The Emerald Key - By Christopher Dinsdale Page 0,34
the United States.”
“I believe you are right. But those children are likely orphans, like Colin.”
“You mean they’ve been adopted?”
“Not necessarily. I understand that the French and the Irish share a common religion.”
“We do. We’re both Catholic.”
“I heard that the French Catholic church is helping to find shelter for the Irish orphans that have recently arrived in Canada. Many end up as workers on farms and then after some time, they are adopted into the families themselves.”
“That makes sense. At least the children will have some place to call home.”
“Perhaps the same will happen for Colin,” she suggested.
“I hope not,” replied Jamie. “He has an extended family living on a farm in Canada West.”
“Are they meeting you in Montreal as well?”
He shook his head. “No. I haven’t figured out that part yet.”
Wagons full of summer hay, carts carrying fresh produce, and walking travellers were joining them on the dirt road. Jamie, Tutuyak, and Colin continued to get stares from the passersby, but Jamie didn’t notice. He was preoccupied with figuring out the next step of their journey. His thoughts were suddenly broken by a tug on his pant leg.
He looked down in surprise at a girl, perhaps eleven or twelve, jogging alongside his horse. She had her wild ginger hair tied back in a loose ponytail, and her ghostly grey eyes seemed to stare straight through him.
“You’re Irish, aren’t you?” she asked.
“Yes, I am,” he offered.
“Are you going to Quebec?”
“Yes again.”
“I could use a ride into town if you would be so kind.”
Jamie eyed the girl. “You’re being quite presumptuous, assuming I would even offer you a ride. In fact, I don’t even own this horse.”
“But I can help you if you give me a ride!” she panted, trying to keep pace.
“And why do you think that I need help?”
The girl, out of breath, slowed to a stop and watched the horse trot off. “Because you are a member of the Brotherhood! You must be lost because why else would someone from the Brotherhood be out here in the middle of nowhere?”
Jamie pulled back on the reins and Falcon came to an abrupt stop. Tutuyak brought the stallion around in a sharp turn in order to see what had happened. Jamie narrowed his eyes and stared at the girl who jogged up to him with surprising confidence.
“What did you just say?”
“You are a member of the Brotherhood, aren’t you?”
“Why would you say that?”
She looked at him slyly. “Give me a ride and I’ll tell you.”
The conversation with the young girl was happening in English so Tutuyak looked to Jamie for an explanation. He sighed and explained. “Somehow, this girl knows something about who I am back in Ireland. She won’t explain herself unless I give her a ride into Quebec. Is that all right if she rides on Falcon with me?”
Tutuyak smiled at the wild-eyed girl, probably appreciating her precociousness as did Jamie. “I’m sure Falcon wouldn’t mind. Tell her to hop on.”
Jamie nodded to the back of his horse. A big smile flashed across the young girl’s face as he held out a hand and gave her a swing up. Tutuyak and Jamie coaxed their horses forward while Jamie took a deep breath in vexation. First, he’d promised to look after a lad barely out of diapers and now a young girl was hanging on to his waist. What was he, the Pied Piper of Hamlin?
“This will be a very short ride for you if I don’t quickly hear answers to my questions,” commanded Jamie. “Understood?”
“All right,” she said.
“First, what’s your name?”
“Bethany Fitzgerald, but you can call me Beth,” she said rapidly. “My parents called me Bethany, but I always preferred the sound of Beth. It just has a better ring to it, don’t you think? All my friends call me Beth and I know if I ever have children, I’ll let them call themselves any name—”
“Whoa! Stop!” shouted Jamie. Lord, this one is a talker. “Bethany, I mean Beth, keep the answers simple or again, this will be a very short ride for you.”
“Oh, of course. I’m sorry. My parents always said that I ran on at the mouth and it’s something of a bad habit that I’ve been working very hard to improve. I’ll do my best not to say more than I have to, but my Aunt Sinead always said it’s important to answer questions accurately, so I will try to—”
“Beth!”
“Sorry.”
“Let’s talk about the Brotherhood. What made you mention that?”