“After you apologize,” Shaw added.
“Obviously.” Garland heaved a sigh. “Harriet and I have yet to be married, and I have already learned to apologize first.”
“You’re not even betrothed, are you?” Thomas felt compelled to point out.
“Only a matter of days,” Garland said confidently. “I’m pleased to say I am wearing down her resistance to the idea of having me as a husband.”
Shaw chuckled. “It’s important to convince them they can’t live without us when clearly it’s the other way around.”
Thomas could only shake his head at the pair of them.
Before they offered further advice, the carriage drew to a halt near the dock.
“I was here watching earlier today. Assuming we have the advantage of arriving first, there are stacks of crates and barrels on the east side where we can wait.”
“You know which ship they’re boarding?” Shaw asked.
“Yes, thanks to the porter.” Thomas hopped out and requested the driver to wait a block away so his presence wouldn’t give them away.
The dark dock was eerily quiet except for the groan of ropes tied to moorings and the creak of a few wooden ships. The air felt colder here. Only a few windows from ships and a warehouse or two were lit around the area, hinting at the presence of others, but luckily a half-moon provided enough light to discern shapes.
“This way,” Thomas whispered and led his friends to the stacks he’d mentioned.
There was no sign of the children, and Thomas hoped they’d arrived first. After finding hiding places among the crates and barrels, they waited.
Less than ten minutes had passed when the rumble of a hackney echoed in the quiet.
Thomas watched as the conveyance drew to a halt nearby and half a dozen children emerged along with two men, one of whom held a lantern. How they’d managed to put so many into the hackney was a mystery.
The lantern revealed the children shivering in the cold, which angered Thomas all the more.
“Ready?” Thomas asked his companions, wishing he had a weapon of some sort. But it seemed doubtful Harris or Ayers would carry one when they had no reason to suspect anyone was aware of the scheme.
“Definitely.” The steel in Shaw’s voice had Thomas straightening from his hiding spot to stride forward.
“Hold,” he demanded as his companions flanked him.
“Who’s there?” Harris lifted the lantern, the glow threatening to temporarily blind Thomas.
“Thomas Sinclair. I’m sure you remember me from my questions about the Schmidt family.” Thomas walked closer as did Shaw and Garland.
The children clustered together, looking between the two groups of men uneasily.
Harris cursed under his breath and moved in front of the children. “What business do you have here?”
“To make certain that these children’s parents are aware of where their sons or daughters are going.”
“What is the meaning of this?” Ayers asked as he looked at Harris. “What is he talking about?”
“One of the boys sent on a ship earlier this year was misplaced,” Harris explained with reluctance. “Mr. Sinclair found him in New York.”
“Misplaced?” Shaw stepped forward. “That sounds like something you do with a glove or a sock. Not a child.”
“Exactly.” Garland drew closer as well. “Children should be treasured. Not sold.”
“The children are not being sold.” Ayers looked between them and Harris, confused. “Why would you think that?”
“Harris receives a fee for each one who boards the ship,” Thomas said. “That sounds like selling to me.”
