"We start now," Marcus said. He closed his briefcase and stood. "I will draft the emergency petition this morning. I will call Hannah Cole and ask her to send what she can from Philadelphia today. I will contact the Pennsylvania agency about the transfer. And this afternoon, I will file the petition with the court."
Arthur followed him to the door. "This afternoon?"
"This afternoon," Marcus said. "By the end of the day, Eli will be under the protection of a filed petition, and you will have a court date. It will give the boy a legal place to stand."
Arthur nodded. He watched Marcus walk down the hall, briefcase in hand, already on the phone as he reached the front door. Downstairs, Margaret was clearing the breakfast plates, and Eli was waiting in the kitchen, small and watchful, holding his mother's ring in one hand. Arthur took a breath and went to find him.
Chapter 13: Settling In
The brownstone was quiet. The lawyers had gone. The phone had stopped ringing. Arthur stood in the kitchen doorway and watched Margaret move around the stove.
"Soup tonight," Margaret said without looking up. "Just chicken soup, with bread. A boy needs something warm in his belly before bed."
Arthur straightened his cufflinks. "Do you think he will eat?"
"He ate yesterday," Margaret said. "He will eat today. Do not hover, Mr. Bennett. Let him come to the table when he is ready."
Eli stood at the edge of the kitchen, unsure whether he was allowed to step inside. He held the small canvas bag he had carried into the ballroom.
"Come in, sweetheart," Margaret said. "You can sit right there if you like. Right where you can see the door."
Eli slipped into the chair nearest the door. He set the bag beside his feet and kept one hand on its strap.
"You do not have to hold it the whole time," Arthur said gently.
Eli looked at him. "I know." He did not let go.
Margaret set a bowl in front of him. Eli took a small bite, then another. He ate carefully and fast at the same time.
"Slow down, sweetheart," Margaret said. "There is plenty. Nobody is going to take your bowl away."
Eli slowed down. He tore a piece of bread and dipped it in the broth. "This is good," he said.
Margaret smiled. "Thank you, sweetheart. I will make it again whenever you want."
After supper, Arthur took Eli upstairs. The room at the end of the hall had clean sheets and a blue blanket folded at the foot.
"This is yours," Arthur said. "Your own room. Nobody will come in without knocking. Not me. Not Margaret. Nobody."
Eli stood in the doorway and looked at the room. He walked in slowly and touched the edge of the bed.
"Can I open it?" he asked, looking at the window.
"Of course," Arthur said. He lifted the sash a little. Cool evening air came in. "You can open it whenever you want. You can close it too."
Eli went to the dresser and pulled open the top drawer. It was empty and clean. Arthur set a small wooden box inside it. "This is for your things. Your drawer."
Eli set his canvas bag on the bed and opened it carefully. Inside were a folded bus schedule with his mother's marks on it, a printed gala invitation, and a few coins.
"That is all?" Arthur asked softly.
Eli nodded. "That is all I brought."
Arthur picked up the bus schedule and looked at the marks his daughter had made. "Your mother was careful," he said. "She planned this well."
"She said you would know what to do," Eli said.
Arthur set the schedule down again. "I am trying."
Eli placed his things in the drawer. He put the bus schedule on the bottom, the invitation on top of it, and the coins beside them. Then he closed the drawer and opened it again.
"Still there," Arthur said.
Eli nodded. He closed the drawer again. Then he walked to the bedroom door and turned the lock. He unlocked it. He locked it again. He checked the window latch twice.
Arthur watched without saying anything.
"Can I check the front door too?" Eli asked.
"Yes," Arthur said. "We will check it together."
They walked downstairs. Eli tried the front door. It was locked. He tried it again. Arthur did not hurry him. "Locked," Eli said. "Locked," Arthur agreed.
Back upstairs, Eli climbed into bed. He sat on top of the blanket. He looked at Arthur, who had pulled a chair into the hall just outside the door.
"Are you going to stay out there?" Eli asked.
"Yes," Arthur said. "I will be right here."
"All night?"
"Until you are asleep," Arthur said. "And then a little longer."