The Underground Railroad Brides Collection: 9 Couples Navigate the Road to Freedom Before the Civil War

by Barbara Tifft Blakey, Ramona K. Cecil, Lynn A. Coleman, Cecelia Dowdy, Patty Smith Hall, Terri J. Haynes, Debby Lee, Darlene Panzera

  The gentle rap of the captain’s knock pulled her away from the mirror with one final brush of her hands across her hair. She pulled the door open. The captain was wearing the same outfit he’d been wearing earlier in the day. Perhaps she had been reading too much into the invitation. “Good evening, Captain.”

  “Good evening, Miss Kimbrel. May I come in?”

  She was about to say, “Of course,” but decided to let her hand speak for her as she waved him into the cabin. “Bradley should be here with our dinner soon.”

  “Thank you. If you’ll pardon me for a moment, I need to write a few things down in one of my logs.” He sat down at his desk.

  He looked comfortable behind the desk, as if he and the furniture belonged together. “Is the desk yours or a part of the ship?”

  He turned and smiled. “Mine. My father and I built it after I earned my commission as a captain.”

  “It’s beautiful.” She traced the edge with her finger. She’d admired it before but looked at it in a new light. “This really is quite nice.”

  “Thank you.” He went back to his notations.

  “Evenin’, Miss Kimbrel,” Bradley said as he stepped through the open door carrying two plates of food. “I’ll be back with your drinks in a moment.”

  Bradley ran out of the room. The enticing aroma coming up from the plates tickled Charlotte’s nose. She lifted the lids. “Captain, you won’t believe—”

  “Oh my,” Zach said and abandoned his pen and ledger. “I really need to convince the owners to let me hire Ruth.”

  Charlotte chuckled. “Bring them a plate of her food.”

  “What a splendid idea.” He sat down and draped his napkin over his left thigh. He paused for a moment. “Would you mind if we pray before we eat?”

  “No, not at all.”

  Zach nodded. “Father, we thank You for Your many blessings. We ask for Your grace and protection for the former slaves who are now in New York and for the three still remaining on this ship. I also ask for Your guidance for Miss Kimbrel and her future. Protect the men and the ship. In Your precious Son’s name, amen.”

  “Amen.” He didn’t ask for prayer for himself. Hmm.

  “This smells like heaven on a plate.”

  Charlotte examined the feast before her. The plate was filled with pulled pork, baked beans, corn bread, and glazed carrots. Ruth had outdone herself tonight. Charlotte had made apple tarts, something Ruth had never seen or had before, but the tarts weren’t served yet. How was it possible for Ruth to cook so much in such a small kitchen?

  “Charlotte,” Zach said, taking her hand and holding it in his own. “I wish to speak with you about your future.”

  Moisture built up on her palms; her heart raced. She was falling for this kind sea captain. Was he falling for her?

  Chapter 6

  Zach’s throat thickened. Charlotte’s eyes sparkled with affection. He glanced down at their hands. He hadn’t meant to be so forward.

  “Here’s your drinks,” Bradley said as he stepped into the room.

  Zach released her hand. “Thank you, Bradley.”

  Bradley shrugged off the comment. “Have you tasted it?”

  “We were just about to,” Charlotte said.

  “It has your seal of approval?” Zach asked his nephew.

  “Yup, and she made enough for seconds. She has this sauce you can pour on the pork that is yummy. It’s not ketchup but sorta like it, different tastin’ though.”

  “The South makes this sauce for cooking pork on a pit or grill,” Charlotte said. “They baste the meat over and over with the sauce. It’s really good.” She then scooped a forkful of pork into her mouth.

  Her delicate pink lips…Zach closed his eyes. Where did that thought come from? He forked some meat and concentrated on the food. “Yum. Tell the cook I’ll have seconds on the pork with some of that sauce, please.”

  “Yes, sir.” Bradley saluted and ran out of the room again.

  Charlotte chuckled. “When you were a boy did you run around the ship as much as Bradley?”

  “At least as much, if not more. My captain would tell me to slow down, but I learned later he’d time me.”

  The rest of the dinner continued with light conversation and chuckles as they shared some of their childhood memories.

  Bradley stepped in and brought the apple tarts. “I don’t think I can eat another bite,” Charlotte said as she wiped her mouth with her cloth napkin.

  “Can I have yours? Miss Charlotte made these and they are really good,” Bradley praised.

  “Charlotte?”

  “I know little in the kitchen, but Maggie taught me a few things when Mother wasn’t looking.”

  “Well now, if Miss Charlotte made this I will have to try one.” Zach picked up one of the tarts and bit it in half. Bradley’s eyes bulged. Charlotte’s did as well. The sweetness of the apples and cinnamon danced on his tongue. He chewed and swallowed without being able to savor it because he’d bitten off too much. He washed it down with some lemonade. “This is really good.”

  “Thank you.”

  Zach took his time eating the remaining tart, savoring the sweet confection.

  “If you like these, you would love my peach cobbler. We have a lot more peaches in Georgia than apples.”

  “I look forward to the opportunity.”

  “Captain, I need to finish my studies. May I be dismissed?”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll check on you before you go down for the night.” Zach ruffled Bradley’s hair. “You don’t have to be formal in front of Miss Charlotte.”

  Bradley relaxed his stance. “Oh, good. I thought maybe with you two getting married and all…but I didn’t know. When can I call her Aunt Charlotte?”

  “After the wedding,” Zach replied without thinking.

  Bradley nodded. “Good night, Miss Charlotte.” He ran out so fast Zach stared out the open doorway.

  “That was the perfect opportunity to be honest with the boy,” Charlotte grumbled.

  He turned to face her. Her posture was rigid, her cheeks flushed. “I know, you’re right, but it wasn’t the time.”

  She bounced to her feet and began to pace. “I don’t understand you, Zachery Browne. You propose for my sake, never intending to marry. You won’t allow me to break off the fake engagement for my sake, and when I suggested you should at least tell Bradley the truth, you don’t. And then you spend time with me, as if you are courting me, only to…what? Pretend to keep up this charade? I don’t understand you.”

  Zach took in a deep breath and held it for a moment. “First of all, I did propose for your sake, not mine. Second, I do not need to explain to you my life choices. Third, if I were to marry someday, it could not be to a woman like you.”

  “Like me?” Her temper was showing now.

  “I didn’t mean—”

  “Like me?” Her voice ratcheted up another notch.

  “Charlotte, please, let me explain.”

  She crossed her arms across her chest. “Please leave, Captain, before I say something I will regret.”

  “But—”

  She pointed to the door.

  He nodded and exited before he said something he might regret. All he wanted to do was wrap her in his arms and make the pain go away. What foolishness was that? He marched up to the helm and sent everyone away. He needed to be alone, to cool down and try to figure out what just happened. How could such a pleasant evening turn so quickly?

  Charlotte paced back and forth in her room late into the evening then tossed and turned in bed. The boat’s rocking motion seemed to stop. Were they in port?

  She tossed off her covers and dressed faster than she’d ever done before, even when she was sneaking off to help the runaway slaves. She pulled open the door to see nothing but flat sea. They weren’t in port. The sails lay flat on their masts and booms and whatever else held the sails in place. “What’s happening?”

  “No wind.” Zach’s voice flowed down her spine like
warm tea with honey. He stepped closer. He was behind her, but she sensed him closing the gap between them. “Miss Charlotte, Charlotte, I want to apologize for last night. I was rude, and my behavior was uncalled for.”

  She grasped the rail tighter. She could not give this man another piece of her heart. She’d given him too much already, and he didn’t even know it. She nodded that she forgave him.

  He placed his hands on her upper arms. “Speak to me,” he whispered.

  Charlotte’s legs were about to betray her. She mustered up the courage and spoke. “You are forgiven, Captain.”

  He released her and stepped away.

  Charlotte continued to hold on to the rail. She couldn’t move. Her legs felt as solid as ice in her sweet tea on a hot summer’s day. They wouldn’t support her for long. The men were scattered about the ship, doing nothing. It was a scene she’d never seen before since starting this journey. Some men were working with rope. One was whittling a piece of wood. Another was fishing, but most were simply sitting, doing nothing.

  Wind was necessary to fill the sails to move the ship—but no wind. She thought back to some of the hot steamy days in Savannah where the air didn’t move. The slaves would fan Mother all day long. She and her brothers would play in the river to keep cool.

  “Winds will change, miss,” Frank, the first mate, said as he passed her, heading up to the helm. “They always do.”

  She thought back on that twenty-four hours later when they were still motionless. The captain had put the men to work, polishing all the brass, checking all the lines, cleaning the deck, and anything else he could think of just to help the men focus. Charlotte still hadn’t spoken with the captain. She supposed she hadn’t forgiven him deep in her heart.

  She stood by the open windows, staring at the flat ocean. Nothing moved. It seemed peculiar and unnatural.

  A knock at her door broke her thoughts. “Come in,” she said, without bothering to turn around. The only one who came to her room was Bradley.

  “Charlotte, we should talk.” Zach’s velvet voice spilled over her jangled nerves.

  She turned and faced him. Her eyes betrayed her. “I’m sorry, Zach.”

  He was beside her, and she was in his arms in two steps. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I spoke poorly. I was trying to say a wife of a sea captain spends many days and months alone. She has to do all the work at the house, raise the children, farm, can the food, provide the education, and keep everything running. I know you were raised to be a great hostess, but—”

  She placed her finger to his lips. Goose bumps spread up her arm. “I understand. Unfortunately, my heart has gone out to you,” she confessed.

  He closed his eyes. “I’m sorry. I just know I am not the right man for you. You deserve a husband who will be with you to share your joys and sorrows.” He released her and stepped away. “I wish I were, Charlotte. You are a remarkable woman. You fought your family and traditions. You helped several men and women gain freedom. And you won over the hearts of my men, which was no easy task. I-I…” He stepped closer to the door.

  She reached out to him. “Pray, Zach, and I will as well.”

  He nodded and slipped out the door. She stood there for a moment. Relief washed over her. She had finally admitted to him her feelings. Now it was in God’s and Zach’s hands. He had a valid point. She couldn’t imagine not seeing her husband every day, or their children not seeing their father. Perhaps her love for him was genuine, just not marital love?

  Charlotte slipped back to the window and looked at the still water. “Father God, direct us in Your path, not our own.”

  She left the room and headed to the galley. It was time for another cooking lesson. And if she were going to be living on her own, she would need to know how to prepare meals.

  Zach climbed the rigging to the top of the mast. He had men who could do it, but he wanted to be alone, and the top of the mast afforded an excellent choice when out in the middle of nowhere and going no place. He’d already missed his deadlines with the cargo. Some of the cargo might rot if the wind didn’t pick up soon.

  “Father, I care for Charlotte, I really do. But my life and life choices are not good for a wife. I have been content in my single life. I have not regretted that decision, but now I am faced with a woman who is making me question whether I made the right choice. Remove these feelings if she is not to be my wife. I want to protect her, love her, but I cannot allow…”

  A story from the Bible came to life in front of him. He recalled the story when Peter was up on a roof praying and the vision of a sheet descended in front of him with all the food choices, including the restricted ones. And how Peter fought God because of his faithfulness to remain true to Jewish traditions regarding food.

  Zach’s stomach knotted.

  He looked down on the sails and sheets below him, flat and dormant. It was time to change the course of his life. The decision he’d made earlier as a young man was good for that season. But now he was being led to live another way. Zach laughed out loud and worked his way down the mast. A gentle breeze began to blow.

  Zach laughed even harder. “I am listening, Lord. Thank You.”

  By the time he reached the main deck, the sails were filling with air. Frank was at the helm. He waved, and Frank waved in return as he barked out orders. The men scrambled to their places. It was time to go home. He marched over to his quarters and knocked. No answer. He knocked again. Again, there was no response. He opened the door, closing his eyes. “Charlotte?” he called out. Not hearing a response, he opened his right eye, then his left. She wasn’t there.

  Zach rubbed the stiffness out of his neck. If the winds continued, he would have eight hours to admit his attraction to Charlotte before she left the Lady Grace into parts unknown.

  She couldn’t be far. They were on a ship, he reasoned. Zach exited her quarters and began his search.

  Chapter 7

  Charlotte packed her bag. She prayed she would find housing and a job soon. Her finances were such that if she was very frugal she could survive for six months, perhaps more if she found a job working at a place where food was served. The past few days working with Ruth she’d learned she enjoyed cooking and baking. She had a long way to go, but hopefully she’d find work that would allow her to learn new skills.

  The gentle knock on her door was like a sledgehammer coming down. Her time was up. The freedom and protection she had from Captain Browne ended as soon as she walked down that gangplank. Which could be as soon as the dinner hour.

  “Miss Kimbrel,” the captain’s voice called out. “May I enter?”

  Charlotte eased out the breath she’d been holding since she heard the knock. “Yes, sir,” she answered, but remained standing next to her bag.

  The door creaked open. “Charlotte, forgive me.”

  She closed her eyes. Tears threatened to fall but she managed to hold them back. “There’s nothing to forgive, Captain.”

  “But there is. Please turn around and face me.” His voice was gentle. As always, it calmed her rattled nerves.

  And to think a week ago he was a stranger. Now she couldn’t imagine life without him. But he was confident in his declaration of being like the apostle Paul and remaining single all of his life. She squared her shoulders, straightened her spine, and turned to face him.

  “You are so beautiful, Charlotte.”

  She averted her eyes. She didn’t have the strength to look into his again, knowing what she now knew.

  “Forgive me.” He knelt down at her feet and grasped her hands in his. “I don’t know how to say this except to speak as truthfully and honestly as I can. I spent some time in prayer about you and me and my commitment, and I feel that the Lord has given me permission to no longer remain single. I can move into a different life…That’s not right. How can I say this? That I’m no longer bound to the commitment I made as a younger man to remain single, that I’m free to take you as my wife.”

  Charlotte pulled her hands aw
ay and stepped back. “What?”

  Zach stood up. “I know I’m not making sense, but do you recall the Bible story about Peter seeing a sheet with all the foods he was now allowed to eat?”

  Charlotte could feel her eyebrows move closer together. She nodded.

  “Well, Peter never ate anything unclean by Jewish tradition, but God was saying that now it was permissible for him to no longer keep that commitment, that he was free to eat pork, ham, lobster, and all sorts of things. My singleness is like the Jewish tradition of eating kosher, and now God is saying it is all right for me to change my sheet lines and change direction. I have feelings for you, Charlotte. I’ve been fighting them, but I do have them. I would be honored if you would be my wife.”

  Charlotte stood there amazed, confused, and not certain what to say. “But you said it yourself: I wouldn’t be able to handle being a wife of a sea captain who was gone so often and for so long. I don’t know how to farm or store and preserve food for the winter. I can sew, and with Ruth’s help I’ve learned to cook a few more things, but—”

  “Shh.” He pulled her into his arms. “We’ll work those details out. All I need to know right now is that you love me enough to be my wife.”

  What should she say? “Where would I live until a proper time has elapsed for us to be married?”

  “Charlotte, what is proper with regard to our relationship? I’ll marry you tonight when we arrive in port and we can find a minister to marry us.”

  She touched his forehead. “You’re ill, aren’t you?”

  Zach chuckled. “Never better.” He cradled her face in his hands. “I have to go. I don’t want to, but I must. Can we continue this conversation?”

  She met his gaze. She could see the love shining in his eyes. He was sincere, and honesty and truth bored into her from the depths of his soul. “Yes,” she whispered.