait until the following morning.

“I need a room for tonight,” Michael informed the innkeeper.

The man looked with suspicion at the pair, “Is she your wife?”

“No,” Michael admitted, “she is the child of my uncle's house, going to America.”

Karlijna had known Michael was going to say this or she may have looked surprise
d.

“I feel like Sarah,” Karlijna admitted later, “when Abraham lied and told the king she was his sister.”

Michael sighed, “I'm afraid it is not safe for you to lodge in a room by yourself, and it is better than saying you are my wife.”

Karlijna pressed her lips together, “Abraham surely thought his way was the right thing as well.”

Michael shook his head, “I did not say you are my cousin, Karlijna. I told the truth and you know my uncle loves you as his child.”

             
Karlijna did not argue again. Thankfully, the inn had a room with two beds and there was no awkwardness regarding that.

             
Karlijna woke before Michael the next day. Keeping an eye on him, she changed quickly from the dress she had slept in. She would have let him sleep longer, but knew she must visit the public room down the hall, and he warned her not to leave the room without him.

             
“Michael,” she spoke from the side of the bed.

             
Michael stirred. She tried again. This time he woke up.

             
“You are a heavy sleeper,” Karlijna laughed.

             
Michael sat up and rubbed his eyes, “Sorry. I am usually not, but I had trouble sleeping last night.”

             
“Are you worried about everything going well?”

             
“No,” Michael swung his legs over the edge of the bed, “I just had a lot on my mind. Or I was restless.”

             
Karlijna wanted to laugh at Michael's appearance. His normally neat hair was standing on end, and his clothes were rumpled from sleeping in them. He seemed a bit crabby, though, so she didn't dare.

             
“I need to use the facilities. You asked me to wait for you.”

             
Michael scrubbed a hand over his face and stood up, “I'll come walk you down there, but please stay until I get back.”

             
Within an hour, they were ready to leave the inn. Michael took Karlijna's arm as they walked through the streets and to the harbor.

             
“How soon does the boat leave?”

             
Michael looked at his watch, “Not for an hour yet. Do you need something before we go?”

             
Karlijna shook her head. He still seemed a bit tense, and she didn't want to add to his stress by asking if they could get something to eat.

             
“How long is the trip?”

             
Michael shrugged, “I think it will be about eighteen hours.”

             
Karlijna wish she had thought to save a little food from their supper last night. All she had now was a small tin of cookies from Ingrid and some flatbread from Regina.

             
“Have you been to Britain before?” Michael asked.

             
Karlijna was glad for the distraction, “Yes, but not in several years. I believe I was eight.”

             
“Do you become ill on the ferry?”

             
“I don't remember that I did, but I was not ill on the way from Poland.”

             
Michael opened the door to a building Karlijna assumed must be a ticket office, “That may not have been very telling. You were probably too terrified to be seasick.”

             
Karlijna realized he was right.

             
Michael bought the tickets and they sat down on a hard bench to wait. Karlijna's stomach growled. She placed a hand over it in an attempt to silence it.

             
Michael looked at her, “Why didn't you say something? We could have stopped for breakfast before boarding. I just thought it would be better to wait to see how your stomach fared on the trip.”

             
Karlijna smiled weakly, “That was wise.”

             
“Except you may feel more ill for having not eaten,” he seemed irritated.

             
“I'm sorry,” she knew she was making things difficult for him, “I didn't realize that could be a problem.”

             
Michael looked at her with a frown that softened, “It is I who should be sorry, Karlijna. I didn't keep you informed of anything or ask your opinion.”

             
Karlijna lay her hand on his between them, “I trust you, Michael. You do not need to ask my opinion.”

             
Michael turned his hand and captured hers. They sat that way until the boarding whistle sounded.  Karlijna thought it felt nice – safe. It was something Benard would have done were he here.

             
“Let's get on. I did not get us a sleeping berth because it was very expensive, but the lounge area should be comfortable.”

             
Karlijna followed him up the ramp, “There are places to sleep on this boat?”

             
He was carrying both pieces of her luggage with one hand to offer her a hand up, “Of course.  Have you never seen a boat like this?”

             
“It is much bigger than the ferries we took from Belgium to Ramsgate,” she did not speak anymore because she was taking in the details of the massive ship.

             
“Here is the lounge,” Michael had done something with her luggage, but she was not sure what.      He did not sit down.

             
“Shall we get you something to eat?” he began walking.

             
“There is a place on board to do this?”

             
Michael stopped and looked at her, “You thought we would need to wait until we got to Edinburgh?”

             
She nodded, “I was wondering how many of Ingrid's cookies I had left.”

             
Michael laughed, “I think your trust is misplaced. I don't seem to be discharging my duties very well.”

             
Karlijna took his hand, “You are taking very good care of me – just as my own brother would.  You are thinking of the big picture.”

             
Michael squeezed her hand before dropping it and continuing toward the dining area.