“Where are you going?”
“To warn Rachel.”
“In this weather? How will you get there?”
Isaac appeared at the top of the steps next. “Who is Rachel?”
“Rachel Howlett, our cousin,” I told him as I secured the cape about my shoulders.
“The one you met in Salem Towne? The one who serves Mister Reed?” He approached me, a frown marring his face.
I had no time to explain, but perhaps he would take me if he knew the truth. “She came here this afternoon, and Father was displeased. That is why Susannah hath accused her.”
“You cannot go to Salem Towne in this storm,” Isaac said to me. “’Tis too dangerous.”
“Can you not take me?”
“You are going nowhere.” Father came down the stairs, fire in his gaze. “I am going now to Salem Towne to make the arrest myself. By night’s end, Rachel Howlett will be in the Salem gaol.”
“No!” I reached for his arm, but he pushed me off, and I fell to the floor as he strode out into the night.
22
GRACE
SEPTEMBER 1, 1912
SHEEPSHEAD BAY, NY
For eleven days, Hope and I had pleaded with Father and Susannah to recant, but for eleven days, Susannah’s afflictions increased, often coming on in the taproom or dining room, where she had the largest audience. As Father promised Hope, Rachel had been arrested that very evening, and it was quickly discovered that she was expecting a child. She refused to name the father, sparing Josias Reed, though everyone suspected the truth.
As I sat in an automobile moving toward Sheepshead Bay on the south end of Brooklyn, I forced myself to take several deep breaths. In just under an hour, I would take off for the first leg of the cross-country flight to California, and the last thing I needed to worry about was Salem.
“Are you nervous?” Mama asked as she sat beside me.
We were in the back of the automobile while my father sat in front with the driver. Luc would meet us at Sheepshead, wherethe Vin Fiz Flyer, as my aeroplane had been dubbed, was waiting and the three-car train was ready to go.
“Yes,” I admitted. “But not just about the flight.”
She nodded, taking my hand in hers. Mama and Daddy had come to New York two days ago, and I had told them all about what was happening in Salem. If anyone understood, it was Mama. She had lived in three troubling times and was a strength to lean upon.
“It will all work out,” she said, as only a mother could. She spoke quietly so the driver wouldn’t hear. “Try to be present in this moment and put aside thoughts of everything else. You can deal with Salem tomorrow.”
I nodded as I took another deep breath. She had often told me not to let one path affect the other, though it was almost impossible, especially when Hope was stuck in 1692. My plan to tell my parents that I was going to stay in 1692 was foremost in my mind—but I wouldn’t worry about that until we reached California and the trip was behind us.
We had enough trouble to contend with already. Papa had asked Mr. Lorenz if we could extend the deadline a little longer, in case I didn’t make it to California in thirty days. But Mr. Lorenz refused the request. I had no choice but to reach California by September thirtieth if I wanted to save the orphanage.
The traffic was thick as we made our way south. “Will we be late?” I asked the driver.
“We should get there on time, Miss Cooper.”
“Why are there so many people?”
“I think they’re all here to see you.” He nodded at the crowds moving along the boardwalk, heading to the beach.
I closed my eyes and said a prayer, wondering what I had gotten myself into. I had flown several times a day since my first flight on August19th, but I still didn’t feel ready. So many things could go wrong.
I would leave Sheepshead, New York, and follow the railroadtracks as I flew west over the Appalachian Mountains toward Chicago, making several stops along the way. To avoid the Rocky Mountains, which would be much more treacherous, I would fly southwest over Missouri, Oklahoma, and into Texas, then head a bit northwest to California. Luc and I had pored over dozens of maps and made a route that should take twenty-six days. If we had trouble along the way or encountered bad weather, we would need to deal with it as quickly as possible so we could stay on track.
