Little Lost Leon: Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO

Alfred had not went very far before it came to him that he should leave his little sister a message in case she made it back to the trail leading to the cabin before he did.  So, he ran back to the cabin to get a piece of paper he could attach to their father's warning sign nearest the main road.  Then he took off again in search for her.

Alfred could not go as fast as he wanted to.  For it would be too easy to miss any sign of Ruby jumping out of the wagon and heading off into the woods if he was running.

Alfred kept going after it became dark.  For there was no way he was going to stop with his beloved little sister maybe being more terrified than she had ever been in her life.  Besides, his phenomenal eyesight allowed him to see almost as well at night as in the daylight.

As he rounded a bend in the road, Alfred could see what looked like hanging lanterns in the near distance ahead of him.  He shook his head in disbelief over just how relatively close the cabin had been to where others lived.  For he had never considered looking for help while their father had been gone on one of his weekly supply runs.  Granted, Alfred’s inaction could be justified for a number of very good reasons, but it still made him sick to his stomach.

The more Alfred thought about it, the more it seemed prudent to not tell the whole story until Ruby was found.  For it might lead to complications in some way when he wanted the full focus being on finding her.

It was well past midnight by the time Alfred made it to the outskirts of what appeared to be a fairly good-sized town.  Much to Alfred's dismay, it looked like nary a soul was stirring anywhere, but he finally found a tavern with its lights still lit and people inside.

Alfred opened the front door to the tavern, but before he could take more than a step inside, the bartender screamed, "YOU BETTER GET OUT OF HERE, KID!"  Several patrons bellied up to the bar turned to look at Alfred and snicker.

Startled, Alfred did not advance, but neither did he retreat.  He just stood there while assessing the situation for a few seconds, and then he cleared his voice to speak.  "I am looking for my sister.  Have any of you seen her or heard something?"

One of the men at the bar approached Alfred with a sneer on his face and asked, "What does she look like?"  The snickering coming from the others grew louder.

Alfred was encouraged and answered, "Her name is Ruby, and she is around four feet-tall and weighs fifty to sixty pounds.  Her hair is auburn in color and reaches to the bottom of her shoulder blades in the back."

The man approaching Alfred growled, "Sounds too short and skinny for me to be interested in."

One of the men still at the bar exclaimed, "That's not what I've heard, Felix!"  The others roared in laughter, and Felix's face turned an ugly shade of crimson.

Unfazed, Alfred added, "Well, she is only ten years-old."

Felix launched at Alfred and landed face-first in the street.  One of the men at the bar actually fell onto the floor laughing hysterically, and the others were barely able to remain on their feet by clinging to the bar.  Even the surly bartender had tears running down his face as he let loose with a couple of very loud snorts.

Alfred walked away from the bar in amazement over how easily he had flipped Felix over his back.  For he did not even have to think about it!  The move simply came quite naturally.

Nonetheless, Alfred was very disappointed over none of the men acting the least bit concerned about Ruby's welfare.  He hoped that this was not typical of the rest of the town, which he later learned was named, Blue Valley.

Alfred walked all over Blue Valley before coming across an older man dumping a bucket of what looked like mop-water in an alley.  He looked over at Alfred approaching and smiled.

Alfred waited until he was closer to begin his adjusted approach.  "I am looking for my little sister.  She is ten years-old and has red hair.  I think she may be riding in a wagon.  Have you seen her?"

The older man looked concerned and asked, "When do you think she may have made it into town?"

Alfred grimaced as he answered with, "Maybe late yesterday afternoon."

"No," the older man said gently, "I do not remember seeing any children riding in a wagon since yesterday around noon, and none of them meet the description of your sister."

Alfred lowered his head and thanked the man as he turned to walk away.  Alfred had taken just a few steps when he heard the man call out to him.  "My name is Graham.  What is your name?"

Alfred turned back toward the man and answered, "My name is Alfred."

"Pleased to meet you, Alfred.  Would you like some breakfast?"

Alfred could not remember at first when he had last ate something.  It had been when he fixed Ruby and him some lunch the day before, and he was hungry.  Still, he was reluctant to delay his search.

Graham saw that Alfred hesitating.  So, Graham tried to reason with Alfred.  "Come on now.  You are not going to be of much help to your sister with you being all weak from hunger."

Alfred smiled slightly and followed Graham into the back door of what he discovered was a small restaurant.  On each table was a stack of some brown crackers.  Graham told Alfred to not fill up on the crackers before he could bring out something more substantial, and after Alfred tasted how so very good and sweet they were, he understood.

Graham went into the kitchen and soon came out with a platter of bacon and eggs.  He quickly went back into the kitchen and returned with a plate full of toasted bread, with butter and strawberry jam to the side.  There was already a pot of coffee on top of a pot-belly wood stove in the dining room, and after Graham poured Alfred and him a cup, they began to eat.

After they had eaten in silence for ten minutes or so, Alfred spoke up.  "Thank you so very much for treating me so kindly.  This is all so very good.  Is this your restaurant?"

Graham smiled widely.  "You are most welcome, Alfred.  Yes, this is my place.  My wife used to run it with me, but she died a couple of winters ago."

Alfred looked pained and replied. "I am so sorry for your loss.  I know what it is like to lose someone dear."

Graham looked at Alfred thoughtfully for a few minutes before asking, "Can you tell me about it?"

Alfred was so starved for understanding, the question tore a gaping hole in the wall he had erected around his heart.  He stopped short of naming his father and divulging too many gruesome details, but they were both in tears before Alfred finished telling an abbreviated version of his tragic tale.

Alfred thanked Graham again for the breakfast and listening to to his story before getting up from the table to begin his search for Ruby again.  He spent the next two days asking everyone he could if they had seen her without finding one.  Not even the Blue Valley constable or the county sheriff knew of anything about Ruby.

Alfred spent the nights at Graham's place.  He lived above the restaurant and was thrilled with the company.  Over Graham's objections, Alfred insisted on at least washing dishes to help pay for his room and board.

Alfred wanted to keep on looking for Ruby, but the thought of the horses back at the homestead suffering on account of the lack of food and water haunted him.  So, Alfred decided to go back to the cabin and take care of them before resuming the search.  “Besides,” Alfred further reasoned to himself, “Ruby might be already back!”

When Alfred informed Graham of his decision, Graham asked if he could come up to the homestead the next day to check for any clues that Alfred might have missed.  Alfred readily agreed and ran back to the homestead a little lighter on his feet, even with Ruby's continued absence weighing so heavily on his heart.

Alfred was not the only one in a much better mood.  For the horses started their usual routine of whinnying and prancing about in their stalls as soon as they caught wind of Alfred heading to the barn.  Alfred was relieved to see that they still had plenty of water to drink and alfalfa hay to eat, but the extra ration of oats was long gone.  Furthermore, their stalls were getting to be a genuine mess.

Alfred was glad that he had grabbed some apples to feed them, and after they had gobbled down the apples, he opened the gates to their individual stalls and the barn back door to let them stretch their legs in the adjacent pasture.  They both took off like their tails were on fire while kicking up their hind legs from time to time.  Alfred smiled to himself with the thought of them also being happy about the monster being dead.

Alfred had just finished cleaning their stalls and putting out fresh water, oats and alfalfa when the horses came back into the barn.  He gave them both a good rub-down and soon had their coasts shining like they were made of black obsidian.

It was late in the evening by the time Alfred made his way inside of the cabin.  He went over to where Ruby had slept in the hope of seeing her lying there sound asleep.  She was not, and Alfred sat on his own bed wondering where his beloved little sister might be.

Alfred had been up a good hour before the dawn broke.  For he wanted to get an early start on getting the cabin ready to receive Graham later in the day.  There was no expected time of arrival set, but Alfred hoped Graham would be there much sooner than later.

Alfred had to fight an almost paralyzing fear when he went to straighten up an area of the cabin their father had made abundantly clear was off-limits to him and Ruby.  Alfred did not know what to think when he found a trapdoor that had been hidden under a heavy rug on the floor.

Fortunately, there were not any dead bodies behind the trapdoor, but Alfred found it quite shocking to find sacks full of money.  It amounted to several thousand dollars of paper currency and coins made out of silver and gold.

Needless to say, Alfred was rather curious about how their father had accumulated such a large sum, but he really did not want to dwell on the possibilities.  Nonetheless, Alfred dearly hoped that it was not ill-gotten.  For he could see where the money could prove to be invaluable in the search for Ruby.  As short of a compromise, he decided to ask Graham what should be done with the money.

What Graham had not told Alfred was that he strongly suspected knowing who Alfred's father was.  For Alfred bore a striking resemblance to another young man he had known at about the same age.  In fact, Oscar believed that the two could have been easily mistaken as twins, but since he had not seen the other young man in over thirty years, Graham had to seriously consider the possibility of his memory not being quite what it used to be.

 Although, the day Graham was thinking of was quite memorable.  For the very next day, he received news of the accidental drowning of one of his dearest friends, which happened just a couple of hours after Graham left a grand party his friend had held in celebration of his son's eighteenth birthday.

Nonetheless, Graham wanted a second opinion and sent for Edgar.  For he had known the young man in question at lot better than Graham did. Yes, we are talking about Manfred here.

Edgar admitted to having a lot of trepidation.  For he was unwilling to let down his guard for a second until he saw Manfred's dead body for himself, but he agreed that Alfred should not be condemned for his father's abominations—especially since he and his little sister had also suffered so much at their father’s hands.

Dusk was starting to settle in for the evening when Graham and Edgar turned off of the main road onto the trail that led to the cabin.  They had decided to take a wagon in case there were things needing to be hauled away, and they both shuttered at the sight of the first warning sign not covered up by the message Alfred had left for Ruby to find.

Graham and Edgar were both amazed that the mere thought of Manfred could still invoke such a great amount of fear within them.  For it was not like he had been the devil incarnate and well able to take bodily form again at any time…  At least, they hoped not.

Alfred was watching the horses graze in the pasture when they both lifted their heads and took off like their tails were on fire again, but this time they were headed toward the edge of the fence closest to the cabin.  Alfred turned around and took off at a dead run himself when he saw Graham and another man in a wagon approaching.

Graham had just made it down off of the wagon when Alfred gave him a very affectionate hug.  Edgar was holding his breath.  For he could see what Graham had seen, but Alfred's embrace of his old friend was rapidly easing Edgar's misgivings.

"I hope you do not mind me bringing along Edgar, Alfred.  He has been a dear friend of mine for many years, and he has been quite anxious to meet you since I first told him about your situation with the death of your father and Ruby being missing."

Edgar smiled to himself over hearing Graham putting such an eloquent spin on his trepidation.  For it was not the first time he had heard his old friend make something sound good when it could be very easily seen in a much different light.

"Oh no, Graham.  I do not mind at all.  Any friend of yours is a most welcome friend of mine, and I hope to prove worthy someday of him considering me to also be his friend."

Edgar found himself actually starting to feel good about accompanying Graham up there to meet Alfred.  For he was reading Alfred as an open book full of great expectations, but Edgar reserved the right to put him back on the shelf and run for his life at the slightest hint of a twisted plot change.

Aside from Alfred being the spitting image of what he remembered Manfred looking like at around the same age, Edgar saw further evidence of Alfred's heritage.  For Edgar did not believe it was mere coincidence that he was looking at two magnificent Shire draft horses looking over the fence at the two undoubtedly from the same lineage he was holding the reins to.  Moreover, Edgar could see a Shire wagon parked in a shed attached to the barn.

Edgar felt like the anxiety was literally killing him, and Graham was certainly not helping by looking at him with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.  No, Edgar was not going to be able to maintain a tight grip on himself for much longer.

After having enough fun at Edgar's expense for the time being, Graham showed him some mercy.  "Please forgive me if you take this as being intrusive, but it would greatly aid in the search for Ruby if we could know the names of your parents, Alfred.  Would you please tell us?"

Alfred had anticipated the question and did not hesitate to answer.  “Our mother's name was Amelia, and she died the day after Ruby was born.  Manfred was our father's name, and as I told you before, he died almost four days ago."

"Thank you for telling us that,"  Edgar blurted out.  "Could you take us to where his body is now?"

Graham was relieved to see Alfred not recoiling in disgust over Edgar asking where Manfred's body was, and he gave Alfred a look of great concern.  Then he gave Edgar a stern look of disapproval, which made Edgar visibly flinch.

"Yes, I would be happy to show you where our father died and where he now lies buried under a large pile of rocks," Alfred answered in a subdued voice.  "It would be better to wait until the sun comes back up, though.  For it will probably take around an hour to get there by foot, and the daylight will be soon gone.  In the meantime, it would make me very happy for you two to spend the night and let me show off my cooking prowess for a change."

Unwilling to give Edgar an opportunity to put his foot in his mouth again so soon, Graham answered for them both.  "We would be honored to receive your hospitality, Alfred.  Thank you so very much for offering it.  Please don't go to a lot trouble on our account."

Tears were starting to form in Alfred's eyes, and his voice cracked a little when he offered a reply.  "There is no way I could ever repay you for the kindness you have already shown me, Graham.  Nonetheless, I hope to start making a dent in the debt tonight."  Alfred lowered his head and his voice took on a decidedly more somber tone when he added, "The only thing that could make me happier right now would be to have my beloved little sister back safe and in good health."

Edgar took his turn to speak next.  "Graham and I have been already working on a plan to find Ruby that we are eager to share with you, Alfred.  However, would you first show me where to stable my horses for the night?"

"Of course, Edgar.  They can spend the night in two of the extra stalls inside of the barn.  I do not think our horses would mind a bit, and you can park your wagon over there next to ours.  Please, follow me."

Graham put his left arm around Alfred's shoulders as they walked side by side to where Edgar could park his wagon.  Edgar trailed behind a little misty-eyed in reaction to Alfred's statement about wanting Ruby back safe and sound.

Alfred had left open the back barn door to the pasture and the gates to their stalls, and both of his horses were in their respective stalls obviously eagerly awaiting the entrance of Edgar's horses.  It was like a family reunion of sorts.  For both pairs immediately started nuzzling each other while whinnying loudly and prancing in place.

"You have certainly taken great care of your horses, Alfred."

Edgar's assessment caught Graham by surprise.  For Edgar was not known to be very generous with his compliments.

"Thank you, Edgar.  I truly love spending as much time as I can caring for them."

The three finished taking care of both sets and walked to the cabin in silence.  Graham put his arm around Alfred's shoulders again, and the boy leaned into him.  Edgar thought it was one of the most touching sights he had ever seen, but he was not about to say so.  For he really was rather funny like that.

Ah, but Edgar could not help but let out a pleasurable moan when the wonderful aroma greeted them as they stepped into the cabin of the pot roast with all of the trimmings Alfred had prepared in a Dutch oven hanging from a swing arm over a fire in the fireplace.  Graham was delighted with the smell, as well.  From the sounds he and Edgar were making while they ate, the pot roast tasted even better than it smelled.

The three did not actually talk during the meal, but after Graham had helped Alfred clear the table and wash the dishes, Graham started to talk again.  "Your grandfather on your father's side also dearly loved caring for horses, Alfred."

Alfred's head shot up as he asked in an excited voice, "You know who he is?"

"Yes, very well.  His name was Frederick, and he died around fifteen years before you were born.  We were close friends for many years—even before he founded Shire."

"Shire?"

"Shire has grown into quite an enterprise that started out making barrels used for aging beer and whiskey.  Your grandfather then started manufacturing wagons, stagecoaches and carriages of various shapes and sizes, and that led to fine furniture.  He also raised a herd of Shire draft horses to couple with the wagons, and Morgans to go with the stagecoaches and carriages.  Shire also makes all of the tack for each rig, as you now have with yours."

The information had Alfred's head spinning, and he gingerly sat back down to the table.  Edgar was studying his face and did not blame Alfred a bit for feeling overwhelmed.

It took Alfred a few minutes before he could ask, "What about my grandmother on that side?"

Graham answered in a sympathetic voice, "Her name was Mabel, and she died while giving birth to your father."

"Do her folks live around here?”

No, they died of cholera, I think, on the bot coming to America from Ireland, and as far as I can remember, Frederick and Mabel were unable to find any living relatives.  They even made a trip to Ireland, but all they found were grave markers.”

“Did they have other children?"

"No, your father was an only child."

Graham and Edgar were anxious to see if Alfred showed any interest in just how rich he now was, but he only displayed a mixture of grief and disappointment on his face.  This bode well for proving that Alfred was much more like his grandfather than his father, and Edgar was comfortable with asking another rather insensitive question.  "What do you think about being the sole heir—along with your sister, of course, to such a great fortune, Alfred?"

"I am relieved to find that the large amount of money I found hidden here in the cabin was probably not stolen, but all I can really focus on right now is finding Ruby.  Still, I hope to learn as much as I can about the business in due time."

Graham and Edgar were both quite pleased with Alfred's answer, and they jumped up from their seats to give him a big hug.  Alfred broke down crying, and both men felt no shame in joining him.

After they all had a good cry, Graham and Edgar sat back down, and Graham began to speak again.  "There are hundreds of employees at the various branches of Shire, and I am quite sure that most will be most willing to do all they can to help find Ruby.  Although, I must warn you about there being some your father did a lot of damage to, and it may take a while before they are willing to give you a chance, Alfred."

"I can certainly understand that, Graham.  For he sure left a lasting impression on me and Ruby."

Graham gently asked, “How so?  Yes, you have already told me some, but I get the impression that there is much more.  I cannot blame you for not wanting to talk about it, though.”

Alfred began to tell them more of the highlights to all of the very dark days he and Ruby had been subjected to.  He started with him seeing their father brutalizing their mother for as long as he could remember.  Alfred’s voice cracked a little as continued with seeing their father drag their mother out of the cabin by her hair and not seeing her again.

Alfred took a few minutes to recover his composure, and then he told them about the years of conditioning he and Ruby had endured.  Alfred’s voice never made it much past a whisper, but the imagery of the horrors he was recounting was coming through loud and clear.

Edgar was the next to speak.  "The first thing I will do tomorrow is organize search parties coordinated with the local authorities and beyond if she is not found nearby."

"I thought you wanted to see as soon as possible where he died and is buried, Edgar?"

"Yes, that would help answer some of the questions that surely will be coming from others, but it is no longer as much of a priority to me as it was."

Graham smiled, and his eyes had a twinkle as he looked at Edgar.  Edgar gave Graham a smirk in reply.

"Do you work at Shire, Edgar?"

"Yes, Alfred.  I have worked there for many years, and I am now in charge of the breeding and training of the horses matched with the wagons, stagecoaches and carriages.  Graham also used to ACTUALLY work at Shire.  In fact, he was there at the very beginning."

It was now Graham’s turn to give Edgar a smirk.  For Graham knew that Edgar had really enjoyed putting a little more emphasis on, “ACTUALY.”

"Oh my, I will try to not make a nuisance of myself following you around as you work with the horses, Edgar.  I must admit to being really excited, though."

"It would be an honor to show you everything, Alfred."

Alfred and Graham did not have to say a thing out-loud.  For the way they looked at each other spoke volumes, and Graham was feeling more excited about the thought of taking Alfred under his wing than he had about anything in a long, long time.

Alfred could not go to sleep later that evening.  For he was too excited over it maybe being just a few more hours before he had Ruby back safe and sound.  He finally gave up completely on trying to go to sleep and was up getting things ready for him to leave that place for good long before the dawn broke.

Alfred was not the only one who had trouble going to sleep.  For Graham and Edgar just lay there staring at the fire flickering in the fireplace while shuddering over all that Alfred had told them about what Manfred had done to him, his sister and their mother.

Graham and Edgar both dreaded hearing Alfred's terrifying tale told over and over again as it was passed along to others in order to ease their concerns over Alfred and Ruby being the children of Manfred.  Graham and Edgar both also wondered about Amelia's family and hoped to find them as they looked for Ruby.

Alfred led Graham and Edgar to where Manfred had died and was buried as soon as it became light enough outside.  They found his grave undisturbed, and they all let out a sigh of relief over Manfred still being dead.  They all realized that the authorities might insist on uncovering the body to officially confirm his death, but the thought was left unspoken for now.

The horses were also anxious to get underway, and after Alfred had gave them the last of the apples he had, they were hitched to their respective wagons.  What Alfred wanted to take was quickly loaded.  For there was not much to it, and they all headed down the mountain toward Rainbow's End.

About halfway down the mountain, Alfred could see why the town he had been in before was named, Blue Valley.  For a blue haze hung in the air above the town, which one would go through on their way to Shire or Rainbow’s End coming from this direction.  That is, of course, unless they knew about and took the other way Manfred always traveled on his supply runs to avoid attracting any attention in Blue Valley.  Since it was a somewhat challenging route and actually took longer to get to Rainbow’s End on it, Graham and Edgar saw no reason to take it.

Alfred caught his breath when he first caught sight of the sprawling estate.  For he could not imagine there being a more beautiful place in all of the land, and he was quite overwhelmed again by the time they made it up to the main house.

Several of the house staff came out to greet them, and they were all quite shocked to hear who Alfred was.  The long-timers could easily see the striking resemblance to the bane of their existences for far too long, but they did not want to think about it as they scurried about getting things ready for Alfred to reside in his new abode.  Graham made sure to tell each of them privately that Alfred was nothing like his father and actually quite like his grandfather, which had them all very hopeful.

Alfred felt dizzy at the sight of the massive late breakfast being set on a huge dining room table, but he recovered enough to rush over to help an older woman carrying a large tray full of more bacon and sliced ham than he had ever seen before.  She had to fight breaking into tears over Alfred thoughtfulness, but the battle was lost when she saw the gratitude in his eyes.

They were all in tears before the meal was over.  For Graham told them some of what Alfred and his missing sister had suffered, and all of the house staff were most anxious to begin looking for Ruby.

Edgar asked if Alfred could try to draw a likeness of Ruby to make it easier for others to recognize her, and Alfred said that he would get right on it.  His grandfather had dabbled some with painting landscapes, and his artistic supplies were brought to Alfred, who had been led into the study.

A couple of hours later, Alfred came out with a portrait so lifelike, it was eerie.  For Ruby's bright sapphire-blue eyes seemed to be peering into the soul of those looking at her portrait, and after the paint had fully dried, three of the house staff with artistic ambitions started trying to reproduce smaller copies of Alfred’s masterpiece to the best of their abilities to give to search parties.  Alfred thanked all of them profusely for their efforts.

Several others also drew copies of Ruby's portrait, and there were soon posters of her hanging all over.  One made it onto the door to the tavern Alfred had visited when first coming into town, and even those who had given him such a hard time before joined the search.

All who saw Alfred's original portrait of Ruby marveled at what a great artist Alfred was, and he had to inwardly admit to being rather amazed at it, as well.  For it was the first time he had ever attempted something like that.

Edgar had Left Rainbow's End soon after that first meal there with Alfred to go start rounding up search parties, and it was not long before the local sheriff and a couple of his deputies came out to talk to Alfred.  Alfred told them all he knew and offered to go show them where Manfred was buried.  They declined the offer with a visible shudder but promised to do all they could to find Ruby.

It took less than a week before several hundred people from all over the area had dropped what they were doing to go out looking for Ruby, and a nary a single square foot of land within twenty miles of where Ruby had lain in the tall grass had been left unchecked before it was all over with. Much to the dismay of all concerned, no trace of Ruby was found.  So was it also for Amelia’s family.