Agnes leaned in, as though to whisper to her. “I am not playing games here. This is a place of business. I know you want to save your girl, but she is my girl now.”
Odette leaned away from her, noting the coldness in her hard blue eyes. Part of her wanted to turn and run back out the door. But Kathryn was here, and Odette was not leaving without at least talking to her.
She faced the stairs at the back of the room and marched straight toward them, not looking back. She heard Agnes whispering, then a grunt from the guard as Odette started up the steps. As she reached the shadows, she began to hurry, then to run up the steps.
Heavy footsteps pounded the stairs behind her. She ran down the long corridor calling out, “Kathryn! Kathryn, where are you?”
Her heart beat so hard she could hardly breathe. The guard was still behind her, his steps drawing closer.
A door at the end of the corridor opened and Kathryn’s face appeared. Her eyes grew wide. “Odette.”
Odette ran to her. Kathryn moved back as Odette rushed into the room, then shut the door behind her.
As soon as she was inside, she heard a loud noise against the door. She stared at it, but it stayed shut. “What was that? What is he doing?”
“He barred the door from the outside.” Kathryn’s voice was quiet, and when she looked at Odette, her mouth hung open. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to ask you the same question.”
“I can do what I want.” Kathryn turned away from her and sat on the bed in the center of the room.
“But, Kathryn, why? I do not understand. What about your brothers?”
Kathryn’s frail shoulders went up and then down in a quick shrug. She still did not face Odette.
“Did you not want to stay with them? Were the people at the farm unkind to you?”
She was still and quiet. Finally she said, “They weren’t unkind, but I did not feel like I was doing enough to pay for being there. Agnes came and talked me into coming back. She reminded me of the promises I had made to her and how much she had helped my brothers and me.” Kathryn’s voice quivered. “I know it must seem wrong to you, but . . . what else . . . am I good for?” She sobbed softly.
Odette sat beside her, putting her hand on Kathryn’s shoulder. “Kathryn, this woman, Agnes, is using you. You do not owe your loyalty to her. You do not have to do this! You are so young, and your life can be different from this. You are much too good for this kind of life.”
She shook her head furiously. “No, I am not. I have done things, bad things. You do not understand. I am not innocent and clean like you. I am damaged . . . ruined.” She said the words like they caused a bitter taste in her mouth.
“That is not true. You are a beautiful young maiden who can start fresh and clean right now. People have done bad things to you. I am sure that is true. But you do not have to stay in that awful place where they have tried to imprison you. You can be the woman you were always meant to be, the woman who is deep inside you. Just because people did bad things to you, or you did bad things in the past, does not make you bad. You can choose to be free, free from all that.”
Tears flowed down Odette’s own cheeks as she spoke, as she realized it was true of her too. People had said ugly things to her when she was young, when she had scavenged for food and even stolen food a few times. But even as she was not those things they said—beggar child, worthless, orphan trash—Kathryn was not either. “You are better than this.”
“How do you know God has not cursed me to do these things? He could have kept my parents alive. He could have saved them, could have saved me.” She sobbed harder.
“He is saving you now.” Odette gripped Kathryn’s arm, trying to make her listen. “He saved you when Jorgen came and found you here. He saved you when Rutger took you to the farm where your brothers are living. We can leave here now and you do not have to—”
“We cannot leave! They have locked us in. Oh, what have you done, Odette? They will do these terrible things to you now. And it is all my fault.”
“No, no, we shall get away. No one is going to do anything to me.” But Odette’s insides were twisting, her cheeks burning as she tried to think how they would escape.
18
“WE WILL GET out of here.” Odette sat on the bed patting Kathryn’s shoulder. “They would not dare to hold me against my will.” Even though I told them I wanted to work here. How would they escape? Especially since Kathryn had already escaped once before. They would never allow Kathryn to leave a second time.