“For me, it does. Everything in our life, including the plants in Mama’s garden, are of use. All we have are carrots, potatoes, snap peas, and squash. It’s all got to fill our belly.”
“Don’t you have any flowers?”
“Well, we do have the honeysuckle bushes around the house, and they do smell nice. But as soon as they bloom, I pick the flowers so I can make them into the syrup to flavor the moonshine. The honeysuckle flavor is our most popular.”
“Edward enjoys it, but I’ve never tried it.”
“Well then, I’ll caution you to be careful. It’s mighty strong.”
Miss Olivia raised her chin. “You don’t think I can handle it?”
“I’m sure you could. I’m just saying it’ll take getting used to. Don’t go guzzling it like one of those fancy lady drinks.”
“You’ve drunk it?”
“Well, no. I taste the honeysuckle syrup, and then when it’s mixed, Ma does the final tasting. But it’s a matter of time before I’ll be doing the final tasting.”
“Aren’t you worried about the law?”
“I suppose. But I know all the back roads and old Indian trails, so I’ll be fine as long as I stay out of the sheriff’s way.”
“Why do you take the risk?”
“Money’s got to come from somewhere. Kind of like when you were trapped in that building. The only choice you had was to figure a way out. That’s what I’m doing with the moonshine. Figuring a way out of a tight spot.”
Miss Olivia stared at her a long moment. “I do admire you, Sadie.”
Color warmed her cheeks. “Why? I’m just a poor girl from the country.”
“You are brave. And I respect that.”
“I’d say you were pretty brave.”
“I had no choice, and now I have fled my country when it needs me most, and I am hiding out in a glasshouse filled with pretty plants that serve little purpose. That’s hardly brave.”
“I thought you liked this greenhouse?”
“Edward built it for me. He says it’s where I belong. And it’s a good place for me to hide.” Clearing her throat, she turned toward a pot filled with another green fern. “I can’t imagine being all alone and driving your truck at night, running from the law. I’m scared enough as it is.”
Sadie came around and picked up the pot, filled with lavender. “What do you have to be afraid of?”
“Everything,” she said softly. “This new life. Losing another baby. Disappointing Edward.”
Sadie was silent for a moment. “Mama always said if you aren’t a little afraid, then you aren’t living.”
“What are you afraid of?” Miss Olivia challenged.
“Never getting out of Bluestone. Living and dying here, and never getting a chance to see the world.”
“As I said, I predict great adventures for you.”
Sadie liked hearing the words, and she wanted to believe them even as her thoughts turned back to the girl at the hospital. For her, there was no getting out of Bluestone.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
OLIVIA
Thursday, March 5, 1942
The Woodmont Estate
“I want to learn how to drive,” Olivia said from the back seat.
It had been two days since Olivia and Sadie had visited the hospital, and Olivia could still not shake the memory of the wailing woman being dragged inside. Edward had asked her to trust him, and of course she did, but as they now approached Woodmont she realized she needed more independence from him at this place.
“We’ve been through this. I could lose my job,” Sadie said.
“I know. And I appreciate your concern, but I’ll not tell Edward. I know he wouldn’t approve. He’s quite protective. I would hope in the last few weeks that I have gained your trust.”
“I trust you just fine,” she said. “But if someone sees us, then it will get back to Dr. Carter.”
“I feel helpless,” she said. “I’m as trapped in my house as I was in that rubble.”
“What are you talking about? It’s the biggest house I’ve ever seen.”
Olivia smoothed out a wrinkle in her skirt. “It can feel very small. So can this county.”
Sadie could not argue with her on that score. “I don’t know.”
Olivia scooted to the middle of the seat and leaned forward. “My mother says that it’s good for marriages if they have a few tiny secrets. She, for instance, used to go to the movies every Friday with her friend. She never told Father about it because she said details like that bored him. She said the movies made her a better wife.”
“You think driving will make you a better wife?”
“Yes.” She would not feel so trapped or lost or useless. When she