A Woman Worth Marrying Chapter 7

I am continuing the story here. Enjoy!

Morning light spilled through the windows and Annabelle woke to find herself alone. Jedidiah was nowhere in sight and when she reached to touch his side of the bed, it was cold. He’d been gone a long time. She woke, dressed, and came down the stairs to find Mia cooking breakfast. The woman looked amazing in the blue cotton dress she wore and Annabelle told her so.

            “Thank you, my dear, an old dress of mine,” she said.

            Annabelle set to helping Mia make breakfast; bacon, eggs, hash brown, and biscuits. When she was finished, she walked out to ring the bell. Soon she saw the men emerge from the field, everyone, but Jedidiah. She turned to Mia to find the woman putting on another pot of coffee.             

            “Where is Jedidiah?” she asked.

            Mia turned to look at her. “Jedidiah left this morning for town. We needed some supplies.”

            She frowned and looked away. I wonder why he didn’t wake me, she thought. She watched as the men came in and gathered around the table. They ate and she felt betrayed. Why? He doesn’t even love you, her mind told her, why would he wake you up to go with him? She suddenly felt very sad and left the house. She started walking toward the stretch of land, thinking of her aunt, her parents, and her sudden turn of life. The sun took pity on her and gave her a gray overcast as she walked down the hill, over the small stretch of terrains, and found herself by a small river. She sat down and started crying. What did she do to deserve this turn of fate? Hadn’t she been a good enough daughter? She had been a good daughter, loyal and kind. So what did she do wrong? Once the tears started, she fought sobs and felt her throat go dry. Covering her hands in her face, she let out a painful sound of hurt and sobbed.

            When Annabelle woke, it was dark around her and she gasped as she sat up. The wind was brutal and she felt rain in the air. She got up and started walking back toward the way she came. But halfway through, she circled back to the same spot as before. It was too dark now and she’d lost her way. Her stomach rumbled and she swore. She’d not have anything to eat this morning and now she was starving. Thunder roared above her and lightning flashed before her and a moment later, she felt rain on her. She gasped and started running the other way, hoping it would lead her home. She tripped over a log and almost fell, but caught herself. When she looked up again, the moon was laughing at her through sheets of rain as she struggled to stand. Damn, this dress! She tore the bottom off and used it to cover head. The rain was really starting to pour down now and she was shaking like a leaf; no food and cold was not a good mix to put together.

           

            “Where is she?” Jedidiah yelled as Mia sat pale faced at the kitchen table.

            He’d walked in a few moments ago with supplies and found that his wife had been missing since breakfast. His mind was running crazy with insane thoughts and he shoved his hand through his hair, unable to retain his mind. Why did he feel this way? She was just his wife in name and he hadn’t even bed her yet. Why was he suddenly so stuck on her well-being?

            “I’m so sorry, Jedidiah. I thought she went for a walk. But when she didn’t return, I got the men to look for her,” Mia said.

            “We looked everywhere. We can’t find her,” Bruce said with deep regret.

            Jedidiah placed his hands on the edge of the table and sighed. Did she leave him? He ran up the stairs and opened the door to their room. The bed was made and not been slept in since the morning. When he opened the chest drawers, the dresses she had gotten from Mia were folded neatly in a row. So she was still here…somewhere. He shut the chest drawers and ran down the stairs again. He grabbed a coat and slipped it on.

            “Where are you going?” Mia asked.

            “I’m going to look for my wife,” he replied.

            “In this weather? You’ll freeze.”

            “Imagine if she’s out there in this weather. Hunter, come with me. You two stay here with Mia.”

            Outside, the rain whipped him across the face and had him breathing hard. It was raining hard and he held up his flashlight as he and Hunter walked down the path to the wooded area. He signaled for Hunter to go left and he took the right trail. He yelled out her name and got no response. He almost tripped over a log and cursed out loud. But on a closer look, he realized it wasn’t a log; it was a pair of legs. Fear stabbed him in the heart as he shined the light and found that it belonged to Annabelle. She was lying on the ground, dress torn, and shoved halfway up her thigh. Blood was streaming down her legs and the worse slammed him in the heart. He dropped the flashlight and bent down to pick her up.

            “Annabelle!” he cried.

            She was groaning as he took his jacket off and put it around her. Then he lifted her up into his arms, grabbed the flashlight, and walked back where he met with Hunter.

            “Oh my God, is she ok?” Hunter asked.

            “I don’t know. Shine the light,” he ordered.

            Hunter walked ahead and he followed holding her in his arms. She was groaning and muttering words he couldn’t understand. The house came into view and Mia came out with worry written on her face. She held the door for them and Jedidiah carried her up the stairs to their room. He laid her down on the bed and shouted for Mia to boil water for a bath. He stared at her and inside his stomach turned. She was wet from head to toe and her dress was soaked through. The bottom of the hem was torn and she was still clutching the torn fabric in her hand. The bleeding was from a cut to her knee and he shoved her dress up revealing her skin. It was rubbed raw from the wet fabric and he winced. But when he laid his hands on her thigh, her eyes flew open and she stared at him. Jedidiah froze and watched as she slowly pushed herself up to a sitting position. They stared at each other and then she shoved her dress down to cover her legs. She quickly moved away from him and he straightened his posture.

            “What were you doing out there?” he asked.

            She stared at him with her tousled hair and red cheeks. “I was…I got lost. I went for a walk and I lost track of time.”

            “What kind of person goes for a walk at the crack of dawn and then doesn’t return? You had me worried sick!”

            She jumped at his voice booming and he shoved his hand through his hair. She looked away and then she returned her gaze to him. “You left me this morning. What was I supposed to do? Sit here and knit?”

            He cocked his eyebrows up and couldn’t believe he’d heard right. “What did you say?”

            “You’re my husband, Jedidiah. You’re supposed to tell me where you go. You left without telling me.”

            “I didn’t want to wake you. I told Mia I went to town to gather supplies.”

            Suddenly, she got off the bed, walked to him, and stood her ground. “And it didn’t occur to you that perhaps I wanted to go with you?”

            He bit his lip. “No, it didn’t. But next time I will be sure to ask you. Now tell me, what were you doing out there?”

            “I went for a walk and I fell asleep. When I woke, it was dark and I got lost. Then I tripped over some log and fell down. You know the rest of the story.”

            “That’s it?”

            “That’s it.”

            A knock at the door jerked both of them to stop. Mia walked in the hot water. She set it on the table and then one look at the two of them had her scurrying out. Once she was gone, Jedidiah turned to Annabelle and started to unbutton his shirt. He watched as her eyes turned shiny with fear.          

            “What are you doing?” she asked.

            “Because you scared me half to death, I’m going to get into the bath with you.”

            “Are you crazy?! It wasn’t on purpose.”

            “This will be sure to let you know that the next time you decide to go for one of your walks, you’ll wait until you can take me with you. This will be your first lesson. Take off that dress.”

            She laughed. “No.”

            “Do it or I will do it for you and I promise you sweetheart, I won’t be as kind as you.”

            He watched as she stood there staring at him, daring to prove his words. When he took one step toward her, she took one back and raised her hand to stop him. He whipped his shirt off and threw it on the ground. Jedidiah’s fingers traveled to the buttons on his jeans and she turned away from him.

            “Why are you forcing me to do this? I told you, I’m sorry. It will never happen again,” she said with a shaking voice.

            He smiled and took his jeans off, laying them on the ground next to his shirt. He removed his shoes and socks and walked to her. He put his hands on her shoulders and inhaled her hair.

            “Are you going to undress nicely or shall I do it for you?”