Through the Storm

by Beverly Jenkins

  “The woman is enjoying all the attention, I assume.”

  “No, she isn’t. To be truthful, she finds their suits embarrassing.”

  “So would I.”

  They both laughed, but Raimond saw sadness in his mother’s eyes. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you buried Gerrold.”

  Juliana had explained the circumstances surrounding his brother’s death in the belated letter she’d sent last August. Gerrold had received a fatal ball to the chest while trying to bring the body of a dead comrade back from behind enemy lines.

  Juliana stared off a moment, then said in a voice thick with grief, “His captain said the Rebs wouldn’t let them retrieve his body for three days. Every time I close my eyes, I see him lying there alone.”

  Raimond held his mother while she cried. She was not prone to emotional displays, but she loved her sons as much as she loved life. To lose one had been akin to losing a part of her heart. Raimond knew how much she hurt because his grief was just as great.

  Juliana said, “We were worried about Ginette for a while. I seriously thought she would do herself harm. Her parents are thinking of sending her back to Martinique, hoping it will revive her spirit.”

  Gerrold’s fiancée, Ginette, had been a friend of the family all her life. She and Gerrold had loved each other very much. “I’ll stop in and see her in a few days,” Raimond promised.

  “She’d like that, I’m sure.”

  Raimond spent the next half-hour telling her of his work with the contraband towns being established in the Carolina Sea Islands, and of the hopes and dreams of the former slaves who’d been settled there. “How’re things here?” he finally asked.

  “Property values have plummeted. Credit is almost nonexistent, and when the Yankees took over in ’62, after the Battle of New Orleans, they burned the property of everyone, no matter the race.”

  One of the properties torched had been Raimond’s shipyard. Luckily, he’d had the good sense to send his merchant fleet south to relatives in Cuba just before the Union navy came calling, and by so doing had safeguarded his future. It had not been enough, though. He and his friend and business partner, Galeno Vachon, had lost a fortune in lumber, warehouses and goods. They had funds stashed in banks in major cities all over the world, but not even they could easily absorb such monumental losses.

  “Everyone I know is living hand to mouth,” Juliana confessed. “At one time the free Black families here owned millions of dollars in property and businesses, but now many of us are no better off than the freedmen.”

  Juliana had always been an astute businesswoman, but not even she could turn a profit without money to make initial investments.

  “How much have you lost?” Raimond asked.

  “Nearly everything. What the Yankees didn’t burn, they confiscated, and taxes are outrageous. Oh, there’s money in Paris and Havana, but it will take time to find a bank here with the means to secure it. To right the family ship, I’ll need a large infusion of funds, preferably gold, as quickly as possible. Property can be picked up for a song right now, if you can sing the tune.”

  Raimond had a sizable estate awaiting him in Havana from Juliana’s paternal grandfather, an old pirate comrade of the notorious Lafitte. The old man had been very generous in his will, but the conditions under which the property could be accessed had not been to Raimond’s liking. Now, because he knew how hard his mother had been struggling to keep her head above water, he’d made arrangements to fulfill the conditions of the will.

  “In about ten days your accounts should be full again, Mama.”

  Juliana’s face showed her consternation. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, I’ve made arrangements so you will have the funds you need.”

  Juliana knew her eldest son well, and when he wouldn’t meet her eyes, she realized something was amiss. “What have you done, Raimond?”

  “Nothing that I did not think over long and hard.”

  “Tell me.”

  When he did, his mother could only stare.

  “You will have to marry to gain that inheritance!” his mother exclaimed.

  “I know, Mama, but we all need it.”

  “No. I will find another way. I cannot let you do this.”

  “It is already done. I signed the papers and the first installment is right here.”

  He dumped a bag of gold coins onto a small decorative table.

  Juliana’s eyes widened with amazement, but she shook her head again. “This is not right, Raimond, and I will not take it.”

  “Mother, think how much good you can do if you invest this gold wisely. Think of the money you can lend to the businesses struggling to get back on their feet. Think about the Brats and the losses they’ve incurred. According to the barrister, the second installment will be mine when your first grandchild is born.”

  His mother continued to shake her head. “Raimond, who on earth are you going to marry?”

  “I’ve no idea, but I’m sure you will find an appropriate candidate.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes, Mama. You. I’ve neither the time nor the inclination. Let me know what day and time to show up at the church. I don’t wish to know anything about her either. Let me be surprised.”

  Juliana appeared stunned. “Raimond, this is not a decision I should make for you.”

  “Who better? I’ve no plans to love this woman, just to marry her and get her with child so that we may receive the second installment of the old pirate’s money.”

  “What has made you so unfeeling all of a sudden? You’ve always loved and respected women.”

  “The war. It affected us all.”

  Juliana didn’t know this cold, distant side of her eldest son. “Raimond—”

  “Mama, find me a wife so that we all may go on with our lives. Let her know I don’t plan on giving up my mistress, however, and that I’ll have little time for social gaieties. There’s much to do in the city, and I don’t plan on spending my time composing sonnets.”

  Juliana’s face and voice turned flat. “Will you eventually tell me who she is?”

  Raimond didn’t know what she meant. “Tell you about whom?”

  “The woman who broke your heart.”

  For a moment he didn’t answer. He searched her wise eyes, then confessed with a bow, “You know me too well.”

  “I’ve been around you a long time.”

  Memories of Sable rose in his mind, bringing back the times they’d shared. In a distant voice he said, “I was in love for the first time in my life.”

  Juliana stared at him in surprise. “Raimond LeVeq, my eldest son, in love?”

  He chuckled softly. “Yes.”

  “What happened?”

  “She left me. Afterward, I learned she was not the sweet innocent I thought her to be.”

  “Is there any chance you may find her again?”

  “I don’t wish to find her, Mama. I’ve no desire to risk betrayal twice.”

  “And this is why you don’t care whom you marry?”

  “Exactly. I’ll never give my heart to a woman again.”

  “You were hurt so much?”

  “Yes. She’s why I went to the Sea Islands. Building houses and planting crops with the freedmen gave me something to do besides think and dream about her.” Seeing Juliana’s concerned face, he smiled. “It’s all right, Mama. I’m fine now, so find me a wife and let’s see if we can’t get the house of LeVeq sailing under full steam again.”

  On the fifteenth of July, Mrs. Verena Jackson died and was buried as she’d wished—in a city with no snow. Sable had gone into Verena’s room to bring her breakfast and found her lying in bed with a look of profound peace on her face. At first, Sable thought she was simply sleeping, but death had claimed her in the night. Thankfully, Sable was able to call upon Juliana’s help in making funeral arrangements.

  On the way back to Mrs. Jackson’s apartments from the cemetery, Sable sat beside Juliana in the coach and ponde
red her immediate future. Just as Verena had predicted, Sable had been left with no one. Being alone had become a familiar refrain in her life since Mahti’s death, but that did not make her heart any more immune to the hurt and loneliness. She supposed she could look for a new post, but most folks she knew there had barely enough money to spare for bread, let alone the means to hire a companion. There were opportunities in the city to assist the freedman, but trying to wangle a paying job from the army or the government agencies would take too long for her needs.

  She heard Juliana say, “Verena was a good woman.”

  Sable nodded in solemn agreement. Her employer had been kind and fair. She’d even left Sable a small pension. The house would have to be sold as soon as possible. “She wanted me to find a husband before she died. Said I needed someone to look after me in these chaotic times.”

  “Matchmaking seemed to be her calling in life. I met my second husband at one of her balls.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, indeed. We had twelve good years together before the sea claimed him.”

  “You must have loved him very much,” Sable said quietly.

  “I did.”

  There was silence in the coach as they both mulled over their own private thoughts, then Juliana asked, “What will you do now, Elizabeth?”

  Sable shrugged. “Try and find work, I suppose. I’ve not many options.”

  “Well, I have a suggestion you may wish to consider. How would you like to be my first and only daughter-in-law?”

  Sable went stone still.

  “My eldest son, Raimond, needs to marry as soon as possible, and he has left the choice of the young woman to me. He’s marrying to fulfill the conditions of my late grandfather’s will, so the family can access the funds we need to get back on our feet. It also stipulates that a child must be born by the end of the marriage’s second year.”

  Sable blinked.

  “Of course the two of you have never met and the Brats will probably pout for a week because you won’t have married one of them, but I believe you and my eldest will suit each other very well.”

  Sable didn’t know whether to laugh or faint.

  “Now, to be truthful, he plans to keep his mistress, but over time, I see him abandoning that position, especially once he sees how beautiful you are.”

  Juliana stopped speaking and peered into Sable’s face. “Elizabeth, you look pale. I shouldn’t have sprung this on you in this manner. What am I thinking? We just buried Verena.”

  “It—it isn’t that.” Sable decided the truth needed to be told before Juliana went any further. “Juliana, I do know your son.”

  Juliana cocked her head. “Really? I didn’t know you’d been introduced. Were you with one of the Brats at the time?”

  Sable shook her head. “No. I met him at a camp in Georgia.”

  Juliana’s eyes widened in surprise. “Oh my. Go on.”

  “He and I parted rather…abruptly. I had to leave, and—I took some money from him went I left.”

  “How much?”

  “Quite a bit, I’m afraid. I intend to pay it all back. I even have a few coins saved.”

  “Is Elizabeth Clark your true name?”

  The abrupt question took Sable by surprise, but she confessed, “No, it’s Sable. Sable Fontaine.”

  Juliana had a mysterious smile on her face as she settled back against the seat. “To be truthful, you never impressed me as an Elizabeth. The name Sable suits you much better.” Juliana searched Sable’s eyes. “Did you love my son?”

  Sable hesitated a moment as she tried to determine Juliana’s motive. “Why do you ask?”

  “My own motherly curiosity. Humor me, please.”

  Sable nodded. “I believe I did.”

  “Why did you need the money?”

  “To come North. My old master threatened to reen-slave me, so I ran.”

  “Raimond came home a few days ago.”

  Sable turned her eyes to the window and stared out at the passing street as her heart opened up and memories of him spilled out. “How is he?”

  “He appears well.”

  “He will not wish to marry me.”

  “You sound so certain.”

  Sable turned back to her. “I am. As much as I would be honored to be your daughter-in-law, I doubt Raimond will go along. You’ll have to find someone else.”

  Juliana patted her hand sympathetically. “Okay, we will leave that subject alone for now and turn to something more pertinent. Where will you live now that Verena is gone?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I’ve plenty of room. You’re welcome to stay with me.”

  The idea was tempting; by week’s end Sable would have no home. “I will have to face Raimond eventually, won’t I?”

  “Yes, you will.”

  “Ideally, I would arrange to pay him back as much of the debt as I can now, then move to another city.”

  “I don’t agree with the moving part—my sons and I care for you a great deal—but if that’s what you wish…”

  It wasn’t really, but what she wished could never be granted. “Your offer is very generous, Juliana. May I mull it over for a few days while I tidy up Verena’s affairs?”

  “Of course, dear. Take as much time as you need.”

  Sable spent the rest of the day wrestling with the idea of Raimond marrying another woman. Admittedly, it was not something she wished for, but she had no power to prevent it. Dreams of him had followed her from the camp to Boston and now here. What a muddle. The only way out would be to arrange to pay back the debt and then relocate to another city where she wouldn’t be tortured by the sight of Raimond and his new wife. With all the obstacles facing former slaves, she knew it would be difficult starting over somewhere else, but there seemed to be no other solution.

  A few days later, as Raimond and Juliana toured the damaged city in search of viable property to buy, he told her about his new plan to work for the Freedmen’s Bureau. “There are very few Black agents, but I doubt they’ll turn me down. With all the experience I gained working as an agent in the Sea Islands, I’d think they’ll be glad to have my help.”

  “The Rebels are moving back into positions of power, even in the bureau,” said Juliana. “Getting them to hire you may not be as easy as you imagine.”

  The Freedmen’s Bureau, formally called the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandonded Land, had first been proposed back in 1863 to deal with the many uprooted slaves and White citizens of the South. After many debates over which government agency would oversee the bureau, the War Department had won out and opened the first offices this past March.

  “I don’t know how they operate here,” Raimond said, “but in the Carolinas we were given a year’s mandate. I doubt it will be enough. There are too many freedmen and not enough bureau agents or resources.”

  In addition to helping the former slaves make the transition to freedom, the bureau distributed food and helped with the building and acquisiton of freedmen schools, hospitals, and churches. It was also the only place where Blacks could file complaints against employers and former masters who’d hired and then cheated them, or report those who’d terrorized them or kidnapped their children.

  Raimond stopped the coach in front of the warehouse. He’d had his eye on this particular place since before the war, but the owner had refused to sell. The government had it on the rolls as abandoned, and it was easy to see why.

  He and Juliana got out and walked around the tottering structure. The fire damage was extensive.

  “It’ll cost us a fortune to restore it,” Juliana pointed out.

  Raimond tended to agree, but it was near the site where he planned to rebuild his shipyard. It would make sense to have a warehouse close by. “Maybe the Brats would like to share some of the expenses. They’d all be welcome to use the facility once it’s rebuilt.”

  “I like the location,” Juliana admitted. “But how much structural damage is there?”

>   Raimond could not tell. Many of the warehouses had sustained shell damage from Yankee warships during the battle of ’63. “Maybe Drake should take a look. He should be able to determine whether it’s worth pursuing or not. If it isn’t salvageable, I say we buy the lot and put up our own building.”

  They agreed, then walked back to the carriage. “Have you visited your brothers since coming home?”

  “Not yet.”

  He’d been back less than a week, but he’d been avoiding the reunion, mainly because seeing them all would make him remember Gerrold. He had not come to terms with his brother’s death. “Seeing them will remind me how much I miss him.”

  He didn’t have to explain to Juliana whom he meant.

  “We all miss him, Raimond. You and Gerrold were the eldest, and the Brats worshipped you. But they need you in their lives so that they can heal too.”

  Raimond turned to his mother. “You’re right as always, Mama.”

  He helped her into the open carriage and took up the reins. “Have you found me a wife?”

  “As a matter of fact, I think I have.”

  He looked at her in amused surprise. “Really?”

  “Yes. I decided it might be best if it’s someone you already know.”

  He shrugged. “I’ve no preference either way. Just make sure she’s someone you like, as the two of you will undoubtedly be spending time together.”

  With a mysterious smile, Juliana LeVeq settled back against the seat and let her son drive her home.

  Chapter 9

  By week’s end, Sable had disposed of the last of Verena’s affairs, sold the little house, and decided to accept Juliana’s offer of a place to stay. “This is only temporary,” Sable vowed.

  Juliana nodded her understanding and led Sable up the wrought-iron staircase to the second floor. “I thought I’d put you in here.”

  She opened the door and ushered Sable into a large suite. The verandah doors stood open, letting the sun stream in. There was a large canopied bed in the otherwise empty room, but the sense of the previous owner remained strong. “This was Raimond’s room, wasn’t it?” Sable said.