Borrowed Dreams (Scottish Dream Trilogy) by May McGoldrick, Jan Coffey, Nicole Cody, Nikoo McGoldrick, James McGoldrick Page B
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house
at Melbury Hall.
“All of us are grateful to you,
m’lady, for bringing her here,” Amina said quietly, joining her mistress in the
middle of the kitchen.
“She looks hungry and weary.”
Millicent watched the tall, thin frame of Ohenewaa sway near the door. “Why is
she refusing to come inside?”
“Her pride. Not knowing what is
expected of her here.”
Giving an understanding nod,
Millicent walked toward the old woman. Ohenewaa’s dark eyes remained fixed on
the wall in front of her. Hers was a face lined by age and disappointment.
“We’re happy you’re here,
Ohenewaa,” Millicent said softly. “There is no need for you to stand by the
door. Would you please come in?”
“I was told I am a free woman.”
“You are.”
“Then I do not wish to step inside
a slaveholder’s home.” The old woman’s gaze shifted to Millicent’s face and
then back to the wall again.
“I do not hold any slaves,
Ohenewaa. I do not believe in owning or abusing innocent people. All the
workers you see at Melbury Hall today, regardless of the color of their skin,
or where they were born or came from, are here of their own will.”
“I have seen how Wentworth treated
his workers in Jamaica.”
Millicent could hear the diamond
edge of the woman’s voice draw steadily across glass.
“That was my husband. Not I,”
Millicent replied passionately. “And I am trying, Ohenewaa. Since the death of
the squire, I am doing my best to mend some of the injustices done to the
people. I lost those plantations in Jamaica before anything could be done. But I am trying here.”
The black woman’s gaze once again
moved away from the wall and rested on Millicent’s face. “What do you wish from
me? What do I have to do to earn my keep?”
Millicent paused to answer. The
dark, penetrating gaze continued to look into her soul.
“It would be a lie if I said you
have to do nothing. We need help of all kinds. The truth is that I don’t know
yet what you can do here.” This time she was the one who fixed her gaze on the
cracks running in every direction on the wall. “I came to the auction yesterday
because I recognized Dr. Dombey’s name in the notice in the newspaper. I came
because I had failed to act effectively when Jasper Hyde took over Wentworth’s
plantations. There were so many lives that I did not save. Thoughts about if I
were a stronger person, if I had acted quickly enough, continue to plague me. I
wonder if, had I traveled there myself, I could have kept the plantations.”
She turned to face the older woman.
“In freeing you, I suppose I hope to lessen my guilt. And in bringing you here,
I hoped to remind my people--and myself--that strength and courage like yours
are to be aspired to.”
“I am a healer. Nothing more.”
“In Jamaica, you were the one
person whom they knew they could trust. That was everything to them.” Millicent
noticed more than a few of the kitchen helpers and servants had paused in their
work. Many eyes were on them, curious as to the outcome. She gentled her voice.
“At least for now, until you have the opportunity for employment, will you
please stay at Melbury Hall as my guest?”
“If I step across this threshold,
it will not be to ease your conscience, but to ease my hunger.”
Millicent smiled. “I respect that.
We both have a reason. They do not conflict. And that is as good a place as any
to start.”
Ohenewaa looked about the room at
the cluster of hopeful faces beforestepping through the door and into
the house.
****
The air was frigid, the ground
frozen. The night was dark, and the woods were threatening. Violet, however,
scarcely gave the possible dangers a second thought. She had been passing
through this deer park at least twice a week for over a month on her way to
him. Lifting the hem of the quilted petticoats she’d been given by her mistress
last month, she stepped over a fallen branch. Violet herself had embroidered
the long apron she
at Melbury Hall.
“All of us are grateful to you,
m’lady, for bringing her here,” Amina said quietly, joining her mistress in the
middle of the kitchen.
“She looks hungry and weary.”
Millicent watched the tall, thin frame of Ohenewaa sway near the door. “Why is
she refusing to come inside?”
“Her pride. Not knowing what is
expected of her here.”
Giving an understanding nod,
Millicent walked toward the old woman. Ohenewaa’s dark eyes remained fixed on
the wall in front of her. Hers was a face lined by age and disappointment.
“We’re happy you’re here,
Ohenewaa,” Millicent said softly. “There is no need for you to stand by the
door. Would you please come in?”
“I was told I am a free woman.”
“You are.”
“Then I do not wish to step inside
a slaveholder’s home.” The old woman’s gaze shifted to Millicent’s face and
then back to the wall again.
“I do not hold any slaves,
Ohenewaa. I do not believe in owning or abusing innocent people. All the
workers you see at Melbury Hall today, regardless of the color of their skin,
or where they were born or came from, are here of their own will.”
“I have seen how Wentworth treated
his workers in Jamaica.”
Millicent could hear the diamond
edge of the woman’s voice draw steadily across glass.
“That was my husband. Not I,”
Millicent replied passionately. “And I am trying, Ohenewaa. Since the death of
the squire, I am doing my best to mend some of the injustices done to the
people. I lost those plantations in Jamaica before anything could be done. But I am trying here.”
The black woman’s gaze once again
moved away from the wall and rested on Millicent’s face. “What do you wish from
me? What do I have to do to earn my keep?”
Millicent paused to answer. The
dark, penetrating gaze continued to look into her soul.
“It would be a lie if I said you
have to do nothing. We need help of all kinds. The truth is that I don’t know
yet what you can do here.” This time she was the one who fixed her gaze on the
cracks running in every direction on the wall. “I came to the auction yesterday
because I recognized Dr. Dombey’s name in the notice in the newspaper. I came
because I had failed to act effectively when Jasper Hyde took over Wentworth’s
plantations. There were so many lives that I did not save. Thoughts about if I
were a stronger person, if I had acted quickly enough, continue to plague me. I
wonder if, had I traveled there myself, I could have kept the plantations.”
She turned to face the older woman.
“In freeing you, I suppose I hope to lessen my guilt. And in bringing you here,
I hoped to remind my people--and myself--that strength and courage like yours
are to be aspired to.”
“I am a healer. Nothing more.”
“In Jamaica, you were the one
person whom they knew they could trust. That was everything to them.” Millicent
noticed more than a few of the kitchen helpers and servants had paused in their
work. Many eyes were on them, curious as to the outcome. She gentled her voice.
“At least for now, until you have the opportunity for employment, will you
please stay at Melbury Hall as my guest?”
“If I step across this threshold,
it will not be to ease your conscience, but to ease my hunger.”
Millicent smiled. “I respect that.
We both have a reason. They do not conflict. And that is as good a place as any
to start.”
Ohenewaa looked about the room at
the cluster of hopeful faces beforestepping through the door and into
the house.
****
The air was frigid, the ground
frozen. The night was dark, and the woods were threatening. Violet, however,
scarcely gave the possible dangers a second thought. She had been passing
through this deer park at least twice a week for over a month on her way to
him. Lifting the hem of the quilted petticoats she’d been given by her mistress
last month, she stepped over a fallen branch. Violet herself had embroidered
the long apron she
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