The Underground Railroad Brides Collection: 9 Couples Navigate the Road to Freedom Before the Civil War

by Barbara Tifft Blakey, Ramona K. Cecil, Lynn A. Coleman, Cecelia Dowdy, Patty Smith Hall, Terri J. Haynes, Debby Lee, Darlene Panzera

  Zach’s mouth watered even before the food hit his lips. The savory smells coming from the galley had his stomach leaping for joy.

  “Thanks, Captain,” one man after the other said as they exited the galley.

  “Good?” Zach asked.

  “Yes, sir.” Each man grinned.

  “Good evening, Captain Browne,” Caleb said as he entered. “May I’s serve ya, suh?”

  “Thank you, Caleb. But on this ship the men go to the galley window and gather their own dinner.”

  “I knows, suh, but you are the captain,” Caleb pleaded.

  “Very well, thank you.” Zach sat down and waited for the man to serve him. The room looked cleaner, smelled a lot better and—his eyes caught sight of the beautiful stew coming his way. The aroma made his stomach dance. “It smells wonderful.”

  “My Ruthie is a mighty fine cook, Captain.”

  Zach plunged his spoon into the bowl and slipped the delightful morsels into his mouth. He moaned with pleasure as his taste buds screamed in joy. “Yes, she is,” he confessed. “Thank Ruth for me.”

  “I’s will, suh, I’s will.” Caleb backed up from the table and headed back toward the galley door.

  Zach ate his dinner in record time. He wanted another bowl even though he was full. Beside the bowl was a fluffy roll. How’d she make this? He lathered on some butter and bit into the soft bread and groaned.

  Frank sat down beside him. “That good, huh?”

  “Frank, your taste buds will thank you.”

  Frank dove in. “Oh my. Can you hire her on for all of our travels?”

  Zach chuckled. “I was thinking the same thing.”

  Frank slurped his soup bowl. He probably ate his as fast as Zach. “Goodness, this is good.” Frank cleaned his bowl with his roll. “Do you think there is enough for seconds?”

  “Couldn’t hurt to ask.” Zach motioned for Caleb to come over to their table. “Caleb, does Ruth have enough for a second bowl?”

  “I’s afraid not, suh. She simply finished cooking what the cook had started.”

  No way Oscar started this stew. She must have added to it. “Would you ask Ruth to draw up a list of supplies she would need to prepare the meals for the ship?”

  “She doesn’t write, suh. I’s don’t either.”

  “I tell you what, Bradley the cabin boy does. It will be good practice for him to write out the list for your wife.”

  “Thank you, suh.” Caleb bowed.

  Zach was about to tell him he didn’t need to bow but decided against it. A lifetime of habits would take a while to break. “Has a dinner tray been brought to Miss Kimbrel?”

  “Yes, suh. Your boy brought it to her an hour ago.”

  “He’s my nephew, not my son.”

  Caleb nodded.

  “Where’s your little one?”

  “Asleep in the kitchen, suh.”

  “Keep a rope on him so he doesn’t fall overboard.”

  “Yes, suh. I’s do that, Captain,” Caleb said as he bowed and stepped back toward the galley door.

  “This is great,” Frank said as he licked his fingers. “I’m already salivating for breakfast.”

  Zach chuckled.

  “So when were you going to talk to me about this sudden engagement? I thought you were never going to marry,” Frank said as Charlotte entered the galley.

  Chapter 5

  Charlotte stopped. Had she just heard correctly? Did Captain Browne never intend to marry? He glanced over at her as his smile slid down and redness infused his neck. Frank turned.

  “Sorry, Cap.” Frank took his bowl and hustled out of the dining area.

  Charlotte placed her tray in the galley window. “Ruth, dinner was wonderful.”

  “Thank ya, miss.”

  “The kitchen, I mean, galley, looks wonderful too. A far cry from when I saw it this morning.”

  “Thank ya, miss. I’s cleaned real hard, but there is much more to do.”

  Charlotte nodded. She didn’t doubt that the galley was a mess. She glanced at the apron Ruth was wearing. It had a spot here and there but it was basically clean.

  She didn’t turn around but sensed Captain Browne stood behind her. “May I speak with you, Miss Kimbrel?”

  “Certainly, Captain. Are you on first watch?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then I will see you later at the helm.”

  “Charlotte,” he whispered in her ear. He placed his hand upon her shoulder. “I wish to explain.”

  Charlotte nodded. “Later, if that is all right with you, Captain. I would like to speak with Ruth, please.”

  “Of course. I shall wait my turn. A very fine meal tonight, Ruth, thank you. My nephew Bradley will be coming tomorrow to write a list of supplies you need for the galley.”

  “Thank ya, suh.” Ruth beamed.

  Charlotte focused on Ruth and Caleb and the suggestion Captain Browne had for them, rather than the comment she’d just heard. They weren’t really engaged. Why did it bother her so? Why did his touch calm her when she was troubled?

  “Ruth, Caleb, if you have a moment, the captain asked me to discuss something with the two of you.”

  Caleb came over. Ruth took off her apron and came out from behind the galley window. “Is the captain unhappy?”

  “No, no, this has to do with your flight to freedom.”

  Both of them sobered and waited for Charlotte to speak. Charlotte glanced around the room. Seeing no one, she continued. “When we arrive in New York City, he’s suggesting that you stay on the ship and continue on to Boston. Apparently many men wait in New York for runaways to bring them back home. The others he will bring off the ship in irons and take to safety.”

  Caleb nodded. “Iffen the captain says we should stay on board, we will stay.” Caleb wrapped an arm across his wife’s shoulder. She nodded in agreement.

  “I’m certain the crew will appreciate you staying on, especially after dinner tonight.”

  Ruth and Caleb beamed with delight.

  “Tells the Captain we’s will stay. We trust his wisdom.”

  “I do too.” The sting at hearing Frank’s comment about Zach never marrying didn’t hurt her wounded spirit quite so much. He told her he proposed for her safety and recommended they continue in such a state until she departed the ship. But where should she get off? New York? Boston? She didn’t know. Dear Lord, what is my purpose? “I will tell him, thank you.”

  Ruth wrapped her arms around Charlotte. “Thank ya, miss. We’s probably be back in Georgia if you’s hadn’t helped us.”

  “Thank the Lord. He seemed to work all of this out for everyone’s benefit.” Charlotte smiled. Did she really believe that? I’m trying, Lord. She headed back up to the main deck. It was a little before the first watch. She glanced up at the helm to see if Captain Browne was there. He wasn’t. She slipped into her quarters, shut the door, and let her emotions flow into her pillow. If she had returned home, her life would be the same, perhaps another dinner or two with another would-be suitor. Although Mother and Father were running out of eligible men.

  She sat up and wiped her eyes. She opened her Bible to Proverbs 31 and its passage about the virtuous woman. She’d never measure up, but there had to be something she could do. She was smart. She had passion. Could she continue to work for the Underground Railroad? Not really in Boston. Should she get off in New York? Were there places and people there who would benefit from her help?

  She opened to Psalm 37 and read verse 3: “Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.”

  She read the verse again. Scriptures about not worrying about tomorrow flooded over her. Trust, trust, trust. Isn’t that always my problem, Lord? She placed her Bible back on the stand next to the bed. Captain Browne was trustworthy. He might not want to marry one day, but he was a good man. Of course, how would it be for a wife to live with a sea captain who was gone for months at a time? Did she really want that kind of a life? Not re
ally.

  She straightened her dress then went to the mirror and washed her face and touched up her hair. She had a duty to serve the captain well as his fiancée even if it wasn’t a real engagement. She could still be a good testimony to his kindness. She stepped outside. The night sky was filling with stars. She remembered her lesson from Brad the other evening, and his knowledge of the sexton. She looked for the North Star. Polaris, he called it. She found the Big Dipper and followed it up to Polaris and smiled. Perhaps the captain could educate her on a few more stars.

  She stepped up the stairs to the helm. “Good evening, Captain. It’s a gorgeous night, isn’t it?”

  “Splendid, but it dulls in comparison to you.”

  Charlotte blushed, grateful she was too far away for him to see her rosy cheeks. “There is no need to flatter me. I am fine with what was said earlier. I am curious as to why you have chosen not to marry.”

  “It seemed the practical thing to do. My mother worries all the time. I can’t imagine what a wife would do with a husband who is constantly at sea, the responsibility to raise the children alone if something were to happen to me. It’s too great of a risk.”

  “Perhaps,” she said. “It might also be too great of a loss never to have loved at all.” She sat down where she had earlier in the morning at the time of their supposed engagement and prayed for Zach and contentment with his decision, if it was what God wanted for him.

  Zach thought about Charlotte’s challenge about love all through the night and the following day. The winds were great and they would make New York by morning. The men adjusted the bales of cotton so that no one was the wiser. The runaways were not happy about the idea of being put in irons. Charlotte had softened the blow, and they all agreed to his wisdom. The agents from the Southern plantations were growing in number. He didn’t know whom to trust, except for his old contacts.

  “Charlotte,” he whispered in her ear. “I know you were hoping to go into the city, but I’m concerned about Oscar and what he might say. Take Caleb, Ruth, and the little one up to my cabin. If anyone comes on board and asks, order them to stay in the room. Personally, I think he’s too drunk to make sense to anyone, but…”

  She reached out and touched his forearm. “I understand.”

  He clasped his hand over hers. “Thank you.” He stood up straight and bellowed out, “Captain’s debarking the ship. First mate is in charge.”

  A round of “ayes” circled around as the men continued to unload the freight. He led the slaves off the ship and through the streets until they were at last on Church Street. He entered Freedom Church.

  “We don’t cotton to men in chains here,” a stranger bellowed.

  “I am aware. Where is the reverend?” Zach proceeded to unlock the irons.

  The men smiled and embraced him one at a time. “Thank ya, Captain.”

  “My pleasure. Go in peace and with God’s grace.”

  “Thank ya, Captain.”

  “What’s goin’ on here?” the same man called out with a bit less anger.

  “These men have come to Freedom Church,” Zach said. The real name was A.M.E. Zion Church, but no one really called it that.

  “He’s our deliverer; he brought us here,” one of the runaways said.

  “Go in peace,” Zach said and slipped out of the church with the irons in hand. He hated the things, but they played an important role in gaining freedom for the slaves he’d been able to deliver to the North.

  He went to the market and filled the order for Ruth. He couldn’t wait to eat whatever she made. The woman was the perfect mess cook. Now, if he could get the owners to agree to his hiring Caleb and Ruth. They were hardworking. The galley never smelled so good. The cleanliness of the place was another blessing. He wired the owners and let them know of his arrival in New York and his anticipated arrival time in Boston. Then he headed back to the ship.

  He walked up the gangplank. A couple of men stood at the end of it, their backs to him.

  “You will not enter this ship. You have no authority,” Charlotte huffed, pointing a rifle at them.

  “I told ya we’re looking for runaways, miss. We have every right,” one of the men said.

  What totally surprised Zach was the way Charlotte stood with a rifle aimed at the men’s chests. “This is not your ship. You have no authority, and I am weary of your blustering, gentlemen,” Charlotte said. She caught his gaze. “Afternoon, Captain. These men claim to have your authority to enter this vessel.”

  The men paled.

  “I do not recognize them. Thank you, my dear. You are a splendid fiancée.” He turned toward the men. “Now, by whose authority do you claim to have a right?”

  “Sorry, we must have the wrong ship.”

  Zach held up the irons. “Shall I hold you until the authorities come?”

  The men ran down the plank and across the pier. They were halfway up the road when he and Charlotte laughed. “Wonderful job, Miss Charlotte. I might just need to keep you around. Where is Frank?”

  “There was a problem with one of the deliveries. He’s over at the dockmaster’s office straightening it out. Although I suspect those men might have something to do with the confusion. I’m fairly certain they were looking for Caleb and Ruth.”

  “Then we will set sail as soon as my men come back and our cargo is loaded. Go let Caleb and Ruth know they are safe.”

  “We’s knows, suh.” Caleb came out from behind a bundle. “Miss is mighty handy with the gun.”

  “I’m certain she is.” He turned toward Charlotte. “How many men are still on board?”

  “Six or eight, I think.”

  He glanced up and saw the red and white pilot flag. “Do you know where the pilot is?”

  “At the helm,” Charlotte answered.

  He smiled. “You’re learning.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Take care of Caleb and his family. We’ll be pulling away from the dock as soon as possible.”

  “Understood.” Charlotte hustled over to Caleb and hurried toward her temporary quarters.

  He joined the pilot at the helm. “You’ve got quite a woman there.” The pilot grinned.

  Zach laughed. “You have no idea. Do you mind staying around for a bit longer? I think we’ll be heading out as soon as possible.”

  “If you wish, I can. Say…for a fiver.”

  Five dollars was highway robbery, but the pilot was no fool. He’d witnessed the goings-on and certainly understood that Caleb and his family were runaways. “Fine.” Zach held back from grumbling.

  Frank arrived a few minutes later. “What’s going on here? The entire dock is abuzz.”

  “Oscar,” Zach said.

  “Oh.” Frank scanned the ship. “I’ll gather the men.”

  Zach nodded and waited. He counted the men. One by one they came back on ship and went to their stations. The fresh supplies he’d purchased from the market had arrived. With his purchases he added some fresh apples and Concord grapes, a childhood favorite of his.

  Frank came up the gangplank. “All aboard, Captain.”

  “All aboard. Cast off.” He turned to the pilot. “Take her out, sir.”

  The pilot went to work ordering the men to maneuver the vessel away from the loading dock and out of the very full harbor. The pilot exited the ship with his flag when they were safely out of the congested area. Zach couldn’t imagine taking ship after ship in and out of one location. He loved the open ocean, the night sky…Charlotte’s blue dress swayed with the ship. She was a distraction.

  “Miss Kimbrel,” he called with a wave.

  She came over. “Yes, Captain.”

  “I sent the telegram you asked me to send to your father.”

  “Thank you. How much do I owe you?”

  “Nothing. Keeping those men off my ship was payment enough.”

  She started to open her mouth and closed it. Instead, she nodded. She turned to walk away. He reached out and grabbed her elbow. “Miss Kimbrel, have
dinner with me this evening?”

  She cocked her head as if to ask him why. He chose not to explain further and let the silence hang between them. “I’d be honored, Captain.”

  “Thank you. I’ll make arrangements with the cook.”

  She raised her eyebrows. Hadn’t he been the one to encourage using Caleb and Ruth’s first names when referring to them? “Ruth,” he corrected.

  “I’d be happy to speak with Ruth. She’s been teaching me some about food preparation. She’s young but has a lot of knowledge about running a household. Her mother worked for their master in the kitchen, and Ruth grew up working alongside her mother.”

  “I am not surprised. She is a mighty fine cook. I’m hoping the owners of the vessel will allow me to hire Caleb and Ruth for future voyages.”

  “You said you were making your last journey to Savannah. Where will you be sailing to next?”

  “I don’t know. My month’s leave is coming up when we return. I’m sure I’ll have several meetings with the owners, but for now I’m uncertain.”

  Frank hollered out orders.

  “Excuse me, I must work. I shall see you for dinner in my quarters at five.”

  Charlotte’s smile caused butterflies to flutter in the pit of his stomach. “Five would be nice.”

  She turned and stepped down to the main deck. Maybe the good Lord had a reason and purpose in creating women. Maybe he should reconsider the issue of remaining single the rest of his life. He shook off his foolish thoughts and joined the first mate at the helm. He knew his goal and purpose.

  By evening they were nearing the end of Long Island and heading toward the Cape and Islands. By morning they would be passing Hull and heading into Boston Harbor. He needed to work on some of the facts he’d received from other captains about hauling cargo from New York and Boston down to South America and back. Coffee, sugar, molasses, and chocolate were always in high demand and seemed profitable.

  He approached Charlotte’s quarters. He chuckled to himself at the very thought that his cabin had become hers.

  Charlotte slipped into the dress she’d worn to Savannah the day she booked passage on the Lady Grace. The clothing she had purchased in Savannah was more conducive to travel. This was her fanciest dress, even though it was a walking dress. The hoop was much smaller than those of high fashion. A full hoop skirt would not serve well with sea travel. In fact, this dress could be of better service if it didn’t have a hoop at all.