by Ginny Dye
“He sounds a little like God,” Thomas said dryly. Then he smiled, “And I find I agree with all of it. I recently read a report that General Winfield Scott said he had rather have received the resignation of every general than that of Lee.” Thomas smiled again, even more broadly. “Let the battle be long. Victory will certainly be ours. The price will be high, but it will be worth it!”
His attention was drawn away by the waiter once more appearing at the edge of the table. “Ready to order now, sir?”
Thomas nodded. “Robert?”
Robert had barely scanned the menu while they were talking but already knew what he wanted. Camp food was adequate, but he was ready for a good meal. “I’ll have the roast duck, please.” Quickly he added to his order: potatoes, green beans, biscuits, and fresh strawberry pie. Then he leaned back to continue talking, his stomach growling in anticipation.
“One more question, Robert?”
“Only one, sir?” Robert asked smiling. “I had anticipated many more.”
Thomas chuckled. “You’re right. Just one more about Lee.”
“Ask what you’d like. I’ll do my best to answer.”
“Lee has no affection for slavery. He was not in support of secession. Yet just a few days after he resigned from the United States Army, he agreed to command the Southern troops. Why?”
Robert took another long draught of his drink and sat back. “It’s rather simple. At least in Lee’s mind. His first thoughts and considerations have always been of Virginia. It’s true he resented the attitudes of many of the secession leaders. He felt they were trying to force the involvement of the border states in their struggle. He refused to be pulled in. Virginia’s secession changed all that. He is well aware of the vulnerable position of our state in relation to Washington and the northern part of the country. Quite frankly, he knows we stand no chance without the assistance of the rest of the South. It was Virginia’s welfare that put him on the side of alliance and common effort.”
Thomas nodded. “He is quite a remarkable man.”
“That he is.” Robert was ready to change the subject. “You seem to be doing well. Are you happy with your new position with the Virginia government?”
Thomas nodded thoughtfully. “My heart is with General Lee. I will give my all for Virginia. For my home!” he added almost fiercely. Then he shook his head. “I suppose all this has done me somewhat of a favor.”
Robert leaned forward a little and looked into his face. He was pretty sure he knew what the older man was talking about. He was not disappointed.
“I couldn’t seem to find a reason for living after Abigail died.” A long pause then, “She meant everything to me, you know.”
Robert nodded, his mind traveling back to the gracious and beautiful woman who had made him feel so much at home the first night he met the Cromwells. “She was indeed a special woman.”
Thomas shook himself as if to bring his thoughts back to the present. “That she was,” he said briskly. “I floundered for quite a while, trying to find something to live for. Leaving Carrie with the plantation...” Again he paused. “Well, it wasn’t fair to her.”
“Carrie is content on the plantation, sir.”
Thomas leaned back in his chair. “That’s enough of that, young man.”
“Excuse me?” Robert asked in confusion. “Enough of what?” Did Carrie’s father not even want him mentioning her name? What had he been told? Suddenly, the blood began to roar in his ears. He had had such hopes...
“Enough of calling me sir. You are a lieutenant in the Confederate Army. You are not a boy. I would appreciate it if you would call me Thomas from now on.”
Robert leaned back with a rush of relief. “Whatever you say... Thomas.”
Thomas nodded, not seeming to have noticed Robert’s momentary panic. “And I know Carrie says she is content. I also know the depth of my daughter’s ability to dream. She is on the plantation because it is her duty, not her love. When duty no longer demands her presence, she will move on to follow her dreams.”
Robert merely nodded, knowing Thomas was right. Carrie’s shining green eyes, and glistening black hair rose up to taunt him. It was her aliveness that had drawn him from the moment he had first laid eyes on her. She radiated a life and exuberance that seemed to explode from her. She also knew what she wanted. Her independence and strong will had proven to be a magnet for him. Until...
“Why the frown, my boy?”
Robert flushed. He wasn’t sure he was ready to talk about his feelings. He looked up and saw the genuine look of caring and warmth shining from Thomas’ eyes. Thomas knew how Robert felt about his daughter. And he had told Robert the secret... He still harbored a hope that Thomas could help him see a way out of this mess. Robert managed to shrug lightly, knowing Thomas would see right through it. “I’m hoping you can help me understand your daughter.”
Thomas gave a short laugh and leaned back again. “Understanding most women is a difficult thing. I think Carrie stands in a class of her own.” He paused then hastened to add, “That’s what makes her so special.”
Just then the waiter arrived with their meal. Robert waited until the food had been set on the table before he responded to Thomas’ statement. “Carrie is special indeed.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“I asked her to marry me. The night before I left for Charleston.”
Thomas looked at him sharply. “I didn’t know that,” he said simply. Then he waited for Robert to continue.
“She wouldn’t have me.”
“I know Carrie loves you!” Thomas protested.
Robert shrugged. “Yes - she told me she loves me. She said she couldn’t marry me because of slavery.”
Thomas took a deep breath and leaned back. “Maybe you should explain a little more.” He looked down at his plate heaped with food. “While we eat, of course. I suspect you haven’t had a meal like this for a while. Letting it get cold would border on criminal.”
Robert forced a smile, along with several forkfuls of food, while he allowed his mind to carry him back to the night he had sat on the steps of St. John’s church - so hopeful. Finally, he spoke. “Carrie is quite adamant in her belief that slavery is wrong. She doesn’t believe marriage would work between us because we cannot stand united on this subject.” Hesitating, he wondered if he should tell Thomas about his father’s death - about watching him be killed by a runaway slave when Robert was just a boy. Carrie was the only person he had ever told. She had been sympathetic, but still... now she was telling him she could not marry him because of hatred in his heart. He swallowed his words and shook his head. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Did you tell her it is our divine destiny to be slave owners?”
“She doesn’t believe that, Thomas.” Robert paused, pulling his thoughts together. Why did Carrie’s words still haunt him? “I told her the Bible sanctions slavery.”
“Yes.”
“She wanted to know where it says that.”
“What did you tell her?” Thomas’ eyes bored into him.
Robert shrugged helplessly. “That I didn’t know the answer. I told her it wasn’t my job to know - it was a minister’s.”
Thomas nodded. “That’s true,” he said firmly.
“She doesn’t agree,” Robert continued. “She told me the Bible doesn’t sanction slavery - that people can find a way to justify anything they want to believe. She said she had sought God’s heart - that she could no longer condone slavery.”
“Yet she is running our plantation with our slaves,” Thomas said wryly.
Again Robert shook his head. “She says she owns not a single slave - that they belong to you. If she had her way, she would let them all go free.”
Thomas looked startled. “That would mean the end of all we’ve ever known. Surely she can’t mean that.” He paused for a moment. “It’s a good thing Cromwell Plantation isn’t completely in her hands. At least I’ve had the comfort of mind know
ing Ike Adams is doing his job to keep the slaves in line.”
Robert shrugged, already wondering if he had said too much. He had kept Carrie’s secret about Adams since Christmas. There were many times he had wondered at the wisdom of his promise, but still... a promise was a promise. It was also obvious Thomas was going to offer him no way to change his daughter’s mind. For weeks now, Carrie’s words had haunted him. “Where does the Bible say slavery is sanctioned by God, Thomas?”
Now Thomas looked at him sharply and spoke in a stern voice. “You need to be asking a minister those questions. It is their job to interpret the scriptures for us.”
Robert sensed he should drop it but somehow he couldn’t. “Carrie believes she has received answers from God...” His voice trailed off, his mind full of Carrie’s challenge to him. Ask God to show you the truth, Robert. If you’re right, there is nothing to be afraid of.
Those words, when he wasn’t completely occupied with military matters, had haunted him since the night she had uttered them. It was easy to shove them away when he was busy planning the defense of all he had ever believed in, but in the few quiet moments he had, her voice and her face rose up to taunt him.
He could tell by the look on Thomas’ face that he was frustrated. He could also tell Thomas was trying to think of something to say. His words, when he finally spoke, were half-hearted. “My daughter will come to accept the truth eventually. She loves you. I don’t believe she will let this issue keep you apart.”
Robert nodded, knowing that Thomas was wrong - and knowing Thomas knew he was wrong. He could remember the look of pain mixed with determination on Carrie’s face when she had turned down his marriage proposal. On the long trip to Charleston, he had toyed with the idea of returning and telling Carrie he had changed his mind about slavery. His love for her was like a burning coal sinking into his heart. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t envision life without her.
Two things kept him from doing it. One was the reality that he couldn’t imagine life on Oak Meadows without the labor and income from his slaves. It was the only way he had ever known. The other was honesty. Carrie, in spite of the pain it had caused, had been courageous enough to be totally honest. In his more lucid moments, he realized how much her position was costing her as well. He could do nothing less than respond with the same honesty.
The silence between the two men deepened as each sat, absorbed in his own thoughts.
“Mr. Cromwell?”
Robert started and turned to gaze at the carefully clad young man standing behind him. He couldn’t help noticing the anxious note in the intruder’s voice.
Thomas rose to meet him. “Peter.” Then he looked at Robert. “Peter is an aide at the Capitol.” Then he turned back to the blond young man, barely out of his teens. “What is it?”
“I hate to bother you, sir. Governor Letcher has called an emergency meeting of the legislature.”
“Is something wrong?” Thomas asked sharply.
Peter shook his head. “I wouldn’t know, sir. I was simply dispatched to find you.”
Thomas looked anxious for a moment and then shook his head, laughing lightly. “There has been no ringing of the Capitol bell, so there is no threat of an invasion. I’m sure it has to do with little more than figuring out better ways to handle the pressures our fair city has come under now that Richmond is the capital. We find new challenges thrown our way almost daily.”
Robert nodded. “I’m sure you’re right, Thomas.” He hid the disappointment he felt about the older man being called away. Not that he seemed to have any answers about his beautiful daughter. Robert flinched when he realized how much he had been counting on Thomas to give him some hope concerning his love for Carrie. One look at Thomas told him his friend’s mind was already behind the columned walls of the Capitol.
Extending his hand, Robert stood up. “It was wonderful to see you, Thomas.”
Thomas looked up from laying his napkin next to his plate. “Good to see you as well, Robert. Keep up the good work, son.”
“Yes, sir. I will.”
Thomas turned to leave and then as if realizing the condition of Robert’s heart, turned back around. “Don’t worry too much about, Carrie. Things will work out. And right now, all of us have plenty to keep our thoughts busy. She will come around.”
Robert nodded, watched him walk away, and then turned back to mechanically finish his meal. He knew Thomas was wrong.
CHAPTER FOUR
Carrie looked up from where she was sitting behind her father’s massive oak desk. Hazy sunlight poured in through the tall window, but there was no movement in the still, hot air. “Are you sure this is what you want to do, Opal?”
“Yes, Miss Carrie.” Opal’s voice was firm without a trace of hesitation.
Carrie looked the woman over carefully. Not too many years older than her own nineteen, Opal appeared much older. Already the hard labor in the fields had creased her dark face with tiny lines. Her jet black hair still had a sheen to it, but her shoulders had taken on the familiar stoop of a tobacco worker. In spite of the hard work, she had also begun to develop a bulge that tightened the waistline of her light blue dress. Her eyes, normally too tired for one her age, had an unusual brightness to them.
Carrie looked back down at the pass she was carefully forging with her father’s name. “I don’t want you to send any of your wages back.”
“Why, Miss Carrie, I’ve got to do that!” Opal gasped. “What if somebody was to find out I wasn’t sending my wages? There could be trouble for sure!”
Carrie was amused at the panic in the woman’s voice, but it caused her to reconsider. Finally she nodded. “You may be right.” She grabbed another sheet of paper and wrote quickly, stopping every few minutes to think about what she was doing. Her father had always taken care of hiring out the slaves. Hopefully she wasn’t making any grave errors in procedure or protocol that would serve as a red flag to those on the lookout for runaway slaves.
Finally she looked back up. “Here, take this with you. It is instructions to the manager of the Federal Armory. He is to send home fifty percent of your income. The other half will be yours.”
Opal gasped again, her eyes widening as she reached out to take the paper with trembling hands. “I’m actually going to be making money of my own?” she whispered disbelievingly.
Carrie nodded gravely. “It will be yours to do with what you want. I urge you to use wisdom. I have heard of slaves using their money to buy alcohol. Alcohol brings nothing but trouble, Opal.”
“Oh, yes ma’am. I know that for sure. Ain’t I seen it in Mr. Adams?” She paused, her dark eyes growing even darker when she thought about the vengeful overseer. Then she shook her head firmly. “I’m going to save all my money.” At the thought of it, her eyes glowed even brighter. “I’m going to pay my way in the city. And the rest I’m going to put aside to buy my freedom when the time comes.”
Carrie shook her head in protest. “I’ve already told you - you can have your freedom any time you want it.”
Opal seemed to have thought everything through, however. She shook her head firmly. “That’s all fine and good when you’re the one in charge, Miss Carrie. Might not always be that way, though. Your daddy come home - or send a new overseer - and things could change. And what if the South wins this war? Only the slaves who are way up North gonna still have their freedom. I aim to be sure I can buy mine if it looks like I got to.”
Carrie looked at the woman in admiration. “You’re a very brave woman.”
“Nonsense!” Opal snorted. “If I was a very brave woman, I’d be in Canada now, instead of going to work in Richmond.”
When she grew silent, Carrie knew she was thinking about her friends who had escaped with the first group of Cromwell slaves to use the Underground Railroad.
Then her face brightened. “Miss Sarah tells me everything always works for the good. I reckon God let me be a chicken and get left behind for a reason. I aim to find out
what that reason is.”
Once again the look of determination and - something else - filled Opal’s face. Carrie was tempted once more to find out what the woman was hiding, but she shook her head, smiled, and handed Opal the pass. “This will get you into the city. Keep it with you all the time.” She heard her voice becoming sterner, but she did nothing to soften it. “And I mean all the time,” she added. She knew what the city could do to blacks. All Opal had ever known was the plantation.
Opal reached out to take the papers Carrie had prepared for her. “Yes, ma’am,” she said in a serious voice. “I know I ain’t never been away from Cromwell Plantation before, but I done heard the stories about Richmond. I be real careful.”
“You’d better be,” Carrie said with a smile. Her smile faded as she watched another one of her father’s people walk through the door and out of her life. “Do me a favor,” she called after the disappearing form.
“Yes, ma’am,” Opal said, turning to face her again.
“If you run into my father, don’t tell him who you are.”
Laughter rang through the house as Opal turned and left.
Sam was waiting for Opal in the carriage when she emerged from the house. She took a long moment to stand on the porch and look over the beautiful fields of Cromwell Plantation. June had always been one of her favorite times of the year. The fields, bursting with the beginning of new life just weeks ago, were now covered in fertile growth, the green shoots and stalks straining to see which could reach closest to the sky. Everything was still a luxuriant green. There was no strained look to the plants like there would be in another couple of months when they were spending too much energy sucking available moisture from the late-summer ground.
“You comin’, girl?” Sam asked impatiently as he picked up the reins. The horses, a matching pair of bays, snorted and shifted in anticipation.
Opal nodded but still didn’t move from where she was standing. She could barely hear the sounds of the children playing in the quarters. Her mind traveled back to her carefree days before she began work as a field hand. Unexpectedly, her eyes glazed over with tears. She was leaving all she had ever known. To go to - what?