Hidden

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

"Can I go with you?" Amelia whispered, surprising Allie who had believed the girl to be sleeping.

"No," Allie replied, turning back to see Amelia sitting up on the bed. "It's past midnight and you need to be sleeping."

"So do you," Amelia countered.

"I will," Allie assured her. "But first I must brew this tea for the-man-with-no-name and see that he gets this ointment rubbed on his hand. I can't stand the thought of him up there in pain."

"He does seem to be hurting more today," Amelia agreed. "And his lip was hurt but he wouldn't tell me how it happened."

Allie felt her temper spike as she remembered the sound of Mrs. Treadwell striking him in the mouth, "Yes, well that's why I got him medicine. I don't like thinking of him in pain."

Amelia stared hard at her a moment and then a bright smile lit up her face, "I understand now!"

"What do you understand?" Allie asked with a sigh as she released her hold on the door knob and gave her sister her full attention.

"You're in love with the man in the attic!" Amelia exclaimed.

Allie rolled her eyes, "Will you keep your voice down when you speak such nonsense?"

"It's not nonsense, Allie, it's the truth! That's why you're not interested in Theodore. That's why you spent the night up there with him and came down so well rested when you usually don't trust men enough to turn your back on them."

"Why would you think that I don't trust men?" Allie questioned quickly. She had thought she had hidden her one true fear more properly from her little sister.

"Amelia, I know I'm only eight years old but I'm smarter than you give me credit for. I don't know why you don't trust men but I know you don't. So that's why I should have realized your feelings for the man in the attic before right now."

"I have no feelings for him other than fondness, friendship and pity," Allie assured her, unable to keep her heart from swelling and beating faster at just the thought of that man. It made no sense. Men were dangerous and they hurt you. They all hurt you. So why was she not afraid of him? Why had she curled up to him and felt such peace as they had slept in each others arms?

"Liar," Amelia teased. "I like him more than Theodore. Theodore is the more secure choice but you don't trust him and you don't seem to like him either." Allie shook her head at the way her sister spoke. She sounded like a grown woman instead of an eight year old child.

Allie thought of the many times that Theodore had attempted to touch her throughout the day. It had been innocent enough, simple brushes of their hands, helping her on and off the wagon, his hand on her upper back, guiding her down the road, but Allie had felt an undercurrent of something else.... It was still as if the man simply expected her to accept him and was not going to take no for an answer.

"Amelia, you are speaking nonsense," Allie assured her with a wave of her hand. "I am not interested in Theodore or the man in the attic. I have far too much to concern myself with to be worried about finding a man."

"Allie, you've spent your whole life worrying about me but I'm not a baby anymore. You can worry about you now."

Allie sighed and walked to the bed. She kissed Amelia's brow and laid her hand on her cheek, "You and I are a team, Amelia. We are all we need to be happy." Allie laid the doll that Amelia had gotten from the man in the attic on the girls chest and she snuggled up to it, "Now get some sleep. You cannot come because Mrs. Treadwell tends to come to the attic at night and I don't want her catching you there."