would like to show you. Gavin wants you to see it as well. He had planned to take you there himself, later, but he told me to take you so you would understand."
"Is it far?"
Madison nodded. "It will be an overnight trip, and your companion can't come with us. You have to swear to keep this secret. No one else can know about it."
Angie considered it doubtfully, then remembered what Gavin's mother had said: "Look into your heart." Angie looked, and she knew she loved Gavin, which meant she had to trust his judgment. Just then, the door flew open as both Ben and Mrs. Waterston entered the room.
"It's all right," Angie said to both of them as she glanced up. "This is Miss Hawklin, my guest. She and I will be taking an overnight trip. Mrs. Waterston, pack a bag for me, please."
"I'll get mine as well," Mrs. Waterston said.
"No, Mrs. Waterston, you'll be staying here."
"What? Angela, you can't be alone over night."
"I won't be alone, I'll be with Madison. Now pack my bag, we leave immediately."
~ * ~
It took nearly four hours to reach their destination, and Angela was tired and hungry by the time they arrived. The coachman opened the door and helped her into her wheelchair. Angela looked around at the beautiful setting. Set in the foothills among the trees was a beautiful three-story brick building with beautifully landscaped yards and flower gardens.
"What is this?" Angie asked as Madison pushed her up the walk.
"A school."
"A private school? For whom? I've never heard of a school out here."
"And you won't. Mr. Stone built this place some thirty years ago when I was but a child of five or six."
Angie wrinkled her brow, Madison must mean Gavin's father. Gavin was far too young to build anything more than thirty years ago. "You went to school here?"
Madison nodded as the door opened and two young men came to help get the wheelchair over the doorstep. "Like these boys and girls here," Madison gestured, "I lived here until I came of age. Mr. Stone supports this school, supports the children here. Everyone here receives an education, clothing, food, a warm bed to sleep in. When they come of age, each receives a thousand pounds and a job with one of his companies or are allowed to go their own way, as they see fit. Some, like me, choose to remain and work at the school."
A woman of about twenty-five walked toward them, extending her hand. "I'm Gizelle. I came here when I was eight, and now, I'm a teacher here."
"I'm Angela Elliott. So nice to meet you."
"It's suppertime, please join us," Gizelle invited them.
Madison pushed Angie's chair down the hall to the dining room. They sat at the head table with the teachers and other staff. There were about eighty children in residence, laughing and talking as they ate their supper.
"Where do the children come from?" Angie asked after supper, when she and Madison sat alone in the gardens. The children were cleaning, taking their baths, and getting ready for evening prayers and bed.
"The same place I did. The Raven District mostly. We are the children of the poor, of single mothers, and of prostitutes. Unwanted children abandoned to the streets. Gavin watches the Raven District, trying to save those who would wind up with a worse fate than just living in the Raven District."
"What could be worse than that?" Angela asked incredulously. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"
"It's okay." Madison smiled. "Many things can be worse. Men, like the judge and the others that Gavin is accused of killing, come to the Raven District looking to purchase young girls and boys for little more than a box of food, from mothers with several other starving children. Or they simply kidnap the children off the streets. Even if it's reported to the police, they won't look for a missing child from that side of town."
"I don't understand. Why would they want those children?"
"They sell them to the highest bidder or use them for their own purposes."
Angie wrinkled her brow; this made no sense to her.
"Is it far?"
Madison nodded. "It will be an overnight trip, and your companion can't come with us. You have to swear to keep this secret. No one else can know about it."
Angie considered it doubtfully, then remembered what Gavin's mother had said: "Look into your heart." Angie looked, and she knew she loved Gavin, which meant she had to trust his judgment. Just then, the door flew open as both Ben and Mrs. Waterston entered the room.
"It's all right," Angie said to both of them as she glanced up. "This is Miss Hawklin, my guest. She and I will be taking an overnight trip. Mrs. Waterston, pack a bag for me, please."
"I'll get mine as well," Mrs. Waterston said.
"No, Mrs. Waterston, you'll be staying here."
"What? Angela, you can't be alone over night."
"I won't be alone, I'll be with Madison. Now pack my bag, we leave immediately."
~ * ~
It took nearly four hours to reach their destination, and Angela was tired and hungry by the time they arrived. The coachman opened the door and helped her into her wheelchair. Angela looked around at the beautiful setting. Set in the foothills among the trees was a beautiful three-story brick building with beautifully landscaped yards and flower gardens.
"What is this?" Angie asked as Madison pushed her up the walk.
"A school."
"A private school? For whom? I've never heard of a school out here."
"And you won't. Mr. Stone built this place some thirty years ago when I was but a child of five or six."
Angie wrinkled her brow, Madison must mean Gavin's father. Gavin was far too young to build anything more than thirty years ago. "You went to school here?"
Madison nodded as the door opened and two young men came to help get the wheelchair over the doorstep. "Like these boys and girls here," Madison gestured, "I lived here until I came of age. Mr. Stone supports this school, supports the children here. Everyone here receives an education, clothing, food, a warm bed to sleep in. When they come of age, each receives a thousand pounds and a job with one of his companies or are allowed to go their own way, as they see fit. Some, like me, choose to remain and work at the school."
A woman of about twenty-five walked toward them, extending her hand. "I'm Gizelle. I came here when I was eight, and now, I'm a teacher here."
"I'm Angela Elliott. So nice to meet you."
"It's suppertime, please join us," Gizelle invited them.
Madison pushed Angie's chair down the hall to the dining room. They sat at the head table with the teachers and other staff. There were about eighty children in residence, laughing and talking as they ate their supper.
"Where do the children come from?" Angie asked after supper, when she and Madison sat alone in the gardens. The children were cleaning, taking their baths, and getting ready for evening prayers and bed.
"The same place I did. The Raven District mostly. We are the children of the poor, of single mothers, and of prostitutes. Unwanted children abandoned to the streets. Gavin watches the Raven District, trying to save those who would wind up with a worse fate than just living in the Raven District."
"What could be worse than that?" Angela asked incredulously. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"
"It's okay." Madison smiled. "Many things can be worse. Men, like the judge and the others that Gavin is accused of killing, come to the Raven District looking to purchase young girls and boys for little more than a box of food, from mothers with several other starving children. Or they simply kidnap the children off the streets. Even if it's reported to the police, they won't look for a missing child from that side of town."
"I don't understand. Why would they want those children?"
"They sell them to the highest bidder or use them for their own purposes."
Angie wrinkled her brow; this made no sense to her.
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