Miss Whittier Makes a List (51 page)

“
Of course I can, Daughter,
”
he said, his face lighting up with love for her, and anxiety that went deeper than concern.
“
You mean to visit Hosea?
”

She nodded and smiled.
“
I think I am overdue there, and I did promise his wife that I would help with the baby.
”

“
It seems so long ago,
”
he said, his voice wistful.

“
It is so long ago,
”
she agreed.
“
But I am not dead to duty, Papa! I still should get to
Charleston
.
”

When she left the next week, Mama clung to her longer than usual as she kissed her goodbye. Hannah laughed and tried to pull away from the strength of her mother
’
s embrace.
“
I will be back!
”

“
I do not think I will see thee soon,
”
Mama said, and her lips
trembled
.
“
But if I do not, please know I love thee and all thy decisions. God keep thee, Hannah Whittier.
”

It gave her food for thought as the mail coach rolled through the spring morning toward Boston, and something to
think
about beside Daniel Spark for a change. I must write Papa and tell him to keep an eye on Mama, she resolved.

Boston
became
New York
, and then
New Jersey
, and then
Pennsylvania
as April slipped into May as they traveled south. The road was terrible in places, and merely dreadful in others, necessitating frequent layovers that stretched the limits of everyone
’
s equanimity except Hannah
’
s. Each da
y was much like the next to her,
she reflected as she watched the other riders so impatient o
ver delays. I am going nowhere t
o s
e
e no one, really, so what is another day on
the
road?

Virginia
bloomed with dogwood and hawthorn. She breathed deep of the scented air and felt
peace
settle over her for a moment
.
It went away quickly enough
,
but it was nice to know she could feel something still.

They rolled into
Richmond
for the noon meal, and the food was better than usual. No matter how g
ood the food,
she did not dawdle over it. A veteran of the coach by now, she was first back to the coach so she could claim a seat by the window. She looked out with interest, wishing she knew which house belonged to John Marshall, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and one of Papa
’
s heroes. And was that the spire to
St. John
’
s
Church
, where Patrick Henry had spoken of liberty or death?

“
Pardon me, Lady Amber, but is this seat taken
?
’

Her heart stopped, then started again. She continued to stare out the window, but she wasn
’
t seeing any
th
ing this time. Her breath came in little gasps and she felt herself getting light in the head.

“
The last time you did that you were watching a flogging, and I distinctly remember pushing your head between your knees, Hannah. I
’
ll do it again if I have to.
”

“
Say my name again,
”
she said, her voice almost inaudible to her ears.

“
Hannah.
”
It was a caress.

She
turned from her stare out the window to see Daniel Spark smiling down at her. He took off his hat, an elegant low-crowned beaver hat, and wai
t
ed for her response.

“
Pl-Please sit down,
”
she stammered.
“
I know there are others, but I am sure there will be room for ...
.
”
Her voice trailed off as she stared at him.

“
Excellent!
”
He sat next to her and tapped on the side of the coach with his walking stick. She heard the whip crack as the coach sprang forward.

Hannah half rose in her seat to look out the window.
“
But ... the others!
”
she exclaimed.

“
I have paid them a ridiculous sum of money to reain behind and wait for the coach I was following you in to change horses,
”
he explained, sounding perfectly reasonable.
“
They were a bit disagreeable at first, even with all that money, until I told them it was a matter of the heart.
”
He took her hand and twined his fingers through hers, pulling her back down beside him.
“
Americans are so absurd.
”

Hannah rose in stupefied silence, looking down once to make sure that it was Daniel Spark
’
s hand she held, and that her wits had not finally wandered away for good.
“
It
’
s your hand,
”
she mumbled.
“
I
’
d recognize it anywhere.
”

“
Well, yes. It
’
s attached eventually to a shoulder that really
cries out to be leaned upon. Ah,
excellent, my dear. Actually, if you don
’
t mind too much impert
inence so soon after
lunch, I would rather put my arm
around you. I seem to recall that you fit so well there. Better and better.
”

It required no great strength of will to slip her arm around behind him, and he smiled as she patted him to make sure he was real.
“
It
’
s really me. Hannah.
”
he insisted.
“
If you have any doubts ...
.
”
He kissed her then, pulling her onto his lap as the coach rolled along through some of
Virginia
’
s prettiest unappreciated s
cenery. One kiss led to another,
and another, until she was rosy with whisker bu
rn
. He stopped finally to rub his chin.
“
I
’
ve been traveling some pretty terrible roads to catch up with you,
”
he said.
“
That last inn ran out of hot water before I could even lather up.
”
He touched her red cheek.
“
You should have told me I was hurting
”
He grinned.
“
If I was.
”

She did not waste time with words, but kissed him instead until he was breathless and breathing hard. Then she held herself off from him and gently touched his face with the back of her hand. The
little
gesture sent tears to his eyes.
“
I am not going to disappear, Hannah,
”
he managed finally.

“
Thee did before,
”
she reminded him as she arranged herself more comfortably on his lap.

“
I was a damned fool,
”
he replied, placing his hand possessively on her hip.
“
Your mother pointed that out to me in her letter.
”

“
Her letter ...
.”
Hannah began. Her eyes widened.
“
My mother wrote thee a letter?
”

“
Well, to be more specific, she sent copies of the same
letter
to the Blockade Fleet, the Admiralty House, my brother
’
s estate in Kent
,
my home in Dorset, Mama
’
s town house in London, and one to the Prince Regent for good measure,
”
he said, and grinned at the startled expression she knew was on her own face. He hugged her close.
“
I wonder
...
I must ask her someday if she sent one to Napoleon, on the odd chance that I was languishing in one of his prisons awaiting execution.
”

“
Did you keep a copy?
”
Hannah asked.

“
I have
the one from the Blockade
Fleet.
”
He
tugged off her bonnet and tossed it across the coach.
“
It
’
s such a hindrance to fine kissing, Hannah. I have it on good authority that the other letters are on their way to becoming collectors
’
items. Lord
”

She took in that piece of news and allowed him to lean forward and rest his head against her breasts.
“
Hann
ah, she told me plainly that if I wanted to
b
e noble and self-sacrificing, I was to do it with someone else
’
s daughter.
”

“
Mama wouldn
’
t say boo to a goose,
”
Hann
ah marveled, unbuttoning her pe
lisse
so the buttons would not dig into his face as he rested against her.