The Dollmaker's Daughter, page 8
Simon told the tale of Captain McCabe’s nephew and how he bought the stone.
“Have you talked to God?”
“What?”
“You should review your Scriptures, my boy. King David inquired of the urim and thummim before he fought the Philistines.”
Simon had read the references John had given him, but he’d missed these.
“If this is the urim, I’m not sure it will work for you.”
“Why?”
“Because you are not the high priest of Israel.”
Simon glanced down at the stone in his hand. “I think I saw it glow.”
The blue eyes widened in surprise, curiosity in their depths. “So you want to know if it conducts electricity.”
“Yes.”
“It could ruin any magic associated with it.”
“If it’s of God nothing we do will destroy it.”
“Moses destroyed the first tablets.”
Simon paused. “Yes, but the urim and thummim were not supposed to be magic, more a conduit of information.”
The old man nodded and turned toward his equipment. He waved to the table. “Be my guest.”
Simon laid the stone on the table in front of the glass tube on top of the wire that would have connected to the tube.
Dr. Ritter turned the crank on the electrostatic machine. An arc of electric fire passed to the battery through the connecting rod to the stone.
The stone jumped and the writing in the center lit with a golden fire that blazed bright enough to stain Simon’s eyes with its brilliance. “Did you see that?”
Dr. Ritter shook his head up and down.
“What does it mean?”
Dr. Ritter plopped down in the only chair in the room. “Did it look like what you saw before?”
“No. It was much brighter. What I saw before looked like a lightning bug which faded away.”
“There could be gold or some other mineral catching the fire, but I didn’t see any trace of it in the writing. And it didn’t fire anywhere else...did it?”
“Let’s do it again.”
Dr. Ritter took his place by the crank. The result was the same.
“By our observation it is possible that your rock, for it is a rock, contains some mineral like gold or silver that conducts electricity.”
Simon had to agree. In other experiments, he’d seen gold lettering burn when electricity was applied to a leather book with an embossed gold title. “But it does not explain why it was confined to the writing alone.”
The twinkle was back in the blue eyes. “Whatever you do, I would take very good care of that rock.”
“You can believe I will, sir.”
“I shall write to you of my experiments, and you let me know what you find out. I think I shall be reading your papers before too long.”
Maybe. As Simon put the stone back in his pocket, he was pretty confident he’d be keeping this discovery to himself.
Later that night in his bed Simon alternated between wondering how long the lone window in his room would remain intact in the hurricane wind that cracked tree limbs and pelted debris against the roof, and the bewildering results of his electrical experiment with the stone.
The stone conducted electricity but only in the letters in the center. That might be significant if he knew what the letters meant. Right now, he didn’t know anything. Tomorrow he would set out a list of questions and start asking to see what kind of response he would get from the stone.
~*~
The next day a windblown pair with Danny in tow arrived on the doorstep. Clementine opened the door herself. “Good afternoon, Danny,” she cooed.
Danny leaned his body forward for Clementine to take him. She placed him on her hip and slipped away talking of cookies as big as his hand.
“Good afternoon, Mary.” Amity swung open the door. “And you must be Jane. Please come in...”
Mary stepped with confidence, her friend less so.
“I do hope you will make yourself at home, Jane.” Amity waved toward the room. “Please take a seat.”
Jane kept her eyes down. She sat ramrod straight in the smallest chair in the room.
“I’m glad you decided to come.” Amity offered to the downcast Jane.
“Thank ye for inviting us. Danny has talked of little but cookies since we came away.”
“Yes.” Jane raised her gaze to take in the room. “Thank ye for inviting me.”
“I understand you would like to tell me your story.”
“It ain’t a story. It’s the truth.” Jane stated the fact with little of the emotion she’d spat in their last encounter.
“I do apologize. I meant the account. You would like for me to record your accounting of what you have seen.”
“Yes. I’ll buy a subscription, and when it’s ready ye can send it along.”
“I shall be happy to send you a copy.”
“I’ll pay me own way.” She stuffed a hand down into the folds of her skirts and produced a shilling.
“I’m not yet prepared to take your money.”
“How will I know you’ll send me the book?”
“Jane!” Mary placed a hand on her friend’s arm. “Amity’s got nothing to gain from telling our accounts. She will send the book when it’s finished.”
“I give you my word.” Amity assured them.
“How will you find me?”
“Why not tell me where you live. Once it’s printed, I will send your copy to your home. It will be waiting for you when you get there.”
Jane returned the coin to its hiding place deep in the folds of her brown homespun gown.
Amity made careful notes of Jane’s direction in North Carolina and Mary’s in Winchester.
“Winchester? My aunt has an old friend there. She and I will be leaving for Winchester in the next couple of days.”
“What is the friend’s name? Maybe I know the family.”
“Jedidiah Eberly. Apparently, he and my Uncle William were great friends.”
Danny ran into the room and bounced into his mother’s lap.
Clementine carried a tea tray followed by Lucy with a tray of cakes. The repast filled the small tea table. “And Ann was my dearest friend. She died last year.” Clementine finished.
“So you are from Winchester, Mary?”
“Yes, Mrs. Foster. My husband’s family owns a large farm there.”
“Then perhaps we will see you again there.”
“Perhaps you might. Jonathan, my husband’s brother, informed me that his enlistment is up, and we will be leaving for home by the end of the week.”
Jane’s upturned smile turned into a resigned grimace. “It’s sudden, is it not? I thought he wouldn’t be released until next month.”
“Yes, we had thought so ourselves, but planting will be starting soon, and if we start out now, we will be home in plenty of time.” Mary blinked back the droplets forming at the corners of her eyes. She squeezed her little boy. “It will be good to be home. Won’t it, Danny?”
He handed her a slobbery stick.
“I do hope we shall see you there.”
Clementine offered Jane a cup of tea. “Where do you call home, Jane?”
A slight tremor jittered the cup on the saucer until Jane brought it to rest in her lap. “North Carolina. My brother came with Colonel Howe to help Woodford.”
“You are not married then?”
“Not yet. But there was naught back home. Our parents was gone a long time ago. So me and Elias went to the army together.”
“I’m surprised to find so many women in the camp,” Clementine said.
“There’s not that many, Mrs. Foster.” Mary looked at Jane. “There is only ten of us here.”
“Are you safe?”
“Oh, yes, ma’am. Those men are too tired for much more than eating what we cook ’em. And they’re plenty glad for clean clothes—”
“And mending. They tear up more articles than I thought possible.”
They laughed together as only the companions of hardship could. They were in the army together, like the soldiers, they would never be the same.
Amity yearned for such companionship of her own. She did not share this type of closeness with any other creature.
“Although, our Jane here has a beau.”
Red blazed up Jane’s face. “He is not my beau. He is a respectable gentleman from Norfolk.”
“Well, be that as it may. You haven’t seen the last of Mr. Clement. Of that I am sure.”
12
If he didn’t know better, he would think the stone in his hand exerted a presence. The pattern of sliding its smoothness between his thumb and forefinger and into his palm soothed. Simon rapped on the brown door of John’s house.
A servant led him to a green parlor overlooking the street.
Children’s voices drifted like random notes escaping a ball room.
“Mr. Parchment says he will be with you directly,” the servant said before quickly exiting the room again.
“Mr. Morgan,” Mrs. Blackstone smirked her way past the servant into the room. “How good of you to call on my last day.”
Simon squelched a cringe. “Oh? I hadn’t heard you were leaving.”
“Unfortunately, I must. Urgent business calls me back to Fredericksburg.” She cast her eyes down in what he supposed was an attempt at a demure look, and moved a couple of steps closer. “What do you have there?”
Before he could react, his stone was in her hands. She turned from him to hold the stone up to the window light. “A gift?” The usual clear green appeared cloudy.
“No—”
“It is the most beautiful stone I’ve ever seen.” She swung around toward him.
He held his palm out. “Give it back.”
Her smile broadened. A playful glint lit her eyes. “Why is it so important to you?” She sauntered back to the window holding the stone up as she went.
“It doesn’t concern you.”
“What doesn’t concern whom?”
Mrs. Blackstone spun at Parchment’s inquiry.
Simon kept his eye on the stone. “Mrs. Blackstone took my stone and refuses to return it.”
She rolled her eyes and handed it to Simon. “Twas taken in jest, Mr. Parchment, as I am sure your Mr. Morgan understood.”
A cold rock landed in his palm. He didn’t hear her parting words because his stone was once again clear. Of that he was certain, unlike the possible glowing he might have seen by the tree.
John waited for her to leave before drawing close to Simon.
“Are you mad? You can’t show that stone to anyone.”
“Calm down, John.”
John paced.
Simon slid the stone back into his pocket. “I am glad you came when you did.”
“I didn’t realize you were interested in Winifred.”
“I’d just as soon dance with a walking rattlesnake.”
“Then why flirt?”
“I wasn’t. And if she was, it was poorly done. She’s much too old to play the part of a simpering schoolgirl.”
“Why did you come?”
“To tell you I’m leaving in the morning. I promised Reed that I would escort his daughter and her aunt to Winchester. I will look in on you after I return if you like.”
“There hasn’t been sufficient time to receive an answer to our letters.”
“There is no real hurry is there? The stone will be safe with me, and if I never know what it is it will be no great loss, will it?”
John stood motionless. “I suppose not, but if it is what we think it is people will be after it. It could make you very rich man.”
“I am not in need of funds. And that assumes that I would be willing to part with it, which I am not. So it’s moot. And I’m off to Winchester.”
“Perhaps we could meet in Fredericksburg.”
“I hardly think you need to go to that much trouble.”
“The men we’re talking about will not consider it any trouble, besides, a couple of them live in Fredericksburg.”
“I leave tomorrow.”
“Perhaps I’ll see you there.”
“Suit yourself. But I will not wait for you.”
~*~
“Packing is easier this time since we already packed what we needed for this trip.” Lucy said as she laid Amity’s red print cotton dress in the trunk. “I never will understand why you think you need to go running to and fro over this earth.”
“Truth is I’d like to stay here a few more days, but Aunt Clementine will not budge. We are leaving tomorrow.”
“Ever since we was children you been runnin’. To and fro, to and fro…”
Amity jumped onto the bed with a huff. “I want to travel. To see things and learn their stories.” She stood back up. “My father tells me I can’t because I’m a woman—a girl—in his eyes I’m not even a woman at twenty-five.”
“Parents always think of their babies as babies.”
“Don’t you wish you were free to travel around like a man? Visit what you wish, talk to whom you wish?”
Lucy quickly shut the door.
Amity reached for Lucy’s hand. “I’m so sorry. I forget sometimes. I think of you as my friend.”
“From you, Miss Amity, I accept. Because you is my friend, as much as you can be.” A glow infused Lucy’s face. “Do I wish to be free? Oh, yes.”
Amity wished with all her soul that she could tell Lucy of her father’s plans to release his slaves. She’d given her word and could not break it. The consequences were grave if anyone knew of his plans before he could implement them. She stopped cold. Shame ran its course through her midsection and squeezed. Lucy was hers. Her father had given Lucy to her for her eighteenth birthday.
“Your father is a good man, Miss Amity. He don’t break up families or nothin’, but freedom…” With a faraway look, Lucy picked up another dress.
Amity collected her ink and quills to place in her traveling desk. There had to be a way. Field’s wife had freed two of her slaves. “Lucy, how much money do you have?”
Lucy snapped back to the present. “Not much Miss Amity, I’ll get it for you if you need it.” She turned toward the door then spun back around. “Whatch you need it for?”
“Freedom. Go get it.”
“I don’t leave that nowhere ‘cept right here.” Lucy raised her petticoat to reveal a large pocket. She pulled out a small handful of coins that amounted to ten dollars.
“Where did you get so much money?”
“I got nothing to spend it on much, so I saves it. Maybe one day I’ll have enough to buy my freedom.”
“Put it back and keep it safe.” Amity tugged at her bottom lip. She would need to talk to her father. Lucy’s ten dollars wasn’t enough, but Amity wasn’t interested in the money. Lucy needed a stake. Amity could not set her free and expect her to survive with no money. Amity beckoned Lucy to sit on the bed. “I’m not exactly sure how to go about doing this, but we’ll try.” Amity explained the rudiments of the plan. “First, we will see a lawyer. I don’t want you to ever have to watch your back.”
“Miss Amity.” Lucy’s eyes filled with mist. “Are you sure about this?”
Amity took Lucy’s work-worn hand in hers. “I am only ashamed I didn’t think of it before. I go on and on about being free.” She hung her head. “One thing I do know is that after you are free you have to leave Virginia.” Amity glanced at her trunk, open with dresses laid neatly inside. Dresses lay on every chair and the bed. “The clothes you need will be easy enough; you’ve been wearing my clothes for years.”
Lucy blushed. “You didn’t mind.”
“Didn’t even think about it. Now you need stylish things. The kind of things a free young lady wears. We can start with this one.”
Amity slid the red printed cotton from her trunk and held it up to Lucy’s shoulders. “You’re a little fuller than me in some places but we can let this one out. At least we’re the same height. Will you mind leaving Virginia?”
Lucy’s eyes so wide her eyebrows nearly collided with her hairline. “Will I mind going to a country where I can be free? Where my children will be free? No. I don’t mind leaving Virginia.”
Amity gave her two more dresses to let out during the trip. The next big town would be Fredericksburg. Their secret should be safe until then. Meanwhile she would have to figure out how to get Lucy a large enough stake and let her father know her plans.
Before dawn the next morning, Amity stood before her father in her uncle’s book room.
“You remember your promise?” her father asked.
How could she forget she promised to marry the one man in the entire world that wouldn’t suit? One who was clearly interested in another woman. “There is nothing to worry about. Aunt Clementine will be with me the entire time.”
“Don’t dissemble.”
“Yes. I remember my promise.”
He raised one eyebrow.
“I promise I will marry Simon Morgan, if, and it is a very large if, I am compromised on this trip.” And there is no other way out.
The corners of his mouth lifted as he stepped forward to gently place his hands on her shoulders. She gazed into his gray eyes.
“When did you get to be so grown up?”
Amity placed her head on his shoulder. “I love you, Papa.”
“I love you too, Muffin.”
She nestled further into his arms and squeezed. She didn’t remember the last time he’d called her that. “Are you worried?”
“Of course I am. I’m always worried about you and your brothers and sisters.”
“But—”
“But I trust the Almighty to keep you while you travel.”
“If I don’t try, Papa, I’ll never know.”
“And if you don’t know you’ll never rest.”
She stepped out of his embrace to see his face. “You understand?”
“Maybe just a little.”
“May I ask you a question?”
He inclined a little closer.
“You gave Lucy to me when I turned eighteen.”
He closed his eyes in agreement.
“So she belongs to me do with as I choose.”
He folded his arms. “Within limits. I would not allow you to abuse her in any way.”
