“We’re looking for a Mrs. Katherine Webster! Where is she!?”
“Who the hell are you!? Barging into my home!” Morris raged, he looked at Ferrus and gestured with his head to go get help. Ferrus took off to do as he indicated. Casey watched him go, he didn’t care, all he cared about right then was the woman staring at him on the stairs. Ignoring Morris, Casey glared at Katherine and demanded, “Where is she?!”
Katherine gulped.
Panic shot through her…she couldn’t think. She didn’t know what to say, obviously something had gone wrong. She stood dumbfounded.
“Where is she?!” Casey demanded, raising his voice as he walked over to the stairs…his look at Katherine meant to intimidate, and did.
“Where is who? Who are you? What do you want here-…”
“Shut up ol’man! I’m talking to the lady, not you!” Casey ordered Morris brusquely.
“Shut up?! You sonofabitch!!”
“Look ol’man…I got no gripe with you! But that lady behind you owes me an explanation! And I ain’t leaving until I get it, and the wench we come for!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about! I’ve never seen them before!” Katherine denied, panicking. Morris turned to look up at her, his eyes reflected suspicion as the intruder stated further.
“You lying’-…we waited and did what you said. She never showed up! We waited like fools in that pouring rain all night long! And nothing-…”
“Who are you talking about?!” Morris shouted.
“Princess Ceś alena! She was won in a poker game and brought here as a slave! Over fourteen years ago! We’ve been looking for her, and she…” Casey pointed up to Katherine. “…told us that she was here, and agreed to deliver her into our hands! We agreed to pay for her, and still have the money! But we’re not leaving here without her!” Casey finished looking into Morris’s eyes.
Morris felt a dread wash over him that woke him completely. He turned again looking up at Katherine. “What in hell have you done? Where is she?!” He demanded next. Katherine’s heart started pounding. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” She cried, still in denial. Then at the threatening look from Pearson, and then Casey she blurted. “I sent her to you! If she never showed up, it’s probably because she ran away! I watched her leave! Where else would she go?!” She finally admitted, forgetting her plan of action. All coolness she thought she’d have, gone with this new twist. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way.
“You sent Ceś alena away to these men?!” Morris asked coldly.
“It’s not my fault! I was doing her a favor! They told me her father was searching for her! I simply told them where to find her!”
“You had no right!!” Morris roared.
“Don’t you dare speak to me that way!” Katherine was shaking, everything was going wrong. “I had every right! God forgive me…but I hate her! I hate every fiber of her black soul! They tricked me!” She blurted out everything now to Morris.
“They had me believing she bore the child of a slave! But she hadn’t! She had another of Manny’s bastards! A daughter! A girl, Hope! And I’m glad I got rid of her! I’m glad do you hear!! And I hope she rots in hell!!” Katherine turned and fled up the stairs to her room. Morris turned back looking at the men who stood before him. Just then from the back of the house, an army of pounding feet came running to the front foyer. Kayleen bringing up the rear with her eyes wide as she searched desperately among the faces to know what was happening.
Jacob Weston, his son Zedekiah, Patrick Johnson and Markus Gentry stood looking towards the men. Next Henry and Amos came running up beside Kayleen.
“What’s going on here?” Jacob asked.
Casey and Pearson looked at all the men gathered and knew they had their work cut out for them. Although they’d lost track of her, no one there knew where she was either, unless she’d hidden away within the plantation.
Somehow Casey doubted it, with Katherine’s display of hatred for Ceś alena, he knew she was gone. “Let’s get out of here.” He ordered Pearson as they turned heading for the door. On the porch they moved quickly across it and off. “What now?” Pearson asked following Casey. Who moved faster with every step he took. “We gotta find her before they do! Let’s go!” and they sprinted to their waiting coach that sat on Okala by the driveway.
Everyone turned to look up at Morris.
“I want her found! Do you hear! Found! Today!” With that the search was on. Morris was so desperate to find her, he borrowed dogs to track her scent. When all this was happening, Jordan had been sleeping. It wasn’t until much later he was roused from his sleep by Mazie. She was crying to Jean about what was happening, how there was a search party out for Lena, that she’d run away because of Katherine and that Morris actually had the dogs out looking for her. Jordan stood and came into the room. He remained quiet. He wasn’t sure how to read the events taking place. He hadn’t been there to see Morris. All he knew from what he’d heard, was that Morris got the dogs out, hearing that not only upset him, but made him wonder if he’d been wrong about Morris changing.
He misunderstood Morris’s intent and remained silent, afraid of what possible harm would come to her if he told his part in getting her away. Jean followed his lead and remained silent as well. As it was all taking place, Katherine enlisted Markus Gentry to deliver her to her aunts…she packed all of her things and left Webster Fields, for good this time.
Two days they searched, and it was finally on the third day that all stood before the porch of the mansion. Morris was trying to re-direct the search because so far they’d turned up nothing. He was tired, yet refused to stop, and suddenly his breathing got deep, making everyone think he was having a heart attack, when in fact…he was fighting breaking down, but failed. In front of them all, he cried… begging them.
“Please…we got to find her! If Manny get back here…” He broke again, trying not to weep. “This gone kill my son… we don’t find her…it’s gone kill my son! We gotta find them!”
Jordan’s eyes grew wide in understanding. So Morris really had changed, he stepped up to the older man, and explained everything that happened that night. “Oh God Jordan…all she had to do…was come to me… I’dah protected her, her and that baby…God knows I would have.” Morris wept, so sorry, because he realized that once again, like Manny, he wasn’t there when he was needed most. He’d been out gambling as usual.
“How was she to know that sa’? How was I suppose ta’ know?”
With his misery building along with his fear, Morris gave no response, all he knew was she had to be found. He headed for his carriage, “Mount up!” He shouted. All the men behind him did. “Harvest Gold! Now!” Once they reached Harvest Gold plantation. They encountered another obstacle. Josephine had not yet returned, and no one knew where she’d gone, or when she’d be back. Because of her ties with the Indians, and the tribe, no one was in a position to say where she would have taken Lena.
With no choice in the matter; Jordan, Jacob Weston, Patrick Johnson, Morris and Jordan Lee headed for the Indian village to look for them but reached another dead end…no one in the village had heard or seen the women in some time. Morris’s panic mounted; as his anguish multiplied by the knowledge that Manny could return at any time.
It was agony as they waited at Harvest Gold plantation for the return of Josey. By that evening she still hadn’t returned, Morris and his search party left for Webster Fields. It wasn’t until the fifth day that Josephine returned.
She’d stayed over with Lena hating to leave her. Comments made by her friend’s mother made her doubt the decision to leave them there. Lena assured her that they would be okay. Josephine promised to return in a week to check on her, and finally departed for home. She was surprised to see Jordan and Morris there, and even more stunned with Morris being so upset over Lena’s disappearance, explaining they’d been searching for over a week for her.
All he wanted to do was get her back to Webster Fi
elds safe and sound before Manny returned home and found her and Hope gone.
Unsure, Josephine hesitated until Jordan convinced her of Morris’s sincerity. Finally she turned to Morris and explained that she’d left her at a hotel in Jackson to wait for Manny’s return. Because it was late, Morris and Jordan decided at first light, they would head for Jackson to bring her home. Jordan and Morris were relieved.
The first three days of the search, Casey and Pearson followed not far behind the others hoping that they’d find her. Then they would go about getting her from them. On the forth day, they realized it wasn’t going to be that way. They decided to return to Jackson and post a letter to Derek Greyson giving him details on the events taking place in Mississippi. They would check back into the hotel they’d stayed in before, get the letter off, and start enlisting assistance to find her.
* * *
“Janis, I can take care of this, its alright…I’m used to it.” Lena offered from the other side of the bed she was making, opposite to Janis who was assisting her. “Oh I don’t mind helping. It passes the time and we get done a lot faster this way.” She returned smiling.
“I just want to pull my weight. I appreciate you and your mother letting Hope and I stay here.”
Janis stood, finishing with her side looking at Lena quizzically. “How can you say that after she’s done what she’s done to you? She told Josey you could stay in the back room over the alley. As soon as she’d paid her for that room, for you and left…she put you in the cellar room-…”
“It’s okay Janis. Don’t let it bother you. It’s not that bad, and besides… it’s only temporary. I really hadn’t expected her to let me keep such a room in the first place.” She informed her as they finished up and left that room, walking down the hall towards the back stairs of the hotel, leading back to the kitchen. “It’s not right! I don’t care if she is my mother. I don’t know why she’s that way. Money, money and more money is all that she thinks about. You know, Wallace used to occupy that room in the cellar before you, but he ran away. God bless him.”
“Who is that?” Lena asked.
“A black she hired to fix things around here. She nagged him endlessly, treated him horribly. Never paid him, and was never satisfied with anything he did no matter how well in fact, it was done.” Lena kept her tongue realizing it did her little good to gripe when there was at least a roof over her head. They would not be hungry thanks to Josey; who also saw to providing extra odds and ends for their comfort.
They had plenty of clean dry clothing and all they had to do was sit tight and wait for Manny. Upon entering the kitchen, they saw Doris - Janis’s mother, standing at the back alley doorway getting rid of gypsies that often came to her door asking for food in exchange for services they offered.
“Pleasa madam, we’a only aska, small’a bit…we’a cleana fo’you. Fix what’eva - my wifa - she’sa sew really goot. We’a do anythin’ wa’can.” Alfredo asked at the alley door. Doris stood until he was done, and for effect, smiled first and then slammed it in his face.
“What’in hell they take me for…a nunnery to feed the poor and wretched? I’ve got’em comin from everywhere, gypsies at the back door, and nigga’s with nerve to come in the front. I run a respectable business here. I don’t want-…” She stopped as the knock came again. Angry she turned and went back, this time it was a young boy, obviously from the gypsies.
“My ma’mah…she is sick…if you would please-…”
“Your pa said she could sew! Now she sick! You go tell your ma and pa to stay away from my hotel! Hanging around here you’re starting to make my business look bad! Now get ‘fore I call the folks down on you!!” She threatened nastily, slamming the door on him as well.
Turning with her hands on her hips, she shot a narrow gaze at Lena and Janis across the room. “Lena! You clean that room like you was suppose to?! You back here mighty fast! I won’t stand for a job half done! Just like you darkies to shirk the simplest duties given’ya! Let you get away with half doing something this time, you’ll do even less the next!” She babbled on.
“Mother! She finished so soon because I helped her get done! You don’t have to talk to her that way! She’s not here on your charity!” Janis defended as Lena walked to the wash tub to clean the dishes that were stacked; choosing to dull her hearing.
“You listen here! Out of the kindness of my heart, I let her stay here! Where will she find a place pay or no pay - that’ll let her stay where there’s decent white folk dwelling? Jesus is proud of me – because I extend myself to help hide away some ‘white trash’s' bedwench whore and lil’bastard!”
Lena froze as she scrubbed a plate, closing her eyes she took a deep breath, fighting back tears, but quietly she continued on with the dishes. Her ears burned from shame, and using her shoulders she wiped at each cheek to clear the tracks of her tears. She knew there was not a thing she could say in her own defense because it might jeopardize a place for Hope and herself. Whatever this woman dealt out, she would take…until Manny came and took them away from here.
“Leave her alone! You’ve been paid! Just leave her be!” Janis yelled feeling sorry for Lena.
She wished that she had some control over her mother and the treatment she was dishing out. If Josey only knew how nasty she could get, she would have never brought her there to hide.
“Lena!!” Doris called to her crossly for the second time.
“Yes Mrs. Campbell?” Lena answered like a humble servant, head bowed in submission.
“Quit your daydreaming and take these plates up to room 3b, and hurry back down here. I don’t want you up there lollygagging about. Ms Warner sent down here asking for a hot bath. Soon as Otis hauls the tub in there, I want you to take hot water up! So get it on the fire and up to her. Hurry with them dinners too, you still got these pots and pans to do!!”
Lena nodded, and without a word rushed to do as she was ordered.
“Mother I can take Ms Warner her hot water.” Janis stated.
“Nonsense, let her do it! You get your tail out there and wait them tables! Customers are waiting!”
With a sigh, Janis went out of one door as Lena went up the stairs with a tray of food for room 3b.
Hope sat at the kitchen table playing with dough Janis had made up for her, showing her how to make shapes with it. She could feel Doris’s eyes on her, and squirmed in her seat, afraid to say a word. “An’you! Get your little useless ass on the other side of that table! I need this side to roll my dough for bread in the morning!” She ordered gruffly with her hands to her ample hips. Hope rose carefully keeping her head down and walked to the other side of the table, climbing up in the chair on the opposite end.
Doris came and dusted the table with flour sloppily, dashing some into Hope’s face. Hope sat back in the chair afraid to move. Doris tossed down a big batch of dough and started kneading it. Noticing the dough Hope was playing with.
“What’s that? Janis give you that?” She asked sharply. Hope’s eyes grew large as she nodded afraid. “Your mammie’ll have to work that off! As if I can afford flour for you to play with! Go play in the mud like you’re used to!” She grumbled and continued on under her breath as she kneaded with a vengeance, punching the center and rolling it, to repeat it again.
Hope quietly watched with her head still lowered daring not to say a word, because her mother had corrected her for getting on Mrs. Campbell’s nerves. Quietly she sat, and stared up through her long lashes at the big boned, slightly obese woman, it was at that point and moment, Hope experienced the first planted of seeds of what sat very close to hate.
Lena knocked at the door.
“Yeah, who is it?” Came a man’s gruff call.
“Your dinner sir, from the kitchen.” She answered.
“All right, give me a minute.” Harold Casey called standing at the mirror shaving the right side of his jaw. He swished the razor in the wash bowl and then laid down his blade. Drying his hands, he went to the door and ope
ned it.
Lena smiled and nodded, keeping her face downcast as she walked in with the tray, laying the covered dishes on the small table within the room.
She hadn’t noticed the amazed stare from Casey as he eyed her carefully up and down. She removed each dish to the table so she could take the tray back with her. Casey could not believe his eyes, he gripped the door tightly as if his knees might buckle.
‘Oh God…could it be? How could it not? Princess Ceś alena!? Oh please, let it be…let it be!’ Lena turned to exit. “Will there be anything else?” She asked. He first shook his head, then said, “No…that will be all…Lena.” She was passing him on the way out, then stopped and looked at him strangely for calling her name. “You are Lena — are you not? The hotel lady…she said Lena would bring me up my tray.” He lied to relieve her. Lena sighed in relief, then nodded, “Yes.” Turning she carried on.
Casey closed the door and dropped to his knees in supplicant thanks.
“Thank you thank you thank you!” Lifting his head, his mind spun into action. He jumped to his feet; ignoring the drying soap on his other unshaved cheek, and without a shirt on, dashed from his room across the hall, knocking on Pearson’s door. Pearson opened it with red rimmed tired eyes. “What? I need some sleep.”
“Get your things together! Go and get the horses hitched, and the coach loaded! We’re out of here tonight!”
Princess Ces'alena (Webster Fields) Page 62
