Martin had expected the children to be excitable and flighty when they returned from their visit. Much to his surprise, they were quiet, almost subdued, and returned to the schoolroom their first day home without the slightest loss of attention and deportment. He complimented them, although their somber mood worried him. What could have happened to cause them to seem almost depressed, even bouncy little Charlotte?
During one of their recess times, he asked Emmaline about the trip and what had happened. She shrugged, avoiding eye contact with him. “N-n-nothing, really.”
“You’re all so quiet, not at all as if you had a good time. I know you were looking forward to it. What went wrong?”
She shifted, sighed, and finally answered. “W-w-we’d not seen the cousins in some time. I think they had
