The rain came when they were, thankfully, in town and able to dash into Stan's shop. Stan, a large hulking man with a large mustache, leaned over his counter to see who had entered. He smiled upon seeing them.
"Well, if it isn't Old William and Martha's girl. How are you two?"
"Drenched," William replied, taking off his coat to hang it on the coat rack at the front door. "This weather is getting worse and worse by the day."
"I'll say. My cousin Bill's having some trouble with his fields because of it. If it keeps up at this rate…"
"We'll be out of food. I know. Your brother Bill has enough crops to normally feed everyone in this town without a problem. I'd hate for us to have to turn to London in order to get some food for the children."
"Still got that independent spirit eh?"
"You bet your sweet buns I do," William laughed as he moved to the other side of the room. There was a firing burning there. He took a seat in one of the large, over stuffed arm-chairs. Alice sat across from him, bending her knees up to tuck them under her chin.
"I bet you two would fancy a thing of warm tea?" Stan moved from behind his counter, behind them, and out through a door on Alice's right. "You two looked chilled. Best to keep you warm so we don't have to call…"
"Oh please," William snorted. "I don't need to see that old coot. I'm healthy. A little rain and a little cold won't kill me."
"Don't be too sure of that," Stan called from the other room. He returned to the doorway, wiping his hands on his apron. A few pieces of tea leaves fell to the ground. "I hear, people have been disappearing during this rain storms."
"What? People just don't disappear." Stan nodded.
"It's true. Harold the black smith's wife never returned once she went out to get a few things, Lindsay says her brother's been missing for some time and, here's the best one, the whole Longbottom family just disappeared." William waved a hand.
"She probably ran off with another man considering how badly Harold treated her, he probably is at some whore house enjoying himself, and they probably just moved away."
"You have an answer for everything don't you William? Here's how I know you're wrong: how do you explain each one of them not taking a thing with them? Especially the Longbottom family? When the wife's cousin, Patricia, went to collect the kids for the weekend, the house was still packed to the brim with their stuff: couches, beds, toys, clothes, and the fine china." For once, the elder man was at a loss for words. "See? There isn't any real logical explanation for it. How much ya wanna bet that someone else is going to be missing once this storm clears up?"
"I'm not much one for betting and you know it Stan," William huffed. The younger man smiled and turned back into the kitchen. He reemerged several minutes later with a tray laden with biscuits and cups. "Mia told me to bring these out for ya too." Alice sat up and stretched a bit as he sat the tray down on the small table in between the two chairs. She reached for one of the cups and the chocolate delights. Old William followed suit. He started to sip the tea before remembering that he had been ordered by the "doctor" to take his medicine but…
"Oh darn it all," he muttered. Alice stopped sipping to look at him.
"What's wrong?"
"Blast it all. I left my medicine out in the wagon." He started to stand. Alice beat him with a smile.
"I'll get it for you. It's in that part under the front seat right?" He sat back down and nodded. She walked back to the front door, eyed the still pouring rain, and, with a sigh, stepped out into the monsoon.