2: 2

I turned around, my heart slamming against my ribs.

It was my neighbor, Basil Harding. He wore a patched vest that left his lean, sun-browned arms bare, and right now his face was dark with anger as he stared Cliff Walker down.

At the sight of him, Cliff's expression soured, and something guilty crept into his eyes. "You misheard. Harper's the one who got into college."

"Isn't that right, Isabel? That acceptance letter in your hand is Harper's."

Basil had shown up at exactly this moment in my last life too, asking whether I'd gotten into college. By then Cliff had already talked me around, so I lied and said I hadn't.

Said the one who got in was Harper Cobb.

I remembered the flicker of quiet disappointment in Basil's eyes back then. He hadn't said anything more.

And afterward, to keep me in line, Basil—no, Cliff had gone through a simple little wedding with me, and to make me believe it, he'd handed me a forged marriage certificate.

Cliff gripped my wrist hard, eyes locked on mine, and spoke in a voice only I could hear. "Isabel, just say yes, and we'll get married tomorrow."

Basil came closer, watching me with concern. "Isabel Henson, this decides the rest of your life. Think it through."

Cliff jabbed a furious finger at Basil. "What business is this of yours?"

"Don't think I don't know how you feel about Isabel. But you can give it up. The person she likes is me. She'd never fall for a country hick like you."

Basil's face went red at that, his chest rising and falling, the shame of a man whose secret had just been dragged into the open. "What are you talking about?"

Seeing him like that, I couldn't help the ache in my chest.

I yanked my hand free and slapped Cliff across the face with the back of it. "Who likes you? Don't flatter yourself."

"To me you were nothing but a fellow city kid I was sent down to the countryside with. And we came here to be reeducated by the poor and lower-middle peasants. You're looking down on farmers now?"

"If the village head heard you say that, do you think you'd get to keep your college spot?"

Cliff stared at me, stunned, the color draining from his face in waves.

I opened the acceptance letter in my hand and kept talking, loud, timing it so the neighbors heading home from the fields could hear.

"This college acceptance letter has my name on it. I, Isabel Henson, got in. Not Harper Cobb."

Aunt Gail Chavez, out on the road, heard it and came hurrying over, thrilled. "Isabel, you really got into college? Congratulations!"

Harper's eyes reddened as she tugged at Cliff's sleeve. Cliff shot me a warning look. "Isabel Henson, think carefully."

The corner of my mouth curved up. "I've thought carefully. I'm going to college."

Aunt Gail cast a suspicious glance around the group. "Did something happen here? Why do you all look so grim?"

She had a big mouth and loved digging into other people's business. I'd raised my voice on purpose to draw her over. Once she knew, the whole village would know that Isabel Henson was going to college.

I smiled. "Nothing, Aunt Gail. They're all just congratulating me!"

Aunt Gail laughed. "Then I've got to spread the word for you. You count as someone who tested out of our village, so it reflects well on all of us."

Once Aunt Gail was gone, Cliff grew more frantic. "Isabel Henson, what are you trying to do? If you broadcast this everywhere, what happens to Harper?"

I spread my hands. "You marry her. You can still take her away with you afterward, can't you?"

At that, Cliff put on a face of sudden understanding. "So you're jealous. You've misread how I feel about Harper. What I feel for her is only a brother's concern."

Harper came over and grabbed my wrist too, her eyes eager. "Isabel, you've really got it wrong. I only ever thought of Cliff as an older brother. The one he likes is you."

I didn't want to waste any more words on them. I just shoved them both out the door. "I don't care who he likes. I already said I don't like him."

But I knew they wouldn't give up that easily.

I looked at Basil, and at the gloomy weather, and made a decision.

3: 3

A heavy rain came down in the middle of the night, and the mud-brick house I lived in caved in under the water before long.

I'd thrown a straw cape over my shoulders and was just looking for somewhere to shelter when the door was shoved open.

Cliff Walker and Harper Cobb rushed in, both in straw capes.

"Isabel, are you all right? The rain got so bad we were worried about you, so we came over."

"That's right, thank goodness you weren't hurt."

They said all the caring words, but their eyes kept darting past me, all over the collapsed mud-brick house behind me.

I saw through it and let it lie. "I'm fine. I got out before the house came down. I left in such a hurry, though, I couldn't grab a thing."

A flicker of satisfaction crossed the corner of Harper's eye. Then she took hold of me. "Don't just stand out here. Getting soaked won't do you any good. Come back with me first and stay out of the rain."

"As for your clothes and things, let Cliff stay here and help you look."

Cliff chimed in. "Isabel, go back and don't worry. Don't let yourself get cold. I've got it all handled."

Looking at the downpour, I had no wish to stand there getting drenched, so I agreed.

Harper was all attentiveness with me, finding me a clean set of clothes, even pouring me water and bringing me something to eat.

Her room was plain, but she wanted for nothing in it.

This room had originally been given to me by the village, for how hard I worked. But Cliff had said the mud-brick house assigned to Harper was drafty, and since she was frail, I should give her my better room.

To think how foolish I'd really been. Five years. Five years I'd worked myself to the bone for her, and what I got in return was betrayal.

"Isabel, Cliff's been gone so long, I'm uneasy. I'm going to check on him. You rest up here."

I knew what she was after, and I didn't argue. If you want to go stand in the rain, I won't stop you.

"All right."

Once she left, I lay down on her bed to rest. The cotton batting under me was soft. It was what the village had originally given me as their model laborer.

Harper had liked it, and in the end I'd handed that new cotton quilt over to her too.

The soft bed really was comfortable. Full and warm, I lay there with my eyes shut, resting.

In the dead of night a sudden noise jolted me awake.

I opened my eyes to Cliff, caked in mud and water, glaring at me. "Isabel Henson, did you do this on purpose?"

"Where's your college acceptance letter? Why haven't I seen it? Where the hell have you hidden it?"

Harper was covered in mud and water too, the most bedraggled I'd seen her in all these years.

"Isabel, if you'd already hidden the acceptance letter away, why not say so in advance? Did you do this on purpose, just to watch the two of us get this filthy?"

I pressed a hand to my mouth, feigning surprise. "So that's where you thought my acceptance letter was. You've been searching for the acceptance letter this whole time?"

They knew they'd said too much. Harper's eyes went panicked for a moment, then she scrambled to explain. "I was only worried the letter would be ruined if it got rained on, that's why I kept helping you look."

"Who knew you'd hidden it away already, so Cliff and I fretted over you for nothing."

"So where did you put it, exactly? It's pouring right now. You should just get it out and let Cliff keep it safe for you."

I gave a cold laugh and looked at her with contempt. "I put it somewhere else. The rain's coming down this hard. Even if I told you, there's no way you could go get it now."

Cliff wanted to press further, but Harper stopped him.

"Isabel, you rest first. Cliff and I will go clean ourselves up."

And Harper pulled Cliff away.

Then, in the middle of the night, Cliff dragged me straight up off the bed.

"Isabel Henson, let's get married right now."

4: 4

My eyes flew open, and there was Cliff, bare-chested, leering down at me.

"I wasn't even interested in you, but seeing you in Harper's clothes, well, I'll make do."

I shoved him off me, shaking all over. "What do you think you're doing? Cliff, I told you I don't like you. Keep your hands to yourself."

He staggered back, nearly losing his footing. "I don't know why you suddenly turned into a different person, why you won't come near us anymore, but it doesn't matter. After tonight, you'll be a good girl and hand the acceptance letter over to Harper. Then, once I graduate, I'll bring you back to the city."

"Otherwise I'll tell the whole village you seduced me. That's an indecency charge. Let's see how you go to college then."

For my college spot, there really was no dirty thing he wouldn't do.

I sneered, staring him dead in the eye. "And then? You'll really bring me back to the city for a wedding once you graduate?"

He heard that and thought he'd frightened me into giving in. A flicker of smugness crossed his eyes.

"We grew up together, we were sent down together. Of course I wouldn't lie to you."

"Later, Harper and I will go off to college, and you'll stay in the village and work hard and put us through school. Don't worry, we'll pay you back double someday."

That was exactly what he'd done in my last life. I'd worked myself half to death out here, gone without food and clothes, and mailed every last cent and ration coupon to them.

If it hadn't been for that man, I'd have starved to death before I ever learned the truth.

And Cliff, every time he wrote back, still thought I was hoarding money, holding out on him, that's why I sent so little.

This life, he still wanted to work me like an ox. Not a chance.

"Cliff, let go of me, or you'll regret it."

He sneered and clamped down on my arms. "Quit trying to scare me. That acceptance letter is mine."

I looked at Harper, cowering behind him, and gave a cold laugh. "Doing this, can you even face Harper? Don't think I don't know it's her you're actually in love with."

Something forlorn flashed at the corner of Harper's eyes, then hardened into resolve. "I know Cliff only has me in his heart. Everything he's doing is for me. I don't mind."

"Isabel, stop struggling. It's useless."

The corner of my mouth curved into a cold smile. "Since you'll go this far for Harper, then you can stay right here with her."

And at that moment, a noise came from outside the door.