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“We’regoingintotownto help with the cleanup,” Marcus said. “Rory heard they’d arranged for the road clearance now that the rain has slowed. Do you want to come?”
Ria hesitated, still worried about opening herself up to others in the community. The lady scientist who’d helped her to escape had told her to trust no one, that she would always be in danger, but the last few days had reinforced the fact she was lonely and craved more from life than what she discovered from TV programs. Plus, Marcus gave her confidence, and the barest notion of him leaving her had her stomach tap-dancing with nausea.
“You can stay here,” Anita said.
“No!” The word burst from Ria. “I wish to go with you. I will help.”
Marcus’s smile of approval warmed her all over, and he squeezed her leg again, leaving his hand resting on her thigh. Ria bit into her cheese scone, and she was at ease for the first time in as long as she could recall.
The drive into Middlemarch was slow, given the state of the road leading to the country town. Before entering the main street, they splashed through puddles and bumped over stones and other foreign debris.
“Wow, Saber said the flood was bad,” Anita said from the front of the vehicle. “It looks as if the water has poured through the shops. Oh, there’s Caroline and Marsh. Can you let Ria and me off here? We’ll help them.”
Rory obediently halted on the shoulder.
“Toby, do you want to go with us or remain with Rory and Marcus?”
“Stay with Rory,” Toby said.
“We’ll call you when we’re ready to leave,” Rory said.
Marcus leaned closer and kissed the tip of Ria’s nose. “Will you be all right?”
She hesitated.
“You can get Anita to call me, and I’ll come immediately. Okay?”
Ria nodded, and Marcus stole another kiss before releasing her. “See you later.”
Ria kept step with Anita as she headed for Caroline’s shop.
“Caroline. We’ve come to help,” Anita said. “This is Ria Hunter.”
“Oh, good. Marsh promised he’d help Saber, so I’d be glad of the extra hands.” She smiled at Ria. “You picked a bad time to visit. Are you staying with Anita and Rory?”
“Yes,” Ria said, hesitating.
“Can we talk inside?” Anita asked.
Caroline glanced from Ria to Anita and back. “Ah, sure,” she said and led the way inside.
The floor was wet but clean, with stock piled on counters and shelves.
“Did you lose any stock?” Anita asked.
“Marsh told me he thought this would be bad and to prepare, so I packed most of my dresses and took them home. A fantastic decision. A little water came under the door and brought silt, but the stock damage is minimal.” She paused, staring at Ria. “Have we met before? Something about you is familiar.”
“I…” Ria stopped, took a deep breath, and started again. Caroline had been fair in their dealings together and struck Ria as an honest person. “I am Mrs. Hunter. I knit for you.”
Caroline’s mouth opened before she snapped it shut again. She shook her head. “Why did you pretend to be elderly? Your disguise… I never once suspected.”
Ria glanced at Anita, and her new friend sent her an encouraging smile. Ria reached up to tug off her hat and steeled herself for an adverse reaction.
“Wow, your hair is an amazing color, but I don’t see—ah! Your ears.”
“I have a tail, too,” Ria said.
“You’ve been hiding in plain sight,” Caroline said. “I understand.”
