Page 113 of A Land So Wide
“Lachlan is dead,” Hessel snapped.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Greer waited for the rush of guilt to come, expecting it to crash over her like a summer storm. It didn’t. “I never wanted to hurt him. Truly.”
Hessel’s gaze darted to the dead Bright-Eyed behind her. His thoughts were so easy to read that she reddened. He didn’t believe her. He honestly thought her capable of such monstrous acts, of such wicked intentions.
Because you are,sang Finn’s wild, wily blood. It felt hot in her veins, scalding the rest of her, burning away the remains of who she’d been before she’d consumed it.
“If you’re not planning to drag me down the aisle, what are you after?” she asked, her tone harsh as she tried to cast away the troubling thoughts.
“You don’t know what you’re doing out here. You’ve no idea the mess you’ve wandered into.”
Greer raised an eyebrow, back bristling. “Do you?” She glanced to Finn. “Does he know you’re—”
“Yes, yes, he’s one of them,” Hessel said, talking over anything Finn had been about to say. “It’s fairly evident.”
“What about me?” she snarled, wanting to wipe away every trace of his arrogance. “Or Mama? Did you know what she was? What that makes me?”
Hessel’s intake of breath was all she needed to hear. “I didn’t at first.”
Greer turned away, unable to bear the sight of him. He’d known, and never told her. He’d never even hinted at it. All those times he’d snapped and scolded, frustrated by her unusual abilities, every time he’d made her feel less instead of more. He could have explained it to her, helped her understand, but he’d chosen to keep it secret. He’d let her flounder and stew in anxiety, worried she was mad, worried she was broken.
“I should think you’d be happy I left. One less secret for the great Hessel Mackenzie to keep. It must be terribly difficult; there are so very many of them.”
“You found my hidden drawer.” It wasn’t a guess. “I thought that might be the case. When Lachlan was thrown back. When you weren’t.”
She turned, narrowing her eyes. “Ithrew Lachlan back. Before sunset. The Stones had nothing to do with it.”
Hessel nodded, looked grim. “Every soul in Mistaken heard that scream. We covered it up, of course. There was an attack. Lachlan died, valiantly trying to save you. It was all terribly romantic.”
Finn rolled his eyes. “We’re wasting time. What should we do with him?”
“I suppose you found the second drawer as well,” Hessel went on, ignoring the Bright-Eyed. “Read all about your mother.” He shook his head. “I should never have left you alone in my study.”
“What second drawer?” Greer questioned, unsure if she was stepping into a trap.
“The one with Resolution’s journal.”
Greer frowned. “That’s at Steward House.”
“His final journal, yes,” Hessel allowed. “I have his first.”
Against her better judgment, Greer’s interest piqued. “It talks about Mama? How she got here? When she arrived?”
“Resolution’s second voyage, yes,” he confirmed.
Greer ran through everything she’d been taught about the founding of Mistaken, about the settlers’ journey across the sea, but the scenario felt wrong. It didn’t make sense. “Mama was with the founders?”
Hessel shook his head. “No. Beaufort made three trips to the new world. Ailie was with him on the second.”
“Three voyages?” she echoed with confusion.
“Three. When Resolution first stepped upon these shores, he discovered that Albert Crowley, the young explorer who’d told him of the Redcaps, had lied. Crowley had promised that no one but Beaufort knew of the trees, but by the time they arrived, a mill was already up and running, with another four being readied. Beaufort was so furious, he murdered Crowley.”
“Murdered?” she gasped. “But the accounts all say Crowley left, going south.”
Hessel gave her a withering look, as if aghast by her naïveté. “Accounts written by Resolution himself.”
“So…none of our stories are right. Nothing the Stewards have taught us has ever been true.”
