“I’m sorry.” And Molly was. “I wasn’t thinking. If it were me, I’d have gotten lost. And…Greenville seems large to me.” But what did she know, Molly thought bitterly. She was only a chit from some tiny town by the coast. Molly really hadn’t meant to insult Abby, especially since she knew Abby was already worried. She’d just been thinking of the crowds that had come in since the start of festival; belatedly she remembered that not everyone shared her fear. Some people grew up in large towns and were used to that sort of thing. She knew that there was more to Abby than she saw, but the woman seemed so nice. It was hard to imagine a woman like Abby being able to take care of herself if things got rough – though the flint edge to her words made Molly wonder. There was every possibility that she’d been underestimating her.
Getting back to the matter at hand, Molly added, “So they weren’t at any of the shops while you were there. Is it possible you missed them? Did you leave word with any of the shop owners so they’d mention to Thomas if they saw him?” Molly wanted to be helpful but was afraid she was just stepping on toes. If Abby didn’t want her help after this, Molly would let her go. And maybe make some inquiries of her own.