Page 40 of The Heart’s Charge

Katherine forced a calming breath into her lungs. “For now, yes, but if they decide to stay with us permanently, we’ll need to have beds made.” And how she would pay for that, she had no idea. But that was a problem for tomorrow, not today.

She gave herself a mental shake and bent to open the door on the icebox. “‘My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’” She murmured the beloved promise beneath her breath as she fetched the half-filled milk bottle and butter crock and set them on the worktable beside Eliza to aid in her biscuit-making.

If it was God’s will for these poor motherless boys to find a home at Harmony House, the Lord would provide the beds. Trust and obey, Katherine. There’s no other way.

Reaching back into the pie safe, she pulled out the ham she’d been saving for tomorrow’s breakfast and joined Eliza at the worktable, slicing it into thin strips. The leftover beef and potatoes they’d planned to eat wouldn’t stretch far enough. Ham, biscuits, and Eliza’s red-eye gravy might be rudimentary, but it was filling. And on hand. The most important factor at the moment.

Eliza had returned barely twenty minutes ago and had left Mr. Brooks and a boy named Rawley in the barn with a washtub, a kettle of hot water, a cake of soap, and an order to clean up. Since then, she’d shared the few details she knew about Rawley’s near kidnapping and warned Katherine of the impending arrival of an army of boxcar boys. Dozens of additional questions begged to be answered, but they’d have to wait. A meal needed to be served in less than an hour to twice as many mouths as they’d originally anticipated.

Katherine did a bit of mental calculation. Not all mouths were created equal. Since Mark and Mr. Brooks were staying, it would probably be wise to triple, not double, the amount of food. Eliza had invited the Horsemen to take up residence in the barn until they caught whoever was abducting children. A security measure Katherine fully supported. The children must be kept safe.

Not to mention that housing the Horsemen offered the additional benefit of increased opportunities for her to see Mark and explore what was resurrecting between them. After spending several hours in his company today, her urge to explore had expanded to Lewis and Clark proportions.

Once she finished slicing the ham, Katherine scraped it from the cutting board into a skillet and covered it. They’d fry it up later when their company arrived. Wiping her hands on her apron, she looked over at Eliza, who was flouring the worktable surface for biscuit kneading.

“I’m going to collect blankets and pillows for our guests.”

Eliza nodded, her attention focused on the sticky dough coating her fingers. “I’ll set extra water on to boil. Those boys will need a thorough scrubbing before laying their heads on our linens. Can’t allow lice or other vermin into the house.”

Katherine hesitated in the kitchen doorway. “Will forcing a bath on them scare them away?” As much as she appreciated cleanliness, she also realized that feral boys were about as fond of bathing as feral cats.

Eliza dropped the biscuit dough onto the floured surface and jabbed the heel of her hand into the middle of the lump. “They’ll follow where Rawley leads.” She glanced up and grinned. “I made Jonah promise to see the boy clean before coming up to the house. If Rawley is forced to bathe, he’ll make sure the others suffer the same indignity.”

“You don’t think Mr. Brooks will sympathize with the boy and let him off the hook?”

Eliza ducked her head and refocused on her kneading. “He’s not exactly the soft, sympathetic type. If he says he’ll see a job done, he’ll see it done.”

The words painted a rather harsh picture, but the way Eliza spoke them made a smile tug at the corner of Katherine’s mouth. Eliza admired him. She might not admit it in so many words, but something had definitely shifted between her and Mr. Brooks during their excursion. Respect had blossomed, and Eliza didn’t give respect easily. One had to earn it.

The tension in her friend’s shoulders revealed her wish for a change of subject, however, so Katherine obliged. “Would you prefer I set out the pallets in the front parlor or upstairs in the classroom?”

“The classroom, I think.” Eliza pressed the dough into a uniform height with her fingertips. “Better to keep some distance between them and the front door. Just in case.”

Katherine frowned, concerned for the new boys’ safety. She was tempted to arrange a seventh pallet so she could keep an eye on them, but stealing their privacy might goad them into an escape attempt, and she didn’t want that. Children needed a home. Love. Protection. But until she and Eliza could gain their trust, these boys would be more likely to value their independence over anything Harmony House offered. Life had taught them that freedom equaled survival. It would take time to show them that life had more to offer than mere survival. For tonight, she’d have to be satisfied with leaving her bedroom door ajar and trusting the Lord to wake her should a need arise.

Perhaps Mark would have a recommendation. He’d been a boy once. She’d speak to him as soon as he returned from his interview with Althea Gordon. Katherine headed to the stairs, a swirl of anticipation eddying through her midsection at the thought of sharing her concerns with Mark. Seeking his perspective. Inviting him more deeply into her world. It was enough to make her a touch light-headed as she climbed the stairs. Gripping the railing, she pretended it was his arm and grinned all the way to the top.

Mark fiddled with his hat as he stood in the hall outside Miss Gordon’s classroom. He’d been cooling his heels for about twenty minutes, waiting for her to finish a tutoring session with one of her students.

The other teacher, Mrs. Williams, had been on her way out when he arrived and had graciously escorted him upstairs. He’d asked if she’d heard any rumors about missing children, and she’d seemed genuinely shocked by the idea. Kingsland was a close-knit community. If a child were to go missing, everyone would be called to action. Searches would be made until the child was found.

The rising panic in her eyes reminded him that she had two young babes at home. Mark quickly reassured her that the local law had confirmed that no children had been reported missing in Kingsland. He also abandoned his original plan to ask her about unsavory characters lurking around Honey Creek. She didn’t need any more reason to fret. She made her excuses and left, no doubt hurrying home to check on the safety of her children. Mark made no effort to detain her. He simply leaned against the wall, hat in hand, and waited for Miss Gordon to conclude her lesson.

Finally, the door clicked open, and a young girl emerged. “Thanks again, Miss Gordon.” The girl looked to be about ten. When she caught sight of Mark, she blushed and ducked her head.

Mark smiled and nodded as she skittered by, and then he pushed away from the wall and stepped through the doorway. “Excuse me, Miss Gordon?”

The woman standing at the blackboard paused her erasing to glance his way. Green eyes widened at the sight of him, though more in curiosity than startlement. “Yes. Can I help you?”

“I hope so.” Mark grinned and crossed the threshold. “My name’s Mark Wallace. I need to ask you a few questions.”

She smiled, set down her erasing rag, and moved to the edge of the teacher’s desk. “Of course. Do you have a child to enroll in school?”

“No, ma’am.” He chuckled lightly and shook his head. “’Fraid I’ve not been blessed with a wife and children.” Yet. Crossing paths with Kate again had put ideas in his head, though. Ideas regarding roots and proper soil. He needed to till things up a bit more, ensure the ground would prove fertile before he risked another planting, but early signs indicated promising possibilities.

Mark didn’t miss the flare of interest that sparked in the teacher’s eyes at the mention of his bachelor status. Miss Gordon leaned a hip on the corner of the desk and twisted slightly to show off her figure to full advantage. Usually he welcomed such a response. It made his work easier, after all. Charming information out of ladies required the ladies to actually be charmed. But something about this situation felt different. Flirtation no longer seemed like a harmless means to an end. It felt . . . disloyal. To Kate. Not that they had an understanding between them, but a man considering a commitment to one woman should not behave in a way that could lead her to believe him fickle in his affections. Nor should he give another woman reason to believe his interest lay anywhere other than where it did.

So even though past experience urged him to move closer, to capitalize on the flash of attraction he’d seen in the teacher’s eyes, Mark retained his position near the door. He retained his smile as well. Friendly was different than flirty.