Sadie's Surrender (23 page)

She glanced up at him with worried eyes. “What do we do now?”

“Get Pearl a hot bath and in bed for a nap. She’s going to need her strength.”

Rose nibbled her bottom lip. “I’ll start breakfast.”

“Caleb and I are going outside to talk.” Again, the men looked so lost Henry had to lead him to the pier.

By the time they sat on it, a few feet apart, confusion and anger swirled in his brother’s pale eyes. “What the hell happened?”

“Are you blaming me?” Henry asked.

“No, but something must have happened on Oyster Island because life here has been pretty uneventful.”

Henry hung his head, feeling like the stupid little brother again. The one who always messed up.

“I left the Klan.”

Caleb lurched dangerously close to the water as surprise raced across his face. “You what?”

“They beat a man. Then they burned a cross in his yard while his wife and children watched.” Henry folded his arms. “I couldn’t be part of that.”

“Damn.”

“I tried, Caleb, I really did. I attended every meeting. I even marched in the rallies.”

Caleb slapped him on the shoulder. “Well, it’s about damn time.”

“What?” Henry frowned so hard his head hurt. “I joined because I didn’t want to rock the boat, but I stayed in it because of you.”

“Because of me? What the hell did you do that for?”

“To protect you and your family. But, of course, I managed to screw that up, too.”

“You should have said something.” Caleb’s eyes flashed as he stood. “I never asked you to sacrifice your life for mine.”

Henry stood, too, and clenched his fists. “You didn’t tell me not to, either. You know how much I hate running Rockfield’s.”

“You hate it that much?” Caleb rubbed the back of his neck. “I knew it was challenging for you, but you kept assuring me you had it under control.”

“I did, with Sadie managing it. Thank goodness for her, so I could go out on the water.”

Caleb paced. “I’ve been so busy here, I didn’t realize you were making such a sacrifice. Thank you, but don’t hate me for it.”

“I just wish I hadn’t messed up again.”

“You didn’t mess up.” The other man gripped his shoulder and shook it. “We’re up against an impossible situation here. To hell with Rockfield’s.”

“Truly?” Henry cocked his head, wondering if he’d heard right. “I thought Daddy’s company meant everything to you.”

“I used to think so, too.” Caleb rested his hands on his hips and turned to gaze at his cabin. “Until I had a family. I no longer care if I never see another oyster, as long as I’m with them.”

“Does that mean you want to sell one of the plants or both of them?”

“Not yet. I’m sure this witch hunt will die down eventually.” Next, Caleb stared at the plant building with appraising eyes.

“I hope so. Whatever you decide is fine by me,” Henry said. “I’m just relieved to be out of the Klan.”

“Pearl and I will have to live apart.” Caleb paced again. “At least for a while.”

“How far apart?” Henry asked.

“When the police officer arrested us last night, he told us we were banished from the state. Or, at least, we can’t both be in the state at the same time.”

“Are you going to move farther north?”

“This place is so damn beautiful.” Caleb looked around. “It’s our home now. I once ran away from Oyster Harbor. I’m tired of running.”

Henry recalled Caleb’s stately home in Oyster Harbor. The one he’d left so he could be with Pearl. The mayor’s wife owned it now. After using it for an art school, she’d let it sit vacant.

“Pearl and I were married in Washington, D.C. I don’t care if we’re officially married in this state or not. I’m sure Pearl feels the same.”

Henry hoped it didn’t matter to Sadie either. He would never attempt it under these conditions.

“You should stay here and continue running the plant,” Henry said.

“What about my wife and child? I can’t send them to another state, for Pete’s sake.”

“How about Crab Creek?” Henry suggested. “She could stay with the Johnsons. Sadie’s mother can’t shuck very well these days, but she can help tend the child.”

“That place is a dump.” Caleb sighed. “But you’re right. It’s close enough to visit, and even though it’s in the same state, it’s not an area the mayor’s son would want to come near too often.”

“I hope not,” Henry added. “Or you two could be arrested again.”

“And that’s if we get off this time without a trial.”

Henry crossed the pier. “Let’s go tell them.”

At the house, he and Caleb joined the others at the kitchen table. Rose served everyone eggs and ham, but he didn’t have much appetite. Neither did anyone else, judging by the untouched food still sitting on their plates.

“Have you all decided what you’re going to do?” Leroy asked.

“We made a plan.” Caleb knelt at Pearl’s side and took her hand. “But we need to make sure everyone agrees.”

Pearl gazed at her husband with trusting green eyes. “Tell us.”

“I’ll stay here so I can keep the plant going and earn an income.” He bowed his head and squeezed her hand until his knuckles turned white. “You and…and Opal will stay with the Johnsons. If it’s all right with them.”

“Of course it is,” Sadie said.

Sadie’s mother smiled. “It’ll be nice to have a baby in the house again. The two of you will fit in Leroy’s old room.”

“And I could go over and help sometimes,” Rose added.

“Not too often,” Henry warned. “We don’t want anyone to know they’re there.”

“Then we’re in agreement.” Caleb stood, the leader once again. “Rose, you can help with the packing now.”

Pearl lurched out of her chair, upsetting her cup of coffee. “Well, I’m not in agreement! I can’t leave my husband…er…Caleb.”

“And I’m not letting you get arrested again.” Caleb pulled her into his arms and glared into her eyes. “We have to do this, for Opal.”

“It’ll be temporary,” Henry assured them. “The mayor’s son got his revenge. He’ll tire of the chase eventually.”

She sniffed as she traced her trembling fingers over Caleb’s face. “Will you visit?”

“As often as I can,” he promised.

Henry gazed at Sadie across the table, wishing they all had a brighter future.

Chapter Eighteen

Pearl entered the Johnson cottage, reminding Sadie of two years ago when she’d arrived to live with them after her mother died. She’d hated the beautiful girl with her fancy dress, shoes, and hair. Especially when Pearl had recoiled at the sight of the shabby quarters, as if they lived like pigs.

Her cousin looked horrified again, but this time Sadie’s heart ached for her. Pearl’s beauty still shone through, but the difficult childbirth, a night in jail, and being separated from Caleb had taken its toll. Opal cried and squirmed in his mother’s arms.

“Thank you for letting me stay here,” Pearl said in a small voice. “It seems I’m depending on your charity once again.”

“Things come full circle sometimes, don’t they?” Sadie led her to Papa’s old chair. “You can rest here while I fix up Leroy’s old room.”

“How are we going to afford to feed two more mouths?” Mama whispered in her ear. “Let alone the one you got on the way.”

She’d said something similar two years ago. Sadie would have laughed if the circumstances weren’t so grim. Instead, she drew Mama into Leroy’s room and closed the door.

“I’m sure Caleb will pay their expenses,” Sadie told her. “If not, Henry will. Everything happened so suddenly, a lot of details still need to be worked out.”

“I sure do feel sorry for them,” Mama replied.

“Then let’s make them feel welcome.” She laid some clean towels on the bed and fashioned a makeshift crib by lining a washtub with a folded blanket.

“I’ll see if they’re hungry,” Mama agreed. “It’s been a while since I took care of such a little one.”

When the room was ready, Sadie picked up Pearl’s bags and invited her inside.

She pointed to the washtub. “I did the best I could with what we have on hand.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Pearl placed Opal on the bed and removed her soiled diaper. “Thank you.”

Sadie sat on the edge of the bed. “It’s like old times, isn’t it?”

“A lot has happened in two years,” Pearl said as she slid the clean diaper into place. “I’m glad you stopped scowling so much. You have a glow about you now.”

“Henry has something to do with that.”

She missed him already. After this morning’s heart-wrenching events in Pearl Point, she needed to hug him for hours.

“Are you sure that’s all?” Pearl pinned the fresh diaper into place and turned. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were with child.”

“Oh, Pearl.” A sob sprang from Sadie’s throat before she could stop it. She slapped her fist against her mouth and bit down on it.

Pearl gripped her hands. “Are you? Is it Henry’s?”

Sadie nodded twice.

“Congratulations!” her cousin said, hugging her.

“Thank you.” Sadie clung to her. It was so nice to have someone her own age and in the same situation to talk to.

“Whatever you do, don’t get married.” Pearl’s face was serious when she pulled away. “It’s not worth it. Because I insisted, I’ve lost everything.”

The old Sadie might have demanded marriage, too, to prove she was worthy of being loved. But any images of a wedding dress she might have had shattered today. She stroked the onyx ring on her finger. It was enough. But if they lived together as an unmarried family, would the Klan still come after them?

“I hope everything will turn out, for both of us,” she said as Pearl placed the baby in the washtub.

She gazed at the child, grinning at the tiny fists and feet kicking the air as Opal got used to her new quarters. The baby was safe, for now.

But for how long?

* * *

Mary Carter settled into one of the iron garden chairs on the front porch of her family home. After feeling like a prisoner all winter, it was glorious to be outside in the spring breeze. She opened the book on her lap but only read two sentences before her brother, looking angry as always, strode outside. The staccato beat of his shoes on the floorboards chased away her lazy mood.

“Where are you off to?” she asked.

It seemed no one stayed home anymore. Father spent his time supervising the new roads and drinking at the Sapphire Crab while Mother attended one charity meeting after another.

“Pearl Point.” His gray eyes flashed with purpose in the strong sunlight. “I need to check on something.”

The mention of Pearl Point reminded her of Rose, her friend from art school. Because they were different colors, the friendship had faded away. Jon wouldn’t let her visit Rose or go anywhere alone, for that matter, and her father had banished her friend from Oyster Island because she’d pretended to be white.

If only the two of them could sit on this porch and talk about love and men again. With the nightmare of her attack further behind her, Mary had a lot of questions. Because Rose was married, she surely knew the answers.

Cali, the woman who’d worked as a cook at the art school, approached them on the brick walkway.

“Here you are, Mr. Carter.” She handed him a key. “Please tell your Mama I cleaned the house and everything looks fine.”

Mary wished the art school was still operating in that vacant house, but Mother had lost interest in it. Cali’s golden eyes had always intrigued Mary. The woman was from Louisiana, which sounded like such an exotic, exciting place. Mary would never forget the mysterious voodoo candle Cali had lit in the kitchen at school one night.

“Thank you.” He grabbed the key, recoiling from her touch as if shocked. “Just a moment. I’ll get your payment.”

Mary observed her brother who was much more interesting than her book. Why were his cheeks so pink?

After Jon finished his transaction, Mary noticed the way he watched Cali walk away.

“May I come with you to Pearl Point?” She hung her head, expecting him to refuse. “I would so enjoy seeing Rose again.”

“She’s colored, Mary.” His nose wrinkled. “I don’t want you associating with the likes of them.”

“But you did. You danced with her and even kissed her.” He looked as if he might have wanted to kiss Cali, too, but she didn’t dare say it.

His cheeks blazed scarlet. “That was before I knew what color she was.”

“Why does that matter so much to you?” To her, colors were just pigments on her canvas when she’d painted at school.

“Because they’re troublesome and dangerous.”

Her fingers hooked around the neckline of her dress as she remembered the awful night in Baltimore. Her attacker had been a white man. For a while, she had hated all men, but that was silly. After all, her father and brother were men, and she cared about them.

Her gaze drifted to the oyster plant down the road as she remembered how frightened she’d been when Jon had taken her there a few weeks ago. The noise, smells, and sight of so many men had overwhelmed her so much she’d thought she might faint.

But as they passed by the colored workers on their way out, one caught her eye because his hands moved faster than anyone else’s. When he looked up and smiled at her, his face was so sweet and caring she forgot all about her fear.

“White people can be dangerous, too,” she pointed out. “Why don’t you hate them?”

“I hardly have time to—” He glanced at his watch. “Say, come with me so you can pay Rose a visit. I’ll wait in the car.”

“Really?” Mary dropped her book. “What changed your mind?”

Eying her warily, he squeezed his lips together. “I need to know what’s going on, such as whether Caleb and Pearl Rockfield still live there.”

“Why?”

He gripped the back of her chair. “You don’t need to know. Simply ask the questions without being obvious about it.”

She stood and picked up the book. “I should change my dress.”

He grabbed her arm. “No, you don’t. There’s no time.”

Uneasiness twisted under Mary’s ribs from the fierce glow in her brother’s eyes. Why did his hatred grow every day? And why was he so interested in Pearl Point? The joy of calling on her old friend faded as she wondered which side she was supposed to be on and why she had to choose.