The Mandie Collection (64 page)

But what if that lady detective is looking for him
? she thought. She brushed the idea aside. She was sure no one knew Jonathan was on the ship except her and Celia. Besides, the woman seemed to be following them, not looking for someone else. Surely the strange woman was the detective her grandmother had told them about.
But why would a detective be bothering about us
? she argued with herself.
Everything is so complicated
!

Mrs. Taft insisted that the girls go with her and the senator to the lounge for dessert and coffee. Mandie and Celia were reluctant but didn't know how to get out of it.

As soon as they could get away, they went out on deck and waited for an opportunity to talk to Jonathan. It was late afternoon before the crowd thinned out and Mandie and Celia could approach the lifeboat without worrying about being discovered.

They hurried over to the boat and called out to him. There was no answer.

Mandie tapped lightly on the side of the lifeboat. “Are you there?” she asked, afraid to use his name in case someone might be within hearing range.

Still no answer.

Celia shrugged. “He's not here,” she said.

“I wonder where he could be this time,” Mandie said, disappointed. “Just when we really need to talk to him, he's not here.”

Celia tapped Mandie on the shoulder. “Some people are coming out for a stroll,” she warned, watching the door to the cabin area.

Mandie turned away from the lifeboat. “We can try again after a while,” she said. “He's going to get caught sooner or later, the way he runs around all over the ship.”

“That's what I've been thinking, too,” Celia said as they walked on down the deck.

“And if somebody else catches him, we won't be able to collect the reward money to help build the Cherokee school,” Mandie added. “And after all the trouble we've been through for him!”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“YOU ARE THE ONE!”

After dinner that night, Mandie and Celia excused themselves early and tried finding Jonathan again. Since most people were still eating, there was no one on deck, and Mandie tapped on the lifeboat. “Hey, are you in there?” she said in a loud whisper.

The boy lifted the tarpaulin, always eager for a reason to escape his tiny home, and climbed out to talk to them.

“Jonathan, you may be in real trouble,” Mandie began. “Do you know a Mr. Holtzclaw? He owns the newspaper I showed you with the article about your disappearance.”

“My father knows the man,” Jonathan replied. “I've never seen him. Why?”

“Well, he told my grandmother and the senator that he had contacted his newspaper by wireless and that your father has doubled the reward!”

Jonathan was unimpressed and simply grinned. “That means you girls will be twice as rich!”

Celia scowled. “Wait a minute. That's not all,” she said. “Mrs. Taft told us there's a lady detective on this ship!”

“We think it might be that strange woman who's always following us around, spying on us,” Mandie added. “We haven't been able to
figure out why she follows us. Do you think she might be looking for you?”

“Hmm!” Jonathan thought for a moment, then said, “Why would she be looking for me when no one knows I got on this ship but you girls?”

“Well, I thought we were the only ones who knew,” Mandie said, “but maybe someone else does know. How can we be sure?”

“It's impossible,” Jonathan argued. “I boarded the ship in Charleston, not New York. In fact, I hitchhiked all the way to Charleston because I was afraid someone would recognize me in New York.”

“Where did you stay in Charleston?” Celia asked.

“Nowhere. I just walked down to the pier as soon as I arrived, and this ship was docking. I managed to sneak on board right away,” he explained. “It was almost dark.”

Mandie sighed. “Why won't you let us contact your father and tell him where you are?” she persisted. “We could ask Mr. Holtzclaw to send him a message on the wireless through his newspaper.”

“No, no, no!” Jonathan shook his head vigorously. “You can't do that!”

“But as soon as your father finds out you're in Paris, he'll just order you home anyway,” Celia argued.

“When I get to Paris, I'll have my aunt and uncle behind me. My father might listen to them.” The wind ruffled his curly black hair, and he smoothed it into place. “Anyway, I'll take that chance.”

Mandie's blue eyes narrowed. “I feel so badly, knowing that your father is up there in New York worrying about you,” she said.

“I doubt if he's worrying too much about me. He only has time for his business,” Jonathan said sarcastically. “He never has liked children. They're too much trouble. I don't care if I ever see him again, to be honest.”

“Jonathan!” Mandie exclaimed. “Don't you love your father?”

Jonathan shuffled his feet and looked out over the ocean. “How can you love someone you don't even know?”

Celia gasped. “You don't know your father?”

“Well, of course I recognize him when I see him, which is very seldom,” the boy replied. “But as I said before, he sends me away to private schools. I've never been with him long enough to get to know
him. It's obvious he just doesn't want me around, so I decided to fend for myself.”

Mandie looked into his dark eyes and reached out to him. “I'm sorry, Jonathan, but I can tell you love your father, even though you say you don't,” she said gently. “Why don't you just have a good man-to-man talk with him? That might straighten things out between you.”

“A man-to-man talk?” The boy laughed lightly. “My father wouldn't have time for such a thing. In fact, I doubt if he has ever had a good personal talk with anyone. I really don't know what my mother ever saw in him.”

Mandie looked up just in time to see the strange woman “detective” coming toward them across the deck. She was moving too quickly for them to do anything to hide Jonathan. Mandie's heart pounded.

“You are the one!” the woman shouted, pointing a bony finger at Jonathan.

Startled at her outburst, he just stared at her for a moment. “Ma'am?” he finally managed.

The girls were too stunned to speak.

“You are the one,” the strange woman repeated loudly. “I would recognize you anywhere!”

Recognize him
? Mandie thought to herself.
Does she know who he is
? To her utter dismay, Mandie noticed her grandmother and Senator Morton approaching, along with other people who were now leaving the dining room.

“Go!” she warned Jonathan. “Disappear into the crowd.” But he didn't move.

As Mrs. Taft and the senator approached, the woman began accusing Jonathan again, “You are the one I saw coming out of these girls' cabin that day!”

“Amanda! What is this?” Grandmother Taft looked shocked. “What is going on here?”

“I . . . I . . . don't know.” Mandie was temporarily speechless. “We—we don't even know this woman.” She turned to her then. “Just who are you, anyway, ma'am?”

Before she could answer, Mandie's grandmother had another question, “And who is this young man that she accuses of being in your cabin?”

Jonathan rolled his eyes. “We can explain, ma'am,” he said. “It's all very simple.”

“You
will
explain,” Mrs. Taft said firmly.

“Grandmother,” Mandie said calmly, “could we all sit down on some deck chairs and talk? We can explain everything.”

The curious crowd that had gathered dispersed, deciding there was nothing so unusual going on. But the unidentified woman in black stayed close behind Mandie.

Mrs. Taft addressed her abruptly, “I don't believe this concerns you any longer.”

The woman hurried away in a huff.

Mandie waited until the others were seated, then faced them in a chair of her own. “Grandmother,” she began rather nervously, “this boy is a stowaway and—”

“What? A stowaway?” Senator Morton scowled. “He'll have to be reported to the captain!”

“Please don't, sir,” Jonathan begged. “We're almost to London. I'll get off the ship there, and I won't cause anyone any more bother.”

Mrs. Taft bristled. “Young man, you are far too young to be traveling alone, much less stowing away on a ship!”

“Oh, Grandmother, please don't report him,” Mandie pleaded. “He hasn't done anything wrong, really. When he gets to London, he can get the money to pay for his passage.”

“Hasn't done anything wrong?” Mrs. Taft stared at her in disbelief. “Please explain what that woman meant when she said she saw him coming out of your cabin, then.”

“He was hungry,” Mandie replied. “He hasn't been anything but a gentleman with us, has he, Celia?”

“That's right,” Celia agreed. “In fact, he stays hidden most of the time and doesn't bother anyone.”

Jonathan leaned forward in his deck chair. “If you would just forget you ever saw me, I'd be so grateful, ma'am,” he said. “I can assure you I won't go into the girls' cabin again.”

Mrs. Taft looked at the boy sternly. “But it remains that you have broken the law by stowing away on this ship, without passage. Didn't you know that?”

“I know I shouldn't have boarded this ship without paying the passenger fare, but it was an urgent situation, and I couldn't get my hands on any money right then,” Jonathan explained.

Mrs. Taft laughed lightly. “I can believe that! You are too young to be in command of any money.” She looked at Senator Morton for advice. “Do you think we should take him to Captain Montrose?”

The senator cleared his throat. “According to the law, that is our obligation,” he answered. “But you know, the girls have also broken the law by concealing a runaway.”

Mandie and Celia both gasped. Mandie cringed at the thought of punishment at the hand of the captain.

Mrs. Taft drummed her fingers on her handbag in her lap. “Amanda, the thing that concerns me almost more is that you and Celia have deceived me, and I cannot let that go unpunished.”

The girls bowed their heads, suddenly acknowledging their wrongdoing to Mrs. Taft. “Yes, ma'am,” Mandie said for them both.

“You must realize that I will have to tell both your mothers about all of this, don't you?”

Mandie couldn't look her grandmother in the face. “I'm truly sorry,” she said quietly.

“So am I,” Celia added. “I am certain nothing like this will ever happen again.”

Jonathan stood then. “You know, Mrs. Taft, this whole thing is all my fault,” he admitted. “I should never have involved the girls in my problem. I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused your family.”

The senator stood beside the boy and helped Mrs. Taft to her feet. “Shall we all go find the captain?”

“Grandmother!” Mandie exclaimed. “I've just realized, you probably aren't aware who this boy is!”

Celia caught her breath. “That's right!” she said. “He's the one who rescued the little girl who fell overboard!”

“What? You?” Mrs. Taft turned to the boy. “You saved that little girl's life?”

Jonathan was suddenly embarrassed at the attention. “Well, I only did what any other person would do under the circumstances.”

“That gives us two reasons to take you to the captain,” she replied. “Captain Montrose has been looking for the person that rescued the girl. Come along now, we'll go find him.”

Mrs. Taft led the way inside and down the long corridor. They passed the sick bay on the way to the captain's quarters, and Mrs. Taft peeked in the doorway. “We might as well see how little Violet is doing, now that we're here,” she said. She and Senator Morton entered the tiny room while the others waited by the door.

They found the child sitting on her cot while Lily read a book to her. The two looked up when the visitors entered.

Mrs. Taft reached out to the little girl and touched her cheek. “How are you, my dear?”

“I've been sick,” the little girl replied, shyly, looking at her sister. “But I'm better now.”

“Yes, and we're so glad you're doing well,” Mrs. Taft told her, smiling.

Lily spoke then. “She is much, much better, Mrs. Taft, thanks to your kindness and quick action. She's eating solid food now, so she's getting much stronger.”

Mrs. Taft opened the drawstring of her purse and pulled out a piece of paper and a pencil. “I want to get the address of the place where you'll be staying in London,” she said. “Would you write it here for me?”

“Of course.”

“And I want to give you money to buy a kitten for Violet,” Mrs. Taft continued. “A white one, if you can find one.”

Violet beamed. “A kitten? For me?”

“Yes, dear, as soon as your sister can find you one,” Mrs. Taft spoke kindly. Taking several bills from her bag, she gave them to Lily. “This ought to be enough.”

Lily took the money shyly and handed her their address in London. “Mrs. Taft, I don't know how I can ever repay you. I'm hopelessly in your debt.”

“Don't mention it, please. It was a pleasure doing something for somebody who really needed it, for a change,” she said, squeezing Lily's hand. “You just see that your little sister gets a kitten.”

Lily finally noticed the girls at the door, and then Jonathan. “Oh, you're the boy who saved my sister's life!” she exclaimed. “I just wanted to—”

Suddenly Jonathan bolted and ran, disappearing down the corridor.

Mandie looked bewilderedly at her grandmother. “Shall Celia and I go look for him?” she asked.

Mrs. Taft sighed. “No dear. Let him go,” she said. “Perhaps he deserves free passage for saving a life. I don't think we should pursue him.”

Mandie and Celia exchanged glances and took a deep breath.