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dark head. I know this is a big surprise for you, sweetheart,
but your papa wants you to be very brave and grown up. He
says you are to go with this lady on a journey across the sea.
The look of happiness on Sky s face fled and a kind of
bewildered worry took its place. Are you coming, too, Agi?
Tears sparkled in Agatha s eyes. No, love. I have to stay
and look after Sam and the children. You know what they re
like. Just think what they might get up to if I wasn t here to
keep them straight. Agatha saw Sky s constricted throat
swallow with difficulty.
I don t want to be sent away, she whispered.
No one is sending you away. It s just that your papa has to
go away for a while and thinks it best that you go to England.
62 Rogue s Widow, Gentleman s Wife
Will Papa find me there? He will, won t he, Agi? she said,
her face full of hope.
Dragging their eyes away from the forlorn little face, wet
with silent tears, Agatha and Amanda looked at each other,
each knowing what the other was thinking. How hard it would
be when the time came telling this three-year-old child that
her papa was in heaven.
Knowing how much Sky was going to need her in the
weeks ahead, for her sake as well as her own, Amanda had to
be strong and clear-headed. But how small she was. It seemed
ridiculous to be sending such a tiny thing away to the remote
unknown. On impulse she knelt beside her and took her hand.
I know this will be hard for you to get used to, Sky, but
your papa really has asked me to take care of you. He told
me he loves you very much, and that you are to remember
him in your prayers every night.
I ll always pray for Papa.
We ll have lots of time to get to know each other and
perhaps I can show you Charleston and the shops before we
leave on the enormous ship. Is there anything you would like
to take with you?
Only Papa, but I know he can t be with me just now, she
said in a quaintly philosophical way for one so young. I like
ponies, too like Papa. He said he would get me a fine pony
of my very own when he got back.
When we get to England which is where I am taking
you lots of young ladies have ponies of their own, and so
will you. But since we can t very well take a pony on the ship,
is there anything else you would like?
Suddenly her eyes brightened. I would like a doll of my
very own, one I can dress in nice clothes.
Then I shall see to it that you have the prettiest doll in the
whole of Charleston, Amanda told her soothingly, relieved to
Helen Dickson 63
see the stiffness ease from Sky s small body. Now that is
settled, would you like to help Agatha put your things
together? My name is Amanda, and I am sure we are going
to be good friends, Sky.
You have a way with children, Agatha said as she
straightened up.
I haven t had any experience, so I have a lot to learn.
This was true. Many times over the next two days Amanda
had to fight back an impulse to take her back to Agatha. Sky
cried all the way back to Charleston. Her parting from Agatha
and all that was familiar upset her, but, arriving at Magnolia
Grove and with all the attention showered on her, and doting
on the doll and other toys Amanda bought for her, she soon
brightened up. It was when she went to bed that she suffered
moments of homesickness and cried for Agatha and her papa.
Finding herself drawn to the child in a way that surprised her,
Amanda would hold her tenderly and soothe her with words
of comfort until she fell to sleep.
The ship bound for England via New York sailed out of
Charleston s harbour with playful dolphins swimming along-
side. At the same time a small fishing boat, with its sun-
bleached sail bellied out and curls of white foam on each side
of the bow, sailed in, with Judd Freeman at the tiller. It was
after he d put into Wilmington to take on fresh water that he
had heard what Kit had been accused of and that he was to
pay the ultimate penalty for his crime. Immediately he had set
sail for Charleston, praying he would not be too late to save
his friend.
Back in England, as the train sped northwards, carrying
Amanda to her new home, she had time to dwell on her parting
64 Rogue s Widow, Gentleman s Wife
from Sky. It had been difficult to say goodbye, more difficult
than she had imagined. During the two weeks voyage from
America she had become extremely fond of the child and
found pleasure in her company. When the ship had docked at
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