Loving Lydia

Including Lydia. She'll have them here as company while I go back and pick up where I left off. Ruin lives and save others. If I'm still alive I'll get to come back and visit them again and see her once more. This plan is the one that I could stomach the most. I need them to see reason.

"Meanwhile you get to go back on the front lines and try to get yourself killed again?" She pouts.

"You guys just need enough time to recover, Cindy. Then we can discuss moving you guys back with us." Or not.

Only time will tell.

******

Jody is excited to see Timmy and Cindy at Lydia's house the following week.

"It is so nice to meet you! I didn't even know Miss Lydia had a cousin!" Jody shakes their hands and gives them some muffins her and her mom baked.

Cindy gives her a sweet smile and digs into the muffin immediately. "You mean the red hair didn't give us away?"

Although Cindy's hair has more blond in it, some could say they were distant relatives. Lydia's lie was thought out from the beginning. I look over at Lydia, who is setting up some coffee on the stove, she's been more quiet than usual.

"Thank you for the muffins." Timmy pulls out a chair for her and sits across from his wife.

"You're welcome! Just thought you might like something sweet while you're here." Jody smooths her worn down brown dress in a distracted way. "Mr. Bingham also asked me to invite you over for dinner at his place tomorrow night."

I turn away from the table and grab some cups.

"I don't think so." Cindy's mouth is full of bread.

"Maybe we should." Lydia's tone is serious. "He is very generous. Thank you for letting us know, Jody."

"My mom and I will be there too." Jody finally looks up from her lap and gives me a wobbled smile.

Lydia comes to the tables with the pot of coffee and begins to serve us.

"I'm going to head out now. Will I see you guys at dinner?" Jody stands too quickly, almost bumping into Lydia.

"Sure," I realize too late that I have agreed but am too distracted by her odd behavior to take it back. "I'll walk you to the gate."

She bids everyone a good night and thanks me when I open the door for her.

"What's wrong?" I ask as soon as we're out the door.

She looks at me from the corner of her eye and starts wringing her hands. "I have a bad feeling."

I wait for her to continue but she just keeps pulling on her fingers. I pull on her hands and gently make her face me. She's looking paler than before. Her eyes are so wide and her breathing is irregular. "Jody, it's okay. Tell me and I can help you. What is it?"

"I think he's going to ask for my hand" She blurts out. Once she starts talking, she doesn't stop. "Now, don't ask me how I know, I just have this gut feeling. He's been coming over a lot more lately. Has been asking me to visit with my mother more. Has taken me on strolls. And I just know what's coming. Oh God-" She holds her breath for a beat. "I have to say yes." Her eyes get watery and I know she's on the verge of losing her grip. "The amount of wealth that he has could change our lives. My mother could have a good life. I don't know why he has chosen me, there are better suited girls for him-"

"Jody." I place a hand on each side of her face. "Breathe." I blow out a lung full of air and breathe in for five seconds. I continue to do this until she follows as well. "You don't have to marry him if you don't want to."

She stares at me in disbelief. "Kit, I know you've only been around for a few months. But even you will agree that having Mr. Bingham as a husband is better than having him as an enemy."

I drop my hands and sigh. It's not fair. She shouldn't have to do something she does not want to. Something that can change her life so drastically both negatively and positively. Sure, he has money but he's also a creep. And he would not treat her right. She's too innocent and hasn't even begun to live her life as a young adult.

"Whatever you decide to do, Lydia and I will support you." I don't want her to feel alone in this. Even if I know what she will choose to do, she doesn't have to go through it alone.

******

As we all walk over to Bingham's place the next afternoon, I notice Lydia is quiet again.

Even in her pretty dark brown dress, she manages to look uninterested in anything going on around her. She's been more reserved this week than any previous ones. I want to ask her questions but I don't think I have it in me to hear her answers. It's best to control our expectations and leave the unknowns unspoken. I hear Timmy telling his wife to play nice and keep the talking to a minimum. He knows as much as I do the amount of power Joseph has. If they plan on staying here for a longer period, they need to stay in his good graces.

By the time we get there, Jody and her mother are already in his waiting room. The butler takes us there and pretends to see us as distinguished company, even in our ratty clothes. I'm sure Joseph is used to more polished visitors but I feel happy with our appearance. Anything to make him uncomfortable.

Lydia introduces our guests to Bev and they make small talk as we wait for Joseph to show. Jody is wearing her best evening gown, which looks a little small on her but she sits so still it's barely noticeable. There is no mischief in her eyes or any giggles coming from her lips. She is truly terrified.

I catch her attention and give her a wink. Her eyes flutter but she doesn't respond otherwise.

Joseph walks in with an air of novelty and kisses the hand of every woman in the room, except mine. He shakes Timmy's hand and merely bows his head in my direction. He's wearing an expensive dark suit, outdressing all of us at once. His predatory gaze falls on Jody, with her frail pale blue dress, and takes her arm in his. He announces that dinner is served and leads us to the grand dining room. I've never been in his home and after being here tonight I don't think I will ever come back.

I don't know how the townsfolk haven't decided to turn on him and take all his wealth. He flaunts it all the time, pretends to care for them, but doesn't actually do anything to help them get out of their current situation. Unless they have something to offer him, like Jody. But that is neither my battle nor my headache to deal with. They idolize him and I will not be here much longer to care.

Our seating arrangement consists of Joseph at head of the table, Jody on his right and Bev on his left. I'm next to Jody and Cindy is on my right. Lydia is next to Bev with Timmy on her other side. There is still the other side of the table that is available for seating, who needs such a long table? The maids come in and begin setting down the food. They've probably had to tend to those higher up on the social ladder and even bigger parties than this. Tonight will be a less stressful night for them. We'll be impressed with the bare minimum.

"To new beginnings." Joseph raises his wine glass and we all follow his lead.

The talking during dinner is left to a minimum. With Cindy trying her best to play nice, Lydia in her somber mood, and me not liking Joseph at all, there is only so many times one can talk about the weather before it becomes moot. Joseph keeps Jody and Bev entertained well enough, even though I assume just being here is entertainment enough for the both of them. He tries to include Lydia but she is full of one worded responses tonight.

Once dessert rolls around, I'm fighting to stay awake. I'm ready to end the night and be back in my bed. This is a pretty dull dinner. Even Jody is more relaxed than she was initially. That is before Joseph turns his attention to Timmy.

"Did you and Kit know each other from before?" Joseph gives him a warm smile.

Timmy turns to look at me, surprised at the question but shakes his head. "No."

"Oh, my mistake." Joseph cuts into his delicate custard and takes a moment to enjoy it. "I just thought you two knew each other from before."

The hairs on my neck stand and I sit up an inch straighter. "No, I didn't even know Lydia had a cousin." I interject.

"Oh yes," Joseph turns to look at Lydia. "I had no idea at all either. It was quite a funny first interaction. Why have you never mentioned her?"

Lydia runs her tongue across her bottom lip before speaking. "She is a distant cousin. I only learned of her visit a short time ago. My uncle never really kept in touch in the past. But you know, when a family member needs help, we must abide by God's will."

Joseph's smile doesn't reach his eyes and an unsettling feeling reaches the pit of my stomach. "Yes, of course." He orders his staff to pick up the dishes and silverware. "I thought maybe the ladies would like to drink some tea in my renovated blue room. Jody, can you show them the way?" Joseph stands and we rise after him. "Timmy, may I offer you some bourbon with a recently imported cigar? It is just divine."

Cindy and Lydia look in my direction, trying to gauge what we should do.

"I'm not much for bourbon or smoking. It would be a waste on me." Timmy manages to look sheepish. We're all walking on eggshells now.

"I could go for something a little stronger than tea." I volunteer. I know Joseph would rather die than share his expensive liquor with me, Hell I would rather chew off my own arm than spend another second in his company but he knows something. And I need to assess the danger.

All eyes fall on him, will he be a willing host or show his true bigoted nature?

"Sure." He pats my back, with a smidge too much force, but I take what I can get.

Jody leads the women out, already settling into the future mistress of this house. I don't look at any of them, my eyes zoning in on the back of Joseph's head as he leads us to, what I assume, is the parlor room for his male guest. It smells of stale tobacco, and citrus cleaning supplies. There are volumes lined up along the walls, a very impressive collection. The huge table across from the fire probably costs more than anything Jody and her mother own. They would be comfortable here. And yet, I have a strange feeling that there will be no proposal tonight. Joseph's dinner was a guise for a formal introduction.

Joseph offers Timmy and I the couch near the fire. He sits in the single seat across from us. He calls on a maid and in a matter of moments we have a glass of liquor in one hand and a cigar in the other. Timmy places the glass down, not bothering to pretend to be impressed. He wants out of here as much as I do. While he knows when to blend into the background and keep his head down, Timmy also knows when something isn't right. And being away from Cindy is not helping at the moment either.

"Where did you and your wife come from again? East?" Joseph leans his chin against his thumb and forefinger, the cigar hanging from his thin lips.

"We're actually from an even smaller town than this in the south." He hangs on to the lit cigar between his fingers but makes no motion to try it.

I take a sip of my drink and then a puff. Fancy. I'll probably never have something as nice, why not live like a queen for a night?

"Hmm." Joseph nods. "And you, Kit?" This is the first time he's ever addressed me by my name. His distaste is hard to hide.

I stare at him, unfazed. "What about me?" I blow out a lungful of smoke.

"Where did you say you were from?" If he wants us to believe this is small talk, he is shit out of luck. We're already plotting our escape, should we need it and any weapons we might have to use should anyone get in our way.

"I didn't." I stare at him and then turn to Timmy. "I think it's time we head back. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." No need to stay and give him any more information than he already has. It's not looking like he's willing to say much anyways.

"I'm sure that can wait. I want to get to know my future neighbors a little more." He takes a healthy gulp of his drink. "Anything I can help with?"

"I'll let you know if we need any assistance." I Finish the rest of my drink and play around with the cigar.

"Lydia mentioned Timmy is good with building up houses too. Maybe you two might want to open up your own business." He stands and walks over to the fire.

I want to roll my eyes. Lydia and her ideas. She's going to have to learn to keep me out of them. When did she even have time to talk to him about this? I haven't seen him around lately and she spends all her free time with me. I need to keep a closer eye on her. She keeps thinking she can make decisions for me without my input.

"Where did you learn so much about working with tools?" He directs his question to me.

"My father taught me a lot growing up. I think he wanted a son." I set the cigar in the empty glass, no longer interested in entertaining him.

"Who was your father?" He turns to look at me and then chuckles at my silence. "I'm sorry, I am curious by nature. And I have to admit, I've done some digging around but it's almost as if you're a ghost."

I motion for Timmy to stand and we both walk over to Joseph. He looks uncomfortable as we stand before him.

"I'm human." I stick out my hand to shake his.

He takes it and stops smiling. "Clearly." His gaze doesn't waver. "I just care about the people in this town and those who wish to be a part of it. Lydia, for example, is a very close ward of mine and I would hate for her to get dragged into anything that might tarnish her reputation."

It is hard to control the anger that grips at my throat, but I swallow it back.

Timmy tries to defuse the situation, to no avail. "Thank you for your hospitality and your time Mr. Bingham. It is best if we get going now."

"One more thing," Joseph sets his cup down and takes a puff of his cigar. "You two wouldn't happen to know anything about the revolts going on down south, do you?"

I keep my face passive but see Timmy straighten up a little bit more.

"Good night, Joseph." I lift the side of my lip and pull Timmy away.

We lead the way out of the room and hear voices coming from another room down the hall. We make our way there in no time, Joseph following at his own speed. As soon as we walk in, all talking stops. Cindy and Lydia stand quickly and come to our sides. The room is a sickly blue that turns my stomach. We need to leave immediately.

"I hope we can do this again." Joseph leans over and takes Lydia's hand in his. He kisses it lightly and then turns to bid a farewell to Bev and Jody.

The walk back to Lydia's house is done with urgency. The girls can only assume what might have happened in the parlor room. That asshole really showed his hand. The idiot. But good thing he did. We have a head start. It might not be as much as I would have liked, but it is better than nothing. He is planning to move in soon. Fuck.

"What the Hell was that?" Timmy asks as soon as we're through the front door.

"He knows something." I take off my formal shirt to help with the sweating. I run a dry cloth over my face and around my neck. "Fuck." I mutter.

"He can't know." Lydia tries to grab my shoulders in a soothing gesture but I shift away.

"How could I have missed it?" He invited us over with an agenda. He waited for all of us to have our guard down before striking. Feed us, have mundane topics to talk about, and then hit us with a low blow none of us were expecting. He's not as dumb as I gave him credit for. He's not a total idiot. He sees the coincidence of a random stranger popping up in his town and then two more following shortly after. Shit. And now Lydia is caught in the middle of it. Jody was right when she said anything was better than becoming an enemy to Joseph Bingham.

We relay everything that was said in that dark room to Lydia and Cindy, emphasizing what we think is important. Practically all of it was important but the last question hit home. He shouldn't have spoken so much. Had he not invited us over tonight, I would have not suspected that he was digging into my past. He's careless and cocky but he's also an idiot with money. That makes him dangerous.

"He's a slippery snake." Cindy is sitting on the table, rubbing her forehead. She understands the severity of the situation.

"This changes everything." Timmy starts to pace the small room. "We have to scratch the plan. We can't stay."

"No!" Lydia clears her throat when we turn to look at her. "Not yet. Don't do anything rash."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but this doesn't concern you." Timmy continues to pace.

"I think we're reading into things." Lydia lifts her chin. "Give me a chance to talk to him. See where his head is at."

"He'll see through you. Did you see him tonight? He knew you were lying. He's not going to trust you anymore." I rub my neck with the cloth again. Things have definitely gone south if I'm lamenting losing Joseph's adoration for Lydia.

"I can be persuasive." She offers.

I give her a leveled look, over my dead body.

"Just to get some information!" She starts to get upset. "You guys can't leave yet. We need to make sure we have all the information right. What if it's not what you're thinking? You would be throwing away all of your progress." Her accent is as thick as honey by the end of her sentence.

I walk over to her and shake my head. "I'm sorry. But we have to get ready soon. Even if he doesn't have enough information, we can't wait around until he gets it." I turn to the two others. "We leave tomorrow night. Pack up as much as you can. I'll write a letter to Tom to make sure he's aware. I'll arrange our transportation, be ready by sundown tomorrow."

They leave without another word and I go to my room without another thought.

******

I look down at the letter from Tom once more and sigh.

I still buy the stamp to send mine and then walk back to Lydia's. Everything seems to be falling into place. Tom is expecting me back soon. He needs me now that he is down two. If only he knew he was going to get three back for the price of one. I smile sadly. He's going to be surprised, that's for sure. I take a look at the houses around me as I walk through the town. I have memories with each and every one of them. I've helped build them up, tear them down when needed, and reconstruct them too. All but the big white building in the center of it all.

My curiosity beats my conviction and I walk through the big double doors.

It is a humble church. The pews are wooden, the floors are worn down. The air is stuffy and stale but I continue walking. There is an older man sitting in the front row. He's looking up at the statue of the man on the cross. I've seen him around before. He lost his wife a few years back and keeps to himself. Always wearing black. I helped him rebuild the chicken coup in his backyard. A quiet man.

I sit down next to him and clear my throat.

"Where's the father?" Is it father? Or is it priest, pastor, bishop? I don't know. I haven't been in a church in years.

He looks at me and chuckles. The wrinkles on his face are more pronounced when he smiles. "On lunch." He does the cross motion with his hand, ending his prayer, and then turns to me. "Is this your first time here?"

We both know the answer but I nod.

"Why now?" He's not judging, just curious.

"No time like the present." I shrug. We sit in silence and then I blow out a breath. "I figured if I needed any type of saving, it would be now."

"Do you believe in God?" He turns his head to the side, waiting for my answer.

"I don't know what to believe anymore." If there is a higher power up there, it would explain why I was lucky enough to meet a beautiful soul like Lydia. She is pure, she is good. People like her deserve to go to Heaven if there is such a place. She should be protected at all costs, especially when I will no longer be here for her.

"Well, you can talk to whoever you believe in." He motions for me to get on my knees with him. "Speak out to them, and maybe they will listen."