Orphan Train Escape

by Rachel Wesson

  A child cried out, breaking the spell.

  “I must go,” she murmured, pulling herself mentally and physically away. Mr. Watson, no Carl, was an enigma for sure but one she desperately wanted to know better.

  Chapter 38

  The next morning, everyone was in poor spirits as they walked toward the town hall. Some would say the train had been a success. They had placed some twenty children out of the original total of thirty-eight. Bridget held onto Annie and Lizzie’s hands, thinking anyone seeing the expression on Lizzie’s face mirrored by that of her brother Jacob would see the painful truth.

  These children had already seen enough pain for a whole lifetime before putting them through parade after parade only to face rejection over and over again.

  She tried everything she could think of to make Lizzie smile, but nothing worked. Instead, one large tear rolled down the child’s face quickly followed by another. Bridget stopped walking. She didn’t care if they fell behind the others.

  “Lizzie, sweetheart, don’t give up hope.”

  “I don’t have any left, Miss Collins,” Lizzie said. “I know this is our last chance. If we get adopted here, Jacob will go to one family and me to another. Or worse, he will go back to New York with Mr. Watson. I might never see him again.”

  The child’s heartrending sobs tore Bridget apart. Annie was also sobbing, caught up in emotions she didn’t quite understand.

  “I wish I could tell you that isn’t going to happen, but I can’t. I pray you and Jacob will find happiness together. But if you do get separated, I know your brother will do whatever it takes to find you again. He loves you,” Bridget said.

  “If he loves me so much, why isn’t he here with me? He volunteered to take Liam and the younger boys with Mr. Watson. He should be here holding my hand, spending whatever time we have together,” Lizzie said.

  Bridget could guess why the older boy had gone with Mr. Watson. He was only a child too and was trying to protect both himself and Lizzie from the pain he knew was coming.

  “Jacob loves you more than anything, Lizzie. Never forget that. He has protected you almost your whole life. It’s difficult for him to accept he may lose you today. His heart is hurting too,” Bridget said.

  “It is?” Lizzie asked.

  “Yes, darling, it is. Now can you dry your eyes and try to smile? Show Jacob you are a strong girl. He needs you as much as you need him. He has to believe you will be happy. And you will, Lizzie.”

  “How do you know?” the girl asked.

  “I just do.” Bridget crossed her fingers. She prayed she was doing the right thing.

  “Bridget never lies, Lizzie. You can believe her.”

  Annie’s innocence made Bridget wince, but she hid it from the children. Taking their hands again, she walked slowly to meet the rest of their sad little group.

  She watched as Lizzie, smiling as if it were her birthday, and she was about to get a puppy, walked up to Jacob and threw her arms around him. The boy picked her up and held her close. Bridget had to turn away but before she did, she caught a look of pain so vivid on Mr. Watson’s face, she felt like giving him a hug too. Then the mask fell back into place.

  She looked at the ground quickly, so he wouldn’t know she had seen his reaction.

  “Children, gather round,” he said. “You all know the drill by now. We will walk into the hall with our heads held high. You are all wonderful and the families in this town would be lucky to have each and every one of you.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Watson,” the younger children chorused.

  Bridget watched them as they walked. Most of the children remaining were six, seven and eight years old, too young to be picked for working in houses or on farms and too old to be considered by most for adoption.

  “Miss Collins?” Mr. Watson said.

  “Yes?”

  “Are you joining us?” he asked.

  His words were cold, but the expression in his eyes was anything but. She saw he was finding this as difficult as she was. For some reason, that gave her the strength to move forward. The children needed her to be strong and she wasn’t about to let them down. She didn’t look at the townsfolk as she walked to the front of the hall to take her place beside the children. Today they stood where they wanted, not in order of age. Lizzie was standing with Jacob, a little behind the other children.

  Chapter 39

  A couple of the younger children found new homes and Bridget helped the local lady with their details before checking Liam and Annie were still sitting near the top row. They had stopped standing with the other children since the incident at the first town.

  As she walked toward the group, she noticed an older, well-dressed gentleman talking to Jacob. She moved quicker, eager to hear what the man wanted.

  “I will give her everything she wants, don’t worry about that. She will be well-treated and loved like our real child,” the man said to Jacob.

  “Her name is Elizabeth,” the boy said, “but we call her Lizzie. Ma preferred Elizabeth but…our da he thought it was too good for the likes of us.”

  “I will call her Elizabeth, it’s a beautiful name for a lovely child. Would that make you happy?” the man asked Lizzie who just nodded. She seemed to have lost her voice.

  “Do you promise to make sure she goes to school and learns her letters? Ma said education was good for everyone. I didn’t learn much, but Lizzie is real smart. She’s good at math too.”

  Bridget swallowed the lump in her throat as Jacob listed his sister’s attributes. How the child kept it up without breaking down was beyond her. She made to move forward but a hand on her elbow stopped her. She hadn’t sensed Carl coming to stand beside her.

  “I promise to give her the best schooling money can buy,” the man said. “As I said, my wife is desperate for a little girl. Ever since our Constance was taken from us.”

  “I don’t want to leave my brother. Can’t you take him too?” Lizzie’s pitiful wail broke Bridget’s heart.

  “Lizzie, stop it. We decided, remember?” Jacob said. “You need a good home where you will be loved. You behave now and go with this nice gentleman. He and his missus will be your ma and da. I bet he has a big house and a room full of toys just for you.”

  “I don’t care about toys. I want to stay with you, Jacob,” Lizzie said.

  “You can’t, you’re just a girl. You can’t go where I go. When I’m rid of you, I can live my own life.”

  Bridget wanted to scoop both children up and run away with them. The grip on her arm tightened and she sensed, rather than saw, Mr. Watson shake his head. He was warning her not to intervene.

  “Elizabeth, would you like to meet my wife?” the man asked. “She’s waiting at a café down the street. She couldn’t bring herself to come in here this morning.”

  “If you are so rich why can’t you take Jacob too?” Lizzie asked, obviously determined to fight until the last second.

  Bridget leaned in, wanting to hear the answer for herself.

  The man’s face turned various shades of red as he seemed to struggle for the words.

  “My wife wants a little girl. She doesn’t want any more children than that.”

  “Then I don’t want to come with you.” Lizzie turned her back to the man, but Jacob pushed her into his arms.

  “Take her, sir, please. She isn’t usually stubborn, but she is just scared is all. Can you write me a letter and tell me how she is? Maybe just once a year?” Jacob’s voice faltered on the last request, but he kept his eyes on the man.

  Bridget saw the gentleman’s composure drop but only for an instant.

  “I can do that, young man,” the man said. “I have to say, Elizabeth is lucky to have you to protect her.”

  “Jacob, I don’t want to go,” Lizzie whined. “I won’t leave you.”

  “You got to Lizzie. Think of Ma and little Ben. They’re looking down at you now and smiling. All Ma ever wanted was for you to have a good home. Go Lizzie, I will be fine. I
love you.”

  “I love you too, Jacob.” Tears flowing down her face, Lizzie clung to her brother. Mr. Watson moved forward to help release Jacob. He nodded to the man, letting him know he should go and take Lizzie with him. Her screams echoed in Bridget’s head, but her heart was fixed on the young man in front of her. Jacob seemed to wait until Lizzie was gone before he crumpled into a pile on the stage. His whimpers of pain were like those of a wounded animal.

  Carl pulled the young boy into his arms and held him as both their hearts broke. Jacob sobbed, his overly thin body shuddering as he did so. Carl held him as close as he could, all the time silently cursing the unfairness of what he had just witnessed. What type of God would stand by as children with nothing but each other were torn apart? He’d never felt so helpless. Well, not since…

  He sensed her beside him, smelled the lavender she wore on her clothes. She pulled Jacob away from him and held the boy tight.

  “I am so proud of you, Jacob,” she whispered to him. “What you did for Lizzie was incredible. Your ma raised a wonderful young man.”

  Jacob’s reddened, tear-streaked face looked up. “Do you think so? I thought she would be mad I let Lizzie go.”

  “No love, she would understand you did your best for your sister like you always have done. You protected her, and now you have ensured she has a comfortable home. You couldn’t do more for someone you love.”

  As he watched, Carl saw understanding seep into Jacob. His pain wasn’t going to disappear overnight, if ever, but somehow, Miss Collins had managed to say just the right thing to help this amazing young man deal with his loss.

  “I agree with Miss Collins,” Carl said. “Jacob, what you did today took more courage than I have seen in most men. You should be very proud of yourself.”

  The rest of the morning passed without any major incident. All of the remaining children found homes. Except for Jacob. A couple of farmers tried to speak to Jacob, but if the hard expression in his eyes combined with the scar on his face weren’t enough to turn them off, his insistence on silence was.

  Chapter 40

  Bridget’s heart ached as she took Annie and Liam’s hands in hers and led the way back toward the train. Mr. Watson and Jacob followed her.

  She shared the lunch she had purchased with everyone, but only Liam and Annie ate anything. She could see they were affected too. Annie in particular tried to hug and cuddle Jacob a couple of times. He didn’t shrug her off but made no attempt to cuddle her back like he would have on the train.

  “Liam, why don’t you and Annie have a quick game of chase before we have to get back on the train?” Bridget asked, hoping to distract the youngsters. She was desperate to find out what Mr. Watson’s plans were. Would he turn back for New York or would he make arrangements to check on all their placements? Would he ask her to come with him?

  The conductor whistled, announcing it was time to board. Bridget called to Liam and Annie when her attention fixed on a carriage. The occupants must have been trying to catch the train as the carriage was moving quickly. She ran to bring Annie and Liam closer, not that they were in any real danger. The carriage drew up beside them and the occupant ordered it to stop.

  To her surprise, the man who had adopted Lizzie stepped down first, closely followed by a woman. She assumed it was his wife from the way he held her waist as he guided her to the ground.

  “I am so glad you haven’t left. I would never have forgiven myself,” the man said.

  “Shush, Charles. You did what you thought was the right thing.” The woman’s smile was so loving, Bridget looked away from such an intimate moment.

  “I am looking for Jacob,” he said. “Is he here?”

  Bridget turned back to find Mr. Watson standing alone. Where was Jacob?

  “He just stepped aboard the train. Can I help?” Mr. Watson asked.

  “Mr. Watson, I assume? My name is Alicia Hawkstone. My husband Charles came to see you this morning and organized the adoption of Elizabeth.”

  “Where is Lizzie?” Bridget interrupted.

  “Oh, she’s at the house with Mary, our cook,” the woman said. “She’s in good hands. Mary is giving her a bath. We came to ask Jacob if he would like to come and live with us as well. We know he is a little older and possibly wouldn’t be interested in being adopted but…”

  “Jacob?” Bridget asked.

  The woman looked confused as she sent her husband a questioning look. “I’m sorry, did I get his name wrong? Only I thought…”

  “No Mrs. Hawkstone, Jacob is his name but your husband, well he said…”

  “I only wanted a daughter,” the woman nodded, “and up until I met Elizabeth that was the truth. My darling Constance died some years back and since then I have been grieving. It was only recently that Charles suggested adoption. We have been…trying, but without success. But having met Elizabeth and hearing her talk about her wonderful brother, I can’t in all good conscience separate those children. What sort of mother would that make me?”

  Bridget didn’t know whether to cry or shout for joy. She just stared at the couple, waiting for someone to pinch her awake. Was she dreaming?

  “Bridget, should I go get Jacob?” Liam asked beside her.

  “Yes, Liam. Thank you,” Mr. Watson replied as Bridget couldn’t answer. She still couldn’t believe what was happening.

  “Mrs. Hawkstone, Mr. Hawkstone, you should be aware Jacob has suffered quite terribly at the hands of his father. He protected Lizzie, I mean Elizabeth, often at great personal cost.”

  “If you are talking about the physical scarring on his face, my husband told me about it and that is of no concern to us. We do not care what the children look like but what’s inside of them that counts. Jacob proved to be a loyal and generous boy today. He impressed my husband and, believe me, that is not something that is easily done.”

  “Where’s Lizzie? What’s wrong? What have you done?” Jacob asked as he raced from the train.

  Mr. Watson caught him before he flung himself with fists raised at Mr. Hawkstone.

  “As you can see,” Mr. Watson said. “He is still very protective.”

  “Jacob, Elizabeth is quite safe. She is enjoying a hot meal and a bath,” the woman said. “My husband and I owe you a big apology.”

  Disbelief clouded Jacob’s expression.

  “We should never have thought to separate the two of you. Would you consider coming home with us too? I know you probably don’t want another set of parents but perhaps you could see us as an aunt and uncle?”

  “You want me?” the boy asked.

  The combination of hope and disbelief in his voice brought more tears to Bridget’s eyes. Bridget wished she had another hanky as the one in her pocket was already soaking. Mr. Watson came to her rescue by offering her his clean one.

  “Yes, Jacob we do. When my husband told me what you said and did for Elizabeth, I knew at that moment I would be honored to have you for my son. But only if you would like to come with us. I don’t want you thinking you’re being forced to forget your mother. She raised two wonderful children. I’m only sad we will never meet. Perhaps she and my daughter Constance are together now and smiling down upon us?”

  “Do you think so?” Jacob moved forward, his eyes still cagey.

  “I hope so.”

  “You really want me as a son?” Jacob asked. “I can stay with Lizzie?”

  “You can, but on two conditions,” Mrs. Hawkstone said.

  Jacob reared back as if struck. “What?”

  “You must learn to call her Elizabeth. I think it’s more fitting, don’t you?”

  Jacob’s face lit up with a joy so powerful Bridget almost wanted to shield her eyes.

  “I can do that ma’am.” Then he seemed to remember there was another condition. “What else do I have to do?”

  “Agree to go to school. Elizabeth mentioned you both had missed out on a lot of lessons.”

  “Aw, man, do I have to?” Jacob asked.


  “Yes, son, you do. Education is the gateway to a whole new world.” Mr. Hawkstone’s firm tone told them all there was no arguing that point.

  Jacob seemed to consider it and then nodded slowly. Bridget had to hide a smile at his reluctance to go to school. After what had been in store for him until these good people had turned up, he’d had a lucky escape.

  “Do you think at some point you might call us mother and father?” Mr. Hawkstone asked.

  “Maybe. It might take me a little time. You know, to get used to everything. I am kind of used to it being just me and Liz—Elizabeth.”

  Mr. Hawkstone held out his hand to Jacob.

  “I would be honored if you would forgive me for what I did earlier. I would love for you to join our family, son.”

  Jacob shook his head, seemingly lost for words. Then Mrs. Hawkstone threw her arms around him and hugged him close. Bridget heard her whisper to Jacob that he was no longer alone.

  Mr. Watson took Mr. Hawkstone aside to sign the paperwork. Then he fetched some parcels from the train, Jacob’s belongings, she guessed, although there seemed to be too many bags.

  Mrs. Hawkstone chatted with Liam and Annie while Jacob sought out Bridget for a private talk.

  “Do you think my ma would mind if I called that lady, mother?” he asked.

  “No, darling, she wouldn’t,” Bridget said. “Your ma would be so proud of you. You are a wonderful young man.”

  “Miss Collins, do you think I could write to you. I mean when I learn my letters?”

  “I would love that,” she said, smiling down at the boy. “Can you write to Lily at the sanctuary as I do not know my new address yet?”