Chapter 31
Week 13, Instructor Calendar, December 1896
O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain!
I.v
Concordia slept heavily and woke late the next morning.
Mercy—nearly eleven. Was Eli still here? She didn’t hear anything but the usual chatter of girls upstairs and Ruby’s humming as she went about her work.
She dressed quickly and checked the parlor. No Eli, although the blanket and pillow were neatly stacked against a corner.
“Have you seen Eli this morning?” Concordia asked, as Ruby came into the room. “He came into my room last night so I made up a bed for him here.”
“He—what? That boy’s got a wild side, still.” She shook her head. “Haven’t seen ‘im, but I’m glad he turned up, finally. I was gettin’ a little worried.”
“I guess he woke early and didn’t want to be caught in
