Uncharted Hope

by Keely Brooke Keith

  “I am.” She looked out the window at the cobblestone street and remembered when he’d helped her take the desk back to the cottage. “He’s caring and strong and gentle. He went to Woodland to ask Father’s permission to court me.”

  Alice’s eyes grew wide. “Then he is brave too.”

  Sophia chuckled lightly, warmed by the joy of sharing a happy moment with her sister. She wanted to ask about their mother’s leaving and what made their father become the man he had, but the best way to remain in the joy of the present was to avoid reopening the wounds of the past.

  Alice yawned again, so Sophia patted her hand. “I should go.”

  “Enjoy your picnic.”

  She stood to leave. “I will.”

  “And, Sophia?”

  “Yes?”

  “Please, come back to see me often.”

  * * *

  Sophia held a sealed vial of the gray leaf vapor up to the window in the Colburn kitchen. Flecks of lights swirled inside the glass. “And see how it catches the light?”

  John reached for the vial. “So, how does it sparkle like this in the vial but not in the air outside?”

  “This is a high concentration. Plus, the substance seems to dissipate quickly outdoors.”

  “Fascinating!” After a moment of turning it and watching the swirling gray leaf vapor, his gaze moved back to Sophia. “You have proven yourself to be a bold scientist and a good sister.”

  Hearing John Colburn’s approval swelled her heart with victory. His approbation held the weight of not only his position as village overseer, but also as the man who was becoming more of a father to her than her own. Hope had replaced the hatred in her heart, and peace had replaced bitterness. “Thank you, Mr. Colburn.”

  He nodded once and returned his attention to the vial. “How is your sister today?”

  “Much improved. She was resting when I took the cinnamon rolls to them this morning. Hubert will stay home with her for a few more days. I’ve asked them if they need me to help with the twins, but Alice says it’s important that I continue my training with Lydia.”

  “I will visit them.” John gave her a knowing look. “Continue to pray for God’s best in your relationship with her. Never give up on someone you love.”

  Sophia thought of her three nights in the cottage, taking care of Alice. “Our time together during her recovery gave us more patience with each other. She might not change as much as I’d like, but I now have hope.”

  “I am pleased to hear it.” John held up the vial. “Connor, what do you make of Sophia’s discovery—the way things disappear behind this concentrated gray leaf substance? Do you believe this helps keep the Land hidden?”

  Connor scooped Andrew from the floor and gave a casual shrug. “It could be a factor in the phenomenon. And it might explain why our view of the night sky from here is distorted—stars spread out, moon oval-shaped.” He sniffed the baby and grimaced. “I’d like to use this new information to ensure the Land stays hidden from the outside world.”

  “We still need to do more research.” Lydia reached for Andrew. “Here, I’ll change his diaper. You need to leave soon if you will meet Levi on time.”

  John passed the vial back to Sophia. “Good work, Sophia. I look forward to seeing what else you come up with.” He turned to Connor. “Where are you off to?”

  “The team has marksman training at the shore tonight.” He mimicked aiming a crossbow then popped his lips. “Levi and I are setting up targets this afternoon.”

  Lydia stopped and shot Connor a look over her shoulder as she carried the baby into the parlor. “It’s windy out.”

  Connor stepped to the sink and filled a cup with water. “The men need to train in all conditions.” He took a long drink then looked inside the empty cup. “Never know when we will have to fight to defend the Land and her resources.”

  John sighed and walked to the door. He patted Connor on the back as he passed. “Take Revel with you. He is getting restless working at the Foster farm. I want him to stay in Good Springs a while longer. He needs stability.”

  Connor set his cup in the sink. “He’s interested in joining the security team. I’m confident our training this evening will solidify his commitment.”

  Lydia crinkled her nose. “Just be careful, please. Today is the autumn equinox.”

  Sophia traced a finger around the vial of gray leaf vapor. “What does the equinox have to do with anything?”

  Connor chuckled once and looked at Lydia with an eyebrow raised. “I’ll let you explain that one, Doc.” He flashed a confident grin as he walked out the back door and toward the shore.

  Andrew wiggled, wanting out of his mother’s arms. Lydia motioned for Sophia to follow them into the parlor where she laid the baby on the floor to change his diaper. “Connor arrived in the Land on the autumn equinox four years ago.”

  “I see,” Sophia said, even though she didn’t fully understand the connection.

  “And two years after that, space debris entered the Land on the same spot on the shore, also on the equinox.”

  “I remember Connor mentioning the debris in class.”

  Lydia skillfully held Andrew still with one hand and cleaned him with the other. “And last year, Justin Mercer made his way to the Land, arriving on the shore on the equinox.”

  “Ah.”

  “And it is the same place on the shore where the founders entered the Land on the equinox in eighteen sixty-one. That’s why they built the cairn near the tree line.”

  Sophia paced to the window and looked toward the road. Nicholas was walking toward the Colburn house, carrying a picnic basket. She tapped her fingertips together. “I understand why you told Connor to be careful, if entry to the Land is more likely on this day each year.”

  Lydia continued. “Yes, well, it was probably unnecessary to warn Connor.”

  She looked back at Lydia. “So, you think nothing will happen today?”

  “No, I meant because Connor is always careful.” Lydia left the freshened baby to play on the floor and joined Sophia at the window. “Are you ready?”

  Her heart fluttered inside her chest. “It’s our first date.”

  Nicholas had stopped in front of the house and was speaking with John. Nicholas wore a blue shirt with a white cravat tucked into his waistcoat. Comb lines smartly parted his dark hair.

  Sophia straightened the lace at her collar and turned to Lydia. “How do I look?”

  “Beautiful.” Lydia beamed. “Where is Nicholas taking you?”

  “To the bluffs for a picnic.”

  “He is a good man.”

  “Yes, he is.”

  While Lydia went back into the kitchen, Sophia stayed by the parlor window, watching Nicholas with a heart full of hope. He had encouraged her dreams, proven he cared for her, and shown respect to her family. And their courtship had just begun.

  John continued walking toward the road. Sophia lost sight of Nicholas as he walked around the side of the house. Soon his baritone voice filled the kitchen.

  He and Lydia spoke briefly then Lydia popped her head into the parlor doorway. “Nicholas is here to see you,” she said with a secret grin.

  “Thank you, Dr. Bradshaw.” Sophia smoothed the bodice of her best day dress and stepped into the kitchen. “Good afternoon, Nicholas.”

  “Good afternoon, Miss Ashton.” Nicholas glanced at Lydia, who was leaning on the parlor doorway with a sentimental smile.

  “Right, well.” Lydia pushed away from the doorframe. “I hope the two of you have a wonderful time.” She disappeared into the parlor with Andrew.

  Sophia rounded the table and met Nicholas by the door. “She’s very happy for us.”

  “So am I.” A grin curved his lips. He switched the picnic basket to the other hand and offered her his arm. “Are you ready?”

  She’d secured her position as Lydia’s assistant, reconciled her past by learning to live in the present, and was falling in love with a caring man who promis
ed a slow courtship. Her heart warmed with joyful anticipation at a future that was just beginning.

  She slipped her hand around his arm. “Yes, I am ready.”

  Epilogue

  Bailey Colburn awoke with the morning sun blasting through the porthole above her berth. The storm was finally over, and the first day of autumn on the Southern Hemisphere had just begun.

  She swung her feet to the floor and knelt by her suitcase. One piece of luggage held everything she owned—and one thing she didn’t.

  She felt around beneath the folded clothes until she located the sunglasses case she’d taxed from Justin Mercer. Flipping open the case, she ran a finger across the frames of his aviator sunglasses. He could always get another pair.

  “Perfect,” she whispered. As she pulled the sunglasses out to try them on, a folded up piece of notebook paper tumbled onto her lap. She unfolded it and read the letter.

  Bailey,

  I knew you would do the right thing even though I couldn’t. If you make it to the Land, give these sunglasses to Connor Bradshaw. Yeah, I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist if I left them on my desk. You can’t keep them. They belong to Connor. Tell him all the evidence of the Land has been destroyed, and I will make sure the Land stays hidden. Take care of yourself, beautiful. The rest is up to you.

  J.M.

  Bailey refolded the note and tucked it back inside the case along with Connor Bradshaw’s sunglasses. She hid the case beneath her clothes and zipped the suitcase shut.

  Justin had planned this all along. He didn’t trust himself with the gray leaf tree but didn’t want to put the Land in jeopardy, so he found someone who would do the job for him.

  She knew when she’d met him that he was playing her somehow, but she never would have guessed this was his game. She’d accepted the risk, and was glad she had.

  No matter how this turned out, it was worth the trouble. Whether she ever got to the Land, the people there were safe from the rest of the world.

  She climbed the steps to the yacht’s deck and leaned against the railing. The shock of knowing this was Justin Mercer’s plan not hers left her numb. Yet through the numbness a foreign surge of joy bubbled up, relaxing the vise grip of post-war anxiety. Old habits told her to tamp the joy’s warmth before it could take hold, but she would not stop it now.

  Bailey looked across the rippling sea and turned a circle to scan the unbroken horizon in all directions. The ocean wind whipped her cropped hair across her forehead as the yacht sailed toward freedom. She spread her arms welcoming her future, whatever it might bring.

  ###

  If this was your first visit to the Land, continue reading to see how it all began…

  Bonus Chapter One of The Land Uncharted

  Lydia Colburn refused to allow a child to bleed to death. Pulling a sprig of gray tree leaves out of her wind-whipped hair, she rushed inside the farmhouse and found the injured boy sprawled across the bed exactly as Mr. McIntosh had said she would. She dropped her medical bag on the floor beside Mrs. McIntosh, who was holding a blood-soaked rag against young Matthew’s lower leg.

  The globe of an oil lamp provided the only light in the dim bedroom. Matthew’s breath came in rapid spurts. Lydia touched his clammy skin. “He’s still losing blood. Get the pillows out from under his head.” She slid her hands beneath his fractured limb and gently lifted it away from the mattress. “Put them here under his leg.”

  Mrs. McIntosh’s thin hands shook as she moved the pillows. “I gave him tea from the gray leaf tree as soon as his father brought him in the house.” Her voice cracked. “I know he doesn’t feel the pain now, but it hurts me just to look at all this blood.”

  “You did the right thing.” Lydia opened her medical bag and selected several instruments. She peeled back the bloody rag, revealing the fractured bone. Its crisp, white edges protruded through his torn skin. “You’re going to be all right, Matthew. Do you feel any pain?”

  “No, but it feels weird.” His chin quivered as he stared at his mother with swollen eyes. “Am I going to die?”

  Mrs. McIntosh drew her lips into her mouth and stroked his head. “You’re going to be fine. Miss Colburn will fix it.”

  When Lydia touched the boy’s leg, he recoiled and screamed. It was not from pain but from terror. With his fractured leg tucked close to his body, he buried his face into the pleats of his mother’s dress.

  Lydia gave Mrs. McIntosh a chance to muster her courage and make her son cooperate, but instead she coddled him. Though Lydia appreciated a nurturing mother, this was no time to help a child hide his wound. “Your mother is right. You’re going to be just fine.” She reached for his leg again. “You don’t have to look at me, but you must leave your leg on the pillow. Matthew? Let me straighten your leg.”

  Mrs. McIntosh glared at the bloody wound and began to weep. “Oh, Matt, I’m so sorry. My baby!”

  “Mrs. McIntosh?” Lydia raised her voice over the woman’s sobs. “Rebecca! I know this is hard, but please have courage for Matthew’s sake. I need you to help me. Can you do that?”

  Mrs. McIntosh sniffled and squared her shoulders. “Yes. I’m sorry, Lydia.”

  “I need more light. Do you have another lamp in the house?”

  “Yes, of course.” Mrs. McIntosh wiped her nose on her sleeve and scurried out of the room.

  Relieved that Mrs. McIntosh was gone, Lydia caught the boy’s eye. She touched his foot with both hands. “Matthew, you must lie still while I work on your leg. You won’t feel any pain since you were a good boy and drank the gray leaf tea your mother made, but now you have to be brave for me and hold still. All right?” She was prepared to hold him down but loathed the thought.

  Matthew allowed her to move his broken leg back onto the pillow. She worked quickly and methodically until the bleeding was under control. She cleaned his flesh with gray leaf oil then looked into the open wound and aligned the bone.

  Mrs. McIntosh’s footsteps echoed in the hallway, but Lydia was not ready for the anxious mother’s return. “Please, bring cold water and a few clean rags first. I need them more than I need the extra light.” The footsteps receded.

  She continued to work. Matthew’s eyes were clenched shut. Her heart ached for the pallid and broken boy. “I heard you had a birthday recently, Matthew. How old are you now? Fifteen? Sixteen?”

  He opened his eyes but stared at the ceiling. “I’m seven,” he slurred through missing teeth. His respiration had settled; the gray leaf’s healing power was beginning to take effect.

  “Ah, I see you’ve lost another baby tooth.” She cut a piece of silk thread for suture and kept the needle out of his sight while she threaded it. “Soon you will have handsome new adult teeth.”

  He closed his eyes again and lay still.

  Mrs. McIntosh walked back into the room with a pitcher of water in her hands and a wad of kitchen towels tucked under her elbow. She set the water jug on the floor beside Lydia’s feet and bundled the rags on the bed. “Is that enough?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  “I’ll be right back with the lamp.” Mrs. McIntosh vanished from the room again.

  Lydia covered the stitches with a thick layer of gray leaf salve. As she wrapped his leg loosely with clean muslin, the front door slammed and a man’s worried voice drifted down the hallway.

  Mrs. McIntosh spoke to her husband in a hushed tone and then walked into the bedroom holding a lamp. She sighed. “Oh, thank heavens you’re done.” She lit the lamp and placed it on a doily-covered table by the bed. As she sat on the edge of the mattress beside Matthew, she whispered, “He’s asleep.”

  Lydia slathered her hands with the disinfecting gray leaf oil and wiped them on a clean rag. As she gathered her medical instruments, Mr. McIntosh stepped in from the bedroom doorway, holding his wide-brimmed hat in his hands.

  He cleared his throat. “Is there anything I can do?”

  Lydia replied, “I need a couple thin pieces of wood to splint his leg.”
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  Mr. McIntosh nodded and left the house. While he was gone, Lydia cleaned and packed her instruments. A short time later, he returned with two flat wooden shingles. Lydia used them to splint Matthew’s leg and gave Mr. and Mrs. McIntosh instructions for bandaging and cleaning their son’s wound.

  She handed Mrs. McIntosh a jar of gray leaf salve. “Use this twice a day on the wound. With rest and proper use of the medicine, he should heal completely in a few days.”

  She followed Mr. and Mrs. McIntosh out to the porch. Stars crowded the clear sky, and crickets’ intermittent chirps pierced the cool night air. Lydia’s horse snorted as Mr. McIntosh gathered the reins and walked it to her.

  “Thank you, Lydia.” Mrs. McIntosh fanned her face with both hands.

  Mr. McIntosh wiped his brow with a cotton handkerchief. “It seems too dangerous of a job for a woman—taking the forest path alone at night like you did to get here.” He slapped his hat back on his head and dabbed at the sweat on his neck. “I’m grateful you got here in time to save my boy, no doubt about it, but the way you rushed down the forest path instead of taking the main road worried me. Granted you beat me back here by twenty minutes, but still it’s too dangerous at night to—”

  “I haven’t seen a night dark enough to keep me from my duty.” She stepped around Mr. McIntosh and strapped her medical bag to the saddle.

  He nodded. “That’ll be the last time Matthew climbs to the roof of the barn.”

  “Yes. Please see to it.” She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

  Mr. McIntosh handed her the reins. “I heard your family will be gathering tomorrow night to celebrate Isabella’s seventy-fifth birthday. How about I deliver a lamb roast as your payment?”

  “I accept. I’ll tell my father to expect you.” She mounted her horse. “Aunt Isabella will be glad to have roast lamb at her party.”

  “A lamb it is. Thank you, Miss Colburn. Oh, and do take the road back to the village. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you on your way home.”