"I've called the constable and Hugo from town," Erik stated frantically searching through his desk drawer.  "They'll check the woods. She can't have gotten far."

Christine watched with wide eyes as he pulled out a shiny brown revolver. 
 
"Erik!" She exclaimed, "Erik certainly-" 

"I'm not taking any chance, Christine," Erik replied bluntly. 

Christine watched with anxiety as her husband collapsed onto the bed in grief shaking his head. 

"No matter how hard I tried to reach out, no matter what I said or did," He gave a moan and put a hand to his head, "I was never a proper guardian for that child." 

"Nonsense!" Christine laughed, "You're her Father. You have loved her, and done for her as much as could be asked of you!" 

Erik scowled and gave Christine a deep glance of irritation that caused her to feel a creeping sense of doubt inside her. 

"Erik this wasn't your fault." 

"The stupid things I do," He muttered. 

"Erik?" She asked slowly, "What are you talking about." 

He shook himself from his tormented state of mind and looked up at her in agony, "Nothing dear. I best be going." 

------------

"Welcome!" Jesse grinned swinging open the door to the little cabin. 

Winnie beamed from ear to ear and took a step inside. "Oh, Jesse It's beautiful." 

"Jesse?" A woman's voice called, "Jesse is that you?" 

"Yes, Ma." He grinned throwing his jacket onto a chair before the fire. "I brought company." 

Winnie immediately recognized the woman as the lady from the river drawing water earlier. 

"Well," Jesse's Mother asked with a laugh, "Who have you picked up this time?" 

"My name's Winnie Ma'am." Winnie said softly, "I hope I'm not intruding. Jesse Invited me." 

"She was lost in the wood," Jesse whispered to his Mother. 

"I wasn't!" Winnie blushed stubbornly. 

Jesse's Mother frowned, "Your parents aren't worried about you are they?"

"Probually Ma'am." Winnie grinned. 

The woman gave a small laugh, "Jesse, she's your spitting image. We'll get along grandly." 

She turned to Winnie and smiled at her damp dress, "Our Jesses always getting himself in all sorts of trouble. Worrying his Mother sick." 

She gave Jesse's head a quick slap and pushed him off down a narrow hallway, "Get out of those dripping clothes I just swept the floors boy." 

"Jesse said your name is Winnie?" 

"Yes, Ma'am." Winnie nodded as the woman led her to a seat. 

"My name is Amy. You can call me if you like. My husband and Henry should be home any second." 

Winnie nodded and chattered on about how wonderful it was, that Jesse knew how to climb trees. 

Amys face darkened a bit and Winnie looked at her intently, trying to figure what she had said wrong. 

"Did I offend you?" 

May looked up abruptly and smiled sadly, "Nothing child. I was only thinking of- It's of no importance." 

-------------

"The Dechangys are in town, John has business with me today," Eli sighed, "I'll be back on he search as soon as possible Mother." 

"I don't want you with them long," Christine said rather crudely. 

Eli gave a sigh and stuck his hands in his pockets, making his way slowly with a pained look over to his Mother, "I do wish you would try to like Clara Mother." 

Christine let her eyes look from her work back up her son in a slow interesting train of thought. 

"Why?" She asked hesitantly. 

Eli turned to walk away but Christine took hold gently of his arm, "You've not formed an attachment to her have you?"

Eli remained silent. 

"Mind you," Christine said raising an eyebrow, "She'd never have you. I once heard her laugh at the very mention of it. I'm sure I did." 

Eli felt cross and stared out the window expressionlessly, "No. Now you'd do best to believe me, and I say this out of complete indifference for Miss Dechangy. John is my business relation and frankly a friend. It does us all well to make an acquaintance with Clara..She's not as foul as you make her to be. I'd ask you kindly to cease." 

"She's in such good opinion of herself that she wouldn't take anyone." Christine laughed, "I wonder who they're saving her for? Some pig farmer with ten francs a month?" 

"Mother." Eli clipped and Christine fell silent. 

"I'm off," He mumbled, "Tell Father where I am." 

"I will," Christine nodded giving a small smile as her son pecked her cheek. 

"Goodbye Eli." 

-----------

Clara hurried into the small office space. 

Two years. 

Had it really been two years since she last saw Eli?  

She wouldn't had believed it were it not for the steady drumming of eager anticipation in her heart. 

People can change in one year apart. 

Even more in two. 

Maybe now she was ready too...No not until she had seen him. She would know then. 

She glanced at the grandfather clock and shook her head, her old Eli never would had come five minutes late. What was keeping him?

"Miss you can't go in there," One of the workers said as she forced her way to a small door. 

"Why not?" She snapped. 

"Because they're working Miss." 

Clara frowned, she wasn't going to take orders from some servant. She gave the man a defiant glance and burst through the door. 

Her breath was taken away from her. 

It was a large room, small pieces of cotton and smoke floating a falling with the drafts that came from the open windows. It smelled putridly and she quickly took up a hankercheif to her nose. 

Her eyes made their way across the rows and rows of workers, then upwards to a large balcony that over hung the entire floor. 

"You!" A voice boomed angrilly. 

Clara felt startled she looked up nervously to a man who pointed down at her from above. 

To her horror and to the silent awe of the workers, the man jumped from the balcony, landed on his feet and stormed over to a machine not four feet away from Clara. 

"I told you you weren't to smoke in here," The man yelled violently. 

"Please sir, I forgot sir." 

The man picked up the young boy by the shirt collar and a small gasp along with a wave of whispers arose amongst the crowd. 

"Please sir, I have a wife she's ill." 

The man took no heed, instead, he readidy his hand as the young man cowered and punched him square across the jaw. 

"Get out of here!" 

"Please, sir!" Clara shouted making her way to the overseer. "Have some self control! Some pity!" 

The man didn't seem to hear her, as the young boy fell to his knees the man gave him a swift kick. 

"Sir!" Clara cried in horror, "Sir I must- I beg you stop!" 

The man turned and met her gaze, eyes on fire with richeoud indignation. Clara felt her breath swept clean away from her chest. 

"Who let this woman in here?!" The man roared. "I want this man out!" 

"Eli Destler?" Clara said slolwy, a fear tying knots in her soul. 

But those eyes, she had regonized those eyes if nothing else. 

Eli's face softened, though still red and sweaty from his fight. 

"Ma'am if you would do me the great favor of waiting outside." He growled lifting the worker again and tossing him out. 

Clara oblidged him and after a few miniutes of her trying to block out the cries of the fired man Eli approached her. 

"Miss how can I help you?" he said coldly. 

"Eli," Clara stated hesitatnyl. "You don't regonize me?" 

"Ma'am?" 

"It's me." Chloe laughed, "Clarice? Dechangy." 

Eli frowned and looked her over. 

"Eli." Clara said assuringly, removing her hat and placing the handkerchief in her pocket, "Eli you must recognize me? What on earth has happened to you? Should I not had intervened you would have beaten that man senseless! I am sure of it!" 

Eli mumbled something under his breath and stormed over to his desk, gesturing for her to shut the door to his office. 

"I told him not to smoke." Eli explained, "He didn't listen. I must run a safe building." 

"Safe?" Clara scoffed, "You couldn't have spoken to him?! A gentleman- No indeed even a Frenchman never would had-" 

"A gentleman," Eli scoffed, "Never would have to see a factory catch fire. See hundreds of bodies laid out on a mountain field. Some children, others friends and widows and men. One spark Chloe and this entire place is jeopardized." 

"But his wife." Clara exclaimed a bit pained that he didn't use her proper name, "Sureley you can make an exception." 

"If I made an expection for every man who smoked," Eli stated under his breath, "I would be a poor man and I fear a dead one." 

Clara stared in stupfied silence. 

"Have you brought your Uncles documents?" 

Clara nodded. 

Ei gave a heavy sigh and held out a hand, "Let me see them then." 

She brushed aside her bangs and handed him the paper, her hand trembling nervously. 

He with some effort to remain composed, he touched for half a second his hand to hers as the papers were exchanged. 

She quickly pulled her hand back, as if it had been shocked or in some pain.

"Are you alright?" he asked, showing the first signs of tenderness and kindness since she had seen him again.

"Quite," she whispered. "A paper cut that's all." 

He nodded and looked over the papers. "This is all very good." 

"It should be," Clara laughed, "I wrote it all up." 

Eli looked up in surprise. 

"Don't belittle me Eli Destler," She smiled removing her gloves, "You always knew what I was capable of. Only now, my uncle has put it to good use." 

"Yes," He mumbled, "Yes I see." 

Clara stared at the stranger before her, so cold, unfeeling, meticolus. 

"Yes," She thought to herself, "I see it all rather clearly now."