boys.
When Jordan picked up his spoon, he kept an eye on Caleb, as though his momma had taught him to take a sharp look when he needed to know what to do.
And Peter? He was stuffing bread into his mouth so fast that he barely chewed it. For a time Peter had lived like anorphan. It looked as if he filled up on bread when there was no good cooking around.
Caleb had the best manners. He said
please
and
thank you
and closed his mouth when he chewed. Libby decided that she’d have to figure out her own way to act like a boy.
With hunched shoulders, she leaned over her plate. Holding her sandwich with both hands, she took the largest bites she could manage without choking.
When Annika served the soup, Libby had another problem. Auntie Vi had taught her to dip her spoon into the bowl, then away, before lifting it to her mouth. Libby started doing as she was taught, then stopped.
I look too dainty
.
Again Libby looked around. Peter had picked up his bowl and held it close to his chin while spooning soup into his mouth. Libby did the same, then decided she could go one better. With the spoon close to her lips, she slurped.
Across the table Caleb glanced up. For an instant he stared at Libby as though thinking,
I can’t believe this
.
I’m really doing well
, Libby decided, filled with satisfaction.
Caleb must be pleased with how I’m acting
.
When Annika finished serving, she sat down to eat with them. Up close, she looked even more beautiful. Annika was also as curious as Libby.
“Why are you traveling together?” Annika asked, looking first at Jordan and Micah, then at Libby, Caleb, and Peter.
“We’re friends,” Caleb answered.
“Helping one another?”
Caleb nodded.
“You’re an Underground Railroad conductor?” she asked.
“At home,” Caleb said. “Not here. I don’t know this area.”
“And you—” Annika turned back to Jordan and Micah Parker. “Are there slave catchers after you?”
“Yes’m,” Micah answered with his gaze down in the way he had been taught by his master. “There be a big reward on my head. On Jordan’s too.”
Then Micah looked up and grinned as though remembering he was free. “Us Parkers are worth something.”
“Caleb said there be a man on the train who knows us,” Jordan explained. In the time since reaching freedom, Jordan had learned to look at people when he talked. “We don’t think the man saw us come to your house. But he knew we was in Springfield. He sure enough must be wondering where we are.”
“And the rest of you?” Annika looked from Caleb to Libby to Peter. “Are you in danger?”
“Peter is,” Caleb answered for him.
Annika leaned forward. “Peter?” She waited for him to look up from his food. When he didn’t, she asked again. “Peter?”
Still Peter didn’t answer. Though her bread was good, even Annika seemed to realize it wasn’t that good. She looked at Caleb. “Is something wrong?”
“He can’t hear you,” Caleb said.
Annika nodded. “So that’s the reason for the slate.” Standing up, she walked around the table. When she reached Peter, she touched his arm lightly, then touched his slate where he had set it on the floor next to his chair. “May I?”
Though Peter couldn’t hear her, he understood and nodded. Annika slipped the slate out of the bag and sat down next to Peter. “Are you in danger?” she wrote.
When Peter looked up at her, surprise filled his eyes. Heglanced toward Caleb, as though wondering how much he should say.
Caleb motioned with his hand. “Go ahead.”
Quickly Peter told the story of Dexter, his arrest and escape, and also his cruelty.
“And he’s looking for you now?” Annika wrote at last.
“I think so,” Peter answered. “But he also wants Jordan. And if he knew Jordan’s daddy is here—” Peter didn’t have to finish.
“The reward money,” Annika wrote.
“Yes.”
“Not a very nice man, is he?” Annika wrote.
Peter met her gaze. “Are you afraid?” he
When Jordan picked up his spoon, he kept an eye on Caleb, as though his momma had taught him to take a sharp look when he needed to know what to do.
And Peter? He was stuffing bread into his mouth so fast that he barely chewed it. For a time Peter had lived like anorphan. It looked as if he filled up on bread when there was no good cooking around.
Caleb had the best manners. He said
please
and
thank you
and closed his mouth when he chewed. Libby decided that she’d have to figure out her own way to act like a boy.
With hunched shoulders, she leaned over her plate. Holding her sandwich with both hands, she took the largest bites she could manage without choking.
When Annika served the soup, Libby had another problem. Auntie Vi had taught her to dip her spoon into the bowl, then away, before lifting it to her mouth. Libby started doing as she was taught, then stopped.
I look too dainty
.
Again Libby looked around. Peter had picked up his bowl and held it close to his chin while spooning soup into his mouth. Libby did the same, then decided she could go one better. With the spoon close to her lips, she slurped.
Across the table Caleb glanced up. For an instant he stared at Libby as though thinking,
I can’t believe this
.
I’m really doing well
, Libby decided, filled with satisfaction.
Caleb must be pleased with how I’m acting
.
When Annika finished serving, she sat down to eat with them. Up close, she looked even more beautiful. Annika was also as curious as Libby.
“Why are you traveling together?” Annika asked, looking first at Jordan and Micah, then at Libby, Caleb, and Peter.
“We’re friends,” Caleb answered.
“Helping one another?”
Caleb nodded.
“You’re an Underground Railroad conductor?” she asked.
“At home,” Caleb said. “Not here. I don’t know this area.”
“And you—” Annika turned back to Jordan and Micah Parker. “Are there slave catchers after you?”
“Yes’m,” Micah answered with his gaze down in the way he had been taught by his master. “There be a big reward on my head. On Jordan’s too.”
Then Micah looked up and grinned as though remembering he was free. “Us Parkers are worth something.”
“Caleb said there be a man on the train who knows us,” Jordan explained. In the time since reaching freedom, Jordan had learned to look at people when he talked. “We don’t think the man saw us come to your house. But he knew we was in Springfield. He sure enough must be wondering where we are.”
“And the rest of you?” Annika looked from Caleb to Libby to Peter. “Are you in danger?”
“Peter is,” Caleb answered for him.
Annika leaned forward. “Peter?” She waited for him to look up from his food. When he didn’t, she asked again. “Peter?”
Still Peter didn’t answer. Though her bread was good, even Annika seemed to realize it wasn’t that good. She looked at Caleb. “Is something wrong?”
“He can’t hear you,” Caleb said.
Annika nodded. “So that’s the reason for the slate.” Standing up, she walked around the table. When she reached Peter, she touched his arm lightly, then touched his slate where he had set it on the floor next to his chair. “May I?”
Though Peter couldn’t hear her, he understood and nodded. Annika slipped the slate out of the bag and sat down next to Peter. “Are you in danger?” she wrote.
When Peter looked up at her, surprise filled his eyes. Heglanced toward Caleb, as though wondering how much he should say.
Caleb motioned with his hand. “Go ahead.”
Quickly Peter told the story of Dexter, his arrest and escape, and also his cruelty.
“And he’s looking for you now?” Annika wrote at last.
“I think so,” Peter answered. “But he also wants Jordan. And if he knew Jordan’s daddy is here—” Peter didn’t have to finish.
“The reward money,” Annika wrote.
“Yes.”
“Not a very nice man, is he?” Annika wrote.
Peter met her gaze. “Are you afraid?” he
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