"You fools!" Duchess yelled late that same night.
"B-but-" Carney stuttered. "We thought-"
"You thought...that's you're problem!"
He fell silent, scowling and sulking.
"Take them back! NOW!"
"Take them back? We can't take 'em back now!"
"And why in the world can't you take them back?"
"Because! Wouldn't that... wouldn't that... make you look soft?" he asked, hoping to play on her pride.
"I wasn't the one who took them! I'm not about to go to prison because you IDIOTS decided to go kidnap Conlon's babies!"
"P-prison?" her flunkies stammered.
"Yes...Prison."
They looked at one another and then at her.
"I want those babies back at Conlon's before they wake up tomorrow morning!"
"Yes ma'am!"
"Move! NOW!"
They nodded and scrambled out the door.
"I ain't fancyin' makin' no trip clear across the state," Dwarf grumbled as they hurried toward the train station.
"Me neither," Carney agreed. "But what're we gonna do?"
"There is that orphanage over near St. Dom's..."
"Yeah?"
"Why don't we just leave them there...then we can go over to the pub and hide out until tomorrow night..."
Carney shrugged. "Sounds good to me."
"Better than making that trip just cause Duch don't know what's best for her..."
"Right!"
"Then let's get this over with..."
"Lead the way, friend."
* * *
Spot knocked loudly on the door of the house they had stayed in while Julie was sick. Since returning to Brooklyn, Sippi and his siblings had rented the small house from Trent and China.
Sippi answered a moment later. "Conlon? What are you doing here?" he asked, yawning.
"We need your help," Spot answered, ushering two sleepy little girls into the house.
"Mm.. okay.. what's up?"
"Can we get these two in bed before we talk?"
He nodded, noticing that Ginny nearly fell asleep as she was hugging him. He picked her up. "Follow me, guys."
Dropping the carpetbag in his hand, Spot scooped Ann up and followed Sippi up the stairs. Chris followed, stifling his own yawns.
"Chris you can sleep in there," Sippi said, pointing at a door. "And we'll put the girls in my bed for now."
He nodded, shuffling into the room. Kicking off his shoes, he plopped right into bed and fell asleep. Spot smiled at this, in spite of himself. He and Sippi then walked into a room across the hall and put the girls on the bed, only taking off their shoes.
"Now... what's the matter?" Sippi asked, when they closed the door.
Spot took a deep breath and leaned against the wall. "Someone kidnapped Robert and Lizzy..."
He stared at Spot. "How? Do you know who?"
"My gut tells me that it was Duchess...she did threaten to get back at me again..."
"Hmmm..." 'Sippi rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well, she had been awfully quiet lately. I wouldn't doubt that she could have been planning it."
"I have to find them, Sip..."
"I know... and you will."
"I worry about what will happen to Rae if for some reason I don't..."
"You will find them, so you don't even have to think about that."
"I have to consider the possibility that I can't..."
"I suppose..."
Spot sighed. "I'll go find Duch first thing in the morning."
"Want me to go with you?" 'Sippi asked.
"If you want to."
He sighed. "That doesn't help. Do you or don't you?"
"Yes."
"All right. Wake me when you're ready to go, okay?"
"Sure...I'll go crash on the couch."
Sippi nodded. "Wake me if you need anything."
* * *
Molly walked into Rae's room with a plate of food. She found Rae sitting on the floor next to the cradle...exactly where she had left her two hours earlier.
"Rae...? I made some dinner."
Rae sighed. "I'm not hungry."
"You need to eat."
"But I don't want to, Molly."
She frowned. "But if you don't eat, you'll get weak and get sick..."
"All that matters is getting my babies back..."
She sighed in frustration. "I know you're worried, but you can't do this to yourself Rae!"
"Get out Molly!"
She slammed the plate of food down on her nightstand and stalked out.
"What's wrong, Mommy?" Kendra asked as Molly stormed back into the kitchen.
"I'm just... frustrated right now."
"Why?"
"I don't know.... Have you finished your dinner yet?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Did you want anymore?"
"No ma'am. Can I go play now?"
"Yes..."
Kendra jumped down from her chair. "Come on Sam."
"Come on," he echoed and plopped off of his chair and scampered after Kendra.
"Why did Annie get to go?" Andy asked. "It's not fair."
"Probably because you don't get along with Annie and Ginny so much anymore." Molly said.
He scowled "It's still not fair," he stated again.
"I know... Maybe if you learned to get along with her better, you could go the next time they went to visit 'Sippi."
Making a face he left the room.
Molly sighed and plopped into a chair, burying her head in her hands. She was tired of taking care of this family. It was high time Rae started taking care of things on her own and stop count so much on Molly. She jumped to her feet. "Kendra!" she hollered, running up the stairs.
"Yes ma'am?" Kendra said, peeping out of the playroom, clutching a ragdoll.
"Pack your clothes."
"Why?"
"We're going to Brooklyn!"
"How come?"
"Because I want to see Blank."
"Okay..."
"Hurry....we can catch the last train..."
"Are we gonna tell Rae?"
Molly stopped throwing clothes in the carpetbag for a brief moment. "We'll get Andy to tell her after we've gone."
"Kay..." And she went to drag her clothes out of the drawers.
Molly finished with her clothes and helped Kendra. "Go pick out one doll to take with you."
She held up the rag doll already in her arms. "This one... Can we take Pape too?"
Molly paused again. "I guess so...but only if you leave the doll in your bag."
"Kay." She ran from the room yelling "Paaaaaaaaaaape! Where are you!"
Molly shoved the last few clothes in the bag and snapped it shut.
A few minutes later, Kendra scampered in with Pape in her clutches. "Found 'er!"
Molly took the kitten and hand Kendra her coat and gloves. "Hurry, baby."
She wriggled into them quickly.
She gave the kitten back to Kendra. "Let's go," she said, grabbing the two carpetbags.
She trotted after Molly. "Are we gonna s'prise Uncle Blank?"
"Yes. And don't forget about your Aunt North."
"They got funny names, Momma."
"Kendra!" She hissed as they went looking for Andy.
"What?"
"Don't be ugly," she said, knocking on the door to Andy's room.
"I'm not..." she said.
"What?" Andy asked opening the door. He caught sight of the bags in Molly's hand. "Is you leavin' too?"
"It's "are you leaving", and yes we are," Molly said. "I want you to tell Rae that we've left... after we leave."
"Why after you leave?"
"Because I think Rae needs to get active and stop relying on others to do her work. If anything, it will help her pass the time until Spot comes back."
He made a face. "Guess that means I'll have more chores too, huh?"
"Sorry." She ruffled his hair. He made another face. Molly turned to Kendra. "Let's go baby."
She clung to her hand. "Okay. Bye bye Andy."
"Bye."
"We'll be back soon."
"Sure," he said, going to find Sam.
Molly sighed, again frustrated. "Come on." She shifted Pape from one arm to the next and then opened the door for Kendra.
Andy watched Sam play for a few minutes and then drug the smaller boy down the stairs. "We gotta go talk to Ma," he said.
"Why?"
"Cause Molly said to."
"Why?"
"Stop askin' dumb questions."
"Why?"
"Hush, Sammy."
Sam sighed and toddled after him. Just a few seconds later, he was humming. With a frustrated noise, Andy knocked on the door to Rae and Spot's room.
"I told you to go away, Molly!"
"It's Sam and Andy!"
"Oh..." She sighed. "Come in."
He opened to door and drug Sam into the room.
"What is it?"
"Molly and Kendra left, Ma."
"What?" Rae didn't comprehend this right away.
"Molly and Kendra went to Brooklyn."
"When?!" she demanded, alarmed.
"A few minutes ago."
"And she didn't even bother to tell me? Who does she think she is!?"
"She said she didn't want to do your work no more."
Rae slumped onto her bed and buried her face in her hands.
"I think she was mad at you..." Andy said as James began to fuss.
"Mad at ME? Whatever for?"
Andy shrugged and carefully lifted James from the cradle. "She acted mad..."
Rae pushed her hair out of her eyes and sighed.
"Ken'a take Pape," Sam added.
"All right..." Rae shook her head. "Why don't you two go play for a little while. I need to think.
"Ain't it Sammy's bedtime?"
"Oh... yes.. yes it is." She stood. She was really out of it... "Come on Sam."
"Don't want to go to bed!" Sam protested.
"Sam, it's bedtime."
"NO!"
"Yes!"
"NO!" he yelled louder.
"Are you arguing with me, young man?" said in her sharp "I'm the mom" voice.
"NO BED!"
She picked him up as he kicked and screamed and went on to change him into his pajamas.
Andy looked down at James who was crying softly in his arms. Sighing deeply, he carefully sat in the rocker. "She didn't forget about you, James."
When Rae had finally wrestled Sam into bed, she plopped down near Andy and James.
"Are you mad at Molly?" Andy asked shyly.
She was quiet for a long time before she shook her head. "No... no, I guess not."
"Then who ya mad at? You look really mad..."
"Myself, I guess."
"Why?"
"Just a lot of reasons."
"I think James is hungry..."
She nodded. "He sounds like it." And then she felt a sharp pang in her chest. About this time, or shortly before or after, Robert and Lizzy would also be hungry. Rae took James and Andy crawled out of the rocking chair. He hesitated a moment before hugging Rae.
"Night, Momma," he whispered in her ear, before running from the room.