New York Orphan (Tales of Flynn and Reilly Book 1)

by Rosemary J. Kind

  Ben laughed. “I don’t think a pretty young lady like you should be going into a place like that. Duke and me, we’ll go and ask and come back and tell you what we find.”

  Molly stepped back and her shoulders dropped. Now was not a time she wanted to do nothing, but she saw the sense in what he said. “And shall I wait here?”

  Ben nodded and then whistled Duke to his heel. They set off along the street, leaving Molly to walk in circles waiting for their return.

  Chapter 23

  “Oh, Miss Ellie, Miss Ellie…” Molly was panting hard as she ran up the steps of the guest house, calling for her friend. “Oh, you’ll never guess what.” Her hands were shaking uncontrollably and she was gasping for air.

  “Sit down, child, and start from the beginning.”

  “It’s Daniel. Oh, Miss Ellie, he needs our help. I do believe the good Lord has sent us to him in his hour of need.”

  “Whatever has happened?” Ellie guided Molly to sit upon the settle.

  “I was in the town… wondering whatever we should do. Oh, it’s dreadful!”

  Miss Ellie quietly rose and left the room, returning only a minute or two later with a tray of tea. “I’d just asked for this to be prepared when you came back. It looks to me, girl, as though you’re in need of it.” She poured the tea and held the cup to Molly’s trembling hands.

  Molly sipped her drink, sat back, took a deep breath and began again. “Daniel is in prison, Miss Ellie. Whatever are we going to do?”

  She told Miss Ellie the tale of how she’d met Ben and then how he’d gone to make enquiries. “Anyway, one of the Deputies was there and he told the man about Daniel.”

  “Lord have mercy, whatever has he done?”

  “He ran away from that dreadful man we met at the farm. Oh, how can one man think he has the right to own another in these times? Ben – that was the old man I met – helped him to run away, but then Ben left shortly afterwards so he didn’t know what had happened to Daniel. It was only when the Deputy told him that he found out. Oh, Miss Ellie, we have to go to him.”

  “We do indeed, child, but first you need to eat and take some rest. You look in no state to be going anywhere.”

  “How can I eat, when I know he needs us?”

  Miss Ellie rang the bell and asked for food to be brought to them.

  Molly found she was more hungry than she could have imagined, and was very soon feeling a little stronger and ready to go in search of her beloved Daniel.

  A while later, as she and Miss Ellie went to find the sheriff’s office, Molly could feel a confusion of thoughts going on in her mind. Mostly she was angry. Angry that someone like Mr Hawksworth could have treated Daniel badly enough for him to run away and angry that once he had found the courage to run, he hadn’t been left to make his own way in the world without interference.

  They eventually found the sheriff’s office and, in her haste, Molly stumbled through the door.

  Miss Ellie stepped forward while Molly regained her balance, and addressed the bemused Deputy. “Sir, we are here to see Mr Daniel Flynn.”

  The man laughed. “I don’t think Mr Flynn is rightly in a position to make appointments just now. I’ll ask him to call on you fine ladies when he’s free.”

  “Is he here?” Molly stepped forward eagerly as the man chewed on a lump of tobacco.

  “Ah, well there you see, that’s the better question. He was here, but I reckon he didn’t like the food so well. He thought he might be better fed at the jailhouse, though I reckon he might be wrong.”

  Miss Ellie took Molly’s arm before she could say anything further. “Then it looks as though we’re wasting our time here. Good day, sir.” She turned Molly around and led her out of the building.

  Molly could hear the Deputy sniggering behind them.

  They set off for the jail behind the court, in the hope that their enquiry would be treated a little better there. The brick-built courthouse was on the corner of Harrison and Clinton. Molly stood in front of it, taking shallow breaths as she worked up the courage to go in.

  Miss Ellie guided her into the building and began to look for someone who might be able to help. “Excuse me, sir,” she said to the clerk in the outer office, “we wish to visit a prisoner who I believe you are holding here.”

  The man looked up at her in apparent surprise at the interruption. “And who would that be?”

  “Mister Daniel Flynn, sir.”

  The man sucked his teeth and shook his head. “I’m afraid that’s not possible. I have strict instructions that he’s to have no visitors this side of his trial, not unless his lawyer shows up.”

  “His trial?” Molly was shaken out of her state of shock. “You mean he hasn’t been tried yet? How long has he been held here?”

  “I couldn’t rightly say, Miss. It’s been a while. He’s been here for three months and he was with the Sheriff before that.”

  “Oh, the poor boy. There must be a way he can have visitors.” Miss Ellie restrained Molly’s arm and took charge. “When is he to be tried? And on what charge?”

  “He’s only allowed to see his lawyer, and he hasn’t got one of those. I suppose someone from the County will represent him. His trial’s in three weeks. You’ll see him in court then.” He looked back down to his work and it was clear to Molly that their interview was over.

  Miss Ellie coughed very loudly, causing the man to look up. “Has a figure been set for bail?”

  He waved a hand. “Not as far as I know. They said he should be kept here, on account of his being dangerous.”

  “Dangerous?” Miss Ellie and Molly exclaimed at the same time.

  The man nodded. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.” He returned to his work in a pointed manner, and made no effort to look up even when Molly tentatively said, “Sir?” to attract his attention once more.

  Molly lifted her skirts slightly, gave out a loud huff and walked from the office, her head held high.

  Once outside, she turned to Miss Ellie. “Dangerous! I know Daniel. He is not likely to be dangerous.”

  “People change.”

  “No.” Molly could feel the anger rising. “Oh, they change in little ways, we all do that, but they don’t change their underlying nature and I know Daniel. He is not a dangerous man.”

  Ellie Cochrane looked her in the eye. “Then I believe you and I trust your judgement. I will help in any way I can. Now, where do we start?”

  Molly hugged her. “Thank you. You won’t be disappointed. We could try the newspaper office. I saw it earlier. They might have a report of what happened.” Without waiting for her friend’s response, she turned and walked along the street in search of the building they had seen earlier.

  They were eventually furnished with reports of the events leading to Daniel’s arrest, although the report clearly set out that Daniel had indeed been the aggressor and had near battered a fellow farmhand to death, then fled as a result.

  “This cannot be right.” Molly could feel a burning sense of injustice. “Ben said that Daniel fled the farm to find freedom and that Mr Hawksworth and the others went after him. We have to find Ben. He will set things straight. It couldn’t have happened like this.”

  Miss Ellie rested her hand on Molly’s arm. “It would be Ben’s word against Mr Hawksworth and this Rick, presuming he is still alive. Who are they going to believe?”

  “But we have to do something. We can’t leave him there.”

  “And we will. We just need a clear plan.”

  They walked and talked for much of the afternoon, their ideas going from one thing to another, but always coming to a reason why their plans would not work.

  “Maybe we could talk to Mrs Hawksworth.”

  “And set her against her husband? We’ll not get far with that, even if she does know what happened.”

  Miss Ellie was always the voice of reason, and right now Molly wished that were not so.

  “Might there be other farm hands we could talk to? Ones who saw
what happened? Maybe Ben is not the only one.”

  “And would they speak out, knowing they might never find work around here again if they did?”

  “Oh, Miss Ellie, there must be something we can do. Do you think they would let me see him if I told them he was my brother?”

  “It’s possible, but they seemed fairly clear that he was to have no visitors.”

  “Maybe they would take a note to him for me. At least he would know we are here.”

  Eventually they returned to the guest house and Molly sat down to write.

  She was sitting with paper in front of her and a quill in her hand, but her thoughts were empty and she stared off into the distance. What could she say? Right then, she loved Daniel with all her soul, but she’d not seen him since she was a young child and in reality barely knew him. He was just a fanciful notion and a connection to the past she still held dear. Perhaps she was simply desperate to fill the gap which Henry had left. What could she say?

  ‘My dearest Dan…’ She dipped the quill back in the ink, as it had largely dried out whilst she’d been thinking. ‘I hope this note finds you well, despite the difficulties of your circumstances. My guardian and I are currently in Iowa City, having come in search first of Thomas and then of you…’ She paused. ‘I had not realised the problems you were facing until I arrived and made the acquaintance of Ben, who wishes to be remembered to you. It was, in fact, Duke who introduced him to me.’ She realised she was rambling and tried to come back to the point. ‘I would dearly like to visit you, but have been told this is not possible. However, I place myself entirely at your disposal to assist in any way I can and enclose with this letter a gift which I hope will sustain you. It is my earnest wish that I and this gift may be reunited with each other and with you, under better circumstances soon. Your loving sister, Molly Reilly.’

  Molly read over the words she had written and dabbed them with the blotter. She stopped, realising she didn’t even know if Daniel could read, though she hoped he could. Then a thought occurred to her and she began another letter.

  ‘William Dixon, Esq. Dear William…’ She looked up suddenly, then discarded the paper and began to write again. ‘Mr Dixon, Snr. Dear Sir…’ This time she wrote with more urgency, as far as the quill would permit without scratching through the paper or leaving large blots to cover her words. ‘You may recall our visit to your office recently when I was searching for my brother. As he chose to deny me, I do not feel I can call upon him again, but I have urgent need of your services. I am not rich, and do not know how I shall pay you, but the matter is that Daniel Flynn, my brother’s close childhood friend, has been wrongly accused of a crime and needs someone to represent him to clear his name. We are currently in Iowa City, which I realise is some distance from you, but if there were someone nearby you could recommend to help us, I should be eternally grateful. Your humble servant, Molly Reilly.’

  As she wrote on the envelope she thought carefully, and in the top corner added ‘Private, to be opened by addressee only’. She hoped that might prevent William from being the one to read it first.

  Finally, Molly started to write a third letter. It was one she should have written a while ago, but until now the words would not come.

  Dearest Sarah,

  I hope this letter finds you well. Miss Ellie and I are both well, although our visit to my brother did not have the happy consequence I had hoped. We are now in Iowa City, where I am…’ Molly paused, choosing her words carefully. ‘… Looking for my brother’s childhood friend. We may be away a little longer than anticipated as we have found him in great difficulties and will stay a while in the hope that we may be of assistance.

  I hope that we will be home in time for your confinement.

  Your ever loving

  Molly

  She went to find Miss Ellie, so they could mail all their letters together as soon as possible. Miss Ellie had been writing back to her cousin James on urgent matters relating to the farm and ensuring that he was happy to continue to work the farm for a longer period than they had originally agreed. The letter to Daniel they would take to the jail in person. Miss Ellie looked at Molly knowingly as she wrapped the letter with the rosary. Molly wondered whether the shrewd older lady had been aware of it all along. Molly said a Hail Mary as she packaged them, in the hope that both letter and wooden beads might get to him without interference.

  Chapter 24

  Let the wind and the rain and the hail blow high

  And the snow come shovelling from the sky

  She’s as nice as apple pie

  She’ll get her own lad by and by

  I’ll Tell Me Ma, 1800s Traditional

  In his courthouse cell, Daniel had given up counting the days of incarceration. He no longer had much idea of how long he had been there and even less of how long he might remain. He almost wished he’d been returned to the farm. The worst that could have happened would have been Hawksworth finally killing him with his thrashings. He was no closer to liberty now than he had been then. He’d lost weight and muscle and felt much older than his young years. The songs were no longer there to give him hope, but to torment him with a life that might have been. He was left feeling half crazed by the passage of each day, with little to put his mind to and even less to tire his body except despair.

  He ran his fingers over the brickwork, just for the feel of a different texture, and then sat back against the wall with his head in his hands. Though his rations of food were meagre, his stomach had become used to them and provided his only idea of time passing by letting him know a meal was due. He was rarely disturbed except at those times. His cell door remained closed and locked, and the outside world could have been a hundred miles away. Now was not a mealtime, so it was with a little surprise that he heard boot steps in the corridor and the creaking of the hatch being slid across as it was opened.

  “You’ve had a delivery.” The manner was brusque, but that came as no surprise to Daniel.

  He got to his feet unsteadily and made his way to the door. The hatch had already been slammed shut and there was no question of conversation to be had. He took up the small packet. It was clear it had been opened and he could only assume that it had once contained a letter, though that part was missing now. He didn’t need the letter to know who had sent it.

  As he pulled the rough-hewn wooden rosary from the envelope, he sank to his knees. He brought it to his lips and whispered, “Molly?” He’d know this rosary anywhere, even after all these years. He ran to the wall with the barred windows and reached up to take them in his hands. He tried pulling himself up to get a view out of the small slit to the outside world, but he fell back again. Once, pulling himself up would have been so easy, but not now. Was she here? His Molly? He started to shout her name, desperate she might hear him and come to him. “Molly, MOLLY, MOLLY!”

  He sank to the floor, tears streaming down his face. For the first time in weeks he felt a song bubbling within him: “As I was a walking one morning in May…” He wondered if the fair maid he thought so much about could hear his words and he sang as loudly as he could.

  His moment was broken by the sound of boots and a beating against the door. “None of that, d’you hear?”

  Daniel stopped singing, but his heart thumped in his chest and he could feel a smile on his bearded face. Molly knew he needed her.

  Daniel was certain Molly would not just leave the rosary. She must be telling him that she was close and would be there for him, but what could he do? How could he tell her he knew she was there? How could he say ‘thank you’? He began to pace up and down the cell. He had no idea when they planned his trial for, or even if a trial was planned. They had told him little enough of what he was being charged with, although he could probably guess. He began to wonder if it was only Molly who was somewhere close by, or if Tom might be there. He looked down at the scar on his arm. Even after all these years it still showed clear and white. It would never fade, and to Daniel neither would what it r
epresented. It had been a promise, and if it were in his power to keep it then he most certainly would. He hoped that Tom felt the same, because if ever he needed a brother it was now.

  Chapter 25

  The post in Dowagiac was always prompt and opening it was one of Will’s first jobs of the day. He often examined the postmarks, testing himself on whether he knew where the places were. As he went through the post that morning, his hand stopped on one envelope. He knew that writing. Surely, it was the same as the letter he had received not so long ago. He drew the letter out of the pile, ready to open it first, but was stayed by the clearly written instruction that it was for the addressee only. One of the rules his father had laid down at the start of William’s career was that anything marked as confidential must go straight to him unopened. In a lawyer’s office there could be very good reason why they would only want Mr Dixon Senior to see a letter. William’s hand froze. Surely, that could not be applied to a letter from Molly Reilly? He went to put it to the side of the desk and then uncertainly brought it back towards him again.

  His hesitation was only for a moment, but in that time his father breezed into the office. “And what’s that you’ve got there?” He was too quick for William and took it out of his fingers before William had time to hide it amongst the pile.

  “I was just going to bring it to you, while I went through the others,” he said, trying hard to smile at his father.

  As the older man continued through to the inner office, William slumped in his chair. His hand was shaking. More than anything, he wanted to know what the letter said, yet the possible content terrified him. His heart pounded and his mouth felt dry as he waited for a response from his father. Time passed and he heard nothing, so slowly he collected himself and tried to focus on the remaining letters of the day.

  He was still going through the correspondence when his father walked back out of his own office, coat and briefcase in hand.

  “I have a meeting to go to. I’ll be back in around an hour.”