Charles raised the cup as a toast to Kate. She watched wide-eyed as he sipped the sweet drink.
“That doesn’t mean that you still don’t owe me that dance.” She twirled her hair and smiled.
A man stepped between them, and with his back, he shoved Charles out of the way.
“Well, if it’s a dance you desire,” said the man, “then surely I can be of service, madam.”
“I don’t dance with just anyone,” said Kate.
“I’m not just anyone,” said the man. “It’s me, Jesse.”
Kate’s angel eyes brightened to Charles’s surprise and resentment. Her glow was meant for him and no one else, especially not Jesse. And more than anyone, she had to know how horrible of a person he was. Just last year, Jesse and his gang not only murdered unarmed Union troops, but they chopped off the dead men’s heads just to dishonor the bodies.
Charles had never gotten the rest of his clothes and money back from Jesse either. Guests called his attention away. He left Kate to catch up with Jesse and served a chocolate to a guest. Kate hooked her arm into Jesse’s and followed him to the dance floor.
In his heart, Charles suspected that she wasn’t interested in Jesse. They were just old friends. What pained Charles more than anything was watching her walk away with someone who wasn’t him. He would never be that man she would walk onto a dance floor with.
She glanced back at Charles and scrunched her face as if reassuring him of her disinterest in dancing with Jesse. She crossed her eyes and made twisted faces. Charles smirked, feeling mildly encouraged by her display.
Clack. Mr. Beckwourth snapped his pocket watch. “You two ought to quit it now,” he said. “I ain’t got the best eyesight. But if I can see what’s going on, then other folk surely can as well. And if I must say, as a friend, that’s one beast you can never tame, magic touch or not.”
Mr. Beckwourth was right. Charles was kidding himself. He never had a chance with Kate, even if she pursued him. All the odds were stacked against them. Not only was he her servant, she was also the boss’s daughter. Negros and whites didn’t mix. He was torturing himself with impossible fantasies.
He returned to being invisible and scuttled around the party like spooked cattle. He cleaned spills, replaced dwindled candles, and crawled beneath the puncheon floor whenever someone dropped anything smaller than a peach between the logs. Guests began filing out at midnight, thanking Mrs. Carson for “a magical time,” “excellent hospitality,” and “a wonderful tribute to our dear President Lincoln.” Charles seriously considered Mr. Garrett’s offer as the family prepared to leave.
“Kate and I were just catching up,” Vivian said to her father. “Can I stay? The Carsons’ driver can take me home.”
“You can’t just volunteer the services of someone’s help,” said Mr. Garrett. “I’m sure Mrs. Carson has some other duties for him to perform. She was kind enough to throw such a magnificent event, we wouldn’t want to intrude on her generosity. Come along now.”
“It’s quit all right,” said Mrs. Carson. “Vivian and Katherine rarely get to see each other. It wouldn’t be a problem for Charlie to drive her home. If it’s alright with you, Mr. Garrett, she can stay a little while longer.”
Mr. Garrett scratched his beard. “Another hour then.” Charles pulled the Garrett’s carriage around and Mr. Garrett helped his wife inside.
“Have you thought about my offer, son?” asked Mr. Garrett.
“Yes, sir,” said Charles.
“And?”
Charles hesitated. He still hadn’t committed to a decision either way yet. “I think I’ll stay here with the Carsons for now if that’s all right.”
Mr. Garrett drew in a deep breath and guided Charles away from the carriage. “Let me tell you something, son. Mr. Carson’s been missing for going on two years now. That’s the longest he’s ever been away. He hasn’t written a single post since he’s been away.”
“How do you know?”
“The steam-engine brings all the posts through my town, son. I have my eye on it. The point is, Mr. Carson ain’t coming back. You know it. I know it. Everybody knows it. I think that’s the reason you don’t want to leave this ranch. And I understand. You feel like you have to stay here and take care of Miss Katie and Mrs. Carson. That’s very noble and I appreciate your sense of generosity. But you have to think about yourself. What I’m going to give you is something colored folk rarely attain. I’m going to give you ownership of your own property. You think the Carsons are going to share what they have with you? Look at your friend Mr. Beckwourth. All those years slaving on this ranch and nothing to show for it. That’s not to say that the Carsons aren’t good people because they are. They’ve always been dear friends of mine. But you’d never have to ask permission to have chocolate at one of my gatherings.”
“That’s quite all right, sir. I don’t mind. If I work hard, I can buy my own chocolate.”
Mr. Garrett narrowed his eyes and pressed his lips together. “I don’t think my words are quite sinking in. Look, it’s very honorable that you don’t want to bad mouth the Carsons behind their back. I admire your loyalty. It’s just that I treat all my people with respect. And I very much dislike it when I see someone innocent being disrespected. That’s why your old master hasn’t found you yet.”
Charles flinched at the mention of his old master and was slow to respond. “What do you mean?”
“The master you ran away from,” said Mr. Garrett. “What was it? Six years ago when you found yourself in my town? There’s a reason that man hasn’t found you all these years.”
“What reason is that?”
“Come work for me and I’ll explain everything. I might even know the whereabouts of the culprits who committed that atrocity upon your mother.”
The hair on the back of his neck pulled his skin apart and his body felt cold. “With all due respect, sir. Why haven’t you told me anything about this until now?”
“I’m a business man. Some bits of information are best kept until the opportune moment.”
“Why do you want me to come work for you so bad?”
“I just like to surround myself with good souls.” Mr. Garrett hopped in his carriage. “Don’t make a decision yet. Ponder it for a while. Soon, I’ll be having a rodeo. You can join if you please. Give me you answer then.” He and his wife rolled away into the night.
Hundreds of thoughts raced through Charles’s head at once: joining his first rodeo and being respected for once; his old master and life on the plantation and now having the possibility of owning his own land; finding his mother’s murderer.
Anger stirred in him that he hadn’t experienced since he lost his mother. He had imagined taking revenge on his mother’s killers enough that the act had become a reality in his mind; he had already done it. Mr. Garrett’s revelation changed everything. It brought him spiraling back to that fateful day. A blur of figures swayed before him, people were still dancing.
“I’m ready, Charlie,” said a hazy figure in front of him.
He perked up over the fact that someone else other than Kate and Mr. Garrett had recognized his existence and knew his name.
“I promised my father I wouldn’t stay too late,” said Vivian. “You can take me home now.”
“It’s been an hour already?” he said.
“Not quite. It seems Kate’s attention is held up at the moment, and it’s probably going to be a long night.”
Kate sat on a bench with Jesse deep in a conversation that implied she had forgotten that Charles ever existed. Indeed, it would be a long night.
“I don’t think she’s fond of him,” said Vivian. “She has eyes for another. Won’t tell me who though. Some mystery man.” Her expression pinched as if she smelled something foul. “Why are you still here? Bring the carriage around.” She waved her hand dismissively.
Vivian acted as pretentious as Mrs. Carson, while Kate behaved as respectful as Mr. Garrett. It was as if Mrs. Carson and Mr. Garr
ett had the wrong daughters. They should switch families. Then he could own his own land and be with Kate at the same time.
Charles brought the Carsons’ two-seated open carriage with big red wheels and helped Vivian inside. The horse trotted them into the night.
“I overheard you speaking with my father,” she said. “And I want you to come work on our ranch.”
“Mr. Garrett put you up to this?”
“My father doesn’t know I’m doing this. This was my plan alone. So, what’s it going to take to get you to say yes?”
“This can’t be just about my servant duties. I’m not that good.”
“Honestly, I don’t know why they want you so bad either.”
“They?”
“Men come by our ranch all the time. At least they used to. My father was in some sort of fraternity with your boss. But when Mr. Carson disappeared they all stopped coming around.”
“The last time I spoke with Mr. Carson he said some things to me that I didn’t understand. And tonight your father says he has answers for me.”
“Answers to what?”
“Long forgotten questions.”
“These men always get what they want, Charlie. And for whatever reason, they want you. It’s best if you come willingly.”
“Don’t act like you care about me.”
“I’m not heartless. I know what people say about me, but they don’t really know me.” She paused and stared out into night. “Haven’t you ever wanted someone to notice you? Just to acknowledge that you exist? I have five brothers. My father does everything with them, but it’s like I’m invisible. And I just thought that if I could convince you to come work for our family, then my father would finally pay attention to me.” She turned sideways on the seat and faced him. “So will you?”
He understood her discouragement, but she was still acting on her selfish priorities and not in his best interest. She didn’t care about his wellbeing more than she desired to be exalted in the eyes of her father. Charles had to look out for himself as he always did.
“I know what that feels like more than you know,” he said. “But, I’m sorry, Vivian. Actually, I’m not sorry. Why would I be sorry for making my own decisions? I’m staying with the Carsons. Now, you sit back before you fall out.”
“I’ll sit how I like. Thank you very much.”
Charles rolled the carriage over a stone on purpose. The carriage rocked. He grabbed her arm and hoisted back onto her seat before she could fall out.
She slapped his hand away. “Get your filthy hands off me.” She slid her back flat against the backrest. Charles grinned to himself at his ability to bring out her true personality.
“You’re staying because of her aren’t you?” said Vivian. “Because of Kate?”
“I have my reasons.”
“Of course you are,” she said. “All the men at the party seemed to have lost all their dignity fawning over her. I don’t know what you all see in old rat-face Kate.”
“I thought Kate was your friend.”
“You know, it just occurred to me that the way Kate speaks of you verges on scandalous.”
“I do my job well, apparently.”
“You must do it dreadfully well because she speaks as highly of you as she does her mystery man.”
“I doubt she speaks of me at all. Even if she does, I think you might be exaggerating her words about me.”
“I don’t think so. The way you two were making those faces tonight, her dancing with Jesse is the only thing that put the kibosh on any gossip before it started to swirl. But what if that was just an act?”
“Jesse’s a good fellow. Any woman would be proud to walk arm in arm with him. Why would she pretend?”
“To protect her mystery man.” She danced a finger in his view.
He swatted her finger away. “Kate can choose any guy she wants. If you’re implying that me, her house worker, is the mystery man, that there deserves quite a laugh.”
“Laughable to some. Blasphemous for others. And I don’t see you smiling. You know, if something like that were to ever get out, it would be terrible for all parties involved. Kate’s good reputation would be soiled. And you—”
Charles pulled the reins. The carriage skidded to a halt. “Don’t you threaten her.”
Vivian slid across the seat away from him. “You sit back down,” she said. “If you dare think about putting your filthy hands on me again, you’ll hang.”
Charles sat back down and whipped the reins. The carriage pulled off with a jolt. They rode in silence the rest of the way to the Garrett’s sprawling ranch. Vivian leapt out of the carriage, refusing his helping hand, and she stormed up to the mansion.
He took his time returning to the ranch. He wasn’t too anxious to stumble upon Kate and Jesse in a compromising position. His imagination ran wild with all the ugly possibilities.
Back at the Carsons’ silent and dimly lit ranch, all the partygoers had gone. Kate met him outside alone.
“You’re still in your dress,” he said.
“Mother thinks I’m in bed.” Kate hauled him by the arm over to the vacant puncheon floor. “You owe me a dance.”
The one thing he thought would never be possible. “There’s no music,” he said.
“We’ll make our own.”
They started out prancing around, swinging about in a dosado, all the while giggling in hushed tones, trying to keep their voices down. But when Kate tripped and stumbled forward into his arms, the air changed. Their bodies touched for the first time since their first hug when he rescued her from the runaway buggy. He welcomed the warmth of her angel eyes. They bore into his spirit, and planted a piece of Kate’s soul in his for safekeeping, for remembrance, and for eternal residence.
With the weight of a feather, she rested her hand in his as though laying an infant in a crib. She held his other wrist and placed his hand on her waist. With a firm grip on her side, he drew her into him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder, sending tingles all over the surface of his skin. Together they warmed the cool air around them as they swayed. He sensed the music they made together and knew that she heard the same melody as they were both in tune to each other’s steps. They didn’t just dance; they were gliding as if on ice, as if flying. They levitated and lifted off into the Heavens, liberating themselves from the prison of reality.
Dancing with Kate was too good to be true, too perfect to last. He felt like she was doing him a courtesy before she went out with Jesse.
“So, you and Jesse seemed to have quite a bit to discuss.” He regretted bringing up the topic as soon as the words left his mouth.
“Oh, I don’t want you to get the wrong impression.” She placed a comforting palm on his chest.
His heart pounded.
“I’m not very fond of Jesse at all,” she said. “I remember the terrible things he did to you and to me. And I’ve heard rumors of worse things he’s done since. The only reason I agreed to dance with him tonight was because me and you started to get funny looks from folk. And everyone expected me to dance with Jesse. He’s handsome. He’s a war hero. According to everyone, he and I are the perfect match.” She halted her steps and shoved Charles away. “I don’t know why I’m so different. Why can’t I just be like everybody else?” She turned away from him.
“What do you mean?” Charles stepped up behind her.
“I’m not supposed to like you. Not in the way I do.” She twirled back around to face him. Her eyes widened. “But I can’t help it. I wish I could help it, because it’s so exhausting keeping up a false appearance all the time. But I don’t know how else to survive. Everything you and I are doing is supposed to be wrong but it just doesn’t feel that way to me. We’re not even doing anything at all.”
“It’s just a dance,” he said.
Her posture stiffened. “It’s not just a dance. Not to me. Not to anyone else either. Everyone would say we shouldn’t even be out here together. But I
don’t want to be anywhere else or with anybody else.” Her small frame relaxed. “That terrifies me because I don’t want anything bad to happen.”
He took both her hands in his. “Nothing bad is going to happen because this is going to end. I’m gonna leave the ranch.”
Her mouth fell open and she didn’t say anything for a few seconds. “What? Leave? Go where?”
He lowered his head, avoiding eye contact with her. “To work for the Garretts.”
“I saw him watching you earlier. I assumed it was because we were getting too close to each other.” She glared down at the ground and paused. “So, he thinks he can go behind my mother’s back since my father’s gone, does he?”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s my choice.”
“You can’t go,” she begged. “Especially not to work for Vivian. I don’t like the idea of her bossing you around.”
“Yeah, that part ain’t ideal. But if I stay here it’s just asking for trouble.”
She folded her arms. “So, you’re just going to leave?”
He reached out to her. She spun away.
“Mr. Garrett made me a really good offer,” he said. “It’s not the kind of deal that someone like me should pass up.”
Kate gazed up to the stars. “Do you think there’s a world somewhere out there where this sort of thing doesn’t matter?”
“I know a place.” He reached around her and grabbed her hand.
She accepted him this time, and allowed him to lead her over to the stable. He saddled and mounted a horse. She gathered her dress, and he hoisted her up onto the saddle.
She wrapped her arms around him from behind and they flew away, galloping over prairies until Charles found his favorite spot in the land near the talking tree. It didn’t actually speak. He had given the tree that nickname because there was a round notch in the middle of its branches that was shaped like a skull. It had what resembled a mouth and hollow eyes. Its leaves whispered in the breeze as he helped Kate down the stirrups.
“Oh, Charlie, this is a lovely sight,” said Kate. “Look at all this. It’s perfect for building a home and settling down with a family. I can just picture it.”
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