by Kari Trumbo
Elizabeth had always had a father or driver to help her down from any type of conveyance, but she was pretty sure Axel wouldn’t help her. He yanked the horses to a stop. Carefully, she turned around and climbed down the wheel, surveying her surroundings once she was back on solid ground.
One very small house, a thick grove of trees, the sound of the river. No smoke in the sky from a nearby chimney or any sign of other life. She was all alone with this ogre of a man. Her feet felt leaden, her blood thick in her veins. Every ounce of her tiny frame screamed to stay put, but Axel wouldn’t allow that. He came around the wagon and grabbed her by the elbow.
He drug her toward the small shanty. She tripped and pulled back but he was much stronger than her. Opening the door, he shoved her in ahead of him.
A smell like no other assailed her nose. Instinctively, she backed up right into Axel. He propelled her forward into the house and shut the door behind him. Elizabeth fell to her knees, retching and coughing at the stench. He moved around her and sat at a small table in the middle of the room. Elizabeth got her stomach under control and got up, wheezing, using a chair as support.
“You need to clean this place up.” Axel pointed around the room then picked up a grimy knife from the table and wiped each side of it on the thigh of his pants. The stains on his clothing bespoke of the ritual of the action.
Elizabeth notched her chin high. “And you need to clean yourself up. When was the last time you had a bath? I have never cleaned a house in my life and I don’t intend to start now. I just came a long way and—.”
“Don’t argue with me, girl. You don’t want to make me mad.” He stuck the knife into the top of the table which was riddled with similar holes.
Elizabeth had never been told what to do and even though he’d threatened her, she fumed inside.
Clenching her fists at her sides, she screamed, “Now you listen here! I am not even your wife yet. I have no—.”
Axel jumped to his feet and slapped her face. “Now you listen here.” He poked her sternum and she had to hold in another coughing fit. “This is my house and you came here for me. You get to cleaning those dishes or I’ll make you wish you had.”
Elizabeth reeled from the slap and then the anger burned in her heart so fiercely, there was no stopping her tongue.
“How dare you?” She put her hands to her hips and thrust her head out at him. “I want to go back to town this instant. You can’t keep me here. I want to go.”
Axel got calm, dangerously so. He sat back down in his seat. “You see those three trunks behind the door at the end of the bed there?” He pointed the blade of his knife to them, though they were only a few feet away. “Open up the one on the end.”
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