Raven was so engrossed in seeing everything that she did not hear anyone shouting to Steve. It was only when he abruptly pulled back on the horses' reins and leaped down from the carriage that she saw a woman waving as she came out of yet another cotton field. She was white, while the other workers were all black, and although her face was smeared with streaks of sweat and dirt. Raven could tell she was pretty. Her hair was hidden beneath a bright-colored bandanna, and even though her dress was loose, it was quite obvious she was going to have a baby.
Selena Leroux threw her arms around Steve. "Thank God, you're back! I've missed you so."
Raven noticed Steve didn't seem to mind how filthy the girl was from scrambling in the dirt to pick cotton to stuff in the big burlap bag that she had dropped to run to greet him.
He hugged her, then held her at arm's length. "You shouldn't be working in the fields, Selena. It looks like you're getting close to your time."
She laughed and patted her round tummy proudly. "Oh, I've got a little while to go yet, and you know Poppa. Everybody at our house works, no matter what."
"But there's easier work you could be doing." He took her hands and turned them palm up. Raven winced to see the bloody blisters.
Selena drew back self-consciously, "They haven't toughened yet. It takes awhile after picking starts."
"You need to wrap those blisters before they get infected."
"Enough about me." Framing her eyes with her hands against the sun, she looked beyond him to Raven. "Who's that you've got with you? Is she the reason you ran off without telling anybody?"
"I'll explain everything later. Right now I want to know about Ned. Is he still alive?"
"Barely, from what the house servants say. The doctor visits every day now; I see his carriage coming and going. Who is she?" She continued to stare at Raven.
Steve put his hands on her shoulders and kissed her on her forehead. "I'll come see you tonight. And when you talk to your pa, tell him I said to let you work indoors from now on."
She snorted. "And he'll tell me to go to hell in a wheelbarrow—if he doesn't give me a beating first." With another curious look at Raven, she walked away.
As soon as Steve got back in the carriage, he asked, "Did you hear? Your father is still alive, so we made it back in time after all."
She did not want to talk about her father. "Who was that?"
"Selena Leroux. She's a friend of mine."
"Why is she working in the fields when she's white? The only other whites I've seen are those on horseback, and you said they were overseers."
"Selena's father is one of the overseers, and he wants all his children to work. There's nothing wrong with that, but she shouldn't be picking cotton in her condition. Ned doesn't even allow the Negro women in the fields when they're expecting babies."
"Then why does her father insist on it? Doesn't her husband have a say?"
"She's not married."
"But—" Raven fell silent. She had been about to ask why Selena was not married when she was pregnant, then decided not to. After all, like everything else on the vast plantation, it was none of her concern. She was merely passing through.
They were almost to the next bend when Steve again yanked back on the reins, this time so sharply that Raven pitched forward and gave a little cry of surprise. But he didn't notice as he dropped to the ground and started walking swiftly toward a man on horseback on the other side of the split rail fence. The man had seen them approaching but, unlike the others they had passed, had turned his back and did not wave. Raven had thought that odd, and now, watching the scene unfold, saw that Steve was angry, and the man was obviously trying to ignore him.
"Masson Leroux, I want to talk to you."
Leroux. Raven strained to hear. He had to be Selena's father.
Masson gave his horse a nudge. "I don't have time."
Steve reached out and yanked him from the saddle to the ground. "Take time."
"Hey, you got no call to do that." Masson scrambled to his feet, fists doubled, face twisted with rage, but made no move to fight. "You coulda hurt me, slamming me down like that."
"And Selena and her baby can be hurt by you making her work in the hot sun every day. You know how Ned feels about pregnant women working the fields."
His mouth twisted in scorn. "Them women aren't having their babies in shame and disgrace. They got husbands. They aren't whores. Nobody cares about whores."
"Selena is no whore, and you know it. She made a mistake, that's all. You've no right to punish her this way."
Masson retreated a few steps, knowing he was treading on dangerous ground but too mad to care. "If you're so concerned about Selena, why don't you marry her and give her bastard a name?"
Neither heard Raven's soft gasp.
"Don't think I'm not tempted, if only to get her away you. If I see her in those fields again, you'll answer to me, you got that?"
Masson forced a sneer of bravado. What he wanted to do was knock Steve on his butt, but he was not about to risk getting whipped in front of all the workers who had stopped to watch. Instead, he spoke loud enough for them to hear. "I take orders from Mr. Ralston, not you. He hasn't give a damn about nothing but those fancy horses of his for the past four years, and we both know it. The last thing he'd care about right now is me making my pregnant slut of a daughter work for her keep, and if you don't like it, you tell him and then let him tell me. Have you got that?" He glanced to the workers for their murmurs of agreement. They knew if they showed any signs of loyalty to Maddox, they'd feel Masson's whip on their bare backs as soon as the carriage was out of sight.
Steve's hands snaked out to grab him by his throat and lift him up until he was dancing on his toes and clawing at Steve's squeezing fingers, eyes bulging. "Don't let me see or hear of Selena being in the fields anymore. I won't warn you again."
He released him with a shove that sent him sprawling to the ground once more, then turned and went back to the carriage.
He got in, said nothing, and popped the reins. They rolled along in silence for a few moments, and then Raven bluntly asked, "Well, why don't you marry her?"
Steve glanced at her, unsure he had heard her right. "What did you say?"
Telling herself she was a fool to ache because another woman was carrying his child, she said, "I asked why don't you marry her? Her father asked you the same question."
"Because it's not my baby."
He said it so simply that Raven found herself believing him and hoped he could not see how relieved she was. "Then why did he say that?"
"It's his way of telling me that if I want to look out for her I should marry her; otherwise, to keep my mouth shut and stay out of his family's business. But she's my friend.... I do try to look out for my friends, but that doesn't mean I have to marry them," he added with a laugh.
"Why aren't you married?" She cursed herself the moment she asked. Now he was looking at her with a twinkle in his eye, and dear God, she didn't care about his personal life at all—did she?
He thought about it a moment. "I could lie and say I've never met the right woman, but the truth is, I've met lots of women who would have made good wives. The fact is, I don't want to be married. I like my freedom. I suppose"—he nodded toward the pasture they were approaching, where Ned's beloved racking horses were grazing—"I'm like a stallion running free that's never been caught or broke. I've still got my spirit. I want to keep it."
"And you believe marriage takes a man's spirit?"
"Absolutely. A woman breaks a man just like a horse and works him to death. If he's obedient to her every command, she rewards him with a pat on the head once in a while. If he resists, she makes him wish he'd never been born. No, thanks. I'll keep my spirit—and my freedom. What about you?"
Intent on absorbing all he'd just said, his question took her by surprise. "Me? I've never thought about it."
"Seems to me it would have been a whole lot easier to find yourself a husband to take care of you than
pretend to be a boy."
Raven bristled. "I don't need a man to take care of me. I feel the same as you. I'm not willing to give up my spirit, either, and that's what a man expects of his—"
She broke off as they rounded the last bend in the road and Halcyon, in all its stunning glory, came into view.
Wanting her to be impressed, Steve described the true marvel of what she was seeing. "The house is unlike any other in the state. It sits on a brick foundation, and those arches are over twelve feet high. Like the walls, they were plastered and carved by the most expert European craftsmen money could buy. The brick steps are covered with imported marble, and the doorknobs and keyhole guards are made of silver.
"Those columns," he continued, "are called Corinthian in style, and those fancy scroll designs you see all the way to the top are called capitals. There are no windows on the first floor, only narrow doors made of small panes of glass so they can stand open in the warm months and allow the river breeze to flow through the house. There are forty rooms, and those not used for anything else store all the furniture, paintings, tapestries, and other things that Ned's grandfather imported from Europe but never got around to unpacking."
"It... it's three times bigger than the hotel where we stayed last night," she stammered in wonder.
"There's an L-shaped wing out back. The kitchen is on its first floor, the house servants live on the second. The only improvement Ned made to the house itself was to the basement. He was trying to do something about sanitary facilities, so he had a large stone basin to hold water built on the second floor, with a small furnace beneath. Copper pipes run hot water from the basin into the bedrooms when the servants light the furnace. Real nice for shaving." He grinned and rubbed the stubble on his chin.
"So you live there too," she said quietly.
He dared to wonder if she hoped he did. "No. I live above one of the stables. You can see it on the other side of the pecan grove." He pointed.
She told herself to be relieved they would not be under the same roof and changed the subject. "There are so many pretty flowers everywhere."
"Ned loves them. Those vines you see on the upstairs railing are wisteria, but it's the gardens he prizes. There are all kinds of roses and other flowers I can't name, but he can tell you each and every one. There's a grotto with a pagoda and bells, and exotic birds like peacocks. The lagoons are stocked with fish and swans and pelicans, and there's a fenced area for deer and rabbit that are so tame you can pet them. Then there's an area for hunting several miles from here."
Raven thought it all lovely, hut it only served to feed her resentment over how her mother might have enjoyed such grandeur.
Her stomach gave a hungry rumble. She hadn't eaten all day, declining breakfast to keep from being around Steve anymore than she had to. "Do you think we could postpone my meeting my father till after I've had lunch?"
He thought she was just stalling, which annoyed him a bit. "That's up to you," he said coolly. "I'll just introduce you to Julius and Lisbeth. They can see you're fed and then take you up to him."
She did not like that idea at all and quickly changed her mind. "Maybe I can wait to eat... if you'll stay with me," she added hopefully.
He realized then she was just nervous, which was understandable, and he softened. "I'll be glad to, but then I've got things to do, so you'll be on your own. And besides, you've taken up enough of my time."
But Raven was not about to be bested. "Well, it's nice to know you won't be watching me like a hawk anymore, and I can just jump on Diablo and ride out of here any time I want."
"No, you can't," he said matter-of-factly. "Remember? All I've got to do is whistle."
Chapter 12
Julius and Lisbeth were having lunch on the glass porch, one of their favorite places in the entire mansion. It had been their mother's idea to enclose the veranda outside the formal dining room, where there was a nice view of the river and the gardens. They could also see a portion of the drive, lined with great live oaks, and the lawn, with its checkerboard design that had been achieved by planting different kinds of grass.
The furniture was white-painted wicker with peach and blue floral cushions and a glass-topped table. Baskets of lush ferns and fragrant flowers were abundant, making the atmosphere seem cool, even on a stifling day.
Noting how cheerful Lisbeth seemed, Julius asked, "Do you have a secret I don't know about? Has Barley Tremayne finally proposed?"
"No, but he will," she replied airily. "Actually, I'm happy because Steve's been gone so long, which means any day now he'll be back to tell to Ned he couldn't find that girl."
"I told you there was nothing to worry about." He patted her hand.
Mariah walked in, carrying bowls of fresh peaches for their dessert. She had not only been their mammy when they were babies but had actually run the household ever since Ned had married their mother, for Edith had cared nothing about such responsibilities. She'd left them to Mariah so she could spend all her time socializing instead.
Hearing Julius, Mariah asked, "Who's worried? Is there something going on I don't know about?"
Julius laughed. "Impossible. You know everything."
"I know it might be nice to invite Mr. Barley for Sunday dinner," she said, patting Lisbeth's shoulder as she set down her bowl of peaches. "That young man does love my fried chicken."
"Who doesn't?" Lisbeth smiled at her. "That's a lovely idea."
Mariah looked to Julius. "Are you sure there isn't a special lady friend you'd care to invite?" She was anxious to see them both married and raising a family, so the mansion would come alive with the laughter of children.
"No, Mariah, I'm afraid it will just be the three of us, since Master Ned doesn't come downstairs anymore."
"That's true, that's true," Mariah said with a sympathetic shake of her head. "He's just wastin' away. It's like he's gone to bed to die. If only Mr. Steve would come back, that might cheer him up, but don't nobody know where he's gone, and if Master Ned knows he ain't saying."
Julius exchanged a knowing glance with Lisbeth. "Well, it doesn't matter. We'll enjoy your chicken. Maybe you'd better tell that boy of yours to wring an extra neck."
Mariah had gone to the serving cart where she had left a bowl of cream for the peaches. Now, looking toward the road, she let out a whoop of joy. "One extra chicken won't be enough. I'm gonna tell him to wring three necks, maybe four!"
Julius laughed. "Barley doesn't eat that much."
"But Mister Steve does. And as long as he's been gone, he's bound to be starved for my cooking."
Lisbeth and Julius looked at each other, not understanding, and when she turned and ran for the door, Julius called after her, "What's got into you, Mariah?"
She kept on going. "It's Mr. Steve. He's coming up the road."
They started to get up at the same time, collided, and fell back in their chairs. They tried again, only to have the same thing happen. Then, hearing Mariah's last words they slumped back and paled.
"Looks like he's got somebody with him too, a young lady. I'll just bet that boy's finally done gone and found himself a wife."
"Sit," Julius commanded Lisbeth brusquely, holding her as she started to rise. "We can't go rushing out there like maniacs. We have to calm down and think about this."
"Think about what?" She stared at him in horror. "If he's got a woman with him, she's not his wife, and we both know it. He's found her, that's what he's done. He's found Ned's bastard!"
"Maybe. Maybe not."
"But—"
"Let me think, please."
"There's nothing to think about. Don't you see? She's here." She grabbed his arm. "And we've got to do something fast!"
"Well, I'm afraid the only thing we can do for the moment is walk out there and act properly surprised when we're introduced to our stepsister and try to be polite till we figure out what we're going to do about it."
A horrible thought struck Lisbeth. "She's an imposter. She has to be. When he co
uldn't find Ned's real daughter, he got someone to pretend to be her. Then, when Ned dies, she'll divide everything with Steve. It's a scheme, don't you see? They'll kick us out and have everything. We've got to stop him."
"Steve is too smart to try something like that."
"But what if it is her? What if Steve persuades her to marry him, so he'll be the one to inherit everything? I wouldn't put it past him."
"We'll talk about it later. There's no time now. Let's go. Remember what I said and don't make a scene."
Doggedly, she knew she had no choice but to follow after him.
* * *
Raven was sitting ramrod straight, clenching her teeth and praying her clasped hands would not start shaking as she and Steve drew ever closer to the grandest house she had ever seen. The father she had loathed and resented as long as she could remember was in that house, she thought with a flash of panic. She was about to meet him face-to-face, and though she'd had weeks to prepare for it, she was still not ready. What could she say? What was there to say—that she hated him? That she didn't care if he lived or died and wanted nothing from him and never had? Could she be that vindictive? She had always thought so but was now uncertain.
Steve slowed the horses to a walk, and Raven looked at him quizzically.
He cleared his throat, pushed his hat back from his forehead, looked at her long, hard, and searchingly, and finally said, "It won't hurt you to be easy on him, Raven. Hate can be like a poison, eating away at you inside. You'll feel a lot better later on if you let him make peace now."
"But you're going to make me stay till he dies. Maybe I could pretend for a few days, but—"
He cut her off, "Look, I'm surprised he's lasted this long, and I'm sure the only reason is because he's been clinging to the hope that I'd be able to find you. It means everything to him."
"But he's going to think the only reason I came was because you told me about my inheritance."
"So what if he does? Ned is no fool. He's got sense enough to know you wouldn't exactly be jumping with joy at the idea of meeting him after the way things happened."
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