Still House Pond (33 page)

“Maybe Lilly got on the wrong coach.”

“There's only one. You know that,” Copper said.

Sweat beaded around Manda's hairline. “I swear I thought I saw her.”

“What do you mean you thought you saw her? Didn't you wait with her like we planned?” Copper asked.

“I was meaning to. Really I was. Lilly was sitting right there on the porch. I told her to wait while I went to slop the hog. But I slipped in some greasy mud and hit my head on the top rail of the pigpen. It knocked me out, and when I woke up, Lilly was gone. I ran to the stop and saw the coach leave. Where else would Lilly be?”

“Why'd you leave out of here, girl?” Remy asked.

Manda chewed on the end of her bonnet strings and mumbled. “I wanted to see my sister.”

“Take that there bonnet off,” Remy said, “afore ye sweat to death.”

She slid it off. The light was not kind to her bruised cheekbones, badly swollen eye, and puffy lip.

“Mighty funny way to knock yourself out,” Remy said. “Looks like somebody backhanded ye. Fess up, girl.”

“Are you calling me a liar?”

“If the shoe fits,” Remy said.

Copper didn't like the turn this conversation was taking. What in the world was Remy getting at? “Manda, you're not being accused of anything. We just need to know the full truth. Anything you can think of to help us trace Lilly's steps that day. Even if you don't think it has anything to do with Lilly, it could make all the difference.”

“Seems odder than a two-headed cat that you'd run off to your sister's with your face all busted up.” Remy peered at Manda over the rim of her saucer as she slurped sweetened coffee.

Manda's gaze darted around the room like she was looking for an escape. “I didn't notice, really. It just seemed the perfect opportunity. Everyone was gone, and I thought I'd—”

“Yup. We've got it. You'd just run off to have a little sisterly visit with Darcy Mae.”

Copper nudged Remy under the table. Forevermore, she sounded like a lawman.
Ease up,
her foot against Remy's leg relayed.

“That's not a crime as far as I know,” Manda said. “Miz Copper, I'm truly sorry about Lilly. That's why I come back, because I had to know how she is, but I'm not staying any longer than you need me to. I'll help out any way I can for the time being, though.”

“Well, I appreciate that.” Copper stood, tipped Manda's chin, and retracted her eyelid. “Tell me about this eye. Is it getting better or worse?”

“Worse. I can barely see out of it, and it's sore to touch.”

“You should go lie down. I'll make a bread poultice to draw out the soreness.”

Remy's chair creaked when she reached behind her for her crutch. “Poultice my eye,” she said, withdrawing something from a pillowcase and shaking it out.

What now?
Copper thought.
I'm too weary for this.

Manda blanched. “Where'd you get that?”

“From under the corn-shuck mattress where you left it. Funny, it ain't got a drop of pig slop on it. But it's tore at the waist and there's a splatter of blood. Yourn, I reckon.”

The blood rushed from Copper's head. The air in the room grew dense and dark. Something ugly was coming.

With a shout, Manda started banging her forehead against the table like she was trying to dislodge a bad memory.

Remy slipped her hand between the table and Manda's forehead. “Ye ain't going to feel any better until you tell us what happened that morning. Truth's the only poultice that will draw out whatever pizen's in you.”

Manda jumped up from the chair. Remy hopped backward, dropping her crutch, nearly falling. Copper caught her and retrieved the crutch. She and Remy watched in horror as Manda tugged on her hair.

“It was that middling man,” she screeched. “That middling-fiddling music man.”

Copper grabbed her hands. “What are you talking about? What man?”

Manda sank to the floor. “He attacked me in the barn. He pushed me up against the feed box. He tore my dress and slapped me hard.” Her voice was distant like she was telling a dream.

Oh, Lord, please no.
“Manda,” Copper pleaded, kneeling with that searing pain in her heart again. “Did this man hurt Lilly? Did he carry her off? Please tell me what you know.”

Manda looked at Copper. “No, he didn't hurt Lilly. He never touched her.”

Copper wasn't sure whether Manda was telling the truth. The girl was traumatized; that was easy to tell. With great gentleness she slipped her arms around Manda and rocked her like she would Lilly if she ever got the chance again. “How do you know? How do you know he didn't hurt Lilly?”

“Because Lilly was on the porch when I went in the barn with him, and she was already gone when I came out.”

A great distress rose in Copper's chest. Of all the things she had supposed might have happened to her daughter, she'd never thought of this. “But don't you see? He could have come back or he might have lain in wait for her. When you ran to the crossroads, he could have taken her then.”

“No, he couldn't,” Manda said.

“How do you know?”

“Because I stabbed him,” Manda said, emotionless. “I stabbed him with the pitchfork.”

“Oh, my word. Did you . . . ? Is he . . . ?”

“No, but I wish he was dead.” Manda's head nodded in a tremor she couldn't seem to stop. “I do. I wish I'd stabbed him through the heart.”

“Shh, shh, shh,” Copper soothed as she rocked. An ugly question had to be asked if she was to help Manda. “Honey,” she whispered, “are you intact?”

Manda leaned her head against Copper's chest. “Everything's the same but my heart.”

* * *

Nobody came to open the door to the shack. It was good the day was overcast and not too warm. Lilly couldn't stand herself any longer, so she poured half the remaining water in the washbasin and bathed with Colgate's tooth powder. She was squeaky clean. She wished she had a second dress, but as Aunt Remy said, “If wishes were horses, then peasants would ride,” or something to that effect. She changed her underclothes and her hose. Her knees were much better. She was careful not to pull the scabs off. She surely didn't want scars on her knees to match the one on her arm.

Thinking of scars made her think of the milkmaid poem and her decision to someday become a doctor. She wasn't entirely sure how to go about that, but she was sure it took a lot of knowledge. Aunt Alice had all Daddy Simon's medical books in her library. She also had all Lilly's grandfather's medical books. Until right this minute, she had forgotten that her grandfather was also a doctor. Hmmm, maybe it was supposed to be. Maybe this was why God let her be cast into this awful place—so she could figure that out. One thing was a given: God always had His reasons. Just look at those three pulse-eating fellows who were tossed into the fiery furnace. If you thought about them, then this wasn't so bad. Plus, she saved Steady and her baby. Sort of saved them anyway. They weren't home free yet.

She'd made up her mind, though. The next time Mr. Still opened that door, she was leaving. If she had to push him off the ladder, she would. Enough was enough. Then, while he was lying flat out on the ground trying to figure out what had happened, she'd climb down with Steady and the pup at the same time. She figured she would hang the valise around her neck and carry Steady under her arm.

“Where there's a will, there's a way. That's another of Aunt Remy's sayings,” she told the dog, who looked at her with worshipful eyes. “My throat feels better. I know you were worried. I wish I had a cup of sassafras tea with honey, though.”

She might as well see what the Stills were doing. If she could tell when Mr. Still was coming her way, she could be better prepared to knock him off the ladder.

Mr. Still was walking past the hideout. Tern followed, rolling a wagon wheel. “You go on ahead to where we broke down, Tern. You can start fixing the buckboard. We'll catch up.”

Tern stood there with the wheel. As soon as his father walked away, he looked up at Lilly. He mouthed something, but Lilly couldn't understand. She shook her head. He mouthed it again. She scrunched up her face.

He turned his back on her. “Daddy, will you need me to come back for anything?”

“No. Now get on, boy. It's a right smart piece to where we're going.”

Tern glanced over his shoulder. Lilly nodded. Tern had sent her a message. She watched while he rolled the wheel away.

Mr. Still went into the house for maybe half an hour. Lilly got a charley horse in her leg from sitting doubled up for so long. Finally they all came out. Mr. Still led the horse to the front of the house. Lilly rubbed the crick from her calf as she watched the old lady climb into the saddle from the mounting block. Mr. Still handed her the baby and put the next smallest boy on the horse behind her.

“You took your sweet time a-coming back,” the old lady said.

“I had to walk all the way to Dimmert Whitt's place. He wasn't home or I'd've had to wait until nightfall. It was easy pickings. He makes wheels himself, you recollect.”

“Let's get on out,” the grandma said. “It's a-fixing to storm again.”

“Yeah, we need to shake a leg. While Tern was out scouting, he saw a posse of men searching all around the church—even in the cemetery. They're bound to come this way sooner than later.”

“Did ye leave plenty of water?”

“Sure. The gal will be fine. Don't worry.”

“Put the ladder back up. Give her a fighting chance at least.”

34

Manda's hysteria seemed spent. It took both Copper and Remy to get her up off the floor. She was still crying but no longer hysterical.

Someone knocked on the screen door. Copper turned to see who it was. She could see Ma Hawkins and some other ladies from church standing back from the door respectfully. “Take Manda to the sickroom, Remy, before they notice her,” she said.

Copper opened the door to a gaggle of women holding pots and pans of food as well as cakes and pies. It looked like they'd been cooking for hours.

“We don't aim to put you to no trouble,” Ma Hawkins said. “But the men will need to eat. Where's a good place to set up a table?”

Copper was touched. She had not even thought of dinner, though it was almost noon. “Thank you,” she said, stepping out. “You all have been so good.”

“Any news?”

“They found her hat.” Copper choked on the words.

The women sighed and clucked like hens settling on nests. Copper saw real concern on their faces. Many of them had also suffered great heartache.

Ma Hawkins patted her shoulder. “Now that's a good sign. That means she's somewhere hereabouts.”

“I'll just go find the sawhorses,” Copper said.

“You'll do no such thing,” Ma Hawkins said. “My boys came along. I took the liberty of sending them to the barn. I knowed John would have something in there to set up a table with.”

As she spoke, two lanky boys came out of the barn carrying the sawhorses and lengths of wood.

“Someone will need to find John and tell the men,” Copper said, suddenly anxious to tell John what Manda said.

“My old man's headed over to the church. He's going to ring the bell, so they'll be here soon enough. You've only got to do one thing for us.”

“Whatever you need,” Copper said.

“You've got to eat the plate we fix you.” All the women nodded. Copper could see that was truly all they wanted.

It was against her nature, but Copper sat in a rocking chair waiting for John while her friends and neighbors set a veritable feast on the sawhorse tables. It was such a thoughtful gesture and so helpful. The men needed a good meal.

If these women hadn't come, she would have saddled Chessie and gone off to find John. Manda was telling the truth now, she was sure of that, but what might her story mean to Lilly's disappearance? John would have a clear head about this. He would stay strong, and she so badly needed that strength right now.

The men—some on horseback and others on foot—started coming in a few at a time until there were at least sixteen of them gathering around the table. The ladies poured milk and tea and heaped plates full of food. The men sat on the ground under shade trees to eat.

John and Dimmert were last to come in. Copper had to keep herself from running across the yard to John.

John stopped first at the table. “Man, this looks good enough to eat,” Copper heard him say.

Ma Hawkins began to ladle food onto a plate. “Do you want chicken or ham? or both?”

“You hold on to that for me,” he said. “I'll be right back.”

“Anything?” Copper asked as soon as John stepped on the porch, although she could tell by his face the answer was no. It hurt her to see him so defeated.

“No, but we're getting close. I can feel it in my bones.” He dipped the long-handled dipper into the water bucket on the shelf and drank it down. “If this storm will just hold off.”

Copper hadn't even noticed the dark clouds forming over the mountains. “Not again.”

“I know,” he said. “We'll need to eat quick.”

“Come inside. I have to tell you something for your ears alone.”

“Have you eaten anything?” he asked, closing the door behind them.

“I'm okay. Please don't go on about me.” She could see a flash of hurt in his eyes. Why was she lashing out at him? “I'm sorry.”

He brushed her cheek with a dry kiss. “It's okay.”

“Listen.” She told him everything Manda said, from the lies to the truth. She saw the same horror and revulsion she herself had felt as she recounted the story.

“I'll have to talk to her,” he said.

“I don't know. She's very upset.”

“I'm sure that's true, but it has to be done. I'll get Dimmert. Having her brother will make it easier for her. And he should hear this, as well as the sheriff.”