Chapter Thirty-Five
Rachel’s hands were tingling. She hadn’t realized until she got outside that she’d burned her fingers.
They had hurt all the way back to the ranch.
They were peeling and raw, and she couldn’t flex them without being sore.
Isabelle soaked a cloth in a bowl and rested them on Rachel’s hands as they lay face-up on the table.
“It’s going to be fine,” she said when Rachel winced. “It’s going to hurt, but it’ll get better.”
“It might be easier for me to shove my hand into the snow outside.”
Isabelle smiled.
“If you want frostbite, you go right ahead. Although it might stop the pain, albeit in a different way.”
Rachel gritted her teeth as she tried to fight back the pain.
She had thought she’d been lucky to get out, but somehow she’d still ended up injured.
She’d caught sight of herself in the mirror, and her hair looked frazzled.
She had soot on her face, her face was flushed and her throat sore from breathing in the fumes. It was horrible.
She never wanted to go through that again.
“I can’t get my head around it,” Isabelle said, gently soothing Rachel’s fingers with the wet cloth. “That someone could be doing this so close to home.”
“There are people who don’t care as long as they tap into a profitable market.” Rachel shrugged. “And what they were doing… it’s profitable albeit nauseating.”
“And to think Sandra was there, and we had no idea.” Isabelle shuddered. “She was my friend. She was close to Nate. And when she disappeared, we thought she’d run away”
“But nobody listened to you.”
“You could say that.” Isabelle sighed. “Nate wouldn’t stop looking for her in the beginning, but he eventually gave up. He didn’t know where to look. To think she was that close…”
“They’re very good at covering their tracks.”
The voice came out of nowhere and made Rachel jump. Sandra was in the doorway, a blanket around her shoulders. She looked like she was about to keel over.
Isabelle let out a little sob, and she staggered out of her chair.
Then she went to Sandra and hugged her tightly.
Sandra gripped onto her as well, and Rachel saw her eyes shut tight, emotion welling up.
When they stepped back, Isabelle cupped Sandra’s head in her hands, their foreheads resting together.
It was very clear the two of them cared about each other.
“Have you spoken to Nate?” Isabelle asked with a croak in her voice.
“I have. I don’t think I’ve seen him cry since we were thirteen years old.” Sandra glanced over her shoulder. “He said we could come in and get warm. You don’t mind if we join you?”
“Of course not.” Rachel looked past her and saw Olive appear. “Why don’t you come in and I’ll get us something to eat?”
“Oh, no.” Isabelle wagged a finger at her. “You don’t do anything like that, Rachel. Not with your injuries.”
“But…”
“It may be your house, but you’ve just been through something horrific. Rest your hands and let me do it.”
Rachel knew that she wasn’t going to win here. Her sister-in-law was very adamant about it. And if she was honest, her hands hurt too much to do anything.
Sandra and Olive settled side by side at the table, Olive sitting closest to Rachel.
She looked worn out, her eyes hollowed out and her hair looking lank and thin.
Both of them were filthy and looked as if they hadn’t eaten well in a long time.
Rachel glanced at Isabelle, who was busying herself with something at the stove.
“Would you two like to have a bath later?” she asked. “We can heat the water, and you can feel better…”
“We don’t want to put you out,” Sandra said hurriedly. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I think we all need one. Especially after what happened there last night.” Rachel coughed, her throat burning. “It might help us all sleep, certainly. I feel like I’m going to drop.”
Sandra looked uncertain. Olive laid a hand on her shoulder.
“I think it’s a good idea.” She smiled at Rachel. “We would appreciate it if it’s not too much trouble.”
“Of course not! Don’t worry about any of that.”
Rachel looked at Olive, and while she saw a tired woman, she also saw someone who would’ve taken another woman under her wing and protected them. There was something about her that made Rachel immediately warm and safe. She was certain her mother would’ve felt that, too.
Isabelle finished making the food and placed the bowls in front of all three of them.
“I just made some soup, just to keep you going for now,” she said, placing a plate of bread on the table. “Rachel made the bread. Make sure you take your fill. Her food is divine.”
“Really?” Olive gave Rachel a slight smile. “I knew someone very much like that. Devoted to it.”
A lump in her throat, Rachel got up and retrieved her mother’s recipe book from the counter. Olive’s eyes widened when she saw it.
“Oh, my!” she gasped when Rachel sat back down and placed it between them.
She ran her fingers over the cover. “I remember this. Mary told me she had started writing in it when she was engaged. Said she wanted to know which recipes were best to serve her husband. Then she kept going when we were at the Silver Lantern.”
“She did?”
“Some of the later recipes are mine. I allowed her to have them.” Olive smiled at Rachel. “Your mother was talented. She could’ve owned her own restaurant if she’d been given half a chance.”
Isabelle settled across from them, picking up her coffee mug and taking a sip. Rachel could tell that she was interested. Sandra looked a little bemused as she ate her soup, listening in on their conversation as well. Rachel didn’t mind; she was more interested in what Olive had to say.
“She came to Silver Lantern when she was pregnant with me, didn’t she?” she pressed.
Olive nodded.
“I was shocked when Isaac brought her in. I didn’t think even he would be so cruel as to do that.
Mary managed, but due to her pregnancy, she needed to be extra careful, so she worked in the kitchen with me.
I looked after her, and she began to relax a little.
Opened up about how her husband died and she was left with nothing.
He had debts she didn’t know about, and his sudden death had been so shocking that she’d barely been given time to grieve. ”
Rachel licked her dry lips. Hearing about her mother from someone who knew her was frightening yet enlightening. At least she would know what her mother was like.
“What happened to my father?” she whispered.
“He worked at a ranch. Tried to stop a cattle stampede, and he fell off his horse. Got trampled, and…” Olive hesitated.
“Your mother had to bury him, just months after they got married. They were young, but they knew exactly what they wanted. And, by all accounts, he was an incredibly sweet man. Wouldn’t hurt a fly but would do anything to protect those he loved. ”
Rachel was aware of all eyes on them, but she focused on Olive, who was now delicately sipping the soup from her spoon. Then she tore off a hunk of bread and dunked it into the bowl. She blinked as she chewed.
“Now that is really good. Your mother had a similar touch when it came to baking. She was so good.”
“I worked in a bakery before I came here.” Rachel felt her face getting warm. “I love doing it. And I love to cook.”
“You’re definitely Mary’s daughter.” Olive’s eyes twinkled as she finished her mouthful. “You would’ve loved her. You two seem very similar. There was passion in her as well. And when she gave birth to you, she said she would never let any harm come to you.”
Rachel cleared her throat. This was going to be the hard part.
“You helped her give birth, didn’t you?”
“I did. You were a surprisingly quick birth.”
“And what did Edgar Pike say?”
“He just wanted us to keep the noise down. And he also said that Mary needed to recover as quickly as possible because…” Her voice broke off, and she glanced away, staring at her soup bowl. Sandra spoke for her, resting a hand on Olive’s shoulder.
“She was going to start working there, wasn’t she? Properly?”
Olive nodded silently. Rachel’s stomach curdled. Her hands were fists, feeling the pain shooting through her fingers.
“Did she…?”
“I know what you’re going to say, but she didn’t.
She was pregnant before, and then she kept claiming that she was in recovery and needed to focus on you.
Then I overheard Edgar and Isaac talking together.
” Olive bit her lip, blinking hard as tears filled her eyes.
“It was… horrible. I heard them saying that they needed to do something about the baby. Edgar wanted to get rid of you, but Isaac said we could put you to work when you were old enough, helping around the tavern.”
Isabelle gasped, her hand going to her mouth.
“When you say get rid of her…?”
“I’ve seen them do it before. They would leave a baby out in the wilderness and just walk away. I don’t know what happened after that… but I’m sure you can imagine.”
Rachel could. A newborn baby was defenseless, and they could’ve died from the weather or from wild animals, or both. Her stomach churned at the thought of that happening to her.
“So, I told Mary,” Olive went on. “I knew she would be pulled apart if anything happened to you. She’d met Miriam in town, when she was shopping for supplies, and she had offered to help your mother.
I kept urging her to go, but Mary didn’t want to bring trouble to Miriam’s door.
Isaac is known for coming after those who ran away.
“One night, I helped her escape, and when she was dragged back the next morning, there was no sign of you. Isaac and Edgar kept demanding to know where you were, but Mary said nothing.”
“They never thought to check the orphanage?” Rachel asked.
“Apparently, she escaped in the other direction. There was no need to go to the orphanage, thankfully.” Olive sat back and shook her head. “I have no idea why they didn’t check there, but Mary must’ve been convincing. She was so protective over you.”
Rachel let everything sink in. She had wondered about her mother for such a long time, even when she was angry about being abandoned, and that her parents didn’t love her. Now she felt guilty about feeling that way.
“Oh, my goodness,” Sandra breathed, her food untouched. “I knew these men were disgusting and cruel, but this…”
“Mary wasn’t about to let her daughter go through her life as it was,” Olive said. “She wanted to keep her child safe. And, from the look of it, she managed just fine.”
Sandra blew air out the corners of her mouth and glanced at Isabelle.
“They are very adamant about what they want. When Isaac caught hold of me, he seduced me into thinking that there would be a better life for me, that I could build myself up and have a better life. And it was only in the next town. Little did I know that I wouldn’t get there. It was all a lie.”
“You, Mary, and Olive were tricked and lied to,” Isabelle told her gently, reaching over and placing her hand on Sandra’s. “That’s nothing to do with you. You were manipulated, and you got through it. You’re stronger than you think.”
“I keep telling the girls to be strong,” Olive whispered, giving Sandra a tiny smile. “Which is very difficult when I’m close to falling apart myself. But I knew that I couldn’t go anywhere, not without all the girls still there. I couldn’t…”
She bowed her head, and Rachel felt a wave of emotion wash over her. She leaned over and put her arms around the older woman, who began to sob gently. They were silent for a while, Rachel rubbing Olive’s back as she let her tears out. Then Isabelle straightened up and put on a bright voice.
“Anyway, I’m sure we’ll feel a lot better once we’ve eaten something and had a bath. I can get that sorted for you, if you want? I’ve got… well, I mean…” She blushed. “Sorry, I’m not sure what to say. I feel like I’m doing the wrong thing.”
Sandra smiled.
“You’re forever the optimist, Isabelle. It’s what I missed about you.”
Isabelle’s blush deepened. Rachel sat back and dunked her bread into the soup.
It was still warm, and it soothed her as she ate.
Olive also managed to eat, her face pale from her sobbing.
There was a bit more color in her cheeks by the time they were finished, and her bowl was clear. Isabelle smiled.
“You feeling better?” she asked.
“A little bit.” Olive nodded. “I needed that. And I’m sorry for breaking down as I did.”
“You don’t need to apologize. You’ve been through a lot. I wouldn’t want you to think it’s a bad thing.” Isabelle stood up, her expression softening at Rachel. “Why don’t you go and get some rest, Rachel? I’ll get Sandra and Olive sorted. You’ve been through a lot yourself.”
“What about…?”
“Nate will come and find you when he gets back. And Sandra and Olive are in safe hands.” Isabelle glanced at Rachel’s hands with a slight smile. “Which is more than I can say for yours.”
Rachel couldn’t help but smile back at that. Squeezing Olive’s shoulder, she stood and left the room, hovering in the doorway. She wanted to stay and make sure Sandra and Olive were safe and well, but she didn’t. Isabelle would usher her away again.
And, if she was honest, she was exhausted. Her hands were hurting, her throat was sore, and she felt like she’d been thrown around. What she really wanted was to feel cool again.
But she didn’t think it was a good idea to go outside and lie face down in the snow, however tempting it was.
She hesitated at the door to the bedroom, and then she opened it slowly, sticking her head into the room.
Daisy was in there, curled up under the covers with her head sticking out.
She was breathing softly, barely acknowledging that someone was there.
She’d cried all the way back, and after a hot mug of cocoa, she’d practically fallen asleep in front of the fire.
Isabelle had urged her to go upstairs and sleep. Everything had been too much for her.
The poor thing had been through so much, and she didn’t deserve that.
Rachel moved down the hall and entered Nate’s bedroom.
The bed was inviting, and Rachel was past the point of caring where she slept.
Kicking off her shoes, she pulled the covers back and slid into the bed.
She lay there staring at the ceiling for a moment, but it wasn’t long before her eyes were starting to close.
The sleep, when it came, was deep and pulled her under.