Joe drove into the barnyard, and jumped off the buggy, announcing,
"Mandie, I'm home!"
Joe tied the horse, Colt, his splendid black gelding, to a post, and entered the picturesque house.
Joe looked and found the kitchen empty, although there was a pot of delicious smelling stew on the stove.
Then Mandie, with little Ned in one arm, and Snowball in the other, came down the stairs.
"Now, Snowball, he just wants to touch you. Please, Snowball, just like little Ned for once!" Mandie was saying to Snowball, the old white cat, for what seemed like the hundredth time. For some reason Snowball didn't take to Ned.
Ned gurgled as he reached out a wobbly hand to touch Snowball, and Snowball drew away. Perhaps it was Ned's wild mohawk of dark blonde hair that scared Snowball.
Joe couldn't resist a small smile at Mandie's useless coaxing.
"Is old Snow' still not liking Ned?" Joe asked, holding out his arms for the baby.
Mandie deposited Snowball into his arms instead of Ned.
"No, I don't think Snowball really takes to Ned. He's just not used to it."
Snowball eyed Joe with disgust, and squirmed out of his arms.
Joe, not overjoyed with Snowball, let him down.
"Let me have Ned. You have him all day," Joe protested, holding his arms out again.
"Oh, all right." Mandie sighed, laying her precious burden into his arms.
Joe leaned forward and kissed Mandie. Mandie blushed, as she always did, but smiled.
Joe kissed the baby's forehead, with a loud 'mwah!', that made the baby laugh.
"And how's my little Ned, eh? You're going to have some wild hair, just like your father, aren't you? Well, good thing you have your mother's nose." Joe said, giving the baby his hand to play with.
"What's wrong with your nose? I love both my men just the way they are." Mandie said, pecking the baby's ruddy cheeks before walking down the stairs.
"I don't know. Can't exactly name it. I just like your nose better. Yes, my boy will be a handsomer man than his father ever was," Joe said absent mindedly, the latter to the baby.
Mandie laughed.
"Now, if you'll hand me my handsome baby back you can go wash up and eat. Supper is ready," Mandie said.
"Yes ma'am," Joe said cheerfully, giving Mandie a peck on the cheek, and then going upstairs to change.
They ate supper, and spent the rest of the evening together, and went to bed, happy, and satisfied with their new life together.
And so, that is how life went for the Woodard house, until one day, it all changed…
Mandie finished putting some lunch for Joe into his lunch bag, and handed it to him.
"Well, I'm off to work! Don't find any mysteries while I'm gone." Joe said, as he always said to Mandie before he left to work.
"Maybe I will," Mandie teased, as Joe leaned down to kiss the baby.
"Don't," said Joe simply, also teasing. He kissed her, making her blush, and then walked out the door.
Mandie laughed, and watched Joe drive away.
Joe drove Colt, his favorite black gelding that he was training, at a brisk trot.
Colt tossed his head, enjoying the warm october morning. Then, Colt shied, with a warning neigh.
"Easy, Colt, easy," Joe said, in a firm but gentle voice.
Joe pulled Colt to a halt, and got out of the buggy.
Then he heard a gun cock behind him, and Joe whirled to see what it was.
Joe faced about four men, all with either red or blonde hair, and behind them two wagons.
"Don't move," The man with the gun growled.
Joe immediately knew that these men were up to no good.
"What are you doing to me?" Joe demanded, not moving, and raising his chin bravely.
"If you don't want any harm to come to your wife and child, come with us," the man with the gun said again.
"What do you want from them?" Joe demanded again.
The man with the gun sighed.
"George, James, Sean, tie him up, and then we'll head toward the house." The man sighed impatiently.
The other three men rushed towards Joe.
Joe seized his gun, and shot the first man who ran towards him in the arm, and the second man in the leg.
"Hey!" The man with the gun was suddenly behind him, and knocked the gun out of Joe's hands, and pressed his gun to Joe's head.
"Don't fight, I said, unless you want harm to come to your wife and child. Or yourself, for that matter." The man growled.
Joe frowned, and allowed the last man that was not shot to tie his hands up, and put a handkerchief tightly around his mouth. Obviously these men had a plan. They knew he had a wife and child, and knew he would give in for that.
The men put Joe into one of the wagons, and two men got in the other wagon.
The two men drove the other wagon, going back the way Joe came, leading his buggy behind them.
The men with the wagon Joe was in followed, but through the woods so as to not let them be seen.
Mandie read an interesting mystery book in the parlor, as Ned was taking his nap upstairs.
Then, Mandie heard wagon wheels rolling into the barnyard.
Mandie frowned. Joe was not supposed to be out of work yet. It wasn't even lunch time.
Mandie went to the window, and saw two men there, one blonde and one red haired.
Even though the men seemed respectable enough, Joe had always told Mandie to never open the door unless the baby was somewhere safe, like his crib, and to have a pistol in her pocket. Nothing happened in the country much, but men do not usually just go to a house, especially in pairs.
Mandie went upstairs, and got the pistol from the drawer, and slipped it into her pocket before going back down, and answering the door.
"May I help you?" Mandie asked, with a polite smile.
"You're Mrs. Joseph Woodard, I presume?" The blonde man asked.
It took a few seconds for Mandie to realize they were talking about Joe, as Mandie never really heard anyone call him by his full name.
"I am," Mandie answered.
"I am George Murphy, and this is James Walsh. Your husband sent us to send word to you. Your Grandmother, Mrs. Morton and Mr. Morton had a terrible accident in Ireland, and they wish to see you as soon as you can come. Your husband, Joseph, is already on his way there, and he wishes for you to follow also. He already left on the train, but you may take the next one, and he sent us to escort you there." Said George.
Mandie gasped.
"Oh, no! Thank you for coming, I will just have to pack some things quickly, and get my baby. Won't you come in? Do you want tea or coffee?" Mandie asked, opening the door, and beckoning them in.
"I will just take a seat," Said Mr. Murphy, sitting down in the parlor with a polite smile.
"Same for me," Mr. Walsh said, also with a polite smile.
"Alright. I won't be long." Mandie said, leaving them briskly.
Mandie hurried upstairs, and dressed herself and Ned, and rapidly threw things into the suitcase. Mandie packed a change of clothes for Joe, too, as she knew Joe did not take any luggage. Mandie then brought her luggage down the stairs, put them by the door, and then brought Ned down to the parlor.
"I am ready to leave, my luggage is by the door." Mandie said entering the parlor, holding Ned.
"Yes ma'am. You may come and get on the wagon." said Mr. Walsh, as Mr. Murphy picked up the luggage.
They all got in the wagon, and drove away.
Joe watched, boiling with rage as he watched Mandie and the baby drive away with George and James.
Joe didn't know what Mandie was told, but it must have convinced her to get in traveling clothes, and pack luggage.
They followed them, and ended up by the train station in Franklin.
Joe watched as Mandie boarded the train with the men.
The ringleader nodded his head at the other man, who was Sean that was with him, and Sean got off the wagon, and got Joe off, and onto his feet.
Without a word, they crept silently to the baggage car of the train, and got in.
Then, they heard the sound of the train's whistle, and then the train began to move.
"Well, while we're here, we might as well make introductions. I'm Sullivan. He's Sean, and you're the man who stole Amanda from our cousin. I demand to know your name." Said the ringleader, Sullivan, untying Joe's gag.
Joe ran the information quickly through his mind. He didn't know anyone by those names. He knew that various men had thought Mandie pretty, 'who wouldn't?', Joe added, but he only knew about Adrian O'Connor, and George Stuart. He knew that George Stuart had given up once Mandie had shown no interest, but Adrian had gone so far as to disgrace himself in Mandie and Joe's wedding. Joe guessed that these men were Adrian's cousins, who were most likely told by Adrian himself to go and trick Mandie into going to Ireland.
"I demand to know where you're taking me," Joe shot back, his eyes flashing.
Sullivan, ruffled by being talked to so rudely, scoffed.
"I suppose we don't need to know. You just keep quiet, and Amanda will be safe."
"Unfortunately, you just had to go and have a child. I don't know what cousin Adrian will do with that." Sean sighed.
"Children are gifts from God. And we love our child." Joe said sternly, piercing Sean with his glare.
"I suppose they are, when they aren't interfering with our plans." Sullivan grumbled, settling down into a corner of the car, staring sullenly at the floor.
Joe sighed, and put his head in his hands.
'Why, oh why did Mandie always get herself in such scrapes?! It's not her fault, but she seems to be a magnet for mysteries. Dear God, please keep Mandie and Ned safe. Help us escape from this horrible plan!' Joe prayed, tears smarting at the thought of losing Mandie and Ned.
Joe thought for a while. They must be heading to Ireland, for whatever reason, and nobody knew they were going. Joe had to leave some trace. Joe dug in his pocket, and got out a small notebook and pen that he always carried with him to work. Joe, carefully hiding the notebook and pen in his hands, wrote the following; 'HELP. Amanda, Joe, and Ned Woodard are being kidnapped. Heading to Ireland on 12:30 train on monday, october 10th. Alert Mr. John Shaw. Ringleader is called Sullivan. Two blonde and two red haired men. Adrian O'connor's cousins. Send help. -Joe Woodard.'
Joe wrote this, and gently tore it out so as to not make a sound. To weigh the paper down he attached it to a hat from the baggage car they were in, and Joe hastily opened the door quickly, and threw it out.
"Hey! Sit down!" Sullivan roared, he and Sean grabbing Joe and closing the door.
"Don't try anything, or you'll get it," Sullivan threatened.
Joe returned his glare evenly, and eventually Sullivan backed off, and returned to his corner.
'This is going to be harder than I thought. Woodard looks awfully strong, if it weren't for his family. ' Sean thought in spite of himself.
Mandie looked out the window thoughtfully, wondering why on earth Joe went ahead. It wasn't like Joe to leave her to travel by herself.
'Oh well, I guess he thought it'd be better to travel separately, since either of us should try to be there as soon as possible. But-! Well, I hope Joe will at least meet us before we cross the ocean. I wonder what kind of accident Grandmother got into? Was Mr. Morton-that is, Grandfather, in the accident too?' Mandie thought, her brows met with worry, as she rocked Ned in her arms.
"Mr. Murphy, What kind of accident was my Grandmother in? And was my Grandfather in it too?" Mandie asked suddenly, turning her eyes to the blonde and red haired men.
The men looked up, and Mandie realized just how alike their green eyes looked… Mandie thought she had seen them somewhere.
"We weren't told specifics, but apparently some kind of carriage accident. We were told they were in grave condition, and Mrs. Morton requested that you and your husband come immediately." Mr. Murphy said.
Mandie nodded, as she quickly studied his face, and then looked back down to Ned, and stroked her baby's dark blonde mohawk absent-mindly.
'I have seen those eyes somewhere! It's almost as if seeing-no! It couldn't be! Adrian?! No, he is gone now. He couldn't possibly have business with me now. Not after Joe showed him that I'm Joe's, and Joe would not let anyone take me away easily. But! Could Mr. Murphy and Mr. Walsh be Adrian's brothers? Cousins? No. Why would they know about her in the first place? And even then, I have Ned, no one would dare, knowing Joe.'
Mandie frowned. She hoped so.
