My Father's House

Chapter 11

Kael suspected Madeline would be waiting for us out the back of the inn. Once in the lobby, I waited while he went to verify his theory. I should have run at this point, I knew. But the possible ramifications of my actions filled me with dread. Ideally, my escape should occur when we were rid of Madeline. Exchanging Kael for her hardly seemed like a good idea, however questionable his work with my father had been.

He returned after two minutes and with a simple nod to me, headed for the front door. I stood from my chair reluctantly to follow him. I hoped he couldn't sense my reserve now. I knew I couldn't revive even the small ease I felt with him earlier when I had joked about him and Madeline and cared about his injuries. If only I could have foreseen this, I could have prevented the drastic change in my countenance.

Out on the sidewalk Kael spoke, his words floating back to me as I tried to match his long stride. "She's around back, just like I thought. She knows I never exit at the front." When I didn't start with my customary barrage of questions, he went on, "she didn't see me, but we still need to be cautious."

I only nodded. Fortunately, the rain that had started was more of a drizzle than a downpour. Nevertheless, every drop caused the wound on my wrist to sting. The water on the cobblestones leaked into my stolen flats and dampened my feet. The sky was a dark gray, the shade I remembered England being for most of my childhood. We walked down the sidewalk a few blocks until we stopped in front of a small store. Lights ablaze, the place was packed tightly with both products and people.

To my surprise, Kael opted to stop here. We ducked in out of the rain and into the poignant scent of lavender, wet floors, and body odor. The smell engulfed me, making me almost gag. Fluorescent lighting and countless rows of odds and ends lined the store horizontally. A long vertical counter sat off the right. Kael headed in that direction.

"Have a look around. I'm going to call a cab," Kael offered. I shrugged. He almost looked disappointed when I didn't offer a comment or question. I took off through the store, wishing I could hide my thoughts better. His earlier confessions bothered me more than I dared admit.

I glanced back toward the door where we had just entered. The timing was still wrong, I decided. Although we were several blocks away from the inn, Madeline was still at large, potentially waiting for me the moment I left the building. Instead, I took in the store, trying to decide if there was anything I desperately needed. Clean clothes would be lovely, but I wondered if we would have time to change. Madeline's shoes fit poorly, so I headed to the back of the store where I saw shoes on an end display.

The shoes were very disappointing. Not only were the displays a mess but the styles were dreadful. Discouraged, I tried on a few pairs until I found some imitation leather wedges that were tolerable. I left them on and headed down the next aisle. It was filled with a random assortment of clothes. From sweaters and t-shirts to dress skirts and khakis, this aisle had everything piled onto narrow shelves. I leafed through a few stacks, finally finding a gray sweater and chocolate brown skirt that looked promising. I walked toward the back, looking for a changing room. Fortunately, a salesman was there pretending to sort shoes. There was no sorting that mess, but I liked to think he was actually accomplishing something.

The man pointed absently to the other corner of the store. I thanked him and walked in that direction, glancing toward the counter. There was no sign of Kael at the front. I decided he was confident we were safe now and was doing a little shopping of his own. The thought of Madeline, crouched down in the cold wet alley behind the inn made me smile.

The dressing room was just large enough for me to change in, boasting an uneven bench and cracked full length mirror. Slipping off my dress, I stared at my reflection, wishing I'd had time for that shower.

Both pieces fit poorly. The skirt was a little tight, but not too restrictive. On the other hand, the sweater was loose at the top and fitted toward the bottom. Luckily, it was long enough to cover where the skirt stretched over my hips. I stared at myself, unsure if the ensemble was worth the effort. Anything was better than that filthy dress I'd left heaped on the bench. I was trying to decide what to do when Kael came bursting into the dressing room, yanking to curtain behind him. A small scream escaped me before he clamped his hand over my mouth.

"Shhh she's in here!" He whispered close to my face. I didn't try to hide the panic from my face. He continued to cover my mouth as he backed us up to stand in the corner of the tiny room. Releasing his hand, he brushed my cheek whispering, "Thank God I found you." His tight hold on me suggested he had been searching for some time and had begun to think he'd lost me.

Still, I could feel his heartbeat against my back, and its pace was half mine. His whisper was barely audible. "She's doing a quick sweep. There's no reason she should know we are here."

I nodded as I pressed my forehead into my hands. We stood in the dark silence of the dressing room, the dim lighting playing with my nerves. This was dreadful. I would almost rather be head on with this woman than know she was lurking out there looking for us. I imagined her flinging open the curtain, standing there in her dreadful red coat. At least she didn't have her gun any more, I remembered. Kael had it.

I heard footsteps outside the door and felt Kael's arm around me tighten. I couldn't watch. I buried my head in my arms, not caring anymore about the grime that had offended me only moments ago. I did appreciate that Kael stayed in here, hiding with me. If I wasn't here, I was sure he wouldn't hesitate to confront her to the horror of the shoppers.

The footsteps moved on. Lifting my head from my arms, I pictured Madeline making her way through the store, standing where I had stood looking at the sweaters, then the shoes. She wouldn't notice where I had pulled out several pairs to try them on because the whole store was a mess anyway. Only... I stiffened and looked up at the curtain, all the blood draining from my face.

Kael's arm tightened around my shoulders, sensing my apprehension. "One more minute, and I'll check," he whispered. I looked up at him feeling more disappointed in myself at that moment than I was in him for his confessions earlier.

"She will know," I whispered despairingly. I swallowed hard and looked at him. He stared blankly back, so I went on, trying to keep my voice to an imperceptible whisper as he had done. "She will know because I left her shoes in the last aisle." When he didn't say anything I went on, "I'm so sorry." I bit my lip, unsure of his response.

His eyebrows rose slightly in the dim lighting. He looked down at the wedges on my filthy feet as he moved around me. Sliding out between the curtains, he was gone in an instant. I was left alone in the tiny closet staring at my terrified reflection in the cracked glass.

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Will Harper's slip cause another altercation with Madeline? Let me know your thoughts with a comment and vote below! :)

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