the Zeppelin moving closer. What cowards! Flying above a city, dropping bombs on helpless—
“Where’s Irene?” Lucy jumped up and looked around the room. “Edna, wasn’t she with you?”
Edna shook her head. “I saw her get out of bed, but…”
Alex tensed and darted a glance at Jon.
His friend circled the table, looking into each child’s face. “Did anyone see Irene in the hall or on the stairs?” They all shook their heads, and a wave of panic crossed their faces as they realized the youngest of their charges was missing.
“I’ll go up and find her.” Jon started toward the door.
A sudden loud blast vibrated the walls, followed by the sound of breaking glass upstairs. Some of the children cried out, others cringed and hunched closer together. Kate sent Jon a fearful glance.
Alex strode across the room to meet his friend. “Stay with your family. I’ll go up and find the girl.”
“But you don’t know your way around the house.”
“Just tell me where her room is.” Alex shot a glance at Penny, Kate, and the children. “Your family needs you here.”
As though to emphasize his words, the guns sounded again, and the ground shuddered beneath their feet.
Jon met his gaze and nodded. “All right.”
Penny pulled open a drawer in the cabinet. She took out a handheld torch and joined Alex and Jon by the door. “Irene’s room is upstairs on the first floor.” She passed him the torch. “Turn left at the top of the stairs. It’s the third door on the right.”
One of the younger servants, the one who had served them at dinner, looked up at Alex. “Irene’s a sweet child, but she’s only four and sometimes fearful.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Alex tested the torch, sliding the switch on and off.
Penny laid her hand on his arm.
He stopped and looked up.
“Please, be careful.” Her voice was soft, and it held an urgency he hadn’t expected.
The warmth of her hand spread through his arm. His mouth tugged up at one corner, and he gave her a slight nod. “Of course. I’ll be back as soon as I find her.”
He strode out of the servants’ hall and took the stone stairs two at a time. His gut clenched and he hurried on, intent on finding the frightened little girl and returning her to her family as soon as he could.
As he reached the main floor, an explosion rocked the house. He grabbed the banister and held on, steeling himself in case the roof came crashing in. The roof stayed in place, but the lights flickered and went out. He turned on the torch and hustled up the stairs. “Irene? Where are you?”
The only reply was the wailing siren in the distance and another round from the booming guns.
“Everyone’s gone down to the cellar,” he called as he reached the top of the stairs. “Tell me where you are, and I’ll take you to Dr. and Mrs. Foster.” He fanned the light around the upper hallway, but it was empty. He hurried to the third door and pushed it open. “Irene? Are you in here?”
He scanned the room with the torch beam, spotting three empty beds with their sheets and blankets tossed aside. A pair of shoes, a book, and a doll lay on the rug between the beds. But no little girl.
He frowned and turned around, shining the light in the corners of the room. She
had
to be here somewhere. He bent down and looked under the first bed, but all he saw was a dirty sock and what looked like a broken shoelace.
He checked under the other two beds and in the wardrobe. Nothing. He looked behind the curtains and lifted the window seat, but Irene wasn’t there. Pushing the blackout shade aside, he checked the window, but it was locked and there was no balcony or way for her to climb down. With all the frightening noise outside, he doubted she would try.
But she couldn’t just disappear.
He returned to the hall and checked the other bedrooms, calling her name as he opened each door, then shone the light around the room. At the end of the hall, he opened the door to find it
“Where’s Irene?” Lucy jumped up and looked around the room. “Edna, wasn’t she with you?”
Edna shook her head. “I saw her get out of bed, but…”
Alex tensed and darted a glance at Jon.
His friend circled the table, looking into each child’s face. “Did anyone see Irene in the hall or on the stairs?” They all shook their heads, and a wave of panic crossed their faces as they realized the youngest of their charges was missing.
“I’ll go up and find her.” Jon started toward the door.
A sudden loud blast vibrated the walls, followed by the sound of breaking glass upstairs. Some of the children cried out, others cringed and hunched closer together. Kate sent Jon a fearful glance.
Alex strode across the room to meet his friend. “Stay with your family. I’ll go up and find the girl.”
“But you don’t know your way around the house.”
“Just tell me where her room is.” Alex shot a glance at Penny, Kate, and the children. “Your family needs you here.”
As though to emphasize his words, the guns sounded again, and the ground shuddered beneath their feet.
Jon met his gaze and nodded. “All right.”
Penny pulled open a drawer in the cabinet. She took out a handheld torch and joined Alex and Jon by the door. “Irene’s room is upstairs on the first floor.” She passed him the torch. “Turn left at the top of the stairs. It’s the third door on the right.”
One of the younger servants, the one who had served them at dinner, looked up at Alex. “Irene’s a sweet child, but she’s only four and sometimes fearful.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Alex tested the torch, sliding the switch on and off.
Penny laid her hand on his arm.
He stopped and looked up.
“Please, be careful.” Her voice was soft, and it held an urgency he hadn’t expected.
The warmth of her hand spread through his arm. His mouth tugged up at one corner, and he gave her a slight nod. “Of course. I’ll be back as soon as I find her.”
He strode out of the servants’ hall and took the stone stairs two at a time. His gut clenched and he hurried on, intent on finding the frightened little girl and returning her to her family as soon as he could.
As he reached the main floor, an explosion rocked the house. He grabbed the banister and held on, steeling himself in case the roof came crashing in. The roof stayed in place, but the lights flickered and went out. He turned on the torch and hustled up the stairs. “Irene? Where are you?”
The only reply was the wailing siren in the distance and another round from the booming guns.
“Everyone’s gone down to the cellar,” he called as he reached the top of the stairs. “Tell me where you are, and I’ll take you to Dr. and Mrs. Foster.” He fanned the light around the upper hallway, but it was empty. He hurried to the third door and pushed it open. “Irene? Are you in here?”
He scanned the room with the torch beam, spotting three empty beds with their sheets and blankets tossed aside. A pair of shoes, a book, and a doll lay on the rug between the beds. But no little girl.
He frowned and turned around, shining the light in the corners of the room. She
had
to be here somewhere. He bent down and looked under the first bed, but all he saw was a dirty sock and what looked like a broken shoelace.
He checked under the other two beds and in the wardrobe. Nothing. He looked behind the curtains and lifted the window seat, but Irene wasn’t there. Pushing the blackout shade aside, he checked the window, but it was locked and there was no balcony or way for her to climb down. With all the frightening noise outside, he doubted she would try.
But she couldn’t just disappear.
He returned to the hall and checked the other bedrooms, calling her name as he opened each door, then shone the light around the room. At the end of the hall, he opened the door to find it
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