Unwed 💍

Chapter Thirteen: Hushabye

Izzy sat, her elbows on the wooden table, forcing herself to swallow the lukewarm milk in front of her. By the looks the other girls were giving her, and the hushed whispers that drifted through the large dining hall, she sensed word had spread about Rita. The milk slid down her throat, heartburn instantly accompanying it. Shifting uncomfortably in her seat, she watched the doorway, waiting for one of the nuns to enter the room. She hoped to see some sort of answer on their face. She tapped her spoon on the table subconsciously. She felt so helpless, so useless. There was nothing she could do but wait.

Dottie stiffened next to her, and she turned to see Sister Mary Thomas had appeared from the kitchen, wiping her thick hands on a towel. The nun surveyed the tables until her eyes landed in their direction. With a snap of the towel she trudged over, her mouth set in a firm line.

She came to rest in front of them, her hands on her wide hips. A forced smile curled on her lips as she stared down at Dottie. "How are you today Dottie?" she said.

She patted the girl roughly on the arm, causing her to flinch. The sound of her voice made Izzy conjure up an image of a wolf in sheep's clothing.

"I—I'm well, thank you." Dottie whispered.

"Well, if there's anything you need, you just let me know." The nun squeezed her shoulder. She turned to Izzy and Gloria, her eyes hard as steel. "I'll see you two in the kitchen after you've finished." She raised her eyebrows when their faces paled. "What? Did you think you were getting off that easy? Leaving the home grounds without permission is a serious violation." She turned on her heel and stomped away, back towards the kitchen.

Within seconds of the nun's departure, Gloria leaned forward, looking past Izzy to Dottie on her other side. "Was it worth it?" she hissed. "Betraying your friends so that you could have that devil on your side?"

"Gloria!" Izzy gave her a stern look.

"I'd just like to know why she did it, that's all," Gloria pouted, sitting back in her chair with her arms crossed.

Izzy flashed Dottie a look. She'd been wondering the same thing, only her concern for Rita had nearly drowned out the thought completely.

Dottie winced. She looked from side to side, then leaned close to Izzy and whispered, "I went to the stairs. I wanted to see it too—the lake. She came up behind me. I was scared. I thought she'd beat me."

"So you just had to tell her everything?" Gloria gave her a look of disgust.

"She said she'd tell my parents if I didn't," Dottie added, her eyes widening.

Izzy sighed. "It's alright, Dottie. Anybody else would have done the same thing."

Gloria huffed and snatched up her plate. "Well, it's off to the kitchen. Let's see how much worse our day will get." She stood and brushed the crumbs from her skirt. "Come on, Izzy," she called over her shoulder.

Just as Izzy stood, Sister Mary Helen walked through the doorway. The nun looked away instantly when she spotted her. It wasn't a good sign. Izzy's heart fell as she trailed after Gloria.

Sister Mary Thomas was waiting for them in the kitchen. She scowled when she saw them, throwing a handful of herbs into a bubbling pot. Her thick finger pointed to a huge sack of potatoes that rested against the wall. "You can start by peeling all of those," she said.

Finished, she turned, stirring the contents of the pot with a large ladle. The girls each grabbed a knife from the counter, and set to peeling. A few other girls who'd been assigned to clean up duty bustled in and out, their arms full of dirty dishes. Izzy watched them as they came and went. A couple of them had huge, protruding bellies. They had to be close to having their babies.