A sudden sense of safety whooshed over her, like nothing she'd known in months. Strength, calm, protection. Joshua and Nella Chappell were some of Charles’ best tenants and had made her feel welcome since the first day she'd walked onto the Morgan land to take a job as a housemaid.
Almost a year ago now.
Kizzie pressed her face into his shoulder, the tears spilling down her cheeks as the pain brought another whimper.
He walked faster.
She'd known such loneliness, so much grief over the past few months, but a sense of safety from Joshua Chappell's arms poured through her, strengthened her. Her shaky sigh breathed out with some of her fear.
Even if they knew the truth, the Chappells wouldn't cast her out, would they?
The glow of lantern light swelled into the darkness as Joshua's boots hit the wood of the porch steps.
“What are you dragging into this house, Joshua Chappell?” came the distinctive voice of Joshua's wife. “We can't take on no more stray critters—”
Joshua turned, the lantern light from the porch glowing fully upon them, halting Nella's words.
“Have mercy! Kizzie McAdams?” Nella stepped aside from the door's threshold. “What on earth was you doin’ out in them woods this time of night?”
“I … I'm sorry, Nella.” Kizzie sniffled a reply.
“I think she's hurt.” Joshua moved past his wife to deposit Kizzie on a chair near the small fireplace alight with flames. “Something ain't right.”
Firelight gave the small room a cozy feel. She released a deep sigh and pressed back as far into the curved wooden chair as her body allowed. Her feet ached. Her head throbbed. And the unusual twisting in her stomach nearly brought on a bout of nausea.
The Chappells’ three children sat at the small table in the next room. Ruth, Elias, and Isaac all stared with wide eyes, Isaac with his spoon still in the air as if in midbite.
Nella replaced her husband at Kizzie's side, her dark eyes scanning over Kizzie's entire body. “What are you doin’ lookin’ like you ain't seen a washstand in days? When was the last time you ate?” She plucked a leaf from Kizzie's hair and showed it to her. “You know it ain't safe in them woods on your own, girl, especially come nightfall.”
Kizzie wasn't sure if Nella really wanted an answer with the sudden onslaught of questions, but she ventured on answering the first. “I ain't had no place.”
“Ain't had no place?” Nella repeated, her voice pitched higher. “You mean to tell me, you been sleepin’ out in them woods for heaven knows how long?” Her brow puckered. “And why is that?”
Kizzie ran a hand through her dark hair, more loose than pinned up. “I was coming back from my parents’ house after … after a short visit.”
She looked away, tears beginning another rise in her eyes. The last thing she wanted was to share her shame with someone else, especially the good Chappell family. Disappoint someone else.
“Youwalkedfrom up near Maple Springs?” Nella's gaze grew in intensity, more questions in those eyes than Kizzie had any interest in answering. “That's over twenty miles of mountain paths.”
Kizzie refused to elaborate that she'd walked much farther than the distance from Maple Springs if she counted all the towns she'd wandered through along the way. And her body felt every bit of it.
Another pain sliced through Kizzie's middle. She pressed her palm over her hardening abdomen and sent Nella a look. Discretion was becoming increasingly difficult, especially at the moment. “I … I don't know what's wrong.” She lowered her voice, her gaze flickering to Joshua. “I think Joshua's gunshot scared me so bad, I lost my water.”
“Lost your …” Nella surveyed Kizzie from face to dusty boots, pausing on her middle. With a deep sigh, her eyes drooped closed for only a second, and a renewed wash of heated shame rose from Kizzie's chest into her face.
Did Nella know? Or was she only embarrassed at the fact that Kizzie, at such a growed-up age, had lost her water?
After focusing another second on Kizzie's face, Nella turned to Joshua and some unspoken exchange sent him into motion.
“Boys, get your things. We're havin’ an overnight in the barn loft.”
The two boys jumped up from the table with happy cries and ran up the narrow steps nearby.
“Ruth.” Nella stood and shifted her attention to her daughter. “Get some willow bark from its drying place in the barn and return directly.”
Ruth glanced from her mama to Kizzie and then, with a slight nod, left with her daddy and brothers out the front door.
The room fell quiet and Nella lowered back to Kizzie's side. “How far along are you?”
