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Part 1

Chapter 1

Colonel John Paul Foster had barely had tian to blur one into the next In fact, he found it impossible to tell exactly how many days it had been since he had come in to his new life It couldn't have been more than a week, but had it been four days, or five?

Not, he admitted, that it mattered Each day he would ride into town Each day he checked in at the telegraph office for word fro establishments sprinkled around don Derby

What concerned hih, was the lack of direction In the military, even in positions of co to reach for His new life see to happen, and it earing him down

That is hen he found hiraph office, it ith a surprising feeling of relief

“JPF

INTO DERBY TOM 9A

HR”

John Paul s he could do, after all By tomorrow, he would have some sort of companion to keep his days somewhat fuller, and that was a wonderful start Further, he had received notice that his eht be available as soon as the end of the week That neas alood as his nephew's arrival

John Paul spent the day feeling accomplished He had al up at least He slept that night with visions of his nephew getting off the train in theThe two of theave hiht blankets

The nexton a bench at the train station John Paul aiting on the platform thirty minutes before his nephew's train would arrive He closed his pocket watch again, as he had done several tiain as soon as the latch had closed How er would he have to wait, after all? It see for him, and that whoever made the first move was to be the loser

John Paul tapped his foot, listening to the sound his shoes made on the polished stone floors He looked around at the others waiting for the trains Were they not as incensed by the delay? He began to staain, the minute hand clicked over past the hour It was nine o’clock and the train was nowhere to be found

He looked down the track, which curled out of view only a few kilo The train could have arrived at any er those o an to pace back and forth that he found any sort of relief at all And then, at long last, he heard the sound of a shrill whistle from over the horizon

The train that pulled into the station was massive The Colonel was so stunned by its sheer size that he al man in his early twenties stepped off the train He turned to look, though, when he heard a voice calling out

“Uncle?”

John Paul stared at what ht have been his own sister when he’d last seen her The boy was only a few centimeters shorter than John Paul himself He had a handsome face, with dark hair that did not match John Paul’s whatsoever Even still, Grace’s hair had darkened, even as the Colonel's own had not

“Henry Roche?” The youth nodded “Have you got any luggage with you?”

“Ah, yes,” he said, gesturing John Paul strode over and snatched it up John Paul carried the luggage to the carriage, and then the two of theether

It was plain that Henry was not used to cities, as he stopped toto catch his eye As the noonti, John Paul suggested that they sit down and get soestion, until he realized how hungry he was and agreed