Orphan Train Series Boxed Set: Books 1 - 4 Page 14

  “G’day, Miss Morely,” the homely older woman greeted after Cassie knocked on the door. “Won’t you come in and have a cup of tea? We don’t often get visitors.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Smith. I must apologize for stopping in unannounced, but when I heard that you had taken Liam and Henry, I just had to stop in and congratulate them on their new home.”

  Mrs. Smith blushed timidly over Cassie’s words and fluttered nervously around her kitchen. “We were lucky to get them. We were late finding out about the trainload of children and were worried we were too late when we finally got into town to see about them. Mr. Smith and I haven’t yet been blessed with children of our own, so being able to take two such healthy boys in is a godsend for us. They are so polite and eager to learn, I can hardly believe they hadn’t been claimed yet.”

  While the older woman had been talking, Cassie had taken the seat she had indicated at the table and glanced around as surreptitiously as she could manage, pleased to see that while the home was humble, it was neat and clean. And she was delighted to see several books on a low shelf. While all of the families who took in the orphans were expected to ensure the children received an education, Cassie had no idea how that could be enforced. Seeing books in the home made her feel that learning might not be considered trivial to the farming family, which raised the Smiths higher in Cassie’s estimation.

  Mrs. Smith had just placed a steaming cup of tea in front of her and a small plate of cookies on the table when there was a commotion at the door.

  “Miss Cassie!” chorused two young voices followed by a deeper, more restrained greeting of “Miss Morley” from Mr. Smith.

  Cassie stood to greet the three male arrivals. Four arms quickly encircled her.

  “You came to visit us, Miss Cassie,” Liam declared with glee. “Did you know we have a new home?”

  “Yes, I heard and just had to come in person to congratulate you.”

  Henry squeezed her tight before letting her go. “There are cows and chickens and I haven’t been hungry once since we left New York, Miss Cassie.”

  Cassie had to blink hard and swallow the lump forming in her throat before she could answer him. “I’m delighted to hear it. And I brought a little something for each of you as a welcome home present.”

  “You did?” Liam asked as he exchanged a glance with Henry.

  “What is it?” Henry demanded.

  They were so excited to open the small packages. Cassie felt as though her cheeks were burning from the grin splitting her face. It was such a relief for her to see their happiness. The gifts were small and had cost her little, but the boys had probably never received gifts for themselves. Their eyes were glowing as they opened the bag of marbles and the box of quoits. They couldn’t wait to try them out.

  As the boys headed out to play and Cassie turned back to her cooling tea, Mrs. Smith smiled warmly at her. “That was mighty kind of you, Miss Morley, I thank you deeply. We don’t have much, but we’re going to try our best to give these boys a good life.”

  “I can see that, Mrs. Smith, and I am so happy for it. I have grown attached to all the children we came out here with and I haven’t been able to rest easy until I knew that they have all found decent homes. Seeing you with them has taken a weight off my mind.”

  “It will be our pleasure to maintain that,” the older woman answered with dignity. “If you would like, we can correspond occasionally so you can keep up with their development.”

  Tears once again welled in Cassie’s eyes. “I would like that above all things, thank you.”

  After a little more conversation, Cassie stood to take her leave. “I shouldn’t keep you from your day much longer. Thank you for taking the time to let me visit and see how lucky Liam and Henry are to have been found by you.”

  Mrs. Smith appeared gratified by Cassie’s words but waved them away. “We are the lucky ones. They are bright, healthy, and eager boys. It will be our privilege and duty to guide them into fine young men.”

  Cassie rode away from the Smith farm with deeply conflicted feelings. She was relieved beyond belief that the last of the children had found a good home. She had been worried that Liam and Henry wouldn’t find a good placement. They weren’t related to each other, but had grown close and would be wonderful brothers to each other in their new home. She could tell that while the Smiths may not have a lot to offer materially, they were prepared to give them love and attention, which would benefit them more than gold.

  But now there was nothing holding her in Bucklin. She had no more excuses to stick around. It was time to buy her ticket back to New York. And say her goodbyes to Walter, Ross, and Tony. She urged her horse to a faster gait as she turned towards the Ainsworth spread.

  From a distance she could see an unusual amount of activity in the yard. As she drew even closer, she was shocked to see Ross sitting on the front porch stairs, crying. She jumped down from her horse before it had even come to a complete stop and ran toward him.

  “What has happened? Are you hurt?” she felt frantic but tried to keep the panic from her voice.

  Ross’s tearstained face was tragic. “We can’t find Walter. I think he ran away.”

  Putting her arms around the young boy, Cassie sat down on the step beside him and tried to stem his tears. “Tell me what happened,” she said in a low, soothing voice.

  Ross snuggled into her arms with a shuddering sob. “While we were eating breakfast, Walter was pestering Mr. Charles to ask you to stay with us. When Mr. Charles told him that you don’t belong here and you need to go back to New York, Walter told him he hates him and that he would go find you himself and get you to take him with you. But since you’re here without him, I guess he didn’t find you.”

  “Oh no! No, I haven’t seen him. What happened next? Is that the last you’ve seen of him?”

  Ross nodded and sniffled. “Bob from the barn said Walter tried to saddle his horse but he wouldn’t let him so he ran out behind the barn.”

  “Why didn’t Bob stop him?” Cassie was horrified.

  Ross shrugged. “He didn’t think anything of it, I guess. And he was busy with his chores.”

  Cassie was rubbing circles on Ross’s back and his crying had slowly subsided to shuddering breaths. She pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped his face. “Don’t worry, Ross, he couldn’t have gone too far. I’m sure we’ll be able to find him before long. He has probably just found a nice spot for a good sulk and he’ll come out when he’s good and ready.”

  “Do you really think so?” His small voice sounded so hopeful.

  “Sure I do. Walter is a smart boy. He’ll realize he won’t be able to find me, even if he had a horse, let alone on foot.” She stood up and held her hand out for Ross to grab. “Now, let’s go find Mr. Charles and see what we should do.”

  As Ross took her hand, the loud clearing of a throat behind her made Cassie jump, and hot color flooded her face. Mr. Ainsworth was about ten paces away and watching her intently. He looked as though he had heard every word she said but doubted her sanity. He also looked furious with her.

  “Have you seen him?” he demanded.

  She blinked. “Walter, do you mean?”

  “Yes, have you seen him? Are you going to take him back to New York with you?” he sounded actually afraid that she would.

  “No, of course not. While I love him dearly, I would never take him away from his brothers like that.”

  “Well, then where is he?”

  “How would I know? I just got here.” Now Cassie’s fury was growing to match his, but she was trying valiantly to keep Ross from being hurt by the adults’ anger.

  When she cast a significant glance down toward the boy, Mr. Ainsworth seemed to gather himself.

  “I apologize, Miss Morley. We are a little anxious at the moment. Of course you couldn’t know where the boy is. If you will excuse us, we cannot entertain at the moment.”

  Cassie gasped at his attempt to be rid of her. “I am no
t going anywhere. I will help you search. I could never leave with this uncertainty about his safety.”

  Mr. Ainsworth glared at her but then his gaze once again took in the vision of Ross clinging to her and his stance softened. “Very well, just make sure you don’t get in our way,” he accepted gruffly.

  Chapter Ten

  C harles couldn’t keep from staring at her. She was curled up with her feet tucked under her flowing skirts and Ross held firmly in her arms. They were both fast asleep. He knew it was worry exhausting them both added to the long day of searching. She hadn’t complained about the grueling pace, only taking breaks when he forced her to. As he pointed out to her, it wouldn’t do anyone any good to have her collapse on the trail; she’d only be an added burden to them then. When he had said that, she had flushed a deep red but had silently eaten the sandwich he had been pressing on her. And she offered no more argument whenever he had stopped her to offer her a drink or to suggest she take a moment to get off her horse when they stopped to water the horses.

  It was obvious that guilt was eating at Cassie. Charles knew it wasn’t her fault, but he didn’t know how to convince her of that. The fact was the boy had disappeared after declaring he wanted to go stay with her. It wasn’t her fault, but she was obviously having difficulty dealing with her involvement. If they didn’t find the boy soon, they would all be consumed with guilt.

  He was well aware that Walter’s disappearance wasn’t Cassie’s fault — the fault firmly belonged on his shoulders. If he had been more aware of the boy’s needs or not quite as dismissive of his attachment to Miss Cassie, Walter might not have run off.

  His sigh must not have been as silent as he had hoped. While he watched, Cassie’s eyes blinked open and she suddenly looked alert and concerned as she quickly realized where she was. Without disturbing the youngster in her arms, she sat up, still holding his gaze.

  “Is there any news?”

  Charles shook his head. “I’m sorry for disturbing you. You should try to get a little more sleep. You’re obviously exhausted, and the boys are feeling comforted by your presence. I can’t have you collapsing on me.”

  He realized his tone and words were less than gracious when she grimaced and turned her face away from him. He felt like kicking himself.

  “I apologize, Miss Morley. I didn’t mean to sound churlish. I mean to say that I’m glad you’re here. Your presence is of benefit, but I don’t want to see you getting sick from the strain. Get some more sleep, tomorrow might be just as difficult as today was.”

  He watched with a little bit of amusement as she blinked in surprise over his words. She was obviously still half asleep and wasn’t about to start arguing with him over whether or not she was being of help. Charles knew that whether he liked her being there or not, until Walter was found there would be no way he could pry her away from his property. And she really was of help with Ross and Tony. Charles didn’t know what he would have done with those two boys if not for her presence that day.

  Still looking a little wary, Cassie snuggled back up with Ross and drifted back to sleep. Watching the two of them, Charles wanted to wake her back up and send her down the hall to a bed, but he hadn’t the heart to disturb her again. He just hoped she wasn’t too sore to ride in the morning.

  ~~~

  Cassie swam toward consciousness as the first rays of dawn filtered through the window. Being careful not to disturb the still deeply asleep little boy in her arms, she extricated herself from him with difficulty given how stiff she was. It took some effort, but she managed to regain her feet without waking Ross. She was amazed she had managed to get as much sleep as she had and gingerly stretched herself into alertness. She wished she had thought to pack a bag for herself when she had rode frantically into town the day before seeking any information on Walter. No one had seen him and she had left word with her two friends and at the hotel and smithy before racing back out to the Ainsworth property. It sure would be nice to have a fresh change of clothes, but that was a rather petty thought when the dear boy was still missing in the vast wilderness that stretched out as far as she could see from the wide window in the brightening light.

  She was so lost in thought she nearly squealed when Mr. Ainsworth broke the stillness with his words.

  “Did you manage to get much sleep?” His solicitous tone almost made him seem human. Yesterday as they had searched the buildings and he had bullied her into accepting his offers of food and water, she had doubted his humanity and marveled at his strength.

  “More than I would have expected,” she admitted with a grimace as she stretched a crick out of her neck.

  “Were you terribly uncomfortable?” he asked before adding, “I should have sent you to a proper bed last night, but the two of you looked to be offering each other the comfort you needed so I didn’t have the heart to disturb you.”

  Again Cassie was surprised by his words but didn’t question them. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine once I get a little blood flowing into some of my limbs. And maybe a little bit of that,” she added with a grin as she watched him take a swig of what smelled like strong coffee.

  He immediately handed her his cup before he noticed her hesitation. Cassie was surprised to see him blush.

  “I’m so sorry! I will, of course, pour you a fresh cup,” he exclaimed before bustling away.

  Cassie burst into quiet giggles as she followed him from the room, not wanting to wake up Ross, who was still sleeping on the sofa she had shared with him.

  When she arrived in the kitchen, Mr. Ainsworth was pouring her a fresh cup of coffee. From the smell she could tell that it was going to be very strong. She didn’t usually drink the dark brew, but she knew she could use the help in clearing the cobwebs from her mind. She didn’t bother commenting on his embarrassment, although she thought it would have been something to tease him about if they were friends. That thought made her sad but she tried to ignore it.

  She bustled about the kitchen helping to make breakfast, conscious of Charles’ gaze following her. She couldn’t tell if it was censorious or not so she chose to ignore it. Before long they were ready to head out and search some more.

  The day dragged on with no news. They had ridden out from the main area, searching wherever they could think to look. They also rode out to the neighbors to ask if he had been seen and to search their buildings.

  As dusk was gathering on the second day of his disappearance, Cassie was beginning to despair. Once again Ross was in tears and she was losing her own fight against weeping. Sitting on the front stairs of Ainsworth’s house, she had the youngster on her lap and was rubbing circles on his back trying to calm him. Tony was sitting beside them trying to be stoic, but Cassie could see his lower lip beginning to tremble.

  Putting her arm around Tony, she gathered both boys as close to her heart as possible and tried to think what to say. As she herself was nearing despair, she couldn’t make them any promises.

  “We need to stay strong now, boys. We aren’t giving up. Someone will surely have seen him.”

  “We never should have left New York, Miss Cassie,” Tony declared. “It’s too big and empty out here. In the city hundreds of people would have seen him by now.”

  Cassie sighed. “I know, Tony, but in the city many of those hundreds of people could have hurt him, too.”

  “You don’t think there are bad men out here in Missouri?” he asked, scoffing.

  She had no answer for him and felt her own tears finally give way. Ainsworth had been eavesdropping on their conversation as usual and chose that moment to sit down beside Tony and pull the three of them into his arms. His action stopped her tears, clogging her throat as she almost choked on her surprise.

  “Come now, all of you. Do not despair. We’ll find that rascal and bring him home safe and sound in a jiffy.”

  “He’s not a rascal,” Ross mumbled through his slowing tears.

  “Sure he is,” Ainsworth answered with a false note of joviality in
his tone. “Leaving us all here to worry about him. Perhaps he’s off having a good laugh at our expense right this minute.”

  Cassie was shocked. She tried to pull away from him, but he kept his grip firm. She turned to look at him, aware that her dismay over his words was probably written all over her face.

  “You don’t seriously believe that do you?” she demanded.

  “No! I don’t think he’s hiding from us, but I do think we will find him. But we cannot give up or give in to despair. We need to rest up and keep searching again tomorrow.”

  His tone was warm but firm, and Cassie began to feel comforted by his grip. She laid her head on his shoulder over and around Tony. It felt as though they were a unit, sharing their fears and drawing strength from their mutual feelings. She tried to maintain a grip on her heart as it picked up its pace being this close to the handsome man. He’s just offering you comfort, you ninny, she reminded herself. Don’t get carried away.

  Chapter Eleven

  T he next morning everything fell down around them. Cassie awoke with a start. Tony was standing at the end of her bed with his anxious gaze fixed upon her. It was immediately obvious to her that he didn’t want to wake her up, but he had something to tell her. She sat up and beckoned him close.

  “What has happened?”

  He was trying to be tough, but she could see how upset he was.

  “It’s all right, Tony. We’ll figure it out. You don’t have to carry this burden by yourself. Tell me what has happened.”