Page 41 of The Heart’s Charge

“I was told you were the one to talk to about rumors that might be circulating among the grade school crowd.”

Althea Gordon’s brows lifted. “Oh? And what interest could a man with no family and no ties to the Kingsland community possibly have in childish gossip?”

She was smart. Protective too. Excellent qualities in a teacher. Unfortunately, such qualities made extracting information a little more complicated.

Mark pointed his hat at her and kept his voice light. “Fair question.” Using his most disarming grin, he took one step deeper into the room. “My partner and I have been hired to look into some rumors about area children who have gone missing.”

His statement knocked Miss Gordon backward. She gripped the desk for support. “M-missing children?” Her posture started to crumple, but she restored her composure in quick order. Straightening her spine, she met his gaze. “I’ve not heard a word about such things. Neither in the classroom nor among any of my acquaintances in town.” She leaned away from the desk and stood to her full height, which was tall for a woman. Her head nearly stood level with his. “I don’t know who hired you, sir, but I can’t help wondering if it might have been under false pretenses.”

Mark shrugged, hoping to put her at ease. “It’s possible. We’re still in the very early stages of our investigation. But I’m sure you’ll agree that if there is even a sliver of a chance that these rumors are based in truth, we need to pursue any leads we uncover.”

“Of course.” Miss Gordon paced away from him, her fingers tracing the edge of her desk until she reached the far corner. When her fingertips ran out of real estate, she pivoted sharply to face him. “What can I do to help?”

“Just listen for any talk among the children about kiddy-snatchers. That’s the terminology used in the rumors we’ve heard. Also, if you see any strange men hanging around the school or watching the kids, jot down a description and bring it to me over at Harmony House. I’m doing some repair work at the foundling home, so that will be the best place to find me. If I’m not there when you visit, you can leave a note with either Miss Palmer or Miss Southerland. They’ll see that I get it.”

“I’ll be sure to keep an eye out,” Miss Gordon said, a thoughtful look coming over her face. “Harmony House. Is that where these rumors first surfaced?” She hesitated, but not long enough for him to insert an answer. “The children there come from rough, sometimes tragic circumstances. From my experience, children lacking a stable home environment are prone to seek adult attention in whatever way they can. Some strive for perfection in order to please their guardians, others act out, and some invent wild stories to elicit sympathy or reassurance.”

Mark couldn’t argue with her observation, yet it riled him a bit to have her assume that the children of Harmony House would be the only ones to fall into such behavior patterns. He’d known plenty of rowdy boys back in Westfield who had acted out or made up wild stories despite being raised in traditional homes.

“The one who brought this matter to our attention has no ties to Harmony House, ma’am, but we have spoken to the two proprietresses there about the matter, just as we’ve spoken to you and Mrs. Williams.”

“Of course.” Althea Gordon’s tight smile showed her to be less than pleased.

Did she resent not being the first teacher approached on the matter? Or had she picked up on the fact that he didn’t fully buy into her theory?

“Who else do you plan to share your concerns with?” she asked, a touch of stridency tightening her voice. “I would hate to see the town thrown into a panic.”

Mark lifted a conciliatory hand. “We are being very discreet, I assure you. My partner spoke to the deputy this morning, and by now, he and Miss Southerland have spoken with Mrs. Fieldman at the Negro school. We agree that it’s best to keep things as quiet as possible. If the rumors prove unfounded, we avoid unnecessary panic. And if there is something afoot, the fewer people who know, the slimmer the chance that someone will inadvertently tip off the guilty parties. So while we would appreciate your vigilance, Miss Gordon, we would also appreciate your silence.”

She gave a stiff nod. “You have both, sir. Thank you for taking me into your confidence.” Her tone made it clear their conversation had come to an end.

Mark dipped his chin and fit his hat onto his head. “Thank you for your time, ma’am. I’ll let you get back to your duties.”

“Good day, Mr. Wallace.”

“Good day, Miss Gordon.”

Mark left the school and collected his horse, preparing to return to Harmony House for supper and an update on what Jonah and Eliza had learned from their meeting with Mrs. Fieldman. He’d just mounted and turned Cooper to the west when he caught sight of Jonah and Augustus approaching at a fast clip.

Instincts on alert, Mark nudged his gray into a canter. As he and Jonah met, they each reined in their mounts.

“Wart’s been taken,” Jonah said with no preamble.

Mark’s stomach clenched as the unspoken fear he’d been carrying in the back of his mind ever since the boy failed to show at the livery that morning turned into harsh reality.

“Sam’s friend Rawley was nearly snatched too. Managed to escape on his wits, but he’s injured. Eliza convinced him and the rest of his boys to hole up at the foundling home for a few days.” Jonah eyed him meaningfully. “We’re standin’ guard.”

A hundred questions bubbled through Mark’s mind, but he stuffed them down. There’d be time later for explanations. Right now, they had a duty to perform.

He turned Cooper in the direction that would take them to the Jackson place. “Let’s grab our gear and get back to Harmony House.”

CHAPTER

EIGHTEEN

An hour later, Jonah had scouted out a spot in the barn loft and measured out the best lines of sight from the open hay door. He knew exactly where to position himself to have a clear shot to the foundling home’s back stoop. The path to the privy. The tree line to the east. Any position from which an enemy might advance from the rear. Wallace would guard Harmony House from the front, passing the night in a rocking chair on the porch, where he could monitor the road and the country lying southwest. Being on the ground would give Wallace the defensive advantage of speed in getting to the women and children should the need arise. But the higher ground of the barn loft provided Jonah the offensive advantage. The gable end sat sixteen feet above the ground. A protected position. Not to save his own hide, but because a sniper was only as effective as his vantage point allowed.

Jonah shouldered his rifle and sighted down the barrel, taking aim at the two windows that faced his direction. One from the kitchen. The other from the upstairs classroom where Rawley and his gang would be sleeping. Shooting into either room was out of the equation. Not with the women and children inside. Even with better-than-average night vision, he wouldn’t risk hitting a friendly target. So if the enemy made it into the house, he’d need a fast way inside. Wallace would be there, of course, but if more than one combatant breeched the house, or if one managed to take a hostage, things could turn ugly fast. Jonah would need to even the odds.