Carried Forward By Hope (65 page)

Robert walked over and lifted the gleaming hair from her shoulders, burying his face in it for a long moment. “So very beautiful,” he said softly before he lifted his eyes and met hers squarely. “I’m worried about Clifford,” he admitted.

“I thought you told us he wouldn’t be back,” Carrie said, her heart quickening.

“I didn’t want to scare Janie,” he admitted. “Clifford is a dangerous man. Alone, he is nothing but a coward, but he’s also a man who thrives off power. Janie leaving him is a threat to his power. I’m concerned about what he will do to retain his reputation. If he has his eye on a political office it won’t look good that his wife left him.”

“So he would force her to come back for appearance sake?” Carrie demanded angrily. “We won’t let it happen!”

“No, we won’t,” Robert agreed instantly. “It would be helpful if Clifford couldn’t find her at all. I believe he’ll sign the divorce papers, but I want Janie out of his reach.”

“How?” Carrie asked quietly.

Robert put his hands on her shoulders. “I think it’s time for you to go to Philadelphia to check out the medical college,” he said quietly. “Take Janie with you.”

Carrie stared at him. “Go to Philadelphia?
Now?
” She tried to analyze the feelings tumbling through her heart. Part of her pulsed with excitement, but there was just as big a part that was totally resistant. “Robert, I…” She shook her head slowly. “It’s not time.”

“I hope not,” Robert replied, “because I will admit I don’t want you to go yet, but I think it best if Janie leaves for a while and I can’t think of another way to make it happen.”

“Without her knowing she is in danger.” Carrie finished the words he didn’t say, her throat tightening as she remembered the bruises and welts on Janie’s face and the terror in her eyes when she first arrived.

“Yes,” Robert said heavily. “I’m afraid I wasn’t quite truthful with Clifford. I convinced him the Richmond judge was in favor of Janie’s divorce request, but I don’t know that for certain. Because so many women are requesting divorces now that the war has ended, he agreed to the petition, but I’m not sure what he will do if Clifford presses it.” He sighed. “The truth is that divorce law is left up to every state to interpret. From what I have learned, each judge basically has the freedom to decide how they want. I’ve read cases of judges sending women back who have been more horribly abused than Janie.” He scowled. “I won’t let that happen to her.”

“Of course we won’t!” Carrie cried, fury raging in her heart at Clifford. “Why won’t he just leave her alone?”

“I think he will in time,” Robert replied. “The cost and time of trying to fight it here in Virginia will become more than he can bear, especially if he can’t find her. He’ll have no way of knowing she has gone to Philadelphia.”

“You’ve talked to Father and Abby about this,” Carrie guessed.

“Yes,” Robert admitted. “We talked about it when I went in to file the papers for her. Abby offered her home in Philadelphia if it is needed.”

Carrie filtered this new information through her mind. “When should we leave?” she asked quietly.

Robert took a deep breath. “In the morning,” he said sadly. “I wouldn’t put it past Clifford to come back soon. It makes sense to fight it here before he has to go back to North Carolina. Since he is an attorney, he may have friends he can convince to make Janie go back.”

Carrie gasped. “
Tomorrow
? What about the clinic? What about our patients?”

Robert took both her hands. “I realize this isn’t a good time.” His brow creased with worry. “I just don’t know what else to do,” he said with a helpless shrug of his shoulders.

Carrie suddenly realized what an impossible situation he was in. She also realized what a sacrifice he was making to let her go away. Hard on the heels of that realization was the very real possibility that Janie could be dragged home or hurt again if Clifford returned. Pushing aside any other feelings, Carrie squeezed Robert’s hands firmly and nodded. “Thank you for caring so much about Janie,” she whispered. “How long do you think we should stay away? I will miss you every moment we’re gone, but I believe you’re right.”

Robert closed his eyes with relief. “One month,” he said firmly. “Thomas and I agree that will be long enough to take the wind out of his sails, and also make him realize it will be best for him to just move on.

Carrie trembled but nodded. “There’s only one thing,” she said, suddenly realizing it was the only way they could do this.

Robert cocked his brow.

“Janie has to know the truth about what is happening. She is not a child. She is a grown woman who has already had to fight for her freedom. She may be frightened, but she is strong enough to deal with this. There will be no secrets.”

Robert nodded slowly. “You’re right.”

Carrie put down her brush and rose from her seat. “I’ll go talk to her now. We’ll be ready to leave in the morning.” She stood and wrapped her arms around Robert. “I said there was only
one
thing, but actually there is one more,” she said lightly, forcing herself to focus on the night she had left and not all the ones without her husband that loomed ahead.

“And that is?” Robert asked, kissing her softly.

“I want you waiting for me when I get back,” she said, running her hand down his chest and deepening their kiss before she stepped away with a sultry laugh.

“Oh, you can count on it, Mrs. Borden. You can definitely count on it.”

******

Rose and Moses were there to tell them goodbye the next morning when they stepped out onto the porch long before sunrise.

Rose wrapped Carrie tightly in her arms. “Be safe,” she whispered. She stepped back and laughed lightly, putting her hand on her stomach. “My baby is telling you to be safe too. He or she seems quite insistent.”

Carrie laid her hand softly on the growing mound. “I’ll be home long before this little one is born,” she promised.

“And I promise to let all your patients know you were called away on an emergency, but that you’ll be back as soon as possible,” Rose replied, glad the darkness was covering the tears she had vowed not to shed. She turned and wrapped her arms around Janie. “You’re going to be okay. Clifford won’t be able to hurt you.”

Janie nodded bravely. “I know,” she said, surprising everyone with the strength in her voice. “I’m done being afraid of him, but I’m also wise enough not to make decisions that will put me, and all of you, in danger as well.” She managed a light chuckle. “Besides, I’ve always wanted to visit Philadelphia!”

******

One week later, Carrie and Janie stood outside a restaurant taking deep, appreciative breaths. “It sure smells like Opal’s cooking,” Carrie said, leaning back to look up at the sign perched over the door of the simple storefront. “
Southern Goodness
,” she read. “This is the place.”

Carrie could hardly believe so much time had already flown by. Once she got over the shock of so suddenly leaving Cromwell, it was easy to enter into the spirit of the adventure. She hadn’t been in Philadelphia since the summer before the war — that amazing summer that brought Abby into her life and changed everything she felt and believed.

Janie shivered and pulled her coat tighter. “Is it always so cold here?” she asked.

Carrie laughed. “The Farmer’s Almanac said this winter is going to be brutal,” she informed her cheerfully. “Look at the bright side. When you get back to Virginia, you may think it’s actually warm.”

“I’m more interested in being warm
now
,” Janie retorted good-naturedly. “Are we just going to stand outside this restaurant, or are we actually going in?”

Carrie responded by pushing open the door, smiling when the warmth from the large pot belly stove in the middle of the restaurant pushed out to blast her face. She was immediately charmed by Southern Goodness. The décor was very basic, but it was warm and friendly. Small tables were covered with red and white checked cloths, and lanterns cast a warm glow through the entire place. She wasn’t surprised when an instant silence fell over every table as people turned to stare at them. She smiled brightly, knowing they were probably the only white people to ever enter the restaurant.

It didn’t take long for the silence to be broken.

“Carrie! Carrie, is that you!” Opal bustled out of the kitchen, her ample body clothed in a crisp apron, her eyes shining with delight. “And Janie!” she cried. “Well, if you two ain’t a sight for sore eyes. Sit yourselves down and tell me what you’re doing here in Philadelphia.” She leaned over the counter and yelled. “Eddie! Get out here. You won’t believe who just walked in our door.”

Conversation resumed as everyone realized the two white women were Opal’s friends. Eyes were still trained on them, but now there were merely curious instead of suspicious.

Beaming, Opal seated them at a table and then rushed back into the kitchen, appearing moments later with a huge platter of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and steaming biscuits slathered with butter.

Carrie closed her eyes with delight as she took the first bite of a biscuit. “Annie is a wonderful cook, but no one makes biscuits like you do,” she confessed.

Opal ducked her head, her eyes shining with pleasure. “Now you two tell me what you’re doing up here.”

Her face grew stern as Janie told her about Clifford. “Ain’t no man got a right to hurt a woman,” she said firmly. “If my Eddie were to lay a hand to me…”

“Opal would probably hurt me worse than I could hurt her,” Eddie said as he stole up behind her and kissed the top of her head. Then he moved around her and gave both Carrie and Janie a hug. “It’s so good to see you two. I never imagined we would have you in our restaurant.”

Carrie looked around her and noticed every table was full. “You seem to be doing well.”

Eddie nodded. “We gots Aunt Abby to thank for that, for sure. She gave us the money to get started, but more importantly, she talked a friend into renting us this building. It’s in a perfect location. We been making money since the very beginning. The kids help when we need them, but we’re keeping them in school as much as we can. The kids are all real bright, but those two Sadies are something else. Both of them want to go to college.”

Opal shook her head. “Can you imagine that?” she asked proudly. “It ain’t been long at all since all of us be slaves. Now these two girls are in school and talking about going to college.”

“How is Susie?” Janie asked. “Zeke?’

Opal shook her head sadly. “Susie ain’t heard nothing at all about Zeke. We knows there a bunch of soldiers got killed that were never identified. Me and Eddie think Zeke has to be one of them, but Susie refuses to give up hope.” Her eyes shone with tears. “It breaks my heart to see her disappointed every single day when she doesn’t hear from him. She was in here working ‘til just a little while before you came in. She opens up the restaurant every morning about five o’clock. She leaves when lunch starts so she can go to school.

“Her heart is broken,” Eddie said heavily, “but she’s determined to go to school and become a teacher like Rose. She’s gonna do it too!”

“So you’re glad you left the South?” Carrie asked, saddened by the news about Susie, but knowing the girl was strong enough to handle yet another loss, especially since she had her daddy back.

“We sure are,” Eddie said firmly. “It ain’t perfect up here, and there still be lots of people who think we’re just dumb niggers, but there are opportunities here that we wouldn’t never have found in the South. Especially not in Richmond. We made the right decision.”

Opal nodded her head firmly. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” she said firmly. “I just wish it weren’t so
cold
,” she said dramatically. She laughed heartily. “Now you two tell me everything that is going on down in Virginia.” She glanced toward the kitchen. “I have sweet potato pie for dessert.”

Carrie grinned at Janie and leaned forward. “There is so much to tell you…”

“This is it,” Janie murmured as she gazed up at the looming, three-story brick building at 229 Arch Street. “The Female Medical College.”

Carrie’s heart pounded as she stared at the building and watched the female students hurrying in and out of its doors. “We’re looking at the first college in the world specifically established to train women for the degree of doctor of medicine. There were just eight women who received degrees during their first graduation in 1851. Dr. Hannah Longshore was one of them. Abby told me about her. She was Philadelphia’s first active woman doctor.” Awe filled her face. “So much history has been made here. So many women have changed the course of medicine and the future for women. It’s an honor just to be standing here.”

“And four years ago,” Janie added, “they established the Woman’s Hospital of Philadelphia to offer medical and surgical care for women by women. It was the first ever woman’s hospital.”

Carrie nodded. “They knew they had to expand clinical experience for the college’s students.” She thought about all she had learned during her long years at Chimborazo. “They train nurses too.” She and Janie watched as two women strode by, their heads together in serious discussion, their arms loaded with books.