Page 5 of A Steadfast Heart
It didn’t help. Her breaths were jagged, cutting through her chest.
Michael was a monster. Brian was worse.
She couldn’t stay here. She’d hoped for escape with her train ticket to Piedmont—that wasn’t an option now. Even if she used her own meager funds to get there, it would be the first place Michael would look.
She knew him. She knew what he could do. He would turn the school against her, and she’d be right back under his protection. If she went farther afield, he’d track her down.
Michael was determined she marry Brian.
She couldn’t. She wouldn’t.
What was she going to do?
A sob burst from her. Then another. Fear rolled over her in waves. There was no one to help her. No place she could go to find safety.
She heard a whisper of her mother’s voice through the clamor in her head.You’re the smartest of all, Kaitlyn.
It wasn’t real. She knew it was only a figment of her memory.
But it was enough to cut through her terror. Unlock her chest just enough that she could draw a breath. Then another.
Michael had locked her in.
Was there a way out?
“Think, Kaitlyn.” She closed her eyes and pictured the latch on the other side of that door. A simple piece of hardware—just a bolt that turned and slid back and forth in its barrel. There had to be a way to defeat it from the inside.
As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, the light from around the door allowed her to see what remained in the storeroom. He’d cleaned all the tools out of it. She ran her shaking hand along the floor. Nothing. She stood, and the room swirled around her. A deep inhale and slow exhale steadied the floor. What had she brought into the room with her? She had money in her handbag, but little else. Hairpins? No, too short to be of much use.
There had to be something. Maybe on the shelf? She couldn’t see that high, but she could reach it, run her hand along it. Something poked her fingers. She grabbed it, pulled it down.
Wire. It could form a loop, hold its shape. She wiped her damp palms on her skirt, then held her hands in front of herself, frowning. They were still shaking slightly, but she’d have to manage it. No time to wait for them to stop.
She quickly bent the wire, then slid the curve through the crack in the door, running it down to the place where she could see the bolt. It took several tries before she could capture the knob holding it in place, but once she did, it was only a matter of moments before she was out of the closet.
She slipped across the hallway to her own room. No time to regret hiding most of her emergency funds in her desk. Michael had surely found that when he’d picked the lock to find the rest of her correspondence with the Piedmont School District. But she removed two ten-dollar gold coins from the pocket attached to the outgrown corset she’d left in her closet.
She glanced around her room, daring only a minute’s delay. She had planned her exit carefully, but now she had no time to follow her packing list. Michael might be back at any time. Still, the shopping basket she’d put in her closet might make her look like a servant out on errands. The perfect fit of her suit with its simple velvet trim would only stand out to someone with an eye for fashion. Most wouldn’t see past the basket, which made it worth the seconds it would take to pack it.
What to take? Her silver brush, comb, and mirror set had belonged to her mother and could be sold if necessary. Her mother’s Bible went in next, and then all of her own jewelry. She hadn’t been able to afford nice pieces on the allowance her brother gave her from her inheritance, but they might bring in a little cash. Some clean underthings to muffle any rattle. That would have to do. She didn’t have time to consider more carefully.
She opened her window and lowered the basket to the ground outside. She had to raise her skirts to a scandalous level to follow her belongings out the window, but then, scandal already clung to her like a heavy cloak. She cut across the back of the Fitzsimmonses’ place to the sidewalk, then across the park, careful to copy the scurrying walk of the maids sent out on errands.
She didn’t know what to do now. Piedmont wasn’t an option. There was no friend to call on, no one to help.
She wouldn’t go back to Michael, who wanted to marry her off to Brian.
The only way out of town was the train, so she hurried north. Her heart thudded in her chest. She didn’t dare look over her shoulder, couldn’t break her pretense. When she arrived at the train station, she examined the schedule. Her heart sank. Only one train scheduled, and the only place available was a sleeping car. Her remaining funds wouldn’t take her far enough. Michael had far-reaching connections. She backed away from the counter, her knees shaking.
Lord, please help me. What do I do now?
She retreated toward the ladies’ waiting area, staying close to the wall in case her legs needed extra support. A less expensive train left early tomorrow morning, but that would be too late. Michael would find her.
Her foot brushed something that crinkled. Why someone had thrown it to the ground instead of into a wastebasket, she couldn’t guess. A flash of green banding caught her eye. That looked like…She knelt to pick up the wadded bunch of papers and pulled out the one with the green band. It saidCheyenne, Wyoming. She checked the date and time on the ticket.
The train was scheduled to leave in ten minutes.
And thanks to this ticket, she’d be on board.
