He chest felt tight, and he had a hard time taking a deep breath. “It’s not what you imagine, Brittany. All I ask is that you trust me.”
He stood up and held out his hand, and she reluctantly placed her hand in his. “I will walk you to the house, and you can make yourself ready to go into Charleston.” His smile did not reach his eyes. “I do have one bit of good news. Cappy has found a buyer for my ship.”
“A buyer?”
“Yes. Some woman wants to buy the
Victorious.
So you see, all is not lost.”
Brittany could not meet his eyes, fearing he would guess that she was the woman behind the sale of the
Victorious.
“We have many good things in our lives, Thorn. Your father is much improved, and I will soon have Achmed back. The sun always shines after a storm.”
He took her arm and led her out into the garden. “And who armed you with that bit of wisdom?”
“My mother.”
“Ah, yes, the English Rose.”
The driver guided the carriage beneath a vine-covered archway and up the winding road that led to Johnson Plantation house. The horses clopped along the hard-packed road beneath a canopy of blue.
Brittany sat beside Thorn, every nerve in her body tense with apprehension.
“Are you certain Achmed is here?” she asked.
“I am told that he is indeed here.”
She worked her fingers into her lace gloves. “I never realized how much he had meant in my life until he was taken away. I am not happy with this man who took him.”
“You will have to understand, Brittany, that Mr. Johnson may not be the villian in this. He must have purchased Achmed, thinking it was a legitimate sale. It is the slavers who are to blame.”
“I find them all equally guilty. To me, no man, woman, or child should ever have to suffer the indignity of being bought and sold like cattle. I know about your slave auctions. My own mother was once placed on a slave block, and she has told me of that indignity.”
Thorn studied Brittany’s face. “I wonder how your mother came to be the wife of the Grand Vizier. Did Lord Simijin take her away from the auction?”
“Yes, and we can be grateful that Simijin was the one who bought my mother that day. Later, after my mother became Simijin’s only wife, she asked him to release all his slaves, and because he loved her, he complied with her wishes immediately. Of course, many of them, like Achmed, remained
because they loved my mother. I never thought Achmed would have to suffer such an atrocity.”
Thorn looked past Brittany to the ivy-covered plantation house. “In the South, slavery is a way of life. As vile as it is, it will probably take years to be abolished.”
The carriage came to a halt, and Thorn stepped down and then swung Brittany to the ground while Mr. and Mrs. Johnson walked slowly down the wide steps to greet them.
Ina Johnson was a shy little woman, with black hair and equally black eyes. She hung on to her heavyset, boisterous husband as if she needed his protection.
Theodore Johnson was the first to speak. He introduced himself and his wife, looking apologetic. “I was sorry to hear that I was a party to a blatant deception, Mrs. Stoddard. Had I known the slave belonged to you, I would have notified you immediately.”
Brittany was in no mood to appease Mr. Johnson’s conscience. She was disturbed that she did not see Achmed. “Where is he?” she demanded. “If you have harmed him in any way, it will go hard with you.”
Ina Johnson’s eyes took on a nervous twitch. “Just because you are from Stoddard Hill, there is no need to talk down to us, or to threaten us. We…made an honest mistake and cannot be…”
Brittany glanced past the woman to her husband. “Bring Achmed to me at once.”
The man shifted his eyes away from her piercing glance. “I regret to tell you that I had to have him…whipped.”
Thorn moved forward, and Johnson quickly stepped back. “You
what!
” Thorn hissed between clenched teeth. “You informed my first mate that Achmed had not been harmed.”
Theodore Johnson shifted his stance. “Well, you see it’s like this. We knew you was coming after Achmed today, so we decided, since we had lost money on him, we might at least have the use of…We put him in with three of our strongest breeders. When he refused to…well you know, I
had him stripped and beaten. We never tolerate disobedience on this plantation.”
Brittany whirled on the man. “You fool! Achmed could not do what you asked. He is a eunuch. Surely he must have told you that.”
Johnson’s face paled beneath his tan. “He is a stubborn one. I can assure you, he told us nothing of the sort. I had no idea…”
“Of course he would not admit the truth to you,” Brittany said angrily. “Achmed is a private man, and a proud one. Why should he admit anything to you?” Tears glistened in her eyes. “Take me to him at once.”
Thorn gave Theodore Johnson a warning glance. “You had better do as she says.”
Johnson cleared his throat. “I had thought that I might offer you seventeen hundred dollars for Achmed.”
Brittany became further enraged. “You insult me, sir. Achmed is a free man, and no one is going to buy and sell him. I want to see him at once.”
Thorn stepped toward Theodore Johnson, his eyes blazing. “If I were you, I would do what my wife says without delay.”
The man pushed his wife up the steps, urging her to go into the house. “Follow me,” he said to Thorn. “I have him at the slave quarters.”
Thorn took Brittany’s arm, and they walked beside Mr. Johnson. Brittany was so angry she did not trust herself to speak. When they came to a building set apart from the others, Johnson motioned them inside.
“This is the infirmary. Achmed is being treated here. As you will observe, he has received the best of care.”
“He would not need to be treated at all if it were not for you,” Brittany said with feeling. She pushed Mr. Johnson aside and entered the long, narrow building with its dirt floors. When her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw three straw mattresses on the floor.
She rushed forward, examining each face and finding Achmed on the last mattress. He was lying on his stomach,
and she cried out in anguish when she saw the angry red welts cut deeply into his back.
She dropped down beside the gentle giant, tears blinding her. “Oh, Achmed, Achmed, they have hurt you.”
Achmed’s eyes opened, and he tried to rise. “Little mistress, is that you, or am I dreaming again?”
She gripped his hand. “You are not dreaming; I have come to take you away from here.”
“Do not let them hit me again, mistress. And forgive me because the money Lord Simijin gave me was stolen by the slaver.”
A deep sob escaped her throat, and she turned to Theodore Johnson. “You have done sorry work here, sir. You have hurt the gentlest soul I know.”
The man had no answer for her, but turned his eyes away from her accusing glance.
Thorn pulled Brittany to her feet and then motioned for Johnson to assist him. “Take it easy, Achmed,” Thorn said as he helped the man to his feet. “We are going to take you home. No one will ever hit you again.”
Achmed had been made comfortable on the third floor at Stoddard Hill. While Esmeralda had refused to climb the stairs to Achmed’s room, she had agreed to mix one of her healing potions for his wounds, and his pain had lessened.
Ben no longer required constant care, and was able to get out of bed for long periods, and Brittany spent much of her time going up the stairs between Ben and Achmed’s rooms.
Thorn had left for Charleston the night he had brought Achmed home, and Brittany had not heard from him since. An uneasy quiet hung over Stoddard Hill, as if everyone was waiting for something to happen.
Brittany had just peeked into Achmed’s room to find him sleeping. When she applied more salve to his wounds, he hardly stirred. She was glad to see that his back was healing nicely, and she expected him to be up and about within a week.
Poor Achmed had paid dearly for accompanying her to America.
Brittany moved down the stairs to the second floor, thinking she would go to Ben’s room to read to him before lunch. When she heard whispered voices in the hallway, she pressed her back against the wall. Wilhelmina and Dr. Cross were engaged in what appeared to be a struggle.
“You have lost all reason, Wilhelmina. What you ask is impossible,” George Cross was saying.
Wilhelmina glared at him. “You will do as I say, George. You are in too deep to think you can walk away now.”
Brittany turned her face away when Dr. Cross pulled Wilhelmina into his arms and boldly fondled her breasts. “You know I will do anything for you,” he said in a husky voice. “All it takes for me to be happy is to get between your legs.”
Brittany felt her stomach churn. She had come to suspect that Wilhelmina and the doctor were lovers; now she was certain. It made her sick to watch the disgusting display. Had Wilhelmina no shame? How could she carry on so right before her husband’s bedroom?
Brittany did not look again until she heard a door open and close. When she glanced up, the hallway was empty. Apparently Wilhelmina had taken her lover into her bedroom.
Brittany hurried through the hallway and down to the first level, not wanting to encounter Wilhelmina. How would she ever face that woman now that she knew the truth about her and George Cross?
Brittany wanted to breathe in fresh air and to get away from the oppressive feeling that hung over the house. She ran out the door and down the long stretch of lawn that led to the Ashley River.
Standing in the cleansing air, she watched the muddy water wash against the shore. For several days, Brittany had managed to keep from thinking that Wilhelmina and Thorn had once been lovers. Now she shuddered when she thought of Thorn standing in the doctor’s place.
She found it difficult to believe a man like Thorn would
betray his own father to be with a woman as unworthy as Wilhelmina. She wiped the tears from her eyes, feeling strangely detached from the people who lived at Stoddard Hill. Everyone here was steeped in deceit. Did she really belong here? One thing was certain, she was no longer an innocent. She had witnessed the sordid side of life, and she did not like what she had seen.
Brittany was not aware that Thorn had come up behind her until he dangled her emerald necklace before her face. Since she had given the emerald to Cappy to buy the
Victorious
, she was shocked to see that it had fallen into Thorn’s hands.
She turned to see his jaw tighten and his eyes burn with anger. “If I had wanted your help, I would have asked for it, Brittany. You must have thought you were very clever using an assumed name to buy the
Victorious.
”
She felt as cold inside as the green stone in her hand. “I only meant to help.”
“And you might have gotten away with it, if my solicitor had not been so honest. He saw you once when you were in Charleston, and he paid particular attention to this emerald. When it was given to him as payment for the
Victorious
, he recognized it immediately. You will find the rest of your jewels in your bedroom.”
She held the necklace out to him. “Thorn, please take this. I want you to have it.”
He jammed his hands into his pocket. “You don’t know anything about a man’s pride, Brittany. I want to be the one to give you jewels, not take them away from you.”
She nodded in understanding. “I once told you that I do not understand many things about your country. I now realize that is even more true today.”
“I am interested to know how you decided on the name Lady Jillianna Maridon?”
“That is my mother’s maiden name.” She reached out to him, but he igonored the gesture. “I meant only to help, Thorn. If I did wrong, I am sorry.”
She turned and moved away, and he caught up with her. “I do not mean to appear ungrateful, Brittany, but never attempt to go behind my back like this again.”
She turned furious green eyes on him. “
Me
go behind
your
back! How can you accuse me of such a thing, when you are the one who went behind Ben’s back to bed his wife.” She saw his face whiten, but still she continued. “I am sick of deception. I wish…I wish I had never come here.”
He was silent for a long time. “I can see how you might believe the worst of me. I wish you had trusted me, Brittany.”
“I do not know who to trust, or who is my friend. All I know is that when I saw Wilhelmina take Dr. Cross into her bedroom, all I could think of was you and her together.”
He grabbed her arm and spun her around. “When did this happen?”
“Just a short while ago. It is possible that he is still there.” She angrily brushed a tear from her cheek. “Are you jealous of the doctor?”
The look he gave her was chilling. “Think what you will, Brittany.”
Brittany watched him move toward the house, wondering if she had told Thorn about Wilhelmina and the doctor out of spitefulness. She hoped that had not been her motive.
Wilhelmina trailed her finger down George Cross’s stomach. “I think a fire would be the best way of getting rid of all three of them, George.”
He grabbed and held her hand. “Are you crazed? We can’t kill all three of them—someone would suspect!”
She looked at him ponderously. “Of course a fire would mean I would lose the house, but that can’t be helped. Houses can be rebuilt.”
“I won’t do it, Wilhelmina.”
She rubbed her naked body against him. “You will do it for me, won’t you?”
George Cross never got a chance to answer, for at that
moment, the door was thrust open, and there stood Thorn and Cappy, looking like avenging angels.
Wilhelmina froze, her eyes wild with apprehension. “How dare you burst into my room like this, Thorn. Your father will have you…” Her voice trailed off, and she pulled the bed covers up over her nakedness.
“You have one hour to get your belongings together and get out, Wilhelmina! As you can see, I have Cappy here as a witness to your little indiscretion.”
Thorn walked over to a cringing George Cross, reached down and yanked him out of bed. “And take your lover with you,” he said, shoving the man with such force that he slammed into the wall and landed on the floor, gasping for breath.
Wilhelmina tossed her head defiantly. “You cannot make me leave.”
“Oh, can’t I? What if I told you that Cappy located a certain Mr. Deavers who is willing to tell the authorities how you and this man tried to poison my father, and how you hired Deavers to kill Brittany?”
Wilhelmina lowered her eyes. “I have no place to go,” she said, knowing she would get no sympathy from Thorn Stoddard.
Thorn’s eyes were cold, and there was a look of distaste on his face. “Perhaps you can persuade your lover to take care of you.”
Thorn turned his gaze on Dr. Cross, who had managed to scramble to his feet and pull on his trousers. “For the good of your practice, Doctor, I suggest you might find another state more to your liking.” Thorn’s expression hardened. “If it were not for my father, I would see you both hanged. But, make no mistake about it, if I ever find either of you in South Carolina again, I will turn you over to the authorities.”