“Who will you bring her to?”
“There is a network of people who work together to save women like Rose and Lulu. I’ll get her to the next stop, and they’ll take her from there.”
“Is that what you did with Rose?”
He nodded as he took the second quilt and laid it over Lulu before piling hay on top. “We don’t have much time. Jim might be looking for her already, and people will be out and about soon. If they see me with this cart, they’ll report back to him.”
“Other people know you do this?”
“They suspect.”
“How long have you been doing it?”
He took the pistol out of his holster to make sure it was loaded. “I’ll answer all your questions later. Right now, I need to get her up the hill. Can you open the door?”
I did as he asked, fear and uncertainty making sweat bead on my brow. I didn’t want Sam to get in trouble, but I admired him more than ever for doing the right thing.
“Go back into the kitchen and start your day,” he said as he lifted the handles of the cart. “If Jim or anyone else comes looking for me or Lulu, you need to tell them you haven’t seen me since last night. Pretend to be upset at me. Do anything you can to convince them that you don’t know anything about this.”
I nodded, though the thought terrified me.
“And make sure Paddy is with you constantly. Don’t let him go to Portsmouth Square to work. Tell him I’ve gone to make a delivery, and he’ll know what he needs to do.”
“I will. Be careful, Sam.”
He gave me a quick kiss and then left the shed.
I stood there for a moment, trying to catch my breath, praying he would not get caught.
The hours ticked by slowly as we went about our daily activities. When I told Paddy that Sam was making a delivery, he nodded, his face grave, and he didn’t leave Bess’s Place to go to Portsmouth Square that day.
After breakfast, we finished the dishes, and still Sam did not return. My nerves were on edge, dreading the moment Jim showed up, wondering how I would pretend that I knew nothing.
“Would you like to help me with the children’s schooling today?” Father asked as I hung up the dish bin. “It would do you good to get your mind off whatever is troubling you.”
Itwoulddo me some good.
“I spoke to Reverend and Mrs. Green at church on Sunday,” Father said as he pulled out two slates he’d purchased for the children at the mercantile. “They said that they are getting a good response from businessmen and community members about the school. Someone has taken up a subscription, and they would like to know when we can start teaching.”
I’d been so focused on my own troubles, I hadn’t thought about Father’s school in a long time.
“When do they want to get it started?” I asked.
“They think there will be enough interest after the first of the year.”
Disappointment hit me like another wave when I realized I might not be here to see it.
“I will need another teacher,” he said with a smile. “That is, unless you plan to work at your husband’s hotel or start a family soon.”
The thought of starting a family with Sam filled me with such joy, I couldn’t help but smile, though it was tempered by the constant threat of leaving.
I put my hand on Father’s shoulder and said, “People don’t talk about such things.”
“Well, they should.” His eyes twinkled. “I’m not getting any younger. I look forward to becoming a grandfather and passing along my knowledge to the next generation.”
“Are you having a baby?” Hazel asked me.
My cheeks warmed at the question, so I pointed at the slate. “Let’s begin, shall we?”
