“I made a good and proper mess of my life, Mister—” She glanced back at him before returning to her work. “Noah.” Her body bent a little as if the thoughts weighed on her. “I wasn't alone in making a mess, ’cause it takes two folks to make a baby, but then things got so mixed up and wrong. Even wronger than they'd been before. So I had to leave.” A sad little chuckle rose from her. “A stink hole is still a stink hole no matter what we call it, but when you're in it long enough, you just get used to the smell.” She shook her head. “It took God pulling me out of it to see how awful things had gotten, and the more time and farther away I am, my hindsight gets clearer and clearer.”
She turned then, those indigo eyes holding him in place, cup halfway to his lips. “Why is it we can't see when we're so close? That it takes stepping back a little ways to get a better view?”
He placed the cup in its saucer, attempting to piece together what he could from her admission. “I suppose it's like seeing this town from one of the nearby mountains. From down here, I can't see how another road might lead to a shortcut, but from up there, I can get a more comprehensive view.”
“Yes. Exactly.” She returned to her work, her movements a bit slower.
Curiosity itched in the back of his mind, but he wouldn't pry. Shouldn't.
He took another few bites of ham and bread. Her work at the stove made quiet sounds, each long silence urging his curiosity into a near frenzy.
She gathered something into her hands and walked toward him. A wariness creased her forehead as she approached. “These are quite warm, but they will work best if we use them now.” She placed them on the counter beside him, the garlic scent tickling his nose. “If possible, place it directly on your skin, where the soreness is worst.”“But didn't you make those for Marty?”
“I told your mama I'd fix one for you too. You've been favoring one side since I found you in the snow, and since we've been in here you reached up and held it twice.”
“You're observant, aren't you?”
She looked away. “In service, you learn to pay attention.”
And then the idea grew into realization. Service. Running away. “Were you … was it … your employer?”
Her gaze shot to his, the answer in those depths. Her face paled.
A fiery heat stiffened him from boots to ears. “Did he … force himself—”
“No.” She backed away, a flush darkening her cheeks. “It wasn't like that. I wasn't even fully aware of what was happening until it … well …”
His jaw tightened in an effort to control himself.
“And I didn't do anything to entice him.” Her attention caught in his. “Or if I did, I didn't know. But I—I didn't stop him either.”
“Don't you see? He took advantage of his position over you.” Noah stood, narrowing the distance between them, watching her face. “As an employer of any virtue whatsoever, he should set an example. Guard himself.”
“I suppose that's the truth of it, though I can't see why he'd pick me out of the bunch. I wasn't nearly as well spoken as some of the other servants. Nor as proper.”
“Can't you see why? You're beautiful.” Was she truly so blind, or was she playing a part? Drawing him in, even now, as she'd done to this employer of hers.
Her gaze flew to his, eyes wide, not a hint of pretense written on her features.
No, even as he considered it, the logic failed. She'd helped rescue him and Marty, putting herself in danger in the process. She'd come to offer aid to Marty and him with the poultices and tea. And even now, in the way she spoke with him, her frankness mingled with hints of naivete that rarely paired with a woman who sought … more.
Instead of basking in the compliment, her brow creased. “But Mary, one of the other maids, she was a lot prettier than me and knew how to—” She waved a hand in the air. “Woo much better than I ever could.”
He doubted many women compared to Kizzie McAdams’ beauty. He'd rarely seen an equal. His jaw tightened again. “An easy conquest is rarely what such men are after.” The words ground out of him, a truth he'd witnessed too often from inside his very mill. Yes, he'd been able to protect a few such women, but not all. Some refused protection and ran headlong into the danger.
“I think there was a part of him that truly cared for me … and then Charlie.” She nodded, stepping back from him. “Until life and the expectations became too hard.”
True or not, the man took clear advantage of the woman. The young woman. What was she? Seventeen? Eighteen? Her eyes held cares and wounds older than her face. Noah leaned a palm against the counter to offset the weight to his leg. “He's a bit older than you, I'd wager.”
She tilted her head, studying him. “Older than you, I'd reckon.”
Old enough to know exactly what he was doing.
“Miss McAdams.” He cleared his throat and relaxed his shoulders with a sigh. “Kizzie,” he corrected. “I don't know what your future plans are, but if you mean to stay in The Hollows, I would give you one solid piece of advice.”
“All right.” She placed her hands on her hips, evidently preparing for his insight.
“Watch out for my brother.”
