The Uncharted Series Omnibus Page 2

  “I know how Father’s demands affect you.” Lydia thought of when she began her medical apprenticeship at sixteen. “I had our family’s support during my training and I had the praise of the village for my choice of profession. I didn’t have to face resistance like you do. I’m sure you will build yourself a beautiful house one day, but you should try to find a way to do it that does not cause strife.”

  “It’s not the fact that I want to build my own house that offends Father. It’s that I want to build my own life.” Levi’s frustration was palpable.

  “This tension between you and Father has been building for years, and I understand both sides. Father followed Grandfather’s footsteps gladly. You are his only son. He has always had the same expectations for you. But you’re right—you’re a grown man. You should be able to decide how to spend your life and where to live.”

  Levi exhaled and pushed his hand through his hair. “Then why does Father condemn me for not being exactly like him?”

  “Father is not questioning your character—only your choice of profession.”

  “I have been told all my life I should be a preacher just as my father is and his father was before him. But I have never for one moment felt called to that profession. If I were, I would gladly obey. But I’m not. Just thinking of it fills me with anxiety.” Levi shook his head. “No. Give me a hammer instead. I would rather build all day long.”

  Lydia appreciated her brother’s determination to lead his own life and knew she was his sole source of encouragement. She laid a hand on Levi’s arm. “You are an excellent carpenter, and your work is needed by the village. You should be proud that you have the strength for building—many men don’t.”

  “Father has the strength for anything.”

  “I suppose that’s true to some degree, but he prefers preaching. Try to remember, Father is peace-loving above all. This friction between you two will not last forever. I truly believe that.”

  Mandy finished her song, and Lydia and Levi clapped. The sound caused a brief silence in the kitchen, followed by a short applause. Mandy gently placed the violin in its case like an infant in a bassinet. She used both hands to corral her curls into a loose bun at the nape of her neck then lifted her violin to play again.

  * * *

  Frank Roberts wished there were windows at the back of Lydia’s cottage. He worked up the nerve to peer into the side window in broad daylight—a daring feat considering her father had built the cottage within spitting distance of the Colburn house. Frank folded his body behind the hedges to remain hidden from any possible passerby on the road. After he lowered a branch with his fingertips, Frank held his breath as he got a clear view into Lydia’s window. It would be worth the trouble for one glimpse at the woman he loved.

  Frank had spent the morning in the forest nearby, watching the property. Lydia was inside the cottage, but when he did not see her in the downstairs medical office, he assumed she was upstairs in her private room. The wait frustrated him, and he started to shift his cramped legs, but then she walked down the stairs and into his view. He held perfectly still and stared. She was all he had ever wanted.

  Frank remembered the first time he saw her. He had only planned to be in the village a few days to visit his dying uncle. Lydia was barely thirteen—too young for him then, so they said. But she was sweet and sad and had just lost her mother. She needed him. Frank decided at that moment he would stay in Good Springs and some day she would be his. Now she was twenty-two and the village’s physician. And she avoided him whenever she saw him.

  Lydia stood in her office with her back to the window. As she dusted and meticulously arranged the knickknacks on a bookshelf, Frank breathed through his mouth and watched her. He imagined what it would be like to have her. She would never be willing. She was chaste and would never waive her precious morals—morals Frank was sure were forced on her by her self-righteous father. The overseer preached ridiculous rules. Frank had feigned interest in their religion once as an attempt to get Lydia’s approval. He had been certain she would fall for his charade, but her overprotective brother interfered. Frank’s lip twitched in anger at the thought of Levi.

  Frank stayed at the window and took in every motion of Lydia’s body. He memorized the angles of her features as she moved around the room: her oval face, her symmetrical brows, her high cheeks that rounded into perfect mounds when she smiled.

  Someone stepped out of the Colburn house and Frank ducked beneath the hedges. The door to Lydia’s cottage opened, then banged shut. Frank peeked into the window and as soon as he saw it was Levi, he plunged back into the shrubs. Crawling along the edge of the cottage, Frank tried to stay out of sight. He scampered to his feet and ran away, but before he made it to the back of the Colburn property, he heard a woman’s angry voice yelling from the road.

  “That’s right! Run away you filthy miscreant! Lydia wants nothing to do with you!”

  Frank did not need to look back; he recognized the shrill voice. Mandy Foster stormed toward the cottage from the road. She scolded and ridiculed him at the top of her lungs until he was at the edge of the forest. He ripped a gray leaf from a tree and chewed it while he walked back to his cabin near the bluffs.

  * * *

  Startled by the yelling outside, Lydia rushed to the door as Levi yanked it open. Lydia stood on her tiptoes behind her brother and craned her neck trying to see the commotion. She saw auburn curls bounce as Mandy stomped to the cottage. Levi held the door open with the same courtesy he gave every woman, but he did not leave the doorway. Lydia moved back to give her friend plenty of clearance.

  Levi furrowed his brow at Mandy. “What are you yelling about, woman?”

  Mandy brushed Levi’s shoulder as she passed him. She looked at Lydia. “I could see that little rat from the road! He had his head at your window, peeping in, you know?”

  Lydia felt instant mortification and put her palm over her stomach as she lowered herself into the chair at her desk. “No, I did not know.”

  Levi threw his hands into the air. “Who?”

  “Who do you think?” Mandy spat the question at Levi, but Lydia knew Mandy’s disgust was not aimed at him.

  “Frank?” Levi’s nostrils flared. “I’d like to teach that degenerate a lesson!”

  “Levi!” Lydia scolded. “You will do no such thing!”

  “It would serve him right!” Levi fumed.

  Lydia propped her elbows on her desk and pressed her fingers to her temples. She cringed at the thought of Frank Roberts paying her attention, let alone in a way that others might notice. She reminded herself Levi and Mandy knew her and loved her, but still she wondered what they thought of her because of Frank’s despicable behavior.

  The wooden floor creaked as Mandy paced the floor. “It would put Frank right here inside Lydia’s home because she would have to stitch his battered face. Oh, he would love that! Go ahead, Levi, give Frank exactly what he is after—Lydia’s attention!”

  Lydia looked at Mandy and Levi and saw them exchange a fiery glance. She considered the volatility between them and was glad they were both angry at the same person and not at each other. Levi marched to Lydia’s desk and dropped into the chair beside it. He drummed one finger on the top of the desk with rapid thumps.

  Lydia wanted to diffuse their anger and hoped they would forget about the incident. “I have dealt with Frank’s behavior for years,” she said, forcing her voice to sound unaffected. Though certain she had caused Frank’s unrelenting attraction to her, Lydia would never admit it to anyone. “He is harmless.”

  “Harmless?” Levi ejected the word and raked his hand through his hair. “Lydia, the man was just staring in your window. Frank is a pervert, and he has become bolder in his depraved behavior since you moved out here last year. You should move back into the house.”

  Lydia’s embarrassment increased. She should not have confided in Frank all those years ago; it ignited his affection and now she felt responsible for his bad behavior. �
�Please, stop it, Levi. I feel terrible when anyone speaks of him. And I will not move back into the house. Since Doctor Ashton is no longer able to care for himself—let alone others—I’m now the village’s only physician and it’s important that I’m accessible to the people.”

  Mandy halted her pacing and looked at Lydia. “Levi is right. You need protection if you’re going to live out here by yourself.” She turned to sit, but when she only saw the patient cot behind her, she remained standing. “As long as you’re unmarried you are available for harassment to a man like that.”

  Lydia found Mandy’s suggestion of marriage ironic and smiled. “You sound like Aunt Isabella.” Lydia looked at Levi when he snickered, then she turned back to Mandy. “I have yet to encounter a danger great enough to give up my medical practice and get married. And even if I did marry, I doubt it would deter a man like Frank. I will put curtains over the windows.” Lydia stood and brushed her hands together. “Yes, curtains. Problem solved. That should ease your minds.”

  Mandy reached for a long strand of curl and twirled it in her fingertips. “Still, I think every woman should at least consider a husband.” Her green eyes looked at Levi.

  Lydia looked at Levi too, but he continued staring out the window. She thought he was not listening. Then slowly he turned his gaze toward Mandy and spoke. “This from the woman who prefers to forgo the deep affections of one man in favor of the distant admiration of many men.”

  Mandy grinned and lowered her pointed chin. Lydia marveled at how Mandy’s mood could change from aggressively angry to playfully offended without a breath in between. Lydia was relieved they were no longer talking about Frank Roberts and returned to her desk.

  Levi blew out a breath and stepped to the door. “Lydia, come and get me when you are ready to go look at that land we spoke of last night. I’ll be in the barn.” He left without acknowledging Mandy.

  Lydia watched Levi close the door, then she grinned at Mandy. “Sometimes I think you torment him on purpose.”

  “What do you mean?” Mandy smiled wickedly as she moved to the chair left vacant by Levi. She sat and crossed her legs high above the knee.

  “Any time you suggest marriage as the solution to a woman’s problem, I detect insincerity.”

  “All right, so I felt like aggravating Levi a bit. He can handle it. Would you rather I had pointed out that it’s not your singleness that causes your trouble—it’s your fear?”

  “Fear?” Lydia almost laughed. “I truly am not afraid of Frank.”

  “Maybe not. But you are afraid of what people think of you because of Frank.” Mandy nodded once as if confirming her statement. “See—it is fear. You’re afraid others will think that if someone as wretched as Frank Roberts loves you, you must be wretched too.”

  Lydia remained silent and inwardly cringed at the truth in her friend’s assessment. Mandy traced her finger along the wood grain on the top of Lydia’s desk, and her face became solemn. “After your mother died you went to great lengths to prove to everyone that you were all right. You still strive to present yourself as perfect as possible.”

  “I would hardly consider that a fault, Mandy. Father says it is important for someone in my position to have a good reputation.”

  “Your position as the overseer’s daughter?”

  “Well, yes, the village has certain expectations of me in that regard, but I meant as a physician. People won’t feel they can come to me for help if I appear to be in need of help—which I am not. Besides, I’m still awaiting the elders’ decision to award me the title of doctor, and I don’t want anything to jeopardize that honor. If they knew a man like Frank Roberts follows me around, they might question my aptitude. I studied and trained for years for this position. I intend to see it through.”

  “And so you will. I’m sure of that.” Mandy’s fingers left the desk and found a curl of her hair to play with. She glanced at the door then back at Lydia. “I have to teach the music class for the primary students today. Come with me to the school. It will do you good to get out of here for a while.”

  Lydia liked the idea but remembered Levi’s request. She rose from her desk and Mandy followed her to the door. “Thanks, but Levi is waiting for me.”

  “Ah, yes, his land.” Mandy winked then sauntered back to the road.

  Chapter Two

  A cool wind blowing in from the sea gripped the hair that framed Lydia’s face. She tucked her hair behind her ear as she sat near her mother’s grave. Though Hannah Colburn died when Lydia was only thirteen, she could easily conjure memories of her mother’s laugh and touch and scent.

  One speckled stone marked the spot, its cold surface interrupted by letters etched in two rows. Thick grass grew wild on the bluffs, but here it was kept carefully trimmed. A faint smile curled one edge of Lydia’s mouth as she considered her father’s attention to the gravesite. His faithfulness in marriage extended to the grave.

  Looking out over the endless sea, Lydia relaxed for the first time in twenty hours. The warm light of the sun’s gentle rays soaked through her long skirt. She stretched her legs straight out along the ground, felt the weight of her boots, and leaned her back against the tombstone. Though Lydia had a soft feather bed in her cottage, she needed to settle her mind before she could sleep.

  Lydia wrapped her folded arms beneath her woolen shawl and let her heavy eyelids fall closed. The excitement of helping a mother bring new life into the world had energized Lydia through the night, but that energy was gone now. In a village of two hundred fifty-six people, delivering a baby was a rare delight. Lydia assured herself the fascination was purely professional, as she had never felt the desire to have a family of her own. At a young age Lydia knew Doctor Ashton planned to train only one more physician in the Land. That opportunity drove her to focus on her studies and secure the apprenticeship while most of the other girls put their efforts into attracting male attention.

  The only man to express romantic interest in Lydia was Frank Roberts, and she did not find his attention flattering—mortifying and guilt-inducing, but not flattering. Somehow Frank managed to put his face in front of hers nearly every day no matter how far out of his way it put him. Long ago her father had made it clear to Frank the attention was unwelcome, but Frank still followed her around. Lydia could often feel his beady, black eyes trail her whenever she was out-of-doors. She thought of how Mandy had caught Frank looking through her window two days ago and shuddered. Lydia blinked and scanned the space around her. She saw cut grass for fifty feet then the well-warn path into the gray leaf tree forest. There was not a soul in sight, and Lydia felt at ease. She surrendered to the warmth of the morning sun and fell asleep.

  * * *

  Bethany’s ankle-length leather boots were covered in a floral design she had scratched into the surface herself. She pointed a toe directly into the sole of Lydia’s boot and gently kicked. Lydia squirmed, still drowsy. Bethany nudged again. “Wake up!”

  Lydia lifted her head from where it rested against the tombstone. She held her hand over her forehead to shield her eyes from the sun and looked up at Bethany. “How long have you been kicking me, little sister?”

  “I only kicked twice.” Bethany held two dripping buckets of wet sand, one in each hand. Her smile dimpled her cheeks and her cropped brown waves moved over her shoulders. “Must you still call me little sister now that I’m a full inch taller than you?” Bethany—full of energy and always fidgeting—swung the buckets as she spoke. Wet sand sloshed to the ground.

  “No matter your height, remember I’m a physician responsible for the health of a village. Besides, both of my elder sisters still refer to me that way. So yes, I’ll call you little sister no matter how tall you grow.” Lydia rose to her feet and stretched both arms overhead with a yawn. She took one of the heavy buckets from Bethany and carried it for her as they walked together through the cut grass.

  Bethany turned her head back toward their mother’s tombstone then looked at Lydia. “Is everything
all right? Did it go well last night?” Bethany’s blue eyes calmed for an instant as they settled on Lydia. “It must have been so exciting delivering a baby! Well, exciting for you but dreadful for Mrs. Cotter.” Bethany made a face and then continued rambling. “When Luke came by the pottery yard this morning he told Mrs. Vestal that Phoebe and Walter said they could hear Mrs. Cotter screaming through the night. They said she wailed so loudly at first they thought it was one of the animals!” Bethany giggled. “And Phoebe said that—”

  “Doris Cotter has a healthy baby boy,” Lydia interrupted. “She is tired but quite content this morning. That’s all that should concern you and your friends.” Lydia knew how quickly news—and opinions—spread through the village. If her fifteen-year-old sister were heard gossiping about her patients, Lydia’s professionalism could be questioned.

  Lydia listened as Bethany chattered incessantly about her friends and her work while the sisters walked along the path through the gray leaf forest. Lydia corrected her sister twice when Bethany’s chatter turned to gossip. But she gave up correcting—and listening—when it seemed that was the only speech young Bethany could utter.

  As they neared the clearing at the edge of Good Springs, Lydia handed the bucket of wet sand back to her sister. “Has Mrs. Vestal mentioned anything more about the apprenticeship?”

  Bethany gripped the bucket’s handle and beamed. “Just today, in fact, she said if I continue my efforts at the pottery yard—while I finish my schooling—she’ll have no choice but to award me the apprenticeship. I showed her my sketches for designs with the new pigments I found, and she said once I master throwing clay, my work would be traded throughout the Land. Exciting, isn’t it?”

  “Quite!” The sound of Bethany’s voice bubbling with enthusiasm over a profession brought Lydia joy. She felt proud of Bethany for her work and she kissed Bethany’s cheek. “Well, off you go then. Tell Mrs. Vestal hello for me,” she said, then turned and walked toward the village.