I pivoted back around the corner and pressed myself against the wall, out of sight and in shock. The goat's bleat drowned out most of their mingled moans. After a few moments it quieted, their moans and the goat's protests over their use of her bedding.
"Tennen," I heard Bryn say softly. "My father wants me to marry soon."
"You are of an age."
I cringed for my sister loving such a fool.
"As are you," she said.
In the silence, I heard the soft rustle of clothes being righted.
"I would be a good wife," Bryn said.
"Why would I want to marry you when I've already fucked you? It's nothing special anymore."
Hearing her soft gasp, I quickly moved to the front of the cottage and let myself in. Not trusting either of them, I hid in Father's study. How could Bryn give him so much of herself? Hadn't she seen the type of man he was? He reminded me of the Liege Lord in the candle maker's story. How many Bryns had he left behind? Poor Bryn. I wanted to go out and comfort her, but she would not react kindly to my knowing her shame. She'd given herself and been rejected for it.
So, I waited quietly in the office. When the cloud-covered sky dimmed enough to indicate Father's impending return, I slipped out the window. The dress hampered me-it was more of an inelegant tangle and fall out of the window-but I managed to leave the house without being detected. I circled the woods in front of the cottage to step out onto the path and reapproached our home from a distance.
Bryn didn't look up from whatever it was she stirred on the stove, but it didn't matter. The desolation on her face was plain to see.
"Is Blye home?" I asked, truly wondering where she'd been through Tennen's visit.
"No. She took a few of her creations to the seamstress this morning and hasn't been back." She barely whispered the words, and as soon as she finished speaking, she went out the back door without a word.
I didn't stay to listen to her soft sobs but fled once again to Father's study to read about plants.
* * * *
At dinner, Father announced his plans to travel to Water-On-The-Bridge the next day. He had many books in his library and knew he couldn't leave them all to move in one trip, so he hired a wagon and asked if either of my sisters would like to join him. Both promptly said yes, though for very different reasons. Blye explained she wanted to speak with the seamstresses there to see if she could apprentice for room and board, a sure way to lengthen the time limit of remaining unwed so she could seek a suitable contender. Bryn stated plainly that no one in Konrall would ask for her, and she would like the chance to meet the eligible men the Water had to offer.
Father agreed to take them both and asked that I stay to teach his class. With a feeling of dread, I agreed.
* * * *
The next morning, we worked together to load the wagon, which Splane had driven over at dawn. Bryn made no comment about Tennen's whereabouts. With the back loaded with books carefully packed in crates and covered with oiled cloth, Father eyed the dark skies.
"We'd best be off," he said to my sisters. He handed me his lesson plan for the day, hugged me farewell, and climbed aboard to take the reins. They left me standing by the cottage door, and only Father gave a backward glance.
"Watch for us near dinner," he called before they disappeared into the trees.
I walked the path to the schoolhouse, warily watching for Tennen and Splane, unsure if the blunt silver had helped our relationship or not. When Splane dropped off the wagon, he'd spent so much time gaping at Bryn, he hadn't spared me a glance. The Coalre boys couldn't keep a secret, it would seem.
The butcher's daughter, Magdaline, stood at the school doors waiting for me. Twelve and shy, she chirped a surprised greeting at me, her eyes wide.
"I'm teaching in my father's place today," I said with an amused smile. "I hope that's okay."
She nodded enthusiastically.
The day went quickly with only a handful of students in attendance. I followed my father's lesson plan and enjoyed the children's wit. It felt odd thinking of them as children when only a few years separated us.
Finally, I dismissed them and closed the schoolhouse doors. A steady rain fell outside. Walking the path in the evening light didn't bother me as much as the rain did. I jogged along the path, reaching the cottage quickly. The kitchen felt cool and damp since the stove had gone out. I relit the fire and warmed my fingers before searching for something to eat.
A slight scrape on the floor alerted me that I wasn't alone. Spinning, I watched Tennen take another step closer to me, having just come from Father's study. His dry hair and cruel leer told me enough of his intentions that I knew I needed to run. Again. The door leading to the backyard waited to my left and the door to the front of the cottage to my right.
Frozen, we eyed each other. One chance. I cursed my dress, steeled myself, and feinted to the right. Tennen bolted into action, moving toward the front door as I shifted my weight and sprinted for the back.
Behind me, I heard him slip and curse, but I didn't stop. The back door banged loudly against the outside wall as I shoved it open and flew into the rain. I hiked my skirts high to free my legs. North. Refuge. The rain-slicked ground slid easily underfoot as I tried to run. The sound of Tennen's close pursuit set my heart racing. I'd never make it. I danced around the sparse trees and ducked under the occasional branch, panting and struggling to keep my footing while hoping Tennen wouldn't.
A wall of mist stood before me, and I shouldered into it, losing myself for a moment.
The skirts grew heavier as they soaked up the falling rain, and my arms burned with their weight. I slid and fell forward, too late dropping the skirts as the ground rose to meet me. I landed hard on my stomach and my face hit the ground with enough force that it bounced. Thankfully, hitting the spongey ground didn't hurt much.
Tennen, who'd been on my heels, tripped on my skirts before I could scramble to my feet and landed heavily atop me. The impact drove the air from my lungs in a great oof. We lay like an X on the ground, his torso crossed over mine, effectively pinning me.
He laughed above me.
"You never had a chance."
I couldn't answer. I could barely breathe with his weight on me. I tried struggling, but the mud that cushioned my fall made it impossible to do anything more than flail.
"Ho, ho! What's this?" he said, touching one of my bared legs.
I struggled harder, but his hand just slid over my mud-coated skin, inching its way upward.
He put his free hand in my hair and pulled back hard, forcing me to arch off the ground. He leaned in toward my ear, never stopping his exploration. "No stockings? Naughty, Benella. Maybe I had the wrong sister."
His hot breath fanned my cheek, and my anger boiled. I arched further back, trying to hit his head with my own as I'd done before. He laughed.
"Not this time."
His fingers found the edge of my covering and slid underneath to stroke my buttocks. I screamed in fury, twisting sharply. The move pulled out some of my hair. He tried to hold me tight, but the mud and the rain made me too slippery to grip. I struggled further, clawing a handful of mud and decaying vegetation. Twisting, I slapped my handful of glop across his face, effectively blinding him. He grunted and pushed my head away, releasing my hair.
As he shifted to the side to wipe at his eyes, I took the opportunity and scrambled out from under him. Full of mud, I struggled to gain my feet and when I did, I slid more than I walked.
"You think you're any different from the rest of us?" he cried.
"No," I yelled back at him while looking for something I could use to bash him over the head. "How can I possibly be any different? Look at me." The frustration over his blind, illogical hatred pooled in my blood.
"We all look at you," he said. "You're too good to look back. And when you do, it's to look down your nose at us."
He climbed to his feet, towering over me, hate plain on his face. His statement stunned me, and I stared at him with a frown. I'd never looked down on anyone. Had I? I gave what I could to the butcher to help those less fortunate. I'd even helped Tennen's mother. How could that be looking down on anyone? I opened my mouth to protest but stopped when I felt something circle my waist. Tennen laughed as I looked down. Vines looped around me and began tugging me backward. Were they here to protect me and give me refuge? With the estate, I never knew what to expect.