The Abolitionist’s Secret

by Becky Lower

  Chapter 11

  Charlotte met Sally at the door to the nursery. “How are you and Titus settling into your room?” Charlotte bustled around the large space.

  The nursery took up half of the fourth floor of the brownstone. There was a crib at one end, and a narrow bed. On the other end of the room, forgotten toys lined the floor-to-ceiling shelves. A large rug, woven in soft shades of red, gold, and brown was worn thin in various spots, having seen many a set of blocks erected on top of it. The middle of the room had both a child-sized table and a regular-sized version. Charlotte looked around in satisfaction.

  “I have many great memories of this room, as my children were growing up.” She ran a wistful gaze over the toys on the shelves before turning to the dark woman holding onto her baby. “Now I hope we can create a good memory or two for you and your baby.”

  “Lordy, ma’am. You already have, jez by lettin’ me see dis room.” She placed the baby on the floor and he immediately began to crawl to the shelves full of toys.

  “I think, between you, me, Colleen, and my daughters, there will be plenty of people to care for young Titus. Jasmine has been sleeping quite a lot, as she’s still in considerable pain and the medicine puts her out of her misery for a time. The poor child. But, once she begins to feel better, she’ll undoubtedly have one demand after another, so you’ll be kept hopping.” Charlotte smiled over at Sally. “I know you didn’t expect to be a nursemaid, but our plans have changed dramatically. I hope Jasmine doesn’t run you ragged.”

  “I’ze used to takin’ care of well-brought up ladies in the south, so I can deal with the likes of Miss Jasmine,” Sally smiled, as she blew out a long breath and looked at her savior. “I’d rather be takin’ care of your child any day than another southern woman.” She took a deep breath. “My blood runs cold when I even thinks about going back.”

  “Well, you’re safe now. Get Titus settled down for his nap, get yourself some lunch, and then I’ll fill you in on what the doctor said Jasmine needs.”

  Charlotte left Sally and Titus alone in the vast room. Sally sat at the table and watched her boy pulling out one toy after another.

  “Well, son, jez look what we’ve gotten ourselves into.” Sally laughed softly, for the first time in weeks as she kept her eyes on Titus. “Saints be praised.”

  As her eyes filled with tears, and she sensed the kink of terror for her plight begin to loosen a bit, she picked up her son and held him to herself. She took a deep gulping breath and prepared her child for his nap.

  After making certain Titus was soundly sleeping, Sally let herself out and went down the back staircase to the kitchen on the ground level. There she was greeted by the house staff and given her lunch. She sat at the utilitarian table and ate soup and a sandwich. As she finished eating, Charlotte buzzed into the room.

  “Come, Sally, let me take you to see Jasmine. Colleen is going up to check on the baby and make certain he’s still sleeping, so you should have no worries.”

  “Ma’am, thank you for what you done for me and my boy. We are so grateful.”

  “Nonsense, my child. I’m just doing what little I can. Come along now, and see to your charge.”

  They moved upstairs to Jasmine’s room. She was awake, and full of complaints.

  “Oh, Sally, I’m so glad you are going to take care of me exclusively. Could you open a window? I’m so hot.”

  “Right away, missy.”

  “And then, can you fetch me some lemonade? And find my sister? I need to caution her again on what she’s doing and make her aware she’s going to throw her season away.”

  “Yes, missy. I’ze be right back.” Lord have mercy, Sally thought as she hurried back to the kitchen. I’m a’gonna have my hands full with this one.

  Chapter 12

  David helped hoist Heather onto her sidesaddle and then climbed aboard his own horse in front of the carriage house behind the Fitzpatrick brownstone. He watched as Heather smoothed out the skirt of her fawn-colored riding habit. The fitted jacket with tight sleeves was trimmed in a brown velvet ribbon the same exact color as her hair. Her hair was pulled back from her face and tied low on her neck with a matching ribbon. A cascade of curls fell over one shoulder and a fashionable top hat was placed at a slight angle atop her head.

  David smiled as Heather stopped momentarily before they departed to wave at the windows of the townhouse. He looked up to the window and saw Jasmine, her face pressed to the windowpane. She stuck out her tongue at them, placed her fingers in her ears and waggled them at the pair. David grinned at her childish behavior and waved before he and Heather turned in their saddles to walk their mounts to the park.

  David had mixed feelings about the season. He was sorry Jasmine’s season had come to such an abrupt halt, but happy that it had not interfered with Heather’s. Now, he had an advantage. His focus would be on Heather until he had to leave New York. He didn’t need to feign interest in Jasmine or offer to dance with her, just to steal a few precious moments with her beautiful and complicated sister. Two weeks, that was all he had to convince Heather of his intentions. Fourteen days in which to steal her heart. He would be with Heather every spare moment , bringing home the fact that his interest was genuine and not simply to help her adjust to a social life without the security of her sister. Of course, by the time he left town, her season would be moot if he had his way. By then, he would have accomplished his campaign for her hand, and they’d be wed in a small, intimate ceremony.

  Together, they kept their horses at a walk as they headed toward Washington Square Park, where notable New Yorkers were getting their morning exercise on horseback. David noticed a lot of vacant land in the middle of Manhattan, and turned to Heather.

  “What is going on here? You would think that land would be prime real estate.”

  “Oh that,” Heather acknowledged with a wave of her hand. “The city has decided to put a massive central park in the middle of downtown. They’ve just finished relocating all the people who had been living there. It was mostly farmland anyway, since the soil is too unstable for tall buildings. Plans are underway to landscape this whole area. Papa is on the board of directors for the project and he showed us the plans of what it will become. I’m looking forward to riding through the park when they get it finished in a couple of years.”

  David gazed at the wide expanse of land. “This is a considerable amount of land. How big is the park going to be?”

  “I think right now the city has purchased seven hundred acres, but they want even more. Won’t it be fun when it’s all done? What a treat for New Yorkers. It will probably become the crown jewel of the city.”

  “Some of our plantations aren’t even that big,” David whistled softly.

  As they rode on, Heather grew quiet, so David attempted to draw her out. “How is Jasmine settling in at home? Is she feeling any better?”

  “She is lonely, bored, depressed, and just generally awful,” Heather smiled. “She’s attempting to make me feel bad since Mother insists I’m going to continue on through the season without her.” Heather sighed. “It must be hard for her to watch, but I have to admit, I’m rather enjoying it.” She glanced over, and David caught the twinkle in her eyes. “Is it awful of me to say that?”

  He laughed. “I think it’s delightful. I’m quite certain if the situation was reversed, she wouldn’t waste any time leaving your side to get to the next ball.”

  “Yes, I suppose you’re right. And, she’s furious that I’m spending time with you, since she blames you for her mishap.”

  “I think that blame is misplaced. She should be finding fault with her cobbler.”

  “Ah yes, Philippe. The handsome Frenchman who had all the fashionable ladies swooning this past winter. I wonder how his reputation is holding up, now that everyone knows it was his attempt at cleverness that caused Jasmine’s broken ankle.”

  They rode on, talking quietly about the Cotillion and discussing the musical they were planning to attend
later in the week at Buckley’s Opera House. At the park, they ran into one person after another who needed to be acknowledged, so their conversation thread kept getting cut. Heather introduced David multiple times as a family friend. After about a half hour of riding, David steered them to a remote gazebo tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the park’s main thoroughfare, and under the shade of the tallest tree in the park. He stopped his horse and dismounted, then assisted Heather in getting down.

  “What are we doing?” She asked, excitedly.

  “Come, take a look.” He tied their horses to the gazebo railing, took her hand and led her up the steps to the center of the structure. There, laid out and ready, was a luncheon feast for two. “I had the hotel where I’m staying put together a picnic lunch for us. Are you hungry?”

  “Famished. Thank you, Lieutenant, for your thoughtfulness.” Heather’s eyes gleamed as she took a seat on the cloth where the food was laid. She closed her eyes for a moment and breathed in the sweet scent of the grass around them, the wonderful aroma of the food before them, and the manly smell of starch and sandlewood emanating from David, sitting close beside her. A shiver bolted up her spine. Perhaps he was sitting a bit too close for comfort.

  • • •

  Heather ate as if she hadn’t eaten in weeks, quickly downing a hefty sandwich piled high with thick slices of roast beef topped with horseradish and lettuce. Complementing the sandwich was a wedge of cheese and some fruit. David popped open a bottle of red wine and filled their glasses. She smiled as she thought of David ordering this meal for them at the hotel. No cucumber sandwiches for him! As her hunger waned, she looked up at David. “I’m so sorry, Lieutenant. A proper young lady never shows her hunger. She’s supposed to eat like a bird in front of a gentleman.”

  “And why is that, do you think?”

  “I, uh, I suppose it’s to show that we won’t be such a burden to them once we marry, as we won’t eat a lot. I’ve never really thought much about it before.”

  “Well, have you given any thought to what proper young ladies are supposed to do when faced with a public kiss?” David asked with a smile as he moved closer to her.

  “Of course, sir. We’re to turn away in horror, and smack the gentleman with our fans.” Her stomach was performing acrobatics, which Heather knew was not the result of having eaten too quickly. David took her chin in his hand and swooped in for a kiss before Heather could further object.

  “Then I deserve a lashing from your fan,” he drawled as he kissed her again. In response, she pulled back slightly.

  “Lieutenant, you are taking far too many liberties with me.”

  David ran his hands down her arms, creating a tingling sensation on her skin where he caressed her through the cloth of her riding jacket. His fingers encircled her wrist and he grazed his thumb over her sensitive flesh. Heather struggled to catch her breath.

  “I can’t seem to help myself, Heather. When you and I are alone together, all I want to do is to hold you and lavish you with kisses.” To demonstrate what he had just said, he wrapped his arms around her and grazed her lips once more.

  She hoped time would stand still for the afternoon and they could be locked in this embrace for hours. Heather ran her hands down his broad chest, feeling the muscles bunch in response to her touch. Her breath caught in her throat. She stifled a moan of delight. After all, she may be acting like a wanton, but underneath, she really was a good and proper young lady. With some reluctance, she broke off the caress.

  “Well, that was unexpected,” she whispered.

  “But not unwanted, I hope.”

  “Well, no. Unsettling, maybe. But nonetheless, I don’t want to give you the wrong impression of me.” She slid over a couple of inches, just out of his grasp, and glanced around, looking for some other topic of conversation. “Why don’t I tell you about this big tree instead?”

  David sighed. “Well, it is a very large tree, and I suppose it has some significance. Alright then, tell me.”

  “It’s called ‘Hangman’s Elm’ for obvious reasons. The city fathers have determined it’s been here since the 1600s, making it the oldest tree in the city.”

  David studied the tree, under whose branches they were sitting. “I can envision people being hanged here, for treason, maybe, during the Revolutionary War. Fascinating.”

  He turned his gaze from the tree back to Heather. “But not as fascinating as you are. To ease your mind, I don’t believe I have the wrong impression of you at all. You’re a beautiful young woman with a thirst for life beyond what New York can provide you. People may overlook you because you are more reserved in comparison to Jasmine, but the passion you have for life lies just beneath the surface of your quiet demeanor. You question how to improve living conditions for everyone, not just the privileged, and I love that about you. I’d like to show you the frontier. A woman of substance such as yourself would fit in well there.”

  “But I thought you were on your way home to the south to live on the plantation with your father.”

  “He thinks so, too, after I capture our slave and take care of that business. But I don’t know if the life of a plantation owner is the right life for me.”

  Heather glanced up at him, surprised and hopeful. “You mean, if it were up to you, you’d let all your slaves go free?”

  David’s smile melted her heart. “I don’t know if I’d go that far. The slaves are not yet equipped for life on their own.”

  “Well, then, perhaps it should be your obligation to teach them the skills they need to live by their own means. To read and write and add sums. That seems to me to be the honorable thing to do.”

  “Possibly, if I decide to stay in Georgia. My parents are counting on me marrying the young lady at the next plantation over from ours and combining our estates. But I can’t do that, especially since I’ve already given my affections to another.”

  Heather’s heart fluttered wildly at the course this conversation was taking. “To whom would you be declaring yourself, pray tell?” She crossed her fingers behind her back as she waited.

  “You have bewitched me from the moment we met.” To emphasize his statement, he leaned in and captured her lips once more.

  A bit breathless, Heather pulled back, placing her hands on his chest, and asked, “Would your father welcome a northern lady coming to live on the plantation?”

  David leaned against the side of the gazebo. “He might, but Mother never would. Therein lies the problem. Since we were born, Blanche Beaufort has been assumed to be a partner for either my brother or me. Our parents are the best of friends, and Blanche grew up with us, doing all those childhood things side by side. According to Mother, since Jacob died, Blanche has been waiting for me to return home and marry her.”

  Heather’s heart plummeted to her knees. “I’ve heard about how lovely women are in the south. Is Blanche a beautiful southern belle?”

  David smiled as he conjured up Blanche’s face. “She has buck teeth and stringy washed-out hair. I much prefer curly brunettes with straight lovely teeth.” He playfully tugged on one of Heather’s curled tendrils as he leaned in again to capture another kiss.

  Heather pulled away again, even though she would have preferred to stay in his embrace. But more importantly, she needed an answer to the big question that was at the forefront of her mind.

  “So, how will you resolve your conflict on what to do with your life?”

  David took a deep breath. He looked Heather in the eyes and took one of her hands in his. “There is no conflict in terms of my feelings for you. There is only a dilemma in trying to decide which lifestyle to choose once I wed. If I asked for your hand before I left New York, I would be duty-bound to marry you. A southern gentleman never goes back on his word.”

  Heather removed her hand from his slowly, and replied stiffly. “I would never want you to consider me a ‘duty.’ Unless you can commit to me freely, and with love, it would be best if you return to Savannah and marry Miss Beaufo
rt, as was originally intended.” She turned her face away from him.

  David recaptured her hand and placed it on his chest. “I don’t mean to give you the wrong impression. Marrying you would not be a duty, it would be my honor. But if I were to ask your father for your hand, I would then consider myself obliged to fulfill that request. You have already captured my heart, Heather. I can only hope to capture yours before I must leave New York.”

  She glanced up at him in surprise. “It has been yours since the day we met. Surely you know that already.”

  He let out a long breath. “I had hoped you were feeling the same as I was. Then you wouldn’t mind if I approach your father and ask for your hand?”

  Heather shivered in the April sun as she imagined her life with David by her side. “It certainly has been a whirlwind courtship, but I am sure of my feelings. It would make me the happiest woman in New York to marry you. I can’t wait for our life to begin.” This time she was the one who leaned in for a kiss.

  Chapter 13

  Heather bounded into Jasmine’s sickroom. It was the logical place for her to be with a big announcement. After all, they had done everything together since the day they were born, and she wanted Jasmine to be the first to hear her news.

  Jasmine was propped up in her bed, with her bound ankle on top of two pillows. She had been looking through the most recent copy of Godey’s Lady’s Book for the current colorful fashion trends from Paris. She glanced up when Heather opened the door.

  “Thank goodness, someone has come to relieve my boredom.” Jasmine tossed the book down on the bed counterpane. “I swear, Godey’s has nothing exciting to offer in terms of fashion this month. Or maybe I’m just feeling that way since I know I wouldn’t get to wear any of their new gowns, at least not for a while.” She glanced up at Heather. “I saw you leave with Lieutenant Whitman this morning, and I have to say, he looks mighty proprietary with you.”