Sophia asked, “The same as what place?”
“A farm where I lived for a summer when I was ten.” Her time with the Polk family in Virginia had changed her heart and her destiny. “It was where I discovered a love of plants and gardening.” It was also where she learned there was more to life than being shuttled between foster homes, that it was possible for a man to stay with his family, and that she was created by a God who loved her and had a purpose for her life.
And it looked exactly like the property she was riding toward. “It was the happiest time of my life.”
“How lovely,” Sophia said softly, gazing at the inn ahead.
Revel gave Bailey a concerned glance. His eyes asked a thousand questions in one brief look. He turned his face away from the inn as they approached a stone bridge that crossed what must be Falls Creek.
Another lower bridge waited on the opposite side of the property. She would cross it tomorrow morning when they left here to ride to Riverside on their quest to save Tim. Her drive to reach him hadn’t diminished, but the closer she got to the inn, the less she wanted to leave it.
The clatter of horse hooves on the bridge sent several bright blue kaka-type birds flying from the top of a tall gray leaf tree beside the inn. Their laughing calls echoed off the buildings as they glided over a dusty glass greenhouse and landed in a spindly-limbed tree near a windmill by the creek. The Polk family’s farm also had a greenhouse and windmill, but the birds were different sorts there. And the glass on Mrs. Polk’s beloved greenhouse was clean.
The stately inn had a full front porch with a swing like the Polks’. A little boy stood on the railing with one hand touching a column for balance and the other waving excitedly. For a brief second he reminded Bailey of one of the Polk boys who used to stand on their porch railing and wave when a car turned onto the property. The Polk boys would be adults now, if they had survived the water poisoning and plague. It was doubtful they had. This little man standing on the inn’s porch railing was no older than six, maybe seven. If the Land remained hidden from the outside world, he would never have to experience war or thirst or bioterrorism.
The similarities of the Inn at Falls Creek and the Polk family’s farm raced through Bailey’s mind, her emotions scrambling to stay checked. She was here for one night and then would continue on to find Tim before it was too late. This challenge was no different from the many martial arts competitions she’d won. Focus was essential to success.
Yet, she couldn’t shake the stirring in her soul to explore this place.
As she rode along the dirt driveway past the front of the inn, the reason behind every turning point in her life suddenly made sense. If she hadn’t been born to an incarcerated mother and nonexistent father, she wouldn’t have been abandoned to foster care. If she hadn’t been in foster care, she never would have lived with the Polk family for a summer. Their influence had led to her peace with God and her desire to major in botany, with the goal of having her own place in the country one day and her own gardens and greenhouse.
That dream propelled her to attend Eastern Shore University where she met Professor Timothy Van Buskirk. And if it weren’t for his mentorship and recommending her for research jobs, she never would have landed on the list where Justin Mercer noticed her name. Because of Justin and the mysterious gray leaf saplings, she was now here in the Land, here at the inn, which looked exactly like the Virginia farmhouse where her dream began.
Her thoughts came to a quick stop when the little boy’s friendly gaze landed on her. He smiled, revealing a missing front tooth. When she waved back at him, he jumped from the porch railing, cleared the bushes below, and started playing with a white and brown puppy on the dormant lawn.
A stiff breeze chilled Bailey’s face as Connor and Revel led the group to an L-shaped stable block on the west side of the inn. She swung down from the saddle, her tired hips sore from three days of riding. Gee shook her mane, and Bailey patted her neck. “I know how you feel, girl.”
A woman with brunette hair wrapped in a tight twist walked briskly toward the stable from the inn. Her long skirt swished with each determined step. She gave Connor a pleasant welcome, but her expression changed when she reached Revel. She propped her fists on her hips. “I had hoped John Colburn would talk some sense into you, but seeing as how you brought a crowd, I assume you aren’t here to accept your responsibility.”
Revel pulled her into a reluctant hug. “It’s nice to see you too, Eva.”
She gave him a one-handed pat on the back then pushed away. “Father isn’t doing well.”
“So you said in your letter.” He took a step back and opened his hand to the five of them who were standing by their horses. “Eva, you know Connor Bradshaw and Levi Colburn. This is Everett Foster. He owns the sheep farm in Good Springs where James works.”
Eva smiled warmly. “Hello, Everett.”
Revel continued the introductions, swooping his open hand toward each person in turn. “This is Sophia Ashton, Dr. Bradshaw’s medical assistant.”
“Welcome, Sophia.”
“And this,” Revel took another step back so he was standing beside Bailey, “is Bailey Colburn. She is from Connor’s country.”
Eva’s professional smile disappeared the instant Revel mentioned where Bailey was from. She looked at Connor, and he gave a slight nod confirming what Revel said. She raised her proud chin and walked toward Bailey. “So, you’re from the outside world too?”
“That’s right.” Bailey thought of her former coworker at the bar in Virginia who was also named Eva. With all that had happened since coming to the Land, she’d barely thought of the few acquaintances she’d left behind. And that was how it had to be if she was going to move on. She offered her hand, unsure by Eva’s expression if she would be too haughty for a handshake. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Eva’s smile returned with a warmth that erased Bailey’s trepidation. She clasped Bailey’s hand with the grip of a woman used to doing business in a society led by men. “Likewise. Welcome to Falls Creek.” She scanned Bailey’s clothing. “I don’t ride often, but when I do, I’m tempted to wear trousers too.”
Revel stepped between them, his brow tight. “Yes, well, we aren’t here to talk about clothes. We need to stay the night. Are there any rooms available?”
Eva gave Bailey one last quizzical look, then turned her attention to Revel. “There is only one room left in the house.” She smiled again and looked at Sophia then Bailey. “You ladies don’t mind rooming together, do you?”
“Not at all,” Sophia answered quickly. Her fingers played with the little wooden cross that dangled from the bracelet Nicholas had given her in Good Springs.
Eva folded her hands in front of her belted skirt. “The room only has a single bed. You can share it, or we can bring in a cot.”
Bailey spoke up before Sophia could answer for the both of them. “A cot would be great. Thank you.”
“Very well.” Eva’s smile vanished again as she looked at Revel. “There is plenty of room in the bunkhouse for you men.” She lifted her chin at the high arched door behind them. “Stable your horses. Solo is in there. He will show you which stalls he wants you to use.”
Revel drew back his head. “Solo?”
“Solomon Cotter. He’s our stable manager now. You remember him.”
“I remember him, yes.” Revel’s shoulders lowered. “Since when is he the stable manager?”
“Since last Friday.” Eva turned her hospitable smile back on and waved a slim hand at Bailey and Sophia. “Come, ladies. I’ll show you to your room. Revel can bring in your bags after he takes care of your horses.”
Bailey gripped the shoulder straps of her backpack. With the radio in the side pocket, there was no way she was leaving it out here. She glanced at the bedroll attached to Gee’s saddlebags. Revel reached for it, his voice slightly deflated after his conversation with his sister. “Don’t worry. I’ll carry everything up to your room shortly.”
/> He may have grown up serving guests at the inn, but the change in his demeanor made her want to help him. She reached for the buckle. “No, it’s okay. I can get it.”
He held on and whispered, “Please, allow me.”
She withdrew her hand. “Fine.”
Connor rolled the stable block’s high arched doors open and Levi and Everett walked the horses inside. Bailey gave Revel one last glance, then followed Eva toward the beautiful inn.
* * *
Chilly nighttime air stung Bailey’s nose as she slipped out the inn’s front door to the long covered porch. A sign above the door read Find rest for your souls. Indeed, she could see herself finding rest at this beautiful place if she were able to stay longer than one night, but Tim needed her. And she needed to find him before it was too late.
She closed the door quietly behind her even though the happy conversations between Revel’s family members and the crowd of guests in the dining hall were loud enough no one could have heard her go outside. As she sat on the porch’s cold wooden steps, she flipped up the collar on the wool coat Lydia had given her, then drew her two-way radio out of the pocket. A gas lamp by the inn’s front door illuminated the porch. Her breath puffed in long white clouds when she spoke into the radio.
“Tim? Tim, it’s Bailey. Are you there?”
Static hissed from the speaker.
She’d said she would try to call at sundown, but the dinner bell had summoned her and Sophia from their room to the dining hall. Bailey’s full stomach gurgled in satisfaction as she pushed the talk button again. “Tim? If you can hear me, I finally got a few minutes alone. Tim?”
No answer.
Hopefully, he was all right. Maybe his battery had drained or he’d fallen asleep early.
She tried once more. “Tim? Are you there?”
The front door opened, and Revel’s gaze zoomed straight to the radio. He grinned and spoke with a mock shame-shame quality to his voice. “Bailey, what are you doing breaking the rules?”
“Are you going to tattle on me?”
He closed the door and walked to the edge of the porch steps where she was sitting. “Never.”
“But I thought you followed Captain Connor’s orders explicitly.”
He chuckled softly. “Captain Connor. That’s cute. I won’t tell him that either.”
Whatever she’d done to form this confidence with Revel, she didn’t know, but she liked it. They had only known each other a matter of weeks, yet he felt like an old pal. When he sat close to her on the porch step, she didn’t move away. “Tim isn’t answering.” She turned off the radio and slipped it back into her coat pocket. “Thanks for keeping this between us.”
He faced her. “Always.”
She almost met his gaze, but they were close enough if she turned toward him now, it might give him the wrong idea.
A roar of laughter vibrated the dining hall windows behind them, causing her and Revel to both glance back through the glass panes. All eyes were on Connor as he regaled his audience with an after-dinner story. The faces Bailey could see were bright with fascination at whatever Connor was saying. “He certainly knows how to keep a crowd’s attention, doesn’t he?”
Revel buttoned his coat. “If he does become the overseer of Good Springs someday, half of the Land’s population will probably move there just to attend his church.”
She’d been told Connor was already training to inherit John’s place as overseer, which was both the leader of the local church and of the village council. “What do you mean if? I thought that was a done deal.”
Revel shook his head. “Connor has accepted the training and assures John he will lead the church if necessary, but he is so focused on the Land’s security, he is praying that someone else will rise up to take John’s place as Good Springs’ overseer when the time comes.”
She still wasn’t completely clear on the inheritance customs in the Land. “I thought the oldest son in a family was supposed to inherit his father’s job and property. For the Colburns, wouldn’t that be Levi?”
“Yes, but Levi knew he didn’t have the calling to be an overseer.”
“The calling? As in from God?”
“Yes. He and John reached an understanding.” He turned to look back at the people in the dining room. “Which is what I’m hoping my father and I can do.”
She followed Revel’s line-of-sight. An older man with a Santa Claus beard sat at the back table by Eva and her smiling son, Zeke. Eva had introduced the inn’s owner to her as Mr. Roberts, but for some reason Bailey hadn’t pictured the elderly man as being Revel’s dad. “He seems nice. Do you think if you told him you don’t want the inn, he would understand?”
Revel looked away from the windows and stared blankly into the darkness in front of the inn. “He never has understood before, so I don’t expect him to now. He says I’m just burning off youthful energy…. that I’ll settle down at the inn when I’m ready.”
“Is he right?”
“No. I hate being here for even one night. There is no way I could stand to live here, let alone to run the place.”
In the dining hall, Eva cleared dishes from tables while chatting with guests. “Your sister seems to have things under control. Could she inherit it instead of you?”
He shrugged. “She’s next in age, but I think by tradition our brother, James, would be offered it next.”
“Would he want to live here?”
He shook his head. “Only Eva and Sybil do. They love this place.”
Another swell of laughter flowed from inside the windows. Everyone in the dining hall—including Connor, Levi, and Everett—seemed to be enjoying themselves. Bailey couldn’t see Sophia from where she was sitting, but when she’d left the room, the young woman was happily talking with Sybil, Revel’s youngest sister.
With the delicious food and friendly atmosphere, Bailey had enjoyed herself at dinner too. She glanced around the porch with its pretty rails and inviting swing. “What’s not to love?”
“Plenty.”
“I think it’s cool here.”
“Cool?” He pressed his lips together in a serious line. “It’s just the wind blowing up from the South Pole.”
That got a laugh out of her. “No, I mean it’s cool as in this is a peaceful place where everyone wants to be.”
“Everyone except me.”
Whenever she and Revel talked about the inn and he acted like this, she kept her questions to herself. Now that she was here and enjoying the beauty and community of the inn herself, she couldn’t hold back her curiosity any longer. “What happened to make you hate it so much?”
He remained silent and studied his hands as he rubbed his thumbs across each other over and over. Since meeting him, he’d often asked her hard questions, but this was the first time she’d put him on the spot.
Finally, he let out a long breath. It clouded the cold air in front of him. “Something bad happened here when I was a child… about eight years old… no, I had just turned nine.” He lifted a hand letting her know not to ask more. “After that, I always wanted to leave. I would imagine running away. Living in a tent. Even packed a little bag one night. When the traveling traders would come through—they were always full of stories of adventures and profits—I just wanted to go with them.
“My father knew I wanted to travel, so he said I could leave the inn when I was eighteen. The day after my eighteenth birthday, I left here with the next trader who came through. My father hadn’t meant for me to leave permanently, but I found work right away and enjoyed every minute of it. I felt free.
“A couple of years later, my mother left the inn too. She moved back to her home village of Southpoint to take care of my grandparents. She said it would be a temporary arrangement, but she’s still there.
“James worked the farm here with my father’s cousin Leonard, and Sybil ran the kitchen after mother left. Then Eva got married, but her husband died a few weeks later. Eva hadn’t told him she was pregnant.
She poured herself into running the inn. After Zeke was born, Father made Eva the inn’s manager. It was supposed to be until I came back, but this place is more hers than the rest of us put together.”
He pointed a thumb at the dining hall window without looking back. “And now that she and the new stable manager are a couple, she would probably appreciate inheriting the inn more than she might admit.”
That puzzled Bailey too. “If Eva is so good at running this place and wants to live here, why is she trying to get you to move back and take over?”
“For father’s sake. It’s the tradition.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “She says he’s going senile. He seems fine to me. I think she sees him getting older and it scares her, that’s all. She lost her husband and Mother is gone. I feel sorry for her… I feel sorry for a lot of things… but if I came back to stay, it would make our lives worse, not better.”
Someone else’s family problems were more than she wanted to take on right now, or ever. Yet, something about Revel made her care about him and his family. After growing up being shuffled from one foster home to the next, it usually took a long time before she considered anyone a friend, but this felt different. Revel was different.
She gave him a soft nudge. “Thanks for telling me.”
* * *
Revel waited until the other men were getting settled in the bunkhouse before he walked across the cold, dark yard to the inn’s side stoop. The screen door creaked open and then clattered shut behind him. As he wiped his boots on the mat, he noticed an abundance of scuff marks in the floorboards and a missing piece of molding. Twenty years ago his father let nothing fall into disrepair.
The hallway sconce was still burning, but the lamps in the kitchen and dining hall had been put out. The office door was closed, and the space between it and the floor was dark. Muffled footsteps tapped above him as people in the upstairs guest rooms got ready for bed.
Bailey was in one of those rooms. Knowing she was here made it easier for him to be in the place where a traveler’s dead body once swung from a rope. Revel’s stomach lurched at the memory. At least he didn’t lose his dinner this time like he did the night he found the man he’d accidentally driven to suicide.
Uncharted Destiny (The Uncharted Series Book 7) Page 5