North and South: The North and South Trilogy (58 page)

A moment later she showed him the inside of the reticule.

“Every dollar gone. I was a fool to step out of the hotel for some air. I thought Charleston was safe for white women after the retreat drum cleared the slaves off the streets.”

Her skillful performance completely fooled the watchman. There were no skeptical questions, and he personally escorted her back to the hotel.

Two days later, Grady’s owner showed up at Mont Royal.

W
HEN THE VISITOR WAS
announced, Orry and the others were gathered around the dining-room table where Virgilia had piled the presents for the family. Thus far only Tillet had opened his gift—an expensive silk cravat.

Orry pushed his chair back. “Excuse me, I’ll see what he wants.”

“I can’t imagine,” Tillet said. “Do you suppose it has something to do with Grady’s running off?”

“How could it?” Clarissa countered. Then she noticed her husband staring at Virgilia, who had taken the seat at the head of the table without invitation. Virgilia’s lips were pursed in a curious way. A smug way, Clarissa called it in the privacy of her thoughts. George noticed, too, and frowned.

Orry strode to the foyer. “James—good morning.”

He extended his hand to clasp Huntoon’s, which as usual felt flabby. It was also unexpectedly damp. The weather was cool but the visitor was perspiring heavily; sweat streaked the lenses of his spectacles. As he wiped them on the lapel of his coat and jammed them back on his nose, Orry wondered how Ashton could tolerate such a slug.

“What brings you here?” Orry asked.

“Not a social matter, I assure you. Are you aware that one of my slaves has decamped?”

“Yes. Grady. The news reached us. I’m sorry about it.”

“I find it more than somewhat coincidental that a nigger who has never before displayed the slightest sign of dissatisfaction suddenly elects to run away while you are entertaining visitors from the North.”

Orry stiffened. “James, you’re not suggesting—”

“I am suggesting nothing,” the other broke in. “I am stating it outright.”

Through the open doorway he had spied the Mains and their guests in the dining room. He had spoken loudly so that they would hear. In response, a chair scraped. Orry recognized the heavy thump of his father’s boots.

Huntoon continued, “I’m convinced that someone encouraged Grady to run away. Further, I think the responsible party is staying in this house.”

Tillet’s shadow fell across the pale wedge of sunshine cast by the fanlight. The others followed him out of the dining room. Huntoon glowered.

“Orry, it is widely apprehended that one of your Northern visitors is engaged in the work of encouraging rebellion among the nigras of the South. On the night of the storm Grady guarded, or purported to guard, this selfsame visitor.” Huntoon strode past him. “I put it to you directly, Miss Hazard. Did you help my slave escape?”

Orry seized Huntoon’s arm. “Just a minute, James. You can’t come in here and speak to my guests like a prosecutor. I realize you’ve suffered a financial loss, but that’s no excuse for—”

“Let her answer,” Huntoon snapped.

The others were facing him in a rough semicircle. Ashton watched Virgilia with unconcealed hostility. Billy was equally upset, but with Huntoon. Tillet looked unhappy, Clarissa baffled, George dismayed. And George’s sister—

A stone seemed to fall and strike the bottom of Orry’s belly. Virgilia had her chin in the air and defiance on her face.

Orry collected his wits and said, “No, James. Not until you favor us with a reason.”

Huntoon’s pink cheeks indicated his rising temper. “Reason for what?”

“For your suspicion. It’s hard to believe that a surmise—a mere guess—brought you here, of all possible places, to look for a culprit.”

With the quickness of a cat pouncing, Huntoon said, “Ah, but I’m not guessing. First, as previously stated, Miss Hazard spent an entire night in the company of my nigger—something to which no Southern white woman would admit, of course, but that’s beside the point. I expect she filled Grady’s head with disloyal thoughts—”

“Virgilia, do you realize what this man’s saying?” George broke in.

Her smile never wavered. “Perfectly.”

“Tell him it isn’t true, for God’s sake.”

“Why should I? Why should I dignify his rantings?”

Orry’s stomach ached all the more. She hadn’t said she was guiltless. George realized that too. He looked ill.

“Now,” Huntoon went on, self-consciously fingering his lapels, “here is further evidence. On the night Grady fled from Charleston, carrying an old pass I inadvertently neglected to destroy, I am reliably informed that Miss Hazard was in the city.” That was true. Orry had forgotten.

Huntoon’s voice grew louder. “Her only companion was a nigger girl from this plantation. A girl with the limited intelligence typical of her race, a girl easily deceived. I am further informed that this girl awoke sometime after nine on the night in question and that she discovered Miss Hazard absent from their hotel room. What do you suppose she was doing abroad at that hour of the night if not abetting the escape of my slave?”

Huntoon stormed forward. “Why don’t you answer that, Miss Hazard?”

“Yes, do,” Ashton said. “It’s time you repaid our hospitality with the truth.”

Tillet reached for his daughter. “Step back here and keep out of this.” But she had already slipped past his outstretched hand. She linked her arm with Huntoon’s, clearly his partisan.

Orry stared at his sister, finally understanding how Huntoon had happened to come to Mont Royal. Ashton had summoned him, her suspicion fortified by a couple of scraps of information. He was shocked by that kind of behavior, but not surprised. Ashton’s dislike of Virgilia had been evident for a long time.

Orry was experiencing some of the same dislike. Virgilia’s expression remained smug, even arrogant. He cleared his throat. “It might be helpful if you’d respond to what James just said, Virgilia.”

“Respond? How?”

It was George who erupted. “By denying it.”

“Why should I do that?”

“Goddamn it, Virgilia, stop smiling.” George paid no attention to his wife’s sharp intake of breath. “Don’t ruin everything. Deny it!”

“I will not.” She stamped on the floor. “I refuse to be hectored and intimidated by this man when his own hands are unclean. How dare he prate about guilt when he keeps human beings as chattels?”

With a touch of desperation, Constance said, “No one wants to compromise your principles. But be reasonable. Don’t repay the kindness of the Mains with hostility and bad manners.”

“I’m sorry, Constance, but I am following the dictates of my conscience.”

She’s as crazy as Huntoon, Orry thought. The lawyer thrust his jowlly face close to Virgilia’s.

“You did it, didn’t you? That’s why you won’t deny it.”

Her sweet smile returned. “You will never know, Mr. Huntoon.”

“What else did you give my nigger? Your favors? Did you rut with him to demonstrate your egalitarian spirit? I’d expect that of an abolitionist whore.”

Billy and his sister had never been close. But the last word, forbidden in polite conversation, was too much for him. With a yell, he lunged for Huntoon.

Ashton screamed and tried to push Billy away. He was too strong. But Huntoon jerked backward, so instead of catching him by the throat, Billy only managed to rip his glasses off. They clacked on the floor and glittered in the wedge of sunshine. George powdered both lenses when he jumped in to seize Billy’s arm.

“Stop it. Get hold of yourself! Leave him alone!”

“He can’t call Virgilia names,” Billy panted.

George stepped in front of his brother and raised his left arm like a barrier. Tillet snatched Huntoon’s ruined spectacles off the floor and held them out by one earpiece.

“Please leave, James,” he said. “Now.”

Huntoon waved the bent spectacles at Virgilia. “She conspired to rob me of my property. That young ruffian assaulted me. I demand satisfaction. My second will call.”

“There’ll be no dueling,” Orry said. Cousin Charles, who had been standing silently at the back of the group, looked disappointed.

Billy pushed against his brother’s arm. “Why not? I want to fight him. I’ll kill the custard-faced son of a bitch.”

Huntoon swallowed audibly. Ashton gave Billy a surprised, almost admiring look, then whirled and began urging her suitor toward the door. He blustered and fumed, but in a few moments he was inside his carriage. The wide-eyed driver whipped up the team.

Dust clouded through the open front door, the motes distinct in the sunbeams from the fanlight. Orry didn’t let embarrassment stand in the way of what had to be said to the Hazards:

“When Huntoon’s accusations get out, they’ll arouse strong feelings in the neighborhood. It might be wise if you left for Charleston today.”

“We’ll be ready in an hour,” George said.

He shoved Billy toward the stairs. Virgilia glided after her brothers, still maintaining that queenly arrogance. What disturbed Orry most was his friend’s reaction to the warning. George seemed angered by it, angry at him. Orry shook his head, swore under his breath, and went outside for some air.

Calmer, George went searching for his friend forty-five minutes later. He found Orry occupying a wicker chair at one end of the downstairs piazza. The family carriage stood in the drive. House men were lashing trunks and valises to the brass guardrails on top.

Orry sat with one boot resting on a second chair and his right hand shielding his eyes. Somehow the pose suggested defeat. George twisted the brim of his hat in his hands.

“Before we left Pennsylvania, Virgilia promised that she would do nothing to antagonize you and your family. Obviously she broke that promise. Perhaps she intended to from the beginning. The point is, I don’t know what to do about it. I spoke to her just now, and she isn’t the least contrite. Seems rather proud of the whole business, in fact. I consider that unforgivable.”

“So do I.”

The blunt statement produced a shamefaced look from George. Orry rose abruptly, the air of defeat vanishing. “See here, I know you had nothing to do with it. Grady will no doubt be caught before he gets very far. I’m sorry it happened, but it’s over, and there’s nothing more to be done.”

“Except keep my sister out of South Carolina in the future.”

“Yes, that would be a good idea.”

Still uncomfortable, George and Orry stared at each other. Gradually, then, the past and the friendship it had created overcame mutual awkwardness.

George spoke for both when he said: “These are angry times. The anger deepens every day. We keep bumping into hard questions that seemingly have no answers. But I don’t want those questions to drive a wedge between our families.”

Orry sighed. “Nor do I. And I really don’t hold you responsible for your sister’s behavior.” Yet a small, festering part of him did.

“Will you bring your family to Newport next summer? I’ll arrange to send Virgilia somewhere else.”

Orry hesitated before replying. “All things being equal—yes, I’ll try.”

“Good!”

The friends embraced. George clapped his hat onto his head. “We’d better go before Huntoon rides up the lane with a posse carrying lynch ropes.”

“We don’t do that sort of thing down here!”

“Orry, calm down. I was only joking.”

Orry reddened. “I’m sorry. Guess I’m a little too sensitive. That seems to be the nature of the Southern temperament these days.”

Maude and Constance emerged from the house, followed by the nurse with the children. “All ready?” George asked his wife.

“Not quite,” she said. “We can’t find Billy.”

At that moment Billy was walking rapidly along the breezeway connecting the great house with the kitchen building. One of the housemaids had told him Brett was helping with the day’s baking.

“Billy?” For an instant he thought the voice was the one he wanted to hear. Then he realized the speaker was Ashton. She came rushing from a corner of the great house. “I’ve been searching for you everywhere.”

She dropped the hooped skirt she had lifted in order to run. She scrutinized him. “All dressed for traveling. My, how handsome you look.”

“I’m sorry we have to leave under these circumstances.” He stumbled over the words, monumentally uncomfortable in her presence. “I know Virgilia betrayed your trust, but I still couldn’t let your friend call her names.”

He expected Ashton to challenge that, but she didn’t. Instead, she surprised him by nodding. “I lost my temper, too. I shouldn’t have—I really can’t explain why I did. I don’t care a snap for old James Huntoon.”

Relaxing slightly, Billy managed a smile. “Then you’re a good actress.” But of course he’d figured that out long ago. “? wish your brother and George had let me meet Huntoon. I’m a pretty fair pistol shot.”

“Oh, James is too yellow to go through with a duel. He’s all brag and bluster—just like most of those politicians he runs with. You’re different—”

She fingered his wrist below the velvet trim of his cuff. “Brave. I admire bravery in a gentleman. Bravery and strength—”

The tip of her index finger slid back and forth through the fine hairs on his wrist. She wanted him, and with her eyes, the tilt of her chin, the caressing movement of her finger, she tried to tell him so. Tried to draw him back to her. Tried and failed.

“I appreciate the sentiment, Ashton. But I must go now. There’s something I must do in the kitchen.”

“Oh, are you hungry?” she asked with a brittle smile. “They say growing boys are always hungry.” She emphasized
boys.

The insult made him redden. “Please excuse me.” He turned and hurried off along the breezeway. He was through with her. If she had harbored the slightest doubt before, the quick good-bye had done away with it. Her eyes filled with tears she struggled to hold back and could not.

Billy felt something of a fool, dashing away from one sister in pursuit of another. But he was determined to find Brett. How would she react? Angrily? Or with scorn? He believed it would be one or the other. Yet he rushed straight ahead, into the heat and clamor of the kitchen, which was crowded with black servants and awash with the odors of biscuits baking and thick slabs of red ham frying on the immense claw-footed stove. Kettles of soup stock simmered on the hearth. Occasional puffs of wind down the chimney sent acrid wood smoke billowing across the room. Through one such cloud he saw Brett kneading dough.