The Uncharted Series Omnibus

by Keely Brooke Keith

  Though no one else was on the road, she lowered her voice. “Everett is also happy. It seems strange after having killed a man.”

  His eyebrows raised then lowered, but his gaze stayed on the road ahead. “I didn’t kill anyone.”

  “I meant in defense, of course… ending the life of an evil man.”

  “I didn’t end anyone’s life.”

  His words mystified her. She had been certain he killed Felix. She glanced up at the gray leaf tree limbs arching overhead. The silvery leaves of the trees met halfway over the road and intertwined in a thick blend that blocked the sun. She sighed. “I thought your father said that Felix is dead.”

  “He is.” Levi put both of his hands in his pockets. “I can’t say any more about what happened. Perhaps I will be able to tell you one day but not yet.”

  She kept her hand around his arm. She did not understand what he meant, but she trusted him. They walked in silence along the road. Then, when she could not bear her curiosity any longer, she glanced at him again. “What has caused the other part?”

  He turned only his eyes toward her. “Of what?”

  “You said that securing our safety was only part of the reason for your happiness. I wondered what the other part was.”

  “Oh.” He nodded and drew a breath. “I made peace with my father. I finally came to an understanding of the things that used to anger me. I didn’t want to be that man any more. I let go of the demands and bitterness and found forgiveness. It’s really freeing.” He removed a hand from his pocket and tapped his chest. “I feel like I have more room to breathe.”

  As Levi spoke of his liberation, Mandy studied his joyful demeanor. It was refreshing to see him happy. She thought of moments of forgiveness and release in her life and smiled. “I’m pleased to hear it—for you and for your father. How did he react to your confession?”

  “He was quick to forgive. I always thought my father’s graciousness was a pretense—a part of his profession—and I wanted nothing to do with it.” He grinned. “Do you know that feeling on a cloudy day when just before dusk the clouds break directly overhead and it casts an unnatural light on everything?” She nodded and he continued. “That’s how I feel with my father now. I held such dark opinions of him and couldn’t understand why everyone else seemed blind to his nature. Now I know the animosity I felt was not between us—it was in me.” He looked serious for a moment and then shook his head. “I misspent many years harboring resentment, but no more.”

  “It seems we all have some reason to be bitter, but since we have life before us, we also have a reason to let it go.” Mandy glanced at the pasture as they approached her family’s property. She had not set foot on that pasture since the day she was hauled across it against her will. The barn in the distance caught her attention. She felt the urge to be in her workshop creating the instruments that gave meaning to her emptiness, but she did not want to part ways with Levi again and leave anything unsaid. “I’m sorry about the other night. I hated fighting with you, and I was wrong.”

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  She slowed their pace as they walked onto her family’s property. “No, I need to say this. You asked me if there was something more between us. I wasn’t prepared for that and I handled it poorly. The truth is… you mean a lot to me. Not only because you rescued me and protected me, but also because you listened to me, and you didn’t judge me. I know I can trust you always. And you were right: we are different together now. It probably sounds bizarre, but I’m grateful for what happened to me because I came out of it with your friendship. That’s how much you mean to me.” Her face felt hot as if she were blushing. “I’m not telling you this to stir intrigue—we both know there can be nothing more because of my past and the village’s tradition—but you deserve to know that I like being with you.”

  Mandy let go of Levi’s arm and he caught her hand in his. He held it and looked at her. His eyes were serious, but he had not lost his grin. The sun’s rays touched his face and golden specks lit the brown of his eyes. He seemed to be asking something with a look, but she did not know what. She glanced at the farmhouse and back at him. “Would you like to join us for dinner?”

  He shook his head and then let go of her hand. “Thank you, but there is something I must finish.”

  “Well, thank you for walking me home.”

  When Levi simply smiled, Mandy nodded and turned and walked to her house. Shep hobbled down from the porch and bounded toward her, tail wagging. She glanced back once and saw Levi walking across the road to his property.

  * * *

  Mandy wiped a clean rag over the polished surface of a newly completed violin and dropped the cloth onto her workbench. She plucked the violin’s strings and adjusted the tuning, then she raised the new wood instrument to her chin. Delight flushed through her as she moved the bow across the violin for the first time.

  After Mandy played a few scales, she began to play the melody of an old hymn her grandfather had taught her when she was a child. It was the first song she played on each instrument she crafted, though her reason for the ritual escaped her. She never sang the hymn while she played, but she always meditated on the lyrics as each note rang out. The hymn called for praise and spoke of redemption and the triumph of grace. Mandy understood those themes more now than ever. She thought of Levi’s recent reconciliation with his father and his evident peace when he told her about it on their walk home only days before.

  As she began the last stanza of the hymn, Mandy glanced at the open door and saw John Colburn leaning against the doorframe, watching her play. With his arms crossed over his chest and his head slightly tilted, the overseer reminded her of Levi.

  She smiled at him and lowered the bow to her side. “Hello, Mr. Colburn.”

  “Please, do not stop on my account. That is one of my favorite hymns.” He began to hum the melody as he stepped into the workshop. “I was downstairs helping your father and heard you playing. I hoped you would not mind my visit.”

  “Not at all.” She gestured to the wooden stool in front of her workbench, offering it to John, but he shook his head.

  He motioned for her to sit instead. Then he scratched his trimmed beard. “I wondered how you are coping with everything that happened last week.”

  “Fine, I’m sure.” Mandy answered quickly as she sat on the wooden stool. She set the violin and bow on her workbench and looked up at the overseer. John leaned a hand on the surface of the workbench and waited for her to elaborate. His intense gaze made her feel small—not insignificant but childlike—and forced her to ponder his question further. “Felix and Harvey’s deaths brought an end to my nightmare—everyone else’s too, I suppose. I will probably struggle for years to come with the memory of being attacked, but I’m ready to move forward.”

  John nodded and pursed his lips. “Your father tells me you will not be performing next week. It would be quite a disappointment to the village if you did not contribute your beautiful music to your father’s annual party. It would hardly seem like autumn in Good Springs without dancing in the Fosters’ barn.”

  “Mr. Colburn…” Mandy looked down at her hands and began to pick at her varnish-stained cuticles. “I mean no disrespect by refusing to perform. On the contrary, my purpose is to avoid drawing attention to myself. There are other musicians who will play.”

  She heard John’s deep exhalation and glanced at him. He nodded as if he understood, but she looked away, thinking he could not possibly understand her motivation.

  “Amanda, I believe returning to your old routine—not old behavior but your usual activities—will cultivate the sense of normalcy you desire.” He lifted a hand and smiled. “But I did not come up here to persuade you to perform at the party. When I heard you playing, I felt I should encourage you to use your gift for the good of the community. Your music is important to this village. You are important to this village and to my family… particularly to my son.”

  Mandy’s eyes shot up
to him and—when he smiled—she realized she had just given her thoughts away.

  John walked past her and examined some of the unfinished instruments in their various stages of completion on shelves along the opposite wall. “Sometimes you remind me of Hannah; the resemblance is not physical but in spirit. I often wonder if Levi realizes it. Do you remember much about Mrs. Colburn?” When John glanced at Mandy, she smiled and shook her head.

  He tapped a finger on a carved violin piece and continued speaking as he inspected the instruments. “Hannah was creative… contemplative… playful… occasionally mischievous. She was musical, too. She was always singing or humming. When I asked for her hand in marriage, she was barely eighteen, yet she carried herself with such dignity. Years later, when I stepped into my father’s position, she filled her roll as an overseer’s wife quite gracefully. At home, she had a fiery wit and aired unorthodox opinions that others were rarely privy to. I found her mysterious and lighthearted at the same time. She was respectful and refreshing, though I never felt like I knew her fully. At first her complexity confused me, but as our love grew, it enticed me all the more. I made it my life’s ambition to study her.” John looked at a shelf of tools as he spoke. “I see that passion in Levi’s devotion to you.”

  Mandy felt her jaw drop open and she promptly closed it. Levi had made his attraction to her obvious in the past, but the thought of him presently being passionately devoted to her came as a surprise. She decided the overseer had not been as astute in his observations as she previously credited him. Still, the sweetness of being loved the way John described loving his late wife made Mandy wish he were right about Levi.

  John turned back from the shelf and looked at her. “So you will consider it then?”

  “Pardon?”

  “Will you consider performing at your father’s party?”

  “Oh, yes.” Mandy chuckled and felt heat in her face. “Of course, Mr. Colburn, I will consider it.”

  * * *

  Levi stood on the front porch of his house, examining the wood grain on the new double bed he had built from leftover gray leaf lumber. The sound of wagon wheels diverted his attention to the road. Samuel Foster directed a team of horses as they pulled his wagon onto Levi’s property and close to his house. Fallen leaves crunched under the wagon’s wheels as it rolled to a stop. Everett jumped from the back of the wagon and grinned when his feet hit the ground. “We have something for you, Levi.”

  Levi descended the porch steps and walked to Samuel. “What is all this?”

  Samuel looped the reins around the wagon bench, then he set the brake and climbed down with a grunt. “It’s a cook stove for your new kitchen, my boy!”

  Levi put his hand on the wagon’s side and looked at the new, lacquered stove. Everett let down the gate at the back of the wagon and pulled a length of stovepipe into his arms. As Everett carried the pipe into the house, Samuel patted Levi’s shoulder. “This is the least I can do.”

  Levi looked at him. “I don’t understand. You owe me nothing, Mr. Foster.”

  “Oh, but I do.” His chin quivered under his white beard until he pressed his lips together. “You brought my daughter home. She was taken from us—ripped from our lives—and you found her. The day you brought her home, I asked Roseanna what we could possibly do for you and she said you would need a stove in your new house. So I sent trade to the iron man in Southpoint right away.” He motioned to the stove on the wagon. “I had hoped it would arrive before you completed the house, but you’re a fast builder. The trader assured me it would fit through the front door.”

  “Thank you. I’m overwhelmed.” Levi glanced at Everett as he came out of the house and returned to the wagon. Everett picked up another length of pipe and several tools. Levi noticed Everett’s cheeky grin and knew he had some secret that he hoped would be discovered.

  As Everett took the tools into the house, Samuel inched closer to Levi. “There is one more thing. Years ago you asked for my blessing with Mandy and I gladly gave it. You weren’t the only person disappointed when she rejected you. She was very young, very foolish then, you understand? But I’m a man who truly believes our past is best left behind us. I want you to know you still have my blessing, son, should you ever need it.”

  Levi began to reply, but Samuel glanced at the house and held up a finger. Levi looked back and saw Everett walking down the porch steps, still wearing his goofy grin. Despite Samuel’s attempt to conceal the matter, Everett was obviously aware of his father’s purpose. Samuel turned to the wagon and cleared his throat. “When we find ourselves given a second chance, we should all be sure to use it wisely.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Mandy perched on the edge of the round, cushioned seat in front of her dressing table and tried not to wrinkle the back of her new dress. With a row of hairpins trapped between her lips, she swirled her long curls behind her head, twisting the hunk of hair upon itself again and again until the bulk of it was subdued in a tight knot at the nape of her neck. She plucked the hairpins from her lips one at a time and secured the wiry bun into place. The stubborn shorter curls along her hairline broke free from the bun and framed her face without permission. She glanced in the mirror one last time and smoothed her eyebrows into fine arches before she left her bedroom.

  As Mandy walked into the kitchen, her mother marched out of the linen closet carrying a tall stack of folded napkins. “It takes a whole day just to wash and iron these after the party each year, but it’s worth it.”

  Mandy opened her hands. “I can take them outside.”

  “Thank you. Don’t you look lovely! You should get a shawl—there’s already a chill in the air.” Roseanna unloaded the stack into Mandy’s arms. “Everett is lighting the lanterns in the barn.”

  “He needs to tune his guitar before people start arriving.” Mandy pushed the back door open with her elbow. “The wagons will be pulling up any minute. Are you coming?”

  “I have to get my dancing shoes. I’ll be right out.” Roseanna winked then disappeared down the hallway.

  As Mandy stepped out the door, she propped her chin on top of the napkins to steady the stack. She moved carefully through the yard and stopped at one of the picnic tables in front of the barn. After she set the napkins down, she divided them into smaller stacks. Then she smoothed the ribbing at the front of her gray dress and wished she could spend the evening in her workshop instead of performing.

  Everett jogged out of the barn and brushed dust from the dark buttoned vest he wore over a dress shirt. As he unrolled his sleeves, he stopped in front of Mandy. “Are you ready to start the music?”

  “Not really. This is my first time in front of a crowd since…” She looked at the setting sun, then back at Everett as she wiped her sweaty palms on her dress. “I don’t want to draw attention to myself.”

  “I know.” He gave her a look that was more paternal than that of a younger sibling. “You’ll be fine. The village needs this. We all do.” A wagon pulled in from the road and he turned his head. “Would you tune my guitar for me, please? Father is preparing the roast, and I have to direct the wagons.”

  “Of course.”

  Everett buttoned his sleeves at the wrist as he started toward the incoming wagon. Mandy watched him meet guests at the entrance. The back of the open wagon was filled with children singing. Another wagon turned in behind the first. Most of the villagers would be on the property before the sun went down, and they would be ready to dance.

  Mandy walked through the wide doorway and into the empty barn. The floor had been swept clean, and wooden benches lined the walls. Dozens of lanterns hung from the rafters. She stepped to the center of the room where the instruments were set up on a small platform. She had added several extra instruments for the village’s musicians who would take a turn performing. First she tuned the violins, then the guitars. She carried a crate of gourd shakers to the door for the village children to play with. As she walked back to the center of the barn, people began fi
ling into the spacious open building. They were smiling and anticipating a song. Mandy picked up her grandfather’s old violin. She felt a slight tremble in her fingertips but willed herself to focus on the music. Remembering the overseer’s encouragement to use her gift to bless the village, she smiled at the children entering the barn and started to play.

  Wagon after wagon arrived. Some people came into the barn and began to dance; others milled around the tables outside. At dusk Mandy saw Everett lighting lanterns on the tables outside. It was time to eat. The final note resounded from her violin and she lowered her bow to her side. After carefully placing the old violin back in its case, she went outside and surveyed the crowd.

  Two little girls followed her and latched onto her hands. As she told them how beautiful they were in their dancing skirts, she glanced up and saw Levi walking his elderly aunt to a table. The girls pulled at Mandy’s arms, both asking her questions at the same time, but her eyes remained fixed on Levi. She watched as he helped Isabella to her seat, then he carefully draped her shawl over her shoulders. Isabella said something to him and he laughed with her before he stepped away. As Mandy watched him, she thought of how he took care of his family, of his gentleness, and of his strength. He looked up at Mandy and stopped walking as if the sight of her surprised him somehow. His mouth slowly curved in half a smile and she wondered what he was thinking. The girls hanging from her arms both raised their volume, begging for her attention. She forced herself to remove her gaze from Levi and looked down at the girls to answer their question. “Yes, girls, I would love to sit by you.”

  Roseanna whirled by Mandy and handed her an apron. “I need you in the serving line, Amanda. One of my helpers stood too close to the roasting fire and got the vapors. I sent her into the house to lie down.” Roseanna waved a hand at the girls. “Go sit with your mother, girls. Miss Foster is busy.”