Levi wore a scowl and promptly looked at Lydia, who was standing by the kitchen sink cleaning something. John nodded cordially to Connor and began to refill his coffee cup. Lydia came to the table without saying a word and sat in the chair beside Connor. He passed her the bread basket, and she accepted it but set it in the center of the table without taking anything to eat. Something was wrong.
She trapped her bottom lip between her teeth as she tapped one finger on the table’s edge with nervous repetition. He watched her for a moment, but looked away when he felt Levi’s glare.
As he began to eat, Isabella inched into the kitchen. She whacked the table leg with her cane and put her hand out precisely on the back of her chair. With his plan to speak to John alone temporarily foiled, Connor reached for the coffeepot and decided to wait until after breakfast to mention Lydia’s knowledge of electrical experiments in the Land.
“Good morning,” Isabella said, beginning her daily ritual to see who was at the table before she sat down. Each person in turn was to say good morning, Aunt Isabella. Since Levi was seated to her right, he responded first, then John. Lydia responded and nudged Connor for his reluctant greeting.
“Good morning, Isabella.” He waited for whatever comment was sure to come.
“Good morning, Connor. You made quite an impression with your waltz last night. From the way the old women spoke, I’m certain you caused many pleasant dreams. They said you were an adept dancer and effortlessly rhythmic.” Awkward silence filled the room.
Isabella’s eyes roamed and she chuckled. “Am I the only person here with a pulse?”
Lydia poured a glass of juice and put it in Isabella’s waiting hand. “The Fosters’ party was pleasant, Aunt Isabella. What would you like to eat this morning?”
“Just an egg, darling,” she answered.
Though Isabella was capable of getting her own breakfast, she liked Lydia’s attention. She set the boiled egg on her aunt’s plate and stepped to the sink. Since she wasn’t eating, maybe she was also waiting to speak to John.
John pushed his empty plate away and picked up his coffee cup. He leaned back in his chair and gazed at Connor. Levi was also sitting in front of an empty plate. His occasional impatient sigh broke the silence.
“Good heavens, people!” Isabella scoffed. “Are we listening for a bird to sing?” She chewed her last bite of egg and reached for her cane. “It’s always this way after a night of revelry—no one has the strength for conversation.” She stood holding her cane and tapped it along the edge of the hearth as she left the room.
John leaned forward and watched Isabella walk into the parlor. “Lydia, come sit down.” He propped his elbows on the table as Lydia walked back to the table. Levi stood. John reached up and touched his son’s arm. “Stay,” he commanded, and Levi sat back down.
John’s eyes scanned the three of them. “Since Connor’s arrival he has carefully studied the Land and our history. He has a great knowledge of the sky and technology and science. For the past several nights he has been out charting the stars. It has come to his attention that there is something in the atmosphere that he believes helps keep the Land hidden from the rest of the world. This appears to be a great blessing from God, considering the condition of the world at present. However, Connor’s observations have indicated that if people in the Land ever develop certain technologies—using electric devices—we could be detected by other nations. He says if the Land were invaded, other nations would likely consume or destroy our resources. When Lydia traveled she heard mentions of experiments with electricity.” He looked at Connor. “Do you believe this must be stopped to ensure our survival?”
“Yes, sir, I do.”
“Are you willing to assist us in alerting the other villages?”
“Yes, sir.” He didn’t hesitate.
John nodded. “Then you must go to the elders in each village and speak to them about this matter.”
Lydia shifted in her seat. “The news of an outsider in the Land will be a disturbance in our own village, let alone other villages. We don’t know how people will react to Connor’s message. I will go with him.”
John shook his head. “You cannot go.”
“He cannot go alone!” she protested, drawing a disgusted look from Levi.
John looked at her. “Your village needs you here. You cannot go. And I cannot leave the village for a journey of that length.” He turned his head a degree toward his son. “Levi, you must go with him.”
John’s announcement stunned Connor, and by the chorus of raised eyebrows and darting glances, he guessed Lydia and Levi were surprised as well.
John seemed to perceive their trepidation. He put his hand on Levi’s shoulder. “The overseers will receive you because you are my son. You can introduce Connor and verify his message to the elders. I have seen Connor work diligently to protect us since the moment he learned of the Land. It appears he has no way to return to his people, so he has made it his personal mission to ensure the Land is not invaded.”
Connor waited for refusal, but Levi was silent. Levi pushed both hands through his hair, leaned back in his seat, and audibly exhaled. They all waited for his response, and he seemed to know it. He stared at his hands as he drummed his fingers on the table’s edge. Finally, he looked at his father. “I don’t share your trust in Connor. However, if I go with him I’ll be able to keep my eye on him. Fine. I’ll go.”
“Thank you, Levi,” John said. “You should leave tomorrow. I will write letters of introduction for Connor and explain that he came to the Land by accident and cannot safely depart. I will mention he is a knowledgeable man of the sciences and has information that might enable the Land to remain at peace. Levi, put the top on the wagon today. You should embark to the southern villages first, as it will be cold there soon. We can plan your journey this evening. Lydia, if you are free this afternoon, please ready provisions for their journey.”
“I will, Father. But there is a matter to attend to in Good Springs first…” Her cheeks flushed and she wiped her hands on her dress. It was like she was trying to clean something that wasn’t dirty. “There’s the matter of Frank Roberts.”
Levi threw both palms into the air. “What does that pervert have to do with anything?”
John ignored his son’s reaction and turned to Connor. “Have you found the device yet?”
Connor shook his head. “No, sir. I saw Frank with my boots, so I know he was there at my arrival. I need to search his cabin.”
“Very well. I will permit it because there is evidence against him and for the safety of the Land. But you must only remove the electronic device. Leave everything else just as you find it. I prefer you enter his home while he is not there. We must avoid violence.”
“He’ll be at the market this morning,” Levi said. “He’s always there on Saturday mornings, lurking about, hoping to see Lydia.”
Lydia pressed her fingers to her temple. “The thought makes me ill, but Levi is right: I should go to the market. Levi and I will stay there long enough that Connor has time to go and search Frank’s cabin.”
The thought of Lydia having a stalker made Connor ill too. “We shouldn’t use you as a decoy.”
The red in her cheeks deepened. “If I can’t go to warn the other villages and help protect the Land, at least let me do this. I’ll be fine. Levi will be with me. And Frank isn’t going to hurt me.”
Levi nodded once in agreement.
John tapped his fingertips on the table and studied each of them. “Very well. When you see Frank at the market, Connor, go search his cabin for the device and be quick about it. If a villager needs Lydia’s attention, Levi, you stay where you can observe Frank until Connor returns to you. I trust each of you will give your best effort for the Land. Now if you will excuse me,” John stood, “I have bread to bake.”
* * *
As Connor and Levi walked out the back door, Lydia held up a finger. “I will be right there. I want to check on Aunt Isabella befo
re we go.” She turned and hurried toward her great-aunt’s bedroom. But as Lydia stepped into the parlor, she saw her aunt sitting in the armchair around the corner from the kitchen with her knitting needles clenched in her frozen hands. “Aunt Isabella! How long have you been here?”
“Long enough. Not to worry though, dear girl. I have heard a lifetime of secrets in this house, and I have kept them all.”
The knowledge of Connor’s origin and the threat of invasion might be too much for her aunt to handle. Lydia knelt in front of her and took her hand. “How much did you hear?”
“All of it, child.” Isabella smiled. “I have known for a while now where the young man is from. I heard him sneaking out of his room each night. He was looking for a way home. It is a pity he cannot get back to his own people—for their sake anyway. It is good for us. I’m rather fond of him.”
“Oh, Aunt Isabella! I’m glad you aren’t frightened by all of this. Connor and Levi will do everything they can to protect the Land. They will warn the other villages, and everything will be fine.”
“They are good men, Lydia.” Isabella’s mouth moved between words. “There is something I want to give you, dear.”
Lydia glanced back at the kitchen. The men were waiting for her and she had an unpleasant task ahead. Her stomach knotted. “What is it?”
“Oh, never mind. It can wait.” Isabella patted her hand. “Go and do your part to help them. When you return, I shall delight in hearing your report.”
Though Isabella gleaned every detail she could from the conversations in the house, she was still unaware of the bulk of the situation. Lydia couldn’t burden the elderly woman with any more information. She patted her aunt’s hand. “I must go now.” She rushed back through the kitchen and outside, where Levi and Connor were waiting.
Chapter Eight
The bright sun quickly warmed the autumn morning, but it was more than the weather that changed the air between Connor and Levi. A common enemy gave Connor a purpose for their partnership, and he hoped it would give Levi a productive place to focus his aggression.
The two men walked with Lydia to the market just as they had planned. As they passed the pottery yard, Bethany called Lydia over to look at something she was making. Connor and Levi waited for her on the road. Connor looked ahead into the village where the people were gathering in the open-air market. Then he glanced back over his shoulder. Frank was a short distance behind them, walking into the village on the road.
Connor nudged Levi. “Here comes the dirt bag now.”
Levi waved Lydia back to them. As she rejoined the men, her gaze landed on Frank. “I want to get this over with as quickly as possible. It is terribly unpleasant business.”
Connor stayed at her side as they walked along the cobblestone street between the church and the library. Part of him wanted Frank to do something—anything—to give him a reason to beat the pervert’s face in. He let the scene play out in his mind and enjoyed every second of the imagined beating.
When they entered the market, Lydia wrung her hands and glanced from side to side while she made conversation with friends. If Frank detected her odd behavior, he might leave. While Levi hovered close to Lydia, Connor moved around the merchants’ booths. He tried to appear interested in the displays as he tracked Lydia’s stalker.
Frank plucked an apple from a produce stand when the vendor was distracted. He tucked it into the pocket of his oversized coat and then found a place in the shadows to eat the stolen fruit. He stared at Lydia all the while.
Connor’s fists tightened and he caught Levi’s attention. Levi nodded in recognition and positioned himself where he could keep Frank under surveillance. Connor didn’t want to leave Lydia there in front of Frank, but Levi was fully capable of protecting her.
Connor walked back down the cobblestone street and hoped he had gone unnoticed. He increased his pace where the cobblestones ended and the gravel began. Once he passed the Colburn house, his stride accelerated from a jog to a steady run. He sped through the tall grass and into the forest, following Frank’s well-warn path to the cabin past the bluffs.
The cabin appeared unlivable. Its wood siding was rotten, its roof held a puddle of rainwater where it bowed in the center, and several tree saplings waved from its gutter. The steps on the outside of the one-room structure creaked as Connor climbed them. Though Lydia had said Frank lived alone, Connor stood still and listened with his ear at the door before he reached for the knob. His pulse accelerated as he imagined a fight. Once he felt certain the place was empty, he opened the door.
The acidic stench of the unkempt cabin stung his nose. He wished he could leave the door open for fresh air, but decided against it. Enough light came through the grease-filmed window for him to see. He spotted his boots under the edge of the bed and started searching there for the rest of his gear. He pulled out a stack of gray paper to look behind it but stopped when he noticed the top page was a sketch. It was an intricate drawing of Lydia. Her likeness had been captured with artistry and perfection. He flipped through the rest of the pages. Each page was another drawing of Lydia—different poses and settings, but each sketch portrayed her beautifully.
He pulled a second stack of papers from under the bed—again, more sketches. Lydia looked younger in the sketches at the bottom of the stack. There were hundreds of the drawings, and she hadn’t posed for a single sketch. When he saw a drawing where Lydia’s skin was bare, his nostrils flared and he shoved the papers back under the bed. He remembered John’s instruction not to cause any damage, and that order was the only thing that kept him from tearing the cabin apart. He ran a hand over his hair and took a deep breath, but it did little to calm him.
He continued to search the room. The beacon had to be there somewhere. He went to a dresser and rummaged through the drawers, but only found a foul-smelling mess of clothing items that had never been washed. He inspected the only bookshelf in the room. It held jars of shark teeth, empty spools, and chipped dishes full of rusted fishhooks, but not a single book.
He moved past a blackened fireplace—its hearth overflowed with ashes—and noticed a bench seat at the table. It was not a seat; it was a wooden trunk. As he lifted the lid, he found his balled up parachute inside the trunk. Beneath the parachute lay a pile of cables and carabineers, his watch and helmet, a flashlight, and a few small scraps of plastic that were probably a part of the ejection seat.
He turned on the flashlight and used it to look in the corners of the trunk. Underneath it all, he spotted the locator beacon. It had not been activated.
He popped the plastic backing off and removed the battery. He put the battery in one of his trouser pockets and the beacon in the other. He wanted to take his watch and the flashlight too but—remembering his orders from the overseer—he fought the desire and only removed their batteries. He put the rest of the equipment back in the trunk the same way he had found it and left the way he came.
His feet hit the gravel road in pounding thuds. The thick scrub on either side of the road muffled the sound of his rapid stride. The passion that fueled his anger also increased his energy. He shifted into a near sprint, eager to get back in the village, eager to get Lydia out of Frank’s sight.
The visit to Frank’s cabin to retrieve the inactivated locator beacon was supposed to bring him relief—maybe even a sense of control—knowing the Land would remain undetected, or at least it would not be detected due to his equipment. The people would be protected and their unique culture preserved. Lydia wouldn’t be harmed by the technology he’d brought to the Land. However, seeing Frank’s sketches of Lydia burdened him with a whole new dread. Frank wasn’t just an annoying admirer—he was obsessed and had crossed the line.
And Connor and Levi were using her as the lure to keep Frank occupied.
Desperate to see Lydia was safe, he didn’t slow his pace until his feet hit the cobblestone streets.
When he arrived at the market, he scanned the crowd but couldn’t find Lydia. He march
ed through the vendors and artists, then he spotted Levi near a weaver’s loom. Levi’s gaze wasn’t on the weaver, but fixed on the shrubs at the back of the sandy lot.
Levi glanced at Connor and pointed at the tree line behind the market. “Frank is hiding back there.”
Connor moved only his eyes in the direction Levi indicated and saw Frank sitting on the ground behind a shrub, peering out like a depraved imp. “Where is Lydia?”
“She had to go to the cottage. Someone needed her. Frank is probably waiting for her to come back.”
Connor clenched his fists but left them at his sides. “Man, I want to go over there and—”
Levi lifted a hand. “I have dealt with this for years. If anyone gets to take him apart, it’s going to be me.”
* * *
Lydia examined the burned skin on her patient’s hand then went to the cabinet to get a fresh jar of ointment. “It could have been much worse, Cordelia,” she said as she walked back to the patient cot where the woman sat. “If you keep the skin covered in this salve it should heal completely in a couple of days.” She opened the jar, and the aroma of pure gray leaf tree oil filled the air.
She was used to the strong smell and barely noticed it, but her patient let out a little cough and blinked rapidly. “It’s a bit pungent.”
“Yes, but it will heal the burn in the fraction of the time it would take to heal naturally.”
“I’ll do whatever you say, Lydia. I’ve never felt such pain as I did today. I’m sorry I took you away from the market,” she apologized as Lydia spread the medicine on her burned skin. “I saw when you were called out of the Fosters’ party last night to help someone, and I wondered if you ever get to have a life of your own. Then today I went and spoiled your time at the market by getting myself burned.”
“Oh now, you did not spoil anything at all.” She was glad someone had taken her out of Frank’s view but couldn’t say it. She wrapped a thin piece of muslin around her patient’s hand then smiled. “I am always happy to help.”
The Land Uncharted (The Uncharted Series Book 1) Page 11