dining room, her gaze automatically noticed the empty sideboard. No three-branched silver candlesticks, no shiny servers. Lucinda and her helpers had done as instructed. Her father’s picture no longer hung on the wall, nor did her mother’s. Samuel Morse had painted them both years before.
Supper passed in a flurry of tears, instructions, and questions, many of which had no answers. Thaddy sensed the tension and insisted on sitting on Jesselynn’s lap, crying and shaking his head when Ophelia tried to take him.
“Ophelia, I want you to come with us to take care of our boy here.”
She glanced down the table to where Meshach was eating as if nothing untoward were happening. “I goes.”
Jesselynn followed Lucinda into the kitchen. “I have a mighty big favor to ask you.”
Lucinda turned, arms crossed over her ample bosom.
“Lucinda.” The words wouldn’t come. Jesselynn fought the tears and tried again. “While I want you to come with me, there’s no one else I can trust to stay here and take care of things. You are free now….”
Lucinda’s harrumph said more than a string of words. “Don’t need be free. Twin Oaks my home.”
“Mine too.” Oh, God, why do I have to leave? “Please, Lucinda, will you take care of things here for me?” Jesselynn knew if she let the tears come, they’d both be crying. “Please.” Her whisper barely squeaked around the lump in her throat.
Lucinda wiped the tears from her eyes. “I never see you again.”
“No, we’ll be back in time for spring planting.”
Lucinda shook her head slowly from side to side as if a great weight lay atop her knotted turban.
God, I can’t stand this. You know how often she has been right. She listens when you speak and hears what you say. Please, please say we will come back .
“I stay. And I pray for you ever day, and for us.” She swept her arm to the side, including all those to be left behind.
“Thank you. I will write.”
Lucinda nodded.
Jesselynn stood still a moment before heading for the door. She paused, looked back. “Winter will go fast and when spring comes, watch for us.”
They began loading the wagon after dark.
“Food all in de wagon. I packed a carpetbag for de baby. Yo’ dresses in de trunk.” Lucinda wiped her eyes with the corner of her apron.
“Thank you.” Jesselynn couldn’t bear to tell her right now that there would be no need for dresses. “Just in case anyone is watching this place, we must go on like nothing is changed. Those of you who stay here, you have to do the same.” Jesselynn looked at June, Lucinda’s daughter, whose skin wasn’t much darker than her own. While June was more rounded, they were about the same height.
If she could become a boy, surely June could become her.
“June, come with me.”
“Yessum.” Eyes rolling, the young woman rose from the table where she’d been plucking a chicken.
“Now, there’s nothing to be afraid of,” Jesselynn said as they mounted the stairs. “I have an idea that might make things look normal around here. After I’m gone, I mean.”
“Don’ want you to go.” The whimper lashed at Jesselynn’s shoulder blades.
“I know. I don’t want to go either.” She crossed her room to the chifforobe and pulled out the other of her mourning dresses. “Put this on.”
“Can’t do that.” June took three steps back, folded hands clasped to her breast. The shaking of her head made her kerchief shudder.
Jesselynn breathed deep and sighed. “Yes, you can. You and I are about the same size, and if you wear my clothes and a straw hat like I always do, anyone watching this place will think I am here.” And not come hotfooting it after us. Anything to buy time . Every time she thought of Dunlivey watching the big house, she wanted to hide under the bed.
“But you be gone. I can’t be you.”
“Please, June, for the sake of everyone at Twin Oaks, try the dress on.” She held the dress out until June reached for it as if she
Supper passed in a flurry of tears, instructions, and questions, many of which had no answers. Thaddy sensed the tension and insisted on sitting on Jesselynn’s lap, crying and shaking his head when Ophelia tried to take him.
“Ophelia, I want you to come with us to take care of our boy here.”
She glanced down the table to where Meshach was eating as if nothing untoward were happening. “I goes.”
Jesselynn followed Lucinda into the kitchen. “I have a mighty big favor to ask you.”
Lucinda turned, arms crossed over her ample bosom.
“Lucinda.” The words wouldn’t come. Jesselynn fought the tears and tried again. “While I want you to come with me, there’s no one else I can trust to stay here and take care of things. You are free now….”
Lucinda’s harrumph said more than a string of words. “Don’t need be free. Twin Oaks my home.”
“Mine too.” Oh, God, why do I have to leave? “Please, Lucinda, will you take care of things here for me?” Jesselynn knew if she let the tears come, they’d both be crying. “Please.” Her whisper barely squeaked around the lump in her throat.
Lucinda wiped the tears from her eyes. “I never see you again.”
“No, we’ll be back in time for spring planting.”
Lucinda shook her head slowly from side to side as if a great weight lay atop her knotted turban.
God, I can’t stand this. You know how often she has been right. She listens when you speak and hears what you say. Please, please say we will come back .
“I stay. And I pray for you ever day, and for us.” She swept her arm to the side, including all those to be left behind.
“Thank you. I will write.”
Lucinda nodded.
Jesselynn stood still a moment before heading for the door. She paused, looked back. “Winter will go fast and when spring comes, watch for us.”
They began loading the wagon after dark.
“Food all in de wagon. I packed a carpetbag for de baby. Yo’ dresses in de trunk.” Lucinda wiped her eyes with the corner of her apron.
“Thank you.” Jesselynn couldn’t bear to tell her right now that there would be no need for dresses. “Just in case anyone is watching this place, we must go on like nothing is changed. Those of you who stay here, you have to do the same.” Jesselynn looked at June, Lucinda’s daughter, whose skin wasn’t much darker than her own. While June was more rounded, they were about the same height.
If she could become a boy, surely June could become her.
“June, come with me.”
“Yessum.” Eyes rolling, the young woman rose from the table where she’d been plucking a chicken.
“Now, there’s nothing to be afraid of,” Jesselynn said as they mounted the stairs. “I have an idea that might make things look normal around here. After I’m gone, I mean.”
“Don’ want you to go.” The whimper lashed at Jesselynn’s shoulder blades.
“I know. I don’t want to go either.” She crossed her room to the chifforobe and pulled out the other of her mourning dresses. “Put this on.”
“Can’t do that.” June took three steps back, folded hands clasped to her breast. The shaking of her head made her kerchief shudder.
Jesselynn breathed deep and sighed. “Yes, you can. You and I are about the same size, and if you wear my clothes and a straw hat like I always do, anyone watching this place will think I am here.” And not come hotfooting it after us. Anything to buy time . Every time she thought of Dunlivey watching the big house, she wanted to hide under the bed.
“But you be gone. I can’t be you.”
“Please, June, for the sake of everyone at Twin Oaks, try the dress on.” She held the dress out until June reached for it as if she
Similar Books
