Luc sat on the bed as his sister took off her hat. The small room was dim as the shades were pulled and there was only one candle lit. Enid wouldn’t look him in the eye, but she sat on the chair by the vanity. She turned so he could study her wounds. Even in the shadowed room, he could see that her skin was red and blistered from where the flames had burned her. It looked painful. She had no hair, not even eyebrows or eyelashes, on the left side of her head. She leaned her chin into the palm of her right hand.
“Carl died. That poor stupid horse ran through flames. We both caught fire, but he just kept running and screaming and screaming and running. He saved my life then…” She closed her eyes and breathed deep. “He just died.” She didn’t cry. After a moment, she opened her eyes and looked at Luc. “I had no idea where I was, but at least I wasn’t on fire anymore. I think I was delirious. I don’t know how long I wondered before Leonard, Missus Gladys brother, found me. He’s such a strange, sweet little man. He asked me if I needed help in the funniest little accent. I said yes, but I didn’t have any money. He said,” she cleared her throat and tried to imitate the Yorkshire accent,” tha’s a’right. Me an’ mine own sister had nay a penny ‘tween us when we comes to the new land an’ folks’s helps us out so we be helpin’ you out.”
She giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. Luc noticed she was missing a few teeth, but he didn’t say anything. He shook his head thinking about how lucky he had been to be found by Miss Rosalind. She sighed.
“Dear brother we are both cursed and blessed. Mom and the twins are probably dead, but here we are, safe. And we found each other. What are the chances of that?” She gave a sad smile.
Luc cleared his throat. “Dad died.”
Enid was silent, her eyes wide. “Dad died?”
Enid held out her hand and wiggled her fingers until Luc leaned forward and took it. “Oh Luc,” she sighed.
Luc nodded then told her about Chicago burning, the cemetery, pulling the cart, waking up at Rosalind’s, and finding out that their father was haunting a doll. Enid bit her lip, silently crying during his whole speech.
“I want to see him.” She whispered when he was done. “I want to see him and I want him to see me and I want to go back to Peshtigo to see if maybe Mom or the twins made it. Then was can try to find Mom’s brother, Dante. He’s family.”
Luc, who had the same feeling, nodded. “We will. After we eat, I’ll take you to Dad. Then when both of us are strong enough, we will go to Peshtigo. Hopefully, one of those kind ladies will take us there. If not...” He shrugged. “Well, we’ll find a way.”
Enid nodded, then tilted her head, and sniffed the air.
“What is that delicious smell?” Enid asked.
There was a knock on the door.
“Come in!” Enid called. “It’s probably Missus Gladys with food and Missus Q to come get you.”
The door opened slowly, as a lumbering figure backed into the room. To their surprise, it was Leonard. He was carrying a tray with two plates on it. The plates had roast beef, cooked vegetables, fried potatoes, and a round bread thing on it.
“We ‘aven't any ginger beer, but we ‘ad all the right stuff to make some Yorkshire puddin’. You two needs some fattenin’ up an’ this’ll do it.”
Enid smiled. “Hello Leonard. Have you met my brother, Luc?”
The short stooped man set the tray on the small table. “I ‘aven’t ‘ad the pleasure.” He lit a few more candles around the room, then stopped and extended his hand to Luc. Luc took his hand, they shook, and Leonard left the room.
“What an odd man.”
Enid, who had dragged the chair at her vanity over to the table nodded. “But he’s so sweet! If it weren’t for him, I’d probably be dead.”
Luc, having sat on the other chair at the table, paused with a forkful of potatoes halfway to his mouth. “I’m glad you’re not.”
“Me too,” Enid said and began eating.
