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“Mighty brave of you, son.”
Percy kept his eyes down and shook his head. “I didn’t think on it, sir. I called out his name and heard him crying. I saw him down there and just slid down to get him, not thinking of myself, sir. I just had to get to him.” He shrugged. “I couldn’t see over the edge for the clouds. It was probably just as well. Albie had his horse pull us up.”
McAllister nodded, then barked an order at Marcy. “Get this boy cleaned up. Clean that wound on his wrist and the blood on his face.”
Albie wanted to bristle at the word boy, but he knew now was not the time.
“I’m okay, sir,” Percy said quietly, pulling at the sleeve of his shirt to hide his wrist. “Just glad your boy’s safe.”
Christopher was now sitting in the bathtub, washed and clean, eating a lump of bread. Marcy came back with a basin of warm water and a clean cloth, setting it down by Percy’s feet. She began gently washing his hands, and Albie wished it was him doing that.
But then Evalyn was there with a fancy China plate of bread, butter, and jam, offering it to them. “Albie,” she said quietly.
He took the plate but directly offered it to Percy. He was still looking a little too pale for Albie’s liking. He took a piece of the bread and managed a bite, but then he held onto it instead of eating some more. His tea looked barely touched.
It was then Albie noticed it wasn’t a scratch on his head where the blood had come from, but a sizeable bump. Had he banged it on the way down to the ledge?
“I think we should get him home,” Albie said, taking the cup and bread from him. He handed them off to a waiting maid and pinched Percy’s chin to get a better look at the bump above his temple. It wasn’t bleeding now, thankfully, but there was quite a large egg on his head.
“The doctor’s been called for,” another maid said.
McAllister, now seeing the bump on Percy’s head, looked at Albie. “I’ll send the doctor over when he’s done here.”
He wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but this was for Percy...
Bill Kelly walked in then. “I’ve taken the liberty to tend to your horses,” he said, looking right at Albie.
“Thank you,” Albie said. And he meant it. Kelly was a good man. “But we’ll be going now.” He gave McAllister a nod, then offered a parting smile to Mrs McAllister. “I hope young Christopher will be fine.”
“Thank you,” she said, looking between them both. “Thank you.”
Albie took Percy’s arm and helped him to his feet. “Are you well enough?”
Percy, pale and dazed, met his gaze and gave a nod. “I’m fine.”
Albie didn’t believe that. And he wanted nothing more than to get Percy home, cleaned up, and tucked into bed.
McAllister took a money clip from his inside coat pocket and counted out some notes. “I promised thirty pounds to anyone who found him,” he said. “I’m a man of my word.”
Albie wanted to tell him to keep it. Actually, he wanted to tell him to eat it. But McAllister handed the money to Percy.
Rightfully so, given he was the one who found him.
Part of Albie wished Percy would decline the offer, but it wasn’t Albie’s call to make. Percy took the money with a nod. “I’d have done it for nothing,” he said quietly. “But this is appreciated, sir. Thank you.”
Albie gave McAllister a tight nod and ushered Percy out the front door.
“Bring their horses,” McAllister hollered, and before they got to the edge of the veranda, one of his men led Minnie and Bandit toward them.
Albie noticed Williams and Fitzgerald standing by, watching them, with a look of distaste on their faces. Were they mad that they’d not found the boy and scored the money? Or mad that it was Percy and Albie who had?
McAllister was on the veranda then, pointing at Williams and Fitzgerald. “What are you standing there for? I told you already to make a start on those fences!”
Albie helped Percy onto Bandit, then swung himself up onto Minnie. He tipped his hat at McAllister, then gave Williams and Fitzgerald a smug nod as they scurried like rats across the yard to one of the work sheds.
And as much as he’d have liked to bask in that moment, his main concern was getting Percy home. It wasn’t an overly long ride but the weather was setting in, low and bitterly cold, and Percy seemed to be fading fast.
They rode into their farm, Des and Robert rushing out to meet them. “I was worried about ya both,” Des said to Albie. Until he saw Percy and helped him off his horse. “Jeez, kid, what happened?”
