Now the tears began, pouring down her face silently, as she gasped out sobs. “But Josh—” she wept.

Jinny took her shoulders in each hand and shook her, hard. “We got time. Time ’nuff fer y’all t’run down thar fust thang in th’ mornin’ an’ ’splain ev’thang y’all need to t’ Josh an’ Matt an’ Maddie. We got mebbe three days at best, an’ surely one at wust, afore th’ Company gets a bailiff here arter y’all.”

“But—” She stuttered through what Jolene had given to Josh, and what she had said to him. Aunt Jinny’s mouth compressed, but her voice stayed steady.

“Now y’all lissen t’me, girl, an’ lissen good. Y’all remember what Granpappy wrote ’bout him an’ Granny? How set they was on each other?”

She nodded, vision blurring from the tears of despair.

“Wall, either Josh feels thet way ’bout y’all, an’ it won’t matter what Jolene tries oncet he knows what she is an’ what she’s gonna arst him, or he don’t, Jolene’ll take ’im, an’ y’all are well shuck of him!”

Horror joined with panic and grief. “But I cain’t niver—”

Aunt Jinny shook her shoulders again. “What’d I say? Iffen it happens, y’all are well shuck of him! Y’all wanter be treated like yore Pa treated yer Ma an’ end up like her? Better git yore heart broke now, when it c’n mend. An’ mebbe y’all ain’t gonna be in love agin, but thet ain’t th’ end of the world. There’s plenty more t’life than bein’ in love.”

Jinny’s face had a peculiar look to it that Anna couldn’t understand.

Jinny went and got one of the rags that served them as handkerchiefs, giving it to Anna. “Cry yoreself out, blow yore nose, an’ lemme go talk to Elder Raven. We gotter git our plan an’ git it a-goin’ afore the bailiffs or sheriffs or, God forbid, McDaran shows up.”

She gave herself up to tears, sobbing her heart out. In days at best, hours at worst, everything in her life would be gone. She’d be trekking into the west with nothing but what she could carry, heading for the dubious shelter of a total stranger, each step taking her further and further away from everything and everyone she loved. The bottom had dropped out of her universe, and there was nothing left for her.

She didn’t sleep a wink, and in the morning she paced back and forth in front of the door until Aunt Jinny finally decreed it was probably late enough that the Holcrofts were also awake and about, and she could run down the lane to talk to them, and Josh.

“Josh’ll prolly still be eatin’ breakfus’,” Jinny said, holding her by the elbow so she couldn’t run off until Jinny had said her piece. “So mind y’all don’t say nothin’ bout magic nor Jolene ’round ’em. Jes’ tell ’em ’bout yer Ma an’ Pa, an’ th’ Company debt, an’ how y’all’s a-gonna go stay with—somebody—till th’ Company gives it up. Thet’ll be ’bout a year, I reckon. Mind, y’all ain’t niver gonna be able t’set foot in Soddy agin, but I don’ thank thet’s gonna make y’all lose any sleep.”