that I am in mourning and recovering from child
birth at home and do not wish to be disturbed.”
“Why?”
“Because we have to leave here and start over
somewhere else. We need time to get far away before anyone notices
we have left. If anyone thinks they recognize us, we will give
different names and we have no son. It is the only way, William. Go
now and hurry back. I will be waiting in the wagon. If anyone comes
here looking for us in the weeks to come, they will be receiving a
mighty surprise.”
“I will do as you ask then.” William said,
not asking further questions. He set out on the path to Alma’s
burnt out house.
Ophelia created a sign that
read “Quarantined by order of the King.” Ophelia was trying to
decide what exactly else she could write on the very official
looking paper. T he great epidemic diseases of bubonic plague
and smallpox sounded equally good to her. She
knew that anyone seeing the notice she will place on the door to
her mother’s house would probably not be able to read and
understand the words, but it would still frighten anyone
away.
William met with a few people on the path to
the Village and beyond and repeated the words his wife told him to
say. He then walked back to the house and got into the wagon which
held his wife. Ophelia looked different with one of her mother’s
dresses on and a shawl around her shoulders. A scarf was on her
head, hiding all of her glorious brown hair.
Ophelia told her husband to drive the wagon
as close to the mountain range as he could go. Although there was
no great hurry, Ophelia and William both felt the need to put as
much distance behind them as they could. They took turns driving
the wagon and made only short stops to make sure the horses were
fed and had enough water to continue on. The wagon was light, they
had taken only what was necessary. They had left nothing in the
house that would indicate whose house it had been.
After six days they had gone as far as they
could go and in front of them was a great mountain.
William and Ophelia rested for two days,
eating fish they caught from a nearby stream and fruits off of
several trees they had passed along the way and gathered.
“It is nice here, Ophelia. What do you say we
settle down here? We have food and it is beautiful. We are far away
from our old lives. We will be left alone here as well.”
Ophelia looked at her well-meaning husband
and shook her head. “No William, we must travel to the other side
of the mountain. To a new country.”
“But why? What would we have there that we do
not have here?” Her husband asked her.
“We need to start over, but not in the middle
of nowhere. It seems like a long way to you, luv, but we are not
out of the monarch’s reach yet. Not as long as we are still
here.”
William looked up at the vast mountain rang
in front of them. “Do we grow wings, wife? For I do not think the
horses will be able to climb those mountains.”
“Let us rest for another day, then we start
our new lives, William.” She said, hugging him and smiling up at
the sun.
Chapter 13
Ophelia awoke before William. She fed the
horses and then set them free. She gathered what she could and then
took out the red necklace that Julia had pressed into her palm the
evening they were to leave, a bottle, and the sack of beans.
William awoke to a great noise and it
frightened him. “Ophelia, what is going on?” He looked at the base
of the mountain and saw a cave that had not been there before. “How
did that appear? Is this you’re doing, Ophelia?”
“Come, William, join me in our new
beginning.” Ophelia said, holding her hand out to her husband.
William stood up and took her hand and
together they walked into the cave. It was dark and there seemed to
be no ending to the mountain path. After several minutes William
asked if they could rest for a while, or at least slow down.
“No, William, we must keep moving.”
“But why must we hurry
birth at home and do not wish to be disturbed.”
“Why?”
“Because we have to leave here and start over
somewhere else. We need time to get far away before anyone notices
we have left. If anyone thinks they recognize us, we will give
different names and we have no son. It is the only way, William. Go
now and hurry back. I will be waiting in the wagon. If anyone comes
here looking for us in the weeks to come, they will be receiving a
mighty surprise.”
“I will do as you ask then.” William said,
not asking further questions. He set out on the path to Alma’s
burnt out house.
Ophelia created a sign that
read “Quarantined by order of the King.” Ophelia was trying to
decide what exactly else she could write on the very official
looking paper. T he great epidemic diseases of bubonic plague
and smallpox sounded equally good to her. She
knew that anyone seeing the notice she will place on the door to
her mother’s house would probably not be able to read and
understand the words, but it would still frighten anyone
away.
William met with a few people on the path to
the Village and beyond and repeated the words his wife told him to
say. He then walked back to the house and got into the wagon which
held his wife. Ophelia looked different with one of her mother’s
dresses on and a shawl around her shoulders. A scarf was on her
head, hiding all of her glorious brown hair.
Ophelia told her husband to drive the wagon
as close to the mountain range as he could go. Although there was
no great hurry, Ophelia and William both felt the need to put as
much distance behind them as they could. They took turns driving
the wagon and made only short stops to make sure the horses were
fed and had enough water to continue on. The wagon was light, they
had taken only what was necessary. They had left nothing in the
house that would indicate whose house it had been.
After six days they had gone as far as they
could go and in front of them was a great mountain.
William and Ophelia rested for two days,
eating fish they caught from a nearby stream and fruits off of
several trees they had passed along the way and gathered.
“It is nice here, Ophelia. What do you say we
settle down here? We have food and it is beautiful. We are far away
from our old lives. We will be left alone here as well.”
Ophelia looked at her well-meaning husband
and shook her head. “No William, we must travel to the other side
of the mountain. To a new country.”
“But why? What would we have there that we do
not have here?” Her husband asked her.
“We need to start over, but not in the middle
of nowhere. It seems like a long way to you, luv, but we are not
out of the monarch’s reach yet. Not as long as we are still
here.”
William looked up at the vast mountain rang
in front of them. “Do we grow wings, wife? For I do not think the
horses will be able to climb those mountains.”
“Let us rest for another day, then we start
our new lives, William.” She said, hugging him and smiling up at
the sun.
Chapter 13
Ophelia awoke before William. She fed the
horses and then set them free. She gathered what she could and then
took out the red necklace that Julia had pressed into her palm the
evening they were to leave, a bottle, and the sack of beans.
William awoke to a great noise and it
frightened him. “Ophelia, what is going on?” He looked at the base
of the mountain and saw a cave that had not been there before. “How
did that appear? Is this you’re doing, Ophelia?”
“Come, William, join me in our new
beginning.” Ophelia said, holding her hand out to her husband.
William stood up and took her hand and
together they walked into the cave. It was dark and there seemed to
be no ending to the mountain path. After several minutes William
asked if they could rest for a while, or at least slow down.
“No, William, we must keep moving.”
“But why must we hurry
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