Carved in Love

by Savanna Sage

Chapter 15

  Ellie screamed. Her mother came running, a white muslin nightgown whipping around her limbs as she burst into the room. “What’s wrong?” Linnea asked sharply as Jesse and Jack crowded into the doorway behind her.

  Ellie pointed to the window. “P-Polly. I saw Polly. Then she disappeared. Something got her.”

  “You must be dreaming,” Linnea said. Her gaze took in Ellie’s dress. “And why aren’t you in your nightclothes?”

  Without another word, Jesse dashed from the room, pulling his suspenders up over his shoulders. Jack spun on his heel and followed his brother.

  Linnea hurried to the window and looked out. “I don’t believe it,” she whispered.

  “What?” Ellie swallowed. “What is it?”

  Linnea didn’t answer, but moved aside so Ellie could stand beside her. Ellie got there just in time to see Jesse run up to David, who was crouched over Polly, and grab his shoulders. David shrugged him off. Then Jack appeared, and he and Jesse each seized one of David’s arms and pulled him off.

  “Sorry,” Ellie heard David say, his voice muffled through the window glass. “So sorry! I thought you were an Indian!”

  “A red-haired Indian?” Jesse yelled in disbelief while Jack helped Polly to her feet.

  “I couldn’t tell in the dark.”

  “Why were you still out here anyway?” Jesse demanded as Jack disappeared around the corner of the house, supporting a sagging Polly with his arm.

  David looked toward Ellie’s window. Ellie drew back, but heard him say, “You told me she saw an Indian. I didn’t see any when I was watching from the shadows beneath the tree last night, like they do, so I had to check again tonight to make sure she was safe.”

  “You were under the tree last night? Then it was you Ellie saw, you big jackrabbit!”

  Ellie and Linnea hurried into the front room where Ellie opened the door for Jack as he helped Polly to the sofa. When Jack stood up so his mother could get a good look at Polly, Linnea gasped. “He gave you a black eye!”

  Polly threw her hands up. “Not David.” As David and Jesse burst through the doorway, Polly continued, “Don’t blame him.” Then she winced and grabbed her upper arm.

  “I most certainly will,” Linnea muttered as she hurried to gather some liniment and bandages. “You men must leave,” she commanded. “I’ve got to see to her eye and her arm.”

  “Please, Miss Polly, I didn’t mean you any harm,” David pled. “I thought you was an Indian.”

  To Ellie’s astonishment, Polly laughed. “Now that’s one for the books!” she said, then laughed again.

  Ellie leaned close to Polly’s ear and whispered, “Did he damage your head?”

  Polly sobered, and her eyes filled with tears. “No, he didn’t. But I don’t know what’s to become of me, Ellie.”

  Ellie looked into Polly’s purple bruised eye. “If David didn’t do that, then who did?”

  Polly glanced at the young men who had not followed Linnea’s command to leave. “I-I can’t say.”

  “Nonsense,” Linnea said, bustling back to Polly with a couple of jars of liniment and her fabric scrap basket. “Of course you can. As far as I can tell, your mouth is uninjured, and perfectly capable of speaking.” Without giving Polly time to reply, Linnea said, “Get me some warm water, Ellie.” Then she turned to the boys. “Leave.”

  “I’m awful sorry, Miss Polly,” David said, his eyes moistening, seeming to beg forgiveness from the injured girl.

  “You didn’t...” Polly said just before Linnea put a cloth over her eye, the end trailing down over Polly’s mouth.

  When Linnea heard the door close behind the young men, she said, “Now, Polly, if David didn’t give you this black eye, then who did?”

  “I fell.” Polly said quickly.

  “She had it when I saw her in the buggy on our way home from the woods two nights ago,” Ellie offered.

  “What did you fall on?”

  “On the, on the pig fence.”

  “There are no scrapes,” Linnea said, examining the bruise more closely. “It doesn’t look like it came from a piece of wood.”

  Polly’s eyes darted toward Ellie. “I must thank you again for the frog.” She smiled. “It has brought me more joy than anything else in such a long time.”

  Linnea’s face scrunched up in puzzlement. It was a face that her husband would have kissed with a merry line such as, “You look a bit like a pumpkin, my dear.”

  Before Linnea could ask, Polly pulled the wooden frog from her pocket. “It brings me such comfort,” she said, rubbing the little carving’s back with her thumb.

  “I’m glad,” Ellie said.

  “May I?” Linnea held out her hand. Ellie tensed as Polly placed the frog on Linnea’s palm. She hadn’t yet had a chance to tell her mother about Curtis’s offer to sell her carvings. There was a lot her mother hadn’t been told.

  Linnea turned the carving one way and another. Then her mouth twitched. Ellie braced herself for a scolding, but her mother simply said, “Well, it certainly is whimsical.”

  “It’s wonderful,” Polly said, taking it back. Cradling it in both hands, she held it against her heart. “That’s why I knew I could come to you.” She looked up at Ellie again.

  “For what?” Ellie asked, so light-headed with fatigue, that she felt as if she were speaking in a dream.

  Polly’s eyes cut to Linnea, then back to Ellie. “I mustn’t… I’ve said too much.” She ducked her head and pulled the frog up under her chin.

  Linnea cast a puzzled glance at Ellie, who merely raised her eyebrows. “We can help you,” Linnea said, her voice gentle.

  Tears rolled down Polly’s face. “There is no help for me. I shouldn’t have come. I’ve only brought more trouble to myself.”

  Ellie sat on the floor beside the sofa so she could be nearer to Polly. Touching Polly’s arm, Ellie asked, “What harm is there in telling us?”

  Polly’s head jerked up, her eyes full of fear, her mouth clamped shut. In spite of their coaxing, she would say no more.

  Linnea finally brought some blankets and convinced Polly to lie down on the sofa. “What about the boys?” Ellie asked.

  “They can come in the back door, if they haven’t already,” Linnea said. “Go on to bed. I’ll sit with her awhile.”

  Ellie managed to get to her feet, then reached down and gave one of Polly’s hands a gentle squeeze before heading to her room.

  The next morning, Ellie was awakened by a terrible shaking. Her eyes flew open to see her mother’s solemn face hovering over her. “She’s gone,” Linnea said.

  Ellie struggled to sit up. “What?”

  “Polly’s gone. I fell asleep in the rocking chair, but somehow she got out without me hearing her.”

  “She didn’t seem to want to stay here, Mama.”

  “But she came for a reason. You saw her.”

  “Perhaps she only wanted to talk to me,” Ellie said. “She came to my window. I think there were too many people for her to say what she wanted to.”

  “Perhaps,” Linnea said. “I can tell you one thing for certain. She did not fall against a pig fence.”

  “Maybe we’ll never know,” Ellie said, her heart filled with pity for the skinny red haired girl.

  “After breakfast, I will pay the Demar’s a visit,” LInnea declared.

  “Only Mr. Demar is home.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I saw Mrs. Demar at the train station yesterday on her way to visit her sister.”

  Linnea’s face tightened. “I see.”

  A knock sounded on the door. “Maybe that’s Polly,” Linnea said, hurrying through the doorway.

  As Ellie pulled on her dress and quickly gathered her hair at the back of her neck and tied it with a pink ribbon, she heard David’s voice say, “I’d better take Polly home. Mr. Demar’s pretty mad that she’s not there.”

  “She’s not here,” Linnea said. “She left sometime in the night, or earl
y this morning.”

  “On her own?” David asked with dismay.

  “Apparently.”

  “I’ve got to find her.”

  “We can help, too,” Linnea said. “I’ll tell the boys. But if she doesn’t want to be found, she probably won’t be.”

  “I can find her,” David said. “She needs my help.”

  Ellie opened the door to her room just in time to see David swipe the back of his hand under his nose as he turned and walked out the door.

  Where was Polly? Wherever she was, she’d come to Ellie for some reason, and Ellie hadn’t been any help. “I need to look for her,” Ellie said.

  “Are you sure that’s wise after what Jesse said about Indians yesterday?” Linnea asked. “We’ll just let your brothers look. We’ll stay here in case she comes back.”

  “But it’s daytime. I don’t think Indians come in the daylight. Where is Jesse anyway?”

  “Both boys left early today.’

  “Then I’ll get Curtis Locken to help me.”

  Linnea studied her daughter. More slowly, she asked, “Are you sure that’s wise?”

  For an answer, Ellie put on her hat.

  “I need you to gather the eggs before you go anywhere,” Linnea said firmly, taking her daughter’s hand. “We can’t afford to waste food.” Linnea turned Ellie’s hand over. “It’s so rough. Tell me, what is it that makes carving worth this?”

  “I like the surprise of seeing what comes out of a piece of wood. Sometimes I can see what it is even before I carve it.”

  “Well, I can't pretend to understand your need to do it,” Linnea said. Then she sighed. “You are your father's daughter.” Her eyes turned toward the window. Although she didn't say anything, Ellie sensed that she was with her husband again, even if only in her mind. Ellie wanted more than anything to bring Papa home to be with all of them again for real. “Well, if you are determined, then you must do what your heart tells you.”

  Ellie stared at her mother in surprise. Had she just been given permission to carve without trying to hide it? Linnea’s gaze was still trained on the window, and Ellie didn’t want to ask in case she’d misunderstood.

  On her way back to the house with the egg basket Ellie heard hoofbeats and looked up to see Moses riding toward the house. Her gaze darted past him, but Curtis was nowhere in sight. When her eyes flew back to Moses’s face, his single eye looked at her in apology.

  Ellie hurried toward him. “Where’s Curtis?”

  Moses looked away. “Gone.”

  Ellie felt a shiver run down her back. Had he abandoned her? Had she so offended him by her tears yesterday that he had to leave town so he would never see her again? “Where did he go?”

  Moses shook his head. “He ask’ me not to tell you.”

  Boldly, Ellie grabbed the bridle on Moses’s horse. “Moses, you have to tell me. Did he go back to Georgia?”

  “No!” Moses looked genuinely startled. “He wouldn’ go back there, not to stay, no, ma’am. He has no family lef’ there anyway, at least none that means anything to him.”

  “Where is he?”

  “I told him not to go. I told him you wouldn’ like it.”

  “I don't like it even more if you don't tell me where he went.”

  Moses glanced at Ellie, then looked away again and adjusted himself in his saddle. She wondered if he would ride away if she didn’t keep hold of the horse. Ellie determined that she would stay right where she was until she got answers. “Tell me.”

  Moses stared off into the distance. Ellie waited. At last, Moses let out a long breath and mumbled something. The only thing she caught was the last word that sounded like, “Papa.”

  Ellie’s voice turned as hard as her carving blade. “What about Papa?”

  Moses sighed, then faced Ellie and said, “He went to find him.”

  In spite of the warm spring breeze, a tremor ran through Ellie. “I knew Papa was alive!”

  “Four or five weeks ago, I saw your father in an Indian camp.”

  Ellie’s stomach twisted. “How did you know it was him?”

  “From the picture.” Moses gestured toward the house. “He’s thinner now, and darker.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

  Moses dropped his gaze, but his voice was firm. “Didn’ know if I should. It wasn’ my business.”

  “But it was my business!” Ellie cried. “He’s my father!” Anguish rising in her chest, Ellie pictured Curtis riding into a hostile Indian camp alone to rescue her father. She should be with him, along with her brothers.

  But they didn’t believe her. She doubted they’d believe Moses, either. They’d probably claim that she’d put him up to it.

  “Why did you let him go alone?” Ellie demanded. Thoughts of Curtis being killed and her father being alive jumbled up in her mind, making her head ache.

  “Told him I’d go wit’ him, but he wanted me to look out for you, and keep you safe from renegade Indians sneaking into town. I planned on arguing wit’ him this morning, but he was already gone.”

  “Come inside,” Ellie said, her thoughts racing. “We’ve got to tell Mama. She’s got some coffee, and you can have what’s left of breakfast.” Mama would know what to do. She might not believe that Wilburn was still alive, but Moses would tell her he was, and she would know what to do.

  “Mama,” Ellie said as Moses followed her into the kitchen.

  “Hello,” Linnea said with a smile. “Would you join us for breakfast?”

  “Mama, Moses just told me something.”

  “Wait a minute,” Mama said. “Sit down, and let me get you some food.” Ellie waited impatiently while Mama served up the coffee, stew, and boiled eggs. It seemed important that Mama be in a good mood to hear her news.

  As soon as Mama sat down across from Moses, Ellie opened her mouth to tell her about Curtis, but Mama said, “There’s something I’ve been wanting to know.” She leaned on her arms, folded on the table. “Will you please tell us what happened to you, Moses? How did you injure your eye?”

  “But, Mama!” Ellie cried. “What about...?”

  “Hush,” Mama said before Ellie could finish.

  Feeling as if her news would make her burst, Ellie put a hand over her mouth, telling herself, Just keep Mama happy.

  Moses sighed. “It’s not a nice story.”

  Linnea reached out and touched his hand. “We won’t force you to tell, but we care about you. We consider you a friend.”

  When Moses looked up. Linnea gave him an encouraging smile.

  Moses sighed and dropped his head. With his gaze focused on the tabletop, he said, “Curtis and his cousin, Master Lee Locken, grew up almost like brothers. They took me along on their jaunts so I could pick up their shot arrows, clean their fish, clean up after picnics, and things like that. They even taught me their schoolwork so I could do their lessons for them.” Moses grinned, his eyes still focused downward. “They were nice enough, considering I was a slave. But when they got older, both of them got to liking the same girl.”

  Ellie folded her hands, not sure she wanted to hear of another girl who’d captured Curtis’s eye.

  “Miss Annabelle Ammons was nice to look at, for a white man, with all that golden hair, but her insides was spoiled.” He went quiet.

  “You will not be held to anything you tell us,” Linnea said gently.

  Ellie sat still, unsure if she wanted to hear more. What did Moses mean that Annabelle Ammons was spoiled? Did Curtis think that she, Ellie, was spoiled?

  “Miss Annabelle had mean ways. If she was with Master Lee, she’d tease him about Master Curtis. Same thing with Master Curtis, teasing him about Master Lee. She didn't love neither one. She played them for fools for her own amusement.

  “Then war came, and they both got called out. Master Lee was eager to go, but not Curtis.”

  Ellie couldn’t help noticing that Moses didn’t use the title “Master” for Curtis’s name.

 
; “Master Lee teased Curtis some, all in good fun. When they both went off, I stayed home and prayed they’d return safe. My prayer was answered when both came back, but the devil came with them. Curtis had aged and turned quiet, while Master Lee came back still spoilin’ for a fight.”

  Moses went silent for so long that Ellie asked softly, “Then what?”

  “Miss Annabelle was in the house again, teasin’ worse than before, maybe ‘cause there were fewer men around.

  “One day she came while Curtis was in the stable. Lee called me in to say Miss Annabelle wanted mint tea. I knew I was a free man, but it didn’t seem real. I was still puzzling out what to do, but it was the most natural thing to serve them both tea like I’d done all my life.

  “When I got back, Master Lee was at the bookcase on the far side of the room. I set Miss Annabell’s tea on the coffee table, keepin’ my eyes on the teacup, but I can see her watching me. I don’ look up at her face. I was taught not to look at white women unless they ordered me to.”

  “You couldn’t even look at her?” Ellie asked in astonishment.

  “No, ma’am.”

  “But you look at us.”

  Moses raised his eye again, looking first at Ellie, then Linnea, then back to Ellie. “I’ve been gone awhile. Things aren’t the same. I have new ways now. I didn’t never want to look at her mean eyes anyway.”

  “What happened after you brought the tea?” Linnea asked.

  “I put Master Lee’s down, then walked over to stand by the door in case they asked for somethin’ else.” Moses gave a shudder. Linnea put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, and Moses wiped his good eye with the back of his hand. Linnea fetched him a soft piece of fabric, which he pressed against his eye. With the fabric shielding his face, Moses said, “The next thing I know, Miss Annabelle’s screaming. Startled, I looked to Master Lee as he hurried to ask her what’s wrong? Annabelle’s pointing at me sayin’, ‘He looked at me, like he wants me!’ But I never did.

  “Master Lee charges me like a hellcat, knocks me down, and sits on my chest with his knee in my throat, eyes all wild like a crazed bull. I can smell that he’s been drinkin’ brandy.” Moses went silent for a moment. When Linnea put her hand on his shoulder, he sighed. “When I try to speak, he tells me, ‘Shut your mouth.’ I’m so used to following his orders that I do what he says. Then he stuck his hand out toward Miss Annabelle and says, ‘Gimmee a spoon.’”

  Cold horror crept into Ellie’s stomach.

  “My heart beat so hard, it was about to break,” Moses said. “With my eyes rolling around in my head with crazy fear, I saw Miss Annabelle’s face with an evil smile, like she’s enjoyin’ this. She grabs her teaspoon all eager-like and shoves it in Master Lee’s hand. Then he presses down on my forehead and screams, ‘I’ll teach you to never to look at my woman.’ Then he pushes that spoon right into my eye. It hurt so awful, I screamed. I tried to fight back, but I was dizzy because I didn’t have enough air.

  “Then I felt Lee lifting up off my chest. When I looked through the tears and blood, my good eye saw Curtis lifting Lee up, Lee’s feet scramblin’ against the floor. When Curtis looked at me, angry as I’d never seen him, I was sure he’d help Master Lee finish the job. But I didn’t want to be blind.”

  Moses went quiet and dropped his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking. Linnea patted his back and made soothing noises until Moses finally raised his head and wiped his eyes. He sniffed. “Then Curtis surprised me when he punched Master Lee right in the face. When he fell to the floor like a sack of corn, Miss Annabelle starts laughin’ this high, strange laugh I never heard before. It was eerie, like ghosts rising up from their graves.

  “Curtis hauls me to my feet and hurries me out the door to the stable. He patched my eye the best he could, then saddled his horse and put me on it. I hurt so bad. With my mind focused on my misery, I kep both eyes closed and didn’t even notice him putting his saddlebags on, too.

  Then Master Lee came roaring into the stable, saying he was getting a lynching mob to take care of me once and for all.

  “Curtis hit my horse, says, ‘Go!’ and the horse takes off, galloping into the night.

  “Over time, I made my way west, using food and money Curtis had in his saddlebags to survive. When some Indians found me sleeping by a river, I thought they’d burn me at the stake for sure. Turns out the women folks fought over who got to claim me as her slave. Sunning Sparrow was the fiercest, so she won. She claimed that with my war wound, I was the most handsome man she ever saw.

  “The tribe moved around, and I saw lots of Indian villages, safe from harm with my owner, and much admired for my wounded eye. They wanted to touch my hair, too.” A faint grin crossed Moses’s face. “They called me a buffalo man. Then just a little while ago, I came across a trapper from my Georgia home town who only started trapping after the war. He tol’ me Curtis was headed to Rambling, on the lookout for me. I asked him to send a telegram to tell Curtis that I was coming. I jus’ had to come thank Curtis for saving me.”

  Moses sighed and leaned back in his chair. “So I ran away from my owner, and here I am.”

  Ellie took a breath. Hearing of Moses’s terrible ordeal had turned her stomach.

  “I’d do anything for Curtis,” Moses said.

  “You are a good friend to him,” Linnea said.

  “He’s a better friend to me,” Moses replied.

  “Where is he now? Why didn’t he come with you”

  Ellie glanced at Moses for courage, then said, “He’s gone after Papa.”

  Linnea’s face blanched. “What?”

  “Moses recognized Papa’s picture. He saw him in an Indian village awhile back. Then he told Curtis, and Curtis went looking for him.”