Muse Unchained (The Last Library Book 3)

by Jill Cooper

  Mitchell slid the bottle of wine over to her. “Then take a drink. Enjoy life for a few minutes.”

  It had been since her own wedding that Evelyn drank wine. She picked the bottle up and sneered at Mitchell, giving the wine a sniff. It smelled strong and it tasted more bitter than sweet. Still, Evelyn enjoyed the warm way it coated her throat, so she took another long sip.

  Mitchell smiled at her, “Careful, it’ll make your head go funny if you have too much.”

  “Maybe that will make all this a little more tolerable. No new food rations have come and making these baskets is slow going. We’ll never make the quota the minister’s commanded us to.”

  “I’ll talk to him.” Mitchell stepped up closer to her. “I’ve always fallen into their favor. Maybe I can work a deal or get an extension. If I play my cards right, maybe I can get us both a job in the minister’s office.”

  He was a misguided fool. Evelyn shook her head and lifted the wine bottle off the table. “He’ll kill you for asking. If he doesn’t, Creighton will. Then I’ll be left alone, as I should be.” She climbed the stairs up to the master bedroom. The bed was unmade, the room in shambles since losing her house servant. Evelyn’s dresses littered a chair in the corner. It was such a disgrace, Evelyn thought as she took a drink, and her head crashed with a wave of dizziness.

  Mitchell stumbled into the room behind her and shut the door. Evelyn raised an eyebrow as he took the bottle from her to have a drink. “It’s been so long since you followed me up to our room, I didn’t think it’d ever happen again.”

  “We’re trapped here for now, in this hell hole. Shouldn’t we maybe have a little bit of fun to pass the time?” Mitchell unbuttoned the collar of his shirt and Evelyn thought she might like to get undressed and let him do whatever he liked. She craved it, even if she really knew why he suddenly wanted to. She played second fiddle throughout her life, always had.

  Why should now be any different?

  Chapter: Dani Richardson

  The days were long, filled with tending to chickens and goats, while providing meals that lacked the basic ingredients for health. The nights were lonely as Dani slept on the bed and Timothy, her husband in name, took the chair in the bedroom. He woke with a crick in his neck, from the way he massaged it over breakfast.

  Dani poured his coffee and put porridge on the table. It wasn’t a meal fit for someone who had come from a higher class, but now he was down in the dirt with her. “You look tired, Tim.”

  He stirred his coffee, even though there was no sugar or cream. “I’ll be fine enough to fix the wire fence on the west side. Hopefully, you won’t need to chase any more pigs across the fields.”

  Dani appreciated that as she sat and slid her chair closer to the table. The size of her belly was readily apparent now when she sat down, a sign it was advancing quickly. Her back hurt already and the day had barely started, the sun only beginning to crest across the horizon. She ate some porridge, bitter and hot. “The baby moves are getting cramped. It’s getting harder to sleep at night.”

  Timothy put his spoon down without eating anything. It had been there the last few weeks. She enjoyed the feel of his skin between her finger and Dani loved the warmth of his eyes. In so many ways he was much different from both his parents.

  “I should get more comfortable with talk of the baby. Forgive me if it takes me awhile longer.” He reached across the table and squeezed her hand.

  Dani nodded, feeling a spark between them. “It’s new for you and me, too, in a way. I was in denial for a very long time.”

  Timothy stood and slid his bowl of oatmeal closer to Dani. “I’m going to get started on my day. Thank you for breakfast.” He bent over and planted a gentle kiss on her cheek, his hands massaging her shoulders. Their marriage was one of convenience, but he was sweet. Only eighteen, but finding his way, Dani wondered what their future would hold.

  Dani couldn’t help the small smile as she leaned her head back to look at him. “Are you really not hungry or are you trying to take care of me and the baby?”

  He leaned down, his nose very close to hers. “Would that really be so horrible?”

  “It wouldn’t, but you need to keep up your strength, too. Without you, all would be lost.” Dani played with the crumbled hem of the table cloth as she admitted such an important truth.

  Timothy slid his hands down her arms. “We’ll have dinner when we visit with our friends tonight. I’ll get my strength then and I’ll be fine. I’m not the one carrying a baby.” He squeezed her affectionately and planted another kiss against her cheek before he left.

  It caused her skin to tingle. Was he being merely friendly, or did he want something more? Dani confessed she had been thinking about their relationship more and more as the days quickly passed.

  Dani bid him farewell for the day and reflected that she didn’t know what they’d do without Alessa and Scott Major. They had provided so much useful advice and so many supplies for them, that made it possible for them to survive. Maybe one day they would thrive. Dani didn’t know why strangers would be so kind, but she hoped to repay them in spades.

  She ate the remains of the two bowls of oatmeal and rose to her feet. Dani touched the top of her protruding stomach and massaged where the baby kicked. “Come now, little one. We have a long day ahead and much to do.”

  ****

  The sun had broken in the sky but its ray of light barely broke clear of the thick, gray. clouds—as it was every day.

  The hills were covered in a mixture of green and brown grass and slippery mud from the amount of rain Beantown received almost daily. The air was cold and stifling as Dani took a deep breath. True, it was early in the day, but the air grew colder and that meant winter was approaching. So new to town, they had barely started on their storage of winter food.

  Much to plan for and much to do, Dani fed the chickens and moved on to the muddy areas of the pig pen to allow them access to the slop. Milking the goats came next and it was bottled into glass and prepared for the quota the ministers had requested. Most of the food and supplies weren’t for them, but Dani hoped to squirrel a little extra away in the hope of supplying their own immediate needs.

  She saw Timothy across the rolling hills, so far away he looked like a miniature. Yet, he waved and Dani waved back. They both played their part, but seeing him made her feel like they were a team. Life was hard, but it was easier than being a house slave. It was better than being beaten daily by Mrs. Richardson.

  Dani shuddered at the mere thought.

  She picked up her metal tin lined with glass bottles and headed over to the small barn with the cold storage room. The door’s hinges needed tightening, an item next on Timothy’s repair list. Inside, the air was musty and the wall lined with old tools. Dani wasn’t even sure what most of them did.

  Dani placed the glass bottles into storage and exited the barn. She wasn’t alone. The Minister of City Affairs tilted his hat to her with a smile.

  His presence left her unnerved, so she gave a half curtsey with her eyes down on the ground.

  “I didn’t mean to frighten you, Mrs. Richardson. Here on an impromptu inspection, is all.”

  Hearing herself referred by name such as that, caused her heart to still. That was the name of her mistress and it struck Dani so odd to now be the lady of the house. “I’m the one who should apologize, sir. I was lost in my thoughts and not expecting to see you there.”

  “One must always be prepared. Walk with me back to your home, would you?”

  Dani couldn’t refuse the minister, so joined him on the long walk back up the hill. It winded her, but she blamed it on the growing baby and not so much on the walk itself. The minister eyed her as she struggled up the last few steps, but offered no assistance. “I must say, I’m impressed with how things are coming along. Timothy is getting this place together. I didn’t expect him to be such a hard worker.”

  She hadn’t, either, but Dani didn’t want to speak ill of her husband. D
ani opened the front door. “Can I offer you some refreshments or a late breakfast?”

  The minister held his hand up. “No, no. Thank you for your hospitality, but I’ve had a big breakfast of buttered rolls, bacon, and steaming tea already.”

  The thought of all that food made Dani’s stomach rumble with hunger. How it must be to live the life of a minister.

  “Thank you then, for the walk back to my home.” Dani ducked her head down and headed inside, but the minister grabbed her arm.

  “Your baby will be born at the end of winter, the beginning of spring. Do take precautions that you’ll survive the harsh season? Food will be scarce and illness is already cropping through the town in the valley. If you need trade or supplies, send your husband. If he resists, tell him it’s an order from Creighton himself.”

  Dani curtsied. “Yes, Minister.”

  “Errands are a woman’s job, but in your condition, we make exceptions, don’t we? You carry a precious gift and the lifeblood of our civilization.” He placed his hand on her stomach and Dani felt a surge of energy come from him to her.

  He did something to her or her baby, Dani just knew it. She couldn’t help moving his hand away and taking a step back. The minister’s mustache twisted and his eyes darkened with malice. Dani swallowed hard. “I’m sor—sorry, please forgive me.”

  Leaning in close, the minister whispered. “Beantown needs a new generation of farmers and caregivers. Don’t fail us on this, Dani.”

  She struggled to swallow and couldn’t look at the minister. Feeling faint, she shook her head. “I don’t mean to, sir.”

  He smiled and the darkness that scared Dani evaporated. “I’m sure everything will be fine then. Good day, Mrs. Richardson!” He tipped his hat as he made his way down the hill.

  Dani raced inside and slammed the door shut. She peered through their thin, veiled curtains to watch him go. The Minister of City Affairs turned onto the dirt road and tapped his walking stick into the muck. Instantly, he disappeared into a portal.

  She gasped and moved away from the window quickly, closing her eyes and holding her breath. The minister spoke to her as if his words were a warning, but instead, Dani feared they were a curse.

  Chapter: Dani

  Alessa and Scott Major’s home was on the opposite side of the pasture where Dani worked with the farm animals. The back of the Richardson barn faced the Major’s homestead. Larger than the one Dani was living in, with cracked bricks for a walkway, lanterns guided the way.

  Timothy took Dani’s hand as they waited for the door to be opened. Fatigued, Dani leaned into him for support and Timothy smoothed back her hair, her head resting on his shoulder. “You’ll feel better once you eat something. It was a long walk.”

  “It was that,” Dani said.

  “Soon, I’ll finish the horse cart repairs and then we’ll ride wherever we need to go.” Timothy grinned with pride and Dani returned it. She couldn’t help but look at his lips. They were dainty and sweet.

  Timothy, too, appeared to be looking at hers.

  A moment later when Alessa opened the door, Dani smiled broadly at her new friend. Alessa’s face was always kind and welcoming. Her brown hair done up with a bandana, it was clear she had been working hard in the kitchen—the hem of her apron soiled in grease.

  “Come in, come in! Our darling neighbors are here!” She shouted over her shoulder and allowed the Richardson’s entry.

  The home was warm with a fire and decorated with simple, wood furniture. An open space sitting area, dining, and kitchen in one space with a small corridor leading to a bedroom. Simple and cramped, it felt welcoming.

  The home smelled of fresh baked bread and the warm and earthy smell of a roast chicken. Amazing, and like a dinner Dani would’ve prepared for her masters not too long ago—but she never got to eat it then. She knew many recipes, she could prepare hundreds of dishes, but all she ever got were the scrap pieces no one else wanted to eat.

  The end of a potato, the top of a carrot, a piece of meat too tough for a family of the Richardsons’s stature. Now poor Timothy had been pulled down to her level rather than the other way around.

  She watched him mournfully as he greeted Alessa and shook hands with Scott. Scott took him under his wing, escorting him over to the fireplace where he dug out two carved, wooden pipes. Smoking wasn’t allowed by the ministers and it stilled Dani’s breath to watch something so forbidden take place so out in the open.

  “Come and sit,” Alessa said and took Dani’s hand.

  “Oh, I’m fine. Let me help in the kitchen. It’s the least I can do considering we can’t afford to bring anything to dinner.”

  Alessa scoffed and pulled a chair out. “For you. I’ll get you something to drink. It’ll help keep up your strength.”

  As Dani sat, Alessa hurried to the kitchen counter. Into a glass cup, she poured a drink and promptly returned with it. Dani sniffed it with a scowl. It smelled like mint and something else she’d never smelled before. “What is it?”

  “Wholesome and natural ingredients. Don’t worry, I’m no witch. Herbs and essential oils. They got me through my pregnancy with no problems and I stayed healthy. I’m giving you a batch of it.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t dream—.”

  “Drink. Dinner will be ready in five minutes. Then I want to hear about how you’re feeling. Any guesses on gender?”

  Dani sipped the drink and was surprised at how sweet it tasted. Delicious! Dani thought she could’ve drank the entire bottle. “I haven’t taken a moment to hasten a guess with all that’s gone on. I’m hoping for a boy to help on the farm. Women have it so tough here… well, everywhere.”

  Alessa paused at picking up Dani’s empty glass. “That they do. Nothing but property and baby makers. Someone to make the meals and wash the linen, scrubbing by hand the pots and the floors. Having a good husband makes up for a lot in our treatment, as I’m sure you know.”

  Dani tossed Timothy a glance as he talked with Scott, both men laughing and smoking. “I do,” Dani said and realized it was very much true. Maybe they weren’t in love, but they respected one another. Timothy was kind and took care of her.

  There wasn’t much else she could really ask for, was there? Maybe one day they would christen their union… but Dani couldn’t even hope for such a thing. Not when she was so tired.

  “You don’t mind them smoking like that? What if the ministers found out?”

  “Ministers don’t care about the smoking around these parts, especially at this time of the year. With the plague going around in the town, they’re worried about containing disease and keeping the town from falling apart.”

  Dani bit her lip.

  “Oh, I didn’t mean to scare you, poor thing. We’ll all be right. Long as the animals and crops don’t get sick, we’ll rebound. We always do. I’ll keep you and Timothy healthy. I have years of experience.” Alessa bustled back into the kitchen, humming a quiet song.

  Dani rose from her seat when she heard it. Humming, singing, all forbidden in the eyes of the minister. Dani wondered if Alessa did that out in the open, what was she doing when no one was looking? She, too, liked to sing and could do it quite well. It had gotten her more than one beating from Evelyn Richardson—which was better than being turned over to the ministers.

  Timothy and Scott called her over and Dani happily walked over to socialize. “Hi, gentlemen. I’m sure you’re having a nice time?”

  “A great time!” Scott said with bright eyes and his cheeks appeared almost rosy. “Your husband here knows a lot about high society and which side of the plate the fork goes.”

  Dani was impressed considering he had never set the table before. “He’s knowledgeable about all sorts of things. He does a great job of repairing wire fencing, almost like he’s done it before.” She sounded very proud of him, didn’t she? Dani supposed that was how she felt.

  Timothy blushed and slid his arm around her waist. Dani did a double take as he did it. “My wife keeps me
well taken care of and fed, if anyone is lucky, it’s me.”

  Her heart skipped a beat and she didn’t know what to say. “Don’t let the ministers hear you say things like that.”

  Scott waved his finger in a good-natured way. “No talk of them in this house. That’s something neither I nor Alessa will abide. Here we’re happy and we’re free, even if we’re not out there.”

  Free. Dani barely even knew what that word meant, but if that’s what she felt buzzing in her chest and rolling in her belly when she looked at her friends and her new husband, she thought she might like it.

  ****

  A dinner of roast chicken, potatoes, carrots and buttered biscuits long eaten, Dani cradled the six month old baby in her arms. The boy had started crying shortly after dinner and Dani couldn’t resist a bouncing baby, no matter what. His cheeks were rosy and he cooed at her once he settled down.

  “Well, aren’t you a natural?” Scott asked. “Look at her, Ally. A total natural with that baby.”

  “So, you are,” Alessa smiled. “If only we could have one more. Oh well, can’t dwell on things the way they are, can we?” She took the baby gently from Dani and kissed his cheeks.

  Dani watched the love between mother and son, wondering what it would be like. She leaned back in her chair, holding her belly and gazing down at it with thoughtful silence.

  Timothy put his arm around Dani’s shoulders and leaned in. “You all right?”

  “I feel wonderful, just thinking.” She gazed into his eyes, and for once, Timothy didn’t break away.

  Instead, as Scott and Alessa cleared the dishes, Timothy smiled at her and Dani’s heart skipped. Her husband held his gaze on her eyes and then looked down at her lips. For a moment, Dani thought he might kiss her right there and maybe she’d welcome it. They were married and would be together forever, why shouldn’t they have fun and enjoy each other’s company?