Molly didn’t think Abby needed to apologize – she clearly had bigger things to deal with right now. Instead of dragging it out, Molly simply let the topic drop. Abby wasn’t the only one feeling a bit deflated. Molly had her own reasons to be anxious over the idea of someone being lost. But she firmly told herself that this wasn’t about her.
Molly wanted to believe that Abby was overreacting – that Abby’s previous experiences were blinding her to the real situation. But Molly didn’t see how that could be possible. If Bridget was nearby, there would be people by the dozens to point Abby in her direction. You just didn’t forget a girl as charming as Bridget.
Never one to turn idle while fretting, Molly tried to formulate a plan. “Alright. You looked at the shops; the shops are closed or closing. It’s still possible that you could have missed them. Bridget could have fallen asleep and Thomas could have wanted to wait until the crowds thinned out to carry her home?” The excuse was flimsy in her own ears. The more she thought about it, the stranger the whole situation seemed. Molly hesitated to make her next suggestion. “It’s – possible – we should check other locations. Just in case. If – if you haven’t already tried the healer’s, then maybe we should. Just in case.” Molly really didn’t want to alarm Abby. But if something had gone wrong, that would be the next logical place to go. Though why someone wouldn’t already have sent word to Abby if that were the case, Molly didn’t know.