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“I thought you dead,” he said.

“I’m not. What are you doing here, Edward?”

“I saw the woman who took you from our home at the market and followed her tracks as soon as I could get away.” He climbed off of his horse. “I thought… I thought you’d been sold or worse.”

“She was being sold by your father,” Frances returned and moved between him and Agnes.

“She was to be married,” Edward replied. “That was her role in our family. Because she wasn’t, our father gave me tothe man who was to be her husband, and I have to work for him until he tells me that I no longer have to. Our brother has had to take care of our farm on his own because of you.” He glared at Agnes. “I have no wife or children because of you. So, tell me, Sister, did you leave on your own with this woman, or did she take you and force you to stay?”

“I’ve never forced Agnes to do anything,” Frances said.

“I came willingly,” Agnes added and walked to stand next to Frances, who held her arm out in front of Agnes.

“You left your family, your husband, your responsibilities,” Edward said.

“He wasn’t my husband.”

“You were promised to him. Money was exchanged, Agnes.”

“Edward, where is Father?”

“Long dead. You dying – or so we thought – and him having to save the farm with the money he couldn’t afford to return forced him to give the man his son to work for free. He died two years after you ran off with whoever this person is.”

“She’s my wife.”

Frances turned to her with wide eyes. Agnes couldn’t tell anyone that they were married in their own eyes and to them, in the eyes of God. Had they been caught, they were supposed to tell anyone that they were sisters, just passing through a village or town.

“She’s yourwhat?” Edward asked.

“Edward, you were a good brother to me. You taught me things that I wasn’t supposed to learn as a girl. You treated me better than our father and brother, and sometimes, even our mother. I need you to go and pretend as if you didn’t see me here.”

“I can’t do that. I need to take you to George. You’re supposed to be his wife.”

“He’s not married again?”

“Of course, he married again. But she died a year ago now. He’s had his daughter taking care of their two children,but she’s about to be wed herself, so he needs a new wife. I’ll take you to him to see if he still even wants you, and if he does, I can end this indentured servitude and find a wife of my own.”

“You won’t come near her,” Frances warned. “I will kill you if you try to take her or harm her in any way.”

“You can’t stop me. With our father dead, she belongs to my brother, and I’m acting in his stead. He would agree with me that it’s time that she does her duty to our family. George still needs sons. He has only daughters. You’ll provide them if you still can. Are you still untouched as you should be?”

“No,” Agnes said.

“You gave yourself to another man?” Edward asked, making a move toward Agnes that Frances moved to stop.

“No, I gave myself toher. Frances is my wife.”

“You let a woman touch you how a man should?” he asked and shook his head, looking disgusted. “You’re still untouched, then, in the eyes of God. You’ll have to answer to Him when your time comes. And He’ll judge your sin. It’s time to go now, Agnes. Whatever life you’ve managed for yourself here was never supposed to happen, and it’s time for you to do your duty.”

Frances turned to look into Agnes’s eyes, and they told her all that she needed to know.

“I won’t leave with you,” Agnes told him.

“You will either come with me willingly, or I willtakeyou with me by force. Those are your only options, Sister. Now, get on my horse and–”

Frances used the knife she always kept on her hip and plunged it into his side. She wasn’t trying to kill him. She didn’t want to kill her wife’s brother. But she couldn’t let him take Agnes, nor could she think of anything else to do. He was much larger than her, and in less than an instant, he could’ve pushed her aside, plucked Agnes off the ground, placed her on his horse, and had a head start on Frances that she might never be able to make up.

“Agnes, get the bags,” she instructed as she pulled the knife out of Edward’s side while he was in shock, clutching his bleeding hip before he fell to his knees. “And you will stay here,” she said to him. “You can use whatever you find in the house to take care of your wound. We’re taking your horse. If you come after us again, Edward, Iwillkill you.” Edward fell over, and she saw the blood on the ground now. “You will tell no one that Agnes is still alive. If you do, I will kill you, Edward. I have friends who will help me should I need them. To you and the rest of the world, she is long dead. Understood?”