Page 44 of The Heart’s Charge

The kid squealed and squirmed, but Jonah squatted down as best he could, leaning his head as far away from the little banshee’s mouth as possible.

Miss Katherine reached over his shoulder and grabbed hold of Al’s head. Then she leaned close and spoke into the child’s ear. Her words so shocked Jonah, he nearly dropped the kid then and there.

Al stilled instantly. Jonah’s arms loosened. Al slipped free and took Miss Katherine’s hand.

“Al has consented to a private bath in the washroom,” the teacher announced as the boys all looked on, gaping. Jonah was pretty sure he was gaping too, though hopefully not quite as loose-jawed as the others. “Dinner will be served in thirty minutes. I suggest you have yourselves presentable before then.”

No one moved as she turned and strolled away, Al walking meekly at her side.

“C’mon, boys,” Rawley finally said, breaking the spell. “There’s biscuits waitin’.”

As the boys disappeared into the barn, Wallace came over to Jonah. “What did Kate say to him?”

Jonah shook his head, still a bit rattled. “She promised to keep the kid’s secret.”

Wallace frowned. “What secret?”

Jonah met his partner’s gaze, hating to admit that the Horseman with the keenest eyesight had failed to see what had been right in front of his face. “Al’s a girl.”

CHAPTER

NINETEEN

Katherine leaned over the washtub and scrubbed her fingernails against the young girl’s scalp. The poor child had enough dirt caked on her head to start a garden.

“What’s your real name, sweetie?” Katherine asked as she worked the soap through the girl’s shorn locks, trying to engage the too-solemn child.

Al hadn’t fought her as Katherine helped her out of her boy’s clothes and into the warm hip bath, but she hadn’t welcomed the chance to wash either. Even with the privacy of a closed washroom door. She huddled unresponsive in the tub, shoulders slumped, eyes downcast, as if every speck of dirt that left her body took a piece of hope with it.

When Al made no effort to respond, Katherine tried a different tactic.

“Hmm. Maybe I can guess. Alexandra?”

A tiny shake of the girl’s head signaled participation. Katherine seized on that victory and continued, racking her mind for all the names she could think of that started with those two letters. She let her arms lie slack against the edge of the tub, giving both herself and Al a break as they played their name game.

“Alberta?”

Another shake. Though her posture was perking up a bit.

“Allison? Alfreda? Alleluia?”

Two shakes and a small burst of air through the nostrils that Katherine chose to interpret as a giggle.

“How about Alabama?” Might as well throw a little geography into the mix. Especially since she’d drawn a blank on other traditional names. “Alaska? Maybe Albany?”

An actual smile emerged. A small one, but it was terribly encouraging.

The shake this time was vigorous enough to splatter tiny specks of suds on Katherine’s bodice.

“Then what is it, pray tell?”

The girl’s lips curved wide enough to show a hint of teeth. “Alice.”

“Alice. Of course.” Katherine made a theatrical face complete with rolled eyes and wagging jaw. “I should have known. Were you named for the girl who visited Wonderland?”

Another head shake. “No. It was my granny’s name.”

“Ah. A family name. Those are extra special.” Katherine gently resumed the washing.