They worked in silence for a few minutes, sliding books into place. Even though it was still afternoon, darkness had already fallen, giving him even less hope that Rosalind would arrive.
Had her father discovered what she’d done with the seal ledgers? Was she lying injured in her bed, perhaps this time with her wrist fully broken? Or maybe a broken leg?
“I wasn’t sure what to expect when I left you in charge of the library committee, but you’ve done well.” Alexei slid another book onto the shelf. “Or rather, mostly well. I’ve gotten several complaints about the library’s name.”
Yuri grimaced. “Caldwell wanted it named after him.”
“Preston Caldwell wants everything named after him.”
“I know, but he tasked Rosalind with making sure it got done, and I was worried...” His throat closed, leaving the words to hang between them.
Alexei turned to him. “Are you saying you think her father would have hurt her if he didn’t get his way?”
“I’m sure of it. Besides, I said the name was temporary. I plan to change it the second Rosalind is away from here.”
“We need to talk about that.”
“Me helping Rosalind?”
“More like how long it’s going to take you to help Rosalind, and whether you head straight to San Francisco after you’re done, which would probably be best, because if Caldwell’s not behind bars by then, he’ll be out for your head.”
His stomach suddenly felt as though a lead ball had lodged inside it. “What do you want to know?”
“The shipyard transfers to us on February fifteenth. Originally I wanted you down there next week, at the beginning of the month, but that was before I knew about Rosalind. How long will it take for you to get her somewhere safe?”
Yuri shelved a copy ofThe Lives of the Twelve Caesarswith more force than necessary. “First we need to go to Washington, DC, to see if we can change solicitors and get her money moved to a bank her father doesn’t know about. But after that...” He licked his lips.
“What?” Alexei raised his eyebrows. “Is there a relative she can live with?”
“Not if she wants to stay hidden.”
Alexei reached for the last book from a crate, then scooted the crate to the side and slid another crate over so both of them could reach it. “So what’s the plan? To leave her in a large city where she can blend in?”
“That’s one option.”
Alexei pinched the bridge of his nose. “Just don’t say it will be San Francisco where you’ll be.”
Yuri’s throat felt gritty as he shelved another book. “I’ve considered it.”
“Her father will find her there, especially once he learns you’re living there too. But even if you weren’t going to be there, San Francisco is still too close. You need to put her somewhere in the middle of the country, away from water. Maybe Saint Louis? Or better yet, Omaha? It’s big enough for her to blendin, but landlocked and small enough that it won’t be high on Caldwell’s list of places to search.”
“Actually, I want to take her to Belton, Texas.”
Alexei blinked. “Where?”
“Belton, Texas. It’s between Dallas and Austin. Rosalind supports a Woman’s Commonwealth down there. She sends them a hundred dollars every month.”
Alexei frowned. “A Woman’s Commonwealth? What’s that?”
“It’s a community where women and their children live and support each other, away from abusive husbands. They work, raise their kids, sell things they make on their farm, and protect each other. Rosalind’s been supporting the community for a few years, but I didn’t know much about it, so when I was in San Francisco, I hired an investigator to find out more. Just got his letter the other day.”
Alexei sat back on his heels. “And you want to take Rosalind there?”
Yuri rubbed the palm of his hand over his breastbone. “It seems like a place she might be able to heal. And like a place her father won’t think to look for her.”
Alexei gave a sharp nod. “It’s a good plan.”
It was. In fact, maybe it was too good of a plan, because he couldn’t think of a way to talk himself out of it—or of a way to somehow have her closer to him, since he was going to be stuck in California.
