“‘Tis the money from the sale of our furniture. I am going to use it to get Willie away from Morrisey. Mother freely gave it to me for that purpose.”
“How much do ye have?”
“Not quite forty dollars.” She frowned when he slipped out of bed, went over to the wardrobe, and lifted a small sack down from a top shelf. He tossed the sack onto her lap. “This will help.”
Clover opened it and gasped. She tipped it out and carefully counted fifteen dollars.
“Ballard, I cannot take all of your money too,” she protested.
“‘Tisnae all mine. I hold it for all of us who are collecting money to free the boy. Little by little, penny by penny, we have managed to collect this much toward buying Willie’s freedom. Although I dinnae like to use the wordbuying.”
“Neither do I.” She put the money back into the pouch and set it on the bedside table. “This means that he will be free soon.” She kissed him. “Thank you, Ballard.”
“Dinnae get your hopes up too high, lass. Morrisey still might refuse ye.”
“Then I shall have to use all of my powers of persuasion.” She smiled sweetly. “Iwillfree that boy.”
“I almost pity Morrisey. He doesnae ken the power of a foster mother defending her cub.”
