3: 3
A heavy rain came down in the middle of the night, and the mud-brick house I lived in caved in under the water before long.
I'd thrown a straw cape over my shoulders and was just looking for somewhere to shelter when the door was shoved open.
Cliff Walker and Harper Cobb rushed in, both in straw capes.
"Isabel, are you all right? The rain got so bad we were worried about you, so we came over."
"That's right, thank goodness you weren't hurt."
They said all the caring words, but their eyes kept darting past me, all over the collapsed mud-brick house behind me.
I saw through it and let it lie. "I'm fine. I got out before the house came down. I left in such a hurry, though, I couldn't grab a thing."
A flicker of satisfaction crossed the corner of Harper's eye. Then she took hold of me. "Don't just stand out here. Getting soaked won't do you any good. Come back with me first and stay out of the rain."
"As for your clothes and things, let Cliff stay here and help you look."
Cliff chimed in. "Isabel, go back and don't worry. Don't let yourself get cold. I've got it all handled."
Looking at the downpour, I had no wish to stand there getting drenched, so I agreed.
Harper was all attentiveness with me, finding me a clean set of clothes, even pouring me water and bringing me something to eat.
Her room was plain, but she wanted for nothing in it.
This room had originally been given to me by the village, for how hard I worked. But Cliff had said the mud-brick house assigned to Harper was drafty, and since she was frail, I should give her my better room.
To think how foolish I'd really been. Five years. Five years I'd worked myself to the bone for her, and what I got in return was betrayal.
"Isabel, Cliff's been gone so long, I'm uneasy. I'm going to check on him. You rest up here."
I knew what she was after, and I didn't argue. If you want to go stand in the rain, I won't stop you.
"All right."
Once she left, I lay down on her bed to rest. The cotton batting under me was soft. It was what the village had originally given me as their model laborer.
Harper had liked it, and in the end I'd handed that new cotton quilt over to her too.
The soft bed really was comfortable. Full and warm, I lay there with my eyes shut, resting.
In the dead of night a sudden noise jolted me awake.
I opened my eyes to Cliff, caked in mud and water, glaring at me. "Isabel Henson, did you do this on purpose?"
"Where's your college acceptance letter? Why haven't I seen it? Where the hell have you hidden it?"
Harper was covered in mud and water too, the most bedraggled I'd seen her in all these years.
"Isabel, if you'd already hidden the acceptance letter away, why not say so in advance? Did you do this on purpose, just to watch the two of us get this filthy?"
I pressed a hand to my mouth, feigning surprise. "So that's where you thought my acceptance letter was. You've been searching for the acceptance letter this whole time?"
They knew they'd said too much. Harper's eyes went panicked for a moment, then she scrambled to explain. "I was only worried the letter would be ruined if it got rained on, that's why I kept helping you look."
"Who knew you'd hidden it away already, so Cliff and I fretted over you for nothing."
"So where did you put it, exactly? It's pouring right now. You should just get it out and let Cliff keep it safe for you."
I gave a cold laugh and looked at her with contempt. "I put it somewhere else. The rain's coming down this hard. Even if I told you, there's no way you could go get it now."
Cliff wanted to press further, but Harper stopped him.
"Isabel, you rest first. Cliff and I will go clean ourselves up."
And Harper pulled Cliff away.
Then, in the middle of the night, Cliff dragged me straight up off the bed.
"Isabel Henson, let's get married right now."
