by Beth Martin
“Oh, sweetheart,” Tammy said. “You’re safe here.”
Leona nodded. No matter what this woman’s history was with Roemell, Leona was still thankful for her hospitality.
Roemell kneeled in front of Leona. “Do you need help getting down?”
She nodded, more tears streaming down her face. He helped her off the bed, then swept a hand under her knees to lower her gently onto the futon, then lay down next to her.
Tammy settled onto the bed. “Sorry, I don’t have an extra blanket.”
“We’ll be fine,” Roemell said.
Tammy sat up, still holding Ivan against her, and turned off the lantern.
Leona turned away from Roemell, angry at him, angry at herself, and still upset over the loss of her father, Bellabot, and everything she had ever known.
He must have picked up on her distress. He turned to face her back, wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her close. Tucking his head into the base of her neck, he whispered, “I promised your father I’d protect you. I have no intentions of breaking that promise.”
She nodded, even though he wouldn’t be able to see the gesture. If anything, his arms wrapped around her made her feel safe.
• • •
Roemell woke up early. He knew it was early because the sun hadn’t yet risen high enough to penetrate the green canvas of the tent.
Leona’s breathing was uneven, and he wasn’t sure if she was having a bad dream, or if she was awake and crying again. He didn’t want her to wake up alone, but Tammy was still here, and she had the most comforting presence of any person he knew.
When he sat up, he saw that everyone else in the tent was still asleep, so he quietly stood and slipped out. The sun was barely peeking over the mountains, and a group of people surrounded the fire pit, trying to start a fire. Once it was going, they’d cook breakfast. All he had eaten over the past few days was a handful of crackers and three oranges. He really needed a proper meal.
He only recognized one of the early risers, Bennet. A few years younger and a head taller than Roemell, he looked completely different than the scrawny teen Roemell had known before he’d left. Instead of getting in the middle of their cooking efforts, Roemell bypassed the bonfire site and went down to the beach. He could smell the dirt and body odor on his skin, and was about to walk into the water when he remembered something. He pulled a tightly rolled piece of paper out of his PJ pants pocket and carefully unfurled it.
It was the drawing of his nephew, and he stared at it for a long while. When Leona had drawn it, he had been sure Ivan wouldn’t make it through. At only three days old, the little baby had already been through so much. But somehow, he was thriving. Just seeing him kick his little feet as Tammy fed him had given Roemell hope.
He felt strongly about Leona, and it wasn’t the same as the companionship he and Jovelyn had shared. Just a day ago, they had been sitting outside and looking at the moon when he had kissed her. The thought of that kiss made a warm sensation grow in his stomach. But there was too much going on right now for him to think about any sort of relationship.
Carefully placing the drawing on the sand, he walked fully clothed into the ocean. The water was uncomfortably cold, immediately sapping his energy and causing his muscles to tense. Even though he didn’t have any soap, he scrubbed at his skin, willing all the dirt and grime to go away. He should have focused on making a plan for his future, but instead found his mind wandering, thinking about Leona. She would want to get cleaned up, and she needed a mew bandage for her knee.
He shook his head, his black hair shedding water droplets in every direction. He swept his hand through his hair, pushing it away from his face. As he trudged out of the water and onto the dry sand, he looked back at the settlement. The early risers had gotten the fire going and were cooking breakfast. Carefully picking up the drawing by the corner, he took it with him back to the settlement.
Not wanting anything to happen to his picture, he slipped it just inside Tammy’s tent before returning to the bonfire.
“What are we having?” he asked when he was back at the fire.
A couple of people glanced at him before a middle-aged man with light blond hair responded, “Old porridge.”
Roemell looked closer at the pans that were frying over the flame. The smell was intoxicating. “Looks like bacon and potatoes from here.”
The blond man gripped Roemell’s arm. “I’ve heard about you, son, and if it were up to me, you wouldn’t get anything from us. But I’ve been told not to let you starve.”
Even after examining the man’s face, Roemell couldn’t figure out who he was. “I’ve had a rough few days, sir. I’m just looking to take a few days to regain my strength before moving on.”
The man snorted and crossed his arms. “You’ll have to regain your strength using plain porridge.”
Roemell wondered how this man knew who he was. The only other person who knew he was here was Alisa, but she was happy to see him again, right? Ultimately, it didn’t matter how these strange people knew he was an outcast. He accepted a bowl of porridge, politely thanked the man, and proceeded to devour every drop.
No one else would say a word to him, so he approached the same blond man to ask some questions. “Excuse me.”
The man nodded and gave a short huff.
“I came here with a friend who has a wound on her knee. Do you know where I could get some bandages?”
He smiled broadly and nodded his head. “I bet I could find her some, but she’d have to pay.”
Roemell knew exactly what the man was implying. He clenched his jaw and said, “Never mind.” He’d figure something else out later. A quick glance at the gathering area around the bonfire showed that breakfast was wrapping up. Not wanting Leona to go hungry, he went back to the tent to wake her.
When he opened the door, he saw Tammy and Ivan sleeping together on the bed. Ivan laid flat on his back with his mouth wide open as he slept soundly. Tammy was situated in a similar configuration. He couldn’t help but smile at the pair.
He knelt down next to Leona and gently shook her shoulder. “You should get something to eat before breakfast is all gone.”
She sat up and rubbed her eyes before staring blankly at him. “Roemell, I—”
He held a finger to her lips to keep her from completing her thought. “I know it’s weird being here. I have some history with these people. I’ll tell you everything once we leave, but for now, I really need you to not ask any questions.”
She clenched her jaw, but nodded, seeming to understand.
With some help, she stood up, stumbled out of the tent, and made her way to the fire. This time, Alisa was there and saw the two coming.
“Oh, darling, you look positively dreadful. Come, get something to eat.” Alisa prepared Leona a plate with a generous heap of porridge along with a pile of potatoes and three strips of bacon.
Leona took a seat on one of the logs facing the fire and picked at her food. It looked like she was crying again.
Roemell took a seat next to her on the large log. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
She picked at her food. “My dad used to call me darling.”
Reaching an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her close and kissed her cheek. “You should eat something.”
She had a few mouthfuls of potatoes and a strip of bacon before handing her plate to Roemell. He gladly ate the rest of her food.
With his belly full, he would be able to focus on his next steps. He had a good idea of what he wanted to do, but he needed to hurry. It wouldn’t take long before rumors of his past would reach Leona, and he didn’t want her to know why he’d had to leave the settlement the first time he was here. He hadn’t yet forgiven himself for what had happened.
The fire for breakfast had dwindled down to just a few glowing coals, but Leona still sat on the log, staring at it, lost in thought. Sleeping on the cold, hard ground had reinforced the fact that her life had been irreparably changed. Also, sharing a tent with Roeme
ll’s former lover hadn’t helped.
Instead of focusing on what she had lost, she fixated on the lurch. They had taken everything away from her. She would make them pay.
She didn’t notice someone come up behind her, and jumped when Alisa placed a hand on her shoulder. Laughing at Leona’s reaction, the older woman said, “I won’t bite you, microchip. Come, we need to change that dressing on your knee.”
Leona followed the older woman along the dirt path the stretched between the two rows of tents. Alisa slipped into one of the larger ones at the edge of the settlement, and Leona entered after her. This tent was filled with all sorts of oddities: glass jars filled with spices and other ingredients, towers of battered books, tin boxes, and a heap of folded fabrics.
“Find a place to sit if you can,” Alisa said as she rooted through a few of the tin boxes. Leona looked around. The books looked like the most sturdy spot, so she perched on top of them. “That companion of yours has a lot of nerve coming back here. You’d best make your stay as short as you can.”
Leona wanted to correct Alisa and tell her that she and Roemell weren’t together, but her curiosity took precedence. “Why isn’t Roemell welcome here?”
Alisa pulled a couple items out of the tin and turned to Leona. She carefully cut away the tape holding the dirty gauze to expose Leona’s knee. “Figures he didn’t tell you.” She pressed something wet onto the wound, causing Leona to yelp in surprise. “This stuff stings a bit.”
She placed a new dressing on the wound as she kept talking. “Rommy always had a soft spot for his sister. Too soft. Of course I’m incredibly sad to hear she passed, but as they say, karma’s a bitch.”
Leona wasn’t sure what the other woman was implying, but made a mental note to ask around. She glanced down at her new bandage. It looked a lot neater than the impromptu one from the day before. “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it, microchip. But now we need to do something about that… whatever that thing is you’re wearing.”
Her nightgown was pretty impractical for anything other than sleep, but now the bottom was all torn up and covered in mud and blood. “Yeah, I didn’t get a chance to change before I had to run for my life.”
Alisa placed a fist on her waist and gave Leona a stern look. “No one ever does.” Then, she turned to the pile of fabric and rooted through it, pulling out a pair of pants. “These aren’t your size, but we can make do.” She eyed Leona for a moment, then grabbed a pair of scissors and hacked off the bottom few inches from both legs. “That should do it. Try these on.”
Leona took the pants from Alisa’s outstretched hand and slipped them on. They were far too big in every dimension, but there was a draw sting, which at least allowed them to cinch at her waist enough to stay on.
“I have an idea of what to do with that frilly thing you have on. Take it off and give it to me.”
Leona flushed. She was all right with dressing in front of Bellabot, but didn’t feel comfortable doing it in front of another person.
“Oh, don’t be shy,” Alisa said. “I’ve seen all sorts. Small tits, big ones, droopy, hairy, everything. You have nothing to worry about.”
Reluctantly, Leona peeled off the nightgown and handed it Alisa. She hugged her arms around her chest in an attempt to cover herself while Alisa took her scissors to the nightgown. She snipped the gown just below the waist so it would fit more like a blouse.
“That should do it.” She gave Leona what was left of the nightgown, and Leona slipped it over her head. Then Alisa opened another tin and extracted a pair of shoes which looked like slippers with a thin layer of leather to protect the soles.
“Thank you,” Leona said as she put the shoes on her feet. Never would she have imagined wearing such a ridiculous outfit, but it was a little more practical now, which was a vast improvement. She was about to leave the tent, but something was nagging at her brain. “Do the people here really hate Roemell because he was so protective of his sister?”
“Goodness, no. They hate him because he killed a man.” Alisa then left the tent, leaving Leona alone among the stash of provisions.
For a moment, Leona was too shocked to even move. The Roemell who had promised to protect her, kissed her under the moonlight, and slept next to her, their bodies pressed together, was a murderer. Suddenly, getting back at the lurch wasn’t as important as getting away from Roemell.
She was surrounded by provisions. If she took just a few things, no one would notice. Only a handful of people knew she was here, so it would hopefully take a while for anyone to notice she was gone.
A sense of urgency filled her as she grabbed a tote bag from the floor and started filling it with things. She needed food. Some of the tins had pictures of cookies. She opened one to verify that it was indeed filled with stacks of pale shortbread before placing it in her bag. For shelter, she grabbed a blanket from the fabric pile.
She would also need water, but couldn’t find any in this tent. There was, however, a canteen. She put it in the bag as well, telling herself that as soon as she found a source of fresh water, she’d fill it up.
Hugging the bag against her, she peeked out of the tent and looked around. There weren’t any people nearby to notice her leaving. As quietly as she could, she slipped out and walked away from the settlement, continuing north. She wasn’t sure where she would go, but anything was better than staying here.
• • •
Roemell needed to talk with Leona. He had a plan, but it was contingent on her cooperation. When they had first arrived, he’d made sure not to reveal to anyone who she really was: a person of means. He was surprised they’d let him stay as it was, but if they’d known who Leona was, they definitely wouldn’t have been welcome.
His plan was risky because it required revealing her true identity to the settlement. These were people willing to work, and she had a field without a workforce. If the entire colony relocated to the Poole Estate, they could work together to rebuild. But first, he needed to get Leona on board.
After breakfast, she had insisted on staying seated atop that log next to the fire. He figured she was still processing everything from the day before and decided to give her space, but he didn’t want to wait long.
He went back to Tammy’s tent and ducked inside. Tammy was sitting up in her bed rocking Ivan while Archy played with a rag doll on the floor.
“Good morning,” Roemell said, smiling broadly at the happy crew. “How’s he doing?” He gestured at Ivan.
“Pretty well. He’s got quite an appetite for his size. I did want to ask you something, though.” He nodded and sat down next to her on the bed. “This right here.” She pointed to the bandage on his chest. “He’s had surgery. People like us don’t have access to medical care, especially not for a baby so small. He shouldn’t even be alive. You need to tell me what the fell is going on.”
Roemell swallowed hard. When he had left the settlement, it had been abruptly without a chance to say goodbye. He hoped that Tammy didn’t have any ill will against him. Something inside him told him it was safe to share the truth with her.
“When Jovelyn went into labor, there was a fire.” He continued to tell her the whole story of his deal with Spencer, Jovelyn’s infection, and the fire that had driven them out of the Poole Estate. The only details he left out were the kiss and how deep his feelings for Leona had already become.
“That’s quite the story,” Tammy said. “I can’t believe a wealthy man thought you were respectable.”
He gently punched her shoulder. “You used to trust me.”
She rolled her eyes. “And look where it’s gotten me. You just disappeared. I knew that what happened with you and that prisoner most likely wasn’t completely your fault. But you didn’t wait around and tell your side of the story. It took me a long time to forgive you after you left me like that.”
He looked down at Ivan for a while before meeting Tammy’s eyes. “I’m sorry. You’re right—I shouldn’t have left like tha
t.”
“Like I said, I’ve forgiven you.” She cooed at Ivan for a moment, who was looking around, taking in his surroundings. “So, what’s next for you, Rommy?”
“Leona’s lost everything. I was thinking we could bring the settlement to what’s left of her estate and set up a commune of sorts. I wanted to talk to her about it, but she’s still processing everything that happened yesterday.”
“Well, don’t wait too long.”
He gave her a brief hug, then left the tent. He looked over at the gathering area where he had left Leona. No one was there. He didn’t want her to accidentally tell someone who she was before he’d had a chance to talk with her, so he needed to find her soon.
He approached the fire pit, where the middle-aged man with blond hair was washing pans. “Excuse me, have you seen my friend, the new woman?” The man gave him a blank stare. “She has curly black hair and was wearing this weird frilly white thing.”
“I don’t think so.”
Roemell searched all over the settlement, even looking in the supply tent, but couldn’t find her anywhere. Something didn’t feel right, and he was starting to get worried.
A group of people were sitting and chatting in a circle next to the beach, and he walked over to them. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but have any of you seen my friend?”
He hadn’t noticed Alisa sitting with them until she spoke up, saying, “Sure, I helped her change her bandage and got her more suitable clothes.”
“Do you know where she is now?”
She shrugged. “No. That was the last I saw her.”
He sighed and slumped his shoulders. “Thanks anyway.”
As he started walking away, Alisa added, “I was surprised she didn’t know why you left the last time.”
Roemell whipped back around. “You told her?”
Alisa glared at him, narrowing her eyes. “Obviously I did. Girl had a right to know who she’s been cozying up to.”
“Fuck.” He clenched his fists. He knew Alisa’s hospitality had been too good to be true. He dashed through the settlement, searching desperately for Leona, this time checking inside every tent and ignoring the occupants’ protests. His chest tightened as the reality become more and more apparent: she had fled the settlement.
