Later that afternoon when most of the snow had melted, Goody sent Lilith on a mission to trade bundles of dried rosemary and thyme for flour at the Miller's place in Salem Village.
Levi stayed behind, promising to guard the corn better from Mags this time and help Goody around the homestead.
Rosemary was also one of Aunt Ivy's favorite herbs to grow, and it reminded Lils of home. That was one grounding thing that hadn’t changed, the smell of rosemary.
Going to market was an errand Goody Martin had sent Lilith on a handful of times now, and she'd become adept at it. Good at keeping a low profile, Lils could blend in easily and become forgettable; she'd managed to do it through most of high school so far.
As it turned out, blending in with the Puritans in colonial Salem was not much different...so far at least. Especially after Goody Martin had tailored some of her own wardrobe to fit Lil's dimensions, allowing the girl to travel freely without raising eyebrows.
As long as Lils kept her head down and was polite, she managed not to attract much attention.
◆◆◆◆
The village center was bustling despite the cold as a group of women clustered near the meeting house, their voices raised in concern. Lilith caught fragments as she walked by:
“Lord help us—”
“'tis the Devil’s work—”
Lilith kept walking, head down, toward the Miller’s house where she usually traded.
Rounding a corner, she nearly collided with someone tall and solid, not unlike an oak tree.
“Forgive me,” Lils said, steadying herself after nearly falling backward.
The person she’d collided with wasn't an oak after all, but a broad-shouldered young man in his early twenties. His light brown ringlets made him seem more youthful and he wore the plainer clothing of most Puritan villagers.
Yet there was something about his stance that suggested authority, and his expression darkened as he studied her.
“Do I know thee?” he asked, staring directly at her.
Oh shit, she thought. Lils nodded 'no' and tried to keep on walking, not meeting his stare.
“Thou art Eliza’s cousin.” He pressed further, stepping in front of her. “The one who came seeking her.”
“Yes.” Lils replied, eyes still downward to be as submissive as possible.
His eyes narrowed. “Strange, that. Eliza hath no cousin in the nearby colonies.”
Lilith tried to lie quickly and casually. “With respect, there is much family business that...”
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“Aye, I am Eliza's brother. Samuel Proctor.” he said, cutting her off.
Wow. Great-great-great-great (x12) grandfather in the flesh.
And glaring at her with the same intense, dark blue eyes as her own. Rightfully so, as she was fully attempting to lie to him.
“Samuel,” she managed. "Forgive me, it hath been many years since our family visited Salem and I did not recognize thee."
“Is that so?” His voice was cold. “Prithee, cousin, if thou art truly our family, then answer me thus. Where is my sister?"
“I know not where,” Lilith said evenly. “I arrived shortly after she fled and hath been searching for her.”
Samuel nodded, analyzing her. Then, “Thou hast her look. Like mine own mother.”
“I must go, I have errands to attend before nightfall,” Lils said, turning to leave. She didn’t like his gaze, the way his eyes lingered suspiciously on her features. How his lip had curled briefly with disgust whenever he mentioned that she and Eliza looked like his mother.
“Careful.” Samuel caught her by the arm, leaning in. “Do not overstay your welcome in Salem. And do not mistake me for a fool, cousin."
His grip on her arm made every instinct scream run, but running would only serve to confirm his suspicions.
So she stayed frozen, letting him loom over her. Then he released her as abruptly as he had grabbed her, walking away before she could respond.
Lils readjusted herself and shivered, and not from the cold.
◆◆◆◆
Trading the dried rosemary and thyme for flour in record time, Lilith hurried back to Goody Martin’s house with flour sack in hand.
Samuel’s words were echoing on repeat in her mind: Do not overstay your welcome in Salem. And do not mistake me for a fool, cousin.
How cruelly he had sized her up, as if she were beneath him. Lils came away with the impression from their brief encounter that he was likely an asshole to Eliza, and definitely not looking to help her.
When she arrived back at the house, Levi was waiting by the door.
He looked upset, as if he'd been crying.
“What is it?” Lils asked immediately.
“There were men here,” he said, shaking. “While thou wert gone, asking Goody questions about thee. About where thou came from.”
Lilith felt a sudden rush to the head and stomach, a panicked feeling.
“How did she answer them?”
“That thou art a Proctor cousin from nearby, helping her with the market stall.” Levi grabbed her hand, his small fingers cold. “But Lils, they..." He shook his head. "They kept asking about Eliza, if Goody had seen her, about whether thou might know where she is.”
“It’s alright,” Lilith said, hugging him. “Everything’s going to be alright.”
April, she thought. I have until April. That’s when the trials happen. That’s when—
But what if she was wrong? What if the timeline had already changed because of her presence?
Inside, Goody Martin was stirring something in her iron pot over the fireplace. The entire house smelled of rosemary and rabbit stew, and Lils stomach rumbled. Goody looked up form her pot when Lilith entered.
“We must speak,” Goody said quietly, glancing at Levi. “Boy, go fetch more water. Take thy time.”
Levi glanced back at Lilith before grabbing the bucket and heading out. Once he was gone, Goody Martin set down her spoon.
She faced Lilith directly. “I have protected thee these cold months,” she said. “Took thee in despite e'rything. And that was my doing, because your kin Eliza is dear to me, and you resemble her so. Besides that, I needed help with the remaining harvest."
Goody motioned toward the door where Levi had gone. “But there are others to think of. That boy has already lost his parents, and I’ll not see him lose another home because of this."
“I do not mean thee any harm, Goody.” Lilith said evenly. "And I love Levi."
“I know it.” Goody Martin’s voice softened slightly. “And he loves thee. But I shall not put my sister's child in danger, I shall not. She did not leave him to me to put him at risk thus."
Goody turned away and stirred furiously, attempting to shield Lils from seeing her tears well up.
Lils looked down. Seeing Goody's tears felt like a gut punch as understanding dawned on her. Of course Levi was Goody Martin's nephew, it made sense. Of course she would protect him no matter what.
Wouldn't Lils do the same for Lucy?
Goody's adoption and mothering of the boy was a natural extension of the love she had for her sister. An extension that would not extend to Lils in the same way, would not cover the Proctor girl displaced in time.
"Goody I need you to tell me, so that I may know--" Lils pushed. "What crime didst my cousin commit that caused her to flee? And what dost thou know of Samuel Proctor?"