Anew (Disappeared #3)

3

Theodosia

Theodosia attempted to wrench her attention away from Ahuil back to the cricket match. Uniformed players ran to and fro over the expansive green field. The late summer sun was merciless in its heat.

Theodosia fanned herself as she turned her attention to her two sisters and mother, who had thankfully shifted their discussion from the topic of the footman to the latest gossip from London — who had gotten engaged, who had married a rogue, who was the most promising young lady to be presented at the London season.

The three of them wore slightly different variations of the same white empire-waist dress, as well as straw bonnets tied with big satin bows. She thought they looked like whipped cream — delicious but insubstantial and unsatisfying. She longed for the easy-to-wear linen dresses of the Nextic world.

It was then that Theodosia decided that she wasn't going to spend the entire day waiting around for something to happen. Nor could she stomach her mother's watchful eye any longer. There was concern there, but more often fear — fear that her daughter would do something improper. Which, to Theodosia, meant doing anything that came naturally to her.

Underneath her frustration she did understand her mother's concern — she had disappeared. For a woman of her station, this was unforgivable.

In the world's eyes, she had been traveling in Europe. In her parents' eyes, she had been involved in some kind of scandalous affair that had (thankfully) not been exposed. There was really no way to tell them where she had really been — in the Nextic world — nor did she want to.

The net result was that she was a prisoner in the house and no longer able to take her treasured solitary strolls in the Helenshire countryside. Louisa was not considered a suitable chaperone and neither her sister nor mother enjoyed long walks.

She abruptly got up from the table, her skin crawling with the desire to escape.

"Theodosia, you are to stay right there..." her mother began.

"I'm taking a stroll around the field. I won't be out of sight." She turned away before her mother could protest further.

Theodosia rounded the cricket field slowly, enjoying the feeling of stretching her legs. The September weather was fine that year — warm and sunny without a hint of the frost that would soon be upon them.

The villagers were assembled at the other side of the field. They were perched on blankets with no tent to shield them from the sun. Theodosia nodded to the people she knew and continued on her way. Their eyes followed her curiously. She wondered how many of them really believed she had been in Europe that summer.

A grove of poplars stood of the far side of the cricket field. Theodosia wandered towards it. Part of her wondered what would happen if she just made a run for it. Hiked up her fancy skirts and crashed through the forest without a care in the world.

Such thoughts were for free women — none of whom existed in that world, rich or poor.

Thankfully, her world wasn't free of surprises. She was astonished to hear her name being called from the depths of the trees.

"Stay right there! No one can see me."

Theodosia scanned the trees, her heart beginning to race. It didn't take long to spot Xochitl's wheat-colored hair and ruddy face.

"Xochi!" Theodosia hissed. She resisted the urge to run right over and wrap her arms around her stocky Nextic friend. Instead, she ducked into the woods slightly while still remaining visible enough to satisfy her mother.

"How clever you are! I was hoping to see you today."

"Well, I've had my eye out for both you and Ahuil. The two of you are harder to catch than a greased-up fox. No matter. What a fine lady you are, Theo! You look like something out of a book."

Theodosia grimaced. "More like a pretty parakeet stuffed into a gilded cage, waiting to be bought by the highest bidder."

"You folks have a bizarre idea of privilege, I'll say that." Xochitl sighed and tugged at her brown muslin dress.

"How are you? How is Yoltzi?"

"Good. She's playing with her friends from school now."

Theodosia smiled. "She's making friends! How lovely."

"Is she ever. She learned English in no time and now she's desperate to fit in with the other girls."

"She really needs to meet Louisa. The poor thing has no one her age to play with. Mama thinks it isn't proper for her to mix with children from the village."

"We'll try to arrange it somehow, don't you worry." Xochitl jerked her head towards the tent. "Mr. and Mrs. can't keep you locked up forever. Speaking of being locked up, I just saw Ahuil."

Theodosia sighed. "Lucky you. I still haven't had a chance to talk to him. I think he's trying to find the right time. But in that house, there is never an opportunity."

"I imagine he doesn't want to get you in trouble."

"You're right. Not that anyone suspects him. He's an impeccable actor. I would have never thought of Ahuil as playing the part of a footman. He does it all too well."

Xochitl laughed. "Our Ahuil is multi-talented — of that, I've always been sure."

Theodosia looked around quickly and then leaned in against a birch tree. "Xochi, please tell me why he's working in my house. Does he mean to tease me? Torture me? Extract some kind of revenge? Sometimes he looks as if he wants to eat me. Other times it's as if I'm nothing more than a piece of furniture."

"I seriously doubt he thinks you're a piece of furniture." Xochitl leaned in. "Don't look so sad, Theo. I don't mean to tease. I'll tell you this — he told me that he hated never being able to see you. It was like losing you twice over."

Theodosia was silent for a moment as she slowly twirled her parasol, eyes cast to the ground. "Thank you for telling me that, Xochi," she said finally. "It helps me to feel that he is watching over me. I thought that he wanted to judge me. That he found me worthy in his world but here I'm nothing but a frivolous, useless thing."

"You're overthinking it," Xochitl said, crossing her arms. "Stop speculating. You need to speak to him. It's that simple."

"You're right. And here I go blathering on, forgetting you." Theodosia smiled at her friend. "How are you? I hate that I can't see you more often. My father is so awfully strict."

"I'm fine. Really. Farm life suits me. There are too many rules, though. Sometimes I can't tell what people are saying, and the work is hard. But I earn my keep, my daughter lives in a fine cottage, and she's getting her education. We're safe and cared for. After what happened to us, I'm grateful for the small things — I can tell you that."

"I'm so glad. I think of you ever day, Xochi. I compose letters in my head to you and wish I could send them. I want to talk to you, to somebody who understands what happened this summer..."

A shrill whistle pierced the air. Theodosia's heart jumped and she looked quickly over her shoulder. Her father came lumbering towards her, sweating through his expensive breeches and overcoat.

"What in heaven's name are you doing lingering over there?" he bellowed.

"Quick! Hide!" Theodosia hissed at her friend.

She rearranged her face into a neutral expression and walked towards her father. "The air was too close under the tent. I was simply enjoying the breeze."

The earl cast a suspicious look into the thicket of trees but Xochitl, ever nimble, was long gone. "Well, back with you. People will think it strange if you're off by yourself. You're supposed to be making a good impression, you know. Dispelling any suspicion."

Theodosia forced back a biting response. It was impossible to convince her father that nothing scandalous had happened during those weeks she had disappeared.

Yet how could she expect him to understand? It was impossible to explain the Nextic world with its killing fog. The change of civilizations. Sleeping in trees. And most of all: falling in love with Ahuil.