As Adelaide passed him, Prewitt pushed his hat to the back of his head and scratched his nose. ‘Has that lad of yours come home yet?’

Adelaide stared at him. ‘What do you mean? Have they shut the school?’

Prewitt frowned. ‘We met him and that English bloke on the Aberfeldy Road, heading north. We told him they were heading straight into the fire, but Barnwell reckoned they was just out for a ride and they’d have an early lunch and come straight back.’

Despite the heat, Adelaide shivered as all her worst premonitions came to pass. ‘When was this?’

‘Reckon an hour or more ago. They were already a good hour’s ride out of town when we saw ’em. They should be back soon.’

Adelaide thanked the policeman and ran to the school.

She found Mr Emerton in the process of dismissing the children early so they could get to their homes. She stood watching the school as the children filed out but could not see Danny. She hurried across to the schoolmaster.

‘Where’s Daniel?’ she enquired.

Mr Emerton frowned. ‘Daniel? He didn’t come to school today. I thought you’d kept him at home.’

Adelaide’s stomach clenched. ‘No. He left early. He told me he was helping you set something up.’

‘I’m sorry, Mrs Greaves, I’ve not seen him all day.’

Adelaide turned and ran back down the street, her fear growing with every step. The proprietor of The Empress, Mrs Riordan, was sweeping out the front hall as Adelaide entered that establishment.

‘Which room is Mr Barnwell’s?’ Adelaide demanded.

‘Number 2 at the top of the stairs, but—’

Without waiting to hear the proprietress’s protestations, Adelaide hurried up the stairs. She banged on the door that bore a neat brass number 2.

‘Stop that infernal racket.’ Mrs Riordan had followed her up the stairs. ‘He’s not there. I could have told you that, if you’d stopped to listen.’

Adelaide turned on her. ‘Has he left Maiden’s Creek?’

The woman nodded. ‘He finalised his account last night and left at first light this morning, with orders to send his baggage down to Melbourne on the next coach.’

‘Where did he go?’ Adelaide demanded, the sickening feeling in her stomach worsening.

‘He said he was hiring a horse to get to Shady Creek. That’s all I know.’ Her mouth tightened. ‘With the fire heading this way, that was probably sensible.’

Adelaide thanked the woman and apologised for the urgency without offering explanation. Patsy Riordan was a notorious gossip.

Outside, Adelaide turned towards the livery stable. She found Sones and Amos Burrell in earnest conversation, the Shady Creek coach in a corner of the yard. Whatever method Richard had chosen to leave town it hadn’t been by coach.

Amos whipped his battered hat off his red curls and greeted her. ‘Missus, everything all right?’