Chapter Twenty Six

Luke

As I drove into the settlement I could see Francis and Martha waiting by the house looking extremely nervous and distressed. I know I should have been back earlier but I had given into temptation and stayed overnight in town to shop for a present for Bella. My father would disapprove of the plain gold band etched with our names, the etching being the reason I had to stay.

My first thought was that something had happened to Sheena or Margaret and I hurried up to them fearing the worst.

"What is it? Has Margaret fallen ill? Please don't tell me little Sheena is sick, they were both well when I left."

Martha stepped forward and bowed her head.

"No, they're both fine, Luke. It's Bella."

I stared at her in puzzlement.

"Bella's been taken ill? What happened? Has Saul been to see her? Surely it's nothing he couldn't treat. Where is she?"

Martha bowed her head, twisting her hands together in her anguish and I began to panic until she shook her head and continued.

"She came to our cabin to speak to Ashley and with Timothy away, I wasn't sure what to do. Norah took it upon herself to allow the visit, but she stayed close by to monitor what was said. She was always suspicious of Bella. I'm sorry Luke, but it's the truth."

The last was added as she saw my expression darken.

"She heard Bella tell Apphia that she wanted to leave and was trying to persuade her friend to go with her. Luke, I think Bella discovered that the women here have more than one husband and didn't like that idea."

"How? Who told her? Everyone knows that we do not discuss that with outsiders."

"I don't know... but she knew and she decided to leave."

"Is Apphia OK? Timothy will be devastated if she decides this life isn't for her. Besides, he suspects that she is already with child and losing one of our innocents to the outside world is something that could not be contemplated."

Martha shook her head and smiled reassuringly.

"No, Apphia is committed to us and Timothy. She was very angry and told Bella to leave."

I looked around, puzzled.

"So, where is Bella now?"

"Norah offered to drive her to town if she was so determined to leave. She thought it would be best to get Bella out of the settlement as quickly as possible before she could unsettle anyone else."

I nodded, "Good, excellent work. Please ask Norah to find me when she returns. I will need to speak to her. For now, I must contact my father with this news. Send Jude to bring Timothy back from the farm. We must perform the wedding ceremony at once. Apphia needs to feel valued and loved and she should be rewarded for her loyalty to the community. I will speak to her myself as soon as I am able. In the meantime, it would be better if she were not left alone, Martha."

"She isn't. Margaret went to sit with her, just to make sure Bella's accusations and decision have not unsettled her too much."

I nodded. I should have known I could rely on my faithful family to protect the community and take any action necessary to keep everything settled. I would have to decide how to deal with Bella later. She had made such an unfortunate decision, one that could cause trouble for us, but it had been her own choice, no one had forced her into it.

Personally, it was a tremendous blow. Now I would have to begin my search for another wife all over again and I had been very fond of Bella. She had, I thought, been an excellent choice, but it would appear I had been mistaken.

Father would be most upset, we had put ourselves in danger once more to rescue an unfortunate. Occasionally, however, like a stray dog, those we rescued would turn and bite the hand of their savior. It hadn't happened for a long time, the signs were usually easy to see but6 this time... Well, this time we had been mistaken.

I went straight to see Apphia who knew immediately why I had come and hastened to reassure me.

"I'm so sorry Luke, Bella just doesn't understand our way of life. She got it all wrong and wouldn't listen when I tried to explain to her that Timothy had been very honest with me. Norah took her into town, to ring her parents I guess. She won't give us away, though. I told her I understood what I was doing. I won't let anyone take me away from Timothy or the community."

I smiled and knelt beside her, taking her trembling hands in mine.

"It's good to hear you say OUR community my dear, and we would never allow anyone to force you from your family. I am concerned that your friend could cause us problems despite your assurances.

Her eyes widened in panic and she clutched my hands more tightly.

"What? I won't leave. They can't make me.".

"Actually the legal age to leave home in Nebraska is 19 so the authorities could try to force you to go home to your mother. To prevent this it would be best if you and Timothy were married as soon as possible. That way you could plead your husband as the reason to stay."

I saw her fear and hurried to reassure her.

" It won't come to that I'm sure, but we would hate to lose you now. Besides, Timothy tells me you may be with child and that child should be born here, where it belongs, with the family."

She rested a hand on her belly, which possibly showed the slightest of swelling and smiled.

"Yes, our baby belongs here, as do I. Can we marry quickly though, Luke? I thought the pastor had to be here for that?"

"He likes to be the one to officiate at our ceremonies, but he will understand and I am able to perform the ceremony in his place. Would you like me to do so? The sooner you and Timothy are married the sooner you can begin preparations for your pregnancy. You should be settled and peaceful as you carry the child and we will look after you and your precious cargo."

She agreed eagerly and while I spoke to Timothy, who had just returned hurriedly, concerned that something had happened to his intended, Martha called together the other women of the community to ready the church for the ceremony.

Only once it was over and Ashley, then Apphia, was one of us, would I feel comfortable. We couldn't afford to lose a pregnant woman carrying one of our own and I would do all in my power to ensure we did not.

Ashley

I wasn't sure quite what to expect even though Timothy had explained that the ceremony was much like a wedding out in the wider community, the kind I was familiar with.

"We are all good Christians after all."

Martha presented me with a long white gown to wear, more of a plain shift than a wedding dress, but as she pointed out, Timothy was marrying me because he loved me, the person, not the body I wear.

" You look beautiful, Apphia. You make Timothy very happy and we can't wait to welcome you into the family. The children are so excited at the thought of having another mother."

I was a little scared at the thought of becoming a mother so maybe having two young ones to practice on wasn't such a bad thing.

If someone had told me a few months ago I would be married and pregnant, I would have laughed in their face. Still, I knew if my mom found out she would laugh herself silly. She always said I would end up just like her. The difference was that I had a husband who loved me and an extended family only too willing to support me as much as I needed. She was just a sad drunk with a long line of failed relationships and a new boyfriend every week. Now, who would have the last laugh?

I missed having Bella by my side for the ceremony, she and I had become close and I hoped she had made the right decision for her and that her future would be as good as I knew mine was going to be. She was lucky in that she had a decent family who would welcome her back and even if they punished her they would continue to love and support her. I just wished I'd been able to say goodbye, but by the time I realized she was actually leaving it was too late. Norah had already driven off.

Despite Timothy and Luke both assuring me that I was safe and secure here in the settlement I couldn't help feeling a little vulnerable. I doubted my mother would bother coming here to find me or send the cops, but if she did I would fight them all the way. I wasn't going anywhere, I belonged here with my husband and my family.

The ceremony was short but very sweet although I was somewhat taken aback by the two men who stood beside us and chanted out the responses alongside Timothy and myself. This was certainly different from anything I had experienced before. Why were best men allowed, but not bridesmaids?

Our first night as husband and wife was wonderful and we had the cabin to ourselves. I hadn't seen Norah since she left with Bella. Maybe she had decided to drive her all or part of the way back home, which was the kind of thing a member of my community might do. While Martha went to stay with Francis taking the children with her.

If I hadn't been pretty sure I was pregnant, I would have felt some jealousy towards her and the children who were, after all, Timothy's too, but a little voice told me that he loved me as much as her or Norah and would value our children equally.

The next day, however, I got a terrible shock. Timothy sat me down and explained to me that the two men who had stood at his side during the ceremony were also my husbands.

"I thought you understood, Apphia? All the women here have more than one husband. There aren't enough females to go around as yet, but don't worry, they won't bother you until after the baby is born. Then you can choose who you prefer to sleep with. This child is mine, which is unusual here. Most men cannot be certain who impregnated their wives so this is an honor for me, but our other children will be loved just as much."

I stuttered and tried to quash the rising tide of panic.

"But... Martha told me that we only have to sleep with men of our choice. I mean I could choose to be loyal only to you. I don't want to sleep around. I love you. I don't even know the other two."

He smiled indulgently and kissed me on the cheek.

"And I love you, but I also love Norah and Martha, and you'll learn to love John and Joseph when you get to know them. They are being very patient waiting for your child to be born, you should remember that."

I shrank away, holding a hand over my belly and praying I was in fact pregnant. I'd had irregular periods before, so the fact I had missed my last period was no guarantee of anything, but if I was pregnant then it had happened that first time in the park.

I decided to keep that to myself until I could decide what to do. I loved Timothy and while I had accepted I must share him I wasn't at all happy at the thought of being shared around myself. Not with two other men or the whole freaking community!

Maybe Bella had been right after all and I had been blinded by the thought that Timothy loved me, the first person ever to say so in my entire life. Even my mom had never come right out and told me that!

I felt miserable and confused, but I tried not to show it. Something told me it would be better not to appear unhappy with my situation so I smiled brightly and hugged my husband, one of them anyhow.

"It's just a shock, everything is different now, my whole life has changed. Just give me a little time to come to terms with everything. Of course, I'm grateful to everyone here, including John and Joseph. I'll find them later and explain I only just discovered what they were to me."

Timothy seemed mollified by this. In fact, he was a little distracted and had been ever since he got back from the farm to discover Bella had left. I had expected Luke to be more upset than he appeared, but I guess he was just one of those strong silent types who grieve in privacy, but I hadn't expected it to affect my husband as well.

Luke

I asked Jude and Martha to keep an eye on Apphia despite Timothy's assurances that she was settled. It didn't take much to upset some people and while Bella had seemed a strong enough personality, I always had my doubts about Apphia even though she had the best reasons for joining us, a rotten home life and a desire to be loved and wanted.

Bella would have made a perfect wife for me, but seeing her reaction to learning the truth, she would have probably been too disruptive to the rest of the community. Her decision to leave may have taken the girls by surprise, but Norah had saved the day with her quick thinking. My sister could always be relied upon in a crisis.

Now, however, we had a problem. The authorities would frown on us transporting minors across state lines to join our community if Bella decided not to keep silent. We knew only too well that although the local authorities could be relied upon to look out for us there were others who would be only too happy to descend on the community and, if possible, destroy it.

Bella had apparently promised she would tell no one about us, but could she be trusted? She had said she wanted to become one of us, she said she wanted to marry me and she knew I loved her, yet she had decided to abandon us. So how could we trust anything she said?

With a heavy heart, I made the call to my father and filled him in on the situation waiting for his decision as to how I should act.

"I thought you told me that the two girls had committed to us?"

"They did, they said they had, and Apphia is now married to Timothy and settled. Bella must have discovered something she could not cope with and didn't attempt to understand. If she had come to me with her concerns I could have put her mind at rest."

"But as it is we risk everything because of one girl and that is unacceptable. What we have built up is far too important to risk. You have no idea where the girl is now?"

"No, just that Norah hurried her out of the settlement before anyone discovered her dissatisfaction."

"Norah? Well, she is level-headed, she will understand how important it is to be absolutely sure we can rely on the girl's discretion. I know I can rely on her to do whatever is necessary. In the meantime, keep an eye out. I do not want this girl to cause unease in the community. I'll be back in a couple of days. Do you think you can manage that, son?"

His tone of voice told me he was disappointed in me and I felt crushed but I was uneasy about his former words.

"Will Norah take Bella far? I mean I know she wouldn't be able to find her way back to the community, but I would like a chance to persuade her that she has us wrong. After all, we need females for our community. It's why we go on these missions, looking for possibilities. I just think it would be a waste to lose such a young and promising one."

"I see, it sounds like this girl has your head turned around, Luke. It is perhaps fortuitous that she has decided against joining. I need you with a clear head if you are going to carry on my work in the future. Forget about Bella Whitlock and concentrate on your responsibilities at the settlement. If there are any further problems I expect you to deal with them as efficiently as Norah dealt with the last. Do I make myself clear?"

I felt a shiver run down my spine. What exactly had Norah done with Bella? Somehow I had to find them and put my mind at rest.

My father interrupted my thoughts as he spoke my name in a cold curt tone.

"Luke? Have I made myself clear? Stay in the settlement and ensure there are no questions about the missing girl. She was sent home, she was just not intelligent enough to be accepted into the community, that's all they need to be told."

I agreed although I had no intentions of remaining in the settlement until my father returned. If Norah wasn't back by nightfall I was going out to track her down. Luckily, there was a full moon and I would be able to see the truck's passage through the narrow trails that passed for roads out here.

Of course, if she had decided to take Bella to the bus station or airport then there would be nothing I could do. I knew Bella had brought some money with her, but I had no idea how much. And if she called her parents for help would she be able to keep our secret? This was one unholy mess, and I couldn't see a solution that would keep the community out of trouble.