rear of Niki’s inn. He wasn’t certain he would find a rear door to the lobby, and he was right—there was none. However, on the far side, away from his lodging, he found a portal. Opening it, he realized it led to the kitchen area.
Making his way quietly through those rooms, he found the back stairs as swiftly as possible and hunted down Niki’s door. No one had questioned him. He knocked and waited.
“You’re still here,” Niki said the moment she saw him in the hall.
Edward stepped inside, shut the door, and leaned on it.
“This building is being watched.”
“Are you certain?”
“Fairly so, yes. A British-looking chap is stationed outside my inn.”
“And you sauntered across the street to tell me.” Niki’s voice was dry with chagrin.
“Not at all!” Edward looked excited. “I exited out the back of my building and found my way to the rear of this inn. I’d wager he never saw me.”
“You’re enjoying this!” she accused him, her mouth open in surprise.
“No,” Edward denied and then hesitated. “Maybe a little.”
Niki turned away, knowing she would laugh otherwise. His eyes had a way of speaking volumes, and she often wanted to laugh at the child she saw there.
“How is Denley?” Edward remembered to ask.
“Resting easy. His fever is down.”
“What will you do about the man across the street?”
Niki went to the window to spot him. Standing in the shadows, she stood for a moment in thought.
“If he’s there all day, we’ll assume you’re right. We’ll leave before morning and probably not be spotted.”
“Until we get to the next inn.”
“What do you mean?” Niki finally turned back to him.
“I mean, you can’t keep on as you are. We have to find you a new set of clothes.”
“What will that accomplish?”
Edward looked patient.
“You act and dress like royalty, making you far too noticeable. You’re remembered everywhere you go. We’ll find you something more suitable to the look of a servant. Something like Denley wears.”
“What good will that do?”
“Well, it’s not at all unusual for a man of my station to travel with several servants.”
Niki’s mouth gaped open. “And you would do that—pose with us?”
Edward nodded calmly. “Until Denley is on his feet, yes.”
Watching him, Niki felt breathless with fear and excitement. She wanted to trust, but there had been no room for such luxury for a very long time. Yesterday she had felt so sure; now the doubts were flooding in.
“I’ll head out,” Edward said, not having caught her tortured thoughts. “I’ll find some clothes and come back.”
“How will they fit?” Niki asked the inane thought, the only one to come to mind.
“They might not, but we’ll keep at it until we find something. If we’re not leaving here until daybreak tomorrow, we have all day.”
This said, he turned for the door. Niki’s voice stopped him.
“Edward.”
He looked back.
“Thank you.”
Edward smiled the warm smile that came so easily to him, briefly held her eyes, and went on his way.
On legs that would barely support her, Niki went back to the side of Denley’s bed and the room’s only chair. She was nearly sick with fatigue and worry, and very real tears came to her eyes.
Please God, her heart whispered, I’ve never understood the part about making You more than just my Savior, but I don’t have anywhere else to turn. Please help me. Please help me to get home, and I’ll learn. I’ll do anything I can to make You my God.
Wishing desperately for the luxury of a good cry, Niki knew it would be a waste. Instead she checked on Denley one more time before laying her head near the end of the bed. It wasn’t comfortable, but her body was too weary to notice. Wondering where Edward would find suitable clothing in this unfamiliar Portuguese town, she fell asleep.
“Let me see that shirt,” Edward requested, charming as ever, as several shop employees rushed to serve him and be
Making his way quietly through those rooms, he found the back stairs as swiftly as possible and hunted down Niki’s door. No one had questioned him. He knocked and waited.
“You’re still here,” Niki said the moment she saw him in the hall.
Edward stepped inside, shut the door, and leaned on it.
“This building is being watched.”
“Are you certain?”
“Fairly so, yes. A British-looking chap is stationed outside my inn.”
“And you sauntered across the street to tell me.” Niki’s voice was dry with chagrin.
“Not at all!” Edward looked excited. “I exited out the back of my building and found my way to the rear of this inn. I’d wager he never saw me.”
“You’re enjoying this!” she accused him, her mouth open in surprise.
“No,” Edward denied and then hesitated. “Maybe a little.”
Niki turned away, knowing she would laugh otherwise. His eyes had a way of speaking volumes, and she often wanted to laugh at the child she saw there.
“How is Denley?” Edward remembered to ask.
“Resting easy. His fever is down.”
“What will you do about the man across the street?”
Niki went to the window to spot him. Standing in the shadows, she stood for a moment in thought.
“If he’s there all day, we’ll assume you’re right. We’ll leave before morning and probably not be spotted.”
“Until we get to the next inn.”
“What do you mean?” Niki finally turned back to him.
“I mean, you can’t keep on as you are. We have to find you a new set of clothes.”
“What will that accomplish?”
Edward looked patient.
“You act and dress like royalty, making you far too noticeable. You’re remembered everywhere you go. We’ll find you something more suitable to the look of a servant. Something like Denley wears.”
“What good will that do?”
“Well, it’s not at all unusual for a man of my station to travel with several servants.”
Niki’s mouth gaped open. “And you would do that—pose with us?”
Edward nodded calmly. “Until Denley is on his feet, yes.”
Watching him, Niki felt breathless with fear and excitement. She wanted to trust, but there had been no room for such luxury for a very long time. Yesterday she had felt so sure; now the doubts were flooding in.
“I’ll head out,” Edward said, not having caught her tortured thoughts. “I’ll find some clothes and come back.”
“How will they fit?” Niki asked the inane thought, the only one to come to mind.
“They might not, but we’ll keep at it until we find something. If we’re not leaving here until daybreak tomorrow, we have all day.”
This said, he turned for the door. Niki’s voice stopped him.
“Edward.”
He looked back.
“Thank you.”
Edward smiled the warm smile that came so easily to him, briefly held her eyes, and went on his way.
On legs that would barely support her, Niki went back to the side of Denley’s bed and the room’s only chair. She was nearly sick with fatigue and worry, and very real tears came to her eyes.
Please God, her heart whispered, I’ve never understood the part about making You more than just my Savior, but I don’t have anywhere else to turn. Please help me. Please help me to get home, and I’ll learn. I’ll do anything I can to make You my God.
Wishing desperately for the luxury of a good cry, Niki knew it would be a waste. Instead she checked on Denley one more time before laying her head near the end of the bed. It wasn’t comfortable, but her body was too weary to notice. Wondering where Edward would find suitable clothing in this unfamiliar Portuguese town, she fell asleep.
“Let me see that shirt,” Edward requested, charming as ever, as several shop employees rushed to serve him and be
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