Indigo (44 page)

"And Lem gave the information to Shoe?"

"Yes, Shoe was down in Monroe with Porter Greer. It was Greer who alerted the other kidnappers, but because Branton hadn't known the exact date of the Daniel's arrival, they'd been patrolling the Ohio border every night for two weeks. The ones who eventually found him were simply lucky that night."

Hester didn't know what to say to the tragic tale.

"So," Raymond asked. "Where is your son now?"

"More than likely down in Monroe, waiting for me to throw them another sacrificial lamb."

Bea saw the questions in Hester's eyes. "I gave them the Blackburns, the Creightons, and everyone else."

"Why?"

"Initially to learn the fate of my children. That was the original bargain."

"You traded the freedom of your neighbors for information on your children?" Raymond asked angrily.

Bea's voice was cold. "Yes, and until you have children of your own, do not be so quick to judge me. I may be a stupid old woman, but leaving my children behind choked my heart everyday for thirty years. I needed to know what had happened to them. Lem told me they were alive but wouldn't say where until I aided him."

Her voice softened. "So, I did."

"But you helped free Fanny Blackburn."

"Yes, I did. I told them afterwards you would've been suspicious if I hadn't. Shoe was furious that you deluded him. He wanted to know everything about you after that."

"He has my papers, Bea. Did you tell him about the wardrobe?"

"Heavens, no, Hester! Is that why the house was ravaged so, because they were looking for your free papers?"

"We aren't certain, but the papers are gone."

"Shoe pressed and pressed for information on you, but I refused to give it. They threatened to expose me to the community as a traitor, but by then I knew my children were both dead and I didn't care what they did to me. I loved your aunt like a sister. I'd have killed myself before sacrificing
you."

Hester pulled Bea into her arms and both women cried.

"I'm so, so sorry," Bea whispered. "So sorry."

Back at the Folly, later that evening, Raymond, Galen, and Andre were huddled in Galen's study, discussing Bea's story and Shoe's part in it.

Raymond asked, "So what do you propose we do,
mon frere?"

"If necessary, find Shoe and shoot him down like the jackal he is," Galen pronounced coldly. "I will not let this hang over my wife's head."

"I agree," Raymond said. "Shall I contact my brothers?"

"Yes. How long do you think it will take them to arrive?"

"Less than a week's time. They were going on to Toronto after they helped us bring back the Amherstburg child. It shouldn't be very hard to get word to them."

"Then go ahead. Their presence will even the odds."

Tired, Galen went up to bed a while later. He thought Hester would be asleep, but she was standing out on the veranda in her nightgown gazing out over the dark river below. At the sound of his footsteps she turned and gave him a small smile. "Are you men finished with your plans to save me from Shoe?"

"I will not let anything happen to you,
petite,
I promise."

"I know Galen, but sometimes promises made by people like you and me are nearly impossible to keep."

She went to him and he wrapped her into his arms. "What you say is true, but not in this case. Are you prepared to leave here should it become necessary for us to run?"

She hadn't thought about having to leave the country before, but she was prepared to join him wherever the future led. "Yes."

He kissed her brow. "Good, because the only way to stop Shoe may be to kill him."

Hester went still. She looked up into the eyes of the man she'd come to love as much as life, then placed her head against his chest. He held her tight. "I hope it won't come to that," she said quietly.

"I hope it won't either," he told her. "But it may."

It took nearly a week to remove all the debris from the interior of the Wyatt home, and Hester was there each day, overseeing the task. Racine joined the cleaning team after returning to Whittaker about midweek, bringing with her the lovely Ginette, who took one look at all the physical labor involved and opted to help Maxi with the meals for the crew instead. Hester did not fault her, although Gail had a few choice things to say, until reminded that Ginette came from a world of privilege and servants, she knew absolutely nothing about cleaning. More than likely she would just have been in the way.

As the days of August gave over to the cooler days of September someone began waging a shadowy guerilla campaign against Greer and Shoe's forces down in Monroe. It began with Greer's stables and livery burning to the ground. When Hester questioned Galen about it, he shrugged. Raymond, on the other hand, simply smiled a knowing smile and winked when asked about the fire. A few days after the fire, all of the dogs belonging to Shoe and Greer were fed hushpuppies by an unknown source, and as a consequence would never again track another fugitive. A well-known Road conductor, Deacon Theron Trowbridge of the Congregational Church of Denmark, Iowa, invented the hushpuppies. The deacon would heavily spice corn dodgers with strychnine and then feed them to the bloodhounds of slave catchers who tracked fugitives to his station. He was known to say that the only good bloodhound was a dead one.

Gail made arrangements for Bea to go the Grove for a respite from the intrigue and to place her out of harm's way. Gail's brother Absalom, and his friend Adam Crowley would keep her safe or die in the effort. All in all it gave everyone one less thing to worry about.

Bea's son Lem also became one less worry. His dead body was found floating in the Detroit River. His hands were bound and the word ‘traitor' had been burned into his chest with a brand. Some said the Order had taken the matter into their own hands, but there was no proof. The authorities were investigating, but held little hope of finding those responsible because undoubtedly no one in the community would aid them.

Galen and Hester enjoyed a guarded peace. They made mud pies down at the river, made love, and spent the days of September learning more about the special magic they found in one another. By the end of the month, the apples in her father's wild orchards were fat and ripe and ready to be picked.

Hester was ripening in her own way. She was fairly certain she was carrying Galen's child, but to be certain she decided to hold off telling him for another few weeks.

During the last week of September, Raymond's brothers arrived, much to everyone's delight. Hester found all five as handsome and debonair as their older sibling. Ginette was in heaven over the presence of her true love Gerrold, but her enthusiasm was slightly dampened when she realized Maxi and Racine planned on being very strict chaperones.

Since the finding of Shoe's note, Hester had been expressly forbidden by everyone to go anywhere unaccompanied. She did not quibble. She had no desire to be kidnapped and taken south. As a consequence, someone was always with her, and today it was Gerrold as she worked cleaning up the last of the mess in Wyatt house.

When Foster and Jenine drove up to the house, Gerrold and Hester turned to each other with a concerned curiosity. Foster jumped down and ran up the walk yelling her name. Hester hurried out to meet him.

"Hester! Shoe has arrested your husband! Jenine just passed Sheriff Lawson on the road and he begs that you come to town, right now!"

Hester's insides went cold as ice.

She was already running to the wagon when Gerrold shouted, "I'll go back to the Folly and see what I can learn. I'll meet you in town!"

Hester could think of nothing but Galen. She hadn't even told him about the child. She prayed for him as she quickly followed Foster.

"Come on!" Jenine shouted. "Hurry!"

Hester scampered into the bed and Foster grabbed up the reins and slapped them hard.

They'd only gone a short distance when Jenine pulled a pistol from her handbag.

Hester said, "Good thinking, Jenine, we may need a weapon."

When Jenine began to laugh, Hester asked, "What's so funny?"

"The two of you," she replied smiling. "If you could see how deadly serious you both look."

Foster stared back in confusion, but kept the horses on pace.

Hester froze as a cool-eyed Jenine trained the weapon on her and called out, "Stop the wagon."

Foster stared in surprise at the gun and drew the horses to a stop.

The determination and firmness of Jenine's posture set Hester's heart to beating fast.

Foster barked, "Jenine, what are you doing?"

"Find a rope and tie her hands, Foster."

He stared a moment. "Have you lost your mind?!"

"Dammit, get a rope!"

"I demand an explanation."

Jenine snapped, "Find a rope or I'll shoot her right now!"

Foster looked about to argue further, but Hester told him quietly, "Do as she says, Foster."

Foster found a length of rope in the wagon bed and tied it around her wrists.

Jenine warned, "Tightly. I'd hate to have to shoot her in the back if she tries to run."

Foster appeared so very confused Hester's heart went out to him in spite of the recent problems that had undermined their friendship.

He asked, "What is this about, Jenine?"

"Get behind the reins and drive on."

Foster tried again for an explanation. "Jenine—"

"Drive," she told him coldly.

He drew in an impatient breath and did as he was told.

As they got under way, Hester said to Jenine, "Galen isn't really in danger, is he? You lied to Foster. You haven't seen Sheriff Lawson."

"No, I haven't, but I needed Foster to drive while I held the gun."

The answer gave Hester heart. As long as Galen was safe she felt up to any challenge Jenine might present.

Jenine looked around at the landscape as if judging her location, then told Foster, "Take the next fork, and head south."

"Where are we going?"

"You'll know soon enough."

Hester knew that Galen would move the sun itself to find her. She simply had to avoid being shot until then.

At the fork, Foster headed south. The road was rarely used, and because of the rain last night, it was a muddy mess. The going was slow, but Jenine didn't seem to mind. She appeared deadly confident.

After about a two-mile drive, Jenine gave the order to stop. "Now get down slowly, Hester, and don't think I won't shoot."

Hester thought no such thing. She got down from the buggy, slowly, just as instructed. Hester could just about imagine the fear that Galen must be experiencing, and it weighed heavily on her heart. Her disappearance had to be causing him great pain. The knowledge made her more than a bit angry. However she swallowed it as Jenine motioned her and Foster to walk forward.

They took a skinny little path through the high brush and trees. After a few hundred feet, she stopped them in a small clearing that sheltered an abandoned and derelict shack. She motioned Hester to a seat on a nearby tree stump. "Now we wait," she declared.

"For what?" Foster demanded.

"An old friend of mine. Ezra Shoe."

Hester stiffened and glanced over into Foster's astonished eyes.

Foster stared at Jenine as if he'd never laid eyes on her before. In all reality he had not. As Galen had predicted, Jenine had finally shown Foster her true colors. He was devastated. "Why are you doing this?" he asked.

"Money. Shoe promised me enough to make my way west."

"Money?! You would let her be sold south for money?"

"Yes," she said without guilt.

"But she is of your own race."

Jenine scoffed, "The race. What has being in the race ever done for me? Being born Black is a curse, a stone around my neck, but the more money I have, the less the stone will weigh."

Hester interrupted, "Jenine, my husband is a very wealthy man, if it is only money you seek, he will beggar himself for my return."

"If it were that simple, I'd consider it but all the money in the world won't bring Lem back."

"You're doing this for revenge? Lem was a traitor."

"Yes, he was. But he was also my lover."

Hester watched Foster's face pale and his shoulders slump. For a moment, his eyes held a bleakness that tore at Hester's heart.

He asked, "So you never loved me?"

She gave him a mocking, sad smile. "You were simply the Gallahad I needed."

"What were you doing in England?"

"A very wealthy man took me there. I was his mistress. He was killed in a brawl and I was left penniless. When you came across me in the hold, I was on my way home because my money had run out."

"Yet you pretended to love me. Why?"

"Because I knew you'd get me to Michigan. My other candidate was that student from Cleveland we met aboard ship. Residing in Ohio would have been amenable because of its proximity to this state. I picked you because you said you were from Whittaker. I knew Lem was here because he'd written me after finding his mother."