“Nope. I can find my way. I will just go and say goodbye to your missus.”
“I owe ye her life, Willie, and from all that ye have told me, probably mine as weel.”
“I just helped a friend, MacGregor. You gotta help your friends,” he said, and dashed off up the stairs.
“Somehow I have to get that boy away from Morisey,” Ballard said.
His brother and cousin led fresh horses up to the door and without another word, the five men mounted and rode off toward Big Jim’s cabin, carefully following Willie’s surprisingly precise directions. Ballard had little hope of catching up with his wife’s kidnappers, but he had to try. If he could get his hands onjust one of them, he might be able to find Thomas. And eventually he had to get to Thomas.
This time Ballard knew he would have to kill Thomas Dillingsworth. The man had left him no choice.
The sound of the horses riding off distracted Clover from her muttered complaints about Ballard’s lack of welcome. “Is that the men leaving?” Clover asked as her mother tucked her into bed.
“Yes,” Molly answered, moving away from the window, shooing the twins out of her way. “The MacGregors, Lambert, Jonathan, and Colin have all ridden after those madmen who kidnapped you. I just wish I had faith that they will find them.”
“We must find Thomas.”
“What we need now is to get you a hot cup of tea and some bread and cheese,” Molly said as she opened the door, only to find Willie standing there. “Your hero is here. Go on in, lad.” She paused to add, “Before you leave, Willie, m’lad, you be sure to pick up the sack on the kitchen table.” She winked at the boy. “I suspect you are a clever lad and know how to keep your treasures safe from those what haven’t earned them.”
“Real safe, ma’am.” As soon as Molly left, Willie edged up to Clover’s bedside. The twins stepped back to give him room. “I just wanted to see if you was still all right. You were looking a mite sickly there for a bit.”
“I will be fine. I just need to rest. I suppose you are headed home now.”
He nodded. “It only makes trouble for folk if I tryto stay away. You ain’t got to worry about me, ma’am. I’ll be back for my lessons.”
“Be sure that you are. And be sure to pick up that sack. Molly is a very fine cook.” She touched his cheek. “If it gets to be more than you can bear, or you begin to fear for your life, do not hesitate to come here. Be careful on your way home.”
“I will, ma’am.”
“We will go with you for a ways,” said Damien as he and Clayton moved to his side.
“Oh, I am not so sure you ought to,” murmured Agnes. “You do not know your way around as well as Willie does.”
“We will go only as far as we know, Mama,” Damien said. “And we will be back before it gets really dark.”
“All right. Off you go then, but be careful.”
As soon as the boys left, Clover looked at her mother. “Do you still have the money from the sale of the furniture?”
Smiling, Agnes sat down on the edge of the bed. “I do, but ‘tis barely forty dollars, and that beast Morrisey wants sixty for the boy.”
“I know, but it would be a very good start. I will understand if you do not want to give it to me. ‘Tis all you have.”
“I have all I need because of you. The money is yours, Clover. And if you can think of a way to make it grow to sixty dollars, just let me know. Ballard has some coin. Together it might be enough.”
“If Ballard has much coin, he will need it to buy supplies and such. He has a lot of mouths to feed.”
“You do realize that Morrisey could raise the boy’s price again.”
“He could, but I have to try.”
“I know. Clover, about Ballard—”
Clover grimaced and wished she had not been so vocal about her hurt and confusion over Ballard’s lack of warmth. “I really do not want to talk about that, Mama. ‘Tis something Ballard and I will have to sort out ourselves. All I can say is that I really want to make this marriage work.”
“Because you love the man.”
“Yes, I do, curse him. I love him, but I will not play the fool for him.”
