height, and her quiet self-assurance that made her truly lovely.
She was a woman who knew what she wanted and let nothing stand in the way of acquiring her goals.
The doctor arrived only minutes after we did. Jack tried to insist that the doctor examine me first, but I assured him, and everyone, that I was fine. Other than a sore throat, there was nothing much wrong with me.
Sam, Bess, and the doctor went up to examine Sam before Bess had realized who had accompanied us into her house. The fact that William Martin had immediately hidden himself away in Sam’s book room had something to do with that.
Mrs. Lacey, Bess’s housekeeper, was put to the task of finding places for all of us to sleep, but in the end only Rose, Leo, Jack and I were staying at the house. William, Freddy, Dudley, Hannah, and Mrs. Stanton were to stay at Rose’s house.
Once they had departed, Jack and I went up to our provided bedchamber.
Jack took me into his arms the moment we were alone.
“If anything had happened to you…” He said nothing else for a few minutes.
Holding him against me, I closed my eyes and soaked up his love, allowing it to chase away all of the pain, fear, and anguish from the last few weeks. He was the only person since my father had died who could chase away my fears just by holding me. Jack’s kindness and forgiving nature reminded me of my father. Tears burned my eyes, but I quickly blinked them away.
After a moment, I pulled back with a smile. “I love you, Jack, but you smell terrible.”
A laugh tried to burst from him, but it cracked and rasped.
“Why do I not ring for a bath, and while you wash away the grime I will read to you.”
Jack agreed readily, for I had discovered that when I read to him he relaxed his own fears.
The following morning, when we went down to breakfast was the first time that we were able to speak with Bess.
After hugging her, the first thing Jack said was, “Our father is here.”
Bess’s brown eyes turned hard, but the smile remained on her lips. “Sam has informed me. Where is he?”
“At Rose’s house, but he means to visit after breakfast,” Jack told her.
“Then we have at least an hour of peace.” Bess sat between me and Jack while we ate fruit, toast, jam, eggs, and Jack even consumed a sirloin of beef.
Bess told us that Sam could only speak in rasps and had been ordered by the doctor to rest.
“Where is Mother?” Jack asked midway through our meal.
“She has taken Charlotte and Betsy to Washington. Charlotte was not adjusting well to being back in Charleston, though she did try.”
Charlotte Mason, Sam’s sister, had caused a great deal of trouble for us in Savannah, and had nearly gotten Jack killed. She had placed her love and trust in the hands of a villain, and had reaped a broken heart as well as a great deal of regret.
“That is for the best,” Jack said. “Mother will keep her so occupied that she will not have time to consider her grief.”
“That is what Sam said when he agreed.”
A bell rang through the house, and Bess put down her fork and pushed away from the table.
“Time to confront the devil.” Bess snatched up a carving knife and left the dining parlor before we could halt her.
William was standing just inside the book room when we followed Bess into the room. William looked as if he would try to embrace her.
“You should know that if you touch me I will stab you,” Bess said to William.
“Now we are in the basket,” Jack whispered to me before stepping between the two of them.
When William had arrived to accompany us to Charleston, he appeared without the gray beard, and his hair was again brown instead of Harvey’s gray. He no longer walked with a limp, but he still had the scar on his cheek.
“Elizabeth, Elizabeth,” William tsked as if he was chiding her.
“No! You will not speak to me as if I am still your daughter. Our relationship died the day you tied me to that bed at the plantation so that your guard
She was a woman who knew what she wanted and let nothing stand in the way of acquiring her goals.
The doctor arrived only minutes after we did. Jack tried to insist that the doctor examine me first, but I assured him, and everyone, that I was fine. Other than a sore throat, there was nothing much wrong with me.
Sam, Bess, and the doctor went up to examine Sam before Bess had realized who had accompanied us into her house. The fact that William Martin had immediately hidden himself away in Sam’s book room had something to do with that.
Mrs. Lacey, Bess’s housekeeper, was put to the task of finding places for all of us to sleep, but in the end only Rose, Leo, Jack and I were staying at the house. William, Freddy, Dudley, Hannah, and Mrs. Stanton were to stay at Rose’s house.
Once they had departed, Jack and I went up to our provided bedchamber.
Jack took me into his arms the moment we were alone.
“If anything had happened to you…” He said nothing else for a few minutes.
Holding him against me, I closed my eyes and soaked up his love, allowing it to chase away all of the pain, fear, and anguish from the last few weeks. He was the only person since my father had died who could chase away my fears just by holding me. Jack’s kindness and forgiving nature reminded me of my father. Tears burned my eyes, but I quickly blinked them away.
After a moment, I pulled back with a smile. “I love you, Jack, but you smell terrible.”
A laugh tried to burst from him, but it cracked and rasped.
“Why do I not ring for a bath, and while you wash away the grime I will read to you.”
Jack agreed readily, for I had discovered that when I read to him he relaxed his own fears.
The following morning, when we went down to breakfast was the first time that we were able to speak with Bess.
After hugging her, the first thing Jack said was, “Our father is here.”
Bess’s brown eyes turned hard, but the smile remained on her lips. “Sam has informed me. Where is he?”
“At Rose’s house, but he means to visit after breakfast,” Jack told her.
“Then we have at least an hour of peace.” Bess sat between me and Jack while we ate fruit, toast, jam, eggs, and Jack even consumed a sirloin of beef.
Bess told us that Sam could only speak in rasps and had been ordered by the doctor to rest.
“Where is Mother?” Jack asked midway through our meal.
“She has taken Charlotte and Betsy to Washington. Charlotte was not adjusting well to being back in Charleston, though she did try.”
Charlotte Mason, Sam’s sister, had caused a great deal of trouble for us in Savannah, and had nearly gotten Jack killed. She had placed her love and trust in the hands of a villain, and had reaped a broken heart as well as a great deal of regret.
“That is for the best,” Jack said. “Mother will keep her so occupied that she will not have time to consider her grief.”
“That is what Sam said when he agreed.”
A bell rang through the house, and Bess put down her fork and pushed away from the table.
“Time to confront the devil.” Bess snatched up a carving knife and left the dining parlor before we could halt her.
William was standing just inside the book room when we followed Bess into the room. William looked as if he would try to embrace her.
“You should know that if you touch me I will stab you,” Bess said to William.
“Now we are in the basket,” Jack whispered to me before stepping between the two of them.
When William had arrived to accompany us to Charleston, he appeared without the gray beard, and his hair was again brown instead of Harvey’s gray. He no longer walked with a limp, but he still had the scar on his cheek.
“Elizabeth, Elizabeth,” William tsked as if he was chiding her.
“No! You will not speak to me as if I am still your daughter. Our relationship died the day you tied me to that bed at the plantation so that your guard
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