Chapter 477
The town wasn’t large, and after a quick search, they finally spotted them at the little general store on South Street.
The two little ones were hiding on either side of the gate next to the shop, peeking inside before quickly ducking back out of sight.
“They’re definitely up to something,” Natalie said with certainty.
Penelope nodded, and just as they were about to go grab them, a man in his thirties walked out of the shop. He had barely stepped off the stoop when he slipped and fell hard on the ground.
“Ouch!” he yelped in pain.
Kristin and Hubert, who had been hiding nearby, immediately ran over to help him up, one on each side, struggling with his weight.
The man was touched. “I think I hurt my back. You two are too little to lift me. Just let me rest for a moment.”
Kristin, a chubby little girl as pink and round as a peach, sat down beside him with wide, watery eyes.
“Did you get hurt?”
The man looked at the puddle of water on the steps, puzzled. “Who would pour so much water in front of the door? It’s like they were trying to make someone fall.”
“I know, right? The person who poured the water is so mean!”
While the two of them were chatting away, Hubert had already swiped the keys hanging from the man’s belt and dashed inside.
That little boy was a menace, always climbing walls and trees. Penelope had more
than once considered sending him back to the Stapleton family.
Natalie started to move forward, but Penelope held her back.
“Let’s see what they’re up to.”
A moment later, Hubert ran out, pulling a little girl with pigtails behind him.
The man finally realized what was happening.
“What are you two doing?”
“Laura may be your daughter, but you’re restricting her freedom, and that’s illegal, you know!” Hubert declared, then quickly motioned for took
Kristin. The two of them the girl
by the hand and made a run for it.
The man struggled to his feet, but his back was in too much pain. He managed a few steps before he had to stop.
Only then did Penelope and Natalie approach. Seeing them, the man’s frustration boiled over.
“Your two kids just kidnapped my daughter!”
Natalie walked over with a smile. “Where could they possibly take her? They’re probably just off playing somewhere. But what’s going on with you? Why did you have your daughter locked up?”
Hubert and Kristin had needed to steal his keys just to get her out.
The man sighed in resignation. “Her mother and divorced last year. I got custody of Laura, but her mom came back recently. She wants Laura to go to school with her
Orenth, where the education is obviously much better than here. It’s for the best, so I had to agree. But Laura doesn’t want to go and
threatened to run and
away if I made her
What was I supposed to do? I was so afraid she’d actually do it that I’ve kept her locked inside for the past couple of days, just until her mother gets here.”
So that was it.
“That’s a pretty extreme way to handle things. My kids probably thought you were planning to sell her, so they staged a rescue mission,” Natalie said, rolling her eyes.
The man couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “Well, your kids are certainly loyal friends.”
Since it was all a misunderstanding, the matter was settled. Still, Penelope apologized for her kids pouring water in front of his door and causing him to fall.
“It’s fine. Kids will be kids,” the man said magnanimously.
Though he wasn’t pressing the issue, Penelope promised to have the two little troublemakers bring Laura home soon.
When they returned to their house, Kristin was sitting on a small stool, combing her own hair, while Hubert was watering the flowers in the yard. The grandmas and grandpaston the pano would occasionally took over cooing about what “good kids” they were.