The Planter's Daughter

by Michelle Shocklee

  But the tender smile on her lips reassured him. “No regrets. I am ready to begin our life together.”

  With a slight squeeze of her hand, he turned to help Aunt Lu and Lucy. Jeptha and Zina were already mounted. It took three attempts to get Aunt Lu into the saddle.

  “Oh, Lawsy.” Her eyes rounded and her fists clenched around the saddle horn. “I ain’t sat a hoss since I’s a chile.”

  Seth chuckled. “This horse is real gentle. You won’t have any problems getting her to do what you want.”

  He turned to help Lucy and realized they had a problem. With Lucy wearing the baby in a sling on her chest, she couldn’t sit behind Aunt Lu without squashing the child.

  “Can you put the baby on your back?”

  “I can try,” Lucy said.

  Just as she undid the knot at her shoulder and started to carefully twist the wrap without waking the baby, Aunt Lu gasped. Seth looked up at her, but she was staring at something behind him.

  When he turned, all his hopes for the future with Adella vanished in an instant.

  Marshall Brevard stood in the shadows of the barn, a gun pointed at Seth’s head.

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  Well, well, what do we have here?”

  Adella whirled around in the saddle, shocked to hear Marshall’s voice behind her. Terror filled every crevice of her being when she saw his gun trained at Seth.

  For just a moment, his gaze flitted to her. “I can’t say I am shocked to find my bride running away with her lover, but I am disappointed in you, Adella Rose. You had me fooled. I thought you actually cared about your family and Rose Hill. I see I was wrong.”

  “I do care,” she began, but Seth shook his head.

  “You don’t need to explain yourself to him, Adella. Your father gave us no other choice.”

  Marshall laughed without humor. “And stealing his slaves? I suppose he gave you no choice in that either. I had a suspicion something sinister was taking place. It is good I came to check on it.”

  “I suppose you got that suspicion as you left the quarter a little while ago.”

  Surprise washed across Marshall’s face for a brief moment at Seth’s words before he sneered. “You see, that is your problem, Brantley. You don’t mind your own business. Helping slaves escape isn’t exactly saintly behavior, now is it?”

  “These folks are leaving of their own accord.” Seth stood his ground despite the danger. Adella sent a silent prayer heavenward that Marshall would not accidentally fire the gun in his anger.

  After a moment, Marshall smiled. “I will enjoy watching you hang, Brantley. You have been a thorn in my side long enough. And just so you know, despite Adella’s poor decision tonight, I will still take her as my wife. She is young and foolish, and I can forgive her that. She will thank me, too. No other man would have her once it is found out she was caught running away with the overseer.”

  Humiliation burned in Adella at his insinuation. “Seth and I are to be married, Marshall. There is nothing improper here except yours and Papa’s plans to force me into marriage with you.”

  He looked at her, and the smile vanished. “I went to your room tonight to leave a present on your bureau so you would find it first thing on our wedding day. When I saw your bed empty, I knew you had run off with him. Get down from that horse, Adella Rose.” The hard command echoed in the stillness of the barn behind him. “This nonsense has gone on long enough. You and I will be married as soon as this man’s dead body is cut from the hangman’s noose.”

  “No, Marshall.” She lifted her chin. “Seth and I are leaving, and there isn’t anything you can do about it.” She hoped her false bravado fooled him. Inside she was quaking.

  “Oh, I think there is plenty I can do, Adella Rose.” He cocked the gun and leveled his aim at Seth. “Say good-bye to your lover, dear wife.”

  “No!” She threw her leg over the saddle and slid to the ground. “Stop this, Marshall.”

  He grinned, apparently satisfied with her terror. “Step over here now like a good little wife,” he said, motioning to his side.

  Fear paralyzed her. Seth’s very life depended on her next action. She looked at him with indecision.

  “Stay where you are, Adella.” Seth’s eyes implored her to trust him. “He won’t shoot me. He may not be much of a gentleman, but he’s no murderer.”

  “You are a fool if you believe I won’t shoot you, Brantley. I will be a hero, simply shooting a thief as he tried to make off with stolen property.” Marshall looked at Adella again, his full attention on her. “If you don’t come here right now, I will blow his head off.”

  In a flash, Seth leaped forward, knocking Marshall backward. He stumbled but caught himself before falling.

  “Why you—”

  The gun fired at the same moment a dark figure behind Marshall hit him over the head with something metal. He crashed to the ground, the gun clattering away.

  Lucy’s baby began to cry, awakened by the commotion.

  A dog barked somewhere in the quarter as Moses stepped out of the shadows, a shovel in his hand. “Guess he be out fo’ a while,” he said matter-of-factly, looking down on Marshall.

  Adella rushed to Seth. “Are you hit?” She ran her hands over his arms and chest, praying she didn’t find a bullet hole. She’d never been so frightened in all her life.

  “No.” He looked down at his body as though he expected to see blood. “I’m fine. He missed me.” He glanced at the big black man standing over Marshall’s body. “Thank you, Moses.”

  “Oh, Lawsy!” Aunt Lu shrieked, her attention focused below her.

  Lucy sat on the ground beside the horse.

  Even in the faint moonlight, the red stain spreading across the sling was unmistakable.

  Seth knelt beside the young mother, trying to figure out if it was her or the whimpering baby who’d been struck by the stray bullet.

  “Oh, Mistah Brantley.” Lucy’s expression was one of sheer pain, answering his question. “I hurt. I hurt bad.”

  Adella dropped to her knees beside him. “Let me take the baby so you can see where Lucy’s injured,” she said, lifting the tiny girl out of the lopsided sling. The baby, her skin almost as white as Adella’s hands, quieted.

  Removing the swath of fabric, Seth immediately knew it was as bad as Lucy declared. The bullet hit her just under her breast on her right side. Blood poured from the hole in her dress. With no exit wound on her back, it meant the bullet was still lodged inside. During his Ranger days, Seth had seen enough gunshot wounds to know the chances of Lucy surviving were slim.

  His eyes met Adella’s. She looked back at him with fear shining through her tears.

  “It bad, ain’t it, Mistah Brantley?” Lucy’s weak voice dragged his attention back to her.

  What could he tell the young woman but the truth?

  “I’m afraid it is.”

  She closed her eyes and grimaced. “I knows it. I can feel it.” When she nearly toppled over, Seth gently laid her on the ground with the wadded up sling under her head.

  Just then a loud voice came from the direction of the big house. Was that George?

  “You folks need to get on outta here.” Moses knelt beside them. “I takes care o’ her.”

  “We can’t leave without her and the baby, Seth,” Adella said, her panicked gaze searching his face. She clutched the infant closer. “You know what George will do.”

  “Lucy is badly injured, Adella. She would never survive the journey.” He glanced at Moses. “Take her to my cabin and get Mammy.”

  The big man nodded. As he reached to gather the wounded woman in his massive arms, Lucy roused. Her gaze sought Adella.

  “You takes her wit’ you, Missy,” she said, pain-filled eyes pleading. “Takes my Mara wit’ you.”

  “I … I can’t,” Adella said, clearly shocked by the request. She looked at the baby and back to Lucy.

  “Yassum, yous can. She be yo’ blood. If yous leave her, she be sold.” Tears s
treamed down Lucy’s face, and she grimaced in agony. “I not gonna make it, Missy. Ain’t no one ta protect my girl after I gone, ’cept you.”

  Adella looked down at the baby, her chest heaving.

  Another shout sounded up the hill. Seth recognized George’s voice, though he couldn’t make out the words.

  “We have to go.” Seth helped Adella to her feet. When her fearful eyes met his, he read her anguish. Taking the baby put them all in greater danger, yet leaving the child to suffer Luther’s wrath or George’s apathy was beyond cruel. With a glance at the baby’s peaceful face, he knew they had to take her. “Hopefully, we can find homesteads along the way where we can buy milk.”

  Adella released a sob, whether from relief or not, he didn’t know. With Moses cradling the injured woman, Adella held up Mara so Lucy could kiss her baby good-bye. Aunt Lu and Zina cried quietly as they watched.

  “Tells her ’bout me someday,” Lucy whispered, her voice weakening. “Say her mama love her an’ wan’ her to have a happy life.”

  “I will,” Adella choked.

  Seth gently took Adella by the elbow. “We need to go.”

  With a nod, she allowed him to lead her back to Chester. Taking the tiny bundle from her, Seth waited while Adella mounted. He passed the baby up to her, the responsibility he’d just taken on weighing heavily.

  He walked back to Moses. “I hate to involve you in this—”

  “I already involved, suh,” the big man said, full of confidence.

  “Yes, I suppose you are.”

  “I know you’s doin’ the right thing, so I glad to he’p.” He glanced at Marshall’s still form. “What should I do wit’ Mistah Brevard there?”

  Seth took the key to the shed from his pocket and tucked it in the big man’s hand. “This is the key to the shed. I will let you decide what you are willing to do.”

  “I be prayin’ for you all,” Moses said. “The Lawd go wit’ you.”

  Seth mounted Chester with Adella and the baby in front of him. The gravity of their situation prevented him from fully enjoying the moment he’d anticipated almost since the day he arrived at Rose Hill and saw Adella standing on the porch, barefoot with her hair tumbling loose. Though he held her in his arms now, with the promise of her becoming his wife soon, the very real danger they faced in the coming days kept his elation at bay.

  He looked over at Jeptha astride Freedom, with Zina seated behind. Determination shone on the black man’s face. “We’re ready, Mr. Brantley.”

  Their bravery and trust humbled him. Lord, let me be worthy of it, he breathed.

  With tangible fear in his gut, he nudged Chester forward, the odds of making it safely to the border beyond impossible.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  Bone-weary.

  That was the only way to describe how Adella felt sitting near the small campfire three nights later. True to his word, Seth pushed them hard once they left Rose Hill land, riding through the night and most of the next day before they stopped to rest. Though the shortest route to the border would have been south, through Austin and San Antonio, Seth felt they would draw far too much attention if they went that direction. Instead, he’d taken them west into the hill country, where disappearing in the thick cedar and mesquite trees and rolling landscape would give them protection as they traveled. The riding was more difficult, often taking them up steep, rocky hills, and on more than one occasion, Adella wondered if they were lost, only to have Seth point out a landmark he recognized from his Ranger days. Once he felt they were out of danger from the patrollers, he’d turn them south toward Mexico.

  Her eyelids felt heavy as she watched Jeptha kneel across from her, turning the spit and sending juices from a rabbit down on the hot coals where they sizzled and popped. Not even the delicious aroma of cooking meat roused her, exhaustion filling every crevice of her sore, battered body. Aunt Lu and Zina apparently weren’t affected by the promise of food either, because they were stretched out beneath a cedar tree, sound asleep, with baby Mara wedged between them. Seth had gone on a scouting mission and would be back within the hour, hopefully with a full canteen of fresh milk from a nearby farmer. She hoped he didn’t plan on making them travel through the night again. It had taken all her strength the last hour of their journey to keep from falling off the horse in a dead sleep.

  Jeptha whistled a low tune as he worked to arrange the spit so the meat wouldn’t burn. He seemed more invigorated than ever.

  “Aren’t you exhausted?” she asked, the effort to speak taking far more energy than it should.

  He glanced up. “I tired, for sure. But,” he paused, a smile lifting one side of his mouth.

  “But what?”

  He gave a shrug. “I don’t expect you to understand this, Missy, but the closer I get to real freedom, the stronger I feel,” he tapped his chest, “in here.”

  “I do understand,” she said, her eyes growing misty. “I have known you all my life, and this is what I have always dreamed for you. It only makes me sad that once we reach Mexico, we’ll have to leave you there. I may never see you again.” A sob caught in her throat.

  Jeptha shook his head. “Naw, Missy. You ain’t never gonna be rid of me. Not for good, leastwise.” Glancing around them, an expression of peace settled on his face. “I ain’t never been away from Rose Hill. Had me no idea there was pretty country like this in Texas. I figured it was all cotton and corn fields.”

  Adella knew he was changing the subject and went along. Better to leave the emotional good-byes for later. “The farthest I have traveled is to Austin, and that was ages ago when Mama was still with us.” She let out a wistful sigh. Mama had been on her mind often the past three days. She wondered what her mother would think of what she’d done. Would she see it as a betrayal of the family she had cared so much about, or would she understand Adella’s need to start a life of her own with a man she loved?

  They sat quietly for several minutes. The fire popped and crackled. Cicadas buzzed in the trees, drowning out any birdsong.

  “Do you suppose your pappy will sell all them slaves like he say?” Concern shone in Jeptha’s eyes when he looked at her.

  “I don’t know.” Adella had asked herself the same question over and over since leaving. “I hope not, but Papa would have been furious when he discovered I was gone. If he does anything rash, it will be my fault.”

  “Ain’t your fault.” Jeptha frowned at her. “Massa Luther makes his own decisions, Missy. You may not be one of his slaves, but he treated you like his property just the same. If you’d stayed and married Mr. Brevard, you would’ve been trading one master for another.” He nodded in the direction where Seth had ridden off. “That there Mr. Brantley ain’t like them. He may not be like them white folks up north that think we Negros should be free, but he don’t got the hatred in him that some whites do.”

  Adella remained silent, knowing Seth still struggled with a mixture of feelings regarding the runaway slave who shot him— especially now that he himself was involved in helping four slaves escape.

  Within the hour, Seth returned. Adella breathed a sigh of relief seeing Chester break through the trees. It made her nervous when Seth rode off alone, searching for provisions and scouting their route for the next day. She rose on stiff legs to greet him, her backside nearly numb from long hours in the saddle.

  His tired smile met hers. “There are some German immigrants living a few miles from here.” He removed a bulging burlap sack from his saddle. “When I asked about buying some milk, they insisted on giving me bread, sausage, and potatoes as well.”

  She took the sack from him, peeking in it as though treasures were inside. “Fresh bread.” She breathed in the wonderful aroma. “I didn’t realize how much I missed Aunt Lu’s bread until this very moment.”

  “Guess I gonna have ta bake some soon as we gets settled.” Aunt Lu rose from her slumber and slowly ambled toward them. Apparently, her muscles were as sore as Adella’s, for she limped along with stiff mo
vements. She took the bag from Adella. “If y’all wants, I can fry up some o’ these taters.”

  After the past few days of beans and hard biscuits, their little meal that night would be a feast.

  Mara began to fuss then. When Adella reached for the canteen of milk still hanging from the saddle horn, Seth caressed her cheek.

  “Mara is a lucky little girl to have you for an aunt. You are going to be a wonderful mother someday.” The timbre of his voice was low and warm.

  “I hope so.” She longed for their wild journey to be over so she could become Seth’s wife, fully and completely. His eyes told her he felt the same.

  After changing Mara’s soiled cloth, Adella sat down to feed the baby. Aunt Lu had come up with the method of using one of Adella’s handkerchiefs rolled up and wedged into the canteen opening, allowing the milk to soak in. It took a bit of coaxing for Mara to accept it that first day, but she’d become accustomed to the contraption and eagerly filled her tummy with fresh cow’s milk. So far she hadn’t suffered any problems, which Aunt Lu had warned might happen with the sudden switch from her mother’s milk.

  Looking into the baby’s deep blue eyes, Adella couldn’t help but wonder at the love she had already for the tiny girl. Knowing George would have sold the baby, Adella felt nothing but gratitude that they’d been able to whisk her away. Her only regret was knowing Lucy would not be there to raise her daughter as a free woman.

  After their delicious supper, while Aunt Lu cleaned things up and Adella and Seth checked the animals, Jeptha and Zina took a short walk. Always staying within sight of the camp, Adella couldn’t help but glance their direction every so often, wondering at the seemingly serious discussion.

  “What do you suppose they’re talking about?” she asked Seth while he curried Freedom. The horses had worked very hard and deserved a little pampering.

  Seth glanced over his shoulder at the couple and shrugged. “I imagine they have a lot of sorting out to do. What they’ll do when they get to Mexico, where they’ll go. I’ll offer as much advice as I can, but ultimately, it will be up to them to find their way.”