I stared at the candle still in my hand then quickly set it on the floor. Sane thoughts scattered as I numbly walked to the window. Most of the men either were no longer in the yard or had changed to their other form. But, Anton still stood near the edge of the woods, looking at the main building.
How many of them had he fought? My hand moved to my throat. How many men had I thanked today? Had I looked at any of them too long?
“Winifred wants you to know it’s in our nature and not due to anything you’ve done. Males will compete for females. The strong ones usually prevail. It means stronger young.”
Young? I didn’t want young. I didn’t want males. I didn’t want any of this. Except maybe a place to stay. I set my hand against the sill. My earlier thought rose again. Perhaps I could just stay inside. If I didn’t mingle with them, they couldn’t hurt me and they wouldn’t hurt each other.
Anton happened to glance up and catch me at the window. His head bobbed in acknowledgement then he turned and disappeared into the trees. Despite his beating, he’d found a candle and brought it to me, risking more retribution. And why? He knew I didn’t want anyone to bite me. It didn’t seem to matter to him. He still wanted to win my favor. He still hoped I’d agree to what he wanted. My throat grew tight, and I knew something had finally killed most of my fear: Pity. I pitied not just Anton, but all the men for their desperate hope.
“Charlene?” Mary said, her voice heavy with concern.
“It’s fine. I’m fine,” I said turning to face her again. “Let’s check out that tub.”
It turned out there was a small, windowless space off the main room, very close to the hand pump and trough. The tub sat in the center of the area, but something didn’t look right. The wood creaked under our feet as we walked in, and I saw what looked off. The boards bowed under the weight of the empty tub, flexing further with each step we took. I couldn’t imagine boards would hold the weight of the water too.
“It doesn’t look very safe,” Mary said.
“Yeah.” And I didn’t see how I’d be able to use it. Where would the water drain? Emptying it the same way I would fill it didn’t sound like much fun.
“Maybe we could use some of the boards they pulled off the shed,” Mary said. “If we laid them cross ways on top of the other boards, I mean.”
“Maybe.” I glanced at the door. I worried that going out to get the boards would draw attention and prompt offers of help. Unable to stand the thought of someone else being beaten for helping me, I stayed where I was.
“Want me to get them?” she asked.
I nodded.
While she did that, I moved the table between the sink and the fireplace. I’d just started to place the chairs around it when Mary walked past followed by two men. They carried boards over their shoulders, and both men nodded at me. I gave a small smile and a nod in return then ignored them. While they were in the tub room, someone tapped on the outer door she’d left open. Reluctantly, I went to answer it. This man looked older than the others. Grey hair covered his chest and vines held up his loose pants.
“Hi,” I said simply.
“Hello.” His deep, rumbling voice sounded amused. “Mary said you needed food again.”
I nodded hesitantly. We hadn’t eaten yet, but I hadn’t planned to ask anyone for anything. There was still another can of beans I could open and share with Mary. I preferred beans over asking someone to hunt for us and risking showing favoritism.
The man at the door pulled out a skewered rabbit from behind his back. “I hope you’re not as picky about eating rabbit,” he said with a slight grin.
I tilted my head and really looked at the man. I saw some familiar features and smiled wider.
“You’re Mary’s dad, then?”
“I am. You can call me Henry.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Henry,” I said, moving aside for him.
“It’s nice to meet you, too,” he said. “Want me to put this on the fire for you?”
“That would be great. Thank you.”
He moved into the room and squatted by the fire while I closed the door.
“Mary’s glad you’re here.”
“I’m glad she’s here, too.”
He stood and turned toward me. “They mean well,” he said with a deep sigh. “I remember how it was when I saw Mary’s mother that first time.” He shook his head, and a fond smile tugged at his mouth. “That beautiful, angry woman...she fought me, you know. When I tried to Claim her. She had big plans. She’d watched some people building a house and decided she wanted to live like them.” He looked around the room. “This was our compromise. She loved this place, but we never lived here.”
Mary walked out of the tub room and smiled at her dad. The two men followed her. Henry nodded at both and watched as they left. Neither closed the door.
“You two stay inside for the rest of the day. They’re getting restless waiting for Winifred.”
Mary nodded, and I glanced at the door. Many of them unabashedly looked in as they walked past.
When Henry left, he closed the door behind him.
“Let’s bring this up to our room,” Mary said, patting the dresser with the missing drawers.