Collision of The Heart by Laurie Alice Eakes Read Free Book Online Page B

staying?”
    “The boardinghouse.” She sounded a little breathless.
    All she needed were more distractions like Divine staying under the same roof as she did.
    “Why don’t you come stay with us, Mr. Divine,” Ayden suggested. “We already have five guests, but we can make more room.”
    He could vacate his chamber and bunk down in the attic schoolroom. It wouldn’t be all that comfortable, but its location and another guest in the house would make evading Mia that much easier.
    “Thank you.” Divine inclined his head. “I know Mrs. Greene would like to give my room to a family, and it does seem like a waste for me to have all that space to myself under the circumstances.”
    “Very good, then.”
    Ayden dug up some vellum left over from invitations to the Valentine’s festivities to be held in another few days, then he headed down the hill and into town. On his way along Broad Street, he came abreast a wagon laden with luggage, some of which appeared somewhat singed, all of which appeared battered. Most had obviously been exposed to moisture.
    “They managed to salvage some luggage,” he called up to the driver.
    The driver nodded. “A bit. Taking it to the church for people to claim what’s theirs.”
    “I’ll come along then and see if any belongs to those people staying with us.”
    “Climb aboard.” The driver patted the seat beside him.
    Ayden swung onto the board. “You haven’t heard of anyone who’s lost a child, have you?”
    “No, sir. Seems like an important bit of luggage to lose.” The driver guided the draft horses around the point onto Howell. “Why’d you ask?”
    Ayden explained.
    The man’s pale-brown eyes creased at the corners, while a scarf hid most of the bottom half of his wind-burned face. “Never heard the like. But I’ll be asking around.”
    “Please do. Report anything you learn to me. I’m Ayden Goswell.”
    They reached First Church, and Ayden spent the next hour helping to distribute luggage while inquiring after the lost child’s people. Too little baggage had survived the wreck and fire, and many people turned away from the piles of bags with stricken faces.
    Ayden departed with his own disappointment to have learned nothing about the little boy. He trudged home carrying Mia’s rather battered portmanteau and entered the house to find nearly everyone assembled in the parlor reading, playing a board game, or dozing by the fire.
    “You are late,” Mom said.
    “Whose luggage is that?” Rosalie leaped to her feet. “Did you go out to the wreck?”
    “No, I got this at First Church.” Ayden set the case in the front hall. “It’s Mi—Euphemia’s.”
    The woman from the train, whose name Ayden still did not know, glanced his way, then toward the toddler, who was squeezing a lumpy stuffed dog on the carpet. “Did you learn anything about him?” Her voice was whispery, and she did not meet his eyes.
    He shook his head. “It’s like someone simply dropped the child onto the train and forgot about him. No one noticed him or anyone with him.”
    “Did you ask about the woman with the injured leg?” Mia spoke from behind him, her voice low, like cool, soothing fingers on a fevered brow.
    A thrill ran up his spine. His shoulders stiffened. He must not respond to her this way. She had betrayed him before. She was perfectly clear now that she was only in Hillsdale on a temporary assignment. If he didn’t look at her, he wouldn’t care that she stood in his home.
    But everyone was looking at him, including the children in the middle of the floor.
    He turned and took in her appearance in a glance. She had always looked delicate. Now she looked fragile, as though a medium breeze would knock her over. The multitude of petticoats belling out her soft wool skirt emphasized how thin she was, far thinner than she had been when Ma had been feeding her five out of seven nights a week.
    “Don’t they feed you in Boston?” he asked.
    Pa chuckled. Ma and Rosalie