She made no movement that indicated she recognized them. Jason wondered if she’d decided it wasn’t worth the risk. That could be why she was a few minutes early. When she passed them on her way to the door, Jason despaired. He didn’t know if Kale could handle another disappointment.
“Thank you.” Kale’s voice was soft. It wouldn’t carry more than a few inches in front of him.
“Good luck.” The girl’s voice was equally quiet. The entire exchange took only a second. Jason had almost missed it.
Kale led them down the street until they reached an alley. He ducked between two buildings, and Jason released his hand. Kale produced a piece of paper from his pocket. The girl must have handed it to him somehow. Jason hadn’t been able to see it.
“Slaves are exceptionally talented at slipping things to each other unnoticed. It would have gone smoother if I’d realized she was going to pass a note. I didn’t expect her to be able to read…” Kale’s voice faded as he read the message.
Jason wanted to snatch the note and read it for himself, but he contented himself with watching Kale’s face for a hint of its contents. He caught the exact moment Kale’s face fell. “What is it?”
“They were separated.”
Kale handed over the note, and Jason looked down at four different names in awkward handwriting, one across from Thomas’s and another across from Adele’s. “I’m so sorry.” Jason reached over and rubbed Kale’s back. “We knew this was a possibility.”
“I know, but I couldn’t help hoping.”
“This is good, Kale. You’ll reunite them soon enough.” Jason gathered Kale in a hug.
“I can’t believe she was willing to help me.” Kale spoke against Jason’s hair.
Jason pulled back. “Why not? You’re a symbol of hope to her. You couldn’t see it back at McAllister’s? I imagine she’s rooting for a happy ending.”
At the hotel, Jason took the piece of paper to the concierge while Kale went upstairs. “Do you know these two people?” He pointed to the names across from Thomas’s and Adele’s.
“Absolutely. Those are both well-known family names in this area.”
“Do you know where I might find them?”
“Well, Mr. Ellington passed away a few years ago. His widow still lives at their house just outside of town.” The man wrote down an address and directions on the piece of paper. “As for Mr. Driggson, I know the name, but not that particular member of the family.”
“That’s fine. You’ve been incredibly helpful. Thank you.”
“My pleasure, sir.”
Before he joined Kale in their room, Jason called Martin. He gave him the names to research in case he could find anything else. The fact that Mr. Ellington was dead was not promising. Widows often found themselves in the position of selling slaves to preserve the lifestyle their husbands had provided for them.
“Martin and Sophie both send their love and best wishes.” Jason tossed his suit coat on the desk and sat in the chair opposite Kale.
“Thank you. It’s nice to know so many people care.”
“They really do, Kale. Martin’s going to see if he can find any information that could be helpful to us. I got directions to the Ellington house, so we can start there tomorrow.” Jason didn’t want to diminish Kale’s hope, but he also wanted to prepare him for the possibilities. “You should know that Mr. Ellington died a few years ago.”
“So there’s a good chance my mother was sold to settle the estate.” Kale appeared calm, but Jason knew there was a turmoil of emotion beneath the surface.
“Not necessarily, but there’s the possibility. Try not to worry. We’ll know everything soon enough, and if we have to go to every slave owner in Arine, we’ll do it, and we’ll find her. I’m not going to let anything stop us, Kale. You’re going to see your mother again.”
Kale nodded, but Jason knew there was no amount of words that could put Kale at ease. Nothing would do that except for the sight and touch of his family. He ordered dinner to be brought to their room with some chamomile tea. He could only pray to the gods that they would be able to get some sleep.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The hot tea calmed Kale’s nerves. He hadn’t wanted any, but found it impossible to deny Mrs. Ellington’s offer. She had been in the middle of her morning tea when they’d arrived and had insisted they join her. The floral china looked picturesque on top of the lace cloth covering the small table. Mrs. Ellington herself completed the image, her willowy frame and stark white hair appearing almost angelic against a white lace dress that matched the table. The crow’s feet around her dark brown eyes softened her face and led Kale to believe she had spent much of her life smiling as unabashedly as she was now.
“Thank you for your hospitality, Mrs. Ellington. You may be wondering why we’re here.”
“Oh, I welcome the company. Is there something I can do for you?”
Kale no longer possessed the energy to act as if he was anything other than what he was. “Yes, ma’am. You see, I used to be a slave.”
“Used to?” Her face didn’t change from its pleasant demeanor, and her voice held a curious lilt instead of condemnation.
“Yes, ma’am. Jason here used to own me. We moved to Naiara so I could be free. I’m a citizen there now, and I’m visiting here legally.”
“Of course, dear. I wouldn’t have assumed otherwise.”
She made it easy to confide in her. Kale only hoped she had answers for him. He wasn’t likely to find anyone else as sympathetic to his plight. “Thank you. My mother and brother are still slaves here in Arine. I’ve been searching for them so I can buy them and take them home with me. I’ve found out that you purchased my mother, and I was hoping you could tell me where she is.” Kale didn’t mind letting her see the plea in his eyes.
“I’ve owned a great many slaves. What was her name?”
“Adele, ma’am. If you have any information about her, it would be greatly appreciated.”
“Oh yes, she was a wonderful woman.” Mrs. Ellington’s eyes peered off into the distance, into another time.
Kale’s heart sank. “Was?”
Mrs. Ellington focused back on him. “I hate to be the one to tell you, dear, but she died, oh, six or seven years ago.”
Kale’s mind crumbled. The strength to hold up his own body fled, and he slumped in his chair. Jason dove out of his seat and knelt on the ground to support Kale’s body against his. All this searching and working for nothing. It couldn’t be. Kale was here to rescue her, to make everything right. How could he make this right? She had died a slave. His dear, sweet mother. He had failed her.
The world melted. Kale felt Jason’s arm around him, but his body was numb and the sensation muted. The voices around him sounded far away.
“Would you mind telling us what happened, Mrs. Ellington?” Jason took control. Kale didn’t know if he’d ever be able to speak again. What words were there to say?
“Not at all. Adele was wonderful, one of the best housekeepers I’ve had. She organized the most extraordinary parties. One day, she took ill with a fever. It spread throughout the house. We lost her and three others. I miss her dearly. I was never able to find anyone else like her. I should have known she was your mother. You have the same green eyes.”
Kale shut the eyes in question, only to see his mother’s staring back at him. He opened them, not knowing what to do. This was where his mother had spent her last days, in a stranger’s home. “Where is she buried?”
“Here on the estate. I’ll have someone show you.” She rang a bell. The sharp peals pierced Kale’s ears, making him wince. “Stacy, take these two gentlemen to the burial plot so they can see where Adele is buried.”
Jason supported Kale’s weight as they walked outside to the back of the house. Off to the left, they were led to a grassy knoll next to a family plot. “This is where all the slaves are buried.” Jason dismissed the girl as Kale crashed to his knees.
Of course it was an unmarked
, mass grave. No headstone, nothing to commemorate the woman who had born him, had raised him, had saved him from a life of hard labor. Somewhere beneath this ground rested the woman who had first taught him about love. Kale sunk his hands in the grass. He didn’t even know where she was, which specific piece of ground held his mama the way she’d held him.
Tears poured down his face, wetting the earth beneath him. There was nowhere for him to come back to in order to pay his respects. A hand touched his shoulder, and he jerked away. “Don’t touch me, Jason. This isn’t something you can fix.” He was all alone, just like his mama. Oh, gods. His insides twisted. Every part of him hurt with an endless ache. He wanted to puke, but he couldn’t. Not here.
Eventually his body broke, finding release as crying turned to sobs. And when he broke, Jason was there to catch him. Kale leaned into the comfort. He clung to Jason the way he had clung to his mother as a child. Jason didn’t say a word. He just held Kale and lightly rocked. When there were literally no more tears in his eyes, when his sobbing had turned to dry heaves, Kale lost himself in the steady rhythm of Jason’s rocking body. In time, he calmed enough to say the only thing he could think of. “I need to find Thomas. I need to take him away.”
“We will, Kale. We will. I promise.”
Soon after, Kale composed himself enough to stand. He took one last look at his mother’s final resting place and walked hand in hand with Jason back to the house. They found Mrs. Ellington sitting right where they had left her. She stood when they entered.
“Oh dear. I’m sorry I didn’t have better news for you.”
Kale nodded. “Thank you for your hospitality.” She moved to embrace him, but he acted as if he didn’t notice. He couldn’t be around her much longer. She was a nice lady, but she had owned his mother and had let her die. It was a childish thought, but Kale didn’t see the harm in it when he would never see her again anyway.
“Thank you, Mrs. Ellington.” Jason kissed her hand and took Kale out to the car. “Do you want me to drive?”
Kale wordlessly handed over the key and climbed into the passenger seat. A few minutes down the road, he spoke. “Pull over.”
Jason obeyed. Before the car was fully stopped, Kale hopped out and emptied the contents of his stomach. The bitter taste of vomit broke through the haze he’d been in since he heard his mother was dead. The reminder made him want to cry, but there was nothing left in him. His mother had taught him about love, but she had also taught him when to fortify his heart against pain. He was done crying. A slave shouldn’t dwell on things he couldn’t change. There was only one person left he could save. Only one word could direct his actions. Thomas.
Chapter Twenty-Four
It hadn’t taken any coaxing to get Kale to sleep. After he had thrown up, he’d drifted off in the car on the short ride to the hotel. As soon as he was in the room, he’d curled under the covers and passed out. Jason removed his clothes to make him more comfortable. The only response Kale gave was shifting as Jason needed. He didn’t even open his eyes. If Jason were in his place, he didn’t think he’d ever want to wake up.
Jason wasn’t tired at all. It was barely lunchtime. Once he had Kale situated, he went back downstairs to use the telephone. “Martin?”
“Jason?” It had taken nearly six months after Jason had promoted Martin from secretary to president of Arlington Steel to get Martin to call him by his first name. “How did the visit to Mrs. Ellington go? By your tone, I take it not well.”
Martin’s voice was a welcome change. It was hard to believe he had talked to him only yesterday. “No. Kale’s mother passed away some time ago.”
“Dear saints. How is he?”
“Asleep, thank the gods. I thought his mind was going to snap when he found out. There’s not even a grave marker for him to visit.”
“There wouldn’t be, would there? I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do? Do you need me to come? You know Sophie and I could take the next train and be there by tonight.”
“That’s not necessary, but thanks for the offer. The best thing any of us can do is help him find his brother. That’s the only hope I have of him getting over this.”
“Well, I do have some news on that front. Mr. Driggson registered Thomas as a valet.”
“That’s excellent news.” If Thomas was a valet, then he was reasonably well taken care of.
“Yes, it is, especially since Mr. Driggson sold him. He’s passed through several hands, and each owner has maintained the registration.”
Registering slaves wasn’t a legal requirement, but it gave more value to the slave and allowed the owner broader protections under the law should his slave be stolen or destroyed. The fee involved discouraged most owners from registering any slaves other than valuable house slaves. Even then, a lot of country folk didn’t like the government in their business and preferred to simply sign over the title. The back of some slave titles were filled with signatures as one owner signed him over to the next.
“Where is he now?”
“Cooperville.”
“Cooperville? That’s in Millner County.”
“Yes. He belongs to a Mr. William Conroy.”
“How much did Mr. Conroy pay for him?” Jason scrawled the information on the back of the paper with Mrs. Ellington’s address on it.
“Twenty-one thousand. It was a private sale, not an auction. In fact, all of the sales since Mr. Driggson were handled between private parties, so that’s good news.”
“Excellent. This should cheer Kale up.”
“I do hope so. Please give him my love and Sophie’s too. She’ll be heartbroken when she finds out.”
“Of course I will. Thank you so much, Martin. We couldn’t have done any of this without you. And even though Kale’s hurting now, it’s better that he knows the truth than to be left wondering.” Jason didn’t know how much he believed that last sentiment, but he hoped it was true. “I can’t wait to give him the news.”
“If there’s anything else I can do, please let me know.”
“I will. Thank you, Martin.” Jason hung up the receiver and went upstairs with a little hope that things would soon be better.
Kale woke after an hour and a half. Jason set aside the book he had been reading at the desk and sat next to Kale on the bed. It would have been nice if he’d slept longer, but given that it was still early in the day, it was the most that could be expected. At least the puffy redness was gone from his eyes.
“How are you feeling?” The question felt stupid, but Jason didn’t know what else to say. He brushed the hair from Kale’s face.
“My head’s pounding, but it could be worse.” Kale sat up. “Jason, I don’t know what to do. Before, I at least had this hope in my head that she was still out there somewhere, just waiting for me. Now I don’t even have that. When I was a slave, I was resigned to the fact that I’d never see her again. You would think it wouldn’t hurt this much.”
“Don’t say that, Kale. You have every right to hurt. You can kick and scream or sit and cry. None of it’s wrong. The only thing that’s wrong is that you’ve been deprived of your mother. Don’t you dare entertain a thought to the contrary.”
“So what do I do now?”
“You can start by eating. They’re serving lunch downstairs. I can have something sent up.”
“No. I’d like to go down. I can’t stay in this room. I’m liable to fall asleep again and never get up.”
“Well that wouldn’t do. I’d sure miss you if you decided to stay in that bed forever.” Jason gave Kale a half-hearted smile. “Throw some clothes on, and we’ll go down. Don’t worry about how you look.”
Kale nodded and laboriously dressed. It took him twice as long as normal. He looked as nice as ever, but his face seemed to have aged. The lines crossing it from his years in the sun appeared deeper. His hair had lost its shine, and his eyes looked dead, as if there was no spark of intelligence behind them. Jason schooled his expression, not wanting to worry Kale.
“You look great. Let’s go. I’m starving.” Jason led Kale downstairs. His hand was limp inside Jason’s, as if he didn’t have the strength to grip.
After a silent meal, Kale at least had a little bit of color back in his cheeks. It had taken some urging for him to eat, but once he started, he’d devoured a hearty portion. When the plates had been cleared away, they each had a cup of coffee. “Kale, Martin had some news for us.”
The listless look in Kale’s eyes turned to dread. Jason could only imagine Kale suspected the worst.
“It’s good. Really good actually. Your brother was registered as a valet. He doesn’t belong to Mr. Driggson anymore, so he isn’t here, but each of his owners has kept up his registration. He’s in Cooperville with a Mr. Conroy.”
Kale nodded and drank his coffee. As Jason spoke, Kale’s eyes had come more alive. Now they stared at nothing, but there was an awareness in them that had been missing earlier. “Cooperville’s in Millner County, on the other side of Malar County, isn’t it?”
“Yes. I thought we could go back to the ranch and spend the night there. If we leave now, we can arrive in time for a late dinner.”
“Let’s go then.” Kale placed his coffee cup on the table and headed out of the restaurant. Jason was a few steps behind him. When he followed Kale into the room, Kale already had Jason’s bag on the bed. He threw their clothes and books into it.
“Are you all right, Kale?”
“Fine. There’s no point staying here any longer. You have a father at home who needs you, and it’ll be nice to sleep in familiar surroundings tonight. I’ll drive.”
Jason surrendered the keys and followed Kale back downstairs. He stopped at the front desk to check out and call his father to let him know they were on their way. When he finished, he found Kale in the car with the motor running. As soon as Jason shut his door, Kale headed out of town.
[Measure of Devotion 01.0 - 03.0] Box Set Page 64
