Innocent Darkness (11 page)

The Wish

Escape plans moved slowly. The best way to escape would be from the faery garden. They could climb over the fence and into the yard of the brothel, making their way to the street from there. Noli didn’t know how they’d get to Los Angeles without any money. Nevertheless, Charlotte’s time was running out.

As she replaced the flowers in the entryway, she heard shrieks from the visitor’s parlor.

Charlotte’s shrieks.

“Please, let me stay,” Charlotte cried. “I’ll cooperate, please, let me stay.”

Noli’s heart raced so fast she feared it might beat right out of her chest. She crept towards the parlor. From the doorway Noli saw Charlotte threw herself at her uncle’s feet and begged him not to take her away.

“I am sorry, but obviously this place isn’t suited to you.” The smarmy look on the gentleman’s face reminded Noli of Dr. Martin.

“Please, Uncle Nash? Please let me stay. I beg you.” Charlotte’s plea, more sob than words, made Noli’s heart wrench.

“No.” He stood. “Now come along.”

When he reached for Charlotte, she swatted at his hands and shrieked that she didn’t want to leave. Noli watched in horror as Uncle Nash picked Charlotte up and carried her toward the door as if she were a sack of flour.

For a moment Noli thought she’d be sick.

He was taking Charlotte away for good, without even letting her say goodbye.

Pressing herself against the wall, Noli put a knuckle to her mouth, as he carried the screaming Charlotte into the entryway. Neither he nor Miss Gregory noticed her presence. The usually unflappable Miss Gregory seemed distraught, wringing her hands and asking if he’d come into her office and talk.

“Can’t I say goodbye to Magnolia?” Charlotte cried from her undignified place over his shoulder, hands flailing.

“I’ll tell her for you.” Miss Gregory frowned in a way that made deep creases on her forehead as Uncle Nash carried Charlotte out the front door.

Noli took off running right past Miss Gregory and out the front door, not caring of the ramifications. She wasn’t going to let Charlotte leave without saying goodbye.

“Charlotte! Charlotte!” she cried as she sped down the front walk.

Uncle Nash didn’t stop but Charlotte’s tear-stained face popped up eyes glimmering with life, with hope. “Magnolia!”

Miss Gregory rushed out onto the front porch in a flustered flurry of long black skirts, the matron and Dr. Martin at her side.

Noli reached for Charlotte’s hand. Failure consumed her. They’d waited too long to escape. Her friend, her lifeline to sanity in this dreadful school, was leaving for a place even worse than this. She’d never see her again. Their fingertips brushed.

“Don’t leave, Charlotte, please.” Tears streamed down her face. Dr. Martin restrained her, preventing her from gasping Charlotte’s outstretched hand. “No, let me go.” She thrashed at the doctor’s grasp. His arms tightened around her, keeping her immobile.

“Is there a problem, Miss Gregory?” Uncle Nash finally stopped. He looked down his nose at Miss Gregory, his drawl more pronounced than Charlotte’s.

“Magnolia and Charlotte are friends.” Miss Gregory’s lips pursed as she joined them on the front walk. “I thought it would be too for Magnolia’s delicate condition for her to see Charlotte leave. I didn’t realize she’d already come inside.”

Noli flinched as if a bony hand had smacked her across the face. Miss Gregory planned on letting Charlotte leave without saying goodbye.

“I see. Well, good day to you.” Uncle Nash walked towards the carriage waiting outside the tall gates, nonplussed.

“Don’t leave, Charlotte, please don’t leave.” Noli struggled against Dr. Martin, trying to break free before Charlotte became lost to her forever.

Charlotte, still over her uncle’s shoulder, kicked and twisted. “Let me say goodbye to Magnolia. Please?”

“Please, let me say goodbye,” Noli shrieked in return.

“Come now, Magnolia.” Dr. Martin tried to sooth and coax her as if she were simply a hysterical female. “Let’s go to my office.”

“No.” She continued to scream for Charlotte as she watched Uncle Nash wrestle her only friend at Findlay into the waiting carriage.

Noli refused to move, even after the carriage drove away. Finally, the matron helped Dr. Martin drag her into the house and to his office. Matron held her down on the exam table for Dr. Martin.

“I’m going to give you something to calm you down so you can have a rest. Won’t that be nice?” He swabbed down her arm and stabbed her with the long, sharp needle.

She didn’t get to answer because it took effect immediately and sleep consumed her.

Kevighn hadn’t seen either girl in few days. He’d watched them quietly, looking for an opening in which to act. It also gave him a legitimate reason to frequent his favorite opium den.

Still, time was of the essence. Never before had they gotten this close to the time of the sacrifice without a girl. This uncertainty was what caused the magic to weaken. Usually, he’d found a girl far in advance. It also gave the choose girl time to enjoy her reward.

As he walked through the gates of the Red Pearl, a commotion from the school drew his attention. The girl with the red hair screamed like a harpy as some man in an expensive suit carried her to a waiting carriage. His heart sank; he’d wanted to take both girls if possible. Nevertheless, the other contained more power.

The girl with the steel-colored eyes barreled down the path, crying out for her friend. He watched in morbid fascination as the redheaded girl was forced into the carriage while they restrained the girl with the chestnut curls and carried back into the house.

Could this work to his advantage? She’d just been stripped of her dear friend. Hmmm …

He needed to catch her alone in the garden. Maybe it was time to go over the wall.

When she awoke, Noli lay alone in a tiny room with rosecolored wallpaper, on a little bed with a pink quilt. Beside the bed, a small table proved the only other object in the room. No mirror, no magazines, no sewing. The barred window was too high to see out. Isolation.

Her arms and legs were tied to the bedposts. She remembered why. Charlotte. One of the two things holding her together at this place had been taken from her. She’d probably never see Charlotte again. Tears rolled down her cheeks, with her arms tied she could do nothing to wipe them away.

After awhile, Dr. Martin came in and gave her some food and another injection. This one didn’t work as fast, but she barely finished her supper before falling asleep again.

When she awoke, Dr, Martin came in and sat down on the little bed. “This place isn’t suited to everyone, Magnolia. We couldn’t give Charlotte what she needed, so her uncle brought her home. I don’t agree, but it’s his choice.” For once his beady eyes didn’t leer. He touched her, but only on the shoulder.

“But … ” It came out more a sob than words.

His eyes met hers as if willing her to understand. “She kept you back from your own progress. If you work really hard you might be able to progress by Christmas. Don’t you think a Christmas letter would make your mother happy?”

As much as she ached to write her mama, to read her letters, she didn’t want to believe Charlotte had anything to do with her lack of progress and everything to do with Findlay House being the wrong place for her as well.

Actually, this was probably the wrong place for everyone.

Dr. Martin looked at her expectantly, so she nodded.

“You may rest here for as long as you need.” His creepy smile sent prickles down her spine. “I’ll be back to check on you.” Standing, he left, locking the door behind him.