Glory over Everything: Beyond The Kitchen House(113)

I couldn’t help but chuckle and shake my head, but Robert was not amused.


REFRESHED AFTER A few hours’ rest, I sent word to the driver to prepare for travel and then arranged for us to have a meal. When our small party convened in the lobby, Kitty, Hester, Pan, and Robert were taken to a back room where the Negroes ate, while Addy and I were shown into the dining area.

Though I had little appetite and was anxious to be on our way, Adelaide was no sooner seated than she removed her purple gloves and helped herself to a biscuit, one so hot and fresh that steam escaped when she tore it open. She slathered it with salted butter, topped it with a hearty slice of ham, added two thick slices of pickle, set it together, and passed it over to me. To please her, I took a bite, and she smiled as she prepared another for herself. As she ate, she gave a few soft moans of pleasure but said nothing else until she finished the loaded biscuit and drained an oversize mug of heavily sugared and creamed coffee.

“And now, Mr. Burton, I am pleased to say that I feel more myself,” she said, sitting back with a satisfied sigh. “Were you . . .” Her words faded as my thoughts traveled ahead to what awaited me in Williamsburg.

“Mr. Burton!” Her agitated voice broke through.

“Pardon me?” I said.

“I asked if you were not surprised to see me?” She sniffed.

“Oh! I was,” I said. “Indeed!”

“Well, if Father had his way, I would not have come. I don’t know what he will have to say on my return,” she said.

“Then why did you insist on coming?” I asked.

“How could I not? They were saying such vile things about you! I decided you had need of my protection.”

“Your protection!”

“Father said that he could not leave Patricia and me alone again, so he could not come with Robert to vouch for you. Of course, the solution was quite simple. I would come along and pose as your student. If any authorities had questions, I would tell them you were my tutor. After all, that is the truth.” She smiled.

“And why would you do that for me?”

“A man who is willing to risk his life for the cause has nothing but my admiration.” She buttered another biscuit and drizzled honey over it before she handed it to me. “You’d best eat another,” she said.

I took the warm bread from her, wondering at her fire. “The truth is, Miss Adelaide, you know little about me.”

“Mr. Burton, I assure you, I know everything that is important. You are an admirable man who came to release that poor young boy from slavery. You upset that miserable man Bill Thomas, and he set out to destroy your good name, accusing you of heaven knows what. When he did not find you at our home, he hired others to bring you back so he might press charges against you for theft of his property. Because of it, your life was in danger.”

I shook my head. “I don’t understand how your father could have allowed you to leave under such dangerous conditions.” I said it more to myself than to her.

“Father has no idea what to do with me. I believe you suggested that yourself.”

“But at your young age?” I said.

“I will be sixteen in two week’s time,” she said.

I laughed. “Exactly! You are still a child!”

Her eyes flashed. “I am not a child,” she said. “I may be young, and my cousins accuse me of being naive, but I was willing to sacrifice my life for you and your young Pan!”

“Miss Adelaide,” I said with true remorse. “How could I be so thoughtless? Of course you are not a child. You are a young woman, and a most brave one at that. I shall never forget how you saved Pan’s life.”

“And I came prepared to act as your protector as well!” she said.

“My dear, I assume that you planned to use your beauty as your weapon?” I asked, trying for levity.

“No, I planned to use this!” she said, opening and tipping forward her leather reticule to reveal a small pistol.

“Adelaide!” I said. “Where—”

“It was Mother’s!” she said defensively. “Don’t be so concerned. I am quite capable of using it. Goodness, I’ve known how to use a gun for years!”

I sat back from the table to stare at this willful girl.

She met my gaze. “Life is meant to be lived,” she said, “and I mean to live it!”

I laughed aloud, causing the few others dining to look in our direction. “Miss Spencer,” I said, leaning forward, “what a pleasure it is to know you.”

“Now, that, Mr. Burton,” she said, adjusting her lavender and green traveling bonnet, “is more to my liking.”


WHEN WE ALL crammed back in the carriage, to everyone’s joy, we left behind the goat and carried instead a hamper filled not only with a fine lunch but also with two cold bottles of goat milk, more than enough to see Kitty through the last of our journey. We were certain to make it to Williamsburg by evening, and though my relief was great, my heart dreaded the arrival, for then I would be forced into decisions that I did not want to make.





CHAPTER FORTY-SIX


1830


James


IT WAS EVENING when we rolled up to our destination. Yellow candles flickered in the many windows that fronted the street of the Madden home.