The Abolitionist’s Secret (8 page)

“And why is that, do you think?”

“I, uh, I suppose it’s to show that we won’t be such a burden to them once we marry, as we won’t eat a lot. I’ve never really thought much about it before.”

“Well, have you given any thought to what proper young ladies are supposed to do when faced with a public kiss?” David asked with a smile as he moved closer to her.

“Of course, sir. We’re to turn away in horror, and smack the gentleman with our fans.” Her stomach was performing acrobatics, which Heather knew was not the result of having eaten too quickly. David took her chin in his hand and swooped in for a kiss before Heather could further object.

“Then I deserve a lashing from your fan,” he drawled as he kissed her again. In response, she pulled back slightly.

“Lieutenant, you are taking far too many liberties with me.”

David ran his hands down her arms, creating a tingling sensation on her skin where he caressed her through the cloth of her riding jacket. His fingers encircled her wrist and he grazed his thumb over her sensitive flesh. Heather struggled to catch her breath.

“I can’t seem to help myself, Heather. When you and I are alone together, all I want to do is to hold you and lavish you with kisses.” To demonstrate what he had just said, he wrapped his arms around her and grazed her lips once more.

She hoped time would stand still for the afternoon and they could be locked in this embrace for hours. Heather ran her hands down his broad chest, feeling the muscles bunch in response to her touch. Her breath caught in her throat. She stifled a moan of delight. After all, she may be acting like a wanton, but underneath, she really was a good and proper young lady. With some reluctance, she broke off the caress.

“Well, that was unexpected,” she whispered.

“But not unwanted, I hope.”

“Well, no. Unsettling, maybe. But nonetheless, I don’t want to give you the wrong impression of me.” She slid over a couple of inches, just out of his grasp, and glanced around, looking for some other topic of conversation. “Why don’t I tell you about this big tree instead?”

David sighed. “Well, it is a very large tree, and I suppose it has some significance. Alright then, tell me.”

“It’s called ‘Hangman’s Elm’ for obvious reasons. The city fathers have determined it’s been here since the 1600s, making it the oldest tree in the city.”

David studied the tree, under whose branches they were sitting. “I can envision people being hanged here, for treason, maybe, during the Revolutionary War. Fascinating.”

He turned his gaze from the tree back to Heather. “But not as fascinating as you are. To ease your mind, I don’t believe I have the wrong impression of you at all. You’re a beautiful young woman with a thirst for life beyond what New York can provide you. People may overlook you because you are more reserved in comparison to Jasmine, but the passion you have for life lies just beneath the surface of your quiet demeanor. You question how to improve living conditions for everyone, not just the privileged, and I love that about you. I’d like to show you the frontier. A woman of substance such as yourself would fit in well there.”

“But I thought you were on your way home to the south to live on the plantation with your father.”

“He thinks so, too, after I capture our slave and take care of that business. But I don’t know if the life of a plantation owner is the right life for me.”

Heather glanced up at him, surprised and hopeful. “You mean, if it were up to you, you’d let all your slaves go free?”

David’s smile melted her heart. “I don’t know if I’d go that far. The slaves are not yet equipped for life on their own.”

“Well, then, perhaps it should be your obligation to teach them the skills they need to live by their own means. To read and write and add sums. That seems to me to be the honorable thing to do.”

“Possibly, if I decide to stay in Georgia. My parents are counting on me marrying the young lady at the next plantation over from ours and combining our estates. But I can’t do that, especially since I’ve already given my affections to another.”

Heather’s heart fluttered wildly at the course this conversation was taking. “To whom would you be declaring yourself, pray tell?” She crossed her fingers behind her back as she waited.

“You have bewitched me from the moment we met.” To emphasize his statement, he leaned in and captured her lips once more.

A bit breathless, Heather pulled back, placing her hands on his chest, and asked, “Would your father welcome a northern lady coming to live on the plantation?”

David leaned against the side of the gazebo. “He might, but Mother never would. Therein lies the problem. Since we were born, Blanche Beaufort has been assumed to be a partner for either my brother or me. Our parents are the best of friends, and Blanche grew up with us, doing all those childhood things side by side. According to Mother, since Jacob died, Blanche has been waiting for me to return home and marry her.”

Heather’s heart plummeted to her knees. “I’ve heard about how lovely women are in the south. Is Blanche a beautiful southern belle?”

David smiled as he conjured up Blanche’s face. “She has buck teeth and stringy washed-out hair. I much prefer curly brunettes with straight lovely teeth.” He playfully tugged on one of Heather’s curled tendrils as he leaned in again to capture another kiss.

Heather pulled away again, even though she would have preferred to stay in his embrace. But more importantly, she needed an answer to the big question that was at the forefront of her mind.

“So, how will you resolve your conflict on what to do with your life?”

David took a deep breath. He looked Heather in the eyes and took one of her hands in his. “There is no conflict in terms of my feelings for you. There is only a dilemma in trying to decide which lifestyle to choose once I wed. If I asked for your hand before I left New York, I would be duty-bound to marry you. A southern gentleman never goes back on his word.”

Heather removed her hand from his slowly, and replied stiffly. “I would never want you to consider me a ‘duty.’ Unless you can commit to me freely, and with love, it would be best if you return to Savannah and marry Miss Beaufort, as was originally intended.” She turned her face away from him.

David recaptured her hand and placed it on his chest. “I don’t mean to give you the wrong impression. Marrying you would not be a duty, it would be my honor. But if I were to ask your father for your hand, I would then consider myself obliged to fulfill that request. You have already captured my heart, Heather. I can only hope to capture yours before I must leave New York.”

She glanced up at him in surprise. “It has been yours since the day we met. Surely you know that already.”

He let out a long breath. “I had hoped you were feeling the same as I was. Then you wouldn’t mind if I approach your father and ask for your hand?”

Heather shivered in the April sun as she imagined her life with David by her side. “It certainly has been a whirlwind courtship, but I am sure of my feelings. It would make me the happiest woman in New York to marry you. I can’t wait for our life to begin.” This time she was the one who leaned in for a kiss.

Heather bounded into Jasmine’s sickroom. It was the logical place for her to be with a big announcement. After all, they had done everything together since the day they were born, and she wanted Jasmine to be the first to hear her news.

Jasmine was propped up in her bed, with her bound ankle on top of two pillows. She had been looking through the most recent copy of
Godey’s Lady’s Book
for the current colorful fashion trends from Paris. She glanced up when Heather opened the door.

“Thank goodness, someone has come to relieve my boredom.” Jasmine tossed the book down on the bed counterpane. “I swear,
Godey’s
has nothing exciting to offer in terms of fashion this month. Or maybe I’m just feeling that way since I know I wouldn’t get to wear any of their new gowns, at least not for a while.” She glanced up at Heather. “I saw you leave with Lieutenant Whitman this morning, and I have to say, he looks mighty proprietary with you.”

“As well he should.” Heather leaped onto the bed, taking care not to jostle Jasmine’s ankle, and grabbed her hands. “He asked me to marry him!”

Jasmine glared at her sister as she pulled her hands away. “You must be joking! Why, you’ve only known him for a few days. Surely you turned down his impertinent request, which was given in the most poor taste.”

Heather took a calming breath. “No, he’s going to talk to Papa at the bank right now. I’m absolutely giddy with excitement! Jas, please be happy for me.”

Sally opened the door to the room, her arms filled with pillows and towels. She looked at the pair of sisters. “Pardon, young misses. I’ze jez gonna put dese away and den leave you alone.”

“It’s quite all right, Sally. I just need to talk my sister out of making the biggest mistake of her life,” Jasmine replied with a wave of her hand. “It’s one of my duties as the eldest twin. You can stay.”

“It’s not a mistake. David and I have had long talks about what he’s going to do with the rest of his life. He doesn’t want to return to the family plantation in Savannah. He wants to start his own life in the west. Just think of it. Ginger and I could be neighbors!”

Jasmine snorted. “Long talks, indeed. You’ve barely spent any time at all with the man.”

Sally glanced from one sister to the other. “What’s da name of your young man from Savannah, missy?”

Heather turned to Sally, pride filling her voice. “My young man is Lieutenant David Whitman, who has just finished serving his country for four years in the Army. But, prior to that, he grew up on a large plantation in Georgia. And I’m going to marry him.”

Sally put a hand on her heart, and her face took on an ashen hue. “If y’all don’ need anything else, I needs to go talk to your mother. Miss Heather, you needs to come, too.”

Heather and Jasmine looked at each other as Sally retreated from the room. “Well, that was odd.” Jasmine proclaimed. She turned her attention back to Heather. “Okay, if you’re hell-bent on marrying him, tell me everything that happened on your ride. Did he ravish you? Is the reason for your quick engagement because he has compromised you by taking your maidenhead?”

Heather blushed at the matter-of-fact tone in Jasmine’s voice. “No,” she whispered. “Just a couple delicious kisses, that’s all.”

“Pooh,” Jasmine replied as she smoothed the blanket by her side, “I’ve done more than that with Philippe, for heaven’s sake. I thought you’d have something really spicy and juicy to tell me. I don’t get what the two of you see in each other. I find the lieutenant boring.”

“Well, I find him exciting and wonderful, so it’s a good thing that I’m the one he’s marrying. He told me all about the plantation in Georgia and about the girl he grew up with who everyone thought he would marry. She lives on a neighboring plantation.”

“So why is he not marrying her?”

“Because he prefers me, that’s why. Besides, my teeth are straight, and he wants plenty of children who don’t have buck teeth.” Heather flashed a grin at Jasmine before she looked to the door. “I guess I should go find out what Sally and Mother are talking about.”

“Hmmm. Yes, leave me alone, now, Heather. I need to take a nap.”

After Heather departed, Jasmine threw every available pillow across the room in her frustration. She was the one who had always done everything first, with Heather following meekly behind. She should be the one to marry first, not Heather. Fat tears fell onto her cheeks as she realized that, if Heather should follow through with this marriage, she’d be leaving home, and leaving Jasmine’s side for the first time in her life.

Well, she’d have to figure out a way to right this situation, but it was difficult, when she was bound to this bed. Jasmine beat her hands against the mattress in frustration. Damn Philippe and his red soles anyway. Had she known that the cobbler was the only man she would get to kiss this season, she’d have taken her time with him, and done much more than let him just kiss her.

She’d think of something. Surely, even from a sick bed, she could find a way to keep Heather from marrying ahead of her. She wished she knew more about the woman David had grown up with and whom everyone assumed he’d marry. Perhaps there was something more to that story, she thought shrewdly. But how to find out?

As the
Godey’s
fashion book went sailing across the room and landed with a satisfying thud on the floor, Jasmine began to sort through various ideas in her head.

• • •

“Mrs. Fitzpatrick, I needs to talk to you.” Sally stood in front of Charlotte, her hands moving nervously.

“Of course, Sally. Is everything all right?”

“No, ma’am, everything’s all wrong!”

“Is it Titus?”

“No, ma’am, I jez checked on him. Your young’un, Rosemary, is reading him a story.”

“Well, if it’s not Titus, what could possibly be wrong?”

“I jez heard Miss Heather telling Miss Jasmine about her beau. I asked Miss Heather to join us, too. I hope you don’ mind.” Sally wrung her hands with even more fervor.

“You must be talking about Lieutenant Whitman,” Charlotte said smugly. “I met him last year in St. Louis and thought he’d be a good match for one of the twins. I’m so happy that Heather and he seem to be interested in each other.”

“He jez asked for her hand. I heard her tell Miss Jasmine. But it can’t be. It can’t never be.”

Charlotte glanced at Sally, who was getting more agitated by the minute. She took Sally’s hands and pulled her to a seat on the settee.

“Please tell me what is wrong. Do you know the lieutenant?”

“Yes, ma’ am, I do. Slaves use the last names of their masters. My name is Sally Whitman.”

Charlotte’s blood ran cold. She placed a hand on her throat. “You mean, you’re the slave David’s been sent here to look for by his father?”

Sally hung her head and nodded slightly. “Yes, ma’am. Iz you gonna turn me in?”

“No, of course not, Sally. This is a safe house for you and young Titus. We’ll just have to keep you out of the way when he comes to call, that’s all. We’ll get you to Niagara as soon as it’s safe, and all will be well. Then Heather can marry David and move to Georgia with him.”