“What about the rest of us?” Gwendolyn asked. “What should we be doing tonight?”
Gideon cocked his head to the side. “Do you know how to operate a pistol?”
“Of course.”
He smiled. “Can’t say I’m surprised about that, but because you can shoot, you should go with Walter when he makes the ransom drop, watch his back.”
“What about us?” Catriona asked, nodding to Frank, who’d been lingering in the doorway.
“For now, you and Frank should repair to the end of the drive to tell everyone the children have been found, and you two . . .” Gideon looked to Ethel and Matilda. “You need to make yourselves scarce since you’re supposed to be with the children.”
He turned to Walter. “While you visit your banker, I’m off to gather supplies for this evening.” Gideon rose to his feet. “Then I’ll meet you back here to go over how we should handle the delivery of the ransom money and decide exactly what role everyone is going to play.”
Frank cleared his throat and stepped forward. “I should accompany Walter to deliver the ransom instead of Gwendolyn. We have no idea if someone will be lying in wait for him, and I’m more capable of stepping in if Walter faces a physical attack. Besides that, I’m an expert marksman and can watch his back from yards away, staying out of sight. Gwendolyn won’t be able to do that with a pistol.”
“That definitely sounds safer for Walter,” Gwendolyn agreed, “but I’m not going to simply sit at Sea Haven and twiddle my thumbs.” She nodded to Gideon. “I’m going with you.”
Gideon shook his head. “I don’t need anyone to watch my back.”
“That’s not why I’m going with you.” Gwendolyn lifted her chin. “Midnight is forever away from now. The children are most assuredly terrified, and that terror is only going to increase the longer they’re held captive. I need to be close if we’re fortunate enough to find them. They’re going to need someone they can trust, someone who loves them, and they’ll need that person as soon as they’re found.”
She nodded to Walter. “Since you won’t be available for that, given that the ransom note specifically states you’re to deliver the ransom, I’m going in your stead, and”—she held up her hand when Walter opened his mouth—“it’s not up for debate.”
Thirty-Eight
“There’s definitely someone in the house,” Gideon said, dropping to the ground beside Gwendolyn, who was lying in the high grass surrounding Low Tide. “I saw a light moving from the first floor to the second.”
Gwendolyn swatted a bug away from her face. “It’s frustrating staying out here. I just want to rush in there and get the children to safety.”
“An impulse you can’t indulge. I believe there’s currently only one man in the house, but I might be wrong. We could make the situation worse if we storm in now. Besides, it’s past midnight. I would bet good money whoever picks up the ransom will return here soon, or at least send a message to whoever is guarding the children. My hope is they’ll then be set free.”
“Do you think Walter’s alright?”
“I’m fine.”
Gwendolyn swallowed a yelp when Walter suddenly joined them, edging down on his stomach beside her. “You just scared me half to death,” she whispered. “But did the delivery go alright?”
“It did,” Walter said, his face barely visible in the dim light being cast by the moon. “I got there early, waited until exactly midnight, dropped the bag with the money into the boat, then climbed up the cliff, where Frank was hidden, having kept a rifle trained on me the entire time I was gone. Thankfully he wasn’t given a reason to shoot anyone, since the man who fetched the ransom didn’t slip out of the shadows until I reached the top of the cliff.”
“You saw him take the ransom?”
“I did. He didn’t linger, merely snatched up the bag and disappeared into the darkness. Frank and I exchanged coats, so if someone were watching they’d mistake him for me. He then rode off on my horse and I ran back to where we’d left his horse and made my way here.”
“It shouldn’t be long then until something happens,” Gideon said, taking a moment to fill Walter in, his voice barely a whisper. He finished right as the distinct sound of horse hooves sounded on the gravel drive leading to Low Tide. “Looks like the kidnapper’s returning.”
Anticipation, mixed with trepidation, flowed through Gwendolyn as the sound of cantering hooves got closer. The shadowy silhouette of a horse came into view, the man riding the horse reining to a stop in front of the cottage. He swung from the saddle, but before he could do more than take a few steps toward the porch, there was a loud bang, as if the front door had burst open, followed by the sound of pounding feet running down wooden steps.
“Stop right there,” the man demanded, rushing toward the house.
“Priscilla, Samuel, run!” Oscar yelled, and that was all it took for Gwendolyn to jump to her feet and rush forward. Walter and Gideon raced ahead of her as she aimed her sight on the two petite shadowy figures running toward her.
“Children! I’m coming,” she called, which had the twins increasing their pace.
A mere blink of an eye later, they were in her arms, two small, trembling bodies holding onto her as if they’d never let go.
Hugging them tightly against herself, Gwendolyn turned and ran down the drive, leaving Walter and Gideon to get Oscar to safety, and hopefully make certain that the men responsible for snatching the children would be apprehended, ending the danger to the children once and for all.
“Stay right there, or I swear I’ll shoot the boy.”
Walter froze on the spot as Gideon did the same, rage coursing through him when he realized the man had grabbed Oscar and was holding him close, the light from the moon glinting off a pistol pressed against his son’s head.
His rage increased. “Let him go. You’re welcome to the money. We won’t hinder your escape. Just release my son and we’ll get on our way.”
“Hank!” the man called at the top of his lungs, ignoring Walter’s plea. “Hank, get out here. Hank!”
“If Hank’s the man who’s been watching over us,” Oscar said in a voice that held not a single tremble in it, “he won’t be coming out anytime soon.”
“What do you mean?” the man demanded.
“We locked him in the closet,” Oscar returned matter-of-factly, an impressive feat since he was currently being held at gunpoint. “Hank’s not the brightest of men. When he locked us into the closet earlier, we began trying to pick our way out of it. Thankfully, my sister insists on having numerous hairpins put in her hair every day, because Miss Brinley told her they were useful. Hank didn’t know what to make of it when he came to check on us and found us standing in the middle of the room.”
Walter frowned. “He discovered you?”
Oscar nodded, but stopped mid-nod because of the pistol pressed against his head, something that sent Walter’s blood boiling. “He did, about ten minutes ago. I was sure we were going to be in big trouble. Samuel gets the credit for fast thinking. He told Hank the closet door hadn’t been properly locked because it was broken. Hank didn’t believe him, so Samuel told him to see for himself. I couldn’t believe my eyes when Hank strolled right into the closet. Samuel slammed the door shut on him, I snatched the key hanging right beside the door, and that was it.”