“Yes, a member of her family sent me to find her and make sure she was safe.” He paused, and Callie was suddenly certain that he was going to toss a bombshell into their midst.
“And then to bring her home to England.”
Chapter 16
Gordon wasn’t surprised at the appalled expressions that greeted his words. But the situation needed to be explained to her family. The protective side of him wanted to sweep Callie away from this city before the combined forces of the British Army and Royal Navy attacked. But he couldn’t do that if she wasn’t willing. Callie needed to decide what she really wanted—and so did he.
“You’re going to take her away from us?” Sarah asked. She and her husband were obviously of mixed race and they had the quiet wariness of people who were born and raised in slavery. A man like Gordon, with confidence and fair coloring, had the potential to be their worst enemy. He made a conscious effort to look unthreatening.
“Only if she wants to go,” he said steadily. “I can take all of you to England to new lives if you wish. We could leave tomorrow morning.”
“What kind of lives?” Josh asked. “Field hands? Not going to happen.”
“You would get to choose what you wanted to do, and I promise you’d be comfortable while you established yourselves. If you wish to set up a business, perhaps own an inn or a carpentry shop, that could be done.” Gordon’s gaze moved around the group. “Molly, there would be a dowry for you when you’re ready to marry. Trey, you can go to university or study a trade if you like. You will all have choices.”
Callie was watching Gordon with narrowed eyes, probably wondering if he had authority to make such broad promises. Or if he was assuming she’d be willing to marry him to get those benefits for her family. A suspicious girl. He liked that in a woman.
“They say it’s cold and wet in England,” Sarah said, frowning.
“They say rightly,” Gordon admitted. “It is colder, but it doesn’t get miserably hot like this, and winters are fairly mild.”
Callie said hesitantly, “Molly, you’ve always wanted to see London. I’d love to take you there.”
“I’ll never go!” Trey said fiercely. “Britain is the enemy. I want to kill them all!”
Shocked, Callie exclaimed, “Including me?”
He flushed. “Of course not you! But you’re an American, like me. No one has to be born here to be an American.”
Not liking the hurt on Callie’s face, Gordon said, “This is a damnable war, one that no sane person likes. You can dislike the war without thinking that everyone on the other side deserves death.”
“This might seem like a stupid war to you, but England hasn’t much to lose except some soldiers and money,” Trey said flatly. “America risks everything.”
As Gordon thought about it, he realized the boy was right. “The stakes are uneven,” he admitted. “Britain pays in lives and treasure, which is bad enough, but the United States risks losing its very identity. Yet this country still has slaves. England doesn’t. Is that a factor to weigh in the balance?”
Trey hesitated, then shook his head. “Maybe there aren’t slaves in England itself, but the British are perfectly happy to own slave colonies like Jamaica. I’m free here. Baltimore has more free blacks than any other city in America. I like this place.”
“No one has to decide tonight,” Gordon said peaceably. “It’s a huge and alarming opportunity. You need to think and discuss it as a family.”
Sarah said softly, “I’d like to see London some day. But I’m too weak to travel, and I’m not going so far from my family. I want to see my son and his children.”
“Your son?” Callie asked, startled. “Susannah wasn’t your only child?”
Since Sarah was so drained, Josh answered. “Our son, Joshua. He’s named for me. He escaped from Jamaica before you came to the island. He’s living in Philadelphia. He’s married and has three children we’ve never seen. We’ve been talking about going to visit them when the fighting is over here. Give the cousins a chance to meet each other.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about him?” Callie asked, baffled.
“It wasn’t needful,” Josh said simply.
The hurt deepened in Callie’s face. Gordon guessed that her ignorance of something so important made her feel less like they were all family. “We need to talk, Callie. Down in the office?”
Her expression numb, she nodded and headed to the stairs. Molly said, “When you’re done talking, please join us for supper, Mr. Gordon. I bought a nice pork pie and made a potato and carrot salad.”
He smiled at Molly. “Thank you for the invitation. I may take you up on that, but now I have to have a discussion.”
Callie descended the staircase with quick, tense steps, and Gordon didn’t catch up until she was in the office. She leaned against the counter with her arms crossed on her chest, looking ready to bite someone, starting with him. With her flawless profile and graceful posture, she looked like an angry angel.
Narrowing her eyes, she asked, “Was the offer to support the Adamses in England dependent on my marrying you?”
