Page 69 of The Condemned (Echoes from the Past #6)

FIFTY-NINE

Virginia Colony

The days passed slowly, filled with inactivity and frustration.

The fever had taken a toll on Mary and her recovery was slow.

The simplest tasks left her tired and dizzy, and she needed to lie down for an hour in the afternoons just so she could remain awake till suppertime.

Travesty was surprisingly sympathetic, encouraging Mary to rest and offering her little snacks between meals.

From time to time, Mary saw a softness in Travesty’s eyes that had never been there before.

It was as if she were in another world, another time, and she likely was, recalling the life she’d had before it had been snatched from her.

“You should sit outside for a bit,” Travesty advised. “You need fresh air. Go on with you.”

Mary obediently put on her cloak and went to sit on the bench.

Travesty was right, it felt good to be outdoors.

The fresh air was brisk and invigorating and dispelled some of Mary’s lethargy.

By the second week, she began to take short walks to regain her strength.

First, she walked around the yard, but after a few days she ventured toward the forest. It was during one of those walks that she noticed a stealthy movement beyond a scrim of trees and pushed herself to walk further.

Walker materialized from behind a thick tree trunk and took her in his arms.

“I’m so glad to see you up and about,” he said, taking her face in his hands and kissing her gently.

Mary didn’t bother to ask how Walker had known she was on the mend.

He was like a shadow, a restless spirit that moved unnoticed through the trees.

She wouldn’t be surprised if he’d come to the plantation to check on her.

He had a way of melting into his surroundings and standing so still that not even the sound of his breath gave him away.

“Are you ready to come away with me?” Walker asked, studying her.

“I need a few more days,” Mary replied. “I don’t think I can walk through the woods for hours just yet, especially not in these shoes.

” Having lost her shoe in the creek, Mary had to wear homemade shoes that Simon had fashioned for her.

They looked like canoes, the left and right shoe identical, pointy and narrow.

The soles were too thin to walk over pinecones and twigs, since Mary could feel every pebble and acorn through the leather.

Walker smiled. “Don’t worry, Mary, you will have no need of your shoes or your cumbersome clothing. The village women have made you clothes and shoes. You will be comfortable and warm. I will bring everything with me to the shack, where you will be able to change before we leave.”

Mary was sure she’d be comfortable, but she had doubts about being warm.

Walker didn’t seem to feel the cold. He wore no woolens or even a cloak, and his feet were bare inside his soft moccasins.

The natives didn’t wear hose or petticoats to keep out the chill wind, and Walker’s head was always bare.

“I will keep you warm,” he assured her with a smile that did indeed warm her insides.

“When do we go north?” Now that she’d made up her mind, she couldn’t wait to leave. The trek to Walker’s people no longer seemed frightening, but an adventure they would undertake together. She was ready to embrace her new life, as long as he remained by her side.

“You need to be able to keep pace,” Walker replied. “In case your people mount a search for you. Let’s wait for the new moon. You will be stronger then, and the snows will have begun to melt. I will come for you.”

“All right,” Mary agreed .

“Stay at the plantation,” Walker warned.

“Why?”

“There’s been some unrest.”

“Between the colonists and the natives?” Mary asked, suddenly frightened.

“No, between the colonists.”

Mary hadn’t heard anything, but then she hadn’t left the cabin in nearly three weeks, grateful to be excused from church services on account of her illness.

She wished she could ask John, but how would she explain having come by the information?

And John, in his usual taciturn fashion, hadn’t mentioned anything.

Perhaps Travesty would be a better source.

Mary spent a few more minutes with Walker, then turned for home.

She couldn’t allow Travesty to grow suspicious.

She returned to the cabin and lay down, tired out by the walk.

“Here, have a cup of warm milk,” Travesty suggested. “It’s good for the baby.”

“Thank you. I hope I can come with you to church on Sunday,” Mary said, as she sipped the milk. “I miss seeing my friends.”

“I suppose you’d better. It isn’t safe for you here alone.”

“Why?”

Travesty continued working the crank of the churn, her mouth set in a grim line. “There have been a number of thefts. Marshal Craddock is beside himself, since he has no idea who’s responsible.”

“What has been stolen?” Mary asked. Was this the unrest Walker had been referring to?

“Food stores, mostly. Not like there’s much else to steal in this Godforsaken colony.

I reckon some were not well prepared for the winter, and they’ve run out of supplies.

’Tis hard for unmarried men to see to their crops and take the time to stock up on provisions.

Bags of grain, corn, and dried peas have been taken. ”

“Has anyone been hurt?” Mary asked.

“Not that I know of. They’re stealthy, these blackguards, and quick. Marshal Craddock reckons ’tis not the work of a single man. They must work in gangs.”

“Desperate men will do desperate things,” Mary replied. “Has anything been taken from us?”

“No, but there are two men here, which increases the odds of the thieves getting apprehended or shot. Don’t worry, we have enough food to last us till the spring.”

Mary nodded and closed her eyes, suddenly exhausted. Travesty’s voice washed over her as she drifted to sleep.