Voices From Within (Book 2)

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-One

A Carriage in the Distance

When Oscar returned to the carriage house after dropping off the ladies at the main house, the men unhitched the sleigh and walked the team into the stable area. The harnesses were removed.

Oscar went to find Jenkins. He handed him his packages, and he told him the clothes were from Miss Charlotte. Then he explained to Jenkins his encounter with Mr. Willoughby and handed him his pay envelope. Jenkins beamed at his good fortune: warm clothes, new boots, and a paycheck.

"Mr. Willoughby had Clyde and I help him harness a team to the Senator's carriage, and he tied his horse to the back of the carriage. He told us he was returning to Harrisburg. I thought to myself, why would he be traveling at night? After he left the carriage house, I picked up the ladies at the church. As we traveled back to the estate, I saw the carriage in the distance on the road that led to the Thanturnum estate. Did any carriages arrive while we were gone?"

"Mrs. Randolph, Senor Melachora and another gentleman arrived from Harrisburg around five-thirty."

"Mr. Willoughby must have told Mrs. Randolph," said Oscar as Jenkins pointed to the Winthrop's team of horses in the stalls.

"If it is the senator's carriage, either the sheriff turned him loose or they escaped. If he is free, why isn't he traveling back to Harrisburg? I'll tell you why. He is guilty, and he is running away. And I bet he is going to try to see Miss Charlotte."

"Jenkins, just because we saw a black enclosed carriage in the distance, doesn't mean it was the senator."

"Do you trust Mr. Willoughby? Why did he have to return the carriage to Harrisburg? It makes no sense. I think he helped them escape. Please, Oscar. Let me follow them and keep watch. If they head back to the estate, I'll ride ahead to warn the family."

Oscar knew the boy was up to the job, but in the back of his mind, he was afraid to trust him. He had new boots and a warm jacket and a payroll envelope of cash in his pocket.

"Please, Oscar. I want to do the right thing and make the men proud of me."

"Well, you don't have to be riding out in the night to prove it."

The two of them looked outside the barn, and the full moon lit up the sky. Oscar finally consented, knowing the moonlight was right for traveling.

"All right, be off with you," said Oscar.

The two of them saddled his horse. Oscar opened the barn door and Jenkins led his horse out of the stable. In a moment's time, he was mounted and riding down the driveway. Scotty saw him leave and started yelling at him to come back.

Oscar caught the large man by the arm and said, "He'll be back."

Jenkins felt good to be on horseback riding on the open road. He knew the carriage was almost an hour ahead of him. He followed the carriage tracks on the road and rode hard, hoping to catch up to them.

He rode around the bend in the road when he saw the black carriage with a gold-plated "R" on the side. They parked it in front of Mulligan's Inn, a roadside pub. There were horses with saddles on them tied to the hitching post, and the carriage sat near the stable.

Jenkins dismounted and tied his horse into the wooded area and approached the inn for a closer look. He saw the senator, Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Baldwin, sitting with a large man at the table, and they were drinking. He couldn't hear what they were saying. Jenkins surveyed the place, eager to go in discreetly without raising alarm.