Dangerous Illusions (Hearts of Hays Series #1)

by Barbara Goss

  He held up his hand, signaling her to wait, as Hester was in the middle of a heated sentence, her hand covering her mouth discreetly.

  So no one will know she’s gossiping! Kate supposed.

  Kate sighed. “Well, bring Anna to the carriage. Josh wants to leave.”

  Nodding his head, Arthur kept his ears with Hester, but his eyes scanned the area for his granddaughter.

  Kate walked nonchalantly toward Josh and the carriage. As he held the door open and assisted her inside, Josh whispered, “You don’t look like a teacher today.”

  “No?” she asked in surprise.

  He shook his head with a positive look. “No, you look like an angel or a saint in that lovely dress.”

  She blushed. “If that’s a compliment, I accept it. Thank you,” she said, taking her seat within the carriage, used only on special occasions and Sundays.

  Holding the door patiently, Josh sent impatient glares Arthur’s way. Arthur looked confused. Between trying to listen to Hester, soothe his anxious son, and look for Anna, he had more than he could handle. Margo spotted his dilemma and came to his rescue by diverting Hester O’Neill. Other carriages were preparing to leave, and everyone seemed to be waving and well-wishing others. Adults rounded up children, who still darted about.

  At first confusion covered Arthur’s search, but soon he began yelling, “Anna! You come here this instant! Anna!” When he got no response, he stamped his foot in anger. Approaching the carriage, he commanded, “Go find your niece, Joshua! I’m not having any luck.”

  A few people near Arthur Redfield had overheard his remark to Josh. Suddenly a Babel arose: “Niece? Did you hear that?” “Isn’t she his daughter?” “Surely the old man must be senile.”

  None of the Redfields had time to deal with that problem now.

  “Seems to me,” Kate offered, “that I saw her with the Dutton twins, not five minutes ago, by that tree.”

  Josh marched off in the direction of the twins. Then Arthur and Kate watched him talk to several others, who passed along the word. Before five minutes had passed, panic had broken out, and everyone had forgotten the latest gossip about Josh.

  “Anna’s missing!” Berta Aldrich cried. “Someone check the creek!” Several men raced in that direction. Nancy Balcomb offered to search the nearby stables, and Carlton Haun and Mary Jane ran to check the nearby fields. Everyone could be heard calling her.

  Arthur seemed ready to panic. “I’ll make that child sorry, when we find her. See if I play checkers with her today! She’s getting just like her mother. Has a mind of her own; does as she pleases with no mind for the consequences.” He rambled.

  “Has she ever done this before?” Kate asked, wringing her handkerchief.

  “No and she never will again, if I have anything to say about it!” He bellowed.

  Finally, when Anna didn’t turn up, Josh drove Kate and Arthur back to Hannah House. As they got out of the carriage, “My greatest fear has materialized,” Josh said sadly. “One of the Dutton twins saw Anna talking to a couple driving a buckboard, and when he looked again, Anna and the wagon had disappeared. I know it was Joanna and Phillip.” Convincingly, Josh turned his back and rubbed his face. Then, he turned around and asked helplessly, “What do I do now? Where do I look?”

  “You have to do something!” shouted Arthur.

  “The men in town are searching, but I know they won’t find her. Phillip and Joanna are probably miles away already.” Josh pounded his fist on the carriage roof. “What will I do without Anna?” Josh’s face looked as red and angry as his father’s.

  “Let’s go inside!” Kate ordered, wiping tears from her eyes. “Going to pieces won’t help. We have to think!”

  Josh and Arthur paced the floor in the den while Kate served tea. She took a seat in a far comer and watched and listened tensely. She’d never been more worried. She hoped that Josh was right and Anna was, indeed with Joanna and Phillip, at least she’d be safe.

  “It’s your fault, Father.” Josh pointed his finger at the old man. “Don’t deny it. You forced Joanna and Phillip to stoop so low as to kidnap their own daughter.”

  “You don’t know that for certain,” he growled. “You’re taking the word of a mere child. Perhaps she’s just wandered off into the woods. Besides, how could those two come that close to the schoolhouse without anyone else seeing them and recognizing Joanna?”

  “Easy!” shouted Josh. “Everyone knows how confusing it is when church lets out! And Carl Dutton said they used the road in back of the church. The one we use, which runs just from our Hannah House to the school. Only a few playing children were behind the building. Carl claimed they pulled off close to the woods, and Anna ran out to meet them.”

  “What makes you so sure it’s your sister and that— that—“

  “Come on, Father. Wake up! You know they had no other alternative. Because of your stubbornness, they had to steal their own daughter. Do you know how many nights I lost sleep, fearing this?”

  Arthur Redfield stamped his foot. “Confound it! Do you think you’re the only one that’s heartbroken? What about me? I loved the little…” His voice broke, and he quickly turned his back.

  Josh remained silent.

  Arthur blew his nose before turning to face his son. He shrugged. “It’s done. How can we change things? I’ll do whatever you say.”

  “Honestly? Do I have your word?”

  “Of course! Do you think I wouldn’t help recover my own granddaughter?”

  “We can’t simply steal her back, you know. We have to negotiate with Phillip and Joanna—if we can find them, that is. Will you forgive Phillip, so he and Joanna can settle nearby with Anna and let us share her life?”

  Arthur hesitated. “I have to do what?”

  “Forgive Phillip and his family. Formally. For once and for all time.”

  Arthur paced.

  “Well?” Josh insisted.

  “You’re sure they are the ones who took her?”

  “Yes, I’m sure. She has never been one to wander away and she’d never go off with a stranger.”

  Arthur continued to pace nervously.

  “Yes or no?” Josh prodded.

  “After all,” Arthur reasoned, “it isn’t as if Phillip drunkenly hit Hannah. It’s the same as if I were to be held responsible for something you did. I suppose I…I could forgive Phillip… He faltered, looking at his son sheepishly.

  “Sign here.” Josh whisked out a legal-looking document.

  “W-what?” Arthur was taken aback. “What is that?” He asked suspiciously. “Why did you have it all ready for me to sign?”

  “I drew up this agreement when I first learned you were coming here to visit. Joanna helped me write it. I carried it to church, because I hoped today’s sermon about forgiveness might touch your heart. I have carried it daily, in hope that you’d reconsider,” Josh explained.

  “Why do I have to sign? Isn’t my word good enough?”

  “Not when you’ve carried a grudge this many years.”

  “How do I know we’ll get Anna back, if I sign this?”

  “You don’t. But if we don’t find her, we don’t get to use this agreement anyway, so no harm done.”

  Arthur reached for the pen Josh held. He grabbed it and scribbled his signature on the line Josh had indicated. “Now, how do we find Anna?”

  “Some of the men from town have ridden out and are searching all trails leading south to Texas. We merely wait.” Josh folded the agreement, winked at Kate, and took a seat beside her. “Would you like some dinner, Father?”

  “No! I’ve lost my appetite.” He began pacing again. “I’ll never forgive myself if Anna isn’t found,” he said in a shaky voice. “I admit it. I was wrong.” He spun around quickly for a man of his age. “Did you both hear me? I was wrong,” he repeated. “What else can I do?” He asked frantically.

  Kate took pity on the old man. “Pray,” she whispered to him. “That’s all we can do now.”
/>   “And be thankful,” Josh remarked curtly.

  “Thankful?” Both Arthur and Kate asked at once.

  “Yes. Be thankful that God is more forgiving than you are, Father.”

  “You’re right again,” the chastened old man bowed to Josh. “I’ll be in my room, making my peace with God. If there’s any word, please call me at once.”

  Josh nodded curtly to the vanishing figure. Then he shook his head sadly. “Forgive me, Lord,” he whispered. “And thank You.”

  Kate watched him. “What’s that about? “

  “Because I haven’t been totally honest. Yet I feel God understands that I only meant good. Perhaps that’s why He let this mismanaged plot work.” Josh’s eyes glittered with joy.

  “Plot? I don’t understand,” she said with a puzzled look. “How can you be happy, when Anna is still missing? A few moments ago you were crushed…” Now just because your father agreed to forgive, you’re elated. But if Anna’s not yet found, what have you accomplished? Why the sudden joy?”

  Josh laughed. “But I know exactly where Anna is!”

  “You do?”

  “Of course! Do you think I’d be standing here chatting, if I didn’t know where she was? Do you think I’d trust those other men who are searching?” He laughed again. “I’d be riding like the wind toward Texas!”

  “You know?” she gasped. Then with a suspicious look she added, “You planned this!”

  He nodded.

  “Without me? I thought we were partners?” She asked, hurt that she hadn’t been included in the plot.

  “But you’re the one who gave me the idea. I couldn’t have done it without you!”

  “Me?” Kate asked.

  “Certainly. Remember ‘Actions speak louder than words’? That got me thinking. While I thought about plots about saving Arthur’s life, I got the idea. But if it hadn’t been for your comment about Anna being ill, I wouldn’t have even thought of anything dramatic at all. It was all your doing!”

  “Did you think I wouldn’t feel upset over losing Anna?” She stamped her foot. “You could have clued me in. We were partners!” She walked toward the door, angrily. “I hope your plan works. Did you ever stop to think that maybe Phillip and Joanna will just forget about coming back to see if the scheme worked? Maybe they’ll figure as long as they have Anna, why risk returning? Are you certain you know exactly where Anna is?” Kate asked, before closing the door on a perplexed Joshua Redfield.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Pacing the floor of her room, Kate picked up a throw pillow from the rocker and tossed it against the wall. How could Josh carry out a scheme without including her? She was worried sick.

  Spinning around, Kate hugged the bedpost and gazed out the curved window. Leaves swirled in the wind. Soon snow would cover the ground. Would Thanksgiving bring knee-high snow, as it often had in Chicago?

  A rapidly moving figure caught Kate’s eye. The man on a cream-colored horse galloped toward the main road— Josh and Lumberjack? He must be seeking Anna! She prayed so hard that she’d be found. She loved Anna.

  Kate watched until the man and his mount became a small speck.

  How had Joanna and Phillip hidden themselves? In Kansas you could be seen for miles, yet they had managed to get from the schoolhouse to a road leading south, with no one seeing them. Had everyone at the church been blind?

  Kate sighed. At least the Redfields could live happily ever after if Anna was found. But what of her own life? Where would she go from here? Was there a future for her with Joshua Redfield? She knew he cared, but caring was not what she wanted from Josh. Though she cherished the way he considered her needs. That alone could never fill the void in her life. She wanted to hear him say he loved her.

  Slowly she’d come to love having him by her in the everyday things of life. She thought back to the shared breakfasts, the chores completed together, and the times they’d talked. Not to mention their kiss, or should she say kisses.

  When I leave Hannah House, I won’t even have that, Kate realized, and the thought made her stomach feel hollow.

  Had she felt this way about Geoffrey? No, long ago she’d accepted that only romantic idealism tied her to the handsome Englishman. As soon as she’d seen a few of his minor shortcomings, she’d lost interest in him entirely. Kate had known Josh’s flaws from the first, yet his basic goodness had still sneaked out and grabbed her attention.

  Could she move in with another family, knowing it would cost her daily contact with the man she loved?

  Disturbed by her own thoughts, Kate tried to distract herself. She picked up Malaeska: The Indian Wife of the White Hunter, by Mrs. Ann Sophia Stevens. The dime novel was so exciting; she couldn’t wait to finish it. But the words blurred before her eyes. She couldn’t concentrate, not until Anna was home.

  Tapping the volume gently in her palm, Kate began to wonder if she’d taken the adventure and romance of her books too seriously. Look at the way they’d encouraged her to believe she loved Geoffrey!

  I don’t live in a novel, she realized. I don’t even want to. All the romance and adventure would mean nothing without Josh.

  What if the kisses were all he desired of her? The chilling thought was like an ice block on her heart. He hadn’t made her any promises, words of love or future.

  But, I need to face reality, Kate decided. When I put down a book, I have to leave it behind. I can’t let it color my life. Love isn’t always a handsome knight on a white horse, or a titled, classically handsome man. It’s what’s inside that man.

  Kate knew she’d need supernatural power. She knelt by her bed, as she hadn’t since childhood. Forehead resting upon the mattress, she lost herself in prayer for Anna, Josh and even Arthur.

  When she opened her eyes, the darkness of the room surprised Kate. Had she been praying that long? She lit her lamp, picked up her Bible, and began to page through it.

  A noise startled Kate. The Bible fell from her lap as she sprang up and scanned the room quickly. She gazed at the pocket watch on the dresser: 9:20! She must have fallen asleep! A light knock on her door startled her. That was what had awakened her! She frowned. Anna? No, she was gone. Arthur? She walked to the door and whispered, “Who’s there?”

  The soft response was too low for her to hear. Recognizing a woman’s voice, Kate opened the door slightly and looked out. “Jo—“ she started to exclaim, but the blond- haired woman gently slapped her hand over Kate’s mouth.

  “Sh-h! Can I come in?”

  Kate, still gagged by Joanna’s hand, nodded eagerly.

  Once inside, Joanna took her hand from Kate’s mouth and threw back her black hood. “Surprised?” she asked. Her eyes looked red, and Kate guessed she’d been weeping.

  All Kate’s questions surfaced at the same time; unable to select one to ask quickly, she stood speechless. “Sit down and tell me that you have Anna!” she ordered finally.

  Joanna obeyed. “It’s not that easy.”

  “Where is Anna? Does Josh know you’re here?”

  Joanna’s smile vanished. “No one knows I’m here. Things have not gone as planned, I fear.” She looked at Kate hopefully. “I need your help again.”

  “Of course, I’m here!”

  “Did Josh tell you about our plan?” she asked.

  Kate nodded still disappointed that she hadn’t been included.

  “It’s become terribly botched.” She drew a handkerchief from her cape pocket and dabbed at her eyes. “Everything went as planned. We picked up Anna and headed for our destination—at the old dugout. Josh and I had agreed that we could tell Anna who her real father was when we got her there. He’d meet us later. So we fixed refreshments, and I told Anna the whole story, with Phillip looking on anxiously, beside me.

  “When I told Anna, she wouldn’t believe me! She began screaming and crying, as I’ve never seen before! When her tantrum turned into hysterics, I became frantic myself.” Joanna dabbed at her tearing eyes again. “What have I done to my daugh
ter, Kate? Why did we ever begin this charade? I should have stood up to Arthur years ago!”

  “Where is Anna now? Is she all right?” Kate asked anxiously.

  Joanna sighed and went on with her story. “All I can think of is that not only was the truth too much for her, but she seemed to think we were never bringing her back—that she’d never see Josh again. Before we knew it, she’d darted out into the darkness, and we—” She cried into her handkerchief so that Kate could barely hear her. “We haven’t been able to find her!”

  “But Joanna,” Kate exclaimed. “Why have you come to me? Shouldn’t you be telling Josh? Shouldn’t everyone be searching for her?”

  “I can’t find him! I searched the whole house, and his horse isn’t in the stable. Where is he?” she cried harder than before.

  Kate looked at the clock. “He left here about five o’clock, headed for the main road, and then turned east. I’d thought he’d gone to pick up Anna. Arthur agreed to forgive Phillip; he even signed a paper. I assumed—“

  Joanna brightened. “East you say?”

  Kate nodded.

  “Oh, Kate, maybe he did head for the dugout! I came through the woods on foot, because I wanted to look for Anna. I could have missed him! If he went to the dugout, Phillip would tell him, and he’s probably hunting for her, too!”

  “Is there anything I can do?”

  “Yes,” Joanna sniffled. “Will you pray with me?”

  Kate put her arms around the other woman. “Of course. That’s exactly what is needed. We’ll go downstairs, make a pot of tea, and pray until Josh or Phillip returns with Anna.”

  Giving a trembling smile, Joanna looked at the clock. “He must be looking for Anna. Why else would he be gone so long?”

  “That’s exactly it,” Kate comforted. “Now let’s go downstairs, before our voices alert Arthur.” Kate grabbed Joanna’s hand and led her down to the sitting room.

  “Where is your friend, the woman also staying here?”

  “After church she left with Geoffrey, they are visiting in Victoria. They aren’t back yet.”