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followed by a girl with greasy blond curls.
    â€œHester?” Anna rushed to the familiar face.
    Hester looked up, shocked out of her daze. “Anna?” Her face contracted. She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her dress. “Is my
ma
all right?”
    â€œI don’t know. When did you …?”
    â€œI got sick and they took me to the hospital. Yesterday. Maybe before that.” Hester wiped her eyes again. “The Englishman he—”
    â€œEnough.” Sarah stepped closer.
    Anna held on to Hester. “What’s going on?”
    â€œIn the room. He—”
    Sarah forced Anna and Hester apart. “I said, enough. Come with me.” She grabbed Anna by the wrist.
    â€œWait.”
    â€œYou listen to me now before there is trouble.” Sarah dragged Anna to a small room with boarded-up windows. Against the far wall lay a mattress with a thick blanket, a chamber pot next to it.
    â€œWhat is this place?”
    â€œThis is where you sleep.” Sarah backed out of the room and shut the door.
    Panic thickened in Anna’s throat. “Please! Don’t leave me alone.”
    A key turned in the lock. Sarah’s muted voice came from the other side. “Be quiet now. The doctor doesn’t like noise.”
    Anna jerked awake the next morning when the key turned again, confused when she didn’t find dirty straw under her. Her mind felt thick, her body stiff. The door opened and Sarah carried a porcelain basin of water into the room and set it on the floor. She lit a candle.
    â€œThe doctor wants to see you.” Sarah took soap and a rough brush out of her apron pocket and held them out to Anna. “Be thorough. There too.” She motioned to the place between Anna’s legs.
    Anna gripped Sarah’s arm as she turned to go. “What does he want with me?”
    â€œYou saw the others.” Sarah freed herself from Anna’s grip. “Don’t keep him waiting.”
    Anna held the pink soap to her face. It smelled like the flower garden her mother had kept at the back of the house. “There is little enough pleasure in the world, Anna,” her mother used to say. “You have to make your own.” Her father was different. He only believed in work and the Bible. A flower garden was a waste of time to him. There were more important things that needed tending on a farm. Anna wondered if he was still fighting in the veld, or if he was being held prisoner in Ceylon. She refused to let her mind wander to the third option. She prayed to God that he would never know of her shame. She broke out in goose bumps as the cold water touched her body, her pale skin flushing as she ran the rough bristles of the scrub brush over it. She pressed harder, wishing she could wash off everything that had happened, leave it with the stink and filth in the water, to be tossed out and forgotten.
    The door swung open. Dr. Leath stepped into the room. Anna reached for her dress so she could cover herself.
    â€œThat is only fit for burning. Put this on.” Leath handed her a black dress. “I’ll wait.” He stayed there while she turned her back to him and dressed, her skin damp under the thick black cloth, her hair dripping down her back. “Come.” He led her back to the room from the previous day and gestured to the bed as he closed the door behind her. “Lie down.”
    Anna had to get on her toes to get on top of the bed. The thin mattress was covered in starched sheets that crackled when she moved. She lay down and crossed her arms.
    â€œLet’s start with base measurements.” Leath took her temperature and pulse, noting everything in his book. Then he lifted her dress.
    â€œNo,” Anna pleaded. She pushed the skirt back down, tears welling.
    Leath pursed his lips. “I have no use for you if you don’t cooperate.” He clutched his hands behind his back. “Would you prefer to go back to the