“To your room!” Rose barked. She flicked her eyes to Levi. “And you as well. Both of you, now!”

They hurried away like frightened mice, pattering up the stairs.

“How could you let this happen?” Rose demanded of me.

I opened my mouth to speak but couldn’t find the right words. Rose was looking to place blame, not find answers.

“I trusted you with my children’s care. That means you watch them! This is the second time in the last few days you’ve placed them in danger!”

“I went to check on Evelyn,” I started. “She—”

“I don’t want to hear your excuses! I hold you responsible.”

“Rose, I’m so—”

“You’ve formed a bad habit of letting me and this community down, and I’m running out of patience.” Rose stepped closer, dropping her voice to a harsh growl. “There’s no more room for failure, Grace. If not for the child growing in you, I would have you subjected to correction! This is outrageous!”

Her words cut me deeply and filled me with dread. She might be overreacting, but she was right.

“I tried to tell you, Grace,” Bobbie said behind me. I glanced back and saw that she was leaning against the kitchen door frame, then quickly returned my eyes to Rose.

“Do you understand?” Rose said.

I remained silent, body rigid.

“Do you understand?” she shouted.

“Yes,” I whispered, then swallowed and spoke louder. “Yes.”

She stared at me for a long, hard second. “Go home, Grace,” she ordered.

Without hesitation I turned and fled down the hall and out the front door. This was bad. I should have listened to Bobbie.

But what about Eli?

Chapter
Twenty

I WAS LYING ON MY BED WHEN I REMEMBERED THE pills.

Gasping, I sat up, reached into the pocket of my white dress, and pulled out the list Rose had given me several hours earlier. The items I needed to start taking for the health of my unborn baby. In the wake of Rose’s outrage, I’d forgotten.

I spun to the window. The sun was starting to hide behind the hills, marking the end of the day, and with it, curfew. No woman was permitted outside without a male escort after six.

Rose had insisted that I start taking these vitamins today. She’d been firm. But she’d also insisted I go home. Had she expected me to go home via the clinic? I could go first thing in the morning, but Dr. Charles would know and might report it.

I stood from my bed and paced the worn rug. In my state of exhaustion, the idea of facing my mother for a solution seemed insurmountable. Jamie would be home by now, but I didn’t trust him to keep a secret in his newfound loyalty to the law.

My only sane option was to wait till morning and risk another scolding.