A Virtuous Ruby (24 page)

Adam opened the Bible again and wrote in Ruby’s name and her birthday. September 1, 1896. “What’s Solomon’s birthday?”

“January 16, 1915.”

Adam wrote it in. He closed the book again. He cut his eyes upstairs. Then, he opened the book again. “What are you doing now?” Ruby dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief.

Adam set his jaw. “I’m putting myself in this Bible. I belong here.”

Now, he was his father’s only son. This was the Winslow Bible and he belonged in it. Ruby stood and came next to him, her thoughts fuzzy. “Goodness.”

“I have to own all parts of who I am. If I own the Negro part of me, I have to own the white Winslow part too, and not be ashamed of it.”

Ruby nodded. “I understand.”

He squeezed her hand on his shoulder and she watched as he wrote in, on another line, his mother’s name: Matilda Anne Morson.

“Her name was Matilda?”

Adam nodded and Ruby said, “I like that. For a little girl.”

Adam gave her hand another squeeze as he wrote in, “Adam Johnson Morson, born May 14, 1890.” He closed the Bible and put it back on the special stand where it stayed. “Let’s go.” He held out a hand to her as they walked out of the parlor then out of the front door together, arm in arm, to leave the Winslows to grieve on their own.

Chapter Twenty-Five

“Once you get the paper, you can get married as soon as you want,” Brother Carver told them. So the next morning was a bustle of activity. Adam and Ruby went to the courthouse to get a marriage license so they could marry before the Carvers left town.

Lona bemoaned the fact they could not have a real ceremony. Ruby wanted to laugh at Lona for caring so much—her mother had wanted to see her married off for so long, now it had to be done with ceremony. “I don’t really care,” Ruby said. “I just want to be married here at home with family. No one else really matters. Now that Dodge is gone from First Water I don’t have a minister. When we go to our new home, we’ll find a church home to nurture us. I’m happy the Carvers are here. They’ve known me since I was a little girl, and that’s who I want.”

“Bless you, child, we’re glad to be here.” Sister Jane beamed.

“And,” Brother pushed away from the table. “We got to get ready now if we are going to marry these children this afternoon.”

“We got lots of decorating to do,” Delie said. Ruby gave Solomon another kiss on his forehead and handed him to John. “We’ll be back as soon as we can.”

Adam put an arm around Ruby’s shoulder. “I don’t expect there will much trouble. Once we tell them we’re leaving town, they will be happy to see us married. We’ll go past the Winslows to finish some of the details on the death certificate and we’ll be back.”

When they arrived at the courthouse, the clerk gave them suspicious glances. However, the clerk made mention of Adam’s connection with Paul Winslow, and he gave his condolences. Even though the offices were in the same building, they did not see the sheriff and wanted to depart as fast as possible once they had the license in hand. When they pulled up in front of the Winslow house, it looked quiet and abandoned. “Want to come in with me?”

Ruby didn’t want to. She didn’t want this house of death to intrude on her wedding day. She shook her head. “He’ll be in the parlor.”

“All the more reason to get it over with.”

Ruby came out of the car. They climbed the steps together and knocked on the door. The front door. Lavinia, the head maid, opened the door and let them in. She embraced Ruby. “I wish you joy. Be happy. You deserve it.”

“Thank you. How are they?”

“They taking it real hard.” Lavinia walked with them into the parlor where the casket was set up. “They haven’t gone to sleep. They upstairs now. It’s real hard.”

“When will they bury him?”

“Day after tomorrow. Some of Mr. Paul’s people is coming in from Tennessee.” She looked at Adam. “You aren’t staying?”

Adam squeezed Ruby’s hand and spoke, “We hope to leave tomorrow. It’s for the best.”

“You all are all he have left. Colored, white, whatever, you’re it. I don’t know.”

Ruby patted her arm as she looked down at David, appearing small and forlorn in his casket. “We just don’t want to cause any more trouble.” The Winslow family Bible was gone from the stand. Adam moved some papers on the desk and saw the death certificate. “He has filled in more of what I needed, so it’s good.”

Adam came and stood next to her then looked down at his brother. “He looks peaceful,” Ruby said.

“It’s hard for me as a doctor to come and see my patients deceased—we work so hard to keep them alive. It’s really hard. However, he was more than my patient. He was my liberator, and my brother. I have to pay my respects.”

There was a slight movement in the doorway and Paul Winslow stood there. He had aged fifteen years in the past day. Ruby did not think it was possible to appear so burdened and crushed in such a short amount of time, but he did. Then again, if she had lost Solomon, she could see how overwhelming his loss would be to her, even though he was born under difficult circumstances. Her son was her heart. What would it feel like if your heart was gone all of a sudden?

Ruby stepped over to him. “I’m so sorry for your loss, sir, if I didn’t say it yesterday.”

“Thank you.”

Adam came and stood next to her. “I also want to extend my condolences.”

“I hear you all are getting married.”

“Yes, sir.”

“When?”

“Today.” Adam put an arm around Ruby’s waist.

“Goodness.”

“Her speed cannot surprise you, Paul. This one is a fast worker.” They heard Mary Winslow talking and she stepped forward from the shadows. Her grey hair cascaded down around her shoulders and she clutched the big, heavy family Bible to her chest. “She’s probably the one who desecrated our family Bible by putting all of their colored names in it.”

“Ma’am.” Ruby put her arm in the crook of Adam’s elbow. She liked her hand there. “I didn’t.”

“I did it,” Adam said quickly, over her. “I just thought it felt right to include at a time of such incredible loss.”

“You.” Mary pointed a finger out to Adam. “Are not my son. You’re my husband’s by blow with some harlot maid, and I don’t have to have you in the Bible. I cannot tear these pages from God’s word, but by his holy name, I’ll figure out some way to get your name out of there.”

Adam stepped back a bit, clearly shocked at Mrs. Winslow’s words and Ruby put her hand on his arm. “We didn’t mean to cause trouble. Adam wanted to finish some paper work and now he’s done, we’ll leave.”

“Yes, get out. I would throw this Bible after you if it weren’t the holy word of God, not that you godless people know anything about it.”

Paul Winslow took them toward the front door. “Thank you for coming by.”

Almost instantly, they found themselves outside with the door shut behind them. “I think she’s been drinking some,” Ruby put in when she realized they’d been let out the front door.

“Yes, I smelled it on her breath.” Adam adjusted his hat on his head and offered Ruby his arm. “I’ll not condemn her.”

“Let’s go.”

“To our wedding.” Adam smiled down at her and squeezed her hand.

That afternoon the family gathered in the big front room to witness Brother Carver marry Ruby and Adam. In an amazingly short amount of time, Ruby became Ruby Morson. After Brother Carver pronounced them man and wife, Adam leaned down to kiss her. As he kissed her with all of his heart and soul, the bond between them melded. Finally, he‘d gotten what he had come to Winslow for.

A family. What a wonderful thing it was, to finally be on the receiving end of the very thing he had always wanted.

Lona set up a wonderful picnic outside and they all feasted on chicken, vegetables, fresh peaches, bread and cake. He and Ruby fed one another pieces of cake. They sat on a blanket, laughing at some of Ruby’s sisters playing tag through the orchard when, off to the side, a Winslow car pulled up.

“It’s Paul Winslow.” Adam stood and rolled his sleeves down his arms. “I’ll go see what he wants.”

“Do you want me to come?” Ruby held his hand.

Adam squeezed her dainty steel-strong hand and let go. “No, my love. You stay here. If he needs medical help, I’ll be back soon.”

“Okay.”

Adam clipped his sleeves together at his wrists for a more formal appearance. “Sir.” He walked to his father who stood at the Bledsoe’s front gate. “Is there something I can help you with? Is Mrs. Winslow all right?”

Paul Winslow waved a hand. “She’s resting now. I know she’s sorry for what she said earlier, but she’s not in her right mind, you know.”

“I understand.”

“You all married?”

“Yes, sir. About an hour ago.”

Paul Winslow looked down at the ground. “Congratulations. I’m sorry I couldn’t make it.”

The callowness of his thoughtlessness hit him full on. Adam should have invited him. Paul Winslow was his father. He would never have a chance to see a child of his marry, ever again.

“It all happened pretty fast. Ruby wanted Brother Carver to perform the ceremony before they left today,” he rambled on, but he did not know what else to say.

“I understand.”

Adam stopped talking. Paul Winslow apologized for so much in those two words.

“Where are you all staying for the night?” he asked Adam.

“Since the Carvers are leaving today, the guest room in the back will be vacant again, so we’ll stay there until we leave.”

“Leaving for the north?”

“Yes, sir. I’ve taken a job up there as a doctor in one of the steel mills in Pittsburgh. We leave tomorrow morning. I’m going to take Ruby and Solomon where they can get a new start in life.”

Silence fell between them.

“Before I got here I went to Bouganse up in town. Got the honeymoon suite for you if you like. They won’t give you any trouble if you go there.”

“Are you sure, sir?”

“You can’t spend your wedding night with her parents.” Paul Winslow gave a sad little smile.

Adam smiled back at him, touched by this singular gesture of thoughtfulness. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I came to give you a wedding present.” He opened his jacket and retrieved an envelope in the fold. “For you. And Solomon. He’ll want for nothing his life long. I just made the adjustments to my will. And for you. A start. I want to provide for Solomon so he won’t have to suffer the slings and arrows of his race.”

“I appreciate it, sir, and I’ll tell Ruby. But, from my perspective, a little bit of suffering has helped me to come to an understanding. I know who I am. I’ll hope the same for him, and he’ll be proud of who he is.”

Paul Winslow pressed the envelope on him. “All well and good. But money always helps.”

Adam took the envelope into his hand. Such an empty gesture. But it was all Paul Winslow had to give. When they got to Pittsburgh, he would make sure Solomon had an account for his education.

“Thank you,” Adam said.

Another silence. Was there more? What could it be? Finally, his father cleared his throat and spoke.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay and attend the funeral? Some more Winslows—my sister and her family are coming,” He cleared his throat again. “She knew Mattie and would probably like to meet you.”

The mention of his mother’s name tugged at his heart, but not nearly in the same way it used to. When he had first come to Georgia, he was searching, yearning for just this type of connection. An aunt who had known his mother, someone who could fill in the details of who his mother was.

But that was a couple of weeks ago. He had changed.

Intrigued, but now more intrigued with the future God had provided him with Ruby. His life had a bigger scope and more focus. He belonged on the train with Ruby and Solomon, starting their new lives together.

Strange, but the yearning that had been in him when he first arrived was in Paul Winslow’s eyes now. Knowing how the yearning felt, Adam registered a pain in his heart for his father and he wanted to let this man down, easily. “I’ll talk to Ruby about it and see what she thinks. But it would be awkward to have her come, given how Mrs. Winslow feels about her.”

“Oh no, no, I’ll take care of it. Ruby’ll be treated just fine. Please.”

“I haven’t been married long, sir, but the sense I get about the situation is the wife must be happy. If Mrs. Winslow isn’t happy with Ruby being there, I don’t know if you or anyone else can say anything to make her happy.”

The yearning light went out of Paul Winslow’s eyes, and the aged look came onto his face again. “You’re right. I probably should do what I can to make her happy now.”

“Yes, sir. We’ll be fine.”

Paul Winslow’s gray eyes edged in red and were full of sorrow. “Maybe you all can write sometime. Take yourselves to a picture studio and have a picture made and send it down. If you need anymore money for a portrait.” He reached into the fold of his jacket again, but a hand in the air from Adam stopped him.

“I’m sure you have been generous enough, sir.” He held up the envelope.

“Well, I better get on home.” Paul Winslow stuck out a hand and Adam shook it for the first, and probably the last time.

“You all take care, now.”

“We will, sir. And thank you.”

Adam watched him depart in the car, driven by the loyal and faithful Bob. He closed his eyes in reassurance as Ruby’s presence lighted next to him. She slid her hand in the crook of his elbow and he grasped it. There was strength. And love. And a home. “I sensed you needed some time alone with him.”

“And your feeling was perfect. Thank you, my love.” He bent down to kiss her soft lips, relishing the way they melded with his. He was reminded of the generosity of Paul Winslow’s gift. “He wanted to give us a wedding gift.”

“He did?” Ruby’s brown eyes were wide.

“We’re going to the hotel tonight.”

“The Bouganse? Where I stopped you from going?”

“The very one. He arranged it. We’ll drop the Carvers off at the train station and then go there for our wedding night. We’ll be the first Negroes to stay there, no stories.”

His new wife’s mouth was slightly parted. “Don’t you believe him?”

Ruby shook her head. “Yes. One thing you learn growing up in Winslow is Paul Winslow’s word is bond. I believe him. I’m just stunned. So thoughtful. I had wondered about how comfortable we would be in the guest room together, having to keep Solomon out front with his aunties. He came up with the perfect solution.”

“He also let me know he wants to provide for Solomon. And me. He made changes to his will. He had just come from town seeing his attorney.”

“I just didn’t think he would be so thoughtful. The hotel, well, that was enough. I didn’t really want his money for Solomon. But that was what David’s letter said.”

“I know.” Adam turned her around to walk her back to her family. “We’ll talk about it. And the way to think of it may be the amount might be better used in the form of a restitution to you.”

“Restitution?”

“Yes. Paul Winslow has, in effect, paid you for what he did to you, through David.”

“I wouldn’t want his money.”

“You want to finish school, and go to nursing school. In order for you to do those things, we would want to make sure we had a nice house, maybe some help. I’ve been in touch with the main Negro church in Pittsburgh where they can let us know where to live and who to hire. The money could pay for those things. To make your life easier.”

His words were getting through to her. “My, I never thought I would end up with those things—an education, help? Me?”