Christine Johnson - The Marriage Barter

“Because they don’t belong here.” Beatrice Ward stood to make her point. “The Orphan Salvation Society’s agreement with the town of Greenville came first, did it not, Miss Sterling?” She briefly glanced toward the elegant orphan agent and gave her only time to nod before continuing. “It would not only be morally wrong to deny Greenville the children they desperately want, but it would be illegal to break the agreement. The children—all eight children—must go to Greenville.” With a look of smug triumph, she settled back into her seat.

The crowd erupted, mainly in protest, but Charlotte saw a couple of people nod in agreement with Beatrice. Her stomach knotted yet again. Beatrice couldn’t win, could she? She anxiously looked toward the doorway, hoping Wyatt would appear and counter Beatrice’s claims. The opposition came from another quarter.

“That’s not quite correct, Miss Ward.” Curtis Brooks, the dapper banker from Newfield, faced the crowd. He exuded such confidence that people instantly quieted.

After safely delivering his bank’s loan to Evans Grove despite the attempted robbery, Mr. Brooks had garnered a lot of respect in town. Then he’d insisted on staying to oversee the loan distribution, and Mayor Evans had asked him to serve on the Orphan Selection Committee. His dedication in the following weeks had led people to trust his opinion. He’d struck Charlotte as a thoughtful, perceptive man. Perhaps he had the answer to this mess.

“From what I’ve seen of the paperwork Miss Sterling showed me,” he said, “I’d say Greenville’s legal claim might be on shaky ground.”

Charlotte’s stomach unknotted a little as the crowd cheered. They seemed to take his words as proof Evans Grove would win this dispute, but Mr. Brooks had said the claim might not hold up to scrutiny. He didn’t say it definitely wouldn’t.

Beatrice Ward must have heard what the crowd did, but she didn’t have the same reaction. Not at all. Her eyes practically bulged from her head, as if her tightly bound gray hair had stretched even tighter. Her lips pressed into a thin, straight line, but she rallied quickly. “If you’re going to challenge Greenville’s claim, shouldn’t you address their representative?”

Mayor Evans sighed as the crowd focused on her. “Miss Ward is right.” She looked at Sheriff Wright. “Please summon Mr. Reed. I believe he is staying at the hotel.”

Charlotte felt sick. What would Wyatt say? What would he do? Would Beatrice convince him to take Sasha away? She tried to pray but couldn’t find the words. Surely God understood. Surely He would protect the innocent.

She didn’t have long to wait. Wyatt Reed must have stayed near the town hall, because he arrived almost at once.

Every head turned when Wyatt strode into the room. He stood taller than any other man in town, and his hardened yet startlingly handsome face sent whispers through the women present. She hadn’t noticed earlier, but he’d shaved off the stubble of yesterday, revealing cheeks honed to a hard plane and tanned by the sun.

He addressed himself to the mayor. “Ma’am.” He removed his hat and held it in both hands.

“Mr. Reed.” Mayor Evans showed not one ounce of discomfort before the intimidating man. Though considerably shorter in stature, she stood equally confident. “There is some debate over the legality of your claim.”

Mr. Brooks rose beside her, creating a strong and united front. “As I understand the agreement, which Miss Sterling graciously allowed me to peruse, Greenville will have the opportunity to select any of the children that have not yet been taken by the time the Orphan Salvation Society agent reaches their town. It stands to reason that if all the children have been claimed before Greenville, none will be available for selection. There was never a guarantee that any of the children would come to Greenville. Thus, the agreement has not been violated.”

Wyatt’s jaw tensed as he pondered Mr. Brooks’s words. The tiniest flicker of a smile indicated he’d found a crack in that argument. “The way I see it, you’ve forgotten two points. One, the Orphan Salvation Society doesn’t have a formal agreement with Evans Grove. That means this town never had a right to the children in the first place.”

The crowd murmured, but Mayor Evans wasn’t daunted.

“We received approval from the Society to form the selection committee and hold a distribution.”

The murmurs turned to cries of agreement, especially when Rebecca Sterling confirmed everything the mayor had said.

Wyatt showed no sign of retreat. “Second.” He waited for the crowd to quiet down. “As I said, I have two points. The second is that all the orphans haven’t been picked yet. Even though Evans Grove got approval to take some of the orphans, you still have to follow the rules. I understand that the standard procedure is that any children who weren’t claimed after a town’s distribution have to get back on the train and go to the next town. That means those orphans that weren’t taken at the distribution here must go to Greenville.”

Holly’s face fell. Liam hadn’t been officially placed yet. In fact, only Sasha, Lizzie and Galina had been selected at the distribution. Friedrich had gone to the Hollands later.

Pauline rapped her gavel. Judging from the set of her jaw, she wasn’t giving in, either. “All the children might not be placed in families yet, but they’ve been claimed by the town. We’re committed to finding homes for every one of them, right here in Evans Grove.”

Wyatt had to wait for the cheering to die down. “With all due respect, ma’am, I don’t imagine a town has ever been approved to claim the children. Have they, Miss Sterling?”

Rebecca Sterling had grown pale as ash. “N-n-no,” she finally conceded.

“But there’s nothing that specifically forbids it?” Mr. Brooks asked her with a gleam in his eye.

A little of Rebecca’s color returned. “No. No, there isn’t.”

“In that case,” Mr. Brooks said smoothly, “I’d say the agreement is officially in dispute. The only resolution I can see would be to bring the matter before a judge. Wouldn’t you agree, Madam Mayor?”

Pauline gave him a stiff yet clearly grateful nod in return. The mayor might chafe at Mr. Brooks’s oversight of the loan, but his handling of this incident had apparently raised him a few notches in her estimation.

“Yes, Mr. Brooks, that is the clear course of action.” Pauline turned back to Wyatt. “Mr. Reed, I believe I speak for the town when I say that you must make your case before Judge Broadside.”

Again, Wyatt didn’t show any emotion at her decision, but his question came out clipped. “Where can I find the judge?”

Pauline offered a dismissive smile. “He is currently on circuit and is next due in Evans Grove on Monday. That gives you the weekend to prepare your argument.”

He barely flinched, but Charlotte saw it. “Greenville won’t be pleased. They’re expecting the children to arrive on this afternoon’s train.”

Mayor Evans didn’t blink. “The town, and Mr. Baxter, may react however they wish, Mr. Reed, but the law will decide this matter.”

He must have known he’d been bested, for he nodded curtly and strode out of the room, his eyes dark and unreadable. Was he upset? Would he fight them? No small part of Charlotte hoped he would reconsider and end this before the judge ever showed. He had already agreed that Sasha and the other placed children could stay. Surely it would only take a little more persuasion to get him to spare all the children.

But who could convince him? Wyatt had disregarded her plea. Perhaps Mr. Brooks had the answer.

She watched Brooks join Mayor Evans, Holly, Beatrice and Sheriff Wright at the front table. The Orphan Selection Committee. Of course. They were supposed to meet today. Perhaps more children had been selected. Maybe the committee would have even let Holly and Mason take in Liam before they wed, but now, with this mess, the prospective parents would have to wait for the judge’s ruling. Charlotte ached for them, but at least they had hope. And she had Sasha. She breathed in that single wonderful fact.