The Uncharted Series Omnibus

by Keely Brooke Keith

  Levi heard movement inside the wagon. He wondered if Mandy were awake or simply moving in her sleep as she had the night before in his arms. He listened and waited, in case she needed something.

  Her voice came in a broken whisper. “Everett?” She paused and then tried again. “Everett?”

  Levi looked at Everett, who was lying on a woolen blanket on the ground between him and Connor. Everett was asleep with one arm over his head and his mouth half open. Levi inhaled and pushed himself to his feet. He stepped to the back of the wagon and leaned his hands against its gate as he peered inside. “What do you need?”

  Mandy sat up from where she was lying on the bedroll Connor had brought for her. She tucked her arms beneath the blanket and cleared her throat. “I need Everett.”

  “He’s asleep. Do you want me to wake him?”

  “No… I guess not.”

  The moonlight seeped through the wagon’s cover and Levi could see her eyes watching him. He wished he could be like Connor, who seemed always to anticipate the needs of others. Levi felt not only a willingness to help but also desperation to meet her needs. The novel sensation drove him to seek clear direction. “Tell me what you need.”

  “I cannot be alone in here.” Her voice was small and childlike—a sharp contrast to the bold and autonomous woman she had been.

  He realized she was sleeping in the place that had once been her prison and he understood her fear. “Do you want to sleep out here by your brother?”

  “No.”

  “What can I do?”

  “Come in here with me.”

  Though taught to care about how things might appear to other people, he trusted himself and the men with him. Besides, he had something he needed to say to her and decided this was as good a time as any. He sighed. “Fine. Move over.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered as she scooted to the edge and lay back down.

  He climbed into the wagon bed beside her. Reclining on his side with his hand propped under his ear, he looked at her. She was on her back, facing the arched canvas ceiling. He traced the silhouette of her face with his eyes and waited to see if she would go back to sleep or try to talk to him. He knew her well enough to expect the latter.

  She turned her head toward him and drew a breath. “Everett said we should be home before noon tomorrow.” Her voice was quiet and raspy.

  “Yes.” When he said no more, she turned her face back to the ceiling and he regretted his reticence. He wanted to speak and could tell she was still awake, but he waited. Guilt had grated his mind since the moment he heard she had been abducted, and he could not bear it any longer. “There is something I need to tell you.”

  She turned her head toward him but said nothing.

  “I want you to know I’m sorry for the way I have treated you.”

  Her eyebrows rose. “You rescued me, Levi. That’s not something you should apologize for.”

  “No, I mean before that… for years… ever since…” He could not bring himself to say it. She was not to blame for his reaction to her rejection. “I was bitter toward you. I saw you as nothing more than a beautiful source of pain. I regret my behavior. You and I grew up together, but I allowed my selfishness to diminish our friendship and for that I am sorry.”

  She was silent. He hoped for a quick reply of acceptance. He even expected an acerbic remark but not silence. He wondered if it was the attack and abduction that had crushed her spirit or if Felix and Harvey had inflicted more harm while they held her captive. He wanted the fiery, provoking Mandy back—he knew how to deal with her. This broken, quiet woman worried him. “Mandy?”

  She rolled toward him and reclined on her side, using her arm for a pillow. Then she looked at him. “I will accept your apology to ease your guilt, but I hardly think it’s necessary. You offered me love and I taunted you. You weren’t the only one—my pleasure came from toying with men’s affection, but no more. I hope to live the rest of my life never being desired again. The very thing that once gave me such pleasure, I now find detestable. It’s my fault. I got what was coming to me. I have seen the result of my behavior and I’m ashamed.”

  “You can’t possibly believe this was your fault… that what you have been through was some kind of punishment for batting your eyelashes at men. You are innocent.” Levi tried to keep his voice down, but his words poured with passion.

  “I am not innocent.”

  “Did he take that from you?”

  “Harvey?”

  “Yes, Felix’s son? Did he steal your innocence?” Levi’s anger against Felix and Harvey burned with fervent hatred.

  “No. I lost that long ago.”

  He could barely see her features in the dark. Despite her words he did not believe she would give herself away knowing what that meant for her future in their village. Someone must have forced her. “Who did that to you?”

  Mandy was silent again. He heard her swallow and he waited for her to speak. She looked at his face but not his eyes. “The summer I turned nineteen, the shearers came. One was several years older than me. I felt flattered by his attention and I gave in to his advances—”

  “No, Mandy. Don’t say it—”

  “I must. It is the truth. I did it willingly. The shearer left the village soon after, and I never saw him again. No one knew what I had done… except Lydia. She has kept my secret all these years. I knew no good man would have me after that, but it didn’t matter to me then. All I lost was my ability to regret, but somehow… this nightmare has returned that ability to me. Now I regret it and every lascivious thought I’ve ever had.” Her gaze met his. “Now that my secret is out, do you wish to withdraw your apology?”

  “No.” His answer came quickly and he meant it. Regardless of the village’s tradition, he would not reject her—not for that or any other reason.

  “I will understand if you choose never to speak to me again.” Her voice sounded raw.

  Levi wanted to reach out to her but kept his hands where they were. He was drawn more by her vulnerability than he had ever been by her flirting. “I won’t hold your past against you and I promise never to speak of it.”

  “Thank you, Levi.” Mandy was still and quiet for a moment. Then she raised herself and pulled a satchel under her head for a pillow. She tugged her blanket close to her chin and then held still again.

  Levi watched her face until her eyes slowly closed. He heard her short, shallow breaths. Despite taking the medicine, she was still in pain. He had never known anyone to have pain that tea made from the gray leaf tree did not immediately remove.

  He shifted slightly and she gripped his arm. Her eyes shot open. “Please, don’t leave.”

  “I won’t leave you.”

  She left her hand on his arm but lessened her grip.

  Levi remained motionless. He listened to her breathe and thought about her confession—not her words but her tacit need for restoration. Instead of seeking to secure her affection for himself, he wanted to be a part of her healing by confirming her and strengthening her. Connor had said the physical wounds were only half of it, and Levi knew what that meant as he watched her fall back to sleep. Restoration for Mandy would not be a simple return to her previous condition—even she had said she hoped never to elicit desire again. Her restoration would require redemption.

  He considered what her secret meant for her as a woman in the Land: a life lived unwed, not out of choice—which held no shame—but out of disgrace. Though no one knew her secret except Lydia and now him, he would keep his promise never to speak of it. He would never shame her.

  He took Connor’s advice to consider her perspective, and he found little wonder in the fact she had floated through suitors, deflecting every serious attempt for her heart. By tradition, she would have to confess her ruined virtue to accept any proposal, and rare would be the man willing to dishonor himself by taking a wife who was by tradition considered marred. To protect herself and her family she had carefully guarded her heart. He wanted that to
be his duty.

  As he studied her delicate fingers still touching his arm, he realized she had never been loved for who she was—faults and all—not by him or any other man. Her hope was now to remain undesired and, if that were what she needed, he would put aside his attraction to her. She needed protection, both physically and for her dignity—and he could provide that. His presence and comfort may help her heal and lead to her restoration, but for some reason it still did not seem like enough.

  Chapter Seven

  Levi opened the back door of the Fosters’ farmhouse and held it as Everett walked Mandy inside. Roseanna gasped with startled delight and dropped a jar of pickled beets on the kitchen floor. She rushed past the puddle of purple juice, soggy roots, and broken glass to get to her daughter. Levi took care of the mess while Roseanna wept joyfully over Mandy’s return. As Roseanna escorted Mandy to her bedroom, Everett ran to the barn to tell Samuel the good news, and Connor took the wagon to get Lydia.

  Levi listened to the muffled sounds of Mandy and Roseanna’s tearful reunion as he scooped the glass and beets from the kitchen floor with a tea towel. He dropped the sticky mess into the rubbish bin then looked up as the back door banged open and Samuel dashed by. Everett walked in the house after his father and coolly closed the door. Its latch made a sharp click against the strike plate. Everett went to the kitchen sink and filled a glass with water. Then he sat at the table and put his feet on the chair across from him. He looked pleased with himself, and his pride was well deserved.

  Levi wiped the floor and rinsed the beet juice from his fingertips. He dried his hands on his trousers as he stepped to the table and pulled out a chair. As he sat, Lydia burst through the Fosters’ front door. She held her medical bag and panted as she glanced at Levi. He rose and pointed to the hallway. She disappeared into the corridor without saying a word.

  Connor, John, and Bethany hurried into the house after Lydia. Levi met them near the front door. Bethany clasped her arms around him then let go and moved directly to Everett in the kitchen. Levi watched as Everett stood and embraced her. Their friendship appeared to be intimate but if there were more, it remained unsaid. After witnessing Everett’s behavior—searching and caring for Mandy—Levi would gladly bless a union between Everett and Bethany.

  John put his hand on Levi’s shoulder. “I am proud of you, son. Connor gave me the details on the way here.” Levi nodded at his father.

  Samuel stepped out of Mandy’s bedroom. Silence blanketed the room as he came from the hallway. He raised both palms. “Doctor Bradshaw sent me out of the room—she said she cannot hear Mandy’s heartbeat with me blubbering.” Samuel gave a small smile; his eyes were happy but red from crying. He stuck out his hand to Levi. “I can’t thank you enough. She told us how you found her.” He shook Levi’s hand then yanked him into a hug and patted his back heartily.

  When Samuel released Levi, he reached for Connor. “You brought my daughter home. Thank you!” He turned to the kitchen table. “And Everett! You have proven yourself valiant, son.” Samuel continued his jovial commendations as he walked to the kitchen.

  The men followed Samuel and he gestured for them to sit at the table. Bethany removed herself from the kitchen and went into Mandy’s bedroom with the other women. Connor sat beside Levi at the table. He leaned back in the wooden chair and pulled something out of his trouser pocket. Levi looked at the small, black device as Connor picked at its colored wires. Levi nudged Connor. “What is that?”

  Connor glanced at Levi then at the other men. He laid the device on the table. “It’s part of an electrical wiring harness. Mandy found it by the creek when we stopped yesterday.”

  Levi stared at the strange clump of wires and plastic. “An electrical wiring harness? How did it get to the Land?”

  “It’s probably debris from the aircraft.” Connor shifted sideways in his chair and put his arm over the back of it, effusing nonchalance.

  Samuel shrugged and returned to the subject at hand. “John, there are locks on every house in the village. People are not allowing their children to play out-of-doors.”

  John nodded. “I know. I have kept Bethany within my sight for five days. She is anxious to get back to work at the pottery yard.” John glanced at Connor. “And I have kept watch over Lydia, too, of course. Despite what happened, they have already grown weary of my safeguarding.”

  Samuel lowered his voice. “Roseanna stands and looks out the window for several minutes before she walks to the garden. I know a lot of that had to do with Mandy being gone, but she is still truly afraid they will come back and cause more destruction.”

  “We cannot live in fear forever,” John added.

  “Felix and Harvey will come back to the village.” Everett spoke up, drawing the men’s attention for the first time. “It’s simply a matter of when.”

  “It may be years.” Samuel raised his palm. “It’s been eleven years since their last attack in Good Springs.”

  “Yes, but there is something here that they want.” Levi felt his pulse quicken as he thought of them trying to take Mandy or Bethany again. “Mandy said they were planning to meet Christopher at the bridge to the west. When he doesn’t show up, they will come back to Good Springs.”

  Connor’s eyes were on the electrical device, his face full of concern. “We need to be prepared when they come.”

  John crossed his arms over his chest. “Bethany is terrified, and I assume Mandy even more so, but they will not stay locked away indefinitely. I have raised four girls—they will only tolerate the constant guarding for so long.”

  Levi felt his father’s focus was on the wrong aspect of the situation. He leaned forward, resting an arm on the table. “I’m not concerned with whether or not the women find our protection annoying. Felix will come back here—and when he does we need to be ready to fight. He and Harvey must be punished.”

  John put both hands up. “Levi.” He dragged out the word as if warning a small child of possible infraction. “We must try to resolve any confrontation peacefully—”

  Levi thought of how his father stood motionless when Felix killed his mother years before. Anger welled within Levi’s throat. He slammed his fist onto the table. “No! You cannot silence me, Father. I will not stand by while Felix destroys the people I love like you did when he attacked Mother.”

  The room fell silent. Levi glowered at his father; his stomach felt sour with the bitterness he had held since his mother’s death. John did not speak, nor did he look away. Samuel made some noise and a gesture in an attempt to diffuse the tension, but Levi kept his focus on John.

  In one movement John put his elbows on the table and wiped his face with both hands. Connor stood and tapped Everett on the back. Everett followed him to the back door. Samuel met them on the porch. They closed the door, but Levi could still hear their muffled voices.

  John exhaled slowly and folded his hands in front of him. He leveled his chin as he peered at Levi. “I know you blame me for your mother’s death, son. You may not want my perspective, but you are going to hear it: I had four daughters to protect and Felix Colburn demanded two of them—some nonsense about being a Colburn descendant and his sons deserving Colburn women as wives. Nothing like that had ever happened in the village. I was a man of forty-two years and had never encountered violence. When I denied Felix his demand, he moved quickly and forcefully. He pushed your mother and took off before I knew what had happened. Though I immediately went to her, it did not occur to me that she would die. You may despise me for the rest of your life if you so desire, but you will never loathe that day more than I do.” He leaned back in his chair and narrowed his eyes. “If you need my apology for your mother’s death, then I offer it. However, I am the overseer of this village, and if you choose to take issue with me again, you would be wise to do it privately.”

  Levi looked away from his father. An apology followed by a forceful admonition hardly seemed sincere. He thought of Connor’s advice to contemplate different perspec
tives and decided he would grant his father’s words consideration, but now was not the time.

  John waved the other men back inside, obviously able to see someone’s waiting eyes through the windowpane in the door. Connor put his hand on Levi’s shoulder before he sat back down.

  Levi listened as John told them to keep the women under guard and their doors locked until he met with the village elders. He said they would discuss the situation and—if Felix returned—find a way to resolve it as peacefully as possible. John looked at Levi when he said it and deepened his voice as if to stress his authority, but Levi looked away. His mind was made up—if he encountered Felix or Harvey again, he would administer justice without calling a meeting of the elders or asking for his father’s opinion.

  Roseanna walked into the kitchen and Bethany followed. The men became silent as Roseanna strode to the sink. She filled a kettle with water and plunked it on the stove with a clank. Lydia stepped into the kitchen from the hallway. Connor stood quickly and his chair made a rumble as it moved across the wooden floor behind him. Levi watched Lydia’s face as everyone looked to her for her prognosis. Connor moved close beside her.

  Lydia tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Mandy has suffered a mild sternal fracture. That isn’t an easy bone to break, so I know her body endured severe force. I examined her heart and lungs and, at present, I don’t detect any apparent damage.” She motioned with her hand at Roseanna, who was working in the kitchen. “We will give her a second dose of gray leaf tea, and I’m ordering bed rest for seven days.”

  Levi did not know exactly what the diagnosis implied, but he knew by Lydia’s expression it was serious. He wanted to see Mandy before he left, but the flurry of attention she received from her parents and Lydia made his presence feel superfluous. He decided to stay out of the way and walked out to the front porch.