Riverbreeze: Part 2 by Ellen E. Johnson Read Free Book Online

impressed. The hallway was a good ten feet wide and it cut straight through the house to the back door. The walls were plastered and finished below with pine wainscot in a natural tone. Several paces in front of her was the paneled staircase going up to the second floor, but before that on the left was the doorway into the kitchen. On the right was the doorway to the parlor.
    Looking into the room, she was instantly drawn in, and she stepped through the door as if in a daze. She took only one more step and stopped so that the open door blocked her view to her left, but even so the scene before her was all so eerie. She recognized the entire room from her dream, the large, open fireplace on the opposite wall with the Delft tiles surrounding it, the deep-set windows on either side of the fireplace, the plank floors and the smoothly plastered walls. The ceilings in this room and the hallway were smooth plaster also and a bright white. There was very little furniture which was different from her dream. Now there was only one gate-leg table, one desk, one chair and two stools. And very simple linen curtains hung at the windows.
    Robert walked in and clasped her shoulders from behind. She could feel the warmth of his hands through the fabric of her bodice and she leaned into him for a moment, savoring the feel of his solidness against her back. But then, excitement filled her and she spun around and put her arms around his waist, smiling up at him. “I recognize it.” She whispered in delight. “I recognize this room!”
    “Shh…” He immediately shushed her with a finger on her lips.
    “Why?” She asked, frowning in bewilderment. There wasn’t anyone who could hear her. She was really becoming annoyed with his behavior.
    “There is someone I need to introduce you to and…”
    “Who?” She asked quickly, looking around the room, including the back wall behind the door. When she caught sight of the woman on the cot, she hesitated. “Oh.” She mouthed. Was this Mrs. Chilcott, the woman Robert had told her about? The woman who had lived with them for the past two years as Robin’s wet-nurse? What was wrong with her? Why was she in bed in the middle of the day? Elizabeth couldn’t see her face because she was lying on her side with her back to the room.
    “Come.” Robert said softly. He gently put his arm around her waist and guided her to Abigail’s bedside. When they were standing beside the cot, Robert reached out, touched her shoulder and called out to her.
    Abigail cringed as if Robert had hit her. She whimpered a little; and Elizabeth frowned deeper, looking to Robert for an explanation.
    Robert withdrew his hand. In his gentlest voice, he said, “Abby, I’m not going to hurt you. There’s somebody here that I want you to meet. Her name is Elizabeth and she’s my wife. She’ll take care of you…”
    Suddenly the front door banged open, causing everyone to jump. Abigail huddled further under the blanket, shaking. Then there were some heavy footsteps, some cursing and then the door closing again. Finally clomping up the stairs as Dolnick carried the first of the three trunks up to the second floor. Robert and Elizabeth stood in silence until Dolnick exited the house again to get the second trunk.
    Robert realized he wasn’t going to get any response out of Abby. She was just too afraid of men right now, even now. He took Elizabeth to the doorway and stopped there. Taking a hold of her shoulders, he said, “She’s been raped, Elizabeth…”
    Elizabeth gasped. Raped!
    “…and I would appreciate it so much if you could help her with whatever she needs. Unfortunately I have to leave for a while…I know and I’m sorry.” He added when her face crumpled. “If I could handle this any other way I would; I hate the thought of leaving you here alone after what has happened to Abby, but my servant has run away and I have to alert my neighbors so that they can spread the word to their neighbors. I hope I