alarmed and panicked.
Unable to resist, I put on my night coat and crept toward the stairs. From the top, I could see my father hurriedly putting on his raincoat. Beyond his shoulder was the terrified face of Charity’s father.
Needles pricked at my chest from the inside as I rushed down the stairs. My parents turned my way, and, by the looks on their faces, I could tell something was horribly wrong.
“What is it?” I asked, my gaze bouncing around the room.
Charity’s father’s nostrils flared, and my mother stood before me. “Charity is missing,” she murmured.
“Missing? But I just saw her today.”
My father turned to my mother. “We have to go. We’ll find her,” he said, glancing at me. “Do not leave the house.”
My limbs felt like butter, but my nerves were as hard as ice. “I don’t understand. She was home.”
My mother gave me a shake. “They’ll find her. Now, I want you to go straight to your room and do not come out. Do you hear?”
“But—”
“Phoebe, do as I say.”
I nodded without even feeling it and made my way up the stairs like a zombie. Each step felt like an eternity as I tried to think. What was happening? Where in heaven’s name could she be?
And then it hit me. And just as it did, I reached the top of the narrow steps and ended up square to a chest. I started to back away, but the faint glow of the fire from below revealed William. Even still, I stiffened.
We stood, watching each other for a moment, frozen in time. When my gaze bounced from his to the door where he’d come from, he more than knew what I was thinking.
He shook his head.
“If—” I stuttered.
He shook his head again and took a step toward me.
“Don’t,” I said shakily, feeling entirely chilled.
“They’ll find her,” he said.
I leaned against the wall, afraid. “What if they don’t? What if—”
“He didn’t,” he said knowingly, confirming that he knew my thoughts. And not only knew them, but had them too.
“I swear,” I started, but I felt myself slide down the wall. He reached for me and turned me toward my room.
Inside, I restlessly paced back and forth and eventually gathered myself and dressed. Downstairs, my mother was watching a faint dawn through the window as I approached. I stood beside her, unable to form the right words. After a moment she turned and gave me a long, worry-filled hug. Our silent embrace was interrupted by Samuel stomping down the stairs with William following.
“Shall we have breakfast before we report for duty, then?”
My mother was forming an answer when we heard the racket of horses’ hooves outside. We both ran to the door, hoping for good news. Instead, we saw a wagon racing toward the town, with Charity’s father in the back, hovering over a blanket.
Following closely on horseback was my own father, who dismounted and ran straight for our front door. Before my mother and I could understand what was happening, Samuel quickly stood and grabbed his gun, which had a newly attached bayonet on the end. He stood with the long, sharp end of the weapon facing the ceiling, but certainly at the ready.
When my father burst through the door, his gaze quickly settled on Samuel.
“How could you?!”
“Now, settle yourself,” Samuel said, gripping the weapon. “I am entirely innocent.”
“Then how did she come to be beaten and violated and left alone in the forest!” he spat, charging after Samuel. Tackling him into the wall, my father managed to thrust his powerful fist into Samuel’s side before being pushed off.
My father quickly gathered himself and set his sights on Samuel again, only this time Samuel lifted his musket. My mother screamed, and William suddenly moved from the periphery and lunged at my father.
Before I could fathom what was happening, Samuel was pulling the long, shiny bayonet from William’s stomach. I fell to my knees beside him, trembling.
“You fools!” Samuel shouted.
“What have you done?” my mother
Unable to resist, I put on my night coat and crept toward the stairs. From the top, I could see my father hurriedly putting on his raincoat. Beyond his shoulder was the terrified face of Charity’s father.
Needles pricked at my chest from the inside as I rushed down the stairs. My parents turned my way, and, by the looks on their faces, I could tell something was horribly wrong.
“What is it?” I asked, my gaze bouncing around the room.
Charity’s father’s nostrils flared, and my mother stood before me. “Charity is missing,” she murmured.
“Missing? But I just saw her today.”
My father turned to my mother. “We have to go. We’ll find her,” he said, glancing at me. “Do not leave the house.”
My limbs felt like butter, but my nerves were as hard as ice. “I don’t understand. She was home.”
My mother gave me a shake. “They’ll find her. Now, I want you to go straight to your room and do not come out. Do you hear?”
“But—”
“Phoebe, do as I say.”
I nodded without even feeling it and made my way up the stairs like a zombie. Each step felt like an eternity as I tried to think. What was happening? Where in heaven’s name could she be?
And then it hit me. And just as it did, I reached the top of the narrow steps and ended up square to a chest. I started to back away, but the faint glow of the fire from below revealed William. Even still, I stiffened.
We stood, watching each other for a moment, frozen in time. When my gaze bounced from his to the door where he’d come from, he more than knew what I was thinking.
He shook his head.
“If—” I stuttered.
He shook his head again and took a step toward me.
“Don’t,” I said shakily, feeling entirely chilled.
“They’ll find her,” he said.
I leaned against the wall, afraid. “What if they don’t? What if—”
“He didn’t,” he said knowingly, confirming that he knew my thoughts. And not only knew them, but had them too.
“I swear,” I started, but I felt myself slide down the wall. He reached for me and turned me toward my room.
Inside, I restlessly paced back and forth and eventually gathered myself and dressed. Downstairs, my mother was watching a faint dawn through the window as I approached. I stood beside her, unable to form the right words. After a moment she turned and gave me a long, worry-filled hug. Our silent embrace was interrupted by Samuel stomping down the stairs with William following.
“Shall we have breakfast before we report for duty, then?”
My mother was forming an answer when we heard the racket of horses’ hooves outside. We both ran to the door, hoping for good news. Instead, we saw a wagon racing toward the town, with Charity’s father in the back, hovering over a blanket.
Following closely on horseback was my own father, who dismounted and ran straight for our front door. Before my mother and I could understand what was happening, Samuel quickly stood and grabbed his gun, which had a newly attached bayonet on the end. He stood with the long, sharp end of the weapon facing the ceiling, but certainly at the ready.
When my father burst through the door, his gaze quickly settled on Samuel.
“How could you?!”
“Now, settle yourself,” Samuel said, gripping the weapon. “I am entirely innocent.”
“Then how did she come to be beaten and violated and left alone in the forest!” he spat, charging after Samuel. Tackling him into the wall, my father managed to thrust his powerful fist into Samuel’s side before being pushed off.
My father quickly gathered himself and set his sights on Samuel again, only this time Samuel lifted his musket. My mother screamed, and William suddenly moved from the periphery and lunged at my father.
Before I could fathom what was happening, Samuel was pulling the long, shiny bayonet from William’s stomach. I fell to my knees beside him, trembling.
“You fools!” Samuel shouted.
“What have you done?” my mother
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