Fourteen

It wasn’t quite sundown, but Torey knew if she was going to have the opportunity to get away, she’d better take it now while neither Simon nor Mrs. Crawford was present.

She excused herself from the festivities, wishing for all she was worth that things were different—that she could stay and continue watching the children’s expressions of awe as they stared at the lovely tree, now decorated with strands of beads draped over its branches and glass ornaments molded in the shape of trumpets, birds, bells, and angels.

A war raged inside of her—the same battle she’d been fighting since overhearing Simon speaking with the police. If she went to meet Amos, the police would catch her. Vivid images of herself hanging from the gallows shot through her mind. Placing her hand to her neck, she shuddered.

If she didn’t go, Amos would get away and then make good on his threat to harm Simon.

Two choices loomed before her, but she could only consider one of them. She couldn’t allow Simon to be killed. Or anyone else. There was no time to go upstairs for her coat. She could bear the cold for a short while. It was little discomfort compared to how cold and empty the rest of her life would be without Simon Crawford.

Forcing herself not to cry, she slipped through the foyer and into the kitchen. She clenched her fists to stop her hands from trembling. Her heart pounded. Give me courage, Lord. Drawing a deep breath, she opened the back door.

❧

As the sun descended in the pewter sky, Amos knew he was finally getting everything he’d been dreaming of. Soon his debts would be paid, and he would be free to move on. Somewhere people didn’t know of this disastrous few months. Hidden behind the gazebo, he watched the door open and held his breath. A smile twisted his lips as he spotted Torey. Even in common clothes, she was beautiful. So much like her mother.

He pushed the thought aside. Promises notwithstanding, he had no choice but to take the girl to Mr. Shepherd.

Torey stepped onto the porch, her movements cautious. Her gaze darted about. No doubt she was looking for him. Like a fool, he’d forgotten to tell her where they would meet. He stepped away from the gazebo. The movement caught her eye. She nodded and moved in his direction.

❧

Simon scanned the room and frowned as the children vied for his attention. “Wookie, Mr. Crawford!” Sarah tugged at his suit coat and pointed at the tree. “Isn’t it pwetty?”

He smiled. “Yes, Sweetheart, it is. Lovely.”

“Are you going to put the star on top now?”

Simon looked back at five expectant little faces. Their expressions told him how desperately they wanted to see the finished product. But there were more important tasks to attend to at the moment. “I’ll put it on in a little while, all right? I have to find Miss Torey right now. Do any of you know where she went?”

One by one, they shook their heads.

He glanced outside. The clouds had hampered a marked sunset, but the sky was growing darker. His throat tightened, and he dashed from the living room and headed through the foyer. He flung open the front door. There was no sign of Torey, but three men crept along the sides of the house. They signaled to him to get back inside. “Wait,” he said, his voice hoarse. “I’ve made a mistake.”

The chief scowled and motioned harder for him to return to the house.

Panic rose at the thought of Torey being caught in gunfire. He sped through the foyer and kitchen and flung open the door. His throat went dry at the sight of Torey on the ground, her hands behind her back. A massive police officer yanked her to her feet.

Simon saw red. “Get your hands off of her! She hasn’t done anything.” He looked at the man next to her. “Tell them!”

Amos sneered. “I don’t know what she told you, but my stepdaughter tends to be a bit eccentric. You can’t trust a word she says.”

The man’s face struck a chord of memory in Simon’s mind. Now he realized why Torey had seemed so familiar when she’d first arrived. The night his father had died, Simon had been on his way up the steps when she’d stumbled into him. He had retrieved her slipper for her. He remembered the raw fear in her eyes, the expression of horror on her drained, white face. Amos had stepped forward and called her eccentric that evening too. But Simon recalled thinking what a pity the girl had such a bully for a father.

“Officer, I recall seeing this man on the steps of the auditorium the night my father died. And I overheard his confession this morning at the Christmas ship. But the girl has nothing to do with it. I insist that you let her go.”

The chief stepped forward, a scowl firmly etched into his face. “Earlier you insisted we arrest them both.”

“Hey! What are you doin’ with Miss Torey?”

Mike, Toby, Tommy, Sarah, and Melissa marched single file down the steps and right up to the chief. “You in charge here?” Toby asked, tilting his head to look the man in the eye.

“Yeah, I guess I am. What do you know about all this?”

“Nothin’!” Toby sneered. “But I know somethin’.”

A slight twitch of moustache betrayed the chief’s amusement. “Oh? And what’s that?”

“You ain’t takin’ Miss Torey nowhere. She’s about as nice as they come. For a girl. And I’ll fight your whole police army if I have to.”

“Oh, Toby.” Torey’s eyes filled with tears. “Honey, I have to do what the policemen say I must. Please show respect.”

The boy’s expression slowly relaxed, his stormy eyes calmed. “Well, he ain’t takin’ you nowhere,” he mumbled, kicking at the snowy ground.

Mother and Katherine appeared at the door. “What’s going on here?”

Simon inwardly groaned, and from the look of irritation on the chief’s face, the man felt much the same way.

“This is Torey’s stepfather,” Simon explained. “He was trying to force her to leave.”

“Don’t wet them take Miss Torey away,” Sarah said, tugging at Mother’s apron. “We wuv her.”

“We’ll try our best, Sweetheart. Now, go on up to the house.”

When the little girl had gone, Mother turned her attention to Amos. Her eyes glittered hard as she stared at the man who had murdered the love of her life. Her face clouded, and tears misted her eyes. “I could easily hate you for what you’ve done,” she said. “You have no idea of the treasure you removed from this earth. But I won’t allow my soul to be smudged with the sin of unforgiveness.”

“Religion!” Amos spat upon the ground. “Your husband tried to spout religion to me too. But I showed him that he couldn’t make a fool of me!”

“I’d say that pretty much constitutes a confession, wouldn’t you, Chief?” Simon was hard-pressed to keep from tearing into the man. But from deep inside, he heard his father’s words. “Love the world, Simon. To be like Jesus, we must love those who wrong us, just as we do those who praise us.”

“That’s good enough for me,” the chief said with a nod. “Now as to the girl. . .”

Mother stepped forward quickly. “You don’t honestly plan to take Torey away? The girl’s done nothing wrong.”

The chief looked at the officer who still had a grip on Torey’s arm. “Did you search her?”

The officer nodded and held out a document. A lump formed in Simon’s throat. He swallowed hard. Had he been mistaken? Was Torey an accomplice after all?

“Please.” Torey’s small voice broke through. “That’s nothing of importance. Give it back.”

Simon turned to her, and concern clutched him. Her face was drained of color, and she looked as though she might succumb to a dead faint at any second.

The chief ignored her and continued to read. When he finished, he handed the document to Simon. “I think you’ll want to see this.”

“No,” Torey said weakly.

Swallowing hard, he accepted the proffered document. If she was playing him and his mother for fools, he wanted to know about it!

He looked down and took in a sharp breath.

Dear Simon,

My heart aches at the thought of what I must tell you. But before you read further, please believe me when I tell you, I’ve fallen in love with you.

Simon looked up from the letter. Torey’s lips trembled, and she refused to meet his gaze. He turned his attention back to the letter.

When I came to your home, I was broken and sick, and you and your mother took me in. What you didn’t know was that I was running away because I saw my stepfather commit a murder. I was scared and couldn’t think quickly enough to save the man, who I now know was your father. Oh, Simon, I was positively ill when I discovered the man’s identity. Now, I’m being forced to go away, as my stepfather has discovered my whereabouts.

Please forgive me for not revealing his identity and thus seeing him brought to justice. But I fear for your safety and that of your mother. The man my mother once loved has proven to be capable of almost anything.

By the time you read this, I will be gone. Please thank your mother for her kindness to me. I found Jesus in this home, and I will never forget you.

Yours forever,

Victoria Mitchell

Simon glanced up again, this time more than sure Torey had no involvement in his father’s death. She was as much an innocent victim in all of this as he was. And she loved him. The thought hit him hard. After all the weeks of keeping him at bay, she’d finally admitted it. He looked at her again. Stepping close, he took her hands in his.

She lifted her head to look at him, and her eyes were filled with uncertainty. Simon didn’t blame her. Theirs was a difficult situation. But not something they couldn’t work through.

Simon had no time to convey that sentiment to Torey as the burly chief took hold of Amos’s arm and jerked him forward. “All right, Bub,” he said. “Let’s go.”

“What about the girl, Chief?” another officer asked.

“Bring her down to the station so we can get a statement from her.” He eyed Simon. “We’ll want a signed statement from you too, since you overheard his confession. That oughta be enough to put him away.”

Simon slipped his arm about Torey’s shoulders and pulled her close. He focused on the chief. “What about Miss Mitchell?”

He shrugged. “She’s free to leave as soon as we get her statement.”

Torey’s face showed astonishment. “Y–you mean I’m not going to jail?”

“What for? You didn’t murder the man.”

From the steps, the children cheered.

Obviously not convinced, Torey frowned. “B–but how do you know I’m innocent?”

“I’ve been a policeman for a lot of years, Miss. There’s no evidence you did anything wrong. Now we have you as an eyewitness against this man.”

“Wait!”

Dread hit Simon hard at the sound of Amos’s voice. He feared he knew what the man was about to do.

“What do you want?” the officer to Amos’s right asked gruffly.

“That girl is every bit as guilty as I am.”

“Is that so?” the chief asked, a sneer to match Amos’s twisting his features.

Amos’s eyes glittered hard. “Why else would she have ended up as a maid at the Crawfords’ home?” A short laugh emitted from his lips. “She’s never done a day’s work in her life. Isn’t it obvious she just wanted to get to young Crawford here?”

The chief glanced at Simon and raised his brow. “What do you think?”

An ironic little smile curved Simon’s lips, and he was suddenly glad for the months of uncertainty about Torey. “Well, Chief,” he drawled, “if Miss Mitchell had set her cap for me, it was the best-kept secret in the Crawford household.”

The children laughed uproariously. “She won’t even look at him!” Mike hollered. “Thinks it ain’t proper ’cause she’s just the maid.” Single file, they ventured off the porch and joined the adults.

A grin stretched the chief’s mouth, and he looked at Torey. She blushed furiously. “I have a feeling all that’s about to change,” he said.

“It’s about time,” Mother said, smiling fondly at Torey.

In an act of boldness, Simon took Torey’s hand and laced his fingers with hers. “It’s definitely time.”

She looked up at him with a tremulous smile. He returned her gaze, unable to look away. This was no place to speak of love. No place for him to take her into his arms, but the words of love passed silently between them, and the promise revealed in her eyes took away his breath.

A tug at his jacket caught his attention. He glanced down. Sarah gave him a heart-melting smile. “Miss Torey’s not going to jail, is she?”

“No, Sweetie, she’s not.”

“Then can we pwease put the star on the twee?”