the same day had stirred the children’s curiosity, and they asked question after question until Hawkeye had to rap on the table with his knuckles.
“You three make as much noise as a nest of blackbirds. I’ll remind you there’s a sick woman in the next room.” He sent each of them a stern look, and in turn Lily, Daniel, and Ethan dropped their gazes.
“Now let me say this once and for all. You’ve heard every story there is to tell about Liam Kirby time and time again. Wewon’t know any more until your sister has her talk with him. As far as that young woman is concerned, Curiosity will be here soon enough to clear things up, but let me remind you of something. I want you to listen to me now.”
He leaned forward, and his voice lowered. “She’s a guest here, and her safety is our responsibility. If you go talking to anybody about her, if you even say her name, then you’re putting her life in danger. Do you understand me?”
Lily and Ethan nodded, but Daniel’s mouth set itself in a hard line, one that said he would obey against his better judgment.
Nathaniel saw this too. “Say it, son. Whatever’s on your mind.”
Daniel glanced at Hannah, and then away. “It’s Liam Kirby who’s the danger,” he said, his voice wobbling with earnestness. “He ran off from here with—” Hannah made a sound deep in her throat, and Daniel paused. “And now he’s back, tracking Selah Voyager onto the mountain. I say—” His voice cracked, and a flush crawled up his neck. “Why don’t you just send him away, Da? We don’t need him here.”
Hannah said, “He deserves the chance to explain, little brother.”
“And what if it’s all true?” Daniel asked. “What if he wants to take her back to the city and collect a reward?”
“He doesn’t know she’s here, not for sure,” said Lily. “Maybe that’s not why he came at all.” She was looking to her mother for confirmation, and Elizabeth gave it to her.
“That’s why Hannah wants to talk to him,” she said. “To find out exactly what he wants, and if he knows about Miss Voyager.”
“Of course he knows,” muttered Daniel. “Uncle found him not five hundred yards from the trail she walked, and those dogs are good trackers.”
“If that is the case, then I will send him away,” Hannah said quietly.
“Maybe he won’t go,” said Ethan.
There was always something of a preternatural calm about Ethan, but today more than usual. He wore his worry for his mother like a caul.
Hannah had seen her mother die in childbirth, and she understood very well how vulnerable Ethan was today. If she was angry, she did not show it, but then Hannah rarely did: it was atrick that Lily admired in her older sister but had not yet learned, quite.
She said, “If I send him, he will leave.”
The muscles in the boy’s throat moved convulsively, as if he would have preferred to swallow down what he felt compelled to say. “From the mountain, maybe. But you can’t send him out of Paradise unless he wants to go.”
All three of the children looked toward Nathaniel and Hawkeye in an unspoken request for their opinions. Nathaniel drew in a deep breath and blew it out again. “Daughter, read us that letter one more time.”
Hannah left the table and went to the desk to stand in the fading light at the window, her plaits shining smooth and blue black down the straight line of her back. She studied the letter for a moment, and then she read in her clear voice.
“‘Tomorrow I will wait at the burned schoolhouse at first light. I will come no further up the mountain unless I come with you. Please talk to me. Things are not always what they seem. Your true friend, Liam Kirby.’”
Hawkeye grunted. “Could mean anything,” he said. “I’m curious, for one.”
Nathaniel spoke directly to his son. “I don’t believe she’s in any danger, going to talk to him. We wouldn’t let her go if we thought there was. You know that, Daniel, don’t you?”
The
“You three make as much noise as a nest of blackbirds. I’ll remind you there’s a sick woman in the next room.” He sent each of them a stern look, and in turn Lily, Daniel, and Ethan dropped their gazes.
“Now let me say this once and for all. You’ve heard every story there is to tell about Liam Kirby time and time again. Wewon’t know any more until your sister has her talk with him. As far as that young woman is concerned, Curiosity will be here soon enough to clear things up, but let me remind you of something. I want you to listen to me now.”
He leaned forward, and his voice lowered. “She’s a guest here, and her safety is our responsibility. If you go talking to anybody about her, if you even say her name, then you’re putting her life in danger. Do you understand me?”
Lily and Ethan nodded, but Daniel’s mouth set itself in a hard line, one that said he would obey against his better judgment.
Nathaniel saw this too. “Say it, son. Whatever’s on your mind.”
Daniel glanced at Hannah, and then away. “It’s Liam Kirby who’s the danger,” he said, his voice wobbling with earnestness. “He ran off from here with—” Hannah made a sound deep in her throat, and Daniel paused. “And now he’s back, tracking Selah Voyager onto the mountain. I say—” His voice cracked, and a flush crawled up his neck. “Why don’t you just send him away, Da? We don’t need him here.”
Hannah said, “He deserves the chance to explain, little brother.”
“And what if it’s all true?” Daniel asked. “What if he wants to take her back to the city and collect a reward?”
“He doesn’t know she’s here, not for sure,” said Lily. “Maybe that’s not why he came at all.” She was looking to her mother for confirmation, and Elizabeth gave it to her.
“That’s why Hannah wants to talk to him,” she said. “To find out exactly what he wants, and if he knows about Miss Voyager.”
“Of course he knows,” muttered Daniel. “Uncle found him not five hundred yards from the trail she walked, and those dogs are good trackers.”
“If that is the case, then I will send him away,” Hannah said quietly.
“Maybe he won’t go,” said Ethan.
There was always something of a preternatural calm about Ethan, but today more than usual. He wore his worry for his mother like a caul.
Hannah had seen her mother die in childbirth, and she understood very well how vulnerable Ethan was today. If she was angry, she did not show it, but then Hannah rarely did: it was atrick that Lily admired in her older sister but had not yet learned, quite.
She said, “If I send him, he will leave.”
The muscles in the boy’s throat moved convulsively, as if he would have preferred to swallow down what he felt compelled to say. “From the mountain, maybe. But you can’t send him out of Paradise unless he wants to go.”
All three of the children looked toward Nathaniel and Hawkeye in an unspoken request for their opinions. Nathaniel drew in a deep breath and blew it out again. “Daughter, read us that letter one more time.”
Hannah left the table and went to the desk to stand in the fading light at the window, her plaits shining smooth and blue black down the straight line of her back. She studied the letter for a moment, and then she read in her clear voice.
“‘Tomorrow I will wait at the burned schoolhouse at first light. I will come no further up the mountain unless I come with you. Please talk to me. Things are not always what they seem. Your true friend, Liam Kirby.’”
Hawkeye grunted. “Could mean anything,” he said. “I’m curious, for one.”
Nathaniel spoke directly to his son. “I don’t believe she’s in any danger, going to talk to him. We wouldn’t let her go if we thought there was. You know that, Daniel, don’t you?”
The
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