Chased away earlier by a swath of heavy, gray clouds, the sun reclaimed the day brilliantly in Candleford, bursting through windows and reuniting shadows with their companions as people made their way along the main street.
Dorcas, however, knitted her brows as the golden light reasserted itself. Squinting against the glare, her eyes sought only one face in the crowd passing along. And she didn't see him.
Sighing rather heavily, she walked the short distance to the forge where Gabriel was at work on his latest project: refining and improving the plow. Normally, the clank of tool against iron was a comforting sound to her but at present, it only served as one more thing grating on her nerves.
"Gabriel," she began, "Sydney has not yet come home from the errand I sent him on this morning."
Her husband continued his work, not registering surprise.
"You sent him to Lark Rise," he said.
"Yes, I know where I sent him," Dorcas replied, a bit snippily, "but he was told to return straightaway. I fear something has happened to him."
Gabriel frowned at a molten chink that refused all manner of shaping.
"Most likely he got distracted or pulled into some sort of game with his friends there." Then, glancing up at Dorcas, he added, "He is a boy, after all."
This got Dorcas' back up. Folding her arms, she glared at Gabriel.
"Which means that I shouldn't worry, hm? Or that you think I'm too protective of him?"
Putting down his hammer, Gabriel sighed and considered his next choice of words carefully.
"I only mean that Sydney enjoys adventure and, having once been a boy myself, I can say that I certainly enjoyed testing the limits of my mother's authority every so often. It's a strange sort of … fun for a boy."
"Well, I'm sure your mother found it less than amusing," Dorcas shot back. "As do I."
She then turned away and started back for the Post Office. Gabriel pursued her.
"Dorcas, if you will…"
Pushing his hand from her arm, Dorcas cast a cold look at Gabriel.
"I am going to Lark Rise to find my son," she said. "Now."
"Our son," Gabriel corrected her. "What I was going to say was that if you will allow me time to shut down the forge and prepare the carriage, I will go with you. But if you wish to go alone, I will saddle your horse."
"While you shut down your work," Dorcas told him, "I will prepare the carriage. That will be the fastest way."
The drive to Lark Rise was a mostly quiet one. Dorcas had the reins and was focused on the road, eager to make it to the hamlet as quickly as possible. For his part, Gabriel sat beside her, keeping an eye out for hazards along the path. And for Sydney.
Cresting a small rise, the pair were flagged down by Twister, who waved his top hat furiously. Dorcas brought the horse to a stop, but Gabriel could see from her expression that she wasn't in the mood for Twister's antics.
"Ah, Miss Lane! Thank'y for stoppin'! I didn't think no one would come 'round to offer an old man a …"
"Mr. Turrill," Dorcas snapped, "We are in a bit of a hurry. Would you state your business, please?"
Twister seemed confused.
"I's just hopin' for a ride back to home. Queenie's goin' to 'ave my 'ead for bein' away so long, she is."
Gabriel jumped down from the seat and offered the old gentleman a somewhat apologetic smile.
"Please. Take my place."
Dorcas looked stunned, not to mention a bit upset, at this turn of events.
"What are you doing?" she asked Gabriel, her eyes flashing anger his way.
"I will walk the rest of the way," he told her, seeming unconcerned with her displeasure. "You wouldn't deny Twister a ride home to Queenie, would you, Dorcas?"
"No," she answered, feeling a bit ashamed as Twister gingerly scrambled up onto the seat beside her. She smiled politely at him. "Mr. Turrill…"
"Twister, please, Miss Lane… I mean, Mrs. Cochrane. Apologies, Mr. Gabriel! We've had your bride 'ere to ourselves for so long, it's 'ard getting used to her 'aving a husband."
"Are you quite settled… Mr. Turrill?" Dorcas asked pointedly.
"'Bout as much as these old bones can be," Twister joked. Gabriel smiled at him.
"I should not like to lose track of you, too," Dorcas told Gabriel. "Will you meet me at Emma's?"
"Yes," he replied. "I won't be long." Then, with a pat on the shoulder for Twister, Gabriel added, "You'll get Dorcas safely to Lark Rise for me, won't you, Twister?"
Twister sat up straight, saluted Gabriel with a brief tug at his hat brim and said, "Consider it done!"
Dorcas pursed her lips, shot a withering glance at her husband and shook her head.
"Walk on," she commanded her horse, who appeared to be the only male listening to her on this day.
At Lark Rise, Dorcas and Twister were greeted heartily by Emma, who stopped hanging wash in order to speak with them.
"Cousin Dorcas," Emma said, pushing a strand of her wine-colored curls back from her face, "what brings you here?"
"Oh, Emma… I sent Sydney here this morning with a package and he's not returned. Have you seen him? I'm worried something has happened. He never fails to return home on time, but today…"
Emma laughed. Then she pointed out towards the fields. Alf, Edmund and Sydney were tinkering with the plow. Dorcas pressed her hand to her chest, sighing aloud with relief.
"Men and machines," Emma said, grinning. "And tools. Robert would write poetry to his best chisel if he didn't think it would seem a bit odd."
"Poetry to a tool!" Twister broke in, scratching at his chin. "Now that's just madness, 'at is!"
"And speakin' of them what's mad," Queenie, who'd been standing behind her husband, said sharply, "where've you been hidin' yourself all day, Twister Turrill?"
Twister jumped at the sound of her voice. Turning around slowly, he smiled sweetly at a frowning Queenie.
"I was left 'igh an' dry on the road, my dear, and Miss Lane 'ere… I mean, Mrs…"
"Twister kindly accompanied me here on the final part of my journey, Queenie," Dorcas said, sharing a knowing grin with the older woman. "He was most eager to race home straightaway to you."
"I'll bet 'e was," Queenie said, raising an eyebrow at Twister, who held out his arm.
"Come, my dear," the old man said, "I've 'ad such a day as you'd nigh believe…"
Emma and Dorcas watched them head for their cottage, Queenie lecturing Twister the whole way about wandering off. The women had to smile at the sight.
But now Dorcas looked back towards the road for Gabriel. She didn't see him. The sun was dipping lower in the sky and she couldn't help feeling that she shouldn't have let him walk alone.
"Something's wrong, Dorcas?" Emma asked.
"Gabriel gave his seat to Twister and said he'd walk the rest of the way here. He's to meet me at your house but… perhaps I should go back and…"
Emma placed her hand on her cousin's shoulder.
"I've never seen you so uptight," she told Dorcas. Then, pointing back to where Alf, Edmund and Sydney now stood frowning at the plow, Emma said, "I think Gabriel got a bit sidetracked."
Dorcas shook her head disapprovingly, but allowed herself a grin as she watched her husband and son take another crack at manipulating something in the mechanics of the plow.
"Men and their machines, indeed," she told Emma. "I suppose I should collect my knights errant before they wander off on their next quest."
"After a cup of tea?" Emma suggested. "Looks like they'll be a bit involved for a while yet."
"I would love that," Dorcas said, "seeing as how tea is my one weakness."
Just then, Sydney came running to greet her. Gabriel walked behind, hailing Emma with a wave.
"Ma, I'm sorry I worried you," Sydney said. "Alf and Edmund needed help with fixing the plow and since Pa wasn't here, I thought I could help them."
Dorcas gave him a brief hug, knowing that Edmund and Alf were watching.
"We'll chalk it up to a day learning the marvels of modern machinery," she told her son.
"Pa told me I have to work on not getting distracted," Sydney said. "I think it is my one weakness."
Emma laughed.
"Those tend to run in our family, Sydney," she said, smiling brightly. "I'll put on the kettle," Emma told Dorcas as she took her leave.
Gabriel put his hands on Sydney's shoulders.
"Your son has quite an eye for mechanics," Gabriel said, grinning, his eyes meeting Dorcas'.
"Our son," she reminded him quietly, tousling Sydney's hair.