A Widgie Knight Read online

  A WIDGIE KNIGHT

  INTERTWINED SOULS SERIES

  MARY D. BROOKS

  Illustrated by

  LUCIA NOBREGA

  Copyright © 2015 and 2022 Mary D. Brooks

  2nd Edition – A Widgie Knight / Zoe's Journal

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval, without permission in writing from the author.

  Edited by: Rosa Alonso

  Cover Design: Mary Draganis

  Cover Illustration: Lucia Nobrega

  Interior design and production by: AUSXIP Publishing

  AUSXIP Publishing

  www.ausxippublishing.com

  Sydney, Australia

  CONTENTS

  Synopsis

  Illustration Guide

  About Eva and Zoe

  What is a Widgie?

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Zoe’s Journal

  Acknowledgments

  Character List

  About Mary

  Other Novels by Mary

  About AUSXIP Publishing

  SYNOPSIS

  A Widgie Knight

  A famous and powerful man abuses his power. It will take a determined woman to defend the woman she loves and teach the sexual predator a lesson he will never forget.

  Can the tender, kind-hearted Eva become a formidable Widgie Knight and come to the aid of her love? Featuring Lucia Nobrega's illustrations of Eva and Zoe Lambros from the Intertwined Souls Series.

  Jumping Off The Cliff – Zoe’s Journal

  It’s late evening, and Zoe has taken her journal to write about Eva’s efforts to defend her honor. Zoe reflects on the woman she loves and how the quiet and kind-hearted Eva became her knight.

  ILLUSTRATION GUIDE

  A Widgie Knight and Zoe’s Journal

  A Widgie Knight

  Eva leaning against the bike - (What Are Widgies)

  Eva looks over the sunglasses and smiling – (Chapter 12)

  Serious looking Eva on the bike – (Chapter 13)

  Serious-looking Eva with a cigarette– (Chapter 14)

  Eva and Zoe on the bike looking happy – (Chapter 15)

  Zoe's Journal

  Sleeping Eva

  Eva leaning against the bike without sunglasses

  Pirate Eva with Phoenix

  ABOUT EVA AND ZOE

  The following novella involves the characters of Eva and Zoe Lambros from the Intertwined Souls Series novels. A character list is located at the back of this book and gives you a brief overview of the main characters in this novella.

  The novellas in this series bridge stories to the main series. The events of this story take place in Sydney, Australia, in 1949. While reading the first three books to understand this novella is unnecessary, it will introduce you to the backstory and characters. If you wish to go to the beginning of their friendship and love, you can read "In the Blood of the Greeks."

  In the timeline, this book's events occur after Promise is a Promise and before Hidden Truths.

  WHAT IS A WIDGIE?

  Bodgies and Widgies refer to a youth subculture in Australia and New Zealand in the 1950s, similar to the rocker culture in the UK or Greaser culture in the United States. The men were called bodgies, and the women were called widgies. Bodgies were often depicted in Australian media and folklore as louts.

  [Source: Wikipedia]

  CHAPTER 1

  Zoe Lambros's nose twitched, and she imagined herself on the Lambros farm in Farsala, Greece. She rubbed her nose with her hand, remembering how her cousin Artemis rolled their makeshift cigarettes made of cow dung and set them on fire. The bitter aftertaste in her throat was precisely the same as smoking those dung cigarettes.

  Zoe pinched herself, hoping she wasn't dreaming, but it was not to be. "What is that godawful smell!" She reached for the light switch next to her bed and turned it on. The room was flooded with a warm light. "Oh, God, Evy, what is that smell!" she repeated as she huddled under the quilt.

  "Well, it would be a nice stew for lunch, but..."

  No sooner had Eva confessed than Zoe's head popped out of the quilt. "My kitchen!"

  "Well, it's our kitchen."

  "Evy! Did you set it on fire?" Zoe threw back the blanket and was ready to bolt out and see the damage, but Eva stopped her. "What did you do?"

  "I made breakfast, went to the icebox, and took out the lamb shank. It was frozen." Eva gave Zoe a quick smile. "I decided to thaw it out, and while waiting, I fell asleep on the sofa and..."

  Zoe's green eyes widened. "You fell asleep?"

  "Yes..."

  "Oh, no..." Zoe swung her legs over the side. "What did you do?"

  "Well, I was hoping to surprise you by having your breakfast ready, and then I thought I would have your lunch made for your first day." Eva got off her knees and sat beside Zoe on the bed.

  "What time did you wake up?"

  "About two hours ago. I was excited that you were starting your dream job and wanted to make it special." Eva put her arm around Zoe and kissed her. "I took out the oats you had in the refrigerator and cut up some fruits, just the way you like it."

  Zoe's smile widened. "You're a little too excited this morning."

  "Hm, yes, but..."

  "What else did you do that has the house stinking like a blocked-up toilet?"

  "Let me just say the kitchen didn't catch fire."

  Zoe stared at her wife and sighed. "All right. I'm ready."

  "I put the lamb in the pressure cooker to thaw it out, added some water, and—"

  "Oh, no!" Zoe bolted out of bed and down the corridor to the kitchen, followed by Eva. Initially, the damage to the kitchen wasn't as bad as she had anticipated until she looked up at the ceiling. It had cracked where the pressure lid had hit it. Zoe turned to Eva and pointed up. "There's a hole up there."

  "Not really; it's just cracked paint... it's not as bad as the kitchen window."

  Zoe gaped at Eva before she turned to the window and her eyes widened. "There's a hole in the window!"

  "Hm. The lamb shank hit it."

  "The shank hit it," Zoe repeated and leaned over the bench to look outside. The meat had been stopped from rolling onto the grass by the porch pillar. Zoe turned to face her wife. "You did all of this for me?"

  "Yes. The plan had some problems, but..." Eva shrugged.

  "You worked so hard to get the money for the cooker." Zoe put her arms around Eva's waist and looked up. "You are just adorable. The place stinks, but I'm glad you weren't hurt by the flying cooker."

  Eva hugged her, letting out a gentle laugh. "I'm surprised you didn't hear the explosion. I saved the porridge." Her words stuttered into each other as she tried to speak and laugh at the same time. Eva kissed Zoe on the cheek and held her tight. "We're okay. That is all that matters."

  CHAPTER 2

  A warm, blustery wind whipped by, tugging at Zoe's jacket, but she didn't care. She stood on the marble steps of the art gallery with a smile plastered on her face. This was sacred ground as far as she was concerned. The place was filling with people as the doors opened for the day. This wasn't going to be where she worked, but she had to go through it, if only to savor the beauty. Zoe arrived early and eventually had to go to Personnel, get her accreditation, and fill in forms before she was of
ficially part of the Sydney Art Gallery staff.

  She had fulfilled her dream of attending art school and becoming a real artist who could create and give back to the world. Her mama went to Athens University but never finished—she got married. Zoe was proud of herself, but that was tempered by realizing how much Eva worked to make it happen, putting in long hours at the factory and then at the interpreter department. If it wasn't for Eva, she would never have been able to fulfill her dream.

  Zoe knew her first job out of art school would involve a lot of on-the-job training. The Gallery inquired whether she would be interested in learning art restoration for a few months before moving on to a new project for the Australian War Memorial. She was asked whether she would assist with the upcoming renovations to the Anzac War Memorial in Hyde Park. Zoe was ready to volunteer for that job even if she hadn't been offered it.

  She would be working with experts in art restoration and responsible for cleaning and touching up artwork from WWI. The thought of improving other artists' work was not the aim of the job but to keep the original in pristine condition. She wasn't under any illusions that she was going to be doing much for a few more years. She would be getting valuable experience from those who knew their craft well.

  Zoe pushed open the massive glass doors and stepped into a long hallway. On both sides of her were paintings, sculptures, and other works of art, all artistically arranged to create a beautiful display. She paused, taking in the art before her. From a distance, she could see a light-hearted moment between two lovers. The painting was beautiful and artistic. On closer inspection, though, the woman in the art was something else. She had long dark hair with red-gold highlights. It wasn't just red; it was as if it was on fire. Her lock fell to one side, but the other was loose. As Zoe looked at the painting, she could almost see the woman's face. She took a step to the right and gazed at it from that angle; the direction of the face appeared to change.

  "Wow," Zoe whispered and took a step forward, and the woman's face seemed to change again. "How did they do that?"

  Zoe was brought out of her thoughts when a voice behind her said, "It's amazing, isn't it?"

  "It's stunning."

  Zoe turned around and found a young woman staring back at her. "That's Sebastian Fletcher's new piece. I stared at it for so long, it almost felt like I had gone cross-eyed."

  "I've never seen this piece before. I've seen Fletcher's other incredible work, but this..." Zoe waved her arm at the magnificent art. "Did you say you've seen this before?"

  "Yes, I work here...oh, sorry, I'm Alice Beckworth."

  Zoe reached out and took Alice's hand and shook it. She realized her grip was too firm when Alice winced and quickly took back her hand. "Ah, sorry, you can blame my father about the handshake... um. I'm Zoe Lambros."

  Alice's scowl quickly disappeared as soon as Zoe introduced herself. "Well, that's fortuitous. Mrs. Oliver..."

  "Who's that?"

  "Our supervisor. She told me we were going to be sharing an office. No one likes working in that office. It's away from everyone else."

  Zoe tilted her head a little and regarded Alice. "You like being alone?"

  "Yes, and I can tell you don't." Alice gave Zoe a fleeting smile.

  "Don't let my red hair fool you; I can be quiet," Zoe quipped, making Alice smile. Zoe was about to clasp Alice on the shoulder but realized that Alice wouldn't like it. Eva was precisely the same with people she didn't know. "Can you point me in the direction of Personnel?"

  "I can do one better. I'll walk you there."

  CHAPTER 3

  The amount of time needed to put her signature on papers and pledge she would never divulge anything about the Art Gallery to outsiders was extraordinary. Zoe had briefly entertained the idea that they had some ancient artifacts hidden deep within the bowels of the building. Not that she cared if they did. She was bored and eager to get to work.

  While Zoe was getting her badge made, Alice appeared as if summoned by some mysterious being for her benefit. Alice didn't seem to put out by escorting the new girl. Zoe wasn't hoping for specifics on her coworkers, but an overview would have been appreciated. The shy woman, however, did not volunteer that information. Aside from "follow me," Alice said little as she escorted her away from the Personnel department. Alice had said that she wasn't particularly outgoing. Still, there was a significant difference between the woman Zoe had met when she first arrived at the gallery and the woman escorting her now through the underground labyrinth. Zoe wasn't one to leave things alone, no matter how often Eva suggested it.

  Zoe chose to stop walking and grabbed Alice's arm. Zoe expected a rebuke, but not the one she received. She felt her new friend tense up, but she hoped that Alice wouldn't be upset by being touched even though she knew it was wrong. It was Zoe who was shocked by the reaction. Alice's scream was so loud it resonated in the tunnel and stunned Zoe. An edge of desperation sliced through her voice, but the wildness in her eyes froze Zoe in place.

  "Don't touch me!" Alice crossed her arms and scowled at Zoe. Her eyes were cold, and Zoe felt a chill run up her spine. Zoe knew that stance all too well but had also learned how to diffuse the situation. The first time she attempted to diffuse Eva's anger at her resulted in Eva pushing her away; she lost her footing and landed on her ass. She quickly realized that Eva was tougher than she looked and that Zoe shouldn't upset her. That was back in Greece when Zoe didn't know how to deal with Eva.

  Zoe took a step forward and put her hands up. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have touched you without your permission."

  "What do you want?" Alice responded tersely but didn't move away.

  "Are you all right? You seem upset..." Zoe kept her voice as even as possible. "I don't mean touching you without your permission, but since you came up to Personnel..."

  "Why do you care?"

  "I like you." Zoe smiled. "You're the first friend I have made in this place, and that means a lot to me."

  "Don't worry; you will make new friends, and I'll be forgotten like I always am."

  Zoe leaned against the tunnel wall and regarded Alice for a long moment. "Is that why you are upset?"

  "No, but it's true, and I'm used to it. Why I'm upset has nothing to do with you. You ask so many questions."

  "I'm Greek. We talk a lot," Zoe quipped and got the faintest glimmer of a smile. "Greeks are loud, opinionated, and do silly things like I did."

  "I've never had a Greek..."

  "Friend," Zoe added and smiled broadly. "Don't worry; I won't stop being your friend, and I have to confess that I'm allergic to bitchy women. I like quiet people."

  "Is that because you get to do all the talking?" Alice said. She looked delighted, as if she had cracked a puzzle.

  "I'll still let you do some of the talking," Zoe said and laughed. She was really proud of herself for calming the volatile situation. She wasn't a master of her explosive temper, but she was improving at pausing before responding.

  "We have to go."

  "You know, I think we got lost in the tunnels. Do you want to tell me what has upset you?"

  "It's impossible to get lost in these tunnels. Are you always this persistent?"

  "Yes."

  Alice took off her glasses and used the edge of her cardigan to clean them. That was also a classic Eva move to buy her some time. Zoe didn't push and waited patiently.

  "There are people here that you will have to watch out for."

  "Which people?"

  Alice looked down, and her glasses got yet another rub. "Some of the women will spread gossip about you...some are just mean and vindictive."

  "I'm allergic to gossip banshees, and I have a short fuse with stupid people. I'll tell you a secret about me..."

  "Please don't ask me to share a secret with you."

  "I wasn't going to ask you. I just want to share why those women don't worry me."

  Alice sighed. "You have brothers who were mean to you when you were back in Greece."

  Zoe smiled.
She liked Alice, and despite her quiet nature, she knew how to punch back. Her verbal punches weren't powerful, but it was the effort needed that garnered Zoe's respect.

  "I killed people during the war. Gossipy women don't scare me."

  Alice stared at Zoe and blinked. "Really?"

  Zoe nodded and stopped herself from aiming an imaginary gun at Alice. The last thing she needed was to scare her. "I was in the Greek Resistance. I have no time for people who gossip and hurt others. I speak my mind."

  "Don't do that here. Another thing to avoid is fraternizing with the men or being overly friendly."

  "That won't be a problem for me."

  "Why? Are you immune to men?"

  Zoe chuckled. "I have a boyfriend." The words were out of her mouth, and she wanted to cringe at the absurdity of it. She would have to eventually prove she had a boyfriend.

  "That won't stop with certain men you must be wary of."

  "Oh," Zoe exclaimed softly.

  Alice remained silent before she looked up at Zoe. "You have to be careful, Zoe. You're a beautiful girl, and one particular scoundrel will take an instant liking to you."

  "How many of them are there?"

  "They are like cockroaches; it's horrible, and you can't do anything about it because you will lose your job if you say something." Alice shook her head in apparent disgust. "I seem to have attracted the attention of one particular cockroach. Most of them don't bother me because I'm not beautiful enough, but you are."