Saving Simona (Alone In The World Trilogy) (9 page)

It did not take long. Gia’s stomach dropped as the train gave its first lurch, the whistle blowing again. Gia blew out a breath before dropping her head on the back of the seat, closing her eyes.
I hope this ends soon.

***

Two hours later, Gia opened her eyes when the train jolted to a stop. Startled, Gia jumped and fell out of her seat, falling to the ground in a heap.

Lucie began to laugh, her eyes flickering down to her companion. “Are you all right there?”

Gia made a face at her before pushing herself into a sitting position so she was leaning against the seat. She rubbed at her face before pushing her hair back from where it had fallen during her start. “Where are we?”

“No worry, we are just at another station. The train will start up again in a moment.” Gia nodded and moved so she was settled back in her seat. She looked out the window, thankful that they were on the same side as the station. She sat up straighter when she saw something weird. “Lucie, isn’t there a lot of people getting off the train?”

Lucie looked out the window. “Yeah, there is. I wonder why so many people are getting off here.” Gia shrugged, continuing to stare out the window. Lucie turned back to her knitting. Gia looked at it in confusion before realizing that she must have pulled it out of her reticule while Gia was resting her eyes.

Gia looked over as the car door opened. It was Oliver. He smiled at Gia before walking over. “Hello again, ladies,” he said, tipping his cap. “It seems that our train has run into a bit of trouble, and needs to be moved off the tracks. All our passengers have to get off here in Leicester and wait until our next train comes in. I must tell the other passengers, but if you will wait a moment, I will be gladly assist
you out of the car.”  He went to the other customers before heading to the stairs leading out of the train.

Lucie deflated as she stood, her face falling. Gia looked at her. “Is everything all right?” she asked.

Lucie shrugged. “I will never get to Simona on time if we keep having to make stops like this,” she said dejectedly.

Gia moved forward and gave her a quick hug. “Hey, don’t talk like that. Everything will be all right. We will find her.” She pulled back, flipping her head towards the door. “Come on. We do not have any choice but to go.” Gia linked arms with the blonde.

Lucie glanced over and pursed her lips, nodding sadly. Together, they made their way to the stairs, where Oliver was waiting just below. Lucie went down first. Gia followed close behind. Her dress caught on the second step, and she lunged forward, falling straight into Oliver’s arms. “Whoa, hey there, be careful,” he said, lifting her the rest of the way down until her feet hit the ground.”

“Thanks,” Gia responded, letting out a breath as she righted her skirt.

“Not a problem.” He winked. “You really should be watching your step, Miss Fletcher. Wouldn’t want you falling for the wrong sort of guy, now.” He chuckled and grinned, sticking the tip of his tongue out between his teeth.

Gia rolled her eyes before smiling as well. “I will keep that in mind,” she joked back, shaking her head at him. She laughed. “Thanks.”

Oliver bowed. “Have a good visit in Leicester, Miss.”

Gia chuckled again as she walked away, throwing a glance over her shoulder as she made her way the few steps over to Lucie. “Nice misstep,” Lucie teased, laughing. Gia rolled her eyes and ignored the girl. Gia’s mind flickered back to Simona as the light came back into Lucie’s eyes for a moment. How long would that light be there? Would Gia
actually
be able to save Simona from the wretchedness of Leander’s grasp?

Depending on how strong Simona was, she could very well be dead by now, especially if she refused to break. It was not very often that the girls were brave enough not to submit to Leander or his men, but it did happen. Simona was young enough, though, and at that impressionable age… she likely gave in by the end of the first night. Or at least Gia
hoped that she had.

Gia saw a store near the station. “We have an hour until we have to be back here, so how about we take a look around?”

Lucie nodded, and the two made their way over and went inside. It was a small store, not much bigger than a shack. It sold knickknacks and candies. Lucie wandered over the back of the room, while Gia went to the knickknacks. She lifted up several different things, flipping them over to look at them from all angles. The first thing she picked up was a silver brush. It had thick white bristles that were coated in dust. Gia made a face as she put the brush down, wiping the dust on her skirt. Closer examination of the other objects proved that they were all coated with dust as well.
These must not be looked at very often,
Gia thought, coughing slightly as the dust swirled up into her lungs.

“Are you alright, miss?” came a voice from her right. Gia turned to see a young boy of fourteen or fifteen. He was wearing a forced smile and a polite voice, but it was clear to Gia that he was only at the store because he had to be.

“I am fine, thank you.”

The boy nodded. “Can I help you find
something?”

Oh. So
that
was why the child was wearing that expression. She would hate working here too, if the store was as silent as it was today. Gia looked around the store to see that it was empty now. When she had arrived, there had been a few people in the store, but now, it was just Lucie, Gia, and this little worker.  Gia shook her head and gave him a small smile. “No, I will be fine, thank you.” The boy nodded and walked away, going off presumably to ask Lucie the same thing.

Gia continued to browse for a few more moments until Lucie walked over, a small bag in her hand. “Here,” the blonde said, handing the bag to Gia.

Gia looked at it in confusion. “What is this?”

Lucie shrugged. “It is not anything much, just a few of my favorite candies. I just wanted to thank you for coming along with me today.”

Gia let out a small smile. “Thank you,” she said. She opened the bag and took one of the candies out. It was a shiny striped boiled piece in red, white, and green. Gia pulled one out and placed it on her tongue, humming contentedly when the taste of watermelon coated her taste buds. She glanced into the bag and saw that there were several other colors. She assumed that meant that they were other flavors. Sure enough, when Gia tried a brown-and-white striped piece, she tasted chocolate. She smiled as she sucked on the sweet.

“Come on, let u
s see if we are any closer to getting back on the train,” Lucie commented as she walked towards the door. Gia trailed behind her, still sucking on the candies. They quickly crossed the street, narrowly avoiding being hit by a wayward carriage. Gia made her way through the crowds of people to find Oliver while Lucie went to find a bench to sit at.

After a few minutes, Gia finally found him, talking to a black haired man. Gia stood patiently by his side while she waited for the men to finish talking.

Once the black haired man had turned around and walked away, Oliver turned to Gia. “How can I help you, Miss Fletcher?” he asked, flashing her a grin.

“Gia,” Gia corrected.

“Hmm?”

“Call me Gia,” the brunette said once again, a smile on her face.

Oliver’s smile grew wider. “All right, Gia it is. Well then, Gia, what can I do you for?”

“I just wanted to know how much longer you expect it to be until the train returns,” Gia asked. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, shifting on her feet. She crossed one arm across her waist, tucking her hand beneath the elbow of her other arm. The loose strand fell forward again. Gia was about to tuck the strand back herself when Oliver beat her to it, his hand darting out to push it back before he dropped his hand and chucked shyly, his fair freckled cheeks growing red.

“Sorry,” he said, embarrassed. “I just…” he shook his head. “Never mind. You said that you wanted to know when the train would come in?” He coughed uncomfortably, slipping his hands into his pockets and avoiding eye contact with Gia. He stared off towards the wall, rocking on his heels.

“Oliver, stop. It is not that big of a deal.” Gia reached out and steadied the boy. “I just need an answer.”

Oliver nodded, looking nervously back over. “It should be soon, maybe ten minutes at the most. I believe it should be here in less than five, though.”

Gia nodded. “Thank you.” She gestured
towards Lucie. “I am going back to Lucie. Are you going to assist us again once the train arrives?”

Oliver nodded. “Of course.”

Gia smiled at him before turning back around and walking back Lucie’s direction. Oliver had been right in his guess, as right as Gia reached her companion, the train pulled into the station.

9

Gia and Lucie looked up as the whistle blew. “Back into battle,” Gia mumbled as she approached the loading area. She felt more confidant in the train this time than she had when they had boarded in London, but the butterflies were still there, flapping around in blissful anxiety.

Oliver sauntered over to the girls, the smile back on his face. “Ready?” He
held his arms out at ninety-degree angles, smiling patiently as he waited for the girls to take a hold of him. Gia smiled at him before taking his arm, Lucie doing the same a moment later. They allowed him to lead them onto the train, although Lucie was clearly impatient, her steps a half-second quicker than Oliver’s or Gia’s.

Oliver led them to a car much different than the one that they had been occupying before. Gia looked at him in confusion, to which he returned a bashful smile. “I was instructed to escort all of the upper class customers to our food car. Not all of our trains have them, but this train was made special. It is a good thing, too, as there are some very important people on this train who will be very
unhappy that they have missed their early evening meal in town.” He did his duty, taking them directly to the car. He bowed and winked at Gia before he returned back to the station floor, escorting more ladies and gentlemen into the car.

“
Shall we sit then?” Gia asked, gesturing to the empty cloth-laden circular tables that were spread out around the room. Lucie nodded, and Gia and she chose a small table next to a window. There were four cushy chairs surrounding the table, and Gia sighed contentedly as she sunk down into the cushion.

Within moments, six of the tables had been occupied. Gia recognized most of the others as the ones who had gotten on the train with them in London. Three men in tuxedos entered the
car and spread out to each table, towels thrown over their left forearms and pieces of parchment to take orders on in their right hands.

“Good evening, madams,” the man said as her approached Gia and Lucie
, a warm smile gracing his aged face. “Due to the misfortunate of the previous train, we are gifting you both with your suppers, as you will likely not arrive to your final destination in time to sup. Would you like your meals to be brought out in a typical fashion, or would you like everything other than your pudding to be brought out at once?”

Lucie made eye contact with Gia, nodding to her to make the decision. “All at once, please,” Gia said. The waiter nodded before disappearing back out of the car. He appeared again a few minutes later, holding a platter in one hand. Gia’s stomach rumbled loudly and her mouth began to water when the food was placed on the table
, the delectable smell filling her nostrils. There was hot punch, chicken fricassee with rice, and fresh rolls with real butter. Gia waited politely for the waiter to leave before digging into the food as gracefully as her taste buds would allow.

Gia let out a content sound when she took the first bite into the roll. The bread was soft and
delicate, and dissolved on her tongue. The butter was warm and runny, coating her taste buds in flavor. It was creamy and salty all in one, with each bite tasting better than the last.

Once she had finished her roll, she sipped at the punch. This, she was not as enthralled by, but it still tasted better than anything that she had ever drank before. The chicken and rice, however, caused a reaction that was not unlike her reaction to the roll.
The meal was tender with the perfect amount of spice, the carrots and mushrooms cutting like butter alongside the perfectly-cooked thigh. The rice was white and fluffy, and added texture to the chicken that she had never experienced before. When consumed together, it was like heaven on her tongue.

In the time that it took Gia to consume the entirety of the dish, Lucie had only eaten two or three bites. Gia looked at her curiously. “Are you al
l right, Luce?” she asked, concerned.

Lucie gave her a grim smile before shrugging. “Just not hungry, I guess.”

“Is anything wrong?”

Lucie shook her head. The table returned to silence once again. Gia took to sipping her punch,
looking out the window. She watched as the trees and towns passed by in a blur until the waiter came back to the table, his posture upright and his hands locked behind his back.

“For pudding we have two options: cake with fruit, or a citrus ice. Which can I get for you, madams?”

Gia thought about it for a moment before making a decision. “I would like the ice, please.”

The waiter nodded before turning to Lucie. “And for you, madam?”

“Cake, please.”

The waiter nodded before leaving the car again. Lucie continued to stare out the window, her lips pursed in a tight line.

“It will be okay,” Gia commented, reaching out to squeeze Lucie’s hand. “We will find her.”

Lucie glanced over and squeezed Gia’s hand back before dropping it, looking sadly down at the table.

Gia was about to try to say something else to comfort her companion when the waiter came back with their pudding. “Thank you,” Gia said, smiling at the man. She looked at the cup of orange ice before taking a bite. Her mind began to swirl as memories raced ahead, forcing her back to a long forgotten time before today that she had tried this treat.

It was the Christmas of 1861 the first time that Mercy had ever been given the experience of trying a citrus ice before. She had been sitting at the dining table with Ma, Pa, and Jesse, their plates piled high with roast goose and mashed potatoes, a luxury reserved only for Christmas, and by God, what a luxury it was!

Ma would spend the entire day prepping the meal, and her work showed: the meat was always moist with a flavorful skin, stuffed to the brim with sage and parboiled onions and dripping in port wine sauce and brown gravy. She always let Mercy pluck out the heart and gizzards from the bird so that they could go into the gravy. Pa didn’t like when Mercy tried to be too grown-up in the kitchen, so it was Ma and her little secret.

At the table, Jesse and Mercy were glaring at one another, both adamant that they each deserved the last leg of the goose. The leg was Ma’s favorite part and, because she had spent all day preparing the bird, Pa had told Jesse and Mercy that it was hers
, but the second one was up for the taking.

“I should get it, I am older than you!” Jesse exclaimed, his dark brown eyes flashing as he tried to lean forward to the center of the table, his fingers twitching in want.

Mercy stood up, putting her hands on her hips and shaking her head, her double plaits hitting back and forth against her cheeks in light slaps. “Nuh-huh!” she responded, putting on her best deep pout and angry face. She crossed her arms and narrowed her brows, glaring up from under her lashes. “I am the baby, I should have it! I want it!”

“I want it more!”Jesse argued back.

Both children’s hands were slapped away as they reached forward simultaneously. “Children! There is only one way to settle this,” Pa said, grinning. He moved their hands back and plucked the leg from the plate, biting into the swollen flesh. “I’ll just have to eat it!”

Mercy’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped. “Pa!” she exclaimed, staring at the slowly disappearing meat.

“That’s not fair!” Jesse exclaimed in agreement, shaking his head.

Pa laughed as he continued to eat, tearing his teeth into the flesh. His eyes sparkled as he looked
back and forth between his children. Mercy sighed loudly and reached to the plate, pulling a sliver of meat from the thigh and taking a bite out of it. Jesse did the same, grumbling to himself about the unfairness of the situation.

The room grew quiet as everyone ate, the steady thump of each person chewing the only sound echoing off the wooden walls. Pa finished his supper rather quickly. He seemed to be giddy about something, bouncing up and down in his seat while he waited for the rest of his family to finish their own meals. A wide grin split his
face when the last bite was taken, his eyes bright with excitement. He ruffled his thinning blonde hair before hitting his hands on the table and pushing himself into a standing position. He clapped his hands together as he said, “All right! I do believe that everyone is done, am I correct?” Once his family had nodded, his smile widened even more. He leaned forward and tapped each of his children on the nose. “I have a surprise for the each of you.”

Mercy immediately grew excited. She loved surprises! “Oh, Pa, what is it! What is it!” she asked excitedly, now bouncing excitedly in her seat.

“Yeah, Pa, what did you get us?”

Pa took a step back from the table and turned around, heading towards the door. Once he reached it, he paused for a moment to turn around, saying, “Wait here, and don’t peek!”He opened the door and walked outside.

Mercy shivered as the wind blew a gust of snow into the room before she turned to her mother, giving her a questioning gaze. Ma shrugged in response. “I have no idea,” she said. She stood up and went to the window, peeking out behind the red-and-white gingham curtain towards her husband. After a moment, she laughed and turned back around, shaking her head. “I will never understand that man,” she commented, her chest shaking as she chuckled. 

Mercy
strained her neck, trying to see out of the crack between the curtain and the window ledge. “Ma, what is it that Pa is doing?”

Ma shook her head but refused to answer, simply saying, “You will just have to wait and see!”

Jesse huffed. He crossed his arms and slouched down in his seat, splaying his legs. “This is taking forever,” he grumbled. Jesse had never been known for his patience. It was a trait that had gotten him in trouble many a time as Mercy and he had grown up. It was also something that worked well for Mercy: whenever Jesse was too impatient to wait for something and pushed or shoved for it, or whined, Mercy received whatever he had wanted instead of him. It taught her the value of waiting.

A few minutes later, Pa kicked the door back open, his hands hidden behind his back.

“Close your eyes,” he said, still smiling. Mercy and Jesse did as they were asked. “Good. Now hold out your hands, fingers out.”

Mercy felt something cold placed in her hand as her fingers were curled around the object, the feel of the frozen metal seeping into the sensitive skin of her palm. She held tighter, trying to guess what could possibly be in this metal object other than snow.

“All right, now open your eyes.”

Mercy only had her eyes open for a moment before she narrowed them again in confusion. She was holding a metal cup with a spoon in it. In the cup, there was, in fact, quite a bit of sno
w, as predicted. It was filled nearly to the top. However, the snow was light orange in color, and smelled strongly of citrus.

Pa waved his hands at the cups, his eyes wide.
“Go on, try it!” he urged.

“What is it?” Jesse asked, poking at the thing with the spoon. He made a face as some of the snow melted, leaving a crater of thin orange liquid.

“It’s a citrus ice,” the father said excitedly, dipping the tip of his finger into Mercy’s bowl and scooping some out, tasting it. “I convinced the master to let me take some home for you two after work today. It’s a treat that wealthy children seem to enjoy greatly.” Mercy and Jesse glanced at each other, both obviously still wary. Pa’s grin faltered, and his eyes lost some of their shine. “Don’t- don’t you two like it?” he asked, his eyes beginning to crinkle around the corners in the way they did when he grew sad.

Mercy shook her head. “No, Pa, I’m excited! I’m just…” she thought for a moment, trying to make the situation right. “It’s just cold?”

Pa looked away, looking more upset. Mercy immediately felt guilty. Pa obviously had been looking forward to giving his children a luxury, and Jesse and she were disappointing him.

Mercy picked up her spoon and, after taking a deep breath to prepare herself, dug her spoon into the sparkling goop, and scooped out a portion. As
she stuck the spoon in her mouth, her eyes widened. It was delicious! It was creamy and tangy and froze her teeth, but in a good way. It was like nothing she had ever tasted before. “Wow, Pa, this is delicious!”

Pa’s grin came back, lighting up the room. He kissed Mercy on the head. “I am so glad that you enjoy it, Mercy.”

Gia came back to as her teeth began to throb, the citrus ice resting too long against the sensitive nubs. Goodness, it had been a long time since she had thought about the good times with her biological family. It was the last happy Christmas that she had had. The next year, Ma and Pa were fighting. The year after that, Mercy was long gone, and Gia had become part of Leander’s family. After that, she stopped considering Christmas to be a holiday.

Gia continued to stare down into her pudding before a piece of cake slid into her line of sight. She looked up in confusion to see Lucie
shrugging. “I suddenly do not feel very well,” the blonde commented, rubbing her stomach. Gia smiled at her and nodded, pulling the plate the rest of the way towards herself at Lucie’s prompting.

Lucie pulled a pocket watch out of the top of her dress, sighing as she glanced at the face. “We should arrive within an hour and a half. I am going to go and get some rest. Are you coming along?”