Sweetsmoke (20 page)

    "Interesting
thought, Cassius, one I had not considered. We do have fine people of our own,
of course."

    We
sure do, Master Hoke, I didn't mean to take nothing from our family. Just
thinking aloud, about that Beauregard.

    "What
about Beauregard?"

    Well,
sir, Master Hoke, William, he's off with Master Jacob and he was a fine butler,
we all know that, but since then it's Pet answering the door.

    "Yes,
I suppose it would be nice to have a butler again. But my wife is uncomfortable
with John-Corey's people."

    Guess
I understand that all right.

    Cassius
let that sit for a moment, and then he said:

    But
one thing.

    "Something
else?"

    Maybe
Missus Ellen don't know it'd be an honor to her son's memory to have his people
there. I mean, the girl Quashee seems refined, and Missus Sarah needs a
servant, near as I can tell.

    Hoke
considered Cassius with a half smile, and for a moment Cassius thought he had
overplayed his hand.

    "You
speak very well, Cassius, which I take as a compliment to me, as you grew up
under my tutelage." He looked away again and said, "Send Beauregard
and Quashee up to the house this evening just after sunset. I will see them
myself and perhaps I can coax Ellen to take part." Hoke nodded at Cassius,
and again Cassius wondered if his smile was patronizing. It mattered little, as
Cassius had accomplished his task.

    Cassius
returned to the quarters early and watched Big Gus lead the hands back down the
lane. Big Gus appeared unusually sunny, but Cassius afforded it no
significance. He watched for Beauregard and Quashee, and they were with the
stragglers, filthy and exhausted. Cassius urged them to find their best clothes
so they could be presented at the big house. Quashee came suddenly awake,
anxious because her one good dress had been soaking to remove a stain. She
could not meet the masters in a wet dress. Others pulled out their best
clothing, but every appropriate dress offered was too large.

    Cassius
overheard whispering women, one of whom suggested that if Quashee went to the
big house, the bad luck would follow and the quarters would return to normal.

    Cassius
saw Joseph bringing up the rear, the last worker out of the fields. Joseph was
known to hurry back to his cabin, relishing his evenings and his free time
after chores, but tonight he walked with arms crossed, hands tucked beneath his
armpits. Cassius understood immediately; Big Gus had fabricated infractions
against Joseph and slapped his cane across the young man's outstretched palms.
Joseph went directly into Abram and Savilla's cabin and did not return to the
lane.

    Cassius
watched Quashee's anxiety grow with the presentation of each unwearable dress
and imagined that she feared offending the planters as she had no time to
bathe. Savilla pulled her from cabin to cabin, but no suitable dress was found.
Quashee was finally resigned to her work dress and brushed the filth away as
best she could. It was then that Tempie Easter approached.

    Come
with me, girl, said Tempie, leading Quashee to her cabin. Missus likes her
house folk to be pretty and presentable.

    Cassius
was wary of Tempie's offer, but Quashee was frankly delighted. When a person in
desperate straits is offered help, he thought, relief can overwhelm good sense.
He probed it from every angle, as he did not see how Tempie would benefit from
helping Quashee. He could find nothing but charity in her actions, and warily
decided that Tempie understood she was not likely to join the big house staff
herself and had decided not to spoil another girl's opportunity. Nevertheless,
his skepticism persisted and he remained outside the cabin that Tempie shared
with two other unmarried female hands. He heard Quashee's girlish squeals of
pleasure from within, a sound so infectious that it brought a smile to his
face. Moments later, Quashee emerged adorned in one of Tempie's dresses. Tempie
was larger than Quashee, but not as large as most of the women of the quarters,
and this dress was suitable. Where it was tight and suggestive on Tempie, it
had a loose easy quality across Quashee's shoulders and torso, cinched at the
waist with a belt where the skirt billowed out and flowed gracefully to the
ground. Discreet bows and pockets in the folds completed the look. Cassius's
trepidation eased when he saw the relief on Quashee's face.

    Oh,
Tempie, you are a lifesaver, said Quashee, leaning to hug her.

    No
reason one of us shouldn't get to the big house, said Tempie.

    You
look fine, said Cassius.

    It's
the right thing, said Tempie. You know if you seen Pet that she wears dresses
just like this one. Maybe not so pretty.

    Cassius
noticed that Tempie wore a dress that was strikingly similar, also cinched at
the waist with a billow that dropped gracefully to the ground, also with
pockets and bows. If Tempie would wear that dress, then she was not setting up
Quashee to look the fool.

    Beauregard
joined them, erect and elegant in a clean white shirt and dark pants he had
brought from Master John-Corey's plantation. The two of them side by side
looked out of place in the quarters.

    Come,
daughter. We should be on our way, said Beauregard. He nodded to Cassius,
acknowledging the debt he owed the carpenter for this opportunity. He offered
his elbow, she took it and they walked in tandem.

    Tempie
watched Quashee start up the lane with the back of the dress dragging.

    That
dress is long in back. I best come along, hold it out the dirt, least till they
give you the job, said Tempie, taking a handful of fabric and lifting it to
clear the ground. Quashee twisted awkwardly to see Tempie walking behind her as
if carrying her train.

    Oh,
Tempie, I can't tell you how much I thank you, said Quashee.

    Cassius
watched them go, feeling satisfied, but his skeptical mind drove a spike into
his pleasure and he decided to follow. He stayed a few steps behind Tempie and
Quashee, and again took note of Tempie's dress, a near twin to Quashee's, with
cinch, billow, and pockets.

    Beauregard,
Quashee, Tempie, and Cassius followed the path in the dark, passing the
Overseer's place and approaching the big house from the rear, walking more
quickly as the lights inside the big house guided them around to the front yard
where young Master Charles and other white children were tended by Nanny
Catherine. Hoke Howard and his wife, Ellen, sat on the front porch, admiring
their grandchildren. Hoke saw the hands and came to his feet, opening his arms
to extend a welcome. He smiled in surprise to see Cassius. Cassius nodded, but
hung back so that Beauregard and Quashee could properly introduce themselves.
Ellen stood but wore an artificial smile. Mam Rosie heard the fuss from her
kitchen and came out wiping her hands down her apron. Pet appeared framed in
the front door behind them, and when she saw the group, she rushed past and
down to Quashee and, with her left hand, turned her around to admire the dress.
Then Pet seemed to catch herself and turned and bowed her head to Ellen in
apology.

    Sorry,
Missus, said Pet. It just she lookin so pretty.

    Cassius
had been watching Ellen for her reaction to John- Corey's people, but Pet's
flurry alerted him. Pet had turned Quashee so that she stood sideways from the planters
on the porch, with Tempie now behind her. The locations of the lanterns caused
a shadow to fall across the backside of Quashee's dress and Cassius could not
see Pet's hands. Pet curtsied to her mistress and took a step back to stand
beside Tempie. Cassius then saw Pet exchange a glance with Tempie. Cassius
alone saw Tempie's quick, impulsive smile, gone before it registered.

    A
frisson of fear flowed through him as every hair on his arms and the back of
his neck set off a shriek of warning. He dug down to engage the lessons of
stealth he had mastered so that he could survive as a slave, and he walked
carelessly toward the group.

    Master
Hoke, said Cassius in a strong voice, taking charge before anyone else had an
opportunity to speak, I think you know Beauregard here, he was Master
John-Corey's butler over in Lynchburg.

    Beauregard
stood taller and nodded to Cassius in uncertain appreciation. Cassius nodded
back.

    That
is true, Master Hoke, I carried the keys, said Beauregard.

    "From
everything I have heard, you did a fine job, Beauregard, a fine job," said
Hoke.

    Cassius
moved around Beauregard, behind Quashee. Tempie and Pet were up to something
and Cassius needed to buy time so that he might understand what it was.

    This
here, said Cassius, is our dear Quashee.

    "Yes,"
said Hoke, "you also come with a fine reputation. I am pleased to make
your acquaintance."

    Cassius
glanced down at the back of her dress, now removed from shadow. He saw a flash
of shiny green, a small corner not completely hidden in a deep pocket and he
understood. From that moment on he knew his timing was everything, he would
need to be very good and very quick or all would be lost.

    Quashee
has been working in the fields, but as you can see, her delicacy is better
suited to the big house, said Cassius. He was not fully aware of what he was
saying.

    He
placed his hands on Quashee's shoulder and then let them move down her sides to
her skirt, where he appeared to brush dust off the fabric that ballooned out
from her waist. In doing this he was able to angle her into shadow. Quashee
looked awkwardly over her shoulder at Cassius as if she did not recognize him.

    He
pressed his leg against her thigh, moving her off-balance, and as she stepped
forward gracelessly, he pretended also to stumble and utilized the shadow to
slip his hand down into the pocket to secretly grab the small green box. He
knew it by touch, the snuff box with the brown inlays that his fingers had
formed for Hoke Howard years before. He brought the box up under his shirt as
he spoke.

    Beg
your pardon, miss, clumsy me, said Cassius, then turned back and said rapidly
to the planters: Quashee would be a fine personal servant for poor Missus
Sarah.

    Master
Hoke, said Beauregard, breaking in as if he might save Cassius from further
humiliation, I hope you will consider us worthy to work in your home, sir.

    Cassius
nodded, playing the fool, hastily taking steps backward, and others glanced
away from his embarrassment. He stepped at an angle and brushed by Tempie
Easter. At that moment he understood why Tempie Easter had worn that dress: If
Tempie exposed Quashee as a thief, then she might be considered for the
position of personal servant to Missus Sarah. Thus dressed for her interview,
she could walk directly into the big house and never look back. Cassius slipped
the small green snuff box into the side pocket of Tempie's dress and was
satisfied she did not feel it.

    "I
think we may conduct our interview out here as well as anywhere," said
Hoke smiling, and he turned to include Ellen. She nodded curtly.

    That
would be fine, sir, anyplace that the Master deems appropriate, said
Beauregard.

    "He
does speak well, would you not say so, Mrs. Howard?" Hoke said to Ellen,
but everyone understood that he was working too hard.

    "Yes,"
Ellen said icily, "our home will be filled once more with the
sophisticated tete-a-tete of a butler."

    Hoke
moved to Ellen's side and spoke with her quietly, leaving everyone standing in
the yard at attention.

    Cassius
shambled over to where young Master Charles watched the proceedings with bored
detachment. Cassius's heart pounded loudly in his chest. This was his last
trick, and he was counting on Master Charles's dislike of him. Master Charles
looked at Cassius as if he was a roach and Cassius sat directly beside the
young master, nodding, smiling.

    Hoke
took a step away from Ellen, who looked off to the side. His smile returned and
he addressed his family:

    "When
you worked for my son, Beauregard, what were your duties?" said Hoke.

    Cassius
leaned in close to young Master Charles and said: Tempie got herself a plan,
but I know the truth.

    Charles
looked at him, wrinkling his nose.

    Beauregard
spoke of his duties at Master John-Corey's Lynchburg plantation: I was of
course the first one awake, Master Hoke, my position to make sure the house was
prepared to welcome Master John-Corey and Missus Stephanie from their
uninterrupted sleep, I made sure they never had to give the slightest thought
to anything, their bath was-