The Land Uncharted (The Uncharted Series Book 1)

by Keely Brooke Keith

  He was in Heaven now. He was perfect and without pain. There was no reason to cry.

  The words spoken by his family and the elders during the memorial service played through her mind. Doctor Ashton had been a faithful husband and a gentle father and grandfather. He was compassionate, generous, wise and careful. Lydia knew him to be a good teacher, patient and forgiving, intelligent and forthright. He also had a witty sense of humor. She remembered traveling with him during her apprenticeship and hearing the entertaining stories he told to pass the time as they rode between villages. She owed her profession to Doctor Ashton and daily recalled his wise instruction as she cared for her patients.

  The tradition for her profession was much like that of overseers in the Land. Every village needed one, but the training was long and the life so demanding there was usually only one per village. She had studied and trained for four years under Doctor Ashton and had worked alone for over a year. Surely the elders would soon bestow upon her the title of Doctor. Receiving the title made his passing no less painful. It simply meant the village officially recognized her position.

  Doctor Lydia Colburn—the thought made her smile. She needed that distinction. It would have made her mother proud. Would she be told the news in Heaven? Maybe Doctor Ashton would tell her himself.

  “I thought I saw you come back in here.” Mandy’s voice echoed from the high chapel ceiling. “It was a lovely service, was it not?”

  Lydia scooted down the pew to make room for her best friend. Mandy pulled a long curl through her fingertips. She twisted it around and around as they sat in silence. After a moment Mandy spoke again. “Did Levi hear about Doctor Ashton’s passing before they left?”

  Lydia shook her head. “He and Connor departed at dawn on Sunday. Doctor Ashton passed away later in the afternoon. Levi knew it was coming. But they had to leave. Father felt the matter was urgent.”

  Mandy’s eyes were fixed on the flowers. “Yes, I suppose it was. My father told Everett and me about Connor last night. I knew there was something peculiar about him, though I never imagined he was from another land.”

  Lydia looked back at the flowers, but they had lost their charm. She turned to Mandy. “It caused quite a stir in our home too.”

  “How long have you known he was from another land?”

  “Oh, since he arrived.” Lydia bit her lip.

  Mandy stopped twirling the ringlet of hair and held it laced between her fingertips. “Is he going to stay here?”

  Lydia shrugged. “He says he cannot safely leave the Land. I don’t know if he plans to live in Good Springs or not. I don’t think he knows either.” She smiled, thinking of her brother’s reaction to Connor. “Levi is hopeful Connor will fall in love with a woman in another village and not come back here.”

  “Levi has never been quick to welcome strangers.” Mandy resumed her curl twirling.

  Lydia remembered her last conversation with Connor. “I am afraid we did not part on the best of terms.”

  “You and Connor?”

  “Yes. I know he meant well. I’m not even sure why I got so upset.” Lydia looked at her hands folded in her lap. She remembered how Connor had reached out to her and she had pulled away. “Connor seemed to have some personal interest in my safety. He warned me to be careful while he was gone. He wanted me to promise I would lock the door of the medical office. He was concerned about—”

  “Frank Roberts?”

  “Yes.”

  “So Connor noticed the same danger we all see and he tried to warn you.”

  “Yes, well… it doesn’t sound so problematic when you say it, but it felt intrusive when he said it. I had just come from Doctor Ashton’s house and I was worried about Connor and Levi’s journey and it probably does not make sense, but Connor reached out to me and I just did not want his concern.”

  “I see. You don’t mind if he needs you, but you don’t want to need him.”

  “That is just it, I don’t need him. He’s certainly pleasant and I enjoy his company, but I don’t need him. By custom, I’m still under my father’s protection, and Levi’s protectiveness of me is no secret. I don’t need another man telling me to be careful.”

  Mandy put her arm over the pew. “Is it possible his personal interest in your safety comes from his personal interest in you?”

  Lydia chuckled. “I doubt it.”

  “I saw how he watched you at my family’s party. It looked to me as though he’s intrigued with you. And that beautiful dance had to mean something to him.”

  Lydia refused to speculate about Connor’s intentions, and she had no romantic intentions of her own. She dismissed Mandy’s observations with a wave of her hand. “It hardly seems appropriate to speak of now.”

  Mandy grinned. “I can think of no better time to speak of hopeful things than in the wake of sadness.”

  Footsteps scuffed the entryway. John closed one of the chapel doors and stood waiting to close the other. Lydia and Mandy shuffled out of the pew and walked down the aisle to the door. Lydia glanced back at the flowers one last time and walked out.

  * * *

  After leaving the Colburns’ home, Connor and Levi traveled south for two days on the road through the gray leaf forest before they arrived in the village of Woodland. Though smaller than Good Springs, Woodland’s residents were no less hospitable. Levi was acquainted with the overseer of Woodland, who welcomed them into his home. When Connor presented the letter from John Colburn, the man quickly gathered the elders to hear the warning.

  The only inn in the Land was situated halfway between Woodland and the village of Riverside. After a full day of travel, Levi stopped the wagon there and offered the owners of the quaint country house a full jar of Lydia’s gray leaf salve for one night in the last remaining guest room.

  Connor enjoyed spending the evening among the travelers over a feast in the communal dining hall. The seasoned traders told stories of traveling to all the villages in the Land, but he kept his origin to himself. Still, it felt good to be around people who were jovial in nature and open to whomever gave an ear.

  Levi was quiet but courteous with the strangers. His infrequent—albeit constructive—responses proved he was prone to deeper thought than Connor had previously accredited him. When the owners of the inn called it a night, Connor taught Levi the game of rock-paper-scissors to determine who would sleep on the single bed in the small room. After a practice round, the men played the game in earnest, and then Connor spread his bedroll on the guest room floor.

  The village of Riverside was active with trade and smelled like stewed beef. Most of the elders were busy gathering their harvests, but when the overseer heard Connor’s message, he immediately sent word for the elders to meet. After departing Riverside, a three-day journey took them to the outskirts of the village of Stonehill.

  Perched on the front bench of the wagon, on the eighth day of what was a much smoother trip than he’d anticipated, Connor enjoyed the long day of travel through the Land. Levi wasn’t much of a conversationalist, but he was less surly than he had been at home. Connor didn’t mind that they had to sleep on the ground when they camped between villages. The nights grew cooler the farther south they traveled, and he was looking forward to arriving in Stonehill.

  Shadows played across the horses’ backs as they pulled the wagon beneath a tall tree. Comfortable with the primitive vehicle’s rattle and sway, Connor folded his arms and relaxed while Levi drove toward Stonehill. As they passed the entrance to a salt mine, Levi said they were not far from the village.

  A falcon drifted overhead. It made Connor miss flying. He thought less about his old life with each passing day. He preferred to stay focused on the present, and at present he was on a peaceful wagon ride through beautiful country.

  Certain places in the Land reminded him of other parts of the world, though differences remained. The forest near Good Springs made him think of southeastern Australia. The country around Riverside with its big sky and mountains r
ising in the distance resembled the American West. And as they traveled toward Stonehill, he thought of the North Atlantic coast in Canada.

  Still, no matter where he was in the Land, he could not shake the feeling that he was at the end of the earth.

  Outside the village of Stonehill, the wagon meandered atop cliffs near the coast. The road veered high above the ocean with no guardrails or warning signs and only a few feet of packed earth between the wagon wheels and the edge of the cliff. A cabin on the bluffs in the distance reminded him of Frank Roberts.

  His concern for Lydia flooded back. She was never far from his thoughts anyway. He had plenty of time to think during the journey, and he spent most of the time thinking of Lydia.

  Connor appreciated how peaceful life was without the constant interruption of technology, but he also found himself wishing for some way to contact Lydia. He hated that they fought the night before he left. He’d missed many hours of sleep wishing he could talk to her and know they were still friends.

  The road veered away from the cliff and to the village ahead. They passed one house, then another. A woman was hanging wet clothes on a line strung from the side of her house to the trunk of a thin pine tree. Levi pulled the wagon near her yard. Its wheels sent chickens scurrying in all directions. Levi asked the woman about Overseer Vestal. She pointed at the parsonage.

  The Vestals were friendly and eager to welcome Levi and Connor into their home. Overseer Vestal insisted they call him Wade. He was the first person in the Land that Connor had considered portly. Mrs. Vestal seemed exuberant to have guests and disappeared into the kitchen, humming while pots and pans clanked.

  Wade ushered Connor and Levi through a narrow hallway and into a formally decorated sitting room. He motioned for them to sit on chairs upholstered with thick, red velvet. Then Wade popped up again and shouted back down the hallway. “Hazel! Send for Phillipa! Tell her we have gentlemen guests!”

  “Right away, dear!” Mrs. Vestal’s response had a singsong quality.

  Wade shifted his ample weight in the chair. “So you have come from Good Springs with news?”

  Levi handed John’s letter to the overseer. Wade chewed his cheek as he read it, his eyes widening all the while. Then he asked Connor for his report. Wade folded the letter in half and creased it between his thumb and forefinger several times as he listened to Connor. All at once, he seemed to realize he was creasing another man’s paper and handed the letter back to Levi.

  Connor explained about the people from other lands that were scouring the world for resources. He’d already given the speech several times before they reached Stonehill. He explained the Land was currently undetectable to outsiders, but the people of the Land must refrain from certain technologies to help keep it that way.

  Levi asked about the inventor whom Lydia had met years ago. Wade said he knew the man and nodded his head. His plump jowls jiggled rapidly. “Yes, yes. This matter does sound pertinent, gentleman. I’ll gather the elders. And I’ll speak to Jeremiah Cotter—though I doubt he has gotten very far with his inventions. His heart troubles him, and he spends most of his days in bed.” Wade looked at Connor then. “Such is the course for the ailments a man is born with. No amount of gray leaf tea will heal those afflictions.”

  The front door of the parsonage creaked open, then footsteps and whispering came down the hall. Mrs. Vestal appeared in the doorway. “Excuse me, gentlemen,” she said while wiping her hands on a flower-print dishtowel. “May I present my daughter, Miss Phillipa Vestal.”

  A young woman stepped into the doorway. She looked to be in her late teens and had an attractive figure. Connor’s eyes moved from her ribbon-laced shoes up to her face, and then he had to look away quickly. She had a thick line of dark hair above her upper lip and only one eye that focused directly ahead.

  “I’m pleased to make your acquaintance,” she said.

  Connor glanced at her and nodded politely.

  The young woman smiled, revealing a flock of yellow teeth that darted in every direction. She closed her lips but one snaggletooth refused to be concealed.

  Levi stood and introduced himself.

  She shook his hand but kept one eye pointed at Connor.

  * * *

  After dinner and a long evening of conversation, Mrs. Vestal showed Connor and Levi to the guest room. Relieved to see two beds, Connor walked to the bed nearest the window and kicked off his shoes. He lifted the heavy-framed sash window. Fresh air blew through the room. Levi tossed his satchel on the other bed and began to rifle through it.

  As Connor reclined on the bed, he stretched his legs to the end of the mattress and rested his hands behind his head. He wondered what Lydia was doing at that exact moment. He imagined her riding her horse, rushing to someone who needed help. If she were in any modern society, she would probably be an emergency room doctor. He tried to imagine her wearing scrubs and using computerized medical equipment to check vital signs, but the image didn’t suit her. A thought occurred to him and he sat up. “Hey Levi, what is the custom here when a man is interested in a woman?”

  Levi’s eyes shot open and he grinned. “Yes, right, well,” he fumbled for words and seemed pleased with Connor for the first time since his arrival. “First, you must go to her father and ask his permission.”

  That sounded a bit serious to Connor. He raised a finger. “What if you aren’t sure you want to marry her yet… you just want to get to know her? We call it dating. What do you call it?”

  “Do you mean courting?”

  “I guess.”

  “You still must ask her father first. Otherwise, your intentions would seem questionable.”

  That sounded fair. “All right. Let’s say I talk to the girl’s father and he’s fine with it. Then what?”

  “Then you visit her and spend time with her. Go on walks, picnics, that type of thing.”

  “What if I spend some time with her and realize I don’t like her as much as I thought I would… am I obligated to marry her?” He doubted that would happen, but it was best to know all the facts before he got himself into something serious.

  “No. I don’t think so.” Levi looked deep in thought for a moment. “Of course you shouldn’t ask for her hand in marriage unless you are sure.”

  “Right, thanks.” Connor reclined on the bed. He felt confident he could handle their customs and imagined going to John Colburn to ask permission to court his daughter. John was a fair man and seemed to like him, so he guessed his chances of approval were good. As he began to plan exactly what he would say to John, Connor sensed Levi was still looking at him.

  “Well?” Levi asked.

  “Well what?”

  “Are you going to go speak with Wade?”

  “About what?”

  “Phillipa.”

  “Wade’s daughter?”

  “Of course. Isn’t that who you were speaking of?”

  “Seriously?” Connor would have found Levi’s miscalculation humorous if the overseer’s daughter were less pitiful. During dinner Connor had felt something rub his ankle several times, and when he finally looked under the table he saw it was Phillipa’s foot. He had glanced up at her and she tried to give him a seductive look.

  He shuddered. “No, not her.”

  Levi pushed his hands through his hair. His friendly smile was gone. He marched to the door. Connor hoped Levi would leave the room without asking any more questions, but Levi turned back around and crossed his arms over his chest. He lowered his voice an octave. “What exactly are your intentions with Lydia?”

  Connor appreciated Levi’s willingness to fight for his sister’s honor. He doubted Levi would believe he was willing to fight for it too. “My intentions?” Connor repeated, unsure if he wanted to answer Levi’s question.

  “Yes. I know you have wishes for my sister. What are they?” Levi demanded.

  “I have wishes for Lydia? Yeah, yeah, I do.” Connor sucked in a breath and sat up. “I wish that stalker of hers would spontaneo
usly combust. I wish the village would acknowledge her worth and start calling her Doctor. I wish she owned a pair of jeans. Those are a few of my wishes for Lydia.”

  Levi turned and stormed out.

  Connor lay back down on the bed. The front door opened and slammed shut. So much for camaraderie. Levi could deal with the horses and wagon by himself for one night. They still had to travel to Southpoint before retracing the road back to Good Springs, and there wouldn’t be many occasions for giving each other personal space.

  Chapter Ten

  A wagon rumbled on the road in front of the Colburn property. Lydia stepped to the kitchen window to look out. The wagon passed the house and continued driving toward the village. Lydia shuffled back to the kitchen sink and began peeling potatoes.

  John walked out of the pantry holding a handful of green beans. “Who was that?”

  “William McIntosh, I believe.” She stopped what she was doing, took a ceramic bowl from the cabinet, and placed it on the kitchen table in front of Isabella. Then she returned to peeling potatoes at the sink.

  John laid the green beans in a pile on the table in front of Isabella. She reached to the pile and began snapping the beans. As she dropped the pieces into the bowl, her lips twitched. “Shouldn’t the boys be back by now?”

  Lydia looked at her father and waited for his reassuring response.

  John filled a large pot with water and set it on the stove. “It depends on how long it takes them to meet with the elders in each village. I expected them to be away for at least three weeks.”

  “It has been nearly four, has it not?” Isabella asked.

  “Tomorrow.” Lydia peeled the last potato and set it aside with the rest. “Four weeks tomorrow.”

  “Now ladies, worry accomplishes nothing.” John gathered the potatoes and carried them to the stove. “Rest assured, they will be back any day—”