Waking with a start from a sound sleep, Beth’s eyes roamed her unfamiliar surroundings. The parakeets still swung on their perch. The sun had climbed a little higher. She shook the fuzz out of her head and realized how much the short nap had refreshed her. Joanie still snoozed on her shoulder, the faint sound of blocked sinuses creating a whistling sound.
Though she wished they could stay until nightfall, now that she was thinking more clearly she realized that she and Joanie would probably put the convent in danger if they stayed. The sisters must still be in prayer, she thought. We can’t burden these strange women with our problems.
Gently nudging her sister awake, she whispered, “Joanie, wake up. We need to leave.”
Joanie stirred. “Are the sisters done?”
“I don’t know, but we have to leave before they return.”
Awake now, Joanie stretched. “That wouldn’t be polite. We have to stay until they get back. We should explain our situation.”
“No. We can’t involve them. Walt may be waiting nearby. He would use the sisters to his advantage.”
“He will take us first. He wouldn’t dare bother these good women.”
“We will outwit him.” She eased Joanie from the sofa. “I have a plan.”
Hushed halls echoed their footfalls when they opened the library door and peeked out. Not a mouse stirred. Eyes darting toward the kitchen area, Beth pulled Joanie into the hallway. A polished oak stairway led to the second floor.
“Their bedrooms must be up there.”
Joanie emitted a soft gasp. “Beth! We can’t intrude on their private quarters.”
“We won’t. Well, not much. We just need to borrow a few things.”
“No. I’m not going to—”
Beth cut short her protests and pulled her toward the stairs. Within moments they had slipped into one of the rooms. The space was massive, with a huge bed centered along one wall. A rocking chair sat in front of a window beside a small table, which held a lamp and an open Bible.
Joanie’s eyes roamed the simple furnishings as Beth made quick work of her mission. She quickly searched the oak wardrobe and took out two long black dresses.
Joanie’s eyes widened. “Oh, Beth! We can’t!”
“We can and we must.” It was the only sensible disguise. Walt would never stop two traveling nuns. Even he wouldn’t be so disrespectful.
“It’s sacrilegious!”
Beth turned. “It’s what?”
“Sacrilegious.”
“What does that mean?” Religious talk, no doubt, but she’d never heard a cotton picker use the fancy term.
“It’s offensive to God.”
Fleeting doubts gave Beth pause. She didn’t really believe in this God—but neither did she want to anger Him if He did exist. But if He was as loving as Joanie insisted, why would He be offended? After all, they were trying to prevent harm to His people.
“We haven’t time to argue.” She pushed a dress and wimple into her sister’s hands. “Put this on.”
“Oh, Beth! This is awful!”
“Do you want Walt and Bear to find us?”
“No…”
Beth carefully straightened the closet so it wouldn’t be readily apparent that she’d been in there and closed the door. “Then get dressed and be quick about it.”
Without taking their clothes off, the women pulled black material over their heads. Beth’s garment was so large it would have fit two of her, but as the black cotton rustled and swayed with every move a close fit didn’t matter. She picked up the wimple and quickly secured it.
Turning, she found Joanie dressed, looking as innocent as the driven snow. “You make a nice-looking—”
“Sister,” her sister supplied. “I feel miserable.”
Taking her arm, Beth ushered her toward the door. “We’ll only use the disguise a short while, I promise. We’ll launder the garments and bring them back if we can. And I’ll leave enough money to replace both gowns. That should make them happy.”
“Wait!” Joanie held up her hand.
Beth glanced at the door. “I know you are uncomfortable with this, but we have to go, Joanie. The nuns will be back soon.” She had no idea how long a person could pray, but even as she spoke the bell started to toll again. She could only imagine the sound must mean they were close to whatever came next on their schedule.
Joanie silently handed Beth the money from the knapsack. She peeled off some bills and laid them on the table by the window. Then she turned back to her sister.
“We need to go now,” Beth said again firmly. Opening the heavy door a crack, she nodded. The two slipped out in the hallway as two nuns approached.
“Keep your head low,” Beth murmured.
“I’m scared.”
“So am I.”
They passed the sisters in the wide vestibule, never meeting their steady gazes.
Walking faster, Beth pulled Joanie along beside her. So far, so good. They were only thirty feet from the front door now. If they could make it to the entryway, they would escape Reverend Mother’s eye.
Reverend Mother paused when she rounded a corner and saw two back skirts disappearing out the front door. No one used that entrance. It was reserved for visiting guests and dignitaries.
She shook her head, certain that within the day one or two sisters would be in her office complaining that they were missing habits and wimples.
Closing her eyes, she prayed softly, “Grant these two free spirits safety, Father.”
She had no knowledge of their problem or what had brought the young women to the abbey. She only knew for certain that nothing was by accident. She glanced at the closed door, smothering a grin.
Spunk. Those two had spunk.
Laughing quietly to herself, she walked on. There was something about spunk that never failed to put a smile on her lips.
Adjusting her cumbersome wimple, Beth parted the brush and peered out. Nothing stirred in the mid-morning air. There was no sign of Bear or Walt.
Blackbirds flew overhead. Squirrels scrambled along tree limbs.
“All clear,” Beth whispered.
Stepping onto the rutted road, they both paused. “We’ll only walk a short distance and then we’ll go back to the thicket.” It was a daring move, but Joanie was already gasping from her allergies to the vegetation, and the heat didn’t help. Once she had a breath of fresh air they would return to the woods for safer travel. From that point, Beth wasn’t certain of their next move, only that for now they had to keep moving. She had no idea how far they would need to walk to reach a settlement. She had no idea if there even was a nearby town. She’d heard Pa speak of purchasing goods and food supplies each month at a mercantile. If they could find one of those, they could at least get a few things.
She wasn’t overly fond of showing themselves in public, but between the choice of returning to a life of slavery with Walt or finding a community to get what they needed, she decided the risk for freedom was worth it.
The women walked down the road, sweating beneath the heavy black robes. How did those nuns wear these hot outfits every day? Did sweating make them godlier? Beth laughed at the thought. If that were true, picking cotton in the hot sun made her an angel!
And if there was anything she wasn’t, it was an angel.