What Comes My Way
Page 21
A cold wave of fear washed over Ella. Jefferson was truly without regard for her life or anyone else’s. He only wanted what would benefit his needs.
“Where . . . where are we going?”
He grabbed her arm. “You’re coming with me. That’s all you need to know.”
“But I’m sick, Jefferson.” Ella began to cough violently. Part of it was purely for show, to remind him of the possibility of catching her illness, but there was an equal amount of honest need in it.
He held her at arm’s length but refused to let her go. “It’s to my benefit that you are. You’re too weak to try to do anything foolish. Now move.” He pushed her toward the door.
twenty-one
Mara came into the silent house with a strange feeling of apprehension. She untied her scarf and listened for any sounds of life. There was nothing. She walked into the kitchen and found it completely deserted. There wasn’t even a pot on the stove. Making her way back to the entryway where Mrs. Fleming was unbuttoning her coat, Mara frowned.
“Miz Flemin’, did you give everybody the day off?”
“No. Why do you ask?” Mrs. Fleming glanced around.
“Ain’t nobody in the kitchen. Nobody and nothin’ cookin’. I didn’t see nobody outside neither. Guess we can ask Abe when he comes back. I’ll go upstairs and check on Ella.”
Mara didn’t wait for Mrs. Fleming’s reply but headed upstairs. She felt a sense of dread as she caught sight of the open bedroom door. Ella’s door had been closed when they left.
“Ella, you awake?” She looked into the room and found the bedcovers thrown aside and the wardrobe doors open. Had Ella tired of staying in bed? She had been complaining the last couple of days about not being allowed to get up and go to the table for her meals.
But something didn’t sit well with Mara. It wasn’t like Ella to promise one thing and do another. She had assured them she would stay in bed.
Mara made her way back downstairs just as Abe came in from the back. He was shouting—calling her name.
“Mara! Mara! Miz Fleming! Come quick.”
Mara reached the bottom step, and Mrs. Fleming looked completely baffled. “Whatever are you shouting for, Abraham?” she asked.
Abe came into the room with the Fleming cook and two housemaids. All three women looked terrified. Abe stopped abruptly and pulled the women in front of him. “Tell ’em what you done told me.”
The older of the three women spoke up. “It was Mr. Jefferson Spiby,” she said, shaking her head. “He come to the house just after you left. He didn’t knock or nothin’, just opened the door and came in like he owned the place. I was so scared ’cause I knowed he was under arrest and I thought maybe he escaped.”
“Oh no!” Mrs. Fleming’s hand went to her throat. “What about Ella?”
“She ain’t upstairs.” Mara looked at Abe, who nodded.
“He done took her,” the cook replied before anyone else could speak.
“What?” Mrs. Fleming looked pale. “He took my child?”
“Yes’m. We was hidin’, but we saw it. He took her and made her ride in front of him on his horse. They took off down the road, and I sent one of the boys to follow after.”
“Where is he now?”
“He ain’t come back yet. It’s been pert near two hours.”
Mrs. Fleming bit her lip. Mara would have smiled at the similarity to Ella if the situation hadn’t been so grave.
“Should we send for the sheriff?” Mara asked.
“Of course!” Mrs. Fleming nodded. “Abraham, would you please go back to town and bring him?”
Abe nodded. “I’ll take a horse, if that be all right.”
“Yes. Take the fastest. One of the boys will know which.”
Abe gave another nod before heading back through the kitchen. Mara looked at the other three dark-skinned women. They were all clearly afraid. They knew from past experience what Jefferson Spiby was capable of. He’d no doubt hurt them as he had hurt Mara. How she prayed for God’s retribution to rain down on that man.
“You best get some supper on,” Mara said, nodding toward the three women. “Gonna need to keep up our strength.” She would never have presumed to order the Fleming help around, but it was clear that Mrs. Fleming was beside herself.
The three women took off in a hurry. No doubt they were glad to have nothing more to do with the matter.
“What are we going to do?” Mrs. Fleming asked, looking at Mara. “He’s taken her. She’s sick and weak, and he’ll no doubt do horrible things to her.”
“Now there, Miz Flemin’. You won’t do nobody no good to go imaginin’ all sorts of things we can’t know for sure. Let’s wait for that boy to come back from followin’ them. We’ll know better what’s what when we hear what he has to say.”
It was about forty minutes later when the cook returned with the young groom in hand. Mara and Mrs. Fleming were in the front room, warming themselves by the fire Mara had built.
“I followed him, ma’am,” the boy said, twisting his hat in his hand. “I stayed in the brush so he couldn’t see me.”
“Did he go back to his farm?” Mrs. Fleming asked.
“No, ma’am. He done took to the south road. The one what goes into the woods and down along the river.”
Mrs. Fleming said nothing for a few minutes, then turned to Mara. “His family had a hunting lodge not far from the river, but it was on the very farthest reaches of their property, at least ten or fifteen miles from here.” She pressed her fingertips against her head. “I can’t remember. I was never there, but Robert and George were. They would know exactly where it’s located.”
“Would the sheriff know too?” Mara asked.
“I don’t know. It’s possible. Oh, I do wish he would get here. I feel so helpless. It’ll be dark soon.” She turned back to the boy. “Is there anything else you can tell us?”
The boy shook his head. “I don’t know nothing more than he went south. Miss Ella was riding in front of him on the horse, and she was coughin’ a lot.”
“My poor girl.” Mrs. Fleming began to weep into her hands.
“You can go, boy. That’s good enough. When the sheriff gets here, we’ll call for you to tell him all of this. Tell Cook I said to give you a half-dozen cookies.”
He nodded with a big grin, then took off like a streak.
Mara handed Mrs. Fleming a handkerchief and patted her shoulder. “My mama used to say that when things look the worst, that’s when God shines the best. We need to keep prayin’, Miz Fleming. God gonna shine down on Miss Ella. You wait and see.”
Ella’s throat felt raw from her continual coughing, but still she persisted. She could tell by the way Jefferson stiffened each time she began hacking that he was more than a little disturbed. At one point he even got down and walked the horse to avoid close contact with her. She had analyzed the situation, thinking maybe she could maneuver the reins from his hold, but she could see that it would probably be impossible.
The light was growing dim when Jefferson stopped and remounted. The path split into two, and he chose the one to the right. It would keep them closer to the river, no doubt. Ella had no idea where he was headed, but the damp, chilly air was starting to permeate her clothes.
“Are we not going back to your farm?” she asked.
“You’d like that, I’m sure. There’s probably Pinkertons and other law officials looking for me there.” He tightened his hold on her waist, pulling her back against him.
“Pinkertons?” she repeated, hoping to sound ignorant of the entire affair.
“Your fool of a father turned against me, and now the world has done the same. In time, however, I’ll make him pay. I’ll make your entire family pay.”
Ella grimaced but was determined not to fight. If he saw that she was too weak to resist, then he might not be concerned about her running away. She slumped against him and coughed.
“Will we ever rest? I don’t feel very well, Jefferson.”
Overhead the skies were a dusky hue of gray and dark blue. The light was nearly gone when Jefferson finally stopped the horse and dismounted. He pulled Ella down, holding her in his arms like a baby. She closed her eyes, knowing that if she saw his face, she’d be unable to control the urge to fight him. Instead, she pretended to faint and went limp in his arms.
For several seconds he did nothing but stand there, holding her. Then, just as she thought she’d have to feign waking up, he moved to the right and lowered her to the ground. Ella stayed put. She didn’t so much as open her eyes. She heard Jefferson moving around and realized he was unsaddling the horse. He came near again and draped the saddle blanket over Ella. After he moved away, she cracked open her eyes just enough to see his shadowy form shift around in the darkness. Eventually she opened her eyes in full.
Jefferson soon had a fire going, and without thinking about his reaction, Ella crawled closer.
“I see you’re awake.”
“Sorry. I’ve been given to fainting since I took sick. My body is just too weak.” She spoke in a hushed tone to emphasize her words. Then, just for good measure, she gave another cough.
“I thought you were doing much better. That’s what the doctor said.”
“I am doing much better. I nearly died.” She didn’t know if that was true or not, but it didn’t matter. Jefferson needed to believe she was too ill to fight him or escape. “Where are we going?” she asked, holding her hands out to the flames.
“My family has a hunting cottage about ten miles from here. I didn’t figure we could find our way in the dark.”
“So we’re just going to sleep out here in the wild?”
“Unless you happen to know of a hotel nearby.” His remark was thick with sarcasm.
Ella shook her head. “I know nothing about this territory. I’ve never been this way before. My father kept me at home except for those times we traveled abroad. I suppose he didn’t want me anywhere near your operation.” She coughed several times for good measure.
Jefferson was strangely silent. It wasn’t like him not to be goaded into snide comments. Ella thought perhaps he was too tired or too worried. She hoped for both. If he fell asleep, she might have a chance to escape him.
“Did you bring any food?” she asked, wondering exactly how much he had planned ahead.
“No, but there will be food at the cottage. I laid in a supply. Taking you was an accidental benefit. I just happened to see your mother and the others headed to town and knew you’d be alone. I didn’t have time to plan out our escape.” He put another piece of wood on the fire. “We just need to get through the night. Now, get over here.”
Ella looked across the fire at him. She wasn’t sure what he had in mind, but she found it almost impossible to move. “I’m too weak. I barely managed to crawl to the fire.”
She let go another round of coughing and heard Jefferson give an exasperated sigh. He got up and grabbed the discarded saddle blanket, then came to her. She thought perhaps he intended to cover her again, but instead he threw himself down beside her and pulled her against him. She tried to get away but remembered her plan to convince him that she was too weak to fight and gave up.
He laughed and tightened his hold on her, then pulled her down as he threw the saddle blanket over them. “Lie still and go to sleep. I’m not about to let you slip away in the night. Just remember this: I’m a very light sleeper, and if you so much as consider leaving, I’ll know it.”
Ella nodded and didn’t try to loosen his hold. His very touch, however, stirred an anger deep inside her. Jefferson had forced his will on so many people, and someone needed to stop him. Perhaps that was why this had happened. Perhaps Ella was the one who would finally put an end to Jefferson Spiby’s horrendous deeds.
She looked around the camp without raising her head or even daring to draw a deep breath. She needed a weapon, but there was nothing. Even a quick glance at the fire was no help. Jefferson had found large pieces of wood that Ella would never be able to lift from the fire, much less wield. Did he have a revolver? She hadn’t seen one.
“Go to sleep,” he demanded, “or I might be forced to give you more attention than you desire.”
She stiffened, knowing in that moment that if she had a gun, it would take very little effort to use it against him. She’d never wanted to kill another person before, but just contemplating Jefferson’s plans for her made Ella more than willing to do so.
“What do you mean, the sheriff refused to come?” Mrs. Fleming asked.
Mara could see the disbelief in her expression. She knew Ella’s mother had counted on the law being able to bring her daughter home safely.
“He said this family done caused him too much trouble already. Said if Flemings were in trouble, then Flemings could get themselves out of trouble.” Abe looked at Mara and shook his head. “There’s a lot of hateful folks in that town.”
“They blame us for the end to their commerce. George told me a lot of people benefited from what he was doing.” Mrs. Fleming reclaimed her chair by the fire. She looked completely defeated. “My poor child. That man will stop at nothing to hurt her. He blames her for everything. I heard him tell George that if she hadn’t overheard him and run away, none of this would have happened.”
Mara knew the truth of it. She could still remember the night she’d helped Ella escape to join Lizzy Brookstone at the train.
“Miz Fleming, you said Mr. Fleming and Mr. Robert know how to get to that hunting lodge. We could send them a telegram and ask about it. Maybe Abe and I could go after Spiby and bring Miss Ella back,” Mara said, looking to Abe for affirmation. She knew it wouldn’t sit well with him for her to go along, but it was the best she could come up with.
“That’s right,” the older woman said, nodding. “They would know. We could get their help. If Jefferson has taken Ella there, they could tell us the way.” She got up and went to her writing desk across the room. “I’ll write out the message to send.”
Mara went to Abe as her former mistress wrote the note. “I didn’t mean to volunteer you for another job,” she said, smiling apologetically.
“Ain’t no way I’m lettin’ you risk your life goin’ after that girl. I’ll go, but you’re stayin’ here,” he said in a barely audible voice.
“You’re gonna need help.”
“Maybe so, but not from you. The good Lord will figure out who to send.”
“Maybe He already done figured that out,” Mara replied, hands on her hips.
Mrs. Fleming came back to them and handed Abe the note and some money. “This should cover the expense. I suppose you should wait for a reply.”
“Ain’t no reply gonna come yet tonight, Miz Fleming,” Abe replied. “I could come back and go in at first light.”
Ella’s mother looked at Mara as if hoping she might say otherwise.
“He’s right, Miz Fleming. Fact is, the telegraph office already be closed. We’re gonna have to wait till morning just to send it.”
This sent the older woman into another fit of tears. Mara put her arm around Mrs. Fleming’s shoulders and looked at Abe. “I’m gonna get her to bed. Would you ask Cook to bring up some tea and maybe somethin’ to eat? It’s gonna be a long night.”
twenty-two
Ella found herself roughly awakened the next morning. Jefferson was in a hurry to get moving.
“If you need to relieve yourself, do so over there where I can still see the top of your head,” he said, pointing to some heavy brush and vegetation near their campsite.
It was impossible for Ella to escape. She knew that as well as she knew her own name. Rather than protest or argue, she did as he instructed, all the while trying to figure out what she could do.
He had the h
orse saddled and ready when she returned, and Ella could see that he was agitated.
“Didn’t you sleep well?” she asked as he motioned her toward the horse. She walked slowly and gave a light cough.
“Shut up and hold still.” He lifted her in his arms and put her atop the animal. Then, without pausing, he followed her up. After arranging his coat, he pulled Ella back against him. He yanked the reins hard to the right and guided the horse onto the narrow trail.
Ella didn’t recognize the territory but did note that the river was always on their right. If she managed to escape, she’d know to keep it on her left in order to make her way home. Glancing up, she took in the thick layer of gray clouds. They made everything gloomy and muted the light. Perhaps it would snow.
“Sit still,” he ordered.
“Sorry. I was just wondering if it was going to snow.”
“With my luck, it will.”
Ella hated being in Jefferson’s arms but tried to refrain from movement. She had to put his mind at ease to keep him from thinking she was any kind of threat. She continued her occasional cough and allowed his touch. Things were going well until he buried his face against her hair and she nearly jumped out of the saddle. He only laughed and tightened his hold on her.
“Glad to see you’re feeling better.”
“You startled me.” She didn’t offer further excuse. Instead, she focused on keeping her anger at bay. She knew Jefferson well enough to know that everything he did was in order to strike fear in her. He wanted her so afraid that she couldn’t function.
Well, I’m not the frightened little girl he once knew.
After several hours they reached the hunting cottage, and Ella felt both relief and dread. She wanted so much to be in out of the cold, but at the same time the house represented imprisonment with Jefferson as her jailer.
Jefferson surprised her by bringing the horse only to the edge of the clearing. “Don’t make a sound or it’ll be your last,” he warned her.