River

Gregor

“Stephen Duncan is on the way here, beloved.”

Really? That is a surprise. I know that Thomas was concerned to get here before him, try to do at least a little of his task supervising the plantation, but we’ve only been here an hour or two. We’ve spent almost all of that time being served refreshments in the house. I’m sure the honeymoon was supposed to be four or five weeks, and it has barely been three.

Wolk knows I want him to explain what is going on. “It seems that Margaret felt a sudden instinct that there was trouble at home, and they left New Orleans early and hired a stagecoach to rush them to Ellis Cliffs. When they arrived, they saw that Marguerite Ellis was near death.”

“Ah,” I think to him. “It must have been Margaret’s Guardian, yes?”

“Most likely. Even normal humans can sometimes sense the messages of their Guardians. I will be able to tell the next time we are together with Margaret, but I assume that what happened is that her Guardian was trying to tell her that she should return home to say goodbye.”

“Did she get the chance?”

“Yes. Marguerite was able to rouse herself enough to have a short visit with her family, speak some words of love, before letting go and dying.”

“I’m glad that Margaret got there in time.” I sigh, and Rosalind looks at me curiously. I just give her a little smile. She will hear about this soon enough.

“Stephen came into Natchez to order a coffin. Apparently Abraham is too distressed by the death of his wife to be able to consider any kind of public funeral. So the children have decided to have a private family burial at Ellis Cliffs.”

“Ah. And Stephen is just coming to wait here for the coffin to be readied?”

“That, and to get Thomas.”

I look over at Thomas. We have just started walking towards the cotton fields. I am still holding Ayola, of course, there is no way that either of us wants to let go of the other. We will always want to prolong our contact for as long as possible. Rosalind walks on my other side. The overseer has started giving Thomas a tour of the plantation, which we have been invited to attend.

“Why does he need Thomas?”

“Nancy has requested that he be present for the family burial. Nancy and Thomas have reached an understanding, but will not announce an engagement until she is old enough. However she feels very strongly that he is already a member of the family.”

That is nice. I’m glad it is working out for Nancy and Thomas too, despite the obstacle of the difference in their ages. It is certainly less of a difference than Lydia and Nicholas Roosevelt.

I think about Moses and Dalila, and their blossoming relationship, and hope that they will be able to overcome their obstacles. He is free, she is slave, and trying to unite would be a fraught process. I will do whatever I can to help.

And of course there is the other couple, with obstacles of their own, Ben and Samuel. It does not look likely that they will manage to find a way. Not only are they both refusing to make any effort to communicate with each other, but Ben has decided to leave town altogether, journey up the Trace and take up a position again as a Kaintuck. It hurts him too much to be anywhere near Samuel. He has not said anything about it to anybody, he is trying to find a way to tell David that he is leaving. I am just waiting for him to work up the courage to actually make his move. I will be sorry to see him go, because I like him and don’t want to lose him as a worker, but also because I know how devastated Samuel will be when he learns that he is gone.

I look at Rosalind. She is still able to walk easily, but I am starting to detect an adorable waddle as she grows with the baby. She glows with health, her long brown hair up in a respectable hairdo, her round cheeks flushed with the exercise of walking. I am thankful every second of every day that it worked for us. My obstacles might have been the most peculiar of all, but somehow it worked. And she is so much more than I had realized when I finally decided to propose. Did I ever think she was fragile? Did I ever think she would be unable to adapt to being my wife? Such a fool, was I. She has shown me how strong, how adaptable, how intelligent, how courageous she can be. She is a remarkable gift to me. I will treasure her every moment of the rest of her life. I hope it is a long one.

I think sadly of Marguerite. They all go, sooner or later. May my wife stay until much, much later.

She looks up into my eyes. She can tell that I’m thinking of her. All I can do is smile down at her, and follow along with the overseer’s lecture, and wait for Stephen to arrive. It won’t be long now.

Ayola seems to detect my slight sense of melancholy. She lays her head down against my shoulder as I hold her, pats my back with her little hand, and whispers, “Woosh.”

Dalila

My new master has returned, and is here at Homochitto, and I am full of gratitude that he is not my former master. He treats me with a kind indifference that suits me just fine. I feel that I have little to fear from him. After Margaret finally arrives, following the funeral of the Missus, I believe that Dr. Duncan will leave us entirely alone, so that I can serve her however she likes without worrying about anybody else. I don’t mind caring for Margaret, as I have grown quite fond of her. Although this is not the position in life I would have chosen for myself, I believe that I can endure it.

I feel safe. My child is safe. We have a great but mysterious friend who is watching over us. I am not free, but at least I can live without fear.

And, I have the warm glow left behind from the visit with Moses. I was not imagining things. He feels for me much the same as I feel for him. We had not discussed it while I stayed with Gregor and Rosalind in Natchez, but today, we were left entirely alone for two or three hours, and had the chance to have a long talk, walking together through the woods and fields around Homochitto.

I am not surprised to hear that he believes Gregor will make every effort to help us. I know that Gregor will come often to visit Ayola, who has so enchanted him, and Moses tells me he is sure that Gregor will bring him for these visits. We will have the chance to continue to see each other.

I do not know what our future holds, but I am filled with an unaccustomed sense of hope.