My Dear Sophy by Kimberly Truesdale Page A

herself, only of reaching Edward and finding out what was so desperately wrong.
    Edward wasn't in his room. He and Papa were across the hall in Freddy's room. They looked distressed. Sophy peered past them into the darkened room. Surely Freddy hadn't taken ill during the night. He had been fine yesterday. Papa had said his bruised leg was healing nicely. So what could it be?
    The question was answered as soon as her eyes focused in the early-morning gloom. It wasn't illness. It wasn't anything.
    Freddy was gone.
    The sheets on his bed were thrown back, as if in haste. Where Freddy should have been was a heap of pillows.
    “ What is this?” Sophy asked, hoping that her brother or parent could tell her what was happening. She seemed unable to comprehend.
    Edward, almost hysterical, quickly told them what he had found. “I woke up and I thought to come see Freddy, see how he was. I called him from the door and he didn't wake up, so I came in and poked him. And... and he wasn't here. This is all I found!” Edward had stuttered through his explanation. He seemed to be at a loss, unable to know what to do. Sophy comforted Edward with a squeeze to his shoulder.
    “ Come, Edward, he will be around somewhere. He cannot have flown away. We will find him. And I am sure nothing has happened.” But she was not sure of her own words. What had Freddy done now? He had gone off before by himself. But never in the middle of the night like this. He'd always disappeared during the day. And they'd always found him in a secluded spot somewhere near the village.
    They must look in these spots first. That was what needed to happen. Freddy must be there. Sophy was already forming a plan in her mind. She looked at Edward and Papa, who appeared terribly worried but unable to think what to do, and announced her plan.
    “ All right,” she said as cheerfully and commandingly as she could. She needed to get some spirit into them. “Here is what we shall do.” The other two almost comically snapped to attention, waiting for calm and collected Sophy to issue their marching orders.
    “ First, we shall all get properly dressed. We mustn't run around town in our underclothes. Then, we shall each search one of the streets in town, asking everyone if they have seen Freddy. I believe that someone must have seen him. Even if they have not, I am sure they will all help us search.”
    Edward and Papa agreed that this was quite a competent plan and they all headed off to get dressed.
    Once in her room again, Sophy grabbed a functional but not fine day dress and solid boots. Who could guess where she would have to tread today? If they were lucky, Freddy was only having a laugh and hiding nearby. He had done this before.
    Sophy thought back to the last time. It had been at the beginning of summer. Freddy had run off after his lessons and not come home to supper. When it began to get dark, Sophy and Edward had gone in search of him, fearing that something dreadful might have happened. They'd found him behind the Old Mill on the other side of town. It had taken some convincing, but Freddy had eventually agreed to come home. The boy had run away because he was angry with his father, angry that he was being treated like a child.
    That must be it, Sophy thought. Freddy had been chafing all week at his father's lectures. They had yelled so that the whole of Milverton could hear them, arguing about Freddy not being responsible, not being ready for anything grown up. The latest fall had brought up all the old arguments again. Had he not been lamed by his ankle, Sophy suspected that Freddy would have run off much earlier in the week. Maybe his injury was in their favor. Freddy would probably still be limping. How far could he have gone? Hopefully, he was only hiding by the Mill again.
    As she pondered where to begin the search for her brother, Sophy absently pulled on her stockings and boots. She grabbed a shawl and ran downstairs to their small front hall. Papa and