The Sword of the Banshee (39 page)

The sound of crickets filled the air as India took a deep breath. It was thick with moisture and the heady scent of the trees. She remembered Prudence saying that it was unusually warm for December here in South Carolina.

Suddenly, her stomach churned. She wished Quinn was here beside her. She could see the look in his eyes when they parted and hear his words, “The fight is far from over, Lady Allen; freedom for the Irish, the war
and
this love affair
. I will not give up on any of them.”

India sighed impatiently. She wished he would quit robbing her of her peace of mind.
What does he want?
Why does he continue to pursue me? I am not the kind of woman men want. I am headstrong and irritable, humorless and impatient and now after the rape, repulsed by physical affection. Calleigh, on the other hand, is an attractive confident man who could charm any woman he chose. Why does he have to have me?

India walked to the railing and stared at the lake as it sparkled in the moonlight. She knew that she was indeed “The Ice Queen,” aloof and unattainable, a challenge to him, and she believed that Quinn would discard her after he had won her.

Yet, when the man touched her, something akin to ecstasy flooded her and when they were apart, her grief seemed almost unbearable.
Am I in love with him?
Certainly not! Fancies such as these are foolish and dangerous. Love is something for schoolgirls and misguided romantics, not for leaders of rebellions.

At that moment India decided to fight. She ground her nails into her fists and turned back to the bed chamber. It was imperative that she dismiss her feelings immediately for Quinn Calleigh. She fell asleep at last with a firm resolve to break the hold he had upon her soul.

*           *            *

The next morning, India rose with the sun, refreshed and ready to embrace her new life in South Carolina. She pulled on her work gown with faded purple flowers and draped a fresh white cotton scarf over her shoulders. After her apron and mob cap were snugly in place, she was ready to clean. She found a corn broom under the stairs, and a feather duster. After an hour of sweeping and dusting, it was time to scrub the floor. No one appeared to be up yet in the house, but there was smoke coming from the kitchen, so she ventured to the back of the house to search for water. India walked up the brick steps and pushed open the rough-hewn wood door. A black woman was kneading bread at a work table. She was a plump woman, in her middle years, her hair braided in corn rows. The white sleeves of her shift were rolled up to her elbows.

“Good morning,” India said to her.

“Good morning. Welcome, Lady Allen. I am Odette,” she said with a thick French accent. She picked up a towel and wiped her hands. “You are the first one up. Would you like some johnnycake? I just fried some up.”

“No, thank you. I will wait until the others are up.”

Odette chuckled with a low throaty laugh. “That may not be for hours. The ladies of the house are like little possums. They come out only at night.” She put johnnycake on a plate with some butter and set it in front of India.

India sat down and picked up a fork. “Actually I was looking for water. Is there a well nearby?”

“Indeed there is. Just out back.”

The rich, golden butter melted off the top of the Johnnycake and slid down onto the plate. India dipped her corn pancake in it and took a bite. She closed her eyes a moment, savoring the quick bread. Odette was an excellent cook.

The woman noticed and smiled.

After a few moments, India said, “Miss Prudence said that her grandmother was from France. Is that true for you as well?” India asked.

Odette floured the board and started to knead again. “I am from Martinique where there are French speaking people. That is where my mother was born, and that is where I was born. When I was young, I came here to the Hennessey plantation and worked in the indigo fields. Later, the Hennessey ladies freed me. I stayed to work for them.”

India nodded and finished her breakfast. She wiped her mouth, stood up and said, “Thank you.”

Odette stopped kneading and looked at India, her eyes growing dark and very serious. “Lady Allen, there is something you must know before you go. I am--” and she hesitated. “I am one of your contacts.”

India’s eyebrows shot up. “The ladies have not told me.”

“I am a patriot, and I am willing do anything required of me. I can serve as a double agent to feed the British lies about troop movements. The Redcoats promise us our freedom if we serve them so it is not unusual for us to mix with them.

India nodded. “I have heard of this.”

“In the past, I have gathered information in town eavesdropping. They think we are too stupid to understand their talk.”

India studied her a moment then nodded her head. “Without a doubt, we will need you, Odette. My thanks,” and she turned to go.

“Oh and if you please, Lady Allen, one more thing,” she said. ”Tobias, the old servant sleeping in the hall last night, he was not sleeping at all. He just wanted to demonstrate for Lady Allen how he gathers information for the patriot cause.”

A slow smile formed on India’s face. Odette handed her a piece of paper. She read it and found, word for word, her entire conversation from the night before.

India looked up at Odette. “Well, well. You are all certainly full of surprises here at the Hennessey plantation.”

“Oh Lady Allen. This is nothing.”

*           *            *

That evening, India asked for a meeting with the Hennessey twins. She needed to be briefed on the war in the Carolinas and familiarize herself with the Southern theater. It was important that she quickly establish a partisan and intelligence network before the British could entrench themselves any further in the area.

India sighed as she sat down next to Lucretia in the sitting room. She was not hopeful about these unusual sisters, and she had resigned herself to having to find new candidates. Although the women were likable, they were far too eccentric and flighty, and she doubted their ability to contribute anything practical to the revolution. Lucretia had told her of the bizarre ramblings of Prudence when she attempted to read rose petals the night before.

India sighed and arranged the folds of her royal blue gown around the chair, trying carefully not to dust the dirty floor with her fabric. The twins had insisted on a grand supper upon their arrival, and everyone had to dress for the occasion. Phineas fidgeted the entire meal, relieved when he could leave at last, change his clothes, and attend to his pigeons.

Lucretia borrowed India’s sea green Polonaise for the supper, and sat down on the divan next to India in the sitting room. She had one eyebrow raised, unsure what to expect from meeting the twins.

At last, India and Lucretia saw the door open and Penelope loped in with tea and apple cake on a tray. She set it on an end table. “Odette has made a little cake for us. Isn’t she a darling?”

The dogs rushed behind her, all in a flurry.

Prudence joined them a moment later, wearing a red hooded gown decorated with Celtic symbols. She sat on the floor, cross-legged and Penelope was in a chair by the fireplace with the dogs all around her.

India clenched her fists in the folds of her gown, visibly on edge. She cleared her throat and began. “First of all ladies, did General Maxwell send you compensation for our stay here?”

Penelope nodded, “Indeed he did, indeed he did.”

“Such a nice man,” said Prudence.

India continued, “I am glad. Now ladies, I need to be apprised of the situation here in the South.”

The twins stared at her with smiles frozen on their faces. India waited a moment then said at last, “Ladies?”

“Yes, dear?” Penelope said.

India took a breath, biting her lip as she tried to hide her frustration. “Please tell me what you believe the next move of the British will be here in the south.”

“Well, they want a port,” Penelope drawled.

“Yes a port, a port,” echoed Prudence, nodding her head. “Without a viable port, they are nothing. They tried to take Charleston several years ago but were unsuccessful. They will be back.”

They could add nothing more, looking at India expectantly.

“Yes?” coaxed India. “I know that is why I am here.”

Looking confused, the twins began to enlarge on the siege of Charleston in 1776. After ten minutes of rambling India put her hands on her thighs and slid to the edge of her chair. As far as she was concerned, the meeting was over. She was going to replace them.

Prudence cocked her head and asked, “Are you going to bed, dear? It’s still early.”

India opened her mouth, but Prudence put her hands up suddenly. She closed her eyes, hummed for a minute then mumbled and nodded. Next, she looked up at the ceiling as if someone had appeared and said, “Very well.” Continuing to look up at the entity, Prudence listened for a while and nodded. “Yes, I understand,” she said. “Very well, thank you.”

India and Lucretia looked at each other.

Prudence sighed, turned to India, looking glassy-eyed and said, “Before you go, Lady Allen, the spirits want me to tell you that a man will be returning soon to South Carolina by the name of Francis Marion. You are to align yourself with him. His brilliance for intelligence gathering and partisan warfare rivals your own. And they also want to inform you that there is wide spread disease and famine among the troops in Pennsylvania. They may not survive the winter, and all will be lost.”

India blinked with surprise. “I--I beg your pardon?”

Penelope reprimanded her sister, “Now Prudence dear. It wasn’t just the spirits that told you this today. Our darling Hecuba brought word as well.”

Lucretia frowned and leaned forward. The
après
dinner conversation had taken a serious turn.

India’s first thought was of Quinn.
Was he starving? Ill?
She asked anxiously, “Starvation, disease? And
who
is Hecuba?”

The twins looked at her with their eyes wide. Prudence said, “Why Hecuba is one of our contacts, and she brought word today. She is a sutler and a double agent who moves within the troops on both sides.”

India gasped and rubbed her temples. “Has word been sent to get aid to the soldiers at Valley Forge?”

“Of course, dear,” they cooed at the same time, continuing to look at her with eyes of innocence. “We learned of it before supper. A ship was sent with supplies north where they will take an overland route since Philadelphia is occupied. Our network is most efficient,” Penelope said lightly with a proud smile. She reached for the tea pot. “Now do sit back and have some tea and cake, Lady Allen. We would love to tell you more about our organization.”

India dropped back into the chair slowly, staring at the Hennessey twins. She was stunned. She took the teacup and murmured, “Please do.”

Hennessey Plantation, South Carolina August 1779

Chapter 33

India stepped out of the tub of water onto a braided rug in her bedchamber. After toweling herself off, she tied her hair up and slipped on a lightweight wrap covered in a gold and green Oriental pattern. She could not bear to put on her gown yet. Even this filmy garment seemed too heavy on such a sultry evening. Never in her life had India experienced such oppressive heat and humidity. The bath had momentarily washed the sticky film of perspiration from her body, but she knew in moments it would return, so she reached for some talcum on her dressing table, smoothing the powder over her skin.

In spite of the heat, India had grown to love the sultry mystery of the low country of South Carolina. The landscape was exotic and surreal and the inhabitants enigmatic and inscrutable, all seemingly cloaked in secrets. The atmosphere was filled with intrigue and sensuality, unlike the hearty, forthright and straight-laced lifestyle of Delaware and Pennsylvania.

She stepped out onto the gallery into the night air, looking down the road hoping to see Lucretia’s gypsy wagon returning home to the plantation. India knew she would be returning soon from the Carolina countryside where she had been telling fortunes now for over a year. Within weeks of their arrival, it was decided that Lucretia would travel throughout the colony, not only telling fortunes, but circulating information for the partisan cause. The Hennesseys made arrangements for her to be escorted by Algernon, a quiet, fine-boned albino, who was also a fellow diviner. Prudence had known him since he was a child. She assured Lucretia that she would be quite safe with Algernon because the man was a eunuch. No further explanations were offered or given by the twins. India smiled. She could still see the look on Lucretia’s face. 

She walked along the gallery to the back of the house. Several torches glimmered in the distance just behind the slave quarters. The patriots were starting to gather in the family graveyard for the partisan meeting. India went back inside and looked at her wide bed. She would rather stretch out on the cool smooth sheets, behind the filmy transparent netting and watch the moon set outside the French doors. All she had wanted to do lately is sleep. She had heard little from Quinn in the past year and half and although she denied it, his silence bothered her. She was relieved initially when she received his note saying he had survived not only the starvation at Valley Forge but the battle at Monmouth Courthouse but now his absence wore on her. When he risked sending word, it was cryptic for security reasons, so all she knew was that he was working somewhere in the South. She guessed that he was near Savannah since it had fallen to British occupation last December.

India sighed. She had her own job to do here in South Carolina, and reluctantly, she pulled on her everyday dress, a cream-colored gown bordered with cinnamon colored flowers. As she arranged the simple lace at her elbows, she remembered that both Penelope and Prudence would be in attendance at the meeting tonight. She was glad they were back to full health. Recently, they had both battled fever which was common here in the low country.