Free Virtue and Vanity: Continuing Story of Desire and Duty by Ted Bader, Marilyn Bader Page A

pinpoint the strange feeling I had as we were walking down the streets. . . but, there is an unearthly quiet. Almost as though it is the calm before the storm.” Sarah said.
    Andrew said, “I am sure Edgar just wandered off.”
    Soon they reached the pond and stood beside John and Anna gazing over the water, around the edges, looking for the familiar face. Suddenly Anna pointed and tugged at Sarah’s skirt, “Miss Sarah, there’s Edgar’s boat, but I don’t see him anywhere.”
     
    Sarah had never felt so near fainting before. She was thankful that Andrew’s hand on her elbow offered a firm support. “Do either of you see him? What shall we do?” Her voice was not unduly loud, but was rising with intensity, “Where shall we look? He would not voluntarily leave his boat!”
    With his free hand Andrew patted her arm, “We will find him, Sarah. Do not upset yourself and Anna.”
    At the reminder of Anna, Sarah took some calming breaths and said, “Of course. Where do you suggest we begin?”
    “Let us divide up and search different sections of the park.” He quickly laid out a plan for John to go one direction, Sarah and Anna another and himself another. “As you walk past the forest areas, look carefully down each row. The way the trees are planted in such straight lines, it should be easy to spot him if he is among the trees.”
    Sarah and Anna walked quietly through their assigned section. They were quite discouraged when they returned to the pond. They took a seat on one of the nearby benches.
    “Here comes cousin Andrew!” Anna said. Then her face fell, “He is alone.”
    Andrew joined them on the bench to wait for John. When Sarah saw John approaching with Edgar, she started to rise to rush to the lad, but the gentle touch of Andrew’s hand on her shoulder restrained her.
    John and Edgar came to a stop before the bench. “I am sorry, Miss Sarah,” Edgar said with his head bowed in contrition.
    Sarah took his hands in hers and said gently, “You are forgiven. I am just thankful you are all right.”
    John mumbled, “At least one of the Bingley sisters is forgiving.”
     
    Edgar leaned forward and whispered to Sarah, “Thank you for not running forward and scolding me like I was an infant.”
    “You are quite welcome. Now shall we hear of your adventure?”
    “Some boys invited me to sail my boat with them. . . to see who could get their vessel furthest out into the pond. It was very difficult because the air is so still.”
    “Yes, we also noticed the stillness,” Andrew said.
    “I forgot that I should come and tell you about going to the pond. . . after the race, I could not get my boat back,” with the grin he added, “unless you’d allow me to take my shoes and stockings off a wade in after it?”
    John swatted at him playfully, “Even I know that would not be appropriate behavior for the ambassador’s son.”
    “So, the boys and I started rolling hoops to see who could go the furthest without tipping their hoop over. I was doing very well, too, until Cousin John found me.”
    “Indeed he was,” John said. “However, a good captain never deserts his ship. Let us see if we can retrieve it.”
    A gardener loaned them a shovel and the men were able to create enough motion in the water to bring the small boat to the other side where Sarah and Anna grabbed it. Then they enjoyed the puppet shows before going back to where Maria and Laura were seated.
    “Are you too lovely ladies ready to return to the embassy?”
    Laura glared briefly at John before acknowledging that it was probably time to depart. Maria seemed unsure whose side she should take in the unspoken quarrel; but, she understood Laura’s embarrassment and so she acted a bit peeved with her brother.
     
    The group decided to walk back by a different route. Andrew carried Anna most of the way, since she had gotten quite tired on the excursion.
    While the group walked quietly, the air was heavy and still, yet the atmosphere had