“Your chances of making it to that ship are low,” Mr. McIntosh said, speaking directly to Mercer.
“I understand. My chances of making it here were also low, but I made it.”
Mr. McIntosh shrugged.
John nodded. “Anyone else?”
“I don’t object,” Mark Cotter spoke up from the pew in front of Everett, “but how will we know if he makes it to the ship?”
“Good question,” Everett muttered.
Connor answered, “We do not believe anyone on the ship can see or detect the Land. If Mercer makes it to the ship, he will not mention the Land to anyone. We may never know if he makes it to the ship, but we will know that we have not been detected if the ship leaves.”
Mr. McIntosh wiped his brow. “Then I am eager for that ship leave the horizon.”
“Me too,” Everett mumbled. Levi heard him and nodded.
When other men began to chime their agreement, John spread his hands. “Are there any objections to Justin leaving the Land?” When no one spoke, John continued. “Very well. Justin, Connor will help you get your boat ready for the morning. If there is anything you need, please let us know.”
“Actually, I would like to take some gray leaf medicine with me.”
“Of course,” John quickly agreed.
“And some seeds.” Mercer added.
John’s brow furrowed. “Seeds?”
“So I can plant gray leaf trees in America—if I make it home.”
Levi glanced at Everett. Everett shook his head. He looked at the other elders. No one objected, so Everett stood. “If seeds of the gray leaf tree are taken to the outside world and they know what it can do, they will be too impatient for the trees to mature. They will focus on finding the source. When he tells them the Land is full of gray leaf trees, his idea is likely to get us invaded.”
Connor lifted a hand. “It was my idea. The gray leaf tree cured his disease and saved Bethany. It may be the only thing that can bring healing to the nations.”
Everett looked to John, hoping the overseer would intervene. When he said nothing, Everett sat back down, defeated.
Connor glanced back at Everett. “Mercer has promised never to mention the Land to anyone.”
Levi raised a finger. “What if they ask where he got the seeds?”
“I’ll say they were floating on the ocean. I have no problem with lying if I need to.” Mercer grinned with a confidence that made Everett want to leap over two rows of elders and pound the smirk off his lying face.
Everett glowered at Mercer. “Then how do we know you aren’t lying now?”
John lifted his chin. “Thank you, Everett, that is enough. If Justin makes it to the ship, I trust he will not speak of the Land. If the Land has already been detected, I trust Justin to be our liaison and provide diplomacy. If Justin cannot make it to the ship and returns to Good Springs, we will help him find his place in the village. Justin, you may leave at sunrise. Lydia will give you whatever medicine you need, and we trust that you will keep your word. We will pray for your safe return to your homeland and we will watch for the ship to move away from our shore. Meeting adjourned.”
Everett rubbed his sweaty palms on his pants and glanced up as the elders stood from their seats and walked to the chapel doors. John put a hand on Mercer’s back and said something to him. Connor followed the elders, then he stopped when he approached the pew where Levi and Everett sat. Levi stood, but Everett waited a moment before he joined them. Connor’s gaze was fixed on the men leaving the chapel, but he angled his head toward Everett and Levi. “I need to run an idea past you guys before I mention it to John.”
“What is it?” Levi asked.
“The radio transmitter in the barn,” Connor whispered, “I want to send it with Mercer in the morning. As he rows out he could use it to tell us if he makes it to the ship and if the Land is visible from out there.”
Everett shook his head. “The aircraft carrier could pick up his transmission.”
“But it wouldn’t matter because we wouldn’t be sending any signals from the Land. He could keep his comments vague and call for their help in between so it wouldn’t sound like he was relaying information to anyone.”
“I don’t know,” Levi said as he crossed his arms. “Can we trust him with a radio transmitter? What if he sends a signal before he leaves?”
“He doesn’t know we have the radio and I won’t tell him until he’s about to leave tomorrow morning.” Connor glanced from Levi to Everett.
There was no reason to doubt Connor’s sincerity, but the potential to further jeopardize the Land’s safety seemed to be escalating. Everett flipped his hair off his forehead and glanced at Mercer and John, who were standing near the chapel door. “I don’t trust him.”
“None of us do,” Connor agreed. “But it would be helpful to know if the Land is visible from the sea or if there really is something protecting it. I’ve wanted this confirmation for three years. This may be our chance to find out—to finally live in peace knowing we are safe or confirmation that we need to make weapons and send a team of explorers to the mountain range to stake out hiding places. This may be our only chance to find out if the Land is truly in danger of invasion, and I say we take it.”
* * *
Bethany stood near the table, laying out five place settings while Lydia helped Isabella to the kitchen. The back door opened and a blast of cold air swirled into the room as John and Connor entered. The men ended a private conversation in hushed tones, piquing Bethany’s curiosity.
Connor greeted Lydia with a kiss, then he whispered something to her and she blushed. He pulled his chair out from the table to sit, but she pointed at the sink and he stepped away from the table and washed his hands. John squeezed Bethany’s shoulder as he passed her. “Quite a day, was it not? Go ahead and eat—I will be back in few minutes.”
As John disappeared up the stairs, Bethany filled Isabella’s plate then sat at the side of the table by the hearth. Connor said the blessing and reached for the serving spoon that was tucked into the edge of Lydia’s steaming chicken casserole. Lydia sat beside him and gave him a half smile as she snapped her napkin open and laid it on her lap.
John shuffled back into the kitchen and heaved a sigh as he sat at the head of the table. “Pass the bread, please, Bethany.”
Bethany glanced at her father as she set the breadbasket in his waiting hand. “Did the elders come to a decision?”
“We did.” John took a roll and set the basket near Connor. “Justin will leave at sunrise.”
Even though she knew it was coming, the news shocked Bethany. Her breath caught and she dropped her fork on her plate. The unmannerly clink drew everyone’s attention. Isabella flinched, Lydia scowled, Connor raised his eyebrows, and John’s chewing jaw went still. Bethany pushed back from the table. “No, Father! He will die. He will drown and you know it. Remember what happened to Luke and Walter? Lydia, you’ve experienced the ocean’s violence. Has everyone forgotten that? Don’t let him go, Father. Please. He will die.”
“Beth,” Connor said her name like she was a child. He patted the air as if to calm her from across the table. “He needs to try to reach that ship.”
“No, he doesn’t. He will die out there. Or is that what you want?” She glanced back and forth between her father and Connor as she sent out the accusation, hoping one of them would feel convicted. “Justin was right: I am his only friend here. I cannot believe neither of you care about a man’s life. He will drown in the ocean just like Luke and Walter did.”
Lydia left the table and busied herself at the sink. Connor set down his fork. “Neither Luke nor Walter knew how to swim. Mercer has undergone extensive water survival training in the navy. I am not worried about him drowning. He will be smart about it and will return before dark if he can’t reach the ship. And as far as you being his only friend: he is not your friend, Bethany.”
“Connor is right,” John interjected. “His intentions with you have
not been honorable.”
Bethany detested the feeling of everyone being against her and guessed that was how Justin had felt the whole time he’d been in the Land. She shook her head. “He shouldn’t be sent away just because he doesn’t share our customs. He hasn’t had a fair chance here. Especially from you,” she said as she looked at Connor. “He is your countryman and fought beside you in war. You should try to help him, not make him leave.”
Connor leaned an elbow on the table and pointed at her. “You and Everett make quite a pair. He’s mad right now because he thinks I’ve taken Mercer’s side and that I’m going to leave the Land too, and you’re mad because you don’t think I’ve stood up for Mercer. You are both wrong. Do you want to know what I’ve been doing? I’ve been spending every evening with Mercer trying to keep him from ruining you, from upsetting the village, and from exposing the Land. He knows the elders here won’t enforce their authority over him, so I’ve had to work hard to keep him cooperating. If he wants to leave, I’m going to help him go. He has the training and the ability to get to that ship—if it is even possible—and he is willing to keep his mouth shut about this place, but if anybody riles him any more, he’s liable to renege on that promise. So stay away from him, and Everett had better hold his peace for one more night, too.”
Connor leaned back in his chair. Bethany stared at her hands, but she could feel Connor still looking at her. She felt bad for upsetting him, but she also felt bad for Justin. Her chin began to quiver and she tried to make it stop. “Can I at least tell him goodbye?”
“No,” John answered. “Connor and I are going to help him get his boat to the water tomorrow at sunrise. I will tell him for you.”
Chapter Twelve
Bethany stacked clean dinner plates into the cupboard. The clank of their ceramic edges echoed through the quiet kitchen. She folded a damp dishtowel and wiped the empty table, then glanced at Andrew. He was sleeping in his bassinet, and the only movement of his tiny body came from the gentle rise and fall of his respiration. She watched the baby for a moment, and then blew out a heavy breath under the weight of her worry for Justin. If he knew someone cared, he may not make such a dangerous choice like going into the ocean. And if it were not for such strict cultural boundaries, she could go to him and tell him she cared.
Bethany flinched when someone tapped on the window of the back door. She turned to see Roseanna Foster, who was wrapped in a black woolen shawl. Roseanna opened the back door and let herself in. “Hello, Bethany.” She flashed a friendly smile as she glanced around the room. “Where is everyone?”
Bethany wiped the table once more. “Aunt Isabella went to bed and Lydia is in the cottage with a patient. Father and Connor are helping Justin get his boat ready for tomorrow.”
“Good. I was hoping I could speak with you in private.” Roseanna unfurled her shawl and draped it over the coat hooks on the wall behind the door. “When Everett got home, he told me what happened today.”
“Which part?” She asked as she pulled a chair away from the table and motioned for Roseanna to sit.
“About the ship and about Justin leaving tomorrow.”
“Did Everett send you to speak to me?”
Roseanna frowned at the question as she lowered herself into the seat. “No. He is at Levi’s and doesn’t even know I’m here. When he told me Justin would be rowing out to sea in the morning, my first thought was of you. I know the men aren’t friendly with Justin, especially my son, but you spent ten days in quarantine with him and you form attachments easily. I wanted to see how you were taking it.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Foster—”
“You’re grown now—call me Roseanna.”
“Oh, thank you, Roseanna…” Bethany sat and laid the dishtowel on the table. “I’m in love with Everett and—”
“I’m glad to hear it!” Roseanna interrupted, beaming.
“Yes, well. He detests Justin. My father and brother and brother-in-law all detest Justin. They all tell me to stay away from him, but...”
“But?”
“But I’m his only friend. I can feel his loneliness and my heart hurts for him. I don’t think he has been given a fair chance. Connor said Justin wants to leave and the elders aren’t making him go. Justin told me himself he doesn’t feel like he belongs here. But I watched two of my friends die in the ocean once, and I don’t want that to happen to Justin.” Tears warmed the corners of Bethany’s eyes. She folded the edge of the dishtowel. “He may die tomorrow and they won’t let me say goodbye to him.”
Roseanna inclined her head as she patted Bethany’s arm. “I had a feeling this would be tearing you up inside. You are sensitive—you inherited that from your mother. Sweet Bethany. A girl should have her mother on days like these. I’m sorry I didn’t see it sooner.”
Bethany blotted her tears with the towel and looked at Roseanna. “Thank you.”
“I don’t know what for.”
“You came. You knew I was hurting and you came. That’s what I want to do for Justin, but I can’t, can I?”
Roseanna shook her head. “No, love. You should respect your father and Connor and Everett and do as they say. They are trying to protect you and you must let them. That’s one of the ways men like them show love—by being protective. It’s not just men, I suppose. I must admit when I think of a man I don’t know trying to get you alone, something rises up inside of me that makes me want to protect you, too. Lydia is the same way. You’re a sweet girl, and young, so we all want to keep you safe. I understand it’s hard on you, but you should stay away from Justin.”
“Stay away from Justin,” Bethany repeated the words she had been told so many times. She nodded her head and drew a deep breath. “Thank you, Roseanna.”
* * *
The quilt rustled as Bethany rolled onto her side. Bluish light from the full moon shone through the space between the frilly curtains on her window. She pushed the covers away and sat on the edge of the mattress. As she stared at the oval moon, she wondered if Justin were still awake too. Of course he would be—he was the one who was going to die in a few hours.
She took slow, quiet steps to her dressing table and sat on its cushioned seat in front of the mirror. The hours of tossing and turning in bed had tangled her hair. She watched her moonlit reflection as she tugged the comb through the knots and thought of Justin. He may not belong in the Land, he may not like her village or her family and friends, and he may not share their customs or sense of propriety, but he was still human and deserved the kindness of a friend. She picked up her silver bracelet and fastened its clasp beneath her wrist. As she touched the little charm that dangled from the bracelet, she remembered what it was like being locked in quarantine, alone and bored. It was Justin who talked to her and entertained her. Now he was stuck in the Land, alone and bored. She owed it to him to at least say goodbye and let him know there was one person who saw him as a human being. More than that, she needed to know he was leaving on his own accord and that he was truly aware of the ocean’s danger.
Bethany tiptoed to her open wardrobe and pulled a red velvet dress off its hanger. After lacing her leather ankle boots, she picked up her woolen coat and draped it over her arm, then she slowly opened her bedroom door, turning its knob in small increments to keep it from squeaking. She held her breath as she closed it, hoping no one would notice she was gone. Then she crept down the stairs, through the kitchen, and out the back door.
As Bethany buried her arms into the sleeves of her thick coat, she glanced up at the clear night sky. The full oval moon—now directly overhead—lit her path as she furtively hurried away from her family’s safe, warm home and into the village. There was not a soul in sight and she found it both terrifying and comforting to know she would not be seen going to a man’s house alone. Justin had been right: Bethany was not like the rest of them. She understood what he was going through. Knowing that she was doing the right thing impelled her past the shadowy graveyard to the old cabin where Justin was sp
ending his last night in the Land.
The cabin’s porch steps creaked as she climbed them. Warm light from a fire inside colored the thin muslin curtains over the front window. She hoped he was still awake as she knocked on the dense wood door. A cold breeze whipped through the porch and brought a copper wind chime to life. Bethany flinched as the flat tones sang through the air. She knocked again—this time louder—and heard footsteps on the other side of the door.
Justin opened the door, shirtless. He stared at her and then a slight grin curved his lips. “Hey, beautiful.”
“I’m so sorry to bother you this late at night.” Bethany glanced at the dark lines of the tattoo on his chest, then up at his half-closed eyes. “May I come in?”
He stepped back and held the door open. The warmth of the fire felt good on Bethany’s cold face. She unbuttoned her coat as she walked into the cabin’s only room. When she turned back to Justin, she noticed he had locked the door and she remembered how dangerous Connor said it was to live in the outside world. She wished there were a way Justin could stay in the Land where it was safe.
“Have a seat,” Justin motioned to the short divan pushed against the timber wall. He picked up a silver flask as he passed the table then held it up. “Would you like a drink?”
“No, thank you.” Bethany shrugged out of her coat and flopped it over the arm of the divan as she sat. Though he had only lived in the cabin a month, it smelled like him: mysterious and masculine. She watched him step to the divan and thought his gait looked a bit staggered, but it was the middle of the night. “Did I wake you?”
“No.”
“I couldn’t sleep either. I had to make sure you were all right.” She watched his face, hoping to see a sign of approval for her kind gesture.
“I’m fine.” He pressed the bottle against his lips and took a swig, then grimaced as he swallowed. “But that’s not why you came.”
“I know you aren’t happy here and I hate that no one seems to be giving you a fair chance, but you don’t have to leave.”
Uncharted Inheritance (The Uncharted Series Book 3) Page 16