Of Angels and Orphans

By Barbara T. Cerny

Audra Markham is a ten-year-old girl born into privilege, but only in the sense of wealth. The granddaughter of a Viscount, Audra is the object of ridicule in her spoiled and spiteful family. Alone and unloved, Audra seeks solace in the comfort of food.

In another part of London thirteen-year-old Nathaniel Abbot lives a wretched life, forced to steal food in order to survive. Living in squalid conditions at the local orphanage, Nathaniel and three of his friends are spared further suffering when Audra “rescues” them from their plight.

Two lost souls that cannot find their place in the word suddenly find a place in each other’s hearts. Follow the lives of Audra and Nate as they grow from loyal childhood companions to inseparable young lovers, struggling through the perils of their own lives and facing difficult decisions that threaten to keep them apart.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Barbara T. Cerny
• Release date: Apr 6, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301621491

Barbara T. Cerny

Author Barbara T. Cerny has garnered NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE® BOOK AWARDS FINALIST 2015, A READER’S FAVORITE® 2015 AWARDS FINALIST, four A Reader’s Favorite 5 Star ratings, and an INDIE READER APPROVED seal as judged by top industry professionals— not as merely a great indie book— but as great book, period. Named by Novel Writing Festival 2017 best of ADVENTURE Novel Stories from around the world, and Book Viral SHORT LIST of authors for the 2017 Millennium Book AwardBarb grew up in Grand Junction, Colorado, which at that time was a small town of 30,000 people. She left that little burg to see the world, garner three college degrees, and to serve in the US Army. After eight years on active duty and fourteen years in the reserves, she retired as a lieutenant colonel in 2007. While deployed to the Middle East in 2005, Ms. Cerny finally figured out she had to get going on the real love of her life, writing. She wrote her first two novels during that time and hasn’t stopped. She is presently working on novels number seven, eight, and nine. When not writing, Ms. Cerny works as an information technology specialist and supervisor for the US Air Force. She lives with her loving husband, their two active teenagers, and three needy cats. The cats patiently watch her write and listen to her intently as she discusses plot lines with them.

Book preview

Preface

This is a story that has been rolling around in my head since high school—over thirty years now! I’d always wanted to be a writer but, as happens with many people who have a dream, life gets in the way. For many years, my writing was shoved to the side as I pursued other goals. Someday, I will write… You know how it goes.

Well, that someday came in the most unusual way. I am a retired lieutenant colonel in the US Army Reserves, a twenty-two-year veteran in our military. And I, like hundreds of thousands before me, was called to serve. I was sent to Southwest Asia (SWA) in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

I left behind two small children—Oksana, eight and Audra, five—and a husband, Charles, who overnight became chief, cook, bottle washer, mom, and dad. I bless him every day for the sacrifices he made to keep the home fires burning. He took the brunt of my deployment, not me. I love him with all my being—my heart, my mind, my body, my soul. My love for him is where my ability to write about the love between my two main characters is born.

In SWA, I worked six days a week, twelve- to thirteen-hour days, for twelve months straight. Even on my days off, I sometimes had to work six to eight hours. I lived the movie Groundhog Day for 365 days.

But I had time on my hands. No kids, no responsibilities outside the mission, no cleaning the bathrooms, no cooking or grocery shopping. I just had to make my bunk and take the bus to work. I lived in an open bay barracks with forty-eight other soldiers, walking three buildings to a shower/toilet trailer in 115º heat.

When I first arrived, I read voraciously, downing four or five novels a week. In January 2006, I was able to take a four-day trip to Qatar, which I spent lying around reading. I polished off seven novels. I read two romance novels in those four days, a genre I rarely read, as I like Stephen King, Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum, and their brand of book best.

So there I was, reading a romance novel and wondering why I was reading other people’s books when I had a great story of my own wandering around in my mind.

So I started to write. I wrote on my days off. I wrote in the evenings I wasn’t giving ballroom and country dance lessons to the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines in my camp. I wrote when my boss traveled on business or was on leave. From the first week in February to the first weekend in June, I fleshed out the story that had only existed in my mind for so many years.

Since I had gone over the story so often in my head, having thought out every detail to the nth degree, it flowed very quickly onto paper.

Bottom line, deployment gave me the time to pursue a passion I had pushed aside for three decades, so I guess I have to say, Thank you, Uncle Sam! for giving me the chance to actually put the lives of Audra Markham and Nathaniel Abbot on paper.

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my incredible other half—the man of my dreams, my kindred soul, Charles. Without him, nothing in life is possible or worth going after.

Acknowledgements

In this endeavor, I determined that writing is actually the easy part! The editing, revising, naming, reviewing, finding a publisher, printing, etc., are far more tedious and time-consuming. I would like to thank my friend, Susan Howard, for reading the book and providing that first encouragement to move forward into publishing. I would like to thank my sister-in-law, Mary Cerny, for her grand efforts in the initial editing of the manuscript. She is a professional medical tech writer, but editing a novel was well out of her comfort zone. Go, Mary! I would like to thank my editor and partner, Martha Bernard, for putting on the finishing touches.

*****

OF ANGELS AND ORPHANS

*****

Chapter 1

Nathaniel Abbot was running through the streets of London as fast as his legs would carry him. Just a few minutes earlier, he has succeeded in stealing a melon from a street vendor, but the man had spotted Nate as he made a hasty exit. He was forced to drop the precious but heavy fruit in order to keep one step ahead of his pursuer.

Nate hated stealing food, but he and the other boys did it often. It was either steal or die of starvation. Not much of a choice. That bloody orphanage didn’t provide enough food to keep a mouse alive, let alone boys in the middle of growth spurts.

His orphan buddies, Jack Holloway, Elden Bitters, and Joey Smithers, were scouting out different food stands to rob. They were all to meet later with their contraband at their hideout under the back stairs of the brothel. It wasn’t the most desirable place for a hideout, but no one had ever discovered them there, so it served its purpose.

Nate, at thirteen, was the oldest of the four boys, and was the ringleader of the small gang. He was going to be a tall man, if he ever made it to manhood. He was already taller than the overbearing director of the orphanage, Sir Percy Snellings.

God, how Nate hated that man! Snellings was cruel, malicious, and repulsive—the last man on earth who should have been running an orphanage. He regularly beat the orphans and kept for himself most of the food donated by the queen’s kitchens.

Nate hadn’t always been an orphan. His parents, Charles and Gloria Abbot, had died five years earlier, in 1791, during an influenza epidemic that had swept through London. Charles, the vicar of a small parish on the outskirts of London, had been tending to his congregation and contracted the horrible malady, bringing it home to his family. Gloria, Charles, and Nate’s little sister, Mary, had all succumbed to the deadly disease, leaving eight-year-old Nate to fend for himself. He had been packed off to the Queen’s Children’s Home immediately after his family’s burial in the small cemetery attached to the chapel, as no one in the neighborhood could afford yet another mouth to feed.

And from that moment, Nate’s life rapidly descended into hell. Snellings couldn’t stand Nate, for he was not a typical street urchin. He could read, write, and do rudimentary mathematics. He spoke with a softer accent, and used proper language. Snellings saw Nate as a threat, and went out of his way to make the boy’s life miserable.

So here Nate was, on the street, becoming that very street urchin, forced to steal to live, and now running for his freedom. He was so malnourished he couldn’t run as fast as he used to. He knew he had to hide, and soon. He turned the corner and saw a high wall across the street with a border of bushes. And there it was, the perfect hiding place—a break in the bushes, just large enough for him to squeeze through. He quickly dodged the horses and carriages and other pedestrians, hoping that zigzagging through them would hide his movements enough so he could reach the bushes unnoticed. Nate nearly crashed into a trotting horse, and received a tongue lashing from the rider. He paid no attention, as he ran headlong into the break in the bushes and crouched down behind the thick branches. A few seconds later he heard footsteps near his hiding place, and a man’s voice emitting curses.

Where’d you go, you bloody little thief? You can’t get away from me! Nate peered out through the thick leaves at a pair of filthy boots and brown pant legs. He held his breath, and tried not to make a sound.

Please go away. Move it, move it! he thought, as he drew a small slow breath and held it again. Go. Go. Go. GO!

After what seemed like an eternity (but was in reality about fifteen seconds), the man in the dirty boots moved back across the street and disappeared from sight. Nate took a deep breath, happy to have escaped capture and punishment this time. One of these days his luck would run out, and he would be caught.

Now that the danger had passed, Nate took a moment to examine his hiding place more closely. Looking up ahead, he saw that the bushes were far enough away from the wall that he could crawl on his hands and knees between them for quite a ways. He couldn’t stand up because the branches above him pressed up against the wall, but he was perfectly content to crawl along the ground to see what lay ahead.

He moved forward, looking for another break in the bushes, his hands and knees beginning to feel the pain of the rocks and dirt under them. The pain in his empty stomach was far worse, however, so he brushed aside the stinging in his palms. He’d probably ruin the knees of his britches, but they were already in sorry shape. He was about to turn back when he noticed a pile of rubble up ahead. Crawling a little faster, he came upon what looked like an old gate or entry way that had been poorly filled in, and part of it was crumbling away.

After moving some of the rock debris out of the way, Nate found that the hole was just big enough for him to squeeze through. However, once through the hole, the boy found himself in the same predicament—smashed between the wall and another length of bushes, with only room to move near the roots. He sighed and continued to crawl, wondering where this would possibly lead him.

Chapter 2

The copse was very quiet on this fine spring day, as ten-year-old Audra Markham sat on the stone bench, reading. Her nanny, Louisa, had sewn a pillow set for her many years ago to rest upon the stone and keep her comfortable as she read in her favorite spot. Audra was an avid reader, much to her mother’s dismay. Lady Maureen, daughter of a baron and wife to Lord Evelyn Markham, wanted Audra to learn the genteel ways of a woman and keep her nose out of books. Fortunately, Audra did not have to endure her mother’s criticisms often, for Maureen was more apt to pay attention to Audra’s brothers, Edwin and Bertram, and leave her daughter to her own devices. This pleased Audra to no end. She hated being around her family members, who always seemed to make her self-conscious about her extra-large size. She avoided them as much as possible, and the copse was the best place in the gardens to hide. Louisa, who loved the child dearly, ensured that Audra had as many peaceful moments as possible away from the cruel taunts of her brothers and thoughtless comments from her parents.

This morning, however, Audra’s reading was disturbed by strange rustling in the bushes along the outer wall. She peered through the trellis of clematis, and stared in the direction of the noise for a few moments. Suddenly, she saw a figure in the shadows moving on hands and knees through the underside of the brush. And not very quietly, either. It appeared to be a boy. He paused, moved a bit, paused, and then moved a bit again. It was as if he were listening to see if anyone was on the other side.

Surprised that someone would invade the garden, Audra quietly stood up and tiptoed around the end of the trellis, across the lawn, and toward the end of the bush line where she knew the intruder would eventually have to emerge. She waited, prepared to use the heavy book she was carrying as a weapon, if necessary.

Nate was almost to the end of the bushes when he noticed a pair of shoes and what looked like the hem of a yellow dress near the place he had planned to emerge. Blimey, he thought. Now what? Should he crawl back, or take his chances with the woman? He stopped and looked for more shoes, legs, hems, or other evidence of additional people he would have to face. Seeing none, he decided to take his chances. He popped out of the bushes, rolled forward, jumped up, and faced the woman with one hand cocked behind him, ready to strike.

Audra and Nate stared at each other in surprise. Whatever Nate expected, it wasn’t a fat little girl with the curliest red hair and greenest eyes he’d ever seen, holding a book over her shoulder, ready to strike.

Whatever Audra expected, it wasn’t this tall, dirty, emaciated boy with long, blondish, unkempt hair, holding his fist over his shoulder to defend himself. After staring at each other for a minute, they both lowered their arms and stood awkwardly, not sure what to do next.

Uhhh, started Nate, Queen Charlotte, I presume?

Audra burst into giggles. Of all the things she supposed the boy would say, that wasn’t one of them! She liked him instantly, and decided he wasn’t a threat after all.

The girl had a contagious giggle, and Nate found himself giggling, too. What started as an illegal situation ended with him enjoying the best laugh he’d had in years. And he was thankful the girl had decided it wasn’t necessary to smack him with that very heavy book.

Nate bowed deeply. I am honored to meet you, m’lady. Nathaniel Abbot, at your service.

She held out her hand, backside up, and gave a deep courtesy. The pleasure is all mine, Sir Abbot. I am Mistress Audra Markham. He took her hand, kissed it in a gentlemanly fashion, and then straightened back up.

Introductions over, they again stared at one another. Nate noticed Audra had a little space between her two front teeth, which gave her a waifish look.

Umm, I have a bit of lunch in the basket, Sir Abbot. Would you care to join me?

Food! She was offering him food! He was hers for the taking. YES! he exclaimed, a little too loudly, causing Audra to flinch. I mean, yes, m’lady, Nate replied, much softer this time. A spot of lunch would be marvelous.

Audra looked at Nate appraisingly. Due to his incredible thinness and his reaction to her offer of food, she had the distinct impression he didn’t eat very often. She was suddenly self- conscious about the extra pounds she carried due to the copious amounts of food she consumed. Nate didn’t sound like a commoner; he spoke like her, with a soft manner and an educated verbiage. However, the rags he wore made him look like he lived on the streets. Enough with the appraisal, she thought. I have a guest to feed. Gently, she took Nate’s dirty hand in hers and led him back around the end of the trellis into her special copse in the garden. She motioned for him to sit down on her favorite bench, pulled the basket out from under it, and placed it next to him.

Please, Sir Abbot, partake of anything you wish. Audra laid the red and white tablecloth on the ground. She then pulled the food from the picnic basket, and arranged it around the tablecloth.

Nate could only gape at the display of food this one young girl spread out before him. There was fruit, bread, cheese, cider, sweets, and MEAT! Oh, my God! She had chicken. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had chicken. He looked up from the repast in front of him, and his eyes met Audra’s. She immediately saw the awe, as well as the hunger in his eyes, and at once knew she would never allow him to go hungry again. She quickly looked away and picked up a baguette, broke off a large chunk, and handed it to him.

Nate took the bread and devoured it. Audra had never before seen anyone eat so fast. She handed him a chunk of cheese that disappeared as fast as the bread, followed by a cup of the cider, more bread, and two chicken legs. Audra nibbled on some bread and cheese, allowing Nate to eat as much as his stomach could hold.

Nate ate like a condemned man. He showed no manners, shoveling the food into his mouth, as he filled a belly that had gone too long without good, nutritious food. A part of his brain was telling him to slow down, that he would make himself sick, but he couldn’t stop himself, and only halted when everything was gone. Then, with a great belch of satisfaction, he put his hands on his belly, laid down on the pillows, and stared at the flowered canopy above him with a huge smile on his face.

I think I made a pig of myself, m’lady, and I must apologize for my behavior, he said to the air above him. A shadow moved over him, and he looked up into Audra’s concerned, pudgy face. Why are you so hungry? she asked. Doesn’t your family have any food?

He closed his eyes and frowned, embarrassed. He generally didn’t talk about his life to others. The people on the street didn’t want to know anyway. Judging by his appearance, he was just a no-good street urchin. But after having devoured Audra’s lunch, he probably owed her some sort of explanation for his gluttony. Flinging his arm over his face so he couldn’t see the scorn in her eyes, he started to tell his tale.

I have no family; at least I haven’t for a very long time. I was born on the Grafton side of London, where I lived with my family until about five years ago, when they all died of the influenza. I now live in the Queen’s Children’s Home, a fancy name for an orphanage, where they starve us and beat us and sell us to the highest bidder. I roam the streets during the day to look for food to steal.

His voice became softer, more distant. I hate doing it, but it is the only way to survive from day to day. So many children at the orphanage don’t survive. So if we don’t want to die we have to forage for food. Sometimes, we can find it in the garbage bins, but most of the time we have to filch it.

He slowly pulled his arm to his forehead and cautiously opened one eye. Audra was still bending over him, staring down at his face. He grimaced a little, expecting her to be appalled at his statements. But instead, her brows were furrowed in even deeper concern, her mouth open slightly.

Nate pulled himself up into a sitting position, and Audra sat next to him. My friends and I were at the fruit stands today, and I was caught snitching a melon. I ran, hid in the bushes on the outside of your wall, and then found my way into your garden, where you caught me. He hung his head in shame.

Audra was aghast. Not at his stealing, but at his need to steal. She had no idea people outside the four walls that protected her family home were in such dire straits. This boy and others like him were starving to death, blocks away from her house of plenty! How could that be? Her ten-year-old mind couldn’t quite grasp the situation.

You can come here and eat any time you want.

Nate looked at her, surprised. You want me to come back?

Yes. Her statement was simple and truthful, and tears stung the backs of his eyes at the straightforward invitation. He blinked back the tears and started giggling again, which also sent Audra into a fit of giggles. Pretty soon, they were both laughing so hard they had stomachaches.

And then they talked. She told him all about her life, and he told her all about his. He talked about the years before he lost his parents, the vicarage, and the people he remembered in the congregation. He told her about Jack, Elden, and Joey, and their escapades and escapes. He left out the darker details to protect himself from answering the hard questions he was afraid she would ask.

Audra told him about her brothers, and how malevolent they were to her. She told of her cousins, and how nasty they were to her. She told of her parents, and how disinterested they were in her life. Audra talked to Nate about the people who served her family, and how they cared for her and she cared for them, and about the house and her room and her dolls and the books she read.

Nate picked up the book she had, and haltingly read a few passages out loud. It had been awhile since he’d had a book in his hands, and it felt good to be reading again. And they laughed some more.

They were from two different worlds, but felt a connection of friendship that transcended their stations in life, and came from a shared need for love and family.

All too soon the sun began to set. Audra stood up to return to the house before someone came searching and found Nate in the garden with her.

Come tomorrow, and we’ll have lunch together again. And I will bring enough for you to take back to Jack and Joey and Elden, too. I will never let you go hungry again. I won’t let my friends starve.

Nate melted. He hadn’t had anyone take care of him in a very long time, and this girl was going to feed him and his friends. He didn’t know what to say. Nate decided Audra was the kindest, most wonderful, most beautiful person he had ever seen. She was his angel, and he would go to the ends of the earth for her. The tears threatened again, so he hurriedly turned away to leave.

I will see you tomorrow, he croaked, and then disappeared into the bushes.

Chapter 3

The next day, true to her word, Audra was waiting for Nate in the copse with a full picnic basket. She also had a white linen bag with clumsy handles that looked very similar to a couple of old napkins sewn together. Inside was food for the other boys. Nate once again ate his fill, and he and Audra spent the afternoon talking. She gave him a book to help him brush up on his reading. It was intended for a younger reader, but Audra knew Nate probably needed to start from the beginning again.

They continued to meet daily for most of the month of April. Audra had to start sneaking food in order to keep the staff from becoming suspicious. She was a big girl, and had always eaten a lot to comfort herself. Now, though, she was setting aside most of her lunch for these four very hungry young men, and doing her best to bring them as much additional food as possible. She sewed several linen bags out of old napkins she had pilfered from the bottom of the great cabinet in the pantry for Nate to use to carry food to the boys.

She quickly learned how hard it must be for the boys to steal food from strangers on the streets. She had enough trouble gathering what she needed from under the noses of a friendly household staff! She had to get up very early in the morning to take food before the staff began to stir. She also had to locate a good hiding place that wouldn’t be found by the dog, Lilac; the cook, Mr. Fout; or his staff, Jessie and Gigi. She had to escape from Louisa, who was sweet, but was an adult, so couldn’t be trusted. Audra had to avoid the three maids—Beth, Portia, and Nettie—plus Termins, the butler. Outside the house, she had to steer clear of Calvin, the stable master and coachman; Higgins, the stable hand; and Rory and Basil, the gardeners.

Audra had long ago established that the copse with the trellis was her special place, so the servants rarely disturbed her there except to call her to meals or other events. She was confident she and Nate could continue to meet there without being discovered. She was not by nature a sneaky person, but as time went on, she discovered there was an art to it. By the end of April, she had become an expert. She even pilfered some old clothes from trunks in the attic for the boys to wear. She gave them hairbrushes and shoes and other items she had found in those trunks as well. She even gave each of them one of those new-fangled toothbrushes her mother thought were so wonderful. Audra also thought they were wonderful.

She met the other boys for the first time about three weeks after Nate had come through the wall. She was sitting in the copse, anticipating his arrival, when a loud commotion in the bushes frightened her.

Hey, mate, git off me hand!

Sorry, ass puss, that ain’t me!

Well, bugger!

Bloody ‘ell, man.

Hey, guys, watch your language and pipe down, will ya? You’re gonna wake the dead! That last voice belonged to Nate, and Audra realized that Jack, Elden, and Joey were with him. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized she was finally going to meet the other three boys! She had heard so much about them, she assumed she’d recognize them on the spot. And she was right.

Nate popped out first, followed by a boy with a scar running along his left cheek. That was Joey. Behind him was a boy with the lightest blond hair she’d ever seen—Elden. And last came Jack. He was very small, cute as a button, and had sparkling grey eyes full of life. Joey was twelve, and Jack and Elden were both eleven, although Jack looked more like he was seven or eight. All three were just as skinny as Nate. Two weeks of filling lunches had kept the hunger pangs from biting but hadn’t done a thing to eliminate their gauntness. But they were all dressed in the clothes she had picked out for them based on Nate’s descriptions, and they looked considerably better than Nate had when she first met him. Luckily, the staff at the Queen’s Children’s Home didn’t pay too much attention to the orphans’ clothing, so they were able to wear the hand-me-downs without repercussions.

Come, fellas. Say hi to Angel Audra, our savior!

God, Nate, you didn’t tell us she was so fat! Nate clamped a hand over Joey’s mouth and looked at Audra, mortified.

Audra cringed inside, but she did not react outwardly to Joey’s thoughtless comment. She endured similar barbs and insults from her brothers and their friends all the time, and had learned not to show pain, since that only brought on more of the same.

"Sorry, Audra. This one has no manners, Nate said, yelling no!" in Joey’s ear.

Sorry, Audra. Joey hung his head in shame, and dug into the dirt with his toe.

Joey’s remorse was something Audra wasn’t accustomed to hearing, and she was stunned by the warmth she felt following his sincere apology.

I forgive you, Joey. Friends? And with that, she stuck out her hand for a shake. He looked up at her, surprised, took her hand, and pumped it for all he was worth.

Gads, Joey! interjected Elden, let ‘er go before ye break ‘er! Elden pushed Joey out of the way so he could take her now-empty hand and pump it enthusiastically. So ‘appy ter meet ye finally. Ye don’t know whatcha mean to us.

Jack finally stepped forward, and smiled a smile that could melt ice. He gave her hand one firm shake, and then moved back again. Then the boys all started talking at once, trying to be the center of attention, while showering Audra with profound thanks for the food she’d been sharing with them.

Chapter 4

For the next few weeks, Audra and the boys spent several hours a day in the copse and the gardens playing hide and seek, rolling around with Lilac, eating lunch, telling stories, and talking about their dreams. The boys didn’t seem to care that Audra was overweight, and when she was with them she never thought about it. She was just one of the boys. Sometimes, she would bring her sewing kit and repair tears or sew on new buttons or hem trousers. She had to let the hems out of all of Nate’s pants since he was so tall, and take in the waists as he was so skinny. She just wished she could do more for the boys than give them a little food and some clothes.

The boys stopped stealing for the moment, and were happy to escape the confines of the orphanage for a bit every day. The more they stayed away, the less punishment Snellings could dole out. But with Nate growing bigger and stronger, he was in jeopardy of being sold as an apprentice. That thought scared them all.

Audra spent May, June, and part of July at the Rochcliffe House, the ancestral family home in the country. It was now occupied by her father’s older brother, Cecil Markham, the Viscount Rochdale. For a while, the boys were forced to go back to their old ways, waiting for the day when Audra returned, and they could once again stop roaming the streets. They would still crawl through the wall and play with Lilac most days. They loved that dog. Audra arrived back the first week in July, and the boys were ecstatic.

In July, they had cherry tarts for Joey’s thirteenth birthday. In September, they had peach cobbler for Nate’s fourteenth birthday. In October, they had leftover gooey chocolate cake for Audra’s eleventh birthday. They would have been deliriously happy if it weren’t for the feeling of impending doom that Nate or Joey could be sent off to work in a sweatshop somewhere.

As the weather became colder, Audra found the boys old coats to wear. With the change in seasons, the friends were able to spend only lunch in the copse before the boys had to go find warmer shelter, usually straight back to the orphanage. Audra wished she could sneak them into the house, but they all knew they were pushing their luck as it was. So they had to be content to eat and run. On particularly stormy or cold days, Audra was forced to leave the bag under the bench, hoping the food would still be edible by the time one of them came to retrieve it. She would also have to lock Lilac in the stables, to ensure that the dog didn’t eat the food she left for the boys.

In December, her chance to do more than simply feed the boys came in the most unexpected way. Old Higgins, the footman, who had been in the family since her father was a small boy, caught a cold and didn’t recover. He was a dear, sweet man who always had a kind word and a pat on the head for Audra, and when he died she was very sad. Her family didn’t even seem to notice, which made her even sadder.

A few days after they buried Higgins, she had gone to the stables to feed squash rinds to the horses when she overheard Calvin and Rory talking. There wasn’t much gardening to do in the winter, so Rory helped with home repairs or assisted Calvin in the stables repairing horse trappings.

On this particular day, they were discussing how to replace old Higgins. Termins, the butler, was responsible for hiring and firing the staff, but he wouldn’t dare hire a stable hand without input from Calvin. And Calvin was at a loss. Usually his neighborhood sources could recommend skilled people for hire, but lately the need for knowledgeable stable hands had increased, and there were none available in the area. And Calvin didn’t want to look in a different neighborhood, at candidates he didn’t know. I’d probably end up with a ruffian, he thought

So the two of them were mumbling about the lack of good workers, and what London was coming to.

Ahem.

They looked up, startled, to see Audra staring at them.

Ahem. She cleared her throat again, and then began speaking rapidly, before they could stop her.

I know of a perfectly fine apprentice who is willing to work hard. He can read and write and do numbers. He is well spoken and is in need of a job right now. I will vouch for him and his background. He may not know much about horses, but he is really smart and will figure it out fast.

Audra stood there, rooted to the spot, wondering if her impromptu speech had been helpful or harmful to her cause. She held her breath, waiting for Calvin to say something.

Well, Miss Audra, he said slowly, that is an unusual notion, but I am willing to meet this young man. Calvin had no idea where Miss Audra could have found a young apprentice in need of a job, since she rarely ventured outside the house and garden. Nevertheless, he was very curious to meet the young man.

Bring him by when you can, but don’t wait too long.

Oh, thank you! I will bring him by after lunch. And with that, she dropped her treats and ran off, leaving the poor horses to bend to the ground and rummage for the squash rinds. Rory and Calvin looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders, and continued to moan about the state of the current workforce.

Audra was so excited she wasn’t as careful as usual while gathering lunch food from the kitchen, and was almost caught by Mr. Fout. That brought her activities to a grinding halt, as she was forced to gather her wits again before venturing off to the copse, now very aware of who might be watching. She could hardly contain herself as she waited for Nate to arrive.

The boys had barely popped out of the bushes before she was telling them the news, her words pouring out in an excited jumble.

Hey! Wait a minute, Miss Audra, said Joey, putting his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down. We canna understand a word ye are saying.

Okay, okay, she caught her breath and started again. I may have a job for Nate. Higgins must be replaced, and I talked Calvin into meeting Nate.

The boys’ jaws all dropped at once. Talk about fate, said Elden. At least one of us is now safe.

You don’t have the job yet, Audra said to Nate, bouncing up and down and taking his hand into hers. But at least you have a chance. You just need to convince Calvin you are the man for the job. I promised him you would be a really fast learner.

Nate let go of her hands, dropped to his knees, rocked back and forth, and laughed until he was almost hysterical. Oh, God, oh God, he repeated, over and over.

Audra looked at Jack for an explanation of Nate’s very odd behavior.

Nate and Elden canna go back to the orphanage. Snellings, the jackass, ‘as chosen ‘em to go to the fish ‘ut at the pier and shuck fish bones all day long. We were ‘oping to ‘ide them out ‘ere somewhere. Nate said some pretty ugly things to Snellings, and then ‘it ‘im before running off. Joey and I waited awhile, then followed ‘em ‘ere. They been ‘iding in the bushes.