A Bride at Last (14 page)

He raised his eyebrows at the makeshift stairs. “That seems a lot easier than the way I came in.” He gestured for her to go first.

At the top, she stood waiting for him to finish climbing. “Did you bring a wagon?”

“It’s at the Logans’.”

She’d rather hoped not to see them again today.

“Let’s stop at the telegraph office on the way back. I’m expecting to hear from the guy watching my homestead.” He insisted on carrying her things and strode toward town, but they made slow progress toward the telegraph office since they meandered up and down every street where they heard children playing.

Thankfully there wasn’t a line at the office, and Kate took a seat in one of the room’s two chairs while Silas approached the operator behind the counter and waited for him to finish taking a message.

She stared out the window. Was there anywhere else in town where children gathered that they could get to before the train left? There was a patch of land by the cemetery where some of her students pretended to chase ghosts, but that was in the opposite direction of the Logans’ and the train depot.

“Are you all right, sir?” The operator’s voice held concern.

She glanced back to see Silas holding two pieces of paper with one hand and the other hand gripping the counter as if he needed it to keep from collapsing.

“What’s wrong?” Kate dumped her painting things onto the
chair and went to put a hand on his shoulder. He looked as if he was having difficulty breathing.

He handed her one of the telegrams. She took it, bracing herself for terrible news.

HAVE PROOF ANTHONY’S YOUR SON LUCY SENT HER SISTER LETTERS SHE’LL FIND THEM AND SEND THEM TO YOU SHORTLY

IDA RIVERTON

“Why, this is good news. Wonderful, actually!” She lifted her eyebrows and tried to get him to smile with her, but he handed her the other telegram.

YOUR FARM’S BEEN ABANDONED I’M DOING WHAT I CAN BUT IT’S NOT GOOD

WILL STANTON

“What does this mean?”

“I don’t know. I hired a man to watch my farm until Friday. I sent him a letter when I first found out about Anthony asking if he’d extend his stay, but he never got back to me.” Silas swallowed. “I know Will will do what he can for my place, but he’s mighty busy with his doctoring. I’m not sure he’ll have the time to keep things going.”

She tugged on his shirt sleeve. “But Anthony’s yours.”

He nodded, rubbing his head as if that information was still trying to make its way through his skull and into his brain. “That’s great news, of course—though I’m not sure it makes me feel any better.”

Was the shock of the unexpected telegrams messing with his mind? “How’s that?”

“I finally have a flesh-and-blood relative—a son . . .” He
closed his eyes and shook his head. “And I may never see him again.”

“Oh no, Silas. We can’t give up now. We’ll find him.”

But the wounded look in Silas’s deep green eyes made her feel as if she’d lied to him.

Please, God, let it be true.

Chapter 10

Kate walked amidst the exiting church crowd, hoping Mr. Kingfisher wasn’t glaring at her again, but he seemed to be watching her every step from where he stood on the church lawn. What had she done now? She should keep walking, pretend she hadn’t seen him—

“Miss Dawson.” He smiled, but it appeared obligatory rather than genuine.

Mrs. Logan shot a glance at them from under the church awning where she conversed with the minister’s wife.

“Yes, Mr. Kingfisher?” She forced herself not to stare at the drying grass crushed beneath his ugly brown, pointy-toed shoes. “What would you like me to reassure you of today?”

He blinked innocently but scratched his chin. “Mrs. Logan has informed me you’re still traipsing about town with Mr. Jonesey.”

“I’m not frolicking down sidewalks, fluttering my eyelashes, and hoping for him to sweep me up into his arms!”
Wait.
Heat poured into her face. Hadn’t she almost wished that at the creek?

The two ladies who’d been conversing under the catalpa tree beside them turned to stare.

She shook her head, hoping he’d believe her red face and shaky voice resulted from anger instead of embarrassment. “I’m searching for a lost student.”

“Come now, Miss Dawson.” Mr. Kingfisher’s frown creased his brows, and he beckoned her away from the crowd to the church’s side yard where the carriages were parked in neat rows. “Many of us have looked and made inquiries too. There’s nothing more anybody can do but pray. Mr. Fitzgerald has our prayers. Why Mr. Jonesey bothers—”

“Anthony is Mr. Jonesey’s son.”

He glanced across the churchyard toward Silas. “That’s not what I heard.”

“He has proof now, so he’s not going to stop looking for him.”

Mr. Kingfisher straightened and cleared his throat. “Even so, he can certainly look on his own. The urgency has dwindled enough that you should start worrying about yourself.”

“Dwindled?” When would concern about a nine-year-old needing to be saved from facing the world alone ever dwindle?

The Logans and her boss would likely dance a jig if she gave in and relinquished the task of finding Anthony to Silas alone, but she wouldn’t. Couldn’t. “I’m sure Mr. Jonesey and Anthony appreciate your prayers, but I’m not going to rely on prayer alone.”

At least Silas had rallied after his bad news at the telegram office yesterday and returned to searching for Anthony with vigor.

Mr. Kingfisher sighed. “I know you think people daft for focusing on your whereabouts. It’s starting to annoy
me
how many parents worry about your free time, but I must remind you how concerned some of the board members can be about propriety when it comes to our teachers. Perhaps prayer would be a better way to channel your efforts.”

“I already pray.” God said He heard everyone’s prayers, but
He never seemed to care enough to listen to hers, let alone answer any.

I’m sorry, God. That’s probably blasphemy or something, but I’m frustrated with you. Why aren’t you
helping us find Anthony?

She opened her mouth to tell Mr. Kingfisher he could offer more than just a bended knee but stopped. His searching would likely end up as unproductive as hers. “No need to worry about me running around town much anymore.” At least not in Breton. “I haven’t the foggiest notion where else to look.”

A male sighed behind her. “How I wish that wasn’t the truth.”

Her skin prickled. How long had Silas been standing behind her?

Mr. Kingfisher pulled himself up to his full height, his shadow falling across both of them. “Mr. Jonesey, please have a care with Miss Dawson’s reputation.”

Silas’s eyebrows puckered almost as much as his lips. “Would you join us this afternoon when we look for Anthony, then? Your presence would certainly keep Miss Dawson’s reputation from being sullied by my lonesome escort.”

“Do be reasonable.” Mr. Kingfisher tugged at his tie. “It’s been a week. You’ve alerted the proper authorities, have you not?” At Silas’s nod, he turned a twitchy smile toward her. “My wife and I’ll continue to pray you find him soon . . . or find the peace to go on without him.”

Kate’s hands trembled at his lack of true concern, her fingers clenched involuntarily. She took a step forward—

Silas’s hand gripped her shoulder. “It’s all right.”

“I must be going, Miss Dawson. I’m warning you though—people are watching.” Her boss’s gaze lingered on the hold Silas had on her shoulder. He opened his mouth as if to say something more, but he simply nodded before turning to leave.

“I can’t believe they’re worried about my behavior when a
student is missing.” If she were younger, she’d have stomped her foot.

Silas lowered his voice. “The world continues to revolve, Kate. Even when you’re stuck in grief or pain or anger or sin—it’s how it is. Bad things happen every day. If everyone quit to mourn every tragedy, society would fall apart.”

She whirled on him. She knew how little the world cared for the trials of widows, orphans, spinsters . . . “So you think we should give up? Just yesterday—”

“I don’t want to.”

Doesn’t want to?
He considered it a possibility? He’d just learned Anthony was truly his son!

Well, she wouldn’t give up. Not ever. The pain of simply contemplating defeat had her falling asleep at night with tears in her eyes.

Silas’s hand on her shoulder tightened. Was she imagining him pulling her closer? Would he dare hug her in front of people who were so set on finding fault with two people grieving over the loss of a boy? The memory of the strength of his arms when he’d kept her from falling into the stream called to her as much as the musky smell of man and—

Over Silas’s shoulder, Richard’s narrow-eyed glare was almost palpable. What was he doing at church?

She stiffened and took a step back.

Silas grabbed her, preventing her escape. “Where’re you going?”

“Richard’s watching.”

Silas stepped in front of her, his eyes probing hers. “I told him about the telegram. He doesn’t believe me.”

“So he’s going to start trailing us now?”

“He’ll probably be watching us more than ever. He seems to think his court ruling supersedes any information I have.”

If Richard found Anthony first, now that Silas would soon
have proof he was Anthony’s father . . . how much trouble was Richard willing to go through to procure the boy’s talents?

Probably quite a bit, considering he’d stuck around Breton for two weeks.

Though, if his bragging to Silas was true, he was having a stroke of luck at the gaming tables. Maybe that’s more of what held him in town.

Silas blew out a breath. “Did you mean what you said to Mr. Kingfisher just now? Have you thought of no new places to look?”

“I’m out of ideas—other than going to more neighboring towns. I’m worried that with so much time gone by . . .” She clamped her teeth—she would not cry. Too many parishioners milled about.

Anthony was either well hidden or gone . . . Hopefully not into eternity. She pinched the bridge of her nose to keep from thinking in that direction.

“I know you want to help me find Anthony, but after a week . . .” He took her hand. “Maybe you
should
worry more about maintaining your teaching position since they’ve brought it up again.”

She stared at his rough fingers encasing hers. He probably shouldn’t be holding her hand with so many people around, people who might imagine improprieties when there were none, but she didn’t want to treat his gesture as anything but kind.

“With the possibility that . . . well, Anthony’s life may be ruined or . . .” He stared off into the distance.

She closed her eyes and concentrated on his thumb absentmindedly causing flickers of sensation across the back of her hand, taunting her with what was likely the last touch he’d give her.

“His life might be over . . . but yours . . .” He looked at her again, his eyes containing far more compassion than she’d
mustered for him when he’d lost his wife. “I don’t want your life ruined because of me.”

At present, she was an old maid in a town with no family and no marriage prospects. If she lost her job, her situation would be worse than when she’d gotten off the train in Missouri two years ago.

Her life wasn’t all that grand. Especially since the man holding her hand was going to leave soon, with or without Anthony. She’d ruined her life well enough on her own.

Silas slid off his hired horse and stared at the dark, dilapidated building that often haunted his nightmares. Yesterday, he’d gone to the courthouse as soon as it had opened and informed the judge of the expected proof of his fatherhood coming in the mail. The judge had assured him he’d change the ruling if the letters were convincing. Silas rubbed the back of his neck. What if things still didn’t turn out the way he hoped? What if Lucy’s sister’s proof was as flimsy as the sentence he’d found in Lucy’s journal?

Even so, he was going to check out every possibility he could possibly dream up. Which was why he’d traveled most of the day to get to this building full of terrible memories.

Surely Anthony wouldn’t be here, but Silas couldn’t return to Kansas without looking. If someone had found him, they might have taken him to an orphanage.

He’d first checked the one the judge had told him about. It was closer to Breton, in Hightree, but Hall’s Home for Boys was one of the larger ones in the region. And he well recalled the long wagon ride he’d endured before being dropped off here.

The clapboard building looked smaller than he remembered. The roof was missing shingles and the windows were cracked. Angry starlings fought over a nest in the eaves, but no sounds
of children playing, laughing, crying, or screaming emanated from within. Was that a good thing? The place seemed far too silent for an orphanage. But boys’ pants and shirts hung on the clotheslines in the side yard, so there were children there somewhere.

Did Anthony realize if he ended up in an orphanage, he’d likely be given to a family who wanted a servant more than a son? Richard would likely have been a better alternative.