John chuckled, remounted, waited for Sparky to jump on, and then followed. “Care for a ride?” he asked when he caught up.
Adam rolled his eyes, stepped on a log and clumsily pulled himself onto the second horse. He paused just long enough for John to untie the reins and hand them to him. Then he urged the horse forward.
“How far are we from Rose? I cannot wait to see her.”
“That depends on how far I had to chase your bloody dog,” Adam whispered.
“You need not whisper. If the Muskhogeans are about, they’ve long since spotted us.”
“How comforting. Are we far from Maryridge?”
John glanced at the sky. The bright orange sunset was turning to shades of coral and peach. “Three days perhaps.”
“Splendid,” Adam sarcastically grumbled. As they went, he repeatedly watched the bushes for Indians, turning his head from side to side and even looking back.
At last, the smell of smoke from campfires drifted toward them, making John remember his hunger. “Have you any food, have you had your dinner?”
“Aye, the children tire easily, so we are accustomed to stopping early. Frankly, we adults have yet to complain. Our bottoms hurt from the riding, our legs cramp from walking, and who can rest on the hard earth? Never have I seen ground so hard. And who have we to blame? Gideon! All I ask is one clear shot.”
Suddenly, John halted his horse.
“What is it?” Adam asked, his eyes wide as he twisted to look behind him.
“Hush,” John whispered.
Adam quickly drew his pistol and held it with both shaking hands. Then he heard a woman’s voice raised in song. “Great glory, I forgot.”
“Is it Polly?” John asked, turning in his saddle to watch Adam’s face.
“Aye, but John, there is something...” Adam started. But John was suddenly out of sight. “Wait!” he shouted, frantically kicking the side of his horse.
“I have waited long enough.”
“If you don’t stop, I’ll shoot.”
John pulled on the reins and turned in his saddle. “Put that away,” he said, looking down the barrel of Adam’s pistol.
“I will not let you hurt her.”
“Hurt her? Why would I hurt her?”
“She had no choice. She wed an Indian and had a child. The child died, I’m sad to say. John, if you cannot abide...”
John studied Adam’s face for a long moment and then sadly looked down,
“She is married?”
“Was... He was killed in a raid.”
“I see.”
“She fears you will reject her. Would you do such a thing?”
“Of course not,” John said, starting his horse again.
“In that case, I will not shoot you,” Adam muttered, lowering his pistol.
HER BACK WAS TURNED when John finally reached the Wilderness Road, slipped down off his horse and carefully moved closer. A white shawl covered her shoulders and her sky-blue dress glowed in the firelight. As usual, a crowd had gathered and children were huddled at her feet to listen as her exquisite voice filled the night air:
“In thy laughter is heaven’s perfect love,
Thine eyes a reflection of angels above.
Thy smile a reminder of God’s blessed grace,
His glory we see in each child’s face.”
When her music ended, a man abruptly shouted to her, “Marry me, Polly.”
Polly pulled her shawl tighter and folded her arms, “Carl Long, each night thee hath asked, and each night I have answered the same...”
“No!” the crowd shouted, bursting into laughter.
“She cannot,” another yelled, “she aims to marry me.”
John removed his hat, ran his fingers through his hair and inched closer.
“Choose me, Polly,” a third man cried out.
“Oh, leave the poor girl be,” Anna Wentworth, a stout, older woman shouted. “If I was her, I’d shoot the lot of you. You been pester’n her all the way from Virginny. Go to bed! We’ve another hard day acom’n and I’ll not spend winter with the likes of you. Now shoo,” she said, waving the back of her hand. At length they started collecting the children and heading for their bedrolls. Then, one by one, they noticed the tall stranger.
“I had hoped you would marry me,” he said finally.
At the sound of his voice, Polly caught her breath and turned. Her eyes sparked in the glow of the fire and her smile widened at the sight of him. For a long moment, she stared deep into his eyes. “Art thou truly asking?”
John reached for her hand, “Truly. I’ll not lose you again...not ever.”
Adam finished tying the horses to a tree, slipped up beside Rose and put an arm around her waist. “It is not polite to watch,” he whispered.
“I’ll look away if you will,” Rose giggled. Neither looked away, nor did Thomas Rodes, Cesha, and the beautiful African child, Reanie.
Polly’s smile faded. “Thou doeth not know...”
“I do know, Adam told me.”
“And thou wants me still?”
He brought her hand up to his lips and gently kissed it. Then he wrapped one arm around her and leaned close to her ear. “It is I who must beg forgiveness. Marry me, Polly; please say you will marry me.”
At last, she took a forgotten breath. She pulled back a little, touched a lock of his raven hair and then put her hand on the side of his face. “John, thou art feverish.”
“I was afraid of that; tell me this is not a dream.”
It was Adam who answered, “It is not a dream.”
Embarrassed, Polly glanced around at the crowd. All eyes were on her, so she playfully put her hands on her hips. “Doest thou promise not to beat me?”
“Papa would have me hung if I did.”
“Wilt thou love me, even when I am old?”
John reached for her hand again. “I will. I will cherish you above all else, hold you more precious than the memory of my mother, and honor you, even unto the head of my table.”
Neither of them had noticed the circuit rider, who was suddenly standing next to them. He wore black trousers, a long black coat and a wide-brimmed black hat. “Well now, by my calculations, you are half married already. For a small but necessary fee—”
“Naturally,” Adam said, digging into his change pocket. He withdrew a single coin and handed it to the preacher.
“A six-pence, is that all?” the circuit rider asked.
“And be glad of it. I could pay in Virginia dollars if you like. We all know what they’re worth,” Adam shot back.
“Then I’ll have your gold pocket watch.”
“You’ll what... You will not.”
“Gentlemen, please,” Thomas Rodes interrupted, handing a pound and three farthings to the circuit rider. “I for one would like to see the wedding.”
“You tell ‘em, Brit,” Anna Wentworth yelled. “Quiet everyone!”
Polly’s eyes danced as she spoke, “I, Polly Ann Lewis, take thee, John Carson, to be the husband I have longed for all my life. To thee I pledge constant prayer for thy health, as many children as the Lord will allow, understanding when thou art angry, and patience when thou art wrong.” She hesitated and then wrinkled her brow. “John, must I take a vow to obey thee?”
John grinned. “It wouldn’t do any good.”
The circuit rider cleared his voice and began to dig a piece of paper out of his inside jacket pocket. “And will the two of you forsake all others, until death do you part?”
“I will,” Polly answered.
“As will I,” John said.
“I believe that’s it then. Let’s see, love, honor, obey, forsake... Yes, sir, that’s it.” The circuit rider finally got the paper out of his pocket and reached in the other side of his jacket for a quill pen and a small bottle of ink. “All that’s necessary now is to write the certificate.”
“When’s he gonna kiss her?” a man shouted.
“That’s what I forgot,” the par
son said. “I now pronounce they are husband and wife. What God has joined, let no man separate. Go on, kiss her.”
John beamed at his new wife and at last lowered his lips to hers.
“And to think,” a redheaded boy of seventeen muttered, “she was nearly mine.”
Mister Wentworth stepped forward with a scowl on his face. “It’s not right, Parson! The Good Lord meant for wives to obey their husbands.”
“Sherman Wentworth,” his wife Anna yelled, “if I obeyed you, I’d have rid my horse off a cliff back at the Blue Ridge.”
At that, the crowd roared.
Little Reanie tugged on Polly’s skirt. “Mademoiselle Lewis, you forgot these,” she said, handing her three wilted flowers. Her thick long hair was in a lopsided bun, her short red frock was wrinkled, but her big brown eyes were ablaze with excitement.
“Oh, Reanie, they are beautiful. I thank thee,” Polly said, taking the flowers.
As soon as John turned, Rose rushed into his arms. “Imagine our delight when she found us. Oh, John, she’s glorious.”
“I agree,” John smiled, his arm still around Polly. “Wait until Papa sees her...and all of you.”
“You mean me?” Thomas Rodes asked, sharply bowing first to Polly and then to John.
“He’ll most likely shoot you, Mister Rodes,” John said, politely nodding.
“Oh, do call me Cousin Thomas. We are cousins, you know.”
“Are we?”
“That we are. My, but you are the image of our grandfather. Can you ever forgive me for staring at you that night? I confess, I believed you were his ghost come to haunt me. I was quite frightened, you know,” Thomas said. “Oh my, I’ve forgotten Mrs. Ross. Do allow me to present Mrs. Gideon Ross, and her daughter Reanie.”
Her smile was genuine and her features delicate. She was dressed in green and wore the latest Paris fashion, with a wide row of lace on the cuffs of her puffed sleeves. Cesha Ross drew nearer, slowly curtsied, and lifted her eyes to John’s.
“I am pleased to make your acquaintance,” John said, “Gideon’s gone off again to find you, I’m afraid. But he’ll be back. He’s not given up, not for one moment in all these years.”
URIAH SLEPT LONGER than he intended. He’d stayed up late the night before fraught with worry. The full moon had long since come and gone and still John was not back. Cranky, he grabbed a cup and saucer out of the cupboard and plopped them down on the kitchen table. Then he banged the teakettle three times against the stone hearth, before he managed to get a firm grip on it with the leather potholder.
Lilly scrambled into the kitchen, whipped around and closed the door softly behind her. “Hush, Massah.”
“What do you mean hush?” Uriah growled. “‘Tis my own house and I’ll be as noisy as I like.”
“Massah John be home.”
“Praise be,” Uriah said, setting the hot kettle down hard on the iron plank.
He instantly headed for the door, but not before Lilly raced to get in front of him. “What is the matter with you?”
“You’s can’t go up there. Massah John, he’s done brung a wife.”
“A wife?” he said, starting to wave her aside. Suddenly, he stopped. “You are mean it? Who?”
“They’s done snuck in, in de night and they’s be in every room in de house.”
“How many wives did the boy take?”
Just then, the backdoor opened and a woman entered. She hung her shawl on a nail and walked to the cupboard to find a teacup. “Good morning,” she said, “I was afraid Reanie would not be warm enough, so I took an extra blanket. John said to say he is sorry for not returning when promised.”
“Who are you?” Uriah asked.
Polly stopped pouring tea, studied his blank expression and smiled. “I am John’s wife.”
“I see,” he muttered, sinking into the nearby chair and pretending not to notice as Lilly quietly left the room.
“Tea?”
“If it is not a bother,” he pouted.
“No bother at all.” She brought two cups, poured the water and then took a seat directly across the table. Her smile had not faded, but he held his eyes down, and worry lines were deep in his forehead when Polly gently took his hand. “Does thou truly not recognize me?”
Slowly, Uriah looked up. “You are Quaker?”
“Thou once sent me a letter from Virginia. Sadly, it was two years before it reached me.”
“Are you...” Instantly, Uriah’s eyes lit up. “Great glory, it is you,” he blurted out, quickly taking her other hand. “And my son has had the good sense to take you to wife?”
“He has.”
“In that case, welcome home, daughter. But how...where did you come from? Oh, never mind, you can tell me all about it later. Never have I been so happy. The truth be known, I have always favored you.”
“Indeed?” Rose asked, walking into the kitchen. She barely gave him time to stand up before throwing her arms around him. “And all these years I thought you favored me.”
“Where the devil have you come from?”
Rose giggled and hugged him again. “Mahala naturally. Mama and Papa send their love. Adam vows to sleep for a week and Christopher’s not moved a muscle since we got here. Uncle, Adam has given up his position, we’ve come to stay.”
“Oh, Rose, how sorely we have missed the family. Are there more of you, Lilly said...”
Thomas Rodes casually leaned against the doorframe. “Well, there is me. I’d bow, sir, but I’ve been warned it might be unwise.”
“And who might you be?”
“Your nephew,” Rose answered.
Uriah’s smile quickly faded and his eyes narrowed. “Thomas Rodes. I should kill you and be done with it.”
“Yes, you should,” Thomas said.
“Uncle, please, he’s a guest,” Rose countered.
“Aye, he’s been a guest in my house for forty-two years.”
Thomas walked in, pulled a chair away from the table and waited for Rose and Polly to sit. “Not so, I am only forty-one. I was not yet born when my father sent you away.”
“Uncle, please,” Rose tried again. “Sit down and have your tea. He means us no harm and he has brought Gideon’s wife and a daughter Gideon doesn’t know he has. Oh Uncle, can you not find it in your heart to wait? I promise when you have heard Cousin Thomas, you’ll have the answers to all your questions.”
“Well, I...” Uriah started.
“Please,” Polly grinned, “he has been most kind to me.”
Adam carried a sleepy Christopher in and handed him to Rose. Following close behind, John quickly kissed Polly on the cheek and headed for the water bucket.
“Well...” Uriah started again. Suddenly, his eyes widened. “Great glory, Emiline!”
“Who?” Adam asked, finding a seat at the table.
“Our neighbor,” John answered, dipping water into a glass. “She’s the finest neighbor a man could ask for. And if I am not mistaken, she has spent considerable time here while I was away.”
“A good neighbor, do you call it?” Uriah shot back. “She is the most annoying, hateful, distracting woman... How do you know about her constant intrusion while you were away?”
“I arranged it. After all, when a man has a father like you, he must keep him under careful regulation.”
“I should have guessed. Treachery, and from my own son,” Uriah grumbled. Suddenly, his expression changed. “But you will allow me a little sport in her regard?”
“What do you have in mind?”
“I hope to surprise her with Polly. Just once, I’d like to be the one with all the shocking news.”
“Done,” John said.
CAREFUL TO STAY OUT of the widow’s view, John took Polly’s hand and led her up the path to the ridge. The fall air was not yet crisp and the leaves had only just begun to turn.
“Thou promised to rest,” she protested halfway up.
“I will, but not until you see it. I have dreamed of bringi
ng you here and I’ll not wait another day,” he said, holding back a tree branch until she passed. When he neared the top, he let her walk ahead and then watched her face light up.
“Thou remembered,” she said, her eyes feasting on the rolling hills below bright with color. In the distance, the shiny Kentucky River wound its way toward the west. A flock of migrating birds flew north to south, and Polly delighted in all of it.
John wrapped his arms around her. “I could hardly forget. It was here you nearly broke my leg.”
Polly lightly kissed his lips and then cocked her head to one side. “Thou deserved it.”
“How so?”
“Thou should not have made thy presence known until I stopped crying.”
“I hadn’t the luxury, Papa was waiting. As it was, it took most of two hours just to find you. And what reward for my trouble? A firm kick in the shin.”
She did not laugh. Instead, she tightened her arms and laid her head on his chest. “I did not want thee to see me cry. I so wanted thee to stay. I wanted thee to love me, to marry me, to hold me in thy arms forever.”
He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes. “Oh, Polly, how can you ever forgive me? I stood right here and promised to come back.”
“I forgave thee long ago.”
“I missed you so. I built a house and then cursed its emptiness. I filled it with people, and then resented their inability to console me. At night, I thought I would go mad for want of you. And now, now that I hold you in my arms, the words seem...”
Suddenly, her arms were tight around him, her lips were on his and her breathing was insistent. Captured by the ecstasy of her passion, he kissed her longingly until he could bear no more, took his wife’s hand and led her into the forest.
ALL DAY URIAH KEPT watch and his pacing began to annoy even him. People were everywhere, eating constantly, taking much-needed baths, washing clothes and chatting. They scurried up the stairs, then down again. They went out the doors only to come back in, and everyone seemed to be going in different directions at once.
Everyone, that is, except Adam, who sat in the sitting room soaking his feet and watching Uriah pace. “Is she coming?” he asked, watching Uriah peek once more out the window.
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