The Cost of Atonement, page 3
Anna nodded her head and started picking up books to return to their proper shelves. Virginia glanced at the other woman as she worked. It was nice to share this piece of herself with someone else. But she is the hired eyes of your father, she reminded herself. She had to be careful what she allowed her to know and see.
Chapter Five
BLACK AND WHITE. RIGHT and wrong. Good and bad. These ideas floated through Virginia’s mind in a web of interconnected, abstract philosophical concepts. Like every day for the past year, they consumed her thoughts. What made one person right and another wrong? What made one person better and another worse? Was it all a matter of perception?
“Oh, do keep up, will you?” Virginia called over her shoulder with an exasperated sigh.
Anna lagged a few feet behind, gulping on air as her stout body waddled along the sidewalk.
Virginia fought the urge to roll her eyes and shake her fist at the sky as she stopped walking to allow the other woman time to catch up. Closing her eyes, she took a deep, calming breath to collect her waning patience. The clomping of horses’ hooves followed by the jostling of the carriages they pulled down the worn cobblestone street mixed with the chatter of individuals buying and selling fresh garden fare and other items along the street. The aroma of fresh bread and other baked goods wafted on the cool spring breeze to her nose. Warmth from the midday sun caressed her skin, soothing her.
Opening her eyes, she felt a touch more patience. After all, there was only so much grace you could give when the person annoying you was your warden. But having Anna there was better than the alternative. And Anna wasn’t the reason she was upset, she reminded herself. Reading the articles on the various happenings in the abolitionist movement always made her blood boil. It fueled her desire to join the abolitionist movement. To take part in ending the institution that stole her most loved friend and, with her, her heart?
Soleil. The innocent face of her dearest friend, with her sparkling, ocean blue-green eyes and mischievous grin, invaded Virginia’s mind before she could stop it. The heavy weight of loss settled on her chest in a crushing vise grip. She lifted her hand to rub away the ache as the bothersome tears that always threatened whenever she thought of her friend stung the backs of her eyes.
It had been almost a year since Virginia had lost the only person in her life with whom she could be her authentic self. She had not laughed until she cried—and had barely laughed at all, for that matter—since Soleil’s disappearance.
Kidnapping was a more accurate description of what had happened to Soleil; although, the fine officers of the law in Elba, Alabama, refused to call it such. To do so would mean having to put forth the effort to locate a mulatto woman, a task they refused to do—even if she was the legitimate daughter of a French aristocrat.
“You know, you could slow down a bit. You walk as if you are constantly in a hurry. Supper is not for another hour, so we do not need to rush home.” Anna wheezed the words as she walked toward Virginia. Once she finally caught up, she bent forward in quite an unladylike display, both hands on her hips sucking in air.
“And you, O jailor of mine, could learn to walk faster. Besides, I have matters I want to attend to before supper.”
“Like what? Reading the copy of The Liberation you purchased when you thought I wasn’t looking?”
Virginia narrowed her eyes at the other woman, but refused to affirm or deny her accusation. It took all her strength not to protectively clutch the abolitionist newspaper she had folded within an inch of its life and hidden in her reticule.
Prior to this umpteenth stop in the past quarter mile on their way home, Virginia had allowed her mind to ponder over the paper’s contents. This issue, like many before it, advocated for the immediate emancipation of all slaves. It spoke of the humanity of the Negro people and how their captivity was a moral ill against the Creator. Virginia didn’t know if she believed in a creator, but she did believe in the humanity of the Negro people.
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell your father,” Anna said on a strained intake of breath. “Look, dear, I know you don’t like the fact that your father hired me to keep tabs on you. I barely like it myself. I feel for colored people—I really do—and have no qualms with your interest in the abolitionist movement. But I need the money your father is paying, and thus, you are stuck with me. The least we can do is not make it unbearable for each other. After all, I thought we’d reached a level of understanding at the school. Truce?”
Virginia’s lips flattened into a thin white line as she looked down at the small hand Anna extended to her. Tricks and lies were one thing she could not tolerate in anyone. Bringing her hard gaze back to Anna’s, she searched the woman’s eyes for falsehood. All she could see were peace, a desire for a rest—a long one at that—and possibly a friendship. Resigned to making the best of the situation, Virginia took the offered hand and gave it two strong pumps.
“Good,” Anna said with an affirmative nod. “Let us be on our way, then. These pinch-y shoes are tight enough to make the bunions on my big toe howl.”
Virginia stifled a grin. Even if begrudgingly, she had to admit that Anna was quite funny. She enjoyed her occasionally odd humor.
With the new truce between them, they continued their journey home. No sooner had they started than the squeal of a high-pitched voice and the rustling of a scuffle reached Virginia’s ears. The sounds came from the alley a short distance away. Some people tossed curious glances toward the commotion in the alley as they passed, while others ignored it all together. None entered.
“Help—please!”
The soft, feminine cry spurred Virginia into action. She picked up the skirt of her dress and ran to the alley. A muffled curse escaped her lips at the societal standard of corsets and yards of fabric in women’s clothing.
“Wait! Don’t you dare go down that alley,” Anna shrieked at Virginia’s retreating back.
Virginia ignored the words, not pausing long enough to even give the appearance of listening. She soon heard the clacking of Anna’s small feet moving at a faster pace than they were probably used to. As she rounded the corner and dashed into the alley, Virginia’s blood boiled even hotter at the sight before her.
Three men, each with varying degrees of grime and dirt coating their clothing, surrounded a young colored woman. One of the men was tall, probably twice Virginia’s height, and lanky, while the other two were of average build. The young woman wore a simple black dress and white apron, indicative of a normal maid’s uniform. Her body, plastered against the brick wall, trembled as her eyes frantically darted from one man to the others.
“Y’all think you can run away from your masters and come up north to steal our jobs and take food from our families’ mouths. It ain’t right!” the fatter of the two average-height men snarled. “Go back to where you came from.”
Virginia watched in horror as the men lifted their fists, ready to swing on the poor girl. Soft whimpers escaped her lips as she curled into herself for protection.
“You, there! Stop this instant,” Virginia shouted, dashing up behind the malicious group.
All three men jumped back from their invasion of the woman’s space, glancing over their shoulders. As their gazes settled on Virginia, unimpressed and smug sneers replaced the momentary worry that had marred their faces.
“My word.” The two huffed words came from right behind Virginia.
She didn’t turn to check on Anna, who was probably one wheeze away from a dead faint. She would deal with her—and somehow convince her not to inform her father about this situation—later. Virginia kept her menacing gaze trained on the rascals before her.
“Keep on about your business, little lady. This don’t concern you,” the tall man said in a tone laced with threat and warning.
“I am not leaving this alley without her.” Virginia breathed a mental sigh of relief that she was able to keep her voice from wavering. She even managed to muster a bit of authority in her tone. Facing down three men was not something she’d ever done before, but she refused to back away from helping a woman who needed her.
“How you planning to take the girl from us?”
Virginia reached down and pulled up the hem of her skirt to show a small amount of her petticoat, tapping it twice. She stayed slightly bent over, hovering near the fabric of her skirt. “Hopefully, with no resistance. But if not, then with the revolver I keep strapped to my ankle and never leave home without.”
A beat of silence choked the air in the cramped alley as multiple pairs of eyes bounced between the three parties.
“That’s right—she’ll blow you to your maker!” Anna chimed in, two seconds after the point at which the retort would have been awkward.
Virginia rolled her eyes and sighed. Blundering, gawky quip that it was, at least Anna had yet to back down.
The men shared questioning gazes. Silent questions about the validity of her claim floated between them.
Back straight, hand steady, Virginia stared them down, refusing to be the first to fold.
“Makes me sick, seeing nice ladies like you standing up for them. She don’t deserve the breath you wasting to save her,” the tall man grumbled as he took a step back. His two companions followed suit, each taking a step away from the young woman who still cowered against the wall. “Dumb Negro wench ain’t worth no trouble. Come on, fellas.”
Virginia didn’t respond. She continued to stand bent with her hand hovering near her skirt, despite the slight burn that had begun creeping through her muscles. Her eyes followed the three men until they disappeared around the corner and out of the alley.
“Well, that was eventful,” Anna chimed in, breaking the silence once the men were out of sight.
Virginia smirked at the understatement of those words. Who knew how close they had just come to serious harm? Or worse, death. “Are you all right?” Virginia asked the young woman.
She unfolded her crouched body, clutching the books she carried close to her chest. Her lips spread into a wide smile, making her heart-shaped face even more radiant. Gratitude shone in her vibrant, deep brown eyes. “Yes. Thank you, ma’am! You saved me from what I know would have been a terrible fate. Thank you both,” she said, shifting her smile to Anna.
“Just part of my everyday routine. I’m always companion to the rescue of helpless maidens being harassed by grimy street scum,” Anna replied, jovial sarcasm coating her words.
Virginia finally gave in and released a chuckle of joy and relief. Maybe having Anna around wasn’t going to be such a burden after all. “Do excuse her. This is more excitement than she has probably had in her entire life. And it was my pleasure to assist you. I would never leave you to suffer at the hands of those pigs. I apologize on their behalf. My name is Virginia,” she said, extending her hand to the other woman.
“Again, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. My name is Cora,” the woman replied, shifting the books in her arms to accept the offered hand.
Virginia noted the eloquent manner with which Cora spoke, pronouncing each word carefully. Coupled with the three Jane Austen books clutched in her hands, Virginia assumed she was an avid reader—something she had never been. Soleil had teased Virginia to no end about her enmity toward the written word. Even being a teacher hadn’t changed that. A pang of sadness coursed through her heart. Pushing the sadness to the back of her mind, Virginia pasted on a smile and focused on Cora.
“You are a brave and unique woman to carry a gun,” Cora said.
“I don’t,” Virginia said with a conspiratorial grin. She lifted the hem of her skirt to show Cora her bare ankle. She then opened her reticule, which held a fan and other knickknacks but no gun. “I’m ecstatic they didn’t figure that out.”
Cora let out a deep, genuine laugh. The sound flowed through Virginia, soothing a small portion of her bruised heart. “I’m glad, as well. My gratitude cannot be expressed with words, but I’m afraid I don’t have anything to give you in thanks.”
Virginia scrunched her face in mock offense. As if she would ever expect payment for being a decent human being. “I expect nothing from you. My best friend in the world was a mulatress. She was taken by slavers about a year ago.” Virginia paused, realizing how disjointed her reasoning sounded after the sentences were spoken out loud. She held her hands up, eyes wide, as a light flush crept up her neck. “I’m not saying I saved you because of her—I would have done that anyway. But you matter to me. All people do. I hope I’ve properly conveyed what I meant.”
“Spoken like a true orator,” Anna said sarcastically.
Virginia averted her gaze to the brick walls surrounding them, mentally chastising herself for the poor delivery. The eloquent delivery of words had always been Soleil’s gift, not hers.
Cora’s soft chuckle floated to Virginia’s ears, giving her hope that she hadn’t completely offended the other woman. When she lifted her eyes, she nearly sighed in relief to see the pleasant smile on Cora’s face.
“I understand. Thank you. If I can be so forward, I noticed you have a copy of The Libertarian tucked inside your purse.” Cora’s eyes flitted down to the newspaper that Virginia had forgotten she held under her arm. “If you are ever interested, a group of us meet every Thursday evening to discuss the abolitionist movement and current events in the cause to end slavery. Sometimes, we discuss ways we can help. Usually nothing of major importance, but every little effort helps. We’ll be meeting tomorrow at the law office of Mr. William Taylor over on Third and Ninetieth, if you ladies would like to join us.”
“I would love to join you,” Virginia exclaimed. A wide, almost frenzied grin spread across her lips. “What time should I arrive?”
“Yes, we would be delighted to attend,” Anna added. Virginia’s gaze darted to her, a sheepish grin on her face. She had forgotten her new companion in her excitement.
Virginia’s heart hammered with anticipation. This was it—the thing she hadn’t even realized she’d been waiting for. A chance to be a part of something focused on creating equality for all people. She resisted the urge to reach out and pull Cora into a fierce embrace.
“Around six in the evening.”
“We’ll be there,” Virginia said, conviction coloring her words. It would take an act of divine providence to keep her from attending the meeting.
“Wonderful. Well, I must be going. I look forward to seeing you again.”
“I, as well.” Virginia walked with Cora and Anna the short distance to the alley’s entrance in companionable silence.
Chapter Six
“WE HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES, and we have to be wise in how we use them,” Mr. Taylor said, meeting the glare of the man standing in front of him. Mr. Taylor had been arguing with the outspoken Mr. Collins for the past twenty minutes.
“Exactly!” Mr. Collins shouted, smacking the back of his right hand into the palm of his left. The color of his face deepened from a strawberry flush to a dark, ruby red. “We finally have a group of men, free and slave, willing to revolt against the Boyd Plantation. That would free over forty slaves and cripple that town financially. What could be a wiser use of our resources than sending rifles down to them?”
Charles sat in his chair near the large bay windows and front door of the small room in the law office, watching the two men verbally spar. The blinds had been drawn closed to give privacy to the room’s occupants. The four desks that normally occupied the center of the room in two neat rows had been pushed against the walls to make space for the lecture-style chair arrangement.
Mr. Taylor stood at a small podium set before the audience, a little to the left of the door that led into his office. No decorations adorned the bare wooden walls, as Mr. Taylor was not a man who would purchase such frivolous things.
Mr. Taylor had been hosting this gathering of men interested in helping the fight to abolish slavery during the three years Charles had been apprenticing in his office. They were the highlight of his week. Mr. Taylor had offered him a permanent position in his practice, which Charles had gladly accepted. Mr. Taylor was one of the best lawyers in New York City involved in the fight for freedom of all men. There was much he still had to learn from him.
This week’s meeting had drawn a larger crowd of people than usual, all of whom sat at the edge of their seats, riveted by the argument taking place. All twenty chairs were occupied, with a few individuals standing along the wall. Men—black and white—sat and stood side by side, weighing the words of the two men in front of them.
Mr. Collins stood waiting for Mr. Taylor to finish his rebuttal.
“I understand, George, but you know I don’t condone violence. We can extract those people without the need for bloodshed. There is...”
Charles’s attention was drawn to the front door that slowly creaked open. All sound suddenly ceased as a young woman walked in. It’s her! Charles watched the beautiful redhead slip into the room, standing off to the back so as not to disrupt the meeting.
He had seen that stunning face once before, a little less than a year ago. She still looked as radiant as he remembered, if not more so. Her emerald green eyes, alight with passion, locked onto the lively discussion at the front of the room. She clasped her gloved hands together in front of her, thumbs flicking each other. The slightest sound sent her gaze to the door, as if she was waiting for a monster to walk through and eat her. Either that, or an angry guardian who had forbidden her to come.
The corners of Charles’s mouth rose into a pleased grin. She was a rebellious spirit; he had seen it a year ago as they danced the night away. He had not expected to ever see her again, but was not disappointed that he had. Charles rose from his chair, placed his frock coat over it so that no one would take it, and strode over to the new guest. “Today is a wonderful day, indeed,” Charles whispered near the young woman’s ear.
She jumped, a soft, muffled yelp escaping her lips. Heated eyes rounded on Charles, ready, no doubt, to give him the worst tongue-lashing he’d received in a long time. But all the righteous indignation vanished as her eyes widened from their previously venomous glare. “You!” she exclaimed on a whisper.
