“The spineless cads,” Ezrah swore under his breath. “They planned this out to the finest detail.”
“He’s our only hope of proving that all of this was a ruse,” Rosaline said quietly, her hope failing slightly.
“We will find him.” Thomas reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“But even if we can find him, how can we make him confess? Diedrick would have offered him an enormous amount of money to keep quiet.”
“We will find a way,” Thomas said.
The others all nodded in agreement.
“It seems to be our only hope,” Ezrah agreed and looked through the window. “You folks better be getting back, it’s getting pretty dark out there. Rosaline will have to stay the night in my custody, but she will be comfortable in the spare bedroom.” He looked to Thomas. “She will be safe with us, Buena will see to her.”
Thomas nodded uneasily before turning to Rosaline as the others stood to leave. He closed his eyes and placed his forehead against Rosaline’s. “I’ll find a way,” he whispered so that only she could hear. “Trust me.”
“I do,” She whispered back and hugged him.
Arthur came forward and hugged her together with Robbie. Rosaline kissed his chubby cheek as she fought back the tears. It wasn’t that she was afraid Thomas would fail, but she hated having to stay behind when they all left.
Thomas hovered by the door when the others left the room. He seemed like he wanted to say something, but instead he smiled half-heartedly and closed the door.
Rosaline hugged her waist as she watched her family pull away atop the buckboard. She frowned when she thought she saw the glimpse of a gold-tipped cane disappear around the corner of the street.
Sighing she turned her attention back to the others. “Lord, we need a miracle, now more than ever. Make a way where there seems to be no way,” she whispered in prayer.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The horse’s hooves kicked up dust as they beat their way through the dark. The sun was barely up, with the nighttime chill still stinging the air. Thomas hadn’t slept a wink all night as he worried about Rosaline. He trusted Ezrah and Buena to look after her, he just needed her home again.
The house had felt empty when they put Robbie to bed after leaving Rosaline at the Gideon’s the evening before. The absence of her sweet voice left a gaping void in his chest that pulled on his soul.
He kicked his heels into the horse’s flanks and spurred the animal on towards the bunkhouse. The farmhands would just be getting up as the sun peaked over the horizon. Ian Summers had been gone a while, but someone had to know something of his whereabouts.
Thomas reined the horse in with a sharp tug as pulled up outside the bunkhouse. Jumping from the horse he burst inside, startling the young men who stared at him in confusion as they looked up from pulling their boots on.
“Have either of you seen Ian Summers?” he barked at them a bit too sharply. “Did he say or do anything to suggest where he was going?”
They looked at each other in confusion before turning back to Thomas.
Thomas saw the startled looks on their faces and took a moment to compose himself. Running his hands over his face and through his already messy hair, he sighed. “I need to know where he went,” he said more gently with a note of pleading in his voice. “Rosaline is in trouble. If he said anything to either of you that may help, please tell me,” he pleaded.
They stood thinking for a moment as neither of them said a word. Thomas was about to turn and leave as he felt the hope sinking in his heart.
“There was something.” One of the hands frowned as he searched for the memory.
Thomas’ head shot up in hope.
“A couple of days before he went missing he was saying something about trying his hand in one of the mines west of here.” He looked at the other hand who continued the story.
“Oh yes, I remember now. We asked him why he would want to go to a mine when he seemed to have such a good job working for Mr. Higgs. He said something about laying low for a while until everything had blown over,”
Thomas took a step forward. “Did he say what he meant by that?”
The young men shrugged. “We did ask, but he wouldn’t elaborate.”
Thomas turned and swung himself back onto the horse with lightning speed. “Thank you lads!” he called over his shoulder and turned the horse, spurring the creature on in the opposite direction.
***
