In the Land of the Long White Cloud

he did not smile when he held out his hand to Helen. Instead, he seemed to be sizing her up.
    “Are you the daughter of a fellow clergyman?” he inquired in a sonorous voice that she could easily imagine filling a chapel.
    Helen nodded and told him about Liverpool. “I know that the circumstances of my visit to your home are somewhat unusual,” she admitted, blushing. “But we all follow the way of the Lord, and he does not always lead us along the beaten path.”
    Reverend Baldwin nodded. “That is indeed true, Miss Davenport,” he replied gravely. “No one knows that better than we do. I too had not expected that my church would take me to the ends of the earth. But this is a very promising place. With God’s help we’ll turn it into a thriving city imbued with Christianity. You probably know that Christchurch is supposed to become a bishopric…”
    Helen nodded enthusiastically. She likewise gathered why Reverend Baldwin had not turned down the call to New Zealand despite his apparent loyalty to England. The man seemed to have ambitions—though perhaps not the connections one doubtless needed to receive a bishop’s appointment in England. Here, on the other hand…Baldwin undoubtedly had high hopes. But was he as able a minister as he was a strategist of church politics?
    Regardless, Helen thought the young vicar at Baldwin’s side considerably kinder. He smiled graciously as Baldwin introduced him as William Chester, and his handshake was warm and friendly. Thin and pale, with a bony, nondescript face, Chester had delicate features, a too-long nose, and a too-wide mouth. But his lively and clever brown eyes made up for all that.
    “Mr. O’Keefe has already been raving about you to me,” he explained enthusiastically after he had taken his seat at Helen’s side and shoveled generous amounts of chicken and mashed potatoes onto her plate. “He was so happy to receive your letter…I’d bet he’ll come running here in the next few days, as soon as he hears about the arrival of the
Dublin
. He’s hoping for another letter. How surprised he’ll be to find you here already, miss!” Vicar Chester was so enthusiastic it was as though he’d introduced the young couple himself.
    “In the next few days?” Helen asked, taken aback. She had expected to meet Howard the following day. Surely a messenger could be sent to his house.
    “Well, yes, news doesn’t travel all that quickly to Haldon,” Chester said. “You should allow at least a week. But it could go more quickly. Didn’t Gerald Warden arrive with the
Dublin
as well? His son mentioned he was en route. Once he’s back, word will get around fast. No need to fret!”
    “And until your fiancé arrives, you are most welcome here,” Mrs. Baldwin assured her, even if her face suggested otherwise.
    Helen nevertheless felt uncertain. Was Haldon not a suburb of Christchurch? Just how much farther would she have to go before she reached her final destination?
    She was just about to ask when the door was flung open. Without so much as a hello or by-your-leave, Daphne and Rosemary stormed in. Both had already let their hair down for sleep, and hay stalks were caught in Rosie’s brown locks. Daphne’s unruly red tresses framed her face as though it were swathed in flames. Her eyes too threw out sparks as she took in the reverend’s heavily laden table. Helen was instantly wracked with guilt. Judging by Daphne’s expression, no one had given the girls anything to eat yet.
    But for the moment, the two girls appeared to have other concerns. Rosemary ran to Helen and pulled on her skirt. “Miss Davenport, Miss Davenport, they’re taking Laurie away! Please, you have to do something. Mary’s screaming and crying and Laurie is too.”
    “And they want to take Elizabeth too!” cried Daphne.
    “Please, Miss Davenport, do something!”
    Helen leaped to her feet. If Daphne, who was usually so unflappable, was this alarmed, something terrible must have happened.
    She looked around suspiciously.
    “What is going on here?” she demanded.
    Mrs. Baldwin rolled her eyes. “Nothing, Miss Davenport. As I already told you, we could hand two of the orphans over to their employers tonight. They are here to pick up the girls.” She took a list from her pocket. “Here: Laurie Alliston goes to the Lavenders and Elizabeth Beans to Mrs. Godewind. Everything is in order. I do not understand why such a fuss is being made about it.” She looked at Daphne and