The Marriage Barter. Christine Johnson

united front. “As I understand the agreement, which Miss Sterling graciously allowed me to peruse, Greenville will have the opportunity to select any of the children that have not yet been taken by the time the Orphan Salvation Society agent reaches their town. It stands to reason that if all the children have been claimed before Greenville, none will be available for selection. There was never a guarantee that any of the children would come to Greenville. Thus, the agreement has not been violated.”

      Wyatt’s jaw tensed as he pondered Mr. Brooks’s words. The tiniest flicker of a smile indicated he’d found a crack in that argument. “The way I see it, you’ve forgotten two points. One, the Orphan Salvation Society doesn’t have a formal agreement with Evans Grove. That means this town never had a right to the children in the first place.”

      The crowd murmured, but Mayor Evans wasn’t daunted.

      “We received approval from the Society to form the selection committee and hold a distribution.”

      The murmurs turned to cries of agreement, especially when Rebecca Sterling confirmed everything the mayor had said.

      Wyatt showed no sign of retreat. “Second.” He waited for the crowd to quiet down. “As I said, I have two points. The second is that all the orphans haven’t been picked yet. Even though Evans Grove got approval to take some of the orphans, you still have to follow the rules. I understand that the standard procedure is that any children who weren’t claimed after a town’s distribution have to get back on the train and go to the next town. That means those orphans that weren’t taken at the distribution here must go to Greenville.”

      Holly’s face fell. Liam hadn’t been officially placed yet. In fact, only Sasha, Lizzie and Galina had been selected at the distribution. Friedrich had gone to the Hollands later.

      Pauline rapped her gavel. Judging from the set of her jaw, she wasn’t giving in, either. “All the children might not be placed in families yet, but they’ve been claimed by the town. We’re committed to finding homes for every one of them, right here in Evans Grove.”

      Wyatt had to wait for the cheering to die down. “With all due respect, ma’am, I don’t imagine a town has ever been approved to claim the children. Have they, Miss Sterling?”

      Rebecca Sterling had grown pale as ash. “N-n-no,” she finally conceded.

      “But there’s nothing that specifically forbids it?” Mr. Brooks asked her with a gleam in his eye.

      A little of Rebecca’s color returned. “No. No, there isn’t.”

      “In that case,” Mr. Brooks said smoothly, “I’d say the agreement is officially in dispute. The only resolution I can see would be to bring the matter before a judge. Wouldn’t you agree, Madam Mayor?”

      Pauline gave him a stiff yet clearly grateful nod in return. The mayor might chafe at Mr. Brooks’s oversight of the loan, but his handling of this incident had apparently raised him a few notches in her estimation.

      “Yes, Mr. Brooks, that is the clear course of action.” Pauline turned back to Wyatt. “Mr. Reed, I believe I speak for the town when I say that you must make your case before Judge Broadside.”

      Again, Wyatt didn’t show any emotion at her decision, but his question came out clipped. “Where can I find the judge?”

      Pauline offered a dismissive smile. “He is currently on circuit and is next due in Evans Grove on Monday. That gives you the weekend to prepare your argument.”

      He barely flinched, but Charlotte saw it. “Greenville won’t be pleased. They’re expecting the children to arrive on this afternoon’s train.”

      Mayor Evans didn’t blink. “The town, and Mr. Baxter, may react however they wish, Mr. Reed, but the law will decide this matter.”

      He must have known he’d been bested, for he nodded curtly and strode out of the room, his eyes dark and unreadable. Was he upset? Would he fight them? No small part of Charlotte hoped he would reconsider and end this before the judge ever showed. He had already agreed that Sasha and the other placed children could stay. Surely it would only take a little more persuasion to get him to spare all the children.

      But who could convince him? Wyatt had disregarded her plea. Perhaps Mr. Brooks had the answer.

      She watched Brooks join Mayor Evans, Holly, Beatrice and Sheriff Wright at the front table. The Orphan Selection Committee. Of course. They were supposed to meet today. Perhaps more children had been selected. Maybe the committee would have even let Holly and Mason take in Liam before they wed, but now, with this mess, the prospective parents would have to wait for the judge’s ruling. Charlotte ached for them, but at least they had hope. And she had Sasha. She breathed in that single wonderful fact.

      Curtis Brooks stood, and the room quieted. The man exuded genteel authority, and given that he had been the one to suggest Greenville had no case, everyone wanted to hear what he would say next.

      “If we want to see the orphans stay here, we can help our case by ensuring the remaining children have good homes. If we can demonstrate to the judge that the town is capable of taking in all the orphans, he may look more favorably upon our position.”

      “Let’s do it,” cried more than one person.

      Holly and Mason Wright nodded, as did Mayor Evans. Only Beatrice didn’t.

      In fact, she glared at Mr. Brooks. “As Mr. Reed clearly stated, any children who weren’t chosen at the distribution should have been put immediately on the train to Greenville. We can’t continue to break the rules by letting people claim children now.”

      Charlotte’s heart sank for Holly and Mason’s sake. The rest of the committee wouldn’t listen to her, would they?

      Beatrice pressed on. “And that’s assuming that the distribution we held here was even legal. According to the original agreement, all the children should go to Greenville.”

      “No one is going to Greenville until after the hearing before the judge,” Pauline Evans insisted.

      Beatrice shot her a scathing look, but Mayor Evans backed down to no one.

      “We will let the judge decide the case.”

      Beatrice clearly struggled with the possibility that the judge might rule against her. “But whatever he decides must apply to all of them, correct?”

      Charlotte held her breath.

      “Not to my girl.” Theodore Regan stood, looking like he would take off Beatrice’s head if she so much as threatened to come near his farm. “We followed all the rules and got her fair and square. Lina stays with Helen and me.”

      Mel Hutchinson, Charles’s apprentice, chimed in, “And Lizzie isn’t going anywhere, either. Marie won’t stand for it.”

      Beatrice frowned, but even she saw the wisdom in avoiding conflict with the burly men. She opened her mouth and snapped it shut again until her gaze landed on Charlotte.

      Panic beat hard against Charlotte’s rib cage, but what could Beatrice do? She alone couldn’t take Sasha away.

      “Perhaps you have a case for your two families,” Beatrice said coyly, her lips curving into an ugly smile, “however, Mrs. Miller is now a widow. If I recall the rules correctly, an unmarried person cannot have an orphan.”

      Charlotte felt all eyes turn to her. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, couldn’t stop shaking. This couldn’t be happening.

      “The placement must be revoked,” Beatrice crowed, fixing her gaze on each of the committee members in turn. “If the judge rules that only the unplaced children must go on to Greenville, then Sasha must go with them.”

      Charlotte looked hopefully to the committee. Surely they would disagree. But Curtis Brooks frowned. Sheriff Wright took a deep breath. Mayor Evans cast her eyes downward. Charlotte looked to Holly. Surely her friend would stand up for her. Yet even Holly stayed silent, though