by C.P. Murphy
Chapter Eighteen
Anna hurried down to the kitchen to prepare the morning meal. She knew that breakfast was late and didn’t want to upset her father. Amelia was nowhere to be seen and Anna was more than a little aggravated by her sister’s apparent decision to spend the night away from home. The night before, Anna had tossed and turned, waiting for Amelia to retire to their bedroom. Every time she thought she heard someone coming, she would get excited only to find out it wasn’t her sister but some other noise instead. Nervousness became her as the night got later and Amelia still had not returned. In the wee hours of the morning Anna realized that her sister must have spent the night at David’s house to be with Beth. If she would have informed her then at least she wouldn’t have worried and she would’ve been able to sleep; which would’ve prevented her from over sleeping and the morning meal wouldn’t have been late. As she rushed around the kitchen, she prepared something easy and fast; oatmeal. She had just finished pulling bread out of the brick oven when she heard the boys and her father enter the kitchen. “Good morning Father.” She said to him hoping he wouldn’t notice the mess she had made in her rush. “I’ll pour you some coffee.”
Henry couldn’t help but notice the messy kitchen. He could tell that that his younger daughter was on her own and from the looks of things, he wondered if she would ever be ready to take over caring for the family. “Where is your sister? I didn’t know that she would have you cook by yourself.”
Anna was surprised that he didn’t know where Amelia was. Her sister had been spiteful but she would never stay away without telling someone where she’d be. “She must have spent the night with David and Beth last night. She didn’t come to our room,” she explained as she fixed plates for her brothers. Henry rubbed his chin. He had seen David the day before and his son made no mention of Amelia preparing for the baby’s birth as yet. He thought it odd but yet didn’t dwell on it. Amelia would do anything to avoid him and he thought she must’ve wanted to get away. He took a mental note to tell her that he would appreciate a notice. He took a sip of his coffee and looked up at Anna with puckered lips and wide eyes as he swallowed. She tried, he would say that much, but she still needed a little help preparing the morning brew.
Just as he put his cup back onto the table there was a knock on the front door and he glanced over at Anna who looked right back at him with concern.
After knocking, David entered the house. He knew it was breakfast time and didn’t want to disturb them. “Pardon me Father; hope you don’t mind the intrusion.”
Henry jumped up from his seat the minute he heard David’s voice. His son was making his way towards the kitchen and because Amelia slept at his house; there could only be one explanation why David was there so early in the morning. “David, is everything all right with the baby?”
David had entered the kitchen and patted his young brothers each on their heads and kissed Anna on her cheek. “The baby is doing fine,” he answered, “A couple more months and you’ll be a grandfather.” He took a seat at the table and looked at their concerned faces and wondered what the fuss was all about. “Actually, with all the excitement of the soon to be arrival, Beth forgot to purchase coffee, and that is why I’m here. I wanted to ask Amelia if she had any she could spare until the merchants come back this way.”
Henry looked to Anna, Anna looked to Henry, and David continued to look at both of them. Something was going on, but he wasn’t sure what. “She isn’t here,” Henry stated. “We thought something happened with the baby and she made a last minute choice to sleep at your house.” When he saw his eldest son shake his head in disagreement, Henry got worried. It wasn’t Amelia’s way of doing things; she had never stayed away at night unless it was an emergency.
“Perhaps then maybe she slept at Minnie’s house?” Anna questioned with hope. The pit in her stomach she was feeling the night before was reappearing. She could think of no reason Amelia would sleep at Minnie’s house, but it was the only thing she could think of.
Henry decided that he would not wait around. He stood up and took one last sip of his extra strong brew and then said, “Then, I’m going over there to see for myself.”
“I’ll come along with you,” David told his father. He knew of the tension between the two of them and if she was there, he didn’t want either one of them to get upset with each other. Anna had given him a small sack of coffee grinds and he turned to her and thanked her.
Henry looked to the boys and then to Anna. “Stay here and clean this place up and keep an eye on the boys.” Anna had blushed as she lowered her head towards the floor and told him she would do as he said. Then he motioned for David to follow him and the two men were out the door. As they passed the neighbors’ house, he politely nodded toward the elderly man.
“Some wind we had last night, wasn’t it? Darn near sounded like an animal in a trap,” the old man mumbled as the Samuels men passed. Henry thought about what he said. It was windy when he returned home from Ruth’s house the evening before but from where he was, it didn’t sound like an animal. Old age, Henry thought and continued walking with his son.
Minnie was busy cleaning up her kitchen when she heard a knock on her front door. She wiped her hands on her apron as she walked towards the main entrance. She opened it and saw a grim look on her father and David’s face. “Father,” she said, “What brings you by so early?”
Henry embraced his daughter and watched as David did the same. “Actually, we’re here to see Amelia. She is here isn’t she?”
Minnie was confused. She didn’t know what he had meant. Amelia seldom visited her and when she did, it was never early in the morning. “Amelia? No, haven’t seen her since last night.”
Henry had the sudden urge to sit down and David paced back and forth. Phillip had come out of the parlor and greeted his wife’s family but could tell that something was bothering them. “I didn’t know that Amelia was here last night but she didn’t sleep here if that is what you are asking.”
“She didn’t come home last night,” Henry explained. “Anna claims she never retired to their room, and she wasn’t around for the morning meal. We thought she stayed with Beth,”
“But obviously she didn’t stay at our house,” David chimed in. “You saw her last night? Where did she say she was going?”
Minnie recalled the conversation she had with her sister. “She seemed very distressed, but I thought nothing of it. Seems these days Amelia has been that way all the time. She said she was looking for you, Father, said something about important information she had for you.” Minnie looked at three men; David and Phillip looked to her father as if wondering what Amelia had to tell him and her father looked confused. “She was running all over the place but I stopped her to talk to her. I told her it made more sense for her to go home and wait for you to show up than to run all over the village. She said that’s where she was going.”
More than just a little concerned, Henry was feeling his heart rate jump. Something was wrong, he told himself. He didn’t know what information Amelia had for him and why she felt she had to run to find him but he hoped that whatever the information was, it didn’t put her in danger. “Minnie, do me a favor. Go to my house and help Anna with the boys. This news will alarm her too and I don’t want her to be alone. You two,” he said to his son and to his son-in-law, “Search for her and if need be, get all the help you can. Phillip, call upon Emma and see if she is there. David, it’s a long shot but see if she is at the Van Martins with Thomas.” Henry knew that she wasn’t there but it was worth a try. “If you have no luck, ask for as much help as possible. I’m going to the constable’s office, just to play it safe. Tell anyone willing to help find her to meet at my house and we’ll put our heads together then.”
They all agreed, and each went their separate ways to search for the one girl they all thought was too responsible to let anyone worry over her. Each of them was positive about finding her. An hour later Anna, Minnie, and Beth, who had caugh
t wind of Amelia’s disappearance, sat in the parlor anxiously waiting for news. Minnie sat and twiddled her thumbs together as Beth rubbed her pregnant stomach for comfort. Anna had prepared some hot tea, the one thing she was good at, and was placing it on the table in front of them when they heard someone rushing towards the house.
“Amelia’s home,” Anna shouted with excitement. She didn’t care where Amelia had been or what their father would do to punish her for worrying them all. She was glad that her sister was home and that everything would be fine. The three ladies made a quick dash towards the door just to be let down by their aunts arrival with her sons. “Oh, Aunt Ruth; we thought you were Amelia.”
Ruth had seen Phillip knocking on all the doors on her street and knew that something wasn’t right. When she stopped him and questioned him, he explained what was going on but didn’t go into details. He told her they were searching for Amelia and that a search party was being planned at the Samuels house. She had grabbed her boys and arrived at the house as soon as she could. Ruth explained all of that to the other girls and asked for more information. They each told her all they knew and then the four of them sat down and tried to figure out where the eldest daughter could’ve been. “Nobody has even an idea of where she is?” She asked.
Anna sat and thought about all the possible places and how they were so obvious that someone must’ve gone to each place looking for her already. Then she thought of one person who nobody knew, where no one would think to look. Relieved, she jumped up and put her shawl on. “I think I know where she might be. I’m almost certain,” she explained to the others. She heard them asking her where but she didn’t want to reveal Amelia’s private secrets to them. “Just tell Father to hold off on the search until I return. I’m sure I’ll find her and I’ll ask her to come home.” Then she ran out the door and headed up the hills to the west. Anna should have thought of Patrick Buchanan right from the start.
Patrick paced back and forth inside of his home. Was this his wedding day or was it not, he wasn’t even sure himself. Their plan was that Amelia would meet him there soon after dawn and they would go to Albany together. He remembered how things impeded their plan and how she ran off to marry Thomas to save her father. It hurt him very much, and he even tried to find her, to bring her back to her senses but was unsuccessful. All he could do was hope she would show up. It was later than dawn but fine with him as long as she made it there soon. He glanced out his window and saw a girl running towards his house but it wasn’t Amelia. Patrick opened his front door as the girl ran closer and he recognized her as the girl who had been sitting next to Amelia in church. “Anna?” He questioned as she fell at his door step.
She ran to his house without taking a break to catch her breath. All she could think of was getting to her sister and convincing her that hiding from their father would cause more serious consequences. Panting and sweating, she insisted on seeing Amelia. “I need to see Amelia. I need to talk to her.”
“What are you talking about girl? Amelia isn’t here.”
“What?” Anna quizzed. She thought he didn’t know that she knew the true feelings that Amelia had for him and that she was on their side. “I know how she feels about you. She isn’t anywhere else either so she has to be here with you. Tell her it’s all right and that she can speak with me.”
Patrick’s heart broke even more than it was before. He thought for sure she would come to him and not go to Thomas but she must’ve run off with the Van Martin boy. “She must be with Thomas Van Martin; she told me yesterday she would marry him.”
Anna wanted too bad to believe that her sister was there that it pained her to hear that she wasn’t. She wondered why Amelia had agreed to marry Thomas but she knew it couldn’t have been true. That wasn’t where her sister was at. “No,” she started. “I know she loves you and she wouldn’t marry him.”
“Things have changed and you don’t understand,” Patrick tried to explain to her.
“No, I said,” Anna pleaded. “Even if that was true, which it’s not because it’s so insane, she wouldn’t just run off with him. She would have let my father know she gave him what he wanted and became Thomas’ bride. There was no word from her.”
Though he still had doubts, Patrick worried too. For a second his heart rejoiced in knowing she hadn’t married Thomas but then hurt again when he realized that she was missing. Knowing he’d never met Henry Samuels before, Patrick decided it was time. “Take me to your father. I want to help.” Anna agreed and Patrick saddled his horse. He told her it would be faster to return to the village and she didn’t hesitate. A gentle kick to the horse and they were off to help in the search.
