Anne reached the docks an hour later.  She supposed she would have arrived sooner had she not gotten confused as to whether it were north of Dermot’s or south of Dermot’s.  The dock was just the sort of place her mother would never have allowed her to go, and now she knew why.  Everywhere she looked there were people of a questionable manner.  Women walked around seductively with one end of their skirts up showing a bit of leg and bodices which looked way too small for their extremely ample bosoms.  Anne had never seen such blatant sexuality and wasn’t sure she liked it.  As she drew closer to the wooden sidewalk leading to all the boats a rather scantily dressed woman approached her.

“Helo, deary, ya lookin’ for sum compny,” the half-naked blond asked.  She was not very clean, her makeup was enough to paint murals, and she smelled of rotten fish. 

Anne covered her nose with her sleeve and tried not to lose her breakfast.  Then realizing what she was doing wasn’t at all polite, she put her sleeve down and did her best not to breathe in too deeply.  “No, ma’am, but thank you for the offer,” Anne really wasn’t sure what to say to the lady.  She just wanted her to go away.

“Yer quite a nice boy, ya are.”  The woman touched a dirty-gloved hand to Anne’s cheek.  “Is there anythin’ I can help ya with?” 

Anne really looked at the woman now.  She had to be in her twenties. Her hair was curled but matted at the same time.  She had big beautiful brown eyes and suddenly, for some strange reason, Anne had the urge to help her.  “What is your name, miss?”

Anne’s question clearly startled the lady, who began to back away.  “Why?”

“Just wondering.  You see, I am hoping one of these ships will offer me employment. I thought if I knew your name, I might be able to send money to you.  Then you would no longer be forced to do this sort of work.”  Anne imagined herself walking up and down the dock selling her body to stay alive and again almost lost her breakfast.

“Go on.  Ya won’t send any money ta me,” the woman ignored her with the wave of her hand.

To that, Anne merely reached into her pocket and pulled out one gold coin and one silver.  Not many things in the market could be bought with a mere silver, but Anne believed the gold would help the lady get away from the dock long enough for her to send more.  Anne opened her hand for the lady to see.  The older woman’s eyes grew to twice their normal size and yet again she backed away.  “I’ll give this to you under several conditions,” Anne began.  “You must agree to all the conditions if you desire the money.” The woman looked at her suspiciously but no longer backed away.  “First, you are going to have to tell me your name and your place of residence.  Second, you must promise to stay away from the docks.  Third, you must do as I tell you with the money I provide.  Do you understand?”  The woman nodded.  “Well, then, what is your name?”

“Laveda, sir,” she curtsied, and her language and tone changed. “I live in Swinfen’s Bar up the road with my sister, Sophie.  The address is 11 Rampart.”

“Does your sister work the docks as well,” Anne hated to think of saving two people when she barely had enough to save herself.

“No, sir.  She doesn’t much like me doin’ it as it is.  But I can’t take care of her and me if we don’t got any money.  Ya see, sir, my sister is only eight and she can’t walk because of a sickness she had when she was five.  We ain’t seen our parents in three years, and I don’t rightly know if we ever will again.”  The lady seemed so tired then and so sad.

Anne couldn’t imagine life if her parents had left her and still couldn’t believe that she had left them.  But to wake up one morning and find the people who are supposed to care for you, gone… that would be awful.  “Laveda,” Anne spoke trying to keep emotion from her voice, “I want you to take this money and use it to buy food and shelter.  I do not want you coming to the docks, nor do I want you to wear all that paint on your face.  You are to go home now, wash your hair, body, and clothes.  Take care of your sister in the same manner.  If anyone asks where you got the money, tell him or her you found it.  Do not spend it like you’re mad because I don’t know when I will be able to send more.  Along with the money I send, I will send lessons; you will read and learn all that I send. Can you read?” Anne suddenly thought to ask. When the girl nodded, she continued. “Good. With any hope, eventually you will be able to obtain more respectable work.  Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir, but what do ya want in return,” Laveda seemed weary.

“Nothing.”  Anne replied and then had an urge to question the young lady again.  “Laveda, how old are you, and how much do you make walking the docks?”

Sighing before she answered, she seemed to age ten years.  “I’m sixteen, and I only make three or four coppers a week.”

Sixteen!  Anne never guessed the girl to be younger than her and four coppers a week!  Good Lord, that wasn’t even half a silver!  So what Anne was offering the girl was more than she would make in half a year!  How could anyone live on so little?  Anne reached into her pocket once more and pulled out another gold coin; she handed all three coins to Laveda.  “Now, I want you to take this money to the marketplace.  Go to a bakery and tell a man named Dermot you need to change the three coins I have given you into coppers.  Tell him a friend of Philana-Narie’s sent you.  Once you have the coppers, I want you to take what you need for the week and hide the rest.  Use the money sparingly and do not bring attention to yourself.  Do you understand?”  When Laveda nodded, Anne did too.  “I must go now, but I will write to you as soon as possible.”  Anne began to take off when she realized she hadn’t even told the girl her name, so she stopped and went back to the downright stunned teenager.  “Laveda, my name is Andrew, and I must ask you to tell no one of our agreement,” she placed a soft hand to the girl’s cheek as Laveda began to cry, then she turned to make her way to the ships.

Thaniel didn’t know where to begin searching for Anne, but the only place there really was to go was the market.  So, there he was, looking over all the people shopping to see if his daughter was among them.  Having no success scouting the area from his carriage, Thaniel parked it near the florist and went in to see Haru.  The younger lady was moving about her shop making displays and hanging signs.  Looking at her now, Thaniel couldn’t understand why Haru hadn’t married.  She was rather attractive with her jet-black hair and her deep brown eyes, which, at the moment, were staring right at him. 

“May I help you, Thaniel?” 

Her question brought him back to reality.  “Yes,” he shook his head, “Haru have you seen Anne?  She’s run away from home and I’m not sure where to look for her.”

“Run away?” Haru couldn’t believe Anne would do such a thing.  Sure, she was a free spirit, but she loved her family.  “No, Thaniel, I haven’t seen her.  Why on earth would she run away from home?”

Not wanting to seem like a monster in front of the young florist, Thaniel did his best to evade the question.  “It’s a long story.  Perhaps someone at the school may have seen her,” he left Haru’s question unanswered.

Thaniel asked every summer student at the school if they had seen his daughter to no avail.  He checked the library, her favorite reading spot, all the dress shops, shoe stores and cafés.  The only other place to look was Dermot’s, but he had a sinking feeling she would not be there either.  When he walked into the bakery, Dermot looked up and smiled, making Thaniel’s heart sink even more. 

“Hello, Thaniel!  I’m quite surprised to see you here.  Has Reyna finally given up on doing all the shopping,” the ever happy man asked gleefully.

“No.”  Thaniel replied sadly.  “Dermot, Anne is missing.  I only came here to ask if you had seen her, but as happy as you are, I suppose you haven’t.”  Thaniel sat on a chair near the window. 

Dermot walked from around the counter to join him.  “Missing?  What do you mean she’s missing?”

Exasperated from hearing that question over and over again, Thaniel began to tell the old man everything, including the contents of the letter she left behind.  “I can’t believe she’s gone, Dermot,” he was crying, now.  “How will she live?  Where will she live?”

Before Dermot could say anything in return, an extremely unattractive woman walked into the bakery.  She smelled of fish and was rather dirty.  “Helo, I’m lookin’ for a man named Dermot.”

A little confused, Dermot stood, and coughed a bit, due to her stench, before replying.  “I’m Dermot.  May I help you?”

“Ya,” the lady nodded.  “I was sent here by a friend of Philana-Narie to get coppers for these coins,” she held her hand out and in her palm were two gold coins and one silver.

At hearing his daughter’s name, Thaniel jumped up and nearly grabbed the young woman.  “Have you seen my daughter?  Where is she?  Is she all right,” he bombarded the girl with questions she could not answer and scared her half to death.

Stammering the girl tried her best to answer the very tall man before her, “I don’t rightly know who she is.  Alls I know is a gent gave me three coins, and told me to trade ‘em in for coppers.  I ain’t even sure how he knows her.”  The girl was moving away from the hysterical man and closer to Dermot feeling a bit safer by his side.

Dermot put a hand on the girl’s shoulder and patted her.  “Do you know the name of her friend then?”

The old man seemed nice enough but remembering how Andrew hadn’t wished for her to tell anyone of their deal, she wasn’t sure he would like her telling everyone his name.  “When a gent comes up to a girl like me and offers her money for nothin,’ she don’t ask questions.  I took the money and thanked him.  Told me I’d keep my money better if I switched it to coppers.  That way nobody would question where I got a couple of golds.”

Dermot nodded.  The girl didn’t seem to be lying; in fact, she seemed rather frightened of Thaniel.  He again patted the girl on the shoulder, “Okay, dear, why don’t we get you those coppers.”  Dermot then took her coins and returned to the other side of the counter.  “Miss, I am going to need to get more coppers from the back.  Please stay here.  I’m sure you’ll be fine.”  The lady nodded.