Besides Victoria, Scarlet, Spring, a few remaining children, and the teenager washing dishes, we were alone in the large kitchen. “Where is everyone else?” I asked.
“Working,” Scarlet answered. “We make quilts and clothes on Sundays. Or the women do. We take a break from the fields and crafts, but if we don’t do the sewing, we won’t have clothes to wear. We enjoy talking to each other.”
“And the men?”
“Out with the animals and taking care of other odd jobs. We’ll have a meeting later on, all together.”
Spring’s face glowed. “Did you hear? Founder Gabe’s back. We learned about it this morning while you were still sleeping. Aren’t we lucky?”
At the stove, Victoria’s fork clattered to the floor. She tried to catch it but instead bumped the large frying pan and splashed hot bacon grease over the top of the stove.
“Ow!” she cried, shaking burned fingers.
“Gracious me!” Scarlet hurried to help her stick her hands under cold water, which at least was plentiful. I made myself stand and help clean up the black stove. It was really hot, and I wondered how much wood it used—not that it mattered, since they had more old and dying trees in the woods than they could ever use. The children gathered around Victoria until Scarlet shooed them away.
“Do you know a remedy for this burn?” Scarlet asked me.
I stopped my cleaning and walked over to the sink to examine Victoria’s fingers. Red but no blisters. “First degree. Not too serious. But it’s going to hurt for a while. Best thing right now is that water to stop it from burning anymore. After the pain is bearable, I can make up a comfrey poultice to aid in healing. Vitamin E can help later, if you have some.”
Victoria didn’t look at my face as I spoke, and I could feel her curling away from me. Scarlet frowned at her reaction but said nothing. I picked up a thick rag and went back to cleaning the stove, careful not to burn myself.
“You keep those fingers under that water,” Scarlet said to Victoria. “I’ll go get some bandages.” I knew she meant the cloth ones like Victoria had used for my arm when she’d discovered me in the bathing room, and that was the best thing for her burn, so I kept silent.
Victoria shook her head, darting another frightened glance at me as I approached to rinse out my rag. “I’ll go with you. There’s water there too. And I don’t want a poultice.”
Scarlet shrugged. “Okay, child, whatever makes you feel best.” But she raised her eyebrows at me as if to say, “Kids these days. Don’t know what’s good for them.”
Victoria and Scarlet left, followed shortly by the teenager, who’d finished the dishes, even those left on the table by the children. No lack of work ethic here, not even in the young. Spring finished feeding Silverstar and washed her own dish. “I’m going to see what they’re all doing. You coming?”
“I’d better put this food away so Victoria and Scarlet won’t have to.” I knew just the place to put it—in my stomach.
Spring glanced down at what remained on the serving plates. The gaze wasn’t in the least covetous, and I gained a new respect for her. “Want help?”
“No. Won’t take long. I’ll catch up to you.”
As she left, I quickly dried my hands, already imagining the taste of the bacon. I grabbed three pieces and shoved one into my mouth.
“Oh, yeah?” Harmony’s voice drifted in from the hallway. “Well, I’m not too sure about that.” By the sound of her voice, she was heading this way.
I wondered what they did with people who didn’t follow the rules. Without thinking, I yanked open the rather odd handle of the walk-in pantry and dived inside, pulling the door nearly closed after me. The door seemed to have some sort of spring, so I had to put my foot at the bottom to make sure it didn’t close all the way.
“Did he say why he came back so early?” another voice said. Korin.
“He missed me, I’m sure.” Harmony laughed. “Look, no one’s here. The children must be finished. Someone needs to put away this food.”
I put my eye up to the crack in the door. She looked bright and rested, despite her late night.
“It’s Misty’s duty this morning,” Korin said. “I wonder where she is?”
“Oh, she’s not gone far, I’m sure,” Harmony said.
Looking around me, I became aware of two things: one, I was cold, and two, I wasn’t in a pantry. It was a large refrigerator, with dozens of long, bed-sized racks, the top ones very close together. Many of the lower ones were filled with metal milk jugs and plastic food containers, but the upper ones were completely empty except for what looked like several clear bags full of fresh herbs. That explained the strange outer handle, but at least there seemed to be one in here, too, so I wouldn’t get locked in even if they noticed the open door.
Harmony reached out for a slice of bacon and popped it into her mouth. “Oh, goodness,” she said with fake brightness. “I forgot it’s fast day.”
Korin blinked several times. “Harmony, what if they see you?” One hand reached out to touch her, but she skirted out of range.
“Fasting’s a dumb idea. We aren’t a religion. We’re people working together and enjoying life the way we like it. When did that change?” Anger tinted her voice now.
“Fasting bonds people. Helps us focus on what’s really important. You know that.”
Harmony reached for another piece of bacon, chewing it with deliberate enjoyment. Korin watched her, and I understood in that instant I’d been right about him. He was hopelessly taken with her. She could eat a full seven-course meal on fast day and his feelings wouldn’t change. I couldn’t tell how she felt about him.
“You won’t tell,” she said. “And it wouldn’t matter if you did. I was here first. This is my home. I built it.”
“I like you being here,” he said mildly.
Harmony was unsurprised by his words. “Well, I’d better go find our newest members. Give them the tour I promised. I’m particularly interested in the new girl, Autumn. If what you say about her is true, we might have a new line of sales. Herbal remedies should go for more than the herbs alone.”
I expected Korin to say something else about my ability to read imprints, but he remained silent. I was glad.
“I’d better put away this milk first.” Harmony’s hands went for the pitcher on the table.
Clutching my remaining two pieces of bacon, I willed her not to go to the fridge. For something else to happen. Anything. I prepared to jump away from the door, maybe to pretend I was rearranging the contents of the fridge. Of course the moment I moved away, the door would shut, giving away my spying.
“Oh, I’ll get that, Harmony.” It was Victoria, back to the work, even with her burned hand.
Harmony’s brow creased. “What happened to your hand?”
“Just a little burn. It’s nothing really. I’m fine. I’ll get this stuff put away.”
“If you’re sure.”
Victoria smiled at Harmony, a real smile of genuine affection. “I’m sure.”
“Well, if you need me . . .” Harmony gave her a little hug, avoiding the injured hand, and left the room without giving Korin another look. He was watching her, though. So was Victoria, but her tenseness returned now that Harmony was gone.
Korin nodded at her. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes.” Her voice was scarcely a whisper.
“Let me know if you hear of anything strange,” he said. “We’re worried that someone might have come into the farm last night. Some of our patrollers were attacked.”
“Attacked?”
“Yes. So it’s important I hear about anything that’s odd or out of place.”
Would she tell how she’d found me in the middle of the night? But Victoria only nodded, her voice apparently gone.
Korin smiled at her. “I’m very happy with you, Misty. You’ve come a long way, haven’t you?”
Again the nod. She was looking not at him but down at the chipped linoleum. Did she like this m
an? Or was she terrified of him? I didn’t know her well enough to judge.
Korin left and Victoria relaxed. That is, until she opened up the refrigerator and found me busily reorganizing a shelf, two pieces of rolled up bacon having taken the place of my foot to keep the door open. The bacon fell out between us, uncoiling.
Victoria stared at me, but neither of us spoke. I smiled sweetly, bending to pick up the bacon, tossing it into the garbage can on my way out of the kitchen. Fortunately, my appetite was gone.
I emerged from the kitchen in time to see Korin’s ponytail vanish into what looked like an office at the far end of the long corridor. I went the other way, not wanting to run into him just yet, though I wanted to talk to him soon. He hadn’t given me away to Harmony, and that meant I might be able to trust him. Besides, he had a right to know his brother had been here and that someone had killed him.
I moved down the hall, the wood floor under my bare feet smoothed by many people before me. No splinters here or imprints, just smooth wood and some kind of waxy build-up. Voices caught my attention, and I followed my curiosity past the outer doors on my right to the room opposite them that I’d glimpsed on the way in. This room was larger even than the kitchen and held a dozen long tables, half of which were folded and pushed to the side to make room for three quilting frames that were in various stages of setup. There was also a large loom and several other machines I didn’t recognize. They weren’t kidding when they said they made their own clothes and blankets.
The work on the quilts had been abandoned, and the women, old and young, gathered around Harmony, talking with her and basking in her light, and I realized something at that moment. Gabe might be the charismatic figurehead for Harmony Farms, and Korin’s compelling speeches might attract many new converts, but Harmony was the reason it all worked at the core. That the women loved her was apparent, and she seemed to care about them too.
Where did that connect with the murder of Inclar and Victoria’s fear? With Marcie’s disappearance? Harmony could be exactly what she seemed, or she could be something far, far worse.
The voices in the room fell silent, and eyes wandered to where I stood in the hallway looking in. With the new damage to my face, I wasn’t surprised my presence had such an impact. Harmony smiled and drifted toward me, followed by some of the others, including Spring and her son.
“Good morning, Autumn.” Harmony dipped her head, but her eyes slid past my face, going to someone behind me.
I turned and saw Gabe emerging from a door farther down the hallway. His handsome face was drawn, and he looked older than I remembered, but when he came into the room, he greeted everyone with a smile and gentle words, turning on the charisma like a switch. He might not be as good a speaker as Korin or as vibrant as his wife, but he knew how to work people, especially those starved for emotional nurturing.
Harmony took her husband’s arm. “I’m just about to give our new members a tour, Gabe. Would you like to come along?”
“I really shouldn’t.” Gabe rubbed his fingers over her hand. “I need to discuss some things with the boys here.”
That’s when I noticed the three men, who must have come in the wide back entryway after I’d passed and were now awaiting Gabe. Not just any men. One was the guard I’d bested by pure luck. He had a white bandage around his head, but besides that he looked healthy. From the cuts and bruises on the other men’s faces, I guessed they had been Jake’s attackers. I ducked my chin and didn’t meet the guard’s eyes, turning to Spring and her son. A baby was always an excuse to tune out any conversation, and I was thankful Silverstar let me take him from his mother’s arms. I made sure to keep the bruised side of my face away from the men.
“Okay, then,” Harmony said to Gabe. “Go take care of your business. We’ll miss you.” On tiptoes, she gave him a quick kiss on the lips, and for a brief instant, his tension eased.
“Have fun,” he said.
Harmony laughed. “We will.”
I dared a peek at the men and was relieved to see that no one was interested in me. Even so, I held my breath. An instant of recognition, and I might be rotting in the same hole as Marcie.
Harmony motioned us to come with her, and I followed quickly, leaving Spring to take up the rear. “Is he too heavy for you with your hurt wrist?” Spring asked, running to catch up.
“No, not at all.”
“I think he weighs a ton. Sixteen months, and he’s as tall as most two-year-olds.”
“We could leave him with someone here,” Harmony suggested.
“No, it’s okay. If Autumn gets tired, I’ll carry him.” Spring was wearing a Harmony Farms T-shirt today, like I was, and except for the fading bruises that told of a hard life, she looked too youthful and carefree to be the mother of the boy I carried.
Harmony stopped a child and asked him to round up the rest of the newcomers, but Jake and the other two recruits were nowhere to be found. I began to feel a little uneasy. Where was Jake?
“Looks like it’s just us,” Harmony said with her customary laugh. “More fun that way,” she added conspiratorially.
“We could wait,” I suggested.
“No. Gabe or Korin can take them around later. I really want to show you our herbs right away. See what you think.”
“Would it be okay if I took something to my room first?” I asked. “It’s a poultice I made earlier.” I also wanted to get the tracking earrings Ethan had given me. With those guards lurking around, I needed a way he could find me in case I mysteriously disappeared.
“Sure.” Her gaze deepened as she took in the colors of my eyes for the first time in the sunlight. Like her husband, she didn’t bring it up, and I was grateful.
I handed Silverstar to Spring and went back inside to the kitchen, hoping no one had cleaned the mug. No one had. In fact, the kitchen was exactly as I’d left it, and Victoria was nowhere in sight. I rummaged through the many drawers until I found a tiny container that would hold my mixture and spooned it in, placing the dirty mug and spoon in the sink. They contrasted with the mounds of clean, drying dishes on the long countertop. So many mouths to feed and not a dishwasher in sight. If that didn’t give a new meaning to the word tedium, I didn’t know what did. Sighing, I hurriedly washed the mug and spoon.
My appetite was back. I couldn’t resist gulping down another piece of bacon, which was delicious despite being cold. I swallowed quickly. There, a little strength to tide me over.
In the hallway, a movement caught my eye. I glanced and saw Victoria emerging from what I’d thought was Korin’s office at the far end. She blinked once at me, her round face chalky, then put her head down and scurried back to the kitchen. Frowning, I made my way out onto the back porch.
“Look who we found,” Harmony sang out from the cast iron chairs on the porch where she and Spring had settled to watch a group of children playing basketball while they waited for me.
To my relief it was Jake, lounging against the railing next to them. “Hi,” I said.
“I hear we’re going on a tour.”
“Just have to put this in my room.” I showed him the herbs.
“I’ll walk you there.”
“Men aren’t allowed inside,” Harmony called after him.
Jake nodded at her, all charm, tipping an imaginary hat. “I’ll wait outside, then.”
“Except for Korin,” I muttered to Jake as we started across the square. “He comes inside. At least he did to take away my money and my radio. And make me sign that contract.”
“What have you been eating?” Jake asked.
“Eating?” I feigned innocence. The sun was high enough that it was shining down on his face now, newly shaven. I wondered when he’d had the time to do that.
“You have grease on your lips.”
“Can’t be. We’re fasting for three days, remember?” I ran my tongue over my lips.
Amusement danced on his face. “I smelled bacon cooking when they hauled me up before dawn to milk the cows. L
eave it to you to find it.”
“Hey, I went through a lot last night.” He, I noticed, didn’t have a mark on him.
“I know.” His expression sobered. “Your face looks bad.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“I mean, like it hurts.” There was tenderness in the words, and perhaps—perhaps—just a little bit more.
“Looks worse than it is.” Truthfully, my muscles and the cut on my arm that he couldn’t see hurt far more. At least the wrist was feeling better. “It’ll just take me a moment,” I said outside the singles’ quarters. For some reason, I felt reluctant to meet his eyes. Maybe I was afraid I wouldn’t see what I hoped to find there.
I hesitated when I passed the supply closet, remembering the key in my suitcase. We might need it today, if not on our tour, then later. Or maybe when the police arrived. But if I was going to carry it, I wanted something to wrap it in, even if it would be in the pocket of my jeans. A bit of homespun cloth from the first-aid kit would do the trick.
I looked both ways before slipping into the bathing room and then into the supply closet, wrapping the key carefully several times. At the last moment, I stuck it inside my bra instead of my pocket, close to my underarm, hoping the imprints wouldn’t leak through too much. If things turned bad, I didn’t want anyone finding the key on me.
A woman was in the hall when I stepped from the closet, but I smiled at her as if I had every right to be there, and she nodded back. Once in my room, I saw that someone had made my bed. Shaking my head, I opened the top drawer of my dresser to put in the herbs.
I froze. Something wasn’t right, though it took me a minute to figure out exactly what. When I did, my heart skipped a beat. The tracking earrings Ethan had given me were no longer in the drawer.
Chapter 19
“Who could have taken them?” I whispered to Jake as we walked a few steps behind the others on our way to what Harmony lovingly referred to as the cow barn. He didn’t know, of course, and had already said as much, but I was on edge since discovering the loss.
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