Chapter 16 #2
Alice opened her eyes and was surprised to find that she was alive. She had been certain she would awake standing before the Pearly Gates. Her head ached, as did a large number of other parts of her body.
“Oh, she’s awake,” a voice said.
Two faces came into view. One was only a little older than Alice herself, and the other was old and wrinkled with gray hair. The women from the bank.
“Now, dearie, we’ve done what we can with what they gave us. It wasn’t much,” the old lady said. “They gave us some willow bark, so that should help with the pain.”
“Thank you,” Alice said. “Where are we?”
“A sugarcane farm,” the mother said. The baby chose that moment to start crying, and she moved off to take care of it.
“A sugarcane farm,” Alice repeated. The words seemed to have no meaning. Her mind ran around aimlessly for a while. Then, suddenly, the words slotted into place. All her thoughts began to slide into place. “I think I know where we are,” she muttered. “And Kyle will know too.”
Her thoughts filled for a moment with the handsome man who’d stolen her heart so completely in the few days they’d known each other, and she knew for certain now that she was in love with him.
It didn’t matter that they were still practically strangers in the technical sense.
Her heart and soul knew Kyle. They just did, and she was sure God had somehow arranged for the two of them to meet because they were meant to be together.
“Kyle? Who is Kyle?” the mother asked, rocking her baby. “Why did they take us?”
“As hostages, dear,” the old woman said. “My name is Lisbeth Turner. You can call me Beth. And this is Rose and her little Joshua.”
“I’m Alice. I think we’re at my sister’s farm, and Kyle is the man I’m hoping will come and rescue us.”
Beth helped Alice to sit up with her back to a wooden wall. It was cool. The place smelled a bit of damp and earth. They were in a cellar, she realized.
“Why do you think this is your sister’s farm?” Beth asked, sitting beside Alice.
“Because these bandits invaded her farm about a month or so ago, and I haven’t heard from her since,” Alice said. “Well, until the other day. But I didn’t have enough firepower to be able to save her.”
“So, she’s here?” Rose asked, still rocking her baby, which had soothed and was only whimpering a little now. He didn’t look older than six months.
“I don’t know,” Alice said with a frown. “Surely, if she is, then she’ll come and try to help us. Chrissie won’t leave us down here.”
“But if these bandits are as bad as they seem, she might not get the chance,” Beth said.
Alice admitted that was sound reason. “I might still have to go and rescue her.”
“And how would you do that?” Rose asked. “We’re locked in a cellar, in case it escaped your notice.”
“I’ll find a way,” Alice retorted. Although, as she sat there, she felt her determination waver ever so slightly.
She was in a lot of pain. Her tailbone and her ankle were both screaming at her.
Especially her tailbone, which felt as though red-hot pokers were being jabbed into it.
She shifted and found a new way to sit that hurt less.
“I think you’re too banged up to be of much use to anyone,” Beth said honestly.
“I’ve bandaged your left ankle, and I’m pretty sure your spine isn’t happy after you pushed yourself off the horse.
How you weren’t trampled, God only knows.
It was His mercy that must have saved your hide.
You should have been stuck under the beast’s hooves, but somehow you weren’t.
It was a hard landing on your behind though. ”
“Yes, my tailbone aches,” Alice said.
“I’m surprised it wasn’t broken,” Beth said. “An angel must’ve been looking out for you.”
“How do you know so much?” Alice asked, thinking of her Texas angel and wondering where he was and if he was okay.
Beth shrugged. “My family owned the apothecary store in Cherryville for a long time. Then we moved to Grunnersberg and opened a store there. I sold it about four years ago. Never had children, see, so no one to pass it on to.”
“I’m sorry,” Alice said.
Beth shook her head. “I saw how my sister’s three turned out, and frankly, I was blessed not to have any. They’re all useless liars and crooks.”
“Tell us about this man you think is coming to save us,” Rose said. “Who is he?”
“He’s from Texas,” Alice said.
Both ladies suddenly looked more hopeful.
“Texas? Well now, that might be a good thing,” Beth said with a nod. “They got them Rangers out there that do a world of good for ordinary folks. Do you think he’ll find us?”
“He’s not a Texas Ranger, but he’s a good man,” Alice said. “He’s my friend, and I’m pretty sure he’ll come.”
There was a moment’s silence.
“I guess if all we have to work with is pretty sure, then that will have to do,” Beth said.
“My husband will come get me,” Rose said. “Well, he would if he knew where we were.”
“Kyle knows, or at least he can guess where they’ve taken us.
He’s smart,” Alice said. “He’ll come find us.
I’m sure of it.” In spite of her recent realization, she wasn’t entirely sure he was in love with her.
Even so, he was a good, decent man, so feelings or no feelings, he’d come find her. She had to believe that.
“Then we should rest as much as we can,” Beth said. “So that we can be fresh and ready to spring into action whenever he arrives.”
Alice decided that she liked Beth a lot. She was an upbeat and optimistic person. She wasn’t wallowing in the horror of the situation and giving up on life.
She lay down again. Maybe there was time for a nap. Yes, Kyle would arrive soon, but he wasn’t there now, and she could sleep for a little while. Her body ached so.
She closed her eyes and fell into deep slumber almost immediately.