Page 26 of The Invisible Hour

WHEN MIA BROUGHT NATHANIEL to the cottage, he was surprised he’d never stumbled upon it before. “I think I overheard my sisters speak of such a place, but I’ve never seen it for myself. It has some history that no one speaks of.”

Mia showed him the cradle and the flowers that grew by the gate, red roses that were about to bloom, and as she did he took note of all that she needed, blankets and some clothing, for she wore only the one black dress. They spent the day together climbing the hills all around Salem. He brought her to the harbor, where they watched the ships, and at the end of the day they swam in the pond, this time with neither of them speaking, as if the spell they were under was too strong for words. There were falling stars above them, and his hair was so long Mia held it back in one hand as she leaned in to kiss him. He was slow to kiss her back, for he didn’t wish to ruin her in any way, or offend her, but then he did and he could hardly stop. He walked her to the cottage, and when they went to bed, they didn’t leave, but instead they stayed there until morning. He never wanted to leave, but he went home and then later he returned with a basket in which there was a quilt and two dresses of Louisa’s along with a loaf of bread and some cheese.

“Are you a runaway?” he asked. Nathaniel didn’t imagine a criminal history, rather a husband or father who had treated her badly, for she had no belongings other than the book he had spied tucked under the mattress of the narrow iron bed, the one she said would change her life.

“Not exactly,” Mia said. “Though I was once.”

“So you wish to remain a mystery?” Nathaniel grinned. He had the oddest feeling that he was the person he had been before he was nine and had his injury and felt separated from the rest of the world.

“Isn’t everyone a mystery?”

“Will you answer every question with a question?”

“Will you?” Mia asked, hoping to distract him, for she knew he wished to know her background and her history.

On the following day, Nathaniel arrived with a bunch of cut lilacs, and when he handed the blooms to Mia, she set them in a glass jar.

Nathaniel again noticed the book beneath the mattress. “Will you ever let me read it?” he asked.

“You don’t need to read it. You’ll write it.”

She kissed him then. Every kiss was more than he expected. He had not known a lady to behave this way, but then again, Mia’s character was so different than that of any woman he’d known; she appeared to have no idea of what the rules were, at least not here in Salem, where nearly everything that brought joy was considered a sin, as if their Puritan ancestors were still watching over them.

“I know we can’t do as we please,” he said to Mia, embarrassed by his own longings.

“How do you know that?” Mia asked. She stood and unbuttoned her borrowed dress. It was light wool, too heavy for the season, a deep rose color. He’d said his sister Louisa had bought the fabric in Boston.

“Mia,” Nathaniel said, thinking of those women in the taverns, many of whom had unwanted children or who had harmed themselves trying to stop a pregnancy. “We can’t be careless.”

“We can be whatever we want to be,” Mia assured him. “We can be invisible,” she said.

BUT THEY WEREN’T, FOR on the fifth day Elizabeth took the path through the woods. Her mistrust had begun when the food from the pantry began to disappear, and then Louisa complained that some of her garments were missing, and then there was the look on their brother’s face, delight and wonder when he went out in the mornings, ignoring his work, whistling a sparrow’s tune as he walked down their street.

In order to follow her brother and remain unnoticed, Elizabeth wore trousers she’d taken from the laundry and a scarf over her hair; she made certain to stay far enough behind so that Nathaniel wouldn’t see her. She had the right to worry about him; as children they’d been on their own, for their mother could not cope with real life and the losses she’d been subjected to. Elizabeth acted as a mother would for Louisa and Nathaniel both; she was fierce, and she would not be tricked by nonsense and acts that would land her dear brother in trouble.

She saw them at the pond and then she knew. She wasn’t surprised to find that a woman was at the bottom of Nathaniel’s strange behavior. Their sentimental, emotional brother had fallen in love more times than Elizabeth could count. She shaded her eyes while she crouched behind some mulberry bushes. The woman held nothing back when she embraced Nathaniel. It was as if they had married themselves to one another without the benefit of any proper documents. Even a woman who could never hope for love for herself knew it when she saw it. Elizabeth turned and ran through the field. She was breathing hard, and she found that she was jealous of them both, of her brother for finding such passion, and of the woman for being so free with herself, as if she could do whatever she pleased without consequence.

The following day Nathaniel was called away to speak with his uncle. He asked his trusted sister Elizabeth to help him by taking a message to someone. He could not be in two places at one time, both with their uncles and with the woman with whom he had fallen in love.

“Love?” Elizabeth said, shaking her head. “Are you sure that’s what it is?”

“You’ll understand when you meet her,” Nathaniel vowed. “Just go and tell her I will not be there till late afternoon. I don’t wish to disappoint her. And I’m trusting you,” he reminded his sister. “Don’t let me down.”

Elizabeth went with the intention of saying much more than her brother had instructed her to. She hoped to chase off this woman in order to ensure that Nathaniel would return to his work and not be tempted into ruining his life. All of the family’s hopes rested on him, and if that burden was too much for him to bear, then Elizabeth would help him carry it as best she could.

Mia was at the pond, wearing one of Louisa’s dresses. Her boots were muddy, and her hair was tangled, yet she was beautiful. She had shaded her eyes to get a good look as Elizabeth neared. Some might call Elizabeth plain, but she had her own sort of beauty, one she did her best to hide, with clear gray eyes not unlike Nathaniel’s, and rather strong features. She also had a suspicious nature, heightened by her bright and inquisitive mind. The women approached one another with care.

“This explains my brother’s state of confusion,” Elizabeth said.

“Love is confusing,” Mia said. She knew enough about Elizabeth to be cautious and not say too much. “Or so I’ve heard people say.”

“Love?” Elizabeth nearly spat on the ground. “He’s fallen in love a dozen times or more and then woken up to realize his mistake. If you’re looking for a man with money or property, you have chosen wrongly. He has nothing.”

“Ebe,” Mia said. “Don’t judge me so harshly. You don’t know me.”

“Do not call me by that name.” That pet name was used only by family.

“I may not know you, but I know of your brother’s affection for you. He often speaks of how unfair it is that you are limited because you are female, and he wishes you could have the rights he has.”