Phoebe didn’t answer. Susanna glanced over her shoulder to find Phoebe sleeping quietly. How exhausted she must be to fall asleep so quickly. She looked at the wet batter in the bowl and wondered if she should complete the simple meal. Then realizing she could send the griddle cakes with Eli, she finished the job.
Susanna had just removed the last cake from the griddle when she heard Eli’s voice.
“Susanna? May I come in?”
She crossed to the door and let Eli and Mr. Simmons into her cabin.
Eli’s gaze fell on Phoebe, who continued to sleep soundly in Nathan’s chair. “Is everything all right, Susanna? I hope thee is not scared.”
“Not now,” she said. “I confess Mr. Simmons gave me a start, but I’m all right.”
“Are those griddle cakes?” asked Mr. Simmons.
“Yes, would you like some?”
“Don’t mind if I do.” He seated himself at the table.
Susanna set the wooden bowl of griddle cakes on the table and added a small crock of honey. She turned to get him a knife and fork, but when she turned back, Mr. Simmons was already devouring the cakes with his fingers. Her gaze connected with Eli’s.
Eli smiled and shrugged then pointed to the door. “Let’s talk outside.”
Susanna took her shawl from the peg and followed Eli. “What have you decided?”
“It takes about four hours to get to the Quaker settlement at Bear Valley, and dawn’s only an hour away. Phoebe will have to wait until tomorrow evening. I’ll take her back to the farmhouse. She can rest up and eat before starting on the last part of her trip. How old does thee think she is?”
“Younger than I,” Susanna answered. “My guess is sixteen or seventeen. Did Mr. Simmons tell you she’s in the family way?”
“Yes, but that can’t be helped now. She’s here, and we’ll do the best we can for her. Mother Griffith says for thee to come to the house as usual, because the bounty hunters have been watching us for so long, they know our routines. If they don’t see thee making thy daily visit, they’re likely to pay a call to find out why.”
“I’ll be there.”
Eli touched Susanna’s arm in a supportive gesture. “I’ll see thee at breakfast, then?”
Susanna nodded. “I’d offer to bring griddle cakes, but I don’t think there will be any left.”
♦ ♦ ♦
Eli, Miriam, and Martha were gathered at the kitchen table when Susanna arrived. “Good morning,” she said. But anxious silence met her greeting. “What is it? Has something else happened?” Susanna’s hand went to her throat. “Did you receive word from Nathan or Father Griffith?”
“No, daughter,” Martha said. “I am sure Nathan and Thomas are fine. Sit down, and we will tell thee what we have decided.”
“Thee is not going, Mother,” Miriam said. “Thee has barely recovered from a bad case of the grippe. The journey would put thee either back in bed or in thy grave.”
Susanna looked at Eli. “I thought you were going to take Phoebe to Bear Valley.”
Eli opened his mouth to respond, but his wife answered.
“Eli can’t go either,” Miriam said. “Those shameful bounty hunters have left the bluff and set up camp on our property. There are two of them now, watching Eli’s every move. Brother Jackson came over at daybreak to tell us.”
“Those scoundrels showed up at our back door shortly after Eli returned from thy cabin,” Martha added. “They did not recognize Mr. Simmons and suspected he had information about a runaway. I have to give Brother Simmons credit. He was as calm as a pond at sunset. He did not give away a thing.”
“They asked to search our house and barn,” Miriam said. “Eli let them in, but they didn’t come close to finding our secret room. Still, it’s obvious they suspected something.”
“Phoebe’s still here?” Susanna asked.
“Of course she’s still here,” Miriam said. “I brought her breakfast and told her she’d be leaving today.”
It was all happening too fast for Susanna. “If the house is being watched so closely, maybe she should stay until the bounty hunters move on.”
“Too dangerous to let her stay,” Eli said. “That’s why I’m taking her tonight.”
Miriam groaned. “Please don’t risk it, Eli. There are others who can take Phoebe. Men who don’t have newborn babies to watch over. If thee leaves, who will protect us the next time those rogues knock on our door?”
“It is not right to put our problems on our neighbors’ shoulders,” Martha said. “God sent Phoebe to us, and it is up to us to do what we have pledged. I will take the hay wagon to the Quaker settlement with Phoebe hidden in the secret compartment. I am able to drive a wagon.”
“For four hours in the cold November weather?” Miriam asked. “Not to mention the clouds building in the north. They look like snow to me. Thee would be risking thy life just as much as Eli if thee did that.”
Susanna’s in-laws fell silent. There seemed to be no solution acceptable to all of them, but Susanna knew what needed to be done.
“I’ll take her,” she said.
All eyes turned to her. “What did thee say?” Martha asked.
Susanna could barely believe the words had come out of her mouth, but there was no better solution. “I’ll take her. I know where the Quaker settlement is. My family’s farm is east of there. I’ll go tonight.”
“No,” Eli said. “I won’t allow it. It’s my place to take Phoebe. Thee never pledged thyself to this cause.”
“It’s too much to ask, Susanna,” Miriam said. “Thee has never done anything like this.”
“If you didn’t have Samuel to care for, would you do it?” Susanna asked.
“Of course, but I’m older. And I’ve made the journey with my father.”
“I’ve made the same journey with my father,” Susanna reminded her. “I admit we didn’t travel in the dark, but I’m sure I can find it.”
The three were silent as the possibility of Susanna escorting Phoebe seemed to solidify in their minds.
“I don’t think the bounty hunters have been watching Nathan’s cabin,” Eli said. “With him gone, there’s no reason to watch it.”
“Susanna can’t go,” Miriam repeated. “She’s too young.”
“Which is why she is beyond the bounty hunters’ suspicion,” Martha said. “Both Susanna and I will go.”
“No,” Susanna said. “You’re not well yet, Mother Griffith. I agree with Miriam. You must get better.”
“I won’t let thee go by thyself,” Miriam said.
Susanna almost smiled at her sister-in-law’s forceful tone. Surely Miriam could see Susanna was the only choice. “If Eli accompanies me, he’ll bring attention to us. And like Mother Griffith says, Phoebe is our responsibility.”
Silent seconds passed. When each person met her gaze and smiled, Susanna knew they’d reached the same conclusion.
Martha reached across the table and took Susanna’s hand. “Yet who knows whether thee has come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Yes, Susanna thought. Like Queen Esther, she was in a unique position to help her new family.
Eli ran his hands through his hair and shook his head. “Nathan will have my hide for this.”
Susanna smiled in return. She was going.
Chapter 2
On the fourteenth of November, Nathan Griffith and his father, Thomas, stepped out of the boardinghouse and walked along the muddy main road in Washington, Kentucky. Everywhere he looked, Nathan saw evidence of fear. Windows were shuttered and barred, water barrels filled in case of fire, and men buying extra ammunition. Rumors of a slave revolt or of abolitionists riding into town to free their comrade floated through the town like cinders from a brush fire.
“It is a good thing we came,” Thomas said. “Brother Mahan should not have to face this alone.”
John Mahan had been in jail for nearly two months, shackled like a murderer and forced to endure hardships he didn’t de
serve. “The trial is set to begin at eleven o’clock,” Nathan said. “As soon as it’s over, we should return home.”
“I agree, but we will have to see how things turn out. After that false start yesterday, who knows what today’s proceedings will bring?”
“I hardly know which will fare better for him. If he’s found guilty, the mob will surely hang him. But if the jury declares his innocence, the mob may still attack out of anger.”
“I believe he will be cleared of the trumped-up charges. My hope is that we can help him get across the river and on his way home before the mob has time to form.”
Nathan prayed for their success. As Quakers, he and his father believed that violence was a sin, but Nathan knew peaceful reconciliation would not be an option for a hate-crazed mob. They could do little else for Reverend Mahan except visit him in jail and offer their help.
At the small jailhouse, Nathan and Thomas checked in with the jailer, walked down the narrow stairs to the dirt-floor cellar, and stooped under a low-hanging doorframe to the cell. Brother Mahan stood to his full height as they entered.
“Good morning, Friends,” Brother Mahan greeted them. “Blessed is the day that the Lord has made.”
“We shall rejoice and be glad in it,” Thomas said. “It is good to see thee smiling this morning, Brother Mahan.”
“I have no fear of what’s to come. I’ve known from the beginning this is a case that must be seen through to its end. Once I am acquitted, it will prevent future cases of a similar nature.”
“Still,” Nathan said, “it has been a hardship for thee and thy family. And all because of lies. Lies men told after swearing before God to tell the truth.”
There was no answer for that. It was well known that Brother Mahan’s accusers had lied about him crossing into Kentucky in order to incite slaves to leave. Thomas placed one hand on Brother Mahan’s shoulder and the other on his son’s. “Let us pray.”
The men stood, heads bowed, while each spoke to the Lord in silent prayer. Nathan’s mind wandered from the jail cell back to the cabin where his wife waited. Thank goodness Susanna was safe with his family. She was so young and unaware of the dangers the Griffiths faced whenever they helped runaway slaves.
Nathan’s heart eased as he pictured Susanna in their cabin. By now she’d be feeding the chickens or turning the horses out to pasture. She’d written to him of her daily visits with his mother. Surely his mother had come to realize what a treasure Susanna was, despite that she’d not yet decided to become a member of the Society of Friends.
Susanna was warmth and gentleness and all things good and kind. Nathan asked the Lord to protect his dear wife and the rest of his family then hastened to the Amen when he heard voices outside the cell.
Chambers Baird, Mahan’s attorney, was escorted into the room. “Morning, gentlemen,” he said. The men exchanged handshakes. “Now if you will excuse us, I must prepare my client for today’s proceedings.”
“Of course,” Thomas said. “We will be in the courtroom, Brother Mahan, and we will be waiting with a fresh horse to take thee home.”
“I’ll be ready,” Mahan replied and smiled broadly.
♦ ♦ ♦
The cold had settled into the Ohio Valley like an unwanted houseguest. That afternoon Susanna dressed with extra care, layering bustling petticoats beneath her skirt, her jacket covering several blouses and sweaters. She would leave at three o’clock, driving a wagonload of hay. If stopped by the bounty hunters, she’d say she was taking the load to Friends. By saying that, she’d be spared from the sin of lying, just as Eli had sidestepped the issue when asked if he had a slave in his house.
“We consider every man free in God’s eyes,” Martha had explained. “Therefore we never consider our special guests to be slaves. Just as we did not lie when we introduced Mr. Simmons as our cousin, for we are all brothers and sisters in the family of our Lord.”
Susanna walked the short distance to the Griffiths’ house and found Phoebe seated at the kitchen table. One look at the petite girl, smothered in layers of clothing and wrapped in a wool blanket, made Susanna hide her smile behind her fingers.
Phoebe laughed with her. “I know, ma’am. I look like a pile of old clothes somebody threw in the rag pile. But Miss Miriam fixed me a special bed in the wagon, and while you’re up top driving those horses in the cold, I’ll be warm and snug.”
Martha walked into the kitchen and took both of Susanna’s hands in hers. “Now, daughter.” Her brows drew together in a serious frown. “I have a hundred things to say. Is thee ready to listen?”
A hundred things? Perhaps Susanna should write them down.
“First,” Martha said, “do not put thy life in danger. I know thee to be a smart girl. Use the intelligence God gave thee if difficulties arise. Second, it will be dark in just a few hours, but Eli has hitched our best horses for the job. They are reliable and steadfast and will keep going until thee has reached thy destination. Third, remember that the Lord sends angels with thee. Rely on them for protection. And fourth, take my cape and gloves. They are the warmest we have.”
Susanna smiled at her mother-in-law. “That’s only four, Mother Griffith. What about the other ninety-six?”
Martha squeezed Susanna’s hands. “I will save them until thee returns. Now, is thee ready?”
Susanna had worried all day about her journey. What if the bounty hunters caught Phoebe? Susanna would undoubtedly be arrested for aiding a fugitive slave and perhaps thrown in jail. Although that possibility was remote, some women had been imprisoned as the slaveholders became more and more desperate to recover their lost property. Finally after a day spent chasing away the what-ifs as though they were pesky flies, it was time to set out. “Oh yes, I’m anxious to get started.”
Eli entered the kitchen and stopped at the hearth long enough to warm his hands. “It’s getting colder by the hour. I wish we didn’t have to send thee right away.”
Susanna flicked her gaze to Phoebe’s abdomen. She wasn’t one to judge, but surely Phoebe would deliver her child soon. “I’ll be in the hands of Friends in a few hours. I’m sure we’ll rest in warm beds tonight.”
Martha gave Susanna’s hands a final squeeze and picked up a large covered basket. “Everything is packed and ready for thee. I even put in some of the gingerbread thee loves so much.”
“Thank you.” Susanna took the basket. “Someday you’ll have to teach me how to make it.”
“When thee returns, daughter.”
Eli turned from the fireplace and addressed their special guest. “Are you ready, Phoebe?”
“Oh yes,” Phoebe answered, her eyes sparkling. “I’ve been praying for this day for many years, and now it’s finally come. Just think, I’ll be with my husband tonight, and we’ll both be free.”
Eli stooped to help Phoebe, who rose with difficulty from her chair. “Not yet, baby.” She patted her middle. “You just stay in there a few more days. Soon you can come out and say hello to your daddy. Just a little while more.”
Susanna gave Martha one last hug then trailed Eli and Phoebe to the barnyard. The wagon, piled with hay, looked as ordinary as every other hay wagon she’d seen. Eli crouched under the wagon, removed a wooden slat, and revealed the cramped space where Phoebe would lie amid blankets. It’s barely bigger than a coffin, Susanna thought then whisked the image out of her mind. She was going to take Phoebe to safety. She was going to return to the Griffiths’ farmhouse tomorrow. She wouldn’t allow another doubt to slither into her mind.
Susanna watched the young girl step onto the mounting block Eli had supplied and slowly slide her body into the space.
Eli replaced the slat and redistributed the hay so that nothing looked out of place then threw the pitchfork on top of the load. After handing Susanna up to the driver’s bench, he smiled warmly. “Good journey. We’ll see thee tomorrow.”
Susanna tried to fill her smile with confidence. “Tomorrow,” she promised. She turned her gaze forward, sn
apped the reins, and the horses plodded forward.
♦ ♦ ♦
The first snow of the season came just as Susanna crossed the bridge over Red Oak Creek. She wasn’t alarmed. The flakes fell like gentle feathers and melted as they touched the ground. Even though her toes were numb and her cheeks stung from the cold, this type of snow was no threat.
It reminded her of the day Nathan had asked her to marry him. He’d courted her for nearly a year, and everyone in her family knew his intentions, yet he’d taken his time getting around to the asking. That February day, he asked her to go for a walk in the snow. Her mother began to object but perhaps read something on Nathan’s face and agreed to the outing. Susanna and Nathan walked down the lane, arm in arm, with only the whisper of snowflakes to disturb the winter silence.
They turned at the end of the lane to make their way back when he stopped and faced her. “Susanna?”
She waited for him to go on, but he only smiled down at her, his brown eyes shining with kindness and love.
“Susanna,” he repeated.
“Yes, Nathan?”
“Thee knows I’ve been speaking with thy parents about my family’s farm near Ripley,” he said, his breath visible in the frosty air.
“Yes, Nathan. I know.”
“And thee knows my family is Quaker.”
“Yes, Nathan.”
“Does thee object?”
“Object to your family being Quakers? Of course not. Why do you ask?”
He took her gloved hands in his and held them against his chest. “Because if thee agrees to be my wife, thee will live with me and my family. I don’t require thee to become one of the Friends, Susanna. That decision is up to thee and thy soul. But it’s my hope that thee will agree to become my wife and to raise our children in the Quaker way.”
She laughed, but the look of confusion on Nathan’s face quickly quelled her laughter. “Oh Nathan,” she said, covering her mouth with one hand. “I’m not laughing at your proposal. I’m laughing with relief.”
“Relief?”
“Yes! Thank goodness, you finally asked!”
His frown vanished as he pulled her close and tilted her chin toward his face. “Does thee agree to marry me, Susanna?”
A Plain and Sweet Christmas Romance Collection Page 47
