Chapter 38

CHAPTER 38

“ J uliet … Juliet . Juliet!”

The Duchess of Islington jumped slightly, startled by the voice that had called out to her.

When she looked up, Beatrice’s gentle face was looking down at her.

“Are you all right? I must have already called your name ten times,” the young woman said, her eyes narrowed in concern.

Juliet looked down at the clothes she had been washing, pausing slightly as her vision blurred around the edges. She squeezed her eyes tightly, inhaled deeply, exhaled, and then spoke as she opened her eyes.

“Yes. I am fine, I was merely distracted.”

Beatrice’s frown deepened. “You need to rest, Juliet. There is only so much we can do, and you have already gone above and beyond. You are only compromising your health at this point. Please, rest a little and eat something …”

“I ate earlier,” Juliet lied.

Over the preceding days, she had sacrificed her meals and given them to some of the younger girls to share. They were sick and needed all the sustenance they could get.

Beatrice sensed what she had done but was too kind to accuse Juliet directly, choosing instead to lower her voice to a softer tone.

“Juliet, you are an angel. That does not mean you should take your own health for granted. Aside from all of us here in this sad place, there must be someone out there who cherishes you and wants to see you again. That will not happen if you decide to waste away here.”

Was there such a person? Someone who missed me immensely, who thought about me constantly and prayed for my well-being?

She had called this place her home and had been eager to return to recapture who she really was—who she had been before she had left. However, from the moment she had set foot in her former home, she had felt out of place. No matter how many times she had been begged to rest, or how many hours of servitude she had committed herself to on behalf of the Oblates and the impoverished girls, none of it was enough to erase the empty feeling that permeated her heart.

He did not love her. During the three weeks she had been away from Hector, two of which had been spent tending to the convent and its inhabitants, she’d received no word from Hector.

“I do not need anyone but my wonderful sisters here.” Juliet smiled a little, ignoring the ache behind her eyes. “For them, I would gladly sacrifice my life.”

Beatrice sighed and stood up. “That is what I fear. Do not stay out here for too long, Juliet. You will catch your death.”

Juliet managed to smile at the other girl, deciding it was best not to make any promises she might break. Once Beatrice had departed, Juliet continued her washing, humming a little tune to herself to keep her spirits up and to distract herself from her exhaustion.

There was a wildly spreading fear in her chest that whispered her efforts would all become futile before long. The resources she had brought had dwindled quickly, and they were right back where they were before she had arrived. In addition, the convent’s structure had continued to collapse as the days passed, placing its occupants in further jeopardy.

Juliet was filled with so much regret. She wished she had made more friends during her life. She wished she had done more to forge relationships, so she could express how much this place meant to her and how important it was that it was saved.

Since the day she had left St. Catherine’s, all she had experienced was loss. She had lost time, her strength, her sense of self, and even her heart because she had given it all to a man who did not know what to do with it and couldn’t return it to her.

“I am truly sorry,” she whispered into the air, stifling her tears so the younger girls would not see her cry. “I am sorry that I cannot make any of this better than it is.”

Seeing Sonya filled her with deep pain. The child was still alive but very malnourished and gravely ill. Her days passed as she drifted in and out of consciousness, and her nights were plagued by terrifying nightmares of abuse.

Juliet was surrounded by so much unwarranted pain and suffering, and the unfairness of it all hurt her constantly.

With a final sniffle, she finished her washing and put it in a basket, so she could hang the clothes on the lines in the courtyard. She was only halfway finished with her task when the sound of frantic footsteps rushing in her direction caught her attention.

She looked up to see Beatrice, flanked by four girls, all running towards her. Confused, she held out her arms, cautioning them to slow down. It was only when they were close that she noticed the tears streaming down their faces.

“What has happened?” Juliet cried.

“The balcony!” one of the girls wept.

“Juliet, please,” Beatrice begged. “A few girls were cleaning one of the upper floors and had begun to sweep the balcony. A large piece of it crumbled and fell away, and now, they are trapped. You are the only one strong enough to help them!”

Beatrice’s eyes, glistening with unshed tears, filled Juliet with immense terror.

“Show me!” she demanded, following them as they ran.

As they climbed up the stairs to the third floor, Juliet realized how high they were, and her stomach dropped.

Her fears were confirmed when she saw what had happened. The girls’ situation was dire. There was barely a path for her to guide the girls back to safety. She would need to go there and get them herself.

Fear and anxiety spread icily through her veins. For the first time since she had come back to the convent, Juliet closed her eyes and mouthed a quick prayer:

Please, dear Lord, let us all live.

And then she stepped onto the balcony.

A throbbing ache in her temple reminded her of how exhausted she was, but she kept moving, sticking to one edge of the balcony that appeared stable enough to hold the weight of multiple people.

Her hands shook as she reached for the girl closest to her. All she could hear was the thundering beat of her heart as she told herself over and over again not to look down.

When fingers intertwined with hers, she quickly glanced at her feet to see where the girl needed to put her feet.

“All right, Daphne. Move slightly to the left,” she urged, hoping her voice was not as shaky as she felt. “A little more… perfect! Now jump to me!”

The girl followed her instructions and landed safely in a stable area. Juliet couldn’t let herself breathe a sigh of relief because there were still four more girls to rescue, and the balcony was still falling apart.

Juliet steeled her nerves as she directed and urged them closer, guiding them where to place their feet until three more of the girls were close enough to pull them to safety.

Their rescue was challenging and terrifying, and it unfolded at a snail’s pace.

Only one girl was left. She was younger than the rest, her big eyes glistening wetly as she blinked at Juliet.

Juliet grimly realized that she might have to carry the girl out. Her legs shook as she inched forward, holding her hand out to the girl.

“Come, Jill,” she said softly. “Trust in me. You will be fine.”

“ Please ,” the girl whimpered in abject terror. “Please help me.”

“I will, I promise,” Juliet nodded quickly, slowly inching closer.

She suddenly heard a loud crack as her feet moved to the edge of the hole, and she reached out for the girl again.

“NOW, Jill!”

Jill grabbed her hands. Juliet swung her across the gaping, crumbling hole that split the balcony and continued to break apart around Juliet’s feet.

With a scream of sheer fright, Juliet pressed herself against the wall, breathing erratically as she squeezed her eyes shut.

Before her fear could completely consume her mind, Juliet said her second prayer that day:

Please… someone. Anyone. Please, please help me.