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“WHAT IN THE WORLD?”
Aunt Sarah stood hovering at the top of the staircase, her robe in disarray. The footman, his eyes bleary from sleep, had called for one of the maids to knock on Uncle Sam and Aunt Sarah’s bedroom door, as well as Uncle Will’s.
Now that they were in the townhouse, both boys had lost a bit of their bluster, especially Michael, who stared down at the dark wood floor. Benjamin gazed around, openly admiring the niceties of life in Washington Square.
The north side of the square.
Uncle Will appeared beside Aunt Sarah, tucking a wrinkled shirt into his navy blue pants, and Uncle Sam peered over the railing beside his wife.
“Would you find some refreshments for our visitors, please?”
Faith caught two maids trying to hide around the corner as they stared, eyes wide at the appearance before them, their disruption from sleep long forgotten.
They didn’t seem put out to be caught, either.
“Oh, yes, miss.”
One of them bent a curtsy as she spoke, but the other had already started off down the hall toward the kitchen.
Uncle Will stepped quickly down the stairs, with Aunt Sarah and Uncle Sam close at his heels.
“Let’s have a seat in the parlor.”
He looked at Benjamin first, then down at Michael, and Faith wondered if he recognized him.
After all, they had seen him only briefly the day he came to take the plans, and not even long enough to notice what he was carrying.
Michael stumbled against his brother, now seeming a little fearful with the addition of more adults, but Benjamin kept him steady with a hand on his shoulder as they took seats side by side on the sofa.
Faith watched Michael slip his fingers over the soft cushion as Uncle Sam began to speak.
“I’m Sam Duncan, and I expect you’re one of my employees here in Manhattan.”
Benjamin nudged Michael, who tore his gaze from the scarlet fabric to stare at her uncle.
“Yessir.”
Uncle Sam leaned forward, his hands on his knees, and Aunt Sarah rested a hand on his back as they sat side by side on the matching sofa across from the boys.
“I’m sorry I haven’t met you, but the business has grown so much, and I’ve had to count on my managers to do the hiring, as well as handling orders. I understand that you work under Mr. Marsten, correct?”
Michael’s gaze slid to his brother, who nodded.
“Yessir.”
Faith’s uncle sat back, his hand reaching up to cover his eyes.
“My enquiries have led me to believe he’s using the service to his own ends, and is taking bribes to steal sensitive information that is entrusted to our company. To our couriers.”
Both boys stared at him, as if they might not have heard or understood his words.
“Did Mr. Marsten share his bonus with you, the bonus you mentioned back at your apartment?” Faith asked, already suspecting the answer.
Michael shrugged, then scrunched his face up in dismay.
“Well, yes, but I heard how much the man was paying him to get a certain tube to Mr. Ferris, and he didn’t give me hardly nothing near that. And he didn’t even do the work! I did!”
Mr. Ferris?
As if her uncle could sense the question in her mind, Uncle Will smiled.
“Mr. Ferris is a personal assistant to the head of the Cray family, who, incidentally, just announced their plans to build the exact same skyscraper we were beginning to work on. They also have information about the Armstrong business that is private, and can be used to gain an advantage over Mr. Armstrong and his company.”
Michael looked down at his feet, shuffling them across the floor as he leaned against his brother.
“He was only doing what he was told, sir.”
Benjamin seemed to plead with them all, his hands open in front of him as he spoke. His hair was so close clipped, jagged at the edges, and Faith wondered if he cut it himself.
How did these boys, their siblings, and their mother manage?
Did these two boys bring in enough income to keep them all fed and housed?
She knew that she was aware of little about the world outside of Newport, even with the realities First Steps brought. But there were so many people here in Manhattan who needed help, help that was beyond what any single shelter could offer.
“We won’t keep you any longer, as it is late and I’m sure your mother is concerned,” Uncle Sam began, only to be interrupted by Michael’s snort. “I would offer you some money, but it might be seen as a bribe.”
One of the maids came into the room with a tray laden with some sort of iced bread, and behind her, another with a tray of glasses of lemonade.
“Our mother won’t be pleased if we came home empty handed, sir,” Benjamin explained, his tone quiet as if he was ashamed. “But I don’t like Michael being involved in this. We want to make an honest living, but it isn’t easy.”
Uncle Will stood up and stepped closer to Faith, who was standing beside Thomas. They had kept to the side, watching and listening, and she felt excitement stirring in her heart, along with hope.
Hope that this was all coming to an end soon, and that Nico would be released without further complications.
“Olivia, see what you can find to pack into a hamper for these boys to take home with them.”
The first maid nodded, and tilted her head towards Michael and Benjamin, offering the older boy a shy smile before she rushed from the room.
Benjamin blinked a few times, as if he wasn’t sure what he had just seen.
“Thank you, sir.”
He seemed to have difficulty getting the words out, but he looked from Uncle Sam to Uncle Will, then up at Faith and Thomas.
“Will the police be coming for us, I mean, for Michael?”
Faith didn’t know how to answer, but they had promised them back in their apartment that the police wouldn’t bother them, so she couldn’t go back on her word, no matter what anyone else said.
“No, I won’t let that happen.”
Uncle Sam cleared his throat.
“I’m not sure you can prevent it, Faith, but I know that I won’t be mentioning any names when I call the police station in a few hours. Will anyone see you return home now who would report that they saw you here?”
Both boys shrugged, but didn’t look too concerned.
“We’ll send our footman and one of the other boys to accompany you, so you don’t get waylaid over the food.”
Faith hadn’t thought that someone might stop the boys to rob them of the hamper, but it made sense. When people were hungry, or more likely, cared for others who were, they would stop at nothing to help them.
Even taking from others who needed it just as much as they did.
It was a vicious cycle, one that she knew her family was doing all they could to prevent.
She had always been so proud of her parents for founding First Steps, but at this moment, she felt it more strongly than ever.
“Why are you smiling? Glad to think of Nico being released once my father makes that call?”
While she was certainly pleased with that prospect, right then, she was overwhelmed with gratitude for being the child of her parents, for being a Davenport in a time when they were considered not only wealthy Newport cottagers but contributors to the well-being of those less fortunate.
She slipped her arm around Thomas instead of answering, and watched the boys gingerly take slices of cake and savoring the careful bites they took as they waited for the basket of food they must have known would please their mother.
When Faith finally headed back to her bedroom, after the boys had been escorted home laden with two hampers instead of one, she and Thomas parted in the hallway, quiet as they listened to Uncle Sam on the telephone.
He had told the boys he was going to contact the police later, but Faith was pleased that he wasn’t wasting any time.
Would Nico be released right away?
Where would he go?
“You look like you have a thousand thoughts filling your head, Faith. Just take a breath, and say a prayer . . . and get some rest.”
She kissed his cheek, and they held each other close for a moment before she backed away, watching him turn and move to his bedroom.
He had done so much to help Nico, and she wanted them to be friends.
Would Nico forgive Thomas, and would Thomas be able to continue being civil to Nico once she and Nico were courting?
A flush of heat rose to her cheeks, and as she closed her bedroom door behind her and stood in the flash of moonlight, she touched her face, feeling the warmth that flooded through her at the very idea.
Once she changed into a nightgown and smoothed her hair into a fresh braid, she pushed her blankets around so she was resting uncovered on her bed, enjoying the breeze that crept in from the small crack underneath her window.
What would it be like to hold Nico’s hand, to walk along the Cliff Walk and talk, side by side, as much as they wanted, knowing that they were both interested in a future together?
The knock on her door came suddenly, and it seemed as if she was just about to fall asleep when she opened her eyes and was stunned by the heat of the sun’s rays over her sheets.
“We’re taking a carriage to The Tombs, and my mother is certain you’ll be angry if you aren’t invited.”
Thomas knocked again, and Faith called out.
“Yes! She’s right. Please give me a few moments, I promise I’ll hurry.”
She nearly fell out of bed, thumping on the floor and certain she heard a small bark of laughter from the other side of the door.
One dress was as good as another, she thought, pulling one she hadn’t worn for probably two years from her wardrobe.
It was a bit short, but not shockingly so, and after she managed to change into it and fumble with the buttons at her back, she rushed to fling open the door.
And Thomas was gone.
She heard his footsteps on the stairs, and ran to catch up.
“My father and Uncle Will were on the telephone most of the night, so I don’t suppose there will be much to do once we arrive. All the arrangements will have been made, the right people making the right moves, that sort of thing.”
Faith wasn’t sure what he meant, but it sounded as if whatever complications were in the way of Nico’s release had been cleared out of the way.
Would Nico want to return to Newport with them, or would he want to see his family after such a distressing few days?
She couldn’t blame him if he did.
Even though he wouldn’t want to upset his parents with this news, she felt as if he wouldn’t hide the accusations and his imprisonment from them.
“Someone must have dressed in a hurry.”
Aunt Sarah was slipping on a pair of ivory gloves when she met them at the bottom of the stairs, ushering them forward and out the door into the waiting carriage.
Faith knew her aunt was teasing, but her small smile was knowing, as if she had been in the same position as Faith once and understood the flood of emotions that filled Faith’s heart.
Although it was early, the heat was already pressing, and Faith tried to adjust her dress a little when she realized that as her aunt had noticed, it wasn’t quite fitting right.
But the drive was short, and Faith had hardly enough time to gaze at the busy scene around her before she saw him.
Nico stood at the curb, with a police officer at each side, while a newsboy called out, skipping in front of Nico as if it was any other morning, and he was doing his job as he did every day.
Before the carriage came to a complete stop, Faith couldn’t help herself, leaping down and running along the sidewalk, only to stop breathlessly when she found herself standing in front of Nico, inches away from those shining dark eyes and gentle smile.
“How did I know that you would be here, Faith? And I’m a mess, dirty and sweaty and . . “
“I don’t care,” she whispered, finding that her voice was eluding her and barely getting the words out before she reached out and put her arms around his neck, uncaring as to who was watching them.
After the briefest of moments, Nico relaxed against her, resting his chin on the top of her head, and Faith sighed at the feel of his arms around her, knowing that with this behind them, they could look forward to the brightest of futures.
Together.