by Riva Zmajoki
Josephine nodded not wanting to speak. She feared that she might start to cry. There was a temptation to ask her just to leave her here and came back when she finishes her task but the fear that she wouldn’t come back was too great to risk it.
That’s why she marched on ignoring the pain in her feet.
“Stay here,” Belva said to her when they were half-way up the hill. “It’s best for you not to see the conductor and for him not to see you.”
Josephine stayed behind alone in the middle of the woods.
Her despair was now replaced with pure dread. The forest around her was still but when others were out of sight slowly the sounds returned. Josephine was unable to recognize any of them.
She stood as quiet as she could and soon a fox crossed near her. Josephine’s heart stopped but then she felt encouraged by the encounter. Wasn’t she the one who was called a fox on numerous occasions?
Sure, she was out of her element but she could trust her ability to trust a character. Even if Belva lied about love and leaves her in the first town, she wouldn’t leave her here to be eaten by a wild animal. Still, she would feel much better if she still had her pistol with her.
It was so foolish to leave it to burn with the house.
In the middle of the woods, it seemed foolish to let her house burn. Why did she do that?
Maybe she could argue with the crowd. Maybe… then she remembered the last time when her neighbour, in Hannah where she grew up, was caught helping slaves and gave up on that idea.
Enraged crowds weren’t to be argued with.
Still, here she was in the woods alone with aching feet. She didn’t dare to remove her shoes. She didn’t dare to sit down. She feared that it would make her a target, a prey.
After a while, there were cracking of the branches and there she was. Belva returned for her.
It was such relief to see her that Josephine started to cry.
“I’m sorry,” she said when Belva hugged her. “Without others to pretend before I’m weak.”
“You’re not weak. Let’s go slowly to the road. Charlotte isn’t far off. I have a room there. We’ll rest until you’re better.”
Josephine felt encouraged by the prospects of the room so she marched on without complaint.
Belva was worried. Mrs Huffing was fair towards her. She wasn’t a demanding employer. Still, the old widow was so withdrawn that Belva knew nothing of her inner thoughts. That way, she had no way of predicting her reactions when Josephine walks in.
Still, there was no other way she could bring Josephine. In any of the safe houses, she would pose a threat. Questions would be asked and Belva wasn’t sure how to answer them.
Sure, from time to time a safe house would be exposed and workers at that station would be helped up north. But those workers would usually be poor and unprotected. Wealthier contributors to the cause rarely exposed their homes and themselves directly to the prosecution.
Even if they would get exposed, they would always have a safety net to fall on.
Josephine seemed to be alone in the world. Belva still didn’t dare to ask her of her plans. Her plan was obviously to end her life. That meant a dead end, no exit to follow.
Belva interrupted that plan and now she was responsible for this escape to work.
Before they came to the door, Belva straightened them both.
“Just…” Belva tried to think of good advice. “Say as little possible.”
Josephine was all nerves as they entered the strange house but as soon as they entered she relaxed. This was a familiar setting and she knew how to act in here.
Mannequins were full of beautiful dresses. Josephine went around and examined them. She could see by the stitch which ones were made by Belva. In Josephine’s opinion, her dresses were superior in quality and beauty than the rest of them.
Nevertheless, she made an effort to praise those other dresses just to be polite towards their hostess. The hostess, Mrs Huffing seemed confused by her praise.
Most of the time her eyes were targeted at Josephine’s dress and not her face. Josephine didn’t think much of it. People in service would often be humbled by a visit from a great lady that could spend her wealth in their store.
Before they leave, Josephine might buy some dresses. Especially that one with a bow Josephine specifically remembered. That bow was a left-over from a dress Josephine wore for a ball when the president himself came down to visit Charleston. That was a dear memory and now Josephine was happy that she sent it out and that it wasn’t burnt with her home with all the rest of her stuff.
That reminded Josephine of all the things she’ll need. There will be much spending in her near future. Still, she had to be careful with the money. She had plenty but everything could be spent.
“I said ‘as little as possible’,” Belva said angrily when they were finally in Belva’s room.
“I was just being polite,” Josephine frowned at her.
“I thought it’ll last forever. I have never talked to Mrs Huffing for so long. It was uncomfortable,” Belva sat in the chair feeling strange with Josephine here in this simple space.
“Tell me about it,” Josephine sighed. “My legs were killing me but a lady must always be polite.”
With that, she took off her shoes. With horror, Belva realized that they were all bloody and swollen.
“Why didn’t you tell me,” she kneeled down. “We could rest.”
“And stay in the forest one night more?” Josephine shivered. “Never. Don’t look. It’s so unappealing.”
“Don’t be silly,” Belva pulled her leg back to view. “There’s no one here but me to mend the wounds. Even these small ones can cause us problems if I don’t clean them. Besides, I saw much worse.”
Josephine stayed quiet while Belva mended her feet.
The contact was unusual. It was intimate and gentle, unlike her maids, Belva wasn’t in the rush or had the desire to touch her as little possible. It, also, wasn’t charged with sensuality.
The pain was the part of the lack of sensuality.
“Shall we go to sleep? I’m beat,” Belva said when she was done.
Josephine looked upon the bed. It looked small.
“I can sleep on the floor,” Belva said. “I’m used to it.”
“None sense,” Josephine dismissed that. “We can squeeze in if only we get rid of these dull clothes.”
They did undress to their underwear. They did fit in the bed after short adjustment. Belva turned her back to her and Josephine hugged her so she wouldn’t fall off the bed.
What they didn’t do, they weren’t intimate. Josephine hadn’t time to object to that because she fell asleep almost immediately.
She was awoken much too soon.
In the first moment, she thought that her maids were quarrelling. That never was a good sign. It always preceded one of her maids leaving the house.
Then she remembered that her house burnt, that she burned her before the mob got the chance. She opened her eyes to see Belva arguing with Mrs Huffing. She was too sleepy to understand.
“Can you keep it down?” she said sleepily. “Or to move the argument elsewhere.”
“I’ll give you elsewhere when the sheriff comes in in the morning,” said Mrs Huffing hitting her leg.
That made her wake up.
“That’s enough,” Belva stepped forward pushing Mrs Huffing from Josephine.
“What will you think they’ll treat her in an asylum? That is a place for a deranged people like you two. This is beyond sin, it is madness. You both are ill.”
Belva’s sleep was thin. She was accustom to waking up fast just to start running. She woke up by the small sound of someone sneaking around.
The quiet sounds were always the worst. They meant intent.
Belva opened her eyes just slightly.
The sight confused her.
Mrs Huffing was examining Josephine’s dress.
“What are you doing?” Belva whispered not wa
nting to wake up Josephine.
“You stole from me,” Mrs Huffing whispered back. “I recognized my fabrics.”
“Don’t be silly,” Belva got up removing Josephine’s hand from her side. “Those are just patches, left-overs, they would end up in the trash.”
“You deliberately made dresses to have huge left-overs. I measured fabrics. There were constantly fabrics missing from accounts,” Mrs Huffing held Josephine’s dress and Belva had an urge to just snatch it from her hands.
“I did no such thing,” she was offended. “There are designs that just leave the fabric in an unusable pattern.”
“Your designs are too complicated and you did this with them that means that they were usable. You stole from me.”
“I didn’t steal, this isn’t exactly a dress you can sell, is it? The one with the bow still stands on the stand and it’s a lot less unusual than this one.”
“That’s beside the point,” Mrs Huffing sneered becoming louder by a second. “You used my sewing machine, my working hours for which I paid you. You stole from me.”
“I didn’t use your sewing machine. That damn thing is too loud not to wake up the dead,” Belva took out her needles and threads. “And I worked in the small hours of the night. The night is mine isn’t it?”
Mrs Huffing looked at her needles.
“Where is your measuring tape? You used my measuring tape stealing it in the night and returning it to the spot sneaking around the house like a thief.”
Belva pressed her lips together.
“Even if I did that wouldn’t be stealing but I didn’t use your measuring tape.”
“How did you measure it then? It fitted perfectly. You have to measure it otherwise it wouldn’t fit.”
“I measured it with my hands,” Belva said angrily and Mrs Huffing’s face went pale. “Will you now, please, leave my room?”
At that moment, Josephine decided to speak up.
Josephine got up alarmed.
“Who told you?” she was upset.
“She just did,” Mrs Huffing showed at Belva.
“Why would you do that?” Josephine was terrified.
“I said nothing,” Belva shouted. “Have you gone mad? Using a few of your patches isn’t stealing. No sheriff would take any actions for that but to declare you cheap!”
“I’m not talking about the dress,” Mrs Huffing shook the dress and only now Josephine noticed that it was her dress that she was holding. “Although I’ll keep the dress and cut it to pieces I can use to compensate for the trouble you two are causing to my reputation.”
Josephine just watched her dress desperately.
“Then what are you talking about?” Belva growled. “We did nothing wrong.”
“It doesn’t look like you didn’t,” she gestured towards their undergarments. “Why is an honourable lady sleeping in the same bed as you do? Why aren’t you like a true servant sleeping on the floor if she’s in such need and without a suitable room of her own? More so, how can you measure a dress with your hands? Where have those hands been to know these measurements? That I believe is a sin and it is punishable by law. There is nothing for you two but public shame and misery.”
Josephine could see how Belva is slumping down. Mrs Huffing stood tall and proud with a victorious look in her eyes.
Josephine knew that kind of eyes all too well. There was no way that kind of eyes will rule her again, not now when she ran away.
“No,” she stepped forward.
“What, no?” Mrs Huffing stood tall. “That isn’t the thing you choose.”
“I’m a lady, I choose everything and now I choose that you have overstepped the line. Now you’ll return my dress to me, it was a gift I greatly value. I would appreciate for you to return it to me.”
Josephine extended her hand.
Mrs Huffing snorted.
“What would you do with a dress like this? Any patrolman would find you in it in a second. Besides its sides are ruined. Who else found out about your wickedness? Something made you run through the mud in which you belong.”
“Well, I did ask nicely,” Josephine said.
She quickly took her shoe from the floor and started to hit Mrs Huffing on her hands pulling her dress.
“Let it go, I said let it go,” she threw strokes at her advancing.
Mrs Huffing withdrew holding on to the dress.
“You will let it go,” Josephine persisted until Mrs Huffing was curled in the corner still holding on to the dress rather than protecting her head.
Josephine stopped with strokes.
“Let it go. That dress is mine,” Mrs Huffing just stared at her defiantly and Josephine now knew her secret.
She crouched beside and opened her fingers one by one finally releasing her dress.
“Here, see? That wasn’t so hard,” she got up and folded her dress in a circle.”
“Are you mad?” Belva spoke up terrified when Josephine’s fit of rage was over. “How we will get out of here now?”
Josephine looked at her and smiled with a frivolous smile of a lady and Belva wondered what came over her to lead this lady through the mud. She could just walk in the middle of the road and everyone would run from her.
“She’ll give us dresses and supplies,” Josephine gestured towards Mrs Huffing.
“I’ll do no such thing you thieves,” Mrs Huffing growled from her corner.
“Oh, we’re not going to steal, my dear,” Josephine smiled widely. “We’re customers. I’ll even pay for the patches on my beautiful dress because I like it so much that it’s worth it.”
“You two are worth nothing,” Mrs Huffing insisted. “You came in without anything. Even the clothes you wear worth nothing without cutting it in pieces.”
“Oh, my dear,” Josephine laughed and Belva realized that she minds that Josephine refers to Mrs Huffing as ‘dear’. “You checked us out good but a lady always has to have her precious hidden. Here,” she pulled a neckless full of rubies from her pouch under Belva’s dress, “this is your pay. For it, you’ll give us two dresses each. Two suitcases, a lady like you have to have plenty of suitcases, you never know when you’re going to need them. Combs. Mirrors. Shoes. Hats. All of them, two pieces each. That and your private lavatory to refresh ourselves before we’re ready to go.”
“Why would I do that?” Mrs Huffing sneered at her and for the first time, Belva feared her. “All I need to do is wait for you to leave and then tell the sheriff that you stole that from me and he’ll just fetch it back.”
Josephine smiled.
“You’re wise and stupid at the same time. If you intended to do that, it would be best to keep it for yourself but I’m kind and would tell you that is a bad idea anyway.”
Belva just stood there observing Josephine not knowing where she’s going with this. She felt terrified and fascinated at the same time. Josephine’s whole posture showed confidence like there was no way for her to lose.
Belva almost believed that she can’t lose but there was a worry that her confidence comes just from the lack of understanding of the world.
Then she spoke up again and Belva realized that Josephine understands the world all too well.
Josephine observed Mrs Huffing and waited to know that she already took the bait. Her eyes were constantly glancing towards the neckless.
If Josephine knew anything, she knew how to recognize the false virtue.
“Why is it a bad idea?” she finally spoke up.
“Because I know your secret Mrs Huffing,” she said with a sad sigh. “There isn’t a Mr Huffing, isn’t it? There never was Mr Huffing. How lucky you were to land this house and just live this life? How did you pay this identity? From who did you steal?”
“You know nothing,” Mrs Huffing snorted. “Those are just guesses.”
“Of course, they are but we both know how far rumours go. You can destroy us with your words but we can destroy you too because there is nothing honourable about you. This whole shop i
s a rouse. A good rouse but just a cover for you to hide your sins. I don’t have to know what was exactly what you did. The sheriff would do all the work for me, wouldn’t he? They just hate imposters.”
“What gave me away?” Mrs Huffing was smart enough to see defeat when it comes.
“Honourable ladies can’t stand beating as you did. They cry, crumble, or run. They believe there is someone out there on the street that would protect them, who would take their side. Other honourable ladies who are accustomed to being beaten by their husbands cover their head because they know that a husband has enough time on his hands to break her head and that no one will come to aid her. Besides, to take a beating like you did means that you know it well but you’re still used to defying. I am really sorry about that but I couldn’t let you ruin us before we even begin.”
Josephine got up and offered Mrs Huffing her hand.
“You will use some more cash, wouldn’t you? There are beautiful dresses down there and they are dusted on their stands. Too few people are entering this shop. You might consider trading it in for something you’re better at.”
Mrs Huffing took her hand and got up straightening her dress.
“I’ll take business advice from you when you’re more than a vagabond that hides in suspicious alleys,” Mrs Huffing said defiantly.
“Well, you’re in luck that tonight that alley is yours,” Josephine offered her the neckless and she took it.
Belva kept quiet as Josephine handled Mrs Huffing. She feared that she would ruin her posture. They came too close to the abyss for Belva to be comfortable. If Josephine didn’t react, they would already be out on the street pushed and pulled by the crowd Mrs Huffing would summon upon them.
“Are you crazy,” Belva said quietly when Mrs Huffing went out of the room. “To beat her up like that over a dress. I get that you’re fond of that dress but its mere luck she’s not who she says she is. What trouble would we be in if she doesn’t have a secret to hide?”
“I didn’t beat her up over a dress,” Josephine was offended. “I beat her up because of what’s in the dress,” Josephine revealed the bills sowed into the lining of the wide skirt.”
