by Ginny Dye
Abby shrugged. “I’ve always wanted to invest in horses. Now seemed the perfect time since my husband-to-be owns a plantation,” she said with a bright smile. “I asked your father to help me, but in the end we both bowed to Clint’s expertise.”
“Clint?” Robert asked, disbelief on his face as he watched the string of horses parading down the drive.
“I been studying ever since you left us, Robert,” Clint said earnestly. “I knew Virginia was real big into Thoroughbreds like Granite, so I studied all the bloodlines.”
Robert stared at him, and then swung his gaze back to the horses. “You studied the bloodlines?” he echoed.
“That’s right,” Clint said eagerly. “I knew just what Aunt Abby should buy when she decided she wanted to.”
Robert swung his gaze to Abby, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.
Abby smiled gently and moved over to crouch beside him. “I knew you would get better. I also know how wonderful you are with horses. Between you and Clint, I believe you can be wildly successful. You proved that at Oak Meadows.” She shrugged casually. “I’ve always wanted to invest in horses. I decided now was my chance. I’ll be keeping just a small percentage interest, however. It will be enough to see them prancing in the pastures every time Thomas and I return.”
Robert gripped her hand tightly and struggled for words, knowing this amazing woman had just handed him his new chance of doing what he loved best. He had assumed it would be several years before he could begin to rebuild a stable. To see his new life trotting down the road toward him was almost overwhelming. He blinked back tears. “Thank you,” he finally managed, his throat tight with tears of gratitude.
******
Suddenly the horses were close enough to see who was leading the string.
“Jeremy!” Carrie cried as she rushed off the porch. “You’re supposed to be in Richmond with the factory.”
Abby came to stand beside her. “Jeremy? What is wrong?”
Jeremy smiled easily. “I wouldn’t say there was anything wrong,” he replied. “I just encountered a situation that demanded I return to the plantation at once. I decided to go ahead and bring the horses with me since I was coming.”
“A situation?” Abby asked with a frown. “What situation?”
Jeremy dismounted from the stunning bay Thoroughbred he was riding and took Carrie’s hand. “Janie is in the carriage coming up behind me,” he said softly.
“Janie?” Carrie cried. “Is…?”
“No. Clifford is not with her,” Jeremy stated flatly. “She needs you.”
Tears sprang to Carrie’s eyes. “He hurt her?”
“Yes,” Jeremy answered, anger making his eyes glitter. “She escaped. When I got to Richmond she was there in the house. She just arrived yesterday morning but was terrified to stay there.” His gaze swung to Abby. “I did what I could yesterday afternoon for the factory, but I will have to return.”
“The factory is completely unimportant,” Abby said firmly. “Carrie, you go meet Janie. Clint will get the horses settled. The rest of us will be waiting inside.”
Carrie smiled her gratitude, knowing Janie would need some time with her before she had to see everyone else.
The porch was empty and Clint and Jeremy were almost to the barn with the horses when Spencer drove up in the carriage. Carrie gave him a warm smile, but had to bite back her moan when she saw the bruises, shame, and distress on Janie’s face. “Janie!” She climbed into the carriage and pulled Janie into her arms.
Janie began to sob, wrapping her arms around Carrie tightly.
Carrie held her close, letting her cry. “Janie… Janie…” she whispered, anger and sorrow mingling in her mind and heart.
Finally Janie’s tears stopped. “Carrie…”
“Shh...” Carrie wiped her tears with her sleeve and stroked her hair. “You’re home. You’re home, Janie. That’s what matters now.”
Janie sighed and managed a small, pitiful smile. “Home…You have no idea how wonderful that sounds.” The smile disappeared as a frightened frown took its place. “I’m afraid I shouldn’t have come,” she whispered. “Clifford will come after me.”
“I almost hope so,” Carrie responded fiercely. “I’d like to see him get some of what he has been dishing out. There are several here who would like to make sure he does.”
Janie chuckled. “I can’t believe you can make me laugh,” she said in a broken voice that deepened with distress. “Oh, Carrie, it was…it was awful. I should have listened to you that last day. I shouldn’t have gone with him. This is my fault!”
“Nonsense,” Carrie said firmly. “The only person to blame is Clifford. You were trying to live up to your marriage vows.” She turned Janie’s face so she could gaze into her friend’s eyes, her own eyes filling with tears when she saw the bruises and swelling. “Oh, Janie…I’m so, so sorry.”
“You gave me the courage to leave,” Janie said softly. “One day when it was especially bad, I remembered you telling me that no one would have respect for me unless I had it for myself first. I thought about that and realized I was letting Clifford destroy who I was.” She swallowed. “That was the day I started planning my escape.”
Carrie closed her eyes against the image of Janie scared and entrapped in her own home. “How did you get away?”
Both of them were laughing by the time Janie finished her story. “I almost wish I could have seen his face the next morning when he discovered I was gone,” Janie said. Then her face clouded over again. “He’s a dangerous man, Carrie. He’s not the same person he was — not even when we left Richmond. Every day he seemed to get harder and angrier.” She took a deep breath. “And horrible things are happening to the freed slaves in the country. Horrible things…”
Carrie bit back the questions flooding her mind. “You’re safe here,” she said instead. She glanced at the house. “Are you ready to go in?”
Janie nodded. “I appreciate everyone giving me a chance to talk to you.” Her eyes filled with tears again. “It’s so good to be home.”
Carrie wrapped her in a warm hug again and then turned to Spencer. “It’s so good to see you again, Spencer. Please come in and have some dinner with us. You’ll spend the night before you go back in the morning.”
Spencer’s eyes widened. “You want me to come eat in the house?”
“Yes,” Carrie assured him. “We all live as a family here. We would be honored if you would join us.”
Spencer nodded slowly. “I’ll come in and eat, but I reckon I’ll head down to the quarters to sleep.” His face revealed that he couldn’t even imagine sleeping in the big house.
Carrie smiled. “The quarters were knocked down. The men working on the plantation have built new cabins for themselves and their families who are arriving in a week or so. I’m afraid you’re stuck with the big house.”
Spencer stared up at the white mansion, his black eyes glowing with a mixture of apprehension, excitement, and pride. “Yessum,” he finally said. “I reckon I be real grateful.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Janie kept her eyes down as they walked into the house. Her throat was tight from shame and embarrassment. She suddenly didn’t think she could look anyone else in the eye. She had a wild thought of bolting from the house and fleeing into the countryside, but as quickly as the idea came, it departed. There was nowhere else to run.
“You lift your head up high, Miss Janie,” Spencer scolded under his breath. “You ain’t got no reason to be ashamed. You escaped that monster, Miss Janie. Feeling shame is just giving him power. You hold your head up real high.”
Janie gazed into his eyes for a long moment and felt the truth of his words sweep through her shame. When they rounded the corner into the parlor, she was ready.
Abby was the first to reach her. “Welcome home, Janie.” She gazed long and hard into her eyes.
Without saying a word, Abby’s message filtered through to Janie’s heart. In the eyes of th
e older woman was the message that all women had to fight for the right to feel freedom and pride.
Abby wrapped her tightly in her arms and finally whispered, “I’m so proud of you.”
Janie felt awe enter her heart. Abby knew nothing of her story for the last three months, but still she offered her unconditional love and belief. For the first time, she understood the power of being a woman — of being part of a community of women determined to live with dignity. Suddenly she knew she would never be alone — that it was not possible to be alone when she had friends who so totally understood her.
One by one, everyone welcomed her home, making it clear she made the right choice to run to them. She knew Carrie would welcome her, but she was a little stunned by the complete welcome and acceptance of everyone in the house.
Robert was the last to approach her. Janie’s eyes filled with tears when she saw him walking. She also saw the lines of fatigue, but it was the strength and determination in his eyes that told her he would be himself again.
Robert took her hands in his and peered into her eyes. “Don’t be ashamed of losing yourself in darkness for a time,” he said softly. “We all do. Just know that the things you have learned in the darkness will be used to shed light into others’ darkness. Nothing is ever wasted, Janie. It will take a while, but you’ll understand in time.”
Janie absorbed his words, knowing that Robert, perhaps more than anyone, understood what she was feeling. She threw her arms around him, allowing the tears to come again. “Thank you. I’m so glad you’re better.”
Finally she looked around. “Where is Matthew?” she asked. “I thought he was here.”
“He is,” Thomas said gravely. “I imagine he’s down by the river.”
“Is he okay?” Janie asked. “Miles and May gave me the papers about the accident on the Sultana.” She shuddered. “It must have been horrible.”
“More horrible than I think any of us fully realize,” Thomas agreed somberly.
“Matthew will be okay,” Abby said firmly. “He came to the right place to heal. Just as you have, Janie.”
Carrie suddenly realized exactly why all of them were on the plantation. They had just come through four years of horror and pain. Four years of mistakes and experiences that could have broken them. They had all survived, but their hearts and souls bore the scars. In order to move forward into what life held for them, there had to be healing first. “We’re all here to heal,” she said softly.
“I reckon you be right, Miss Carrie,” Annie said, balancing a tray of biscuits she was carrying in from the kitchen. “This war done been a hard thing for everyone. Slavery done been a hard thing for everyone. Every person here gots to make the decision to move on. It ain’t gonna happen without some effort though. Ever’body in this room gots to rise up and decide that, no matter how hard it be, they’s not gonna let the past get the best of them. They’s got to decide they’s just gonna move on with life. Being here on the plantation is done givin’ ever’body a chance to do just that.”
“You are so right, Annie,” Abby said fervently. “We’ve all entered a brand new season of our life, but none of us are walking through it alone because we have each other.”
Janie grinned, the reality of her freedom sweeping through her like the wind blown by a storm. “Is it almost time to eat?” she asked hopefully.
Laughter erupted, breaking through the heaviness and casting it into a place that couldn’t touch any of them.
“It sure ‘nuff is, Miss Janie,” Annie said. “By the way, I be Moses’s mama.”
Janie rushed forward and caught the surprised woman in a huge embrace. “I know. I’m so very happy to meet you.”
“You’s gonna knock these biscuits out o’ my hand,” Annie scolded, her eyes shining with pleasure. “I’s be real glad to meet you too, Miss Janie. Now you’s go sit down at the table and I’ll bring the food out.”
******
Abby was at Robert’s side as soon as the meal was finished. “Would you like to join me in checking on our horses?” she asked lightly
Robert glanced at Carrie. “I guess that depends on whether my doctor gives me permission.”
Carrie searched his face. “This is the first day you’ve been up, Robert. Are you sure you feel like it? The horses will be there in the morning.”
“I’m tired,” he admitted, “but I won’t be able to sleep a wink until I’ve had a good look at what just came down the drive. I’ll just lay awake all night thinking about them. I was too stunned when they arrived to really see them, but I have vivid memory of sheer wonder when Clint took them to the barn.” He glanced at Abby. “She may not want me to go see them because she’s afraid Granite has just been handed some stiff competition.” Robert’s eyes danced with fun.
“In your dreams!” Carrie protested with a laugh, thrilled that her husband could tease again. “We’ll all go look at them. I want to explain to Granite that he is still the king of Cromwell Plantation.”
Carrie motioned to Moses. “Could you please help Robert out to the stable?”
Matthew walked in through the door just then, a bright smile exploding on his face when he saw Robert. “Robert!” He strode forward and gripped his hand. “It’s about time you crawled out of that bed. I was beginning to feel you were being plain inhospitable.”
“Heaven forbid,” Robert said with a hearty laugh, gripping Matthew’s hand. Carrie had told him everything she knew of the Sultana. “It’s good to see you, old man.” He could see beyond the smile to the dark shadows lurking in Matthew’s eyes. He thought about what Annie had said about everyone being on the plantation to heal. She was right. “Care to help me out to the barn? Moses has already done his duty today.”
Robert saw the look Matthew and Moses exchanged. “And, yes, he told me. There are no more secrets waiting to surprise everyone.” He correctly interpreted the look in Matthew’s eyes. “The past is the past. It has nothing to do with who either of us has become.”
Matthew grinned and then caught sight of Janie in the parlor. He turned to Carrie with a question in his eyes.
“Just go say hello,” Carrie urged quietly. “I’ll explain everything out in the barn.”
Matthew walked over and caught Janie in a warm embrace. “Welcome home, Janie. Now that you’re here we’re truly a family again.”
Janie smiled. “I understand we have both had a rather harrowing couple of months,” she said softly. “It’s good to see you, Matthew. I would have been so disappointed if you hadn’t been here.”
“You’re stuck with me for a while,” he said, not quite able to pull off the casual tone he was trying to adopt.
“Same with me,” Janie replied. “It seems as if I have a life to re-create.”
Matthew nodded. “Me too. I’d say we’re in the perfect place for that to happen.”
Janie glanced over his shoulder and smiled. “Robert is looking rather impatient, and he keeps staring at the barn. Are you needed?”
“That I am. We’ll talk later.”
“I’ll look forward to it,” Janie replied.
******
Robert walked slowly to the barn, relishing the feel of the evening air on his skin. The frogs had already begun their nightly chorus and owls were hooting their private messages. He was grateful for Matthew’s supporting arm and even more grateful when his friend deposited him in a chair at the barn door. Lanterns hung from pegs on the wall, making the barn glow with warmth. He took a deep breath, glad beyond words to be back in his world of horses. The smell of horses, manure, hay, feed, and saddle oil were perfume to him.
“Are you ready, Clint?” Abby called.
Clint appeared immediately, pure joy shining from his eyes. “Yes, ma’am!” He grinned at Robert. “You done got some of the finest horses I’ve ever seen.”
“You have some of the finest horses I’ve ever seen,” Robert corrected with a smile. “If you’re going to be running my stables, Clint, you need to speak correctly. T
homas tells me you know more about horses than anyone he’s ever met, so I know you’re brilliant. You don’t want the world to judge you because of how you speak.”
Clint ducked his head for a moment and then looked up with a new confidence in his eyes. “You have some of the finest horses I’ve ever seen, Robert.”
“Then let’s see them,” Robert said, a broad smile on his face. “I’m not up for walking around the barn yet, so I’d appreciate it if you would just bring them out one at a time.”
“Yes, sir! Aunt Abby done told me…I mean…Aunt Abby asked me if I would get all of them ready for a private parade.” He grimaced. “It’s gonna take time to remember to speak right all the time, Robert.”
“You’re right. Just keep working on it, and I promise not to correct you every time you say something wrong.”
“That’s good,” Clint replied, “but then it will just be Miss Rose picking at me,” he said morosely.
Everyone laughed. Clint grinned and turned away. “I’ll have them right out, Robert.”
Robert was almost breathless by the time Clint had paraded the twenty horses past him, their hides gleaming from the thorough brushing the boy had given them to rid them of the road dust from their trip. “They are amazing,” he breathed. “My brother and I worked for years to breed horses of this quality, but I’m afraid these horses are even finer than what we produced.” He turned to Abby. “How did you do it?”
Abby shook her head. “Clint did it. I just bought what he told me to buy. I brought him the papers and information on horses that were for sale. He did the rest.”
Robert turned to Clint. “How did you do it? Two years ago…”
“I knew nothing,” Clint agreed. “I done been doing—I have been doing a lot of studying since then. Pretty much anything I could get my hands on,” he admitted. “Daddy thinks I don’t know how much he sacrificed to make sure he kept me in books and the breeding registers, but I know. I won’t let anything stop me from making him proud.”
