“After all! What,” Faith demanded befuddled by Royce’s open admiration. Not to mention the way he was teasing her. Faith’s nerves responded and were tingling with awareness.
“I do have to marry you,” Royce reminded his voice honey sweet. “You were practically in my bed last evening.”
“I was not,” Faith shouted, blushing from head to toe. Her brown eyes flashed fire at his insinuation. “We merely kissed,” she whispered.
“Have you ever kissed anyone before,” Royce asked. He knew the answer to his question.
Faith pouted at Royce’s open teasing. The man was incorrigible without an ounce of shame. Her color deepened at this new revelation. “Someone will hear us,” she whispered.
“I am sorry for teasing you,” Royce replied softly. “As for the rest? I was in bed and you nearly so,” he challenged. “It would have taken very little to get you the rest of the way,” he added.
Faith’s eyes opened wide with shock before she smiled at the innocent look Royce gave her. He was incorrigible and she was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Her eyes skimmed over his lips and a longing started in the pit of her stomach. An ache she did not understand spread through her limbs. She wanted Royce to kiss her and knew he saw the longing in her eyes.
“Mother sent you a jar of warm chicken broth,” Faith said placing her basket on top of his desk. It was time things got back to normal or she was bound to embarrass herself further.
Royce let Faith change the subject. He knew all he needed to know about her feelings towards him. That would have to suffice for the time being. He was living a dangerous game and must not draw Faith into harm’s way.
Chapter Nineteen
Thunder rumbling overhead woke Royce in the early hours of Saturday morning. Lightning lit up the sky and a loud boom shook the Secondary School building. “That was close,” Royce said out loud. Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed he padded across the floor to the window and looked out over the schoolyard. The smell of sulfur was in the air.
Ringing of the Church Bell brought Royce to the other side of room. The bell ringing in the middle of the night could only be an alarm of some sort. As far a Royce could see the town was quiet. If there was cause for alarm it was beyond Royce’s range of vision.
Sure there was trouble somewhere Royce hurried over to his bed and picked up his discarded denims. He quickly dressed and took up his winter coat before heading downstairs. His heart was racing as he reached the bottom of the stairs. He stopped to lean against the doorframe taking in deep breaths and cursing his weakness.
The smell of charred wood was strong on the air when Royce opened the front door of the school. A light rain was falling. The night was as black as the Pit of Hades. Sounds of shouting came from the east side of Junction City. Shouldering into his coat Royce ran towards First Street. The roadbed was wet and slippery under foot. He crossed the blocks of houses and came to Fourth Street. Men stood in a group holding lanterns high above their heads. Shouts reached his ears.
The dark clouds overhead were lit up by flashes of long jagged lightning. The boom of thunder was deafening. The ground shook beneath his feet. During the next flash of lightning Royce saw a giant oak tree was split in half. One side was still standing with flames licking around the splintered wood sending sparks into the air. The other half of the tree lay across a house flattening the roof.
Sheriff Walden was directing a bucket brigade filling the town’s Fire Wagon. Men standing along both sides of the wagon were lowering and lifting the pumping apparatus. Water streamed from the long hose shooting water into the air aiming for the burning tree.
“Anyone hurt,” Royce asked a stander by.
“Don’t know yet,” the man replied. “First things first, that tree goes up in flames and half the town will burn to the ground. I’ve seen it happen before.”
Royce moved through the crowd towards the house. “Anyone inside,” he asked the man standing on the front porch wearing a long white nightgown. His feet were bare. The man turned dazed eyes towards Royce. His face was pasty looking and his eyes glazed. He just looked at Royce as if he did not understand what was said. “Anyone inside,” Royce asked again this time his words were urgent.
The man scratched his head.
“Mr. Runyan where are your two children,” Faith asked standing next to Royce’s elbow. Her pale yellow hair was plastered to her head. The row of buttons down the front of her coat was mismatched. She took Mr. Runyan’s arm between her fingers and turned him towards her. “Your children! Where are your children!”
Royce did not wait for the man’s replied. He dashed inside the house and up the stairs to the second floor. “Children,” he called out. He heard crying coming from one of the bedrooms. “Where are you,” Royce asked as he stepped into the dark room. He heard the timbers overhead creak. Rain was dripping through a hole in the roof. “I am Royce Hargadon the new schoolteacher,” Royce identified himself hoping this would soothe the frightened children. They were not likely to respond to a stranger. “I’ve come to help.” He heard scratching under the bed and knelt down. “Are you under there,” he asked trying to keep panic out of his voice.
“Yeah,” a child’s voice answered. A moment later a ghostly figure crawled out from under the bed and Royce lifted the child in his arms.
“Do you have a brother or sister,” Royce asked calmly while his nerves tingled in alarm. The smell of smoke was growing stronger. The
