“Bless you,” Pinky said. She hiked her patched skirts up to her knees, pushed down her sock, and pointed to two fang marks on her plump calf. “Look here at where the rattler bit me, Theodosia. I didn’t die, though. What I done to save my own life, y’see, was I drank a whole bottle o’ whiskey jest as soon as that snake let go o’ me. Don’t rightly know what it is about bein’ likkered up, but somehow a body full o’ likker ain’t bothered none a’tall by a little bit o’ snake poison. Luby says he can drink more likker’n I can, but he ain’t nothin’ but a liar.”
Country chatter, Theodosia thought, remembering the morning Roman had taught her to imitate Oble Smott’s chatter. That had been the day after they’d made love for the first time. And when Oble had gone, they’d made love again.
She closed her eyes and felt sunrays beam onto her eyelids. A swirl of colors floated through the darkness, and in the midst of the colors Roman appeared. She saw his brilliant blue eyes, crooked grin, and long charcoal hair. His scent came to her; sunshine, wind, leather, and the musky smell of hard-worked muscles.
“See the marks, Theodosia?” Pinky pressed.
Opening her eyes, Theodosia looked at the marks. “Yes, I see them, Mrs. Scrully.”
Luby glanced at his wife’s snake fang scars, too, and scratched the gray grizzle on his chin. “Pinky, what in the world? Theodosia don’t wanna see your fat leg. And you’re thinkin’ o’ the time we was inTosten,not Boston. Boston ain’t on the Missersipper River, and neither’s Tosten, fer that matter. Boston’s in Massertuchetts, and Tosten’s up in the Oklerhomer Terr’tory.” He looked at Theodosia. “You’re a long way from Boston, darlin’. How you gonna git there?”
Theodosia felt one swift tear escape down her cheek and reached up to wipe it away before the Scrullys saw it. Howwasshe going to get all the way to Boston? She only had thirty-five dollars. The mercantile owner in Willow Patch had refused to pay a penny more for the ruby brooch. She knew the fine piece of jewelry was worth much more, but as terrified as she’d been of the possibility that Roman would find her before she left Willow Patch, she’d accepted the measly amount of money and given the store proprietor her most treasured possession.
“Theodosia, honey, you all right?” Pinky asked, spotting the wet sparkle in Theodosia’s eyes.
“There now, darlin’, don’t you go to frettin’, hear?” Luby said. “We’ll be in Gull Sky tomorrer. From there, you can git you a seat on a stage that’ll take you to Oates’ Junction. Trains run through Oates’ Junction, and I ’spect one of ’em might head toward Boston.”
Theodosia turned her head sharply toward him and peered intensely into his bleary gray eyes. “Oates’ Junction,” she whispered. “How far away is Templeton from where we are right now?”
Luby rubbed his chin grizzle again. “Templeton, y’say? Well, it’s just a holler away, darlin’.”
“A holler? How much distance is a holler?” Luby pointed ahead. “See the other road that turns off the one we’re on now?”
Theodosia saw the small dirt road that veered to the right.
“Down that road a piece is Templeton.”
“A piece?” Theodosia asked, thoroughly bewildered. “Mr. Scrully, I’m afraid I do not know the distance ofapiece,either.”
“Well, darlin’, in the case o’ Templeton, both a holler and a piece’d mean about ten miles. You know somebody in Templeton?”
“Dr. Wallaby,” she murmured. Was it possible that the scientist was still in Templeton?
She doubted it. Months had passed since she’d last seen him. His research funds had more than likely arrived from New England, and at this very moment he was probably deep within the Brazilian jungles.
Still, the slim chance that he might yet remain in Templeton was a chance she was going to take. If he was there, she’d stay with him until Lillian and Upton sent her enough money to get back to Boston. “Mr. Scrully, would you mind—”
“Takin’ you to Templeton?” he finished for her. “Be my pleasure, darlin’.” He turned the wagon onto the side road.
Dusk fell quietly. Soon a crisp evening breeze swayed through the air, carrying the faint sound of lively music. Before long, Luby drove past a small country fair. Watching the goings-on, Theodosia thought of children bobbing for apples. She pondered displays of country crafts, squealing livestock, the Father of Pie, and game booths.
She remembered Roman and wondered if there was anything in the world that wouldn’t somehow remind her of him.
“Well, here we are, darlin’,” Luby said as he urged his ox down the main street of Templeton. “Where to now?”
Theodosia directed him to the house that Dr. Wallaby had rented at the end of the street and bade him stop before the small cottage. Her parrot’s cage in one hand, her bag of belongings in the other, she stepped over Pinky’s legs and climbed out of the wagon. “Thank you ever so much, Mr. and Mrs. Scrully,” she said, managing a smile.
“Don’t you want us to wait and see if you git inside all right, Theodosia?” Pinky asked.
Unwilling to bother the kindly couple any further, Theodosia shook her head. “I’ll be fine.”
“Well, you take care, then, darlin’,” Luby said.
She waved to them until their wagon reached the end of the street, then turned toward the house. Hoping with all her heart that she would find Dr. Wallaby inside, she walked to the door, set her possessions on the ground, and knocked.
The door opened slowly.
Theodosia felt as though she were peering into a mirror.
