Saraphine

My name is Saraphine—just Saraphine. It may seem strange for a human being with flesh, blood and a soul to have nothing but a first name, but, to some, I’m not a human and I don’t have any of those things.

You see, I was born a slave.

Don’t feel bad for me, child. I’ve had it much better than most. I bear no scars, never got separated from my sweet mama until i was plenty old enough and I have children of my own.

Those three things are blessings beyond what most born into this life receive—and they aren’t the only reasons I’m happy today.

I wasn’t always so happy with my lot in life—no, I’ve been bitter and angry and full of self-pity.

My life has certainly had its ups and downs.

Mainly because of love.

Isn’t love the make or break of all us women? We crave love from those around us. We simply cannot do without it and too often it nearly does us in.

Let me tell you, dear reader, the tale of my life and of the journey I endured to find peace within myself, peace with my life and, yes, love.

Chapter One

Georgia

July 4th 1839

The rough fabric of Saraphine’s feed sack dress clung to her dark skin in the balmy heat of the summer afternoon. The plantation was bustling with activity as everyone prepared for the festivities that would be taking place that evening.

        "Saraphine, child, go out back and fetch us some extra onions from the cellar. The Missus likes plenty of onions in her tater salad." 

        Saraphine nodded obediently to her mama and dashed from the kitchen just as fast as her ten-year old legs could carry her. Outside, she took time to marvel at the tents and tables covering the vast east lawn. 

        Her owners, Mr. and Mrs. Levenworth, were some of the wealthiest folks in Georgia and it was clear they wanted others to know. Guests would be arriving within hours and Saraphine could not wait to see the fancy dresses and baubles the ladies would be adorned with. 

        They would laugh coyly and spin like angels on the dancefloor beneath twinkling candlelight as men held them gently or smoked pipes and chatted in the corners. 

        Saraphine dreamed of one day being like those women. She wanted to feel that silk against her skin and have a handsome gentleman bow at her and offer her his hand for a dance. 

        Her mother told her that her dreams would only let her down but Saraphine simply could not let go of them. 

Missus, which was what all the slaves called Mrs. Levenworth had taken a special interest in Saraphine—she even hired a tutor to teach her how to read and write; though Saraphine was never allowed to study with the Missus’ children, of course.

Missus insisted that a colored girl simply could not be educated with white-skinned children. It was forbidden.

        "Saraphine!" her mama's voice snapped from the doorway. "I'll be needin' them onions, child." 

        Saraphine pulled herself from her thoughts and dashed to the cellar. Everything had to be just right for Missus. 

---

The meal was all laid out upon the silk draped tables. It was a mouthwatering assortment of dishes that caused Saraphine’s stomach to growl. The scent of the aromatic meal, wafted to her nose and Saraphine felt her mouth begin to water.

        She never in her life tasted most of the things that had been prepared for tonight. It was forbidden by Missus for slaves to eat food meant for white mouths. But the Missus always made sure her slaves did not go without. While their fare was not fancy, there was always oats for breakfast and potato soup for supper. 

        Saraphine knew they were blessed. Missus said many slaves never had warm meals. 

        Saraphine heard horse hooves and carriage wheels in the distance. Her ten-year old body trembled with excitement. She only wished she could look a bit nicer when the guests arrived. Her feed sack dress was stained and worn. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun....

        The shining porcelain skinned ladies who would be here tonight would look so very beautiful....

        As Saraphine stood in the corner with her hands folded, a slave girl several years older than herself walked up to her. Saraphine thought her name might be Mary but she couldn't be sure. 

        There were nearly one hundred slaves on the plantation and they were not permitted to socialize unless they were working together. Saraphine had never worked with Mary before. 

        "Saraphine?"

        "Yes?"

        Mary's brown eyes seemed angry as she glared down at Saraphine. "Missus wants to speak to you in her room." 

        Saraphine's heart slammed against her ribs. "Am I in trouble?"

        Mary shook her head and sneered. "I don't believe so. Missus said she has something special for you to wear—and I'm working in your place tonight." 

        Saraphine could not believe her ears! Her dream was coming true. She had admitted to Missus that she dreamed of one day looking like those beautiful, elegant ladies. 

        Without wasting a single moment more, Saraphine ran to the house. She dashed up the stone steps, past the white columns and through the heavy polished door. 

        Once inside, Saraphine slowed her pace. Running was forbidden for the colored children who entered the home and Saraphine didn't want to do anything that would risk angering Missus. 

        Saraphine's bare feet were silent as she stepped up the wide carpeted staircase and down the hall to the chambers the Missus used. 

        Standing outside the closed black door, Saraphine took several deep breaths and smoothed out her feed sack dress. Her trembling hand rapped at the door. 

        "Come on in, Saraphine." 

        Saraphine opened the door and peeked her head inside. "I said come in, Saraphine. Stop sneaking peeks the way a rat would." 

        Saraphine quickly entered, keeping her gaze on the floral rug at her feet. Missus insisted that the colored folk never look her in the eye without permission. "Good evening, Missus. You wanted to see me?"

        "Look up here," Missus ordered. 

        Saraphine did and her breath caught. Missus was beautiful and grand—much like a queen in a fairy tale. She had alabaster skin as flawless as porcelain and midnight black hair that shimmered like silk in the lamplight. 

        Her eyes were light blue like a frozen winter morning and her features were perfectly proportioned. The dress hugging her feminine body was deep blue silk trimmed with black lace. 

        "I have a gift for you, Saraphine." 

        Saraphine's thin legs longed to hop up and down as she gazed up at the regal woman. "Thank you, Missus. I was not expecting a gift."

        Missus shrugged one dainty shoulder and waved her hand. "It's there. On the bed." 

        Saraphine used all the self-control her ten-year old body possessed to step politely around Missus and....

        Her heart fell. 

        Lying on the bed was a dress, but not the beautiful silk gown she had envisioned. It was rough spun cotton as gray as a rainy day. There were no silk ribbons or bows—no lace trim. 

        It was nice, more than any other young slave girl had on the plantation, but it wasn't what Saraphine had been dreaming she would receive. 

        "Saraphine? Don't you have something to say?"

        Saraphine could hear the pride in Missus' voice. She didn't want to seem ungrateful for Missus' charity. Saraphine turned with the best smile she could muster curving her lips. "Thank you so much, Missus. The dress is beautiful." 

        Missus tipped her head with a smile. "I know you mentioned wanting a nice dress." Her expression became more stern. "This is the best I could do. On this plantation it is forbidden for the coloreds to wear the fineries that belong on white genteel ladies. I'm sure you understand." 

        Saraphine nodded. "Yes'm."  Forbidden meant forbidden and Saraphine could not argue with that. "Thank you again, Missus. It's more than I deserve." 

        "I'm glad you like it, dear." Missus patted her head. "You can change in here and have the night off from working." 

        Saraphine felt some of her disappointment melt away. She may not have a dress as nice as the white ladies but it was a much nicer dress than a feed sack 

and she didn’t have to work tonight. She could still dance among those angels.

        Missus stopped with her hand upon the door handle. "And Saraphine?"

        "Yes Missus?" she asked, running her hand over her new dress. 

        "Stay away from the party tonight. It simply would not do to have a little colored slave girl sharing space with fine ladies and gentleman." 

        With that Missus breezed from the room, closing the door behind her. 

        Saraphine stood there feeling as if she were a sailboat that had suddenly run out of wind. Tears threatened to spill from her burning eyes as she clenched her fists and breathed deep. 

        Crying and complaining were forbidden for the slaves. 

        As Saraphine worked very hard to compose herself she slid her skinny frame from her feed sack dress and pulled on the new one. She forced a smile as she adjusted the short sleeves around her elbows. 

        One day, Saraphine would shimmer in silk and lace and dance like one of those ladies. 

        Saraphine gazed at herself in Missus' full length gilded mirror. She tried hard to see the beauty that her mama claimed was there in her reflection—it was difficult. 

        All Saraphine saw was a nose too wide, lips too full, a forehead too high and hair too course.... Not a single feature that made women like Missus and her twelve-year old daughter, Ellen, so very fair. 

        But maybe, if mama wasn't too tired after working tonight, she could put braids in Saraphine's hair—those would be pretty. 

        And even if Saraphine could not attend the party, she could sit in the backyard, hidden in the shadows, and watch the lights glow while the band played. 

        That was exactly what she would do!

        Saraphine gathered up her soiled dress and danced her way out of the bedroom. In the entry room downstairs, she came upon Ellen and Thomas, the only two children that Mr. and Mrs. Levenworth had. 

        They both appeared to be royalty! Thomas in his crushed velvet suit with tails and top hat and Ellen in a dark green gown that accentuated the jade of her eyes. 

        Saraphine could not help but notice that Ellen had silk, lace and ribbons. 

        "Eww, what's that smell?" ten-year old Tomas asked, curling his nose and grinning evilly. 

        "That's the smell of a colored," Ellen assured him lightly as she waved her fan in front of her nose. "They all smell much like an overworked mule." 

        Saraphine bit back a sharp retort. Speaking to Missus' children was forbidden. 

        "Let us go enjoy our evening with the music and good food. We'll leave the ugly colored girl in the somehow even uglier dress to stink up the foyer." 

        With those parting words, the siblings gallivanted from the house with laughter on their lips. 

        It was more than Saraphine could stand. 

        Her young heart shattered as she gathered up her plain gray skirt and ran back through the kitchen and out the rear doors of the house—tears spilling down her heated cheeks.

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Saraphine fell to her knees beneath the large oak tree just over a rise the plantation. The sky was dark and from this spot, Saraphine could see the gentle glow of lights from the party. Faint music drifted across the long grass.

        Saraphine put her back against the rough bark, pulled her knees to her chest and sobbed. 

        Why must life be so cruel? All Saraphine wanted was one night to know how it felt to have alabaster skin and be accepted among those beautiful people. She had so hoped tonight would be the night she would feel silk against her skin and dance elegantly. 

        But it was forbidden. 

        Saraphine's only dream was forbidden. 

        She would never be an equal—not even for one night. 

        Swiping her hand across her face, Saraphine dried her tears. Life was tough but she would be tougher. Honestly things could be worse! Missus told her stories of starving slaves and slaves beaten so badly on other plantations that they would sometimes die from their injuries. 

        The slaves on this plantation were lucky. They had cots to sleep on, roofs over their heads, clothes on their backs and food in their bellies. Beatings were few and far between and only given when well-deserved. 

        As a matter of fact, the worst hardships that the slaves here faced were the auctions. 

        Twice a year slaves were taken on a long haul to Savannah where they were bought, sold or traded depending on their ages, skill set and temperament. 

        Saraphine herself had never been to an auction but she had seen many slaves leave and never return. She had heard their family's mournful cries at night as they'd lain in their cots. 

        Saraphine suspected her father had been sold in one of those auctions. She didn't remember the man but her mama grew very sad if Saraphine ever asked about him—and her melancholy grew worse when the auctions came around. 

        Saraphine realized that her thoughts were rambling. They always did when she was tired or sad. Saraphine wished she could have someone to talk to—someone to share her feelings and disappointments with. 

        She certainly couldn't open up to her mama. Her poor mama was always bone-deep tired and had worries enough of her own without Saraphine adding hers to them. 

        And there weren't many slaves near her age on the plantation. They were sold fairly quickly given their lack of skills. 

        Missus said a plantation was a business and there was simply no point keeping access cargo around if it served no purpose—she also assured Saraphine that every slave sold went to good and fair owners. 

        And even if Saraphine could find a friend, she would be punished since both socializing and complaining were forbidden. 

        Saraphine was so lost in her thoughts that she failed to hear the rustling of leaves above her. A cry of shock flew from her lips when a body suddenly appeared in front of her. 

        It took several moments of breathing hard and laying her hand on her racing heart before she realized it was only a boy. 

        An upside down boy. 

        Saraphine's eyes went crossed as she studied his smiling face. He was hanging from a branch, his knees wrapped around it and his torso swinging. A frown suddenly took away his smile as he ran a hand through his tousled hair. "What's the matter with you?" he asked. 

        Saraphine did not answer. This boy's skin was white which meant he was probably a guest for the party. It would be forbidden for Saraphine to speak to him. She rose to her feet and scrubbed at her face with her hands before turning to walk away. 

        The rustling of leaves reached her ears and suddenly the boy was on his feet in front of her. "Are you okay?" he asked, his warm gray eyes full of real concern. 

        "I'm not supposed to talk to you," Saraphine admitted, dropping her gaze quickly to the grass at his feet—his bare feet.

        That surprised her. 

        The bottoms of his brown trousers ended a good three inches above his ankles and they were frayed and patched at the knee. Saraphine's gaze went higher. The blue shirt he wore was faded and fraying with patches that matched the ones on his trousers—even his suspenders seemed to be holding on by mere threads. 

        He was clearly not a party guest. Missus would never allow a guest on her plantation to appear so poor and bedraggled. 

        "Well why the hell not?" he asked, putting his hands on his hips and rocking back on his heels. 

        Saraphine frowned. "Who are you, sir?"

        "Sir?" His brow wrinkled. "I'm only twelve."

        "Are you a party guest?" Saraphine questioned, though she knew he could not be. 

        The boy shook his head. "Naw, I reckon I don't wanna be around all them fancy people." 

        Saraphine giggled at the way he spoke. She had learned to speak properly thanks to her tutoring but this boy spoke like many of the other slaves. 

        "What's your name?" he inquired. 

        "Saraphine," she found herself answering without much thought. 

        "Howdy Saraphine." He held out his hand. "My name's Daniel." 

        Saraphine stared at his hand but made no attempt to shake it. Didn't he realize that it was forbidden for her to shake his hand as if they were equals? She tilted her head as he dropped his hand. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "Are you trespassing?"

        "Tresspassin'?" Daniel shook his head and sadness washed over his features. "Naw, I live here now. Mrs. Levenworth was my mama's sister. My folks died and I didn't have nowhere else to go." 

        Saraphine was surprised. Missus had not mentioned a nephew coming to live on the plantation—neither had she heard any whisper of it among the slaves. Saraphine knew she wasn't allowed to speak to the Missus children and that probably meant she shouldn't speak to her nephew. 

        But Daniel was speaking to her and he seemed quite nice. Maybe Missus wouldn't find out. "How long have you lived here?" she asked. 

        "A few days." Daniel kicked at a rock jutting from the ground. "My aunt don't want me 'round her guests. She says I ain't presentable." 

        Saraphine nodded. Missus worried about appearances—a woman of her status had to. 

        Daniel picked a long blade of grass and began to nibble on the end. "She gave me some fancy clothes to wear but I felt like a trussed up turkey in them." 

        Saraphine giggled again. She had never before heard someone compare themselves to poultry. 

        "So do you work here?" Daniel asked. 

        "Yes sir." 

        "Call me Daniel," he grumbled. 

        Saraphine chose not to reply. If Missus heard Saraphine use a white person's given name, she would be punished soundly. 

        Daniel seemed undeterred by her lack of conversation. "So what were you out here crying for anyhow?"

        "Please don't tell Missus that you caught me crying," Saraphine begged. "It's forbidden and she would be very angry." 

        Daniel picked at the rough bark of the oak. "You're a girl. Girls cry. I don't see why my aunt would care. So, what had you so upset?"

        Saraphine chewed her lip, wondering if she should tell Daniel the truth. He smiled, warm and kind, and Saraphine swallowed hard. 

        "I want to go to the party and dance like one of those angels in a silk dress. But I'm not allowed." She shrugged half-heartedly. "And Mrs. Levenworth's children were unkind....." 

        Daniel cut her off with a snort. He sat down beneath the tree, folding his long gangly legs. When he motioned for her to the same, Saraphine only hesitated a moment before obeying. 

        "I wouldn't worry none about Ellen and Thomas," he assured her. "Have ya ever heard the saying 'a few bricks shy of a full load?'"

        Saraphine nodded, a smile curving her lips. Daniel continued, "Yeah, well, their bricks never even made it to the cart." 

        Laughter bubbled from Saraphine's lips before she could stop it and she was quick to cover her mouth with her hand. "You shouldn't speak that way about your cousins." 

        Daniel shrugged, that long stem of grass still hanging off his lip. "Why not? These people only took me in cuz they didn't want word gettin' 'round that they turned their backs on family. Hell, my family was lucky if we had food on the table and clothes on our backs and look what my mama's sister had all that time." 

        Saraphine didn't know quite what to say so she chose to say nothing. Daniel smiled. "And about the rest of what you said. Who needs a silk dress anyhow? All them hoops, hooks and doodads—ya wouldn't be able to climb a tree or nothin'." 

        Saraphine rolled her eyes. A boy simply wouldn't understand. She sighed. "I'd still love to dance with the angels." 

        Daniel shook his head, his expression darkening. "Those folks ain't angels." 

        "Yes they are," Saraphine insisted. "They're so beautiful."

        "Yeah, sure, they're beautiful. You can put all the lipstick you want on a pig and pretty it up but at the end of the day, when you wash all that off, it's still a pig, Saraphine." 

        Saraphine gasped, unable to believe her ears. "You should not speak about them that way!" 

        Daniel seemed unconcerned. "Why the hell not? They've said worse about me and probably you too if I were to guess." 

        Saraphine's ears burned. How did this boy she had never meant, know the comments and names that had been tossed her way?

        Daniel didn't seem to notice her inner turmoil. "Yeah, them folks ain't angels. They're wolves in sheep's clothing. They hide behind fancy words, fancy clothes and fancy houses but deep down inside they're rotten.

        "They spit on anyone who's got less than they got. Damn, you're a slave! How could you think they're good people?" he demanded. 

        Saraphine felt her ears grow hotter yet as her anger and embarrassment grew. "I won't speak an ill word about Missus or her family. I'm very lucky to have the Levenworth's as my owners." 

        "Oh yeah," he mocked. "All the lucky people have owners." 

        Saraphine glared. "You'll stop that now." 

        Daniel shoved himself to his feet. "I'll never understand why anyone stands for being treated the way you colored folks are treated." 

        Saraphine was going to let him know how wrong he was about things he didn't understand but her stomach roared to life and grumbled so loudly, it seemed to echo in the night. She knew Daniel would have no problem hearing it. 

        He shook his head sadly. "Some real angels you're cryin' over. You're sittin' up here with tears on your face and starvation in your gut while they drink, chit chat and gorge themselves on a meal you probably spent all day cookin'. Most of it will probably end up as hog scraps come tomorrow but you can't eat none—your skins too dark." 

        With that, Daniel disappeared into the night. 

        How dare he! Saraphine felt more hot tears burn behind her eyes and she allowed several to slip free before swiping angrily at her face. Saraphine decided that Daniel was not a nice boy and she would do well to avoid him. 

        She sat there in the moon glow listening to the music float on the air a while longer. Her hunger finally got the better of her. She was certain nearly everyone was too busy to worry about cooking and so she would have to make her own bland potato soup tonight. 

        Her mouth watered as she remembered all of the dishes and desserts being served at the party. With a shake of her head, Saraphine scolded herself. Rules were rules and Missus had her reasons. 

        Before Saraphine had taken more than a handful of steps, she heard a whistle behind her. Turning quickly on her toes, Saraphine saw Daniel heading her way with two plates loaded down with food. 

        She stared at him with a million questions in her eyes but none on her lips. He smiled and held out the plates. "Here ya go, Saraphine. I figure you probably earned a taste of what ya worked so hard on." 

        "How?" she whispered, remembering that he too had been forbidden from showing himself at the party. 

        Daniel shrugged—a gesture she was realizing he did quite often. "I've snuck into tougher places. I might not be a fancy dressed angel but I can't stand the thoughts of someone goin' hungry." 

        Saraphine nibbled at her lip. "It's forbidden."

        A mischievous smile lit up Daniel's face. "I won't tell if you won't. Come on, we'll eat it together." 

        Saraphine knew she should refuse but her roaring stomach won the battle of right and wrong.

        As Saraphine slid into bed that night with a stomach so full it ached, she realized two things. One, Daniel was kind and thoughtful and possibly her first true friend. Two, maybe Saraphine wasn't quite as lucky as she had thought she was earlier that very same day. 

{c^@

Chapter Three

September 1839

“Saraphine, child, it be time to wake up.”

        Saraphine slowly blinked herself awake at the sound of her mama's voice. Her mama sat on the edge of the cot and smoothed stray hairs from Saraphine's face. "Good morning, mama," Saraphine whispered, her voice heavy with sleep. 

        "Your oats is ready, child. You better eat quick. Missus wants you workin' inside today." 

        Relief flowed through Saraphine. It was September and that meant harvest time. Her every day lately had been picking cotton and running water to the men cutting hay. A break from the heat and sun sounded real nice.

        "My evenin' will be free tonight," her mama said, laying a tender kiss on Saraphine's brow. "I'll put some braids in your hair while you read to me. I love hearin' ya read." 

        "Of course mama." 

        Saraphine kissed her mama's cheek. She studied the woman as they dined on their breakfast of bland oats. Her mama wasn't an old woman but hard work had taken its toll on her. 

        Her black hair was speckled with gray and her brown skin had turned to leather. Lines surrounded her soft brown eyes and were evident around her full lips as well. She lacked the elegant grace and beauty of Missus and the other pale-skinned ladies but Saraphine loved her mama. In her eyes, her mama was beautiful.    

        "Go on now, child," her mama insisted as she took Saraphine's empty bowl. The slave quarters were quickly coming to life as everyone readied themselves for the day ahead. "Don't keep Missus waiting any longer." 

        Saraphine hugged her mama's thin waist, adjusted her gray dress which she'd proudly worn for the last two months, and raced from the quarters. 

        The slaves lived nearly half a mile from the plantation home. Missus did not want the slave quarters any closer than that because it would cause her lawn to appear cluttered—Ellen like to add that it would cause the entire place to smell. 

        Saraphine tipped her head to the plantation foreman as she passed him. He was a large man and very 

red. Red hair, red beard and even a rather red complexion. He was a rough boss with no tolerance for anything he considered laziness, but he was never cruel.

        He nodded back at Saraphine. "The Missus is waiting for you in the Great Room." 

        Saraphine thanked him and continued on her way. She smiled at a group of birds flying overhead and paused momentarily for a bee that was buzzing about her head, hoping she was a flower. 

        Stepping into the plantation house, Saraphine wasted no time before heading down the main hall toward the Great Room. She could hear the tutor in the library as she passed it and knew that Thomas, Ellen and Daniel were having their daily lessons. 

        Saraphine smiled as she thought of Daniel. He had quickly become her one, only and best friend. It was a secret and forbidden friendship—not even Saraphine's mama knew about it—but the friendship meant the world to Saraphine. 

        "Saraphine, dear, could you please make haste and stop with the dawdling?"

        Saraphine pulled her mind away from her thoughts and rushed to Missus who was standing in the doorway to the Great Room. "Hello Missus," she greeted keeping her eyes on the floor. 

        "You can look up," Missus announced. Saraphine did so and waited for instruction. "Three days from now we'll be celebrating Ellen's birthday. The home will be full of guests and the Great Room will be the bursting with party goers. I have menus currently being prepared and the lawns are being tended. As you know, during this time of year, the workforce is stretched rather thin. What I need from you is the Great Room prepared." 

        "Yes Missus," Saraphine agreed, her mind swirling over just how much work that would entail. 

        Missus' ice blue eyes narrowed. "I want it done to perfection. The floors should be polished until I can see myself in them—as well as every other piece of furniture, silver and bauble. Dust is forbidden."

        "Yes Missus." 

        "And I want our best rugs pulled out of storage and laid upon the floor." 

        "Am I to do that alone, Missus?" Saraphine asked, remembering the size of those rugs and the two staircases she would somehow have to carry them up when she retrieved them from the basement. 

        The tensing of Missus' jaw revealed her annoyance. "If that does not suit you, I can ask another to take your place and you can sweat in the fields."       

        "No Missus!" Saraphine quickly assured her. "I want to do this job for you. Please forgive me." 

        Missus sniffed as she stared down at Saraphine. Finally she nodded her acceptance of Saraphine's apology. "You have today and tomorrow to complete this room and do the hallway here. I have other slaves readying the foyer and staircase." 

        Saraphine simply nodded. Missus patted her head before frowning. "Look at the state of your dress!" she exclaimed, with a gasp. "That is exactly why colored shouldn't have nice things." 

        With that Missus breezed away, leaving Saraphine standing there with guilt in her eyes as she stared down at her stained and tattered gray dress. It wasn't her fault that she worked so hard.... She hadn't meant to ruin the dress or hurt Missus' feelings. She never wanted to disappoint Missus. 

        Taking a deep breath before releasing a shuddering sigh, Saraphine walked to the hall closet and pulled out the small cart that held the cleaning supplies she would need. 

        Saraphine had no idea how she would get all the work done in time by herself. The Great Room was massive. With two fireplaces, a dancefloor, a stage and a dining area, it was the biggest room in the home! 

        Deciding that worrying was accomplishing nothing and wasting time, Saraphine tucked the worries away and began her chores with determination. 

---

        Hours later found Saraphine on her hands and knees polishing the tile floor with a rag. Sweat poured from her dark skin, plastering her gray dress to her body and making her itch. 

        Saraphine paused to wipe her brow and jumped when she heard the door to the Great Room close. Turning quickly to see what had startled her so, Saraphine smiled at the sight of Daniel. 

        He still wore tattered clothes that he had brought to the plantation with him and his thick brown hair was still an unruly mess atop his head. His gray eyes were bright and friendly as always and he had that happy yet mischievous smile on his face that made him appear to be in a constant state of mischief. 

        "What are you up to, Daniel?" she whispered when he got close. "You know Missus would be angry if she caught you here with me." 

        Daniel simply shrugged and took Saraphine's hand, pulling her to her feet. "My aunt needs to pull the oversized corncob from her backside." 

        Saraphine bit back laughter. "You shouldn't say such things!" she warned. She was nervous to have him speaking to her in the home—always before it had been outside away from anyone who might see and learn of their friendship. 

        "The truth's the truth," Daniel muttered. 

        "You really shouldn't be in here," Saraphine warned. 

        Daniel obviously didn't care about the rules. He glanced around. "What are you doing anyhow?"

        Saraphine sighed and motioned around the room. "Ellen's birthday is in a few days—" Daniel made a face. "—and the party will be held in the Great Room. I have to ensure the room is clean and polished." 

        "By yourself?!" Daniel demanded. 

        Saraphine nodded, shushing him as she did so. "Yes and I will be lucky if I finish in time. Please go and allow me to work." 

        Work then." Daniel took a step back and crossed his arms over his narrow chest. "I won't get in your way." 

        Saraphine rolled her eyes and went back to her task. She stopped abruptly when Daniel grabbed a spare rag, wet it with polish and dropped to his knees beside her. 

        He began to polish the floor with gusto and Saraphine shook her head. "What are you doing?"

        "Cleaning. There ain't no sense in you doin' it all." 

        Saraphine nodded. "I have to! This is the job Missus gave me. It's forbidden for me to ask for help." 

        Daniel winked over at her. "You didn't ask." 

        Saraphine wrung her hands and chewed furiously at her lip. "Daniel....." 

        "Stop worrying so much. This is my plantation too if you think about it. Besides, Aunt Levenworth is too busy fussing over fabric swatches for Ellen's birthday dress to worry about who's in here helping you." 

        Saraphine sighed. "Are you sure?"

        "Positive." 

        

“And are you certain you want to help me?” Saraphine had never seen someone with white skin do real work before. “It’s a task only fitting for a slave.”

        Daniel snorted and Saraphine could see in his gray eyes just how angry her words had made him. "Dammit Saraphine. I ain't no better than you just cuz my skin's white—none of them are! Hell, you're a better person than every white person here put together. And work is work. Ain't a person alive too good to do it. A lot of folks could stand to do a lot more of it." 

        Saraphine blinked several times as Daniel went back to polishing. "You're different," she finally whispered. 

        Daniel didn't look up. "I'll take that as a compliment. Now get to polishing. Don't make me do it all myself." 

---

Evening was falling as the light through the windows faded. Saraphine’s aching muscles refused to polish another inch of floor.

        "Let's call it a night," Daniel announced. "We can finish tomorrow." 

        Saraphine hoped he was right. The floor was nearly done and though there was a lot of décor in the room in need of dusting, that wouldn't be half the job that the floor had been. 

        "Thank you, Daniel." 

        He smiled and tossed his rag on the cart. "No problem. What are friends for?"

        "I wouldn't know. You're my first one." 

        "I ain't never had a friend like you either," Daniel admitted, rubbing at his neck as his cheeks reddened a bit. "You're the only thing that makes this place bearable." 

        "Holy hell!" Thomas' voice behind them drew their attention to the door they hadn't heard open. 

        "Does mother know you're speaking that way to a colored?" Ellen demanded of Daniel, disgust dripping from her words. 

        "It ain't none of her business," Daniel growled, standing in front of Saraphine as if to shield her. "Or yours," he added. 

        "What do you think about that?" Thomas quipped. "Our hillbilly cousin is a little negro lover. He likes those dark-skinned monkeys." 

        The words stung but they weren't any that Saraphine had not heard before. As always, she prepared to brush them off and go on about her way—Daniel, however, clearly had different plans. 

        Without warning, he launched himself at Thomas in a flurry of fists and curses.       

        Saraphine watched in horror and knew there would be hell to pay.

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Ellen shrieked for help. Daniel had Thomas on the polished tile and was swinging punches like a windmill.

        "Daniel stop!" Saraphine begged. 

        If he could hear her, he showed no sign. 

        Panic clawed at Saraphine's chest. Missus would be so angry with her! If Saraphine had done her job without help this would not be happening. And Daniel.... How badly would he be punished for defending her?

        Mr. and Mrs. Levenworth never punished Ellen or Thomas for anything. Did that mean white-skinned children were safe from punishment? Saraphine hoped so. She wouldn't want to see her friend punished for her own wrong doing. 

        She had been socializing with a white person and that was doubly forbidden. 

        Saraphine rushed forward and grabbed the back of Daniel's shirt. Yanking hard, Saraphine desperately attempted to break up the fight. Using every ounce of strength her skinny body possessed, Saraphine was unable to budge the angry boy. 

        "What the hell is going on in here?!"

        Mr. Levenworth's angry voice echoed and resounded throughout the Great Room. Saraphine trembled as she took several large steps backward. 

        Mr. Levenworth was not a very large man at only five and a half feet tall with a slim build, he was smaller than most men Saraphine had seen. But Mr. Levenworth did not need size to inspire fear. One only needed to understand that 

he was boss.

        The reason Mr. Levenworth demanded such intimidation and respect was simple. He had complete control over the life of each and every slave on the plantation—even Saraphine. 

        With one arm, Mr. Levenworth grabbed Daniel by the back of his shirt and threw him away from Thomas. Daniel landed roughly on his back and slid across the freshly polished floor, coming to a stop at Saraphine's feet. 

        "What's going... Oh Lord!" Missus came bursting into the Great Room and ran to her fallen son. "Who did this to him?" she demanded. 

        "It was Daniel and the slave girl!" Ellen was quick to volunteer. 

        Mr. Levenworth helped a moaning Thomas to his feet. Thomas' lip was split and his nose was bleeding. He also had a large welt forming over his left eye. 

        "Saraphine?" Missus exclaimed, turning her attention toward Saraphine who stood there on trembling legs. Rage had contorted the woman's angelic features. Gone was the beautiful woman Saraphine had so long admired—Missus looked every bit a monster. 

        "Saraphine didn't have nothin' to do with this," Daniel snapped as he pushed himself to his feet. His shoulders were tense and anger caused his entire body to shake. 

        Missus lunged forward and grabbed Saraphine by the arm, twisting until she cried out with pain. "You are done, Saraphine. Done!" 

        "Get your hands off her, you damned heifer!" 

        Mr. Levenworth's hand struck Daniel's face so forcefully that the boy fell to the floor. Mr. Levenworth then hauled him back to his feet by his hair. "I've had as much of your mouth and wild behavior as I am going to tolerate." 

        He pointed an angry finger toward Saraphine as Missus released her hold. "Back to the slave quarters with you. I will decide how best to deal with you later." 

        Saraphine felt tears burning her eyes. She had always worked hard to never break the rules. She had never before been in trouble. Her mind could not wrap around the fact that Missus had just hurt her in anger. 

        Saraphine wished there was something she could say or do to help Daniel—but she was too afraid to try. The anger currently in her owner's eyes directed at her had stolen her ability to breath—speaking was impossible. 

        "Go now!" Missus snapped, her hand falling sharply on the back of Saraphine's head. 

        Saraphine whimpered and headed for the door as quickly as she could without running. Running was forbidden and Saraphine did not need to break any more rules today. 

        At the last moment, she looked back and her eyes met Daniel's. He offered her a weak smile through his welted lip and Saraphine's heart twisted in her chest before she rushed away. 

---

Saraphine hid on her cot, buried beneath the covers. She jumped at every sound in the crowded slave quarters. She simply knew that every new person entering was there to take her for her punishment.

        Tears had long since soaked through her feather tick pillow and her face felt raw. Saraphine felt her cot dip and she recognized her mother's touch as the woman rubbed her leg. 

        "Child, show yourself now." 

        Saraphine slowly pulled the blankets down and her heart leapt into her throat. Standing there, looking quite tense and unhappy, was the big 

red foreman, Cecil.

        There was only one reason Cecil would be in the quarters—Saraphine was to be punished. 

        She turned a wide-eyed gaze to her mama. The fear she felt intensified when she saw the woman's tight expression. She wished her mother could somehow save her from the pain that was no doubt coming.

        "Go with Mr. Cecil now, child. He's gotta have a talk with you." 

        He doesn't want to talk, mama," Saraphine whispered, clinging tight to her scratchy wool blanket. 

        "Ya gotta go now, child," her mama insisted, a shaky tremor in her voice. 

        Saraphine shook her head. "No mama... please..." 

        Her mama stood and Saraphine realized the woman's hands were shaking as she took Saraphine's hand and pulled her to her quaking legs. "Ya gotta go now, Saraphine. Rules are rules." 

        Cecil took Saraphine by the arm in a grip that was firm but not painful. Her stomach churned. Was she going to vomit?

        "Let's go now, girl. Don't make things no worse on yourself," Cecil warned. 

        Saraphine looked back toward her mama one last time but the woman was sitting upon Saraphine's cot with her face buried in her hands. 

        Cecil led Saraphine from the quarters. The night breeze blew against her cheeks, instantly drying the tears staining them. The world seemed to fade as they made their way to the small barn—the barn where punishments were given. 

        Saraphine felt the pressure of Cecil's hand on her arm. She felt the cool wind of the September night. Rocks dug into her bare feet as they walked the worn path. 

        But Saraphine felt somehow distant from it all. Fear burned in her gut and shook her bones. 

        A lantern was already lit in the barn. It cast shadows in the corners that seemed to stretch toward Saraphine—taunting her. 

        Cecil pulled a leather strap off a hook on the wall as he pushed her toward a log in the center of the room. Saraphine was terrified of the pain she knew she would soon feel but she was also relieved that he hadn't grabbed the thin whip. She had seen the damage it could do—the scars it left behind. 

        "Damn you for making me do this, girl," Cecil muttered as he pushed her down so she was laying over the log on her stomach. 

        Saraphine did not speak a word—there was nothing she could say. She bit down hard on her lip and squeezed her eyes shut tight when she felt her dress tossed up. 

        At the first impact of leather against tender, young flesh, Saraphine cried out with pain and shock. The strap continued to fall four more times and Saraphine screamed with each and every smack. 

        Finally, the blows stopped coming. 

        Saraphine's dress fell and she heard Cecil's footsteps as the man hung the strap back on its hook. Saraphine simply remained bent over the log with her eyes closed—too terrified to move, speak or even see. 

        "Missus wanted me to remind you that socializing is forbidden. Also that contact with any family member or guest on this plantation is forbidden unless instructed otherwise by Mr. or Mrs. Levenworth directly. Is that clear?" 

        Saraphine gave the smallest of nods. 

        "You are no longer needed at the house and are strictly forbidden from entering," Cecil continued. "You will report to the western cotton field at seven tomorrow morning. Got it?"

        Again Saraphine nodded.             

        With a heavy sigh, Cecil left the barn, his food steps fading into the night. Saraphine stayed there a long while with the day's events replaying over and over in her mind. 

        She had always believed that Missus truly cared for her—at least as much as anyone could care about a slave girl. She had honestly believed that Missus felt a real fondness for her. 

        But now....

        Daniel had been telling her for months but with tears staining her cheeks and her backside welted and burning, Saraphine finally realized the truth. 

        The stark, harsh reality of being owned. 

        Only the sound of snores could be heard in the quarters when Saraphine finally limped her way back. The bland bowl of potato soup beside her empty cot had long since turned cold but Saraphine didn't care. She had no appetite. 

        Slipping into bed, Saraphine was mindful of her sore backside and stretched out on her stomach in an attempt to ease some of the pain. She closed her eyes, trying hard to will sleep to come. 

        Fear for Daniel lodged itself in her heart. Was he okay?

        A gentle hand touched Saraphine's face. Saraphine's eyes flew open and met her mama's soft brown gaze, staring down at her. "My poor child. I hate to see you in pain." 

        Saraphine forced a small smile. "I'm okay, mama." 

        The faint rustling of bedcovers and the creak of a door signaled someone leaving the quarters. It was not uncommon for married couples to slip off together at night, so the sound didn't surprise Saraphine, but it did remind her that her and her mama were not alone. 

        "You shouldn't have brought that punishment on yourself," her mama scolded softly. 

        Saraphine nodded. "I know. But Daniel wanted to help and Thomas was so mean..." 

        Her mama's eyes narrowed. "You let yourself get too comfortable and forgot your place." 

        Saraphine bit her lip. "Mama, I really thought Missus liked me. I thought she cared." 

        Her mama shook her head and smoothed Saraphine's hair. "Them folks don't care about nobody like us, child. White folks don't care about colored folks and they never will."

        "You're wrong," Saraphine insisted. "Some are different. Daniel is different. He's my friend, mama." 

        Her mama's gaze turned sad. "Don't be goin' and thinkin' such fool thoughts. No person with white skin is your friend, child. We are farm equipment and cook stoves—nothin' more. We're worth a little more than a thin cow and a good deal less than a strong mule. Remember that, Saraphine." 

        Saraphine chose not to respond. She loved her mam but the woman was wrong. Daniel was different. 

        Daniel cared. 

7

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

December 1839

        Saraphine had not seen Daniel in three long months—not since the day he had fought against her owners to defend her. She knew he was gone—she simply didn't know where. 

        At first her heart had ached for her lost friend. She had spent her days glancing up from her work hoping to catch some glimpse of him—and her nights hoping she might have a surprise secret meeting from him like she had had before. 

        But those glimpses and those visits had never come. 

        As time wore on, Saraphine came to the realization that her friend was gone and she forced herself to accept it. She missed him terribly but hoped that wherever Mr. Levenworth had sent him, there would be plenty of trees to climb and no pressure to act as if he were something he wasn't. 

        As for Saraphine, life had gotten much much harder. 

        She no longer worked inside, nor did she ever have an evening of. Her every day was full of back breaking labor. 

        Today she was pulling cart full after cart full of split wood to the shed behind the house. The logs had to be split ad chopped nearly a mile from the house because the noise bothered Missus. 

        And Missus insisted that the carts be pulled by the slaves to save the mules from growing too fatigued. 

        Cart full after cart full of firewood was hoisted up by Saraphine and hauled nearly a mile to the woodshed, while a crew of ten men chopped it and five more loaded the cart. 

        There were five more men at the shed to unload and stack the firewood. It was a long and tiresome task for Saraphine and her body ached. She did not dare slow down. 

        Another white plantation hand named Horris was overseeing the work. Unlike Cecil, Horris lacked any shred of sympathy for her simply because she was a small ten-year old girl. 

        If she slowed her pace he was quick to turn heavy handed. Saraphine wanted to do her best to avoid that. 

        The only plus side to winter was the shorter days. It gave her a bit more time in the evenings to read with her mama. 

        "Alright, that's the last load for today," Horris announced when Saraphine reached the woodshed with her twentieth cart load of firewood. 

        "Am I through for the day, sir, or do you have more work for me?" Saraphine asked, hoping she was done. 

        Horris spit a long stream of tobacco, onto the tattered fabric Saraphine had tied around her feet to protect them from the cold. She clenched her fists but said nothing. 

        "I don't reckon I got anything else for you today. Not sure what they keep a worthless girl like you around for anyhow. With any luck they'll take you to the Spring auction and replace you with someone who can really work." 

        "I work," Saraphine countered. 

        The words barely had time to leave her lips before Horris struck her so roughly across the face she tasted blood. 

        The five men unloading the cart made no move to defend her. Saraphine knew they couldn't. They would be punished severely if they did—but Saraphine still felt a tickle of annoyance. 

        Daniel had once said he couldn't understand why folks allowed themselves to be treated the way colored folks were.

        Saraphine, with blood on her lip and anger in her gut, wondered the same thing. Why?

        "Get along now, girl," Horris spat. "And watch how you speak to me from now on. I'll take that whip to you, don't think I won't." 

        Saraphine tipped her head before turning and racing away. She didn't slow her pace until she was well out of Horris' sight. 

        Saraphine had changed drastically from the girl she had been just six short months ago—the girl who had cried over a dress. She no longer believed that the whites cared for her. She no longer believed that Missus was a good person and she no longer fell for the lies Missus had told her. She was not lucky. 

        No one owned was lucky. 

        Saraphine entered the slave quarters and found her mama already getting their meager supper from the large kettle in the center of the room. "Evenin' child," her mama greeted warmly. 

        Saraphine collapsed upon her cot. "Evenin' mama." 

        "You look beat, Saraphine." She wrinkled her nose. "And filthy. Go to the stream and wash up before ya eat." 

        The last thing Saraphine wanted to do was get back up but she loved her mama too much to argue. The creek was cold and Saraphine gasped as she splashed the water across her face. Her displeasure earned her glances and chuckles from other bathers. 

        "Cold enough for ya, Saraphine?" a man, she was fairly certain his name was Henry, asked. 

        Saraphine shook her head. "Warm as bathwater in July." 

        "That's the spirit," Henry agreed. 

        "That's enough chatter," Cecil scolded as he stepped past. "Missus don't want that." 

        Saraphine quickly focused her attention on cleaning her face, neck and hands. Missus had gotten stricter with her no socializing rule lately. Saraphine didn't know why the Missus seemed so worried. She'd heard whispers about a railroad to freedom—it sounded absurd to her. There was no freedom for the colored folk.  

        To ensure her rules were minded, even at night, Missus now had at least two white guards, patrolling the three slave quarter buildings from sundown to sunup. 

        "Saraphine, you'll do well to go straight to bed tonight," Cecile warned quietly as he crouched down beside her. "Horris will be guarding your quarters tonight." 

        Saraphine nodded and stood up, drying her hands on her tattered skirt. She would certainly be taking Cecil's advice. 

---

        Muffled whimpers roused Saraphine from her slumber that night. She rubbed at her tired eyes and peered through the dark toward her mama's bed. What she saw in the faint fire light glow caused her blood to freeze. 

        Horris, his thick black mustache revealing his identity even in the darkness, was on her mother's cot. His pants were pulled down and he had his hand over her mama's mouth as he thrust himself up and down on top of her. 

        Saraphine was only ten but, being raised in slave quarters with so many adults, she knew what Horris was doing to her mama. And she could tell that her mama was unwilling and doing her best to fight him off. 

        Saraphine leapt from her cot, screaming for help. She flung herself at Horris, beating him with her tiny fists. "Get off my mama!" 

        The slave quarters came to life as people were roused from sleep, but no one rushed forward to help. Horris growled and flung out his fist, catching Saraphine in the temple. 

        Her world exploded with stars, lights and pain. 

        The room spun as she fell backward, unable to stay on her feet. 

        "You stop that now!" A slave man roared, rushing forwarding and grabbing at Horris. 

        Horris rose and yanked up his pants. "You dare put your hands on me?" he demanded of the slave man. 

        The man shook his head. "You can't be doin' that to the ladies." 

        Saraphine crawled to her mama's cot. The woman was shivering and staring up at the ceiling with eyes that didn't appear to be seeing anything at all. "Mama?" Saraphine whispered as the arguing grew louder between Horris and the increasing number of slave men confronting him. 

        Two women, near her mama's age, appeared at Saraphine's side. "She'll be alright, child," one of them whispered as the other pulled a blanket over her mama. 

        "That's enough!" Cecil's voice suddenly filled the quarters, booming off the walls. 

        Saraphine saw him in the doorway with the four other white plantation hands in the Levenworth's employ. Cecil held a lantern in one hand and a whip in the other. 

        "What's going on here?" Cecil demanded. 

        Horris pointed at the slave men who had stood up to him. "These bastards attacked me. They need to be dealt with. "

        Cecil nodded and the four men flanking him gathered up the small angry group of slave men. "Take them to the barn," Cecil ordered, not needing to tell anyone which barn it was. "Wait for me." 

        The men were led away and Cecil shook his head. "Everyone back to sleep unless you want to make a trip out to the barn with the others," he warned. 

        The two women beside Saraphine quickly went back to their cots, as did the rest of the slaves in the quarters. Saraphine remained at her mama's side, keeping herself between Horris and her mama. 

        Cecil stepped forward, his hard gaze focused on Horris. "What happened here?"

        "That negro bitch attacked me," Horris growled, pointing down at Saraphine. 

        "You were attacking my mama!" Saraphine countered. "You were forcing her!" 

        Cecil's jaw tightened. "Hush girl," he warned. "Horris, did you attack the woman?"

        Horris sneered. "That's ain't a woman, it's a negro. Why the hell does it matter?"

        Saraphine's temper overrode her good sense. With hatred for Horris burning a hole in her gut, Saraphine swung her fist and caught him hard in the groin. 

        Horris gasped, clutched at himself and cursed loudly. He reached an angry hand toward Saraphine but Cecil stepped between them. "Laying with the slaves is forbidden and you damn well know that." 

        Cecil glanced at Saraphine and his gaze narrowed further when it paused momentarily on her temple which was still throbbing from Horris' punch. 

        "No one cares," Horris assured Cecil as he slowly rose back to his full height and a bit of his color returned. 

        Cecil shook his head. "Let's head up to the house. We'll see what Mr. and Mrs. Levenworth have to say." 

        Horris blanched. "Dammit, Cecil, they're just slaves!" 

        "The boss's slaves," Cecil agreed. "What they say goes." 

        Cecil motioned for Saraphine. "You come on with us. You can tell them exactly what happened." 

        "I don't want to leave my mama," Saraphine countered. 

        Cecil nodded. "You'll come because I said so." 

        Saraphine glanced down at her mama who was still simply staring and shaking. She would go and she would tell the Missus exactly what kind of man Horris was. She had to do it, no matter how frightened she was. She had to help her mama.

2D<�t���,

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Saraphine was terrified and her trembling legs were proof of that. She stayed close to Cecil as he led the way into the plantation house. Horris’ eyes had been burning holes into her the entire walk and Saraphine prayed that his time had finally come and he would no longer be such a threat.

        Cecil brought them to a stop in the foyer and yanked on the chain to ring the bell that hung there. That bell would be loud enough to wake the Levenworth's and it was the rule for contacting them. It was forbidden for anyone to go traipsing through the home unless previously told to do so. 

        Saraphine hoped her knocking knees weren't loud enough to be heard by the naked ear as she stood there between the two men. 

        "What is the meaning of this? It is three in the morning!" Mr. Levenworth demanded as he came down the wide staircase in his housecoat. Missus was close behind him with curlers in her dark hair. 

        "I apologize," Cecil assured them. "We've had an issue in the slave quarters." 

        "An issue?" Mr. Levenworth asked, his arched brow raising. 

        "Saraphine?" Missus stepped around her husband and stopped in front of the quaking girl. Her fingertips passed over her welted temple and her split lip—both evidence of Horris' abuse. 

        Icy blue eyes locked on Cecil and Horris. "Who has been manhandling my property?"

        The words stung and that surprised Saraphine. She hadn't realized that deep down a piece of her still longed for Missus to truly care about her. But Saraphine was nothing but property in the woman's eyes. Worth a little more than a thin cow but far less than a strong mule. 

        Cecil cleared his throat. "That's why I woke you, ma'am. It has come to my attention that Horris has been forcing himself on the slaves." 

        True horror widened Missus' eyes as she covered her chest with her hand. "But she's only a child!" 

        Horris shook his head quickly. "I ain't laid one hand on her except when she gets out of line." 

        "Then who are you forcing?" Mr. Levenworth questioned. 

        "I caught him forcing my mama," Saraphine announced. 

        "And the damn girl attacked me!" Horris was quick to add. 

        Mr. Levenworth yawned loudly. "Can you handle this, dear?" he asked his wife. "I have an early meeting in the morning." 

        "Of course, dear," Mrs. Levenworth agreed. 

        Mr. Levenworth left the foyer and Missus folded her hands in front of her. "Horris, why does it appear that my slave has taken a beating?" she asked curtly. 

        Horris cleared his throat. "She speaks out of turn and I have to control her—and the damn girl attacked me so I defended myself!" 

        Missus sneered. "Are you so defenseless and weak that a small girl poses such a large threat?"

        Horris' face reddened. "I won't tolerate her behavior." 

        "What will and will not be tolerated on this plantation is not up to you. You are only permitted to strike my slaves without mine or my husband's order if they are refusing to work." She turned her attention to Cecil. "Does this slave shirk her duties?"

        "Not that I've ever seen, ma'am. Saraphine is one of the hardest workers this plantation has and the girl rarely offers a single word of complaint." 

        Saraphine wondered why Cecil's words filled her with pride. 

        "The damned girl attacked me!" Horris bellowed. 

        "Because you were raping her mother!" Cecil snapped, his red complexion darkening. "Forcing any woman, even a slave woman is wrong. And it's only natural for a child to try to defend their parent." 

        "On that matter we are in agreement, Cecil." Missus announced, silencing the arguing men. "Now listen closely. No white person need lay with a colored willingly or unwillingly on my plantation. It is forbidden and I will not tolerate it. Imagine if you were to get one with child and we had mixed children running all over the place." Missus shivered. "I can only imagine the scandal." 

        "Then what the hell am I to do to pass the night?" Horris grumbled. 

        "Take up knitting," Cecil growled. 

         "Now," Missus continued after clearing her throat loudly and tugging at the lace collar of her nightdress. "Slaves are not to be punished at your every whim and fancy. What good is my work force if they are beaten and bloodied? Only for refusal to work can you punish them and then it is only one lashing for each refusal. All other complaints you have must be brought to my attention and I will decide the best course of action. Understood?" 

        Horris was shaking with anger as he glared at Saraphine. "Understood." 

        "Good." Missus waved her hand. "You can go now, Horris and Cecil..." 

        "There is one more issue," Cecil quickly spoke up. 

        Missus sighed. "I'm quite tired," she stated, her every word dripping with annoyance. 

        Cecil tipped his head. "I understand and I apologize but during the attack on Saraphine and her mama, several of the slave men rebelled against Horris and attempted to fight him." 

        Missus rubbed at her jaw a moment before responding. "Two lashings a piece. I don't want them punished so severely they are unable to work tomorrow but they also need to be reminded of their place." 

        Cecil didn't appear pleased but he nodded and offered a tight, '

yes ma’am.’

“And Horris?” Missus called as the men began to walk away. “You are to return to your bunk and have no part in the punishment. Understood?”

        "Yes ma'am," he hissed through clenched teeth. 

        "Saraphine, you'll stay here," Missus announced. "We need to speak." 

        Saraphine wanted to return to her mama but she knew better than to argue. When she was alone with Missus, the woman let out a long sigh. "I had hoped you would have learned your lesson by now." 

        Saraphine frowned. "He was hurting my mama, Missus. I was only defending her." 

        Missus nodded. "And that alone is the reason I chose not to punish you. I am not a woman completely devoid of emotion and I understand the vulnerability that comes with being a woman. But, Saraphine, you must learn to bite your tongue and show obedience." 

        "Yes Missus." 

        "Just what is the issue between yourself and Horris? He seems to dislike you strongly and yet I've had no other complaints from anyone else where you're concerned." 

        Saraphine nibbled at her lip. "May I speak truthfully, Missus?"

        "Please do," Missus replied, inclining her head. 

        "Mr. Horris is a mean, cruel, hate-filled man who loves nothing more than to use a young girl to make himself feel tough." 

        The smallest twitch tugged at the corners of Missus' mouth. "And I will venture to guess that you've told him as much?"

        Saraphine felt her cheeks heat. "I try not to, Missus." 

        "I want to let you know that we will be ending Horris' employ here tomorrow. I do not want him working on my plantation any longer. He is a liability and does not take well to authority." 

        Saraphine nodded and offered a polite, 

thank you. Inside, however, she was not pleased. Ending his employ did not seem a fitting punishment after what the man had done to her mama.

        "I want you to report to the house tomorrow for work. I trust you will be more well-behaved, especially with the bad influence gone from here." 

        Saraphine knew Missus meant Daniel. She longed to ask about him but knew better than to actually do so. "Yes, Missus. Thank you." 

        "Go get some sleep now, Saraphine." She patted her head. "I expect you to be in the kitchen no later than seven." 

        Saraphine offered one last polite nod before heading out into the darkness. 

        She felt as if she were being watched as she walked through the oppressive blackness of night alone. Chill bumps raised on her arms and the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood up. 

        A man stepped out of the shadowed bushes and Saraphine let out a shocked yelp before realizing it was Cecil. 

        He held up his hands. "I didn't mean to scare you, girl," he apologized. "I figured you could use some company on your way back so I waited for you. It might not be so safe for you to be wondering about alone just now." 

        His kindness surprised Saraphine. "Thank you." 

        "Yep." 

        They walked to the quarters in silence and Saraphine saw him head toward 

the barn . Quickly she ducked inside the quarters and wasted no time in finding her mama’s cot.

        The woman was still shaking but her eyes were closed now and she seemed to be asleep. "I love you, mama," Saraphine whispered, smoothing her graying hair from her face and kissing her cheek. 

        Her mama let out a fearful whimper. Saraphine pulled her covers up higher and went to her own cot. Her mama was a strong woman. After a bit of rest, she would be back to her old self. 

        Saraphine curled up on her cot, doubting that sleep would come to her again tonight. Tomorrow would be the start of new and hopefully better times. 

        She was beginning to think she may have a friend in Cecil, Horris was going to be gone, Missus seemed to have forgiven her and she would longer have to toil so tirelessly outside. 

        Saraphine nodded. Life would get better. She had to believe that. 

        Keeping one eye on her mama, Saraphine decided that it probably was not safe to sleep tonight. Horris wasn't gone yet and she needed to be able to protect her mama if the man came back.

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

April 1840

        Sadness seemed to have become a constant state of mind for Saraphine. Her days were full of taunts and teases from Ellen and Thomas while her every moment was filled with worry over her mama. 

        It had been four months since her mama had been attacked by Horris and she still was not the woman she had once been. There was no more soft humming while Saraphine readied herself. Braids no longer adorned Saraphine's hair

. Her food was no longer waiting when she woke in the mornings and she no longer woke to her mama’s gentle voice.

        Something inside the woman Saraphine loved so dearly had been broken. 

        She only ate when Saraphine fed her, never spoke and never seemed to be seeing her daughter at all when Saraphine looked in her eyes. Her mama had been whipped day after day for a long while because she had begun to fail in her work. She had become prone to simply stare off into the distance for hours on end and accomplish nothing. 

        Saraphine had also been forced to watch in absolute horror when her mama had once been tied to a tree in the cold winter air when the whippings did not seem to be working. 

        Horris might have been gone from the plantation but her mama had not been saved. Saraphine wondered if her dear, sweet mama would ever return to her. 

        The birds were singing outside and Saraphine took a moment to attempt to enjoy their songs. Today was her birthday and she mused that perhaps they were singing those songs just for her. She turned eleven years old today and yet no one seemed to know or care. 

        Even her poor mama seemed to have forgotten. 

        Saraphine hadn't forgotten however and she was determined to have the best day that she could. 

        That thought no sooner crossed her mind then Saraphine noticed the large wagon being readied and it dawned on her what time of year it was. 

        The auctions. 

        Saraphine glanced down the path she had just traveled and saw Mr. Levenworth leading a large group of slaves that would be bound for auction this year. 

        Saraphine's heart ached when she recognized many of the faces among them—faces that would never again be seen on the plantation. 

        Many were either very young or too old to be of much use. Some of the elderly women held young babes, barely old enough to be weaned from their mama's. Saraphine knew they had been ripped from their mother's arms—she had seen it happen before. 

        Missus often spoke of how blessed Saraphine was to have been allowed to remain with her mama—on that count she was forced to agree with the woman. But Missus also said that the female slaves were blessed because they were given one full day with no work to mourn their lost children. 

        Saraphine disagreed with Missus about that. No one who lost someone they loved in such a callous manner was blessed. 

        Saraphine noticed a man, still of good working age, among the group. He had been kicked by a mule several weeks before and lost the use of his right arm. That meant he had to go. Saraphine would miss the pleasant singing he had often filled the evenings with. 

        Saraphine was about to head into the Plantation house to begin her duties when a figure in the crowd caught her eye. 

        She froze and blinked several times; certain that her eyes were playing tricks on her. There in the group of slaves bound for auction, walked her dear mama. 

        No. It couldn't be! There had to be a mistake!

        Saraphine cried out and ran toward the group. Her brown eyes were full of tears and her blurry vision had her tripping on a rock. Saraphine began to fall but a set of strong arms caught her. 

        "What the hell are you doin', girl?" Cecil demanded, setting her steady on her feet. 

        "My mama!" Saraphine exclaimed. "Why is my mama there?" 

        Saraphine's heart broke when her mama did not even glance her way. 

        "I'm sure you have work to do," Mr. Levenworth warned. "I suggest you go do it and stop slowing down our duties." 

        "But, Mr. Levenworth!" Saraphine exclaimed, attempting to free herself from Cecil's grip. 

        "Saraphine, go on now," Cecil warned. 

        "No!" Saraphine snapped, stomping her foot. "Mr. Levenworth, you can't take my mama away!" 

        "I'm taking every slave on my list. One more outburst from you and I'll have you punished." 

        "Go on, Saraphine. Don't make me have to do that again," Cecil hissed in her ear. 

        "Mr. Levenworth please wait. Missus will...." 

        "My wife wrote the list herself," Mr. Levenworth grumbled. "Now let us get on with our work." 

        "Please..." Saraphine whispered, squirming out of Cecil's grasp. "Please, let me speak with Missus..." 

        Saraphine raced away, running up the wide steps and into the plantation house. She dashed up the staircase and rounded a corner, colliding with Missus—nearly toppling them both to the ground. 

        Missus grabbed the wall to steady herself. "What is the meaning of this?" she demanded breathlessly. 

        Saraphine swiped at her tear soaked face. "Missus, please help. They are taking my mama away to auction. Please tell them they've made a mistake." 

        Missus stood straight and fussed with her hair. "There has been no mistake, Saraphine. Your mother is indeed bound for auction." 

        The words were spoken coldly without a hint of remorse.

        Saraphine's cracking heart, shattered apart as if made of glass. "Please Missus... not my mama..." 

        Missus shook her head and squared her shoulders. "Grow up, Saraphine. You are hardly a baby any longer. The decision has been made. I am running a business, Saraphine. Your mother is no longer an asset to this plantation and therefore her time here is done." 

        Saraphine drew in a shuddering gasp. "Missus, please. She only needs more time..." 

        Missus' blue eyes narrowed. "I have no time for her dramatics. You are forgetting your place, girl. I am not running a charity. If a slave is not useful, I will not waste a cot and food on them. You will go begin your days work now and not waste any more of my time with this foolishness." 

        Saraphine filled with a desperate sadness and rage like she had never known before. "No!" she screamed. "You will not take my mother away!" 

        Missus' eyes widened with shock and her face paled. "You dare speak to me that way?" she demanded, just before her hand fell sharply across Saraphine's face. 

        Losing all control of herself, Saraphine struck back, catching Missus in the jaw. Missus let out a shriek that was more animal than human. She grabbed Saraphine by the hair and dragged her down the stairs and out the door. 

        "Cecil!" she exclaimed. 

        The red man jogged over and Saraphine felt herself tossed against him. "Ten lashings!" Missus hissed, her fingertips lightly touching her red jaw. 

        "Lashings?" Cecil asked hesitantly.       

        Saraphine's heart raced as Cecil held her arm in a tight yet pain free grasp. She didn't want lashings! Lashings left behind terrible scars. 

        It was her birthday! She shouldn't be losing her mama. How could Missus be so cruel? After everything Saraphine and her mama had done for the plantation how could Missus simply throw her mama out like trash? How could she tell Saraphine to simply get over it and go back to work?

        Missus was a monster. 

        Cecil simply stood there as if giving Missus time to reconsider. 

        Slowly, Missus' breathing slowed and she stared down at Saraphine who trembled against Cecil. "No. No lashings. If Saraphine wants time to mourn her worthless mother, then she will have it." 

        Saraphine tensed at the insult toward her mama but before she could speak, Cecil's grip tightened—warning her against it. 

        "Should I take her back to the quarters?" Cecil asked. 

        "No." The coldness in Missus' gaze frightened Saraphine more badly than anything ever had before. "She can mourn in isolation. A couple of days in chains should be enough to teach her respect." 

        Saraphine swallowed hard. She had heard of isolation punishments before but did not truly know what they were. It seemed she was about to find out. 

        Cecil nodded to Missus and led Saraphine away. Over her shoulder, Saraphine watched her mama be loaded into the back of the crowded wagon. Fresh tears poured down her cheeks. When slaves went to auction they never returned. 

        Saraphine would never see her mama again and she never even got to say goodbye. 

        Cecil was silent as he led Saraphine to 

the barn . Saraphine’s hands shook as he opened a creaking door in the barn floor and pointed at a set of rickety steps. “After you.”

        Saraphine's lips trembled. She hated the dark—was afraid of it—and yet she could not see that she had a choice in the matter. Slowly she descended into the darkness, keeping one hand on a mold covered wall for support. 

        Once her feet touched solid ground, Saraphine squeezed her eyes shut tight and waited. Cecil's footsteps were deafening in the silence. 

        A match was struck just before lantern light brightened Saraphine's eyelids. She opened her eyes then and immediately wished she hadn't. Bugs scurried across the dirt floor and mold covered walls, desperate to hide from the sudden light. 

        The room was small—only a few feet in either direction and the ceiling was so low, Cecil was practically bent in half. He pointed to a set of shackles hooked to the wall. "Put your wrists in them, girl." 

        Saraphine offered no fight or argument. She did not blame Cecil. He was merely following the rules. Saraphine had brought this punishment on herself and she would accept it without complaint—no matter how terrified she was. 

        Once her wrists were locked in, Cecil rubbed at his neck and pulled his canteen from his belt. "I'm not supposed to give you food or water but I can't leave you without something to drink—I just can't." 

        Saraphine took the offered canteen from his large, calloused hand. "Thank you," she whispered hoarsely. 

        "Our secret," he offered sadly. "I'm sorry about your mama, Saraphine. It ain't right for Missus to sell her and blame you for being so upset." 

        Saraphine blinked back more tears. "Do you have to take the lantern?" 

        Cecil nodded. "I do. Just remember, there's nothing down here that can hurt you." 

        Saraphine swallowed hard, chewed her lip and prayed he was right. 

        Cecil crouched lower and laid a gentle hand on Saraphine's cheek, surprising her with the tenderness in his brown eyes. "You're a strong young woman, Sarpahine. It's time to be strong now. I'll let you out as soon as I can." 

        With that, Cecil turned, grabbed the lantern, walked back up the steps and closed the door, leaving Saraphine engulfed in darkness. 

        Trembling, she sat on the cold, damp ground. The air was musty and it took her breath. More than once Saraphine nearly screamed when she felt tiny legs scurry across her. 

        Once again, she began to cry. 

        Thoughts of her mama filled her mind. Quietly, Saraphine began to hum. The tune had no words that Saraphine knew of and yet the soothing melody had always calmed her. 

        Now it overwhelmed her with sadness.

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

July 4th 1840

        One year. One year had passed since that night Saraphine had been reduced to tears over a dress. She was amazed at the difference that year had made. 

        Though Saraphine was only eleven, she was no longer a child. 

        She had thoroughly learned her place, and while not happy with it, she forced herself to accept it. Head down, work hard, and mind the rules. 

        It was early morning but already the heat was nearly unbearable. Saraphine knew her day would be sweltering as she worked in the kitchens, preparing the feast for tonight.

        Saraphine sighed. At least her evening would be easy. Missus had told her she could have it off because she had been working so hard and remembering her place lately—Saraphine honestly thought it was probably because Missus didn't want to risk Saraphine being around the guests and losing her temper. 

        Saraphine stepped out the back kitchen doors on her way to get potatoes from the cellar. The sound of wagon wheels reached her ears and Saraphine frowned. It was too early for guests. 

        Stepping around the house, Saraphine walked past a row of hedges and gasped. 

        Daniel!

        He was one year older, had grown a foot and was dressed quite fancily with his dark hair slicked back but Saraphine would recognize her friend anywhere.  

        She stood there unable to wipe the happy smile from her face as he walked toward her. Their eyes met and then, without a single word, Daniel looked away and walked past, disappearing into the plantation house as the wagon pulled away. 

        Disappointment and pain lodged themselves in Saraphine's heart. She remembered her mama's words of warning so long ago. Daniel didn't care. Colored people meant nothing to whites. Her best friend was not truly her friend at all. 

        Saraphine had no friends—not a soul to confide in. Her pain and her frustrations remained forever locked inside. The rules made it nearly impossible to form friendships and the fear made it harder. How could Saraphine form a friendship with a fellow slave when the next auction could rip them apart?

        Hardening her heart and swallowing her disappointment, Saraphine went back to gathering the potatoes. Missus would not tolerate a late meal. 

---

That evening, after darkness had fallen, Saraphine once again found herself out back, just over the rise, sitting against the old oak tree.

        The moonlight fell softly against the long grass and music from the party below floated up to her hiding place. Saraphine could see the glow of the party lights and thought of how beautiful it all must be. 

        Despite the lessons Saraphine had learned in the last year, she still found herself longing to slip on a silk dress and twirl beneath the tents in candlelight. Closing her eyes, Saraphine found herself humming her mama's tune. 

        "That's real pretty, Saraphine." 

        Saraphine stopped humming as her eyes flew open. Daniel stood before her with two plates of food from the party in his hands. His slicked back hair had been mussed and was once again wild atop his head. He had lost his velvet jacket and vest and untucked his white shirt so it hung nearly to his knees. 

        Daniel stopped a few feet away and rocked back on his bare heels. Without a word, Saraphine stood and turned to leave. "Hey, where ya goin'?" Daniel exclaimed. 

        Saraphine chewed her lip as she turned slowly and looked into his gray eyes—eyes that had looked right through her that morning. 

        "We're not friends, Daniel. I'm a slave and you're one of them." 

        Daniel sat the plates down in the grass and frowned. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? You're the only damned friend I got and I ain't like those people." 

        Saraphine wanted to cry but would not allow herself to do so. "I saw you this morning...." 

        He gave a guilty nod and ran a hand through his thick hair. "I know. I wanted to give you a big ol' hug and run off into the hills so we could talk but I couldn't, Saraphine. They sent me to a school to teach me manners and something called etiquette." Daniel snorted. "Just a fancy word for havin' a stick up your ass if you ask me." 

        Saraphine found herself smiling. Daniel certainly had a way with words. 

        "I worked real hard to make them think I was a changed and refined person. And, if you want me to stay around, I gotta make them keep believin' it. Okay?"

        Saraphine nodded. She understood why he had to act as if she didn't matter—but it still hurt. 

        Daniel grinned, his smile seeming to take up half his face. He rushed forward and wrapped her in a tight embrace. Saraphine was shocked by the show of affection. Never had anyone other than her mama hugged her. She had certainly never imagined a white person would find her worthy of such an embrace. 

        Saraphine returned the hug and felt such a surprising moment of peace wash over her. It was almost as if the bad of the last year washed away.

        Daniel pulled away and cleared his throat as he patted awkwardly at his thighs. "How've ya been, Saraphine?"

        Saraphine opened her mouth to speak but suddenly every bit of her sadness came rushing back. It overwhelmed her, stole her breath and she became powerless against her tears. Sobs wracked her tiny frame and her breaths were shuddering gasps. 

        Never in all her life had Saraphine wept so violently. 

        Daniel appeared horrified a moment before swooping in and pulling Saraphine against his chest. He led her to the tree and sat down, leaning his back against the trunk. 

        Saraphine sat beside him with her head on his chest and her tears soaking his dress shirt. Daniel said nothing. He simply caressed her hair and let her weep. They stayed that way a long while. 

As Saraphine’s tears ran out of steam, Daniel sighed. “Do you want to tell me about it?”

“They took my mama away, Daniel. They took her to auction and never even let me say goodbye.”

“I’m sorry, Saraphine. I hate those people. I’m damned ashamed to call them family.”

“Why did you come back then? Couldn’t you have stayed away and been free of them all?” Saraphine asked as she raised her head and blinked up at him.

Daniel nodded. “I could have but my friend was here. I couldn’t very well leave you behind.”

Saraphine stared at him with shock as he simply smiled. “Daniel, I’m not worth that!”

Temper flashed in his gray eyes. “Sure you are.” Saraphine shook her head and Daniel sighed. “One day you’ll see that I’m right.”

Saraphine said nothing. Daniel pointed toward the plates he’d sat down. “Go get our food and you can fill me in on everything I missed.”

As they dined on food that Saraphine savored each and every delicious bite of, she began to recount the last ten months that Daniel had been gone. She told him about the beatings, the abuse from Horris, Horris’ attack on her mama, watching her mama slip further and further away unable to reach her. She told him about the day her mama had left, the way she’d fought with Missus and those terrible dark days in isolation.

When she finally finished, Daniel sat his half-eaten plate away. “Damn Saraphine,” he muttered. “I’m real sorry.”

Saraphine shrugged. “I brought most of it on myself. I forget my place when my temper raises.”

Daniel snorted. “Your place? Your place is so high above those damn folks in there you might as well be walkin’ on the clouds.”

Saraphine smiled. Daniel was still a dreamer. That much hadn’t changed.

“Don’t get hurt if I have to walk past you sometimes, Saraphine. I have to make them think I’ve changed.”

        He reached out and took her hand. Saraphine studied the stark contrast of her dark skin against the paleness of his. 

        "I gotta try to make them happy so I never have to leave you again." 

x2��s�P�

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

April 1841

Life had definitely gotten better since Daniel’s return. Not easier—Missus still seemed to enjoy slapping her, Ellen had taken to yanking her hair and Thomas enjoyed making messes in rooms she had just cleaned.

        No life wasn't easier, but it was better. 

        Daniel was back and the two never went more than a week without sneaking off together—if only for several moments—to enjoy their time together away from it all. 

        His friendship was the greatest gift that Saraphine had ever received. He taught her for the first time what it meant to be truly blessed. 

        And today Saraphine turned twelve years old. Another birthday had arrived. This year Saraphine had no preconceived hopes that her day would be a good one. 

        She was a slave—birthdays were unimportant. Saraphine stepped out of the quarters and was stopped almost instantly by Cecil. 

        Fear swept through her. Where they preparing slaves for auction? Had her time come? She had done her best to give the Levenworth's no reason to want her gone. She didn't want to leave Daniel!

        "Don't be afraid of me, girl," Cecil mumbled, appearing truly bothered by her reaction. 

        Saraphine let out her fear in a rush of breath. "I was supposed to have laundry duty today. Has Missus changed her mind?" 

        Cecil smiled. "You could say that. You're terribly sick today, Saraphine. Headache and vomiting—it might even be dysentery. You are to stay away from the house and keep your illness to yourself. She said she's feeling generous so you are allowed to have the entire day to rest." 

        Saraphine frowned. "But I'm not ill. I feel just fine." 

        "That's not the report I gave her." Cecil winked. "Happy birthday, Saraphine." 

        Saraphine smiled and felt her fondness for the giant red-haired man grow. "Thank you, Mr. Cecil." 

        Cecil nodded and began to walk away, turning back after several steps. "The pond in the southeast field is gonna be a quiet spot all day. Might be a good place to rest. I hear fourteen- year old boys like to spend time there." 

        Saraphine nodded her understanding and didn't waste another moment before racing away, leaving Cecil and several slaves chuckling in her wake. Sarpahine's lungs were burning and her legs weakening when she finally reached the pond. 

        Daniel was there and waiting on her beside a large wicker basket. He smiled his charming, face splitting smile and rocked back on his bare heels. "Happy birthday, Saraphine!"

        Saraphine smiled as she leaned against a boulder and attempted to catch her breath. "Have you been plotting with Cecil?" 

        Daniel winked before tossing a handful of pebbles into the pond. "I might have been. We may have worked things out together." 

        "And were exactly does Missus think you are today?"

        Daniel snorted. "As long as I'm out of her hair, she doesn't care. Thomas is going to Savannah with Mr. Levenworth while Ellen and my aunt are knee deep in fabric swatches picking out the one they want for Ellen to wear to the spring dance in a couple of weeks." Daniel shrugged. "They don't care one bit where I'm at." 

        "Good." Saraphine put her hands on her hips. "That means we can relax all day." 

        Her gaze went to the wicker basket. "What did you bring?" 

        Daniel quickly stood in front of the basket as if guarding Saraphine from it. "Just a few things." 

        Saraphine frowned. "What kinds of things? Did you bring me house food?" she asked hopefully. 

        "Of course," Daniel replied with a roll of his gray eyes. "Don't I always bring you food?" 

        Saraphine smiled. It was true. Daniel always brought her food. She had put some weight onto her skinny frame and grown quite spoiled. "So what else is in there? What are you hiding from me?" 

        Daniel's cheeks colored. "Well, it is your birthday so I wanted to get you something." 

        Saraphine blinked several times. Get her something? She had heard Ellen and Thomas boast about receiving gifts for birthdays but Saraphine had never in her life gotten one. 

        Tears of joy filled her eyes and she fought them back desperately. Daniel shrugged. "It's nothin' much. Don't go getting' too excited or you'll end up disappointed." 

        Saraphine shook her head. "I won't be disappointed. I promise. I've never gotten a birthday present before." 

        Daniel's brow wrinkled up beneath his messy hair. "Never?"

        "Never." 

        "Well maybe you'll be happy then." Daniel opened the top flap of the basket and pulled out something wrapped in brown paper and all tied up with a burlap bow. 

        Saraphine took the gift in trembling hands. "What is it?" she questioned, testing the light weight in her hands. 

        Daniel shifted from foot to foot impatiently. "You've gotta open it and see!" he urged. Saraphine tugged on the bow and it fell away, fluttering in the breeze. 

        Slowly, Saraphine peeled back the paper and pulled out the feed sack dress within. It was plain, simply made and yet so much nicer than any she had owned before simply because it was a gift from Daniel—her first birthday gift. 

        "I hope you like it. I paid a slave lady five cookies to make it. Look inside," he urged. 

        Saraphine slipped her fingertips inside the dress and froze. Tears she couldn't fight sprang into her eyes and slipped down her cheeks. Inside the dress, hidden from view and yet in the perfect position to lay against her skin was silk lining. 

        Saraphine was holding a silk-lied feed sack dress in her hands. 

        "Hell Saraphine, you're supposed to be happy," Daniel grumbled as he pulled a bandana from his pocket and dried her face. 

        Saraphine held the dress tight and stared at him with wide eyes. "How did you do this?"

        Daniel grinned. "Like I said, I paid one salve woman five cookies to sew the feed sack dress and then I swiped some silk from my aunt's sewing room and apid another slave half a pie to line the dress." 

        "You stole from Missus?" Saraphine demanded, certain the boy had lost his mind. 

        "Relax," Daniel chuckled. "It was in her scrap pile to be burned. She'll never miss it." 

        Saraphine once again dropped her gaze to the dark blue silk inside the dress. It truly was beautiful. Saraphine knew it was wrong but she couldn't wait to wear it. 

        Daniel picked a yellow dandelion and smeared the colorful petals down his arm. "You've always wanted to wear a silk dress—I figured this was the next best thing." 

        Saraphine shook her head and threw her arms around his neck. "It's better." 

        Daniel rubbed her back and slowly pulled away. "What do ya say we eat a bite and then do whatever you wanna do? It's your birthday, after all." 

        The day passed far too quickly as far as Saraphine was concerned. She and Daniel talked and laughed. For the first time in her life, Saraphine chased butterflies and made a crown out of wildflowers. 

        There was no work to do, no rules to follow and Saraphine had never been happier. For the first time in her life, Saraphine was having a taste of what it felt to be free. 

        As evening approached, the magic of the day began to fade as reality approached. Saraphine knew she needed to be getting back to the quarters and Daniel would be expected at dinner in the plantation house. 

        "Have you had a good birthday, Saraphine?" 

        Saraphine smiled and took Daniel's hand in hers. "I've never had a better one." 

        Color rose on Daniel's cheeks and Saraphine was shocked when he leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I'm glad," he admitted. 

        As they went about packing the mess back into the basket, Saraphine found herself drawn to her new dress which was folded neatly and laying upon a rock. 

        She needed to put it on now. She didn't want to risk doing so at the quarters and having the wrong eyes fall upon the silk inside. 

        "Daniel, keep watch." 

        "What are ya doin'?"

        Saraphine picked up the dress, cradling it to her chest. "I'm going to change into my new dress." 

        Daniel nodded and turned his back, scanning the horizon with his hands in his pockets. Saraphine stepped behind a tree to allow herself a bit of privacy. She slid off her old tattered dress and glanced down at herself. 

        Her body had begun to change lately. It was losing its childlike appearance and growing into the shape of a woman's body. She had desperately needed her mother just a few short months ago when she had started her womanly courses. 

        Saraphine had been terrified but another woman had explained things to her and taught her how to take care of herself. Saraphine did not want to grow up. She was terrified of being a slave woman—of having her children ripped from her arms. 

        "You okay back there?" Daniel's voice pulled Saraphine from her thoughts. 

        "Yes. I'm just fine." 

        Quickly, Saraphine slipped the silk lined dress over her body. It honestly felt like heaven against her skin. She twirled several times as her laughter floated on the breeze. 

        This dress was forbidden, it was sinful and she was a slave unworthy of wearing silk. But Saraphine would part with her life before she would part with her new dress. 

        "That looks real pretty, Saraphine." 

        Saraphine looked up at her smiling friend who had just stepped around the tree. "Thank you, Daniel." 

        She threw her arms around the taller boy's neck. Daniel hugged her back and Saraphine felt her cheeks heat when his lips pressed against her hair. "We gotta head back now," Daniel urged, his voice heavy with regret. 

        Saraphine nodded. "Thank you for today." 

        Daniel pulled away and stared down into her eyes. "I wish I could give you more, Saraphine. I wish I could take you away from here." 

        Saraphine smiled up at him. He was a dreamer but his dreams were nice. 

        Hand in hand they headed back toward home each knowing they had to go back to being strangers but neither willing to let go of their dream of freedom just yet. 

^\

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

June 1841

Saraphine rose from the bed and quickly gobbled down her runny oats. She had a busy day today—and a hard one. Today she was helping to start remodeling Ellen’s bedroom.

        The other girl was fourteen and had tired of having a bedroom abundant with pink and frills. She had insisted that she wanted a bedroom full of as much sophistication and class as she herself possessed. 

        Daniel had snickered while muttering something about a pig's backside and earned himself a sharp smack to the head and a tongue lashing from Missus. 

        Saraphine made her way down the path to the plantation house aware of the slaves heading out in big groups to begin their work in the fields; tending the cotton and other crops. 

        Saraphine was certainly glad she wasn't among them. She would rather deal with a day full of Ellen than a day in the sweltering sun and heat. 

        She made her way into the house and stood in the foyer, wondering where Missus would want her. Should she head up to Ellen's room with escort or instruction? 

        As if her thoughts had beckoned the woman, Missus breezed past and motioned for Saraphine to follow her. Staying only a few steps behind, Saraphine walked into the library and found Ellen, Thomas and Daniel studying with the tutor. 

        "May I interrupt?" Missus called. 

        Daniel's gray eyes instantly found Saraphine and she caught the smile that curved his lips before he quickly averted his gaze. Saraphine no longer felt the sting of the cold when he was forced to ignore her—she had silk fabric against her skin to remind her that Daniel cared. 

        "We were about to start on our history lessons," the tutor, Miss Perkins, announced shoving her dainty glasses up on her nose. 

        Saraphine missed the lessons she used to receive. Those had ended the night Thomas and Daniel had brawled in the Great Room over two years ago. 

        "I won't bother you long," Missus assured the curt woman politely. "I merely wanted to inform Ellen that we will be starting on her room today and she is to report to the sewing room after her studies to finish picking the fabric for her new curtains." 

        Ellen smiled, her porcelain skin flawless against her pink lips. "Thank you, mama." She wrinkled her nose at Saraphine. "I don't want the salve touching my nice dresses." 

        Saraphine struggled to keep her eyes from rolling. Who did the ignorant, spoiled princess think kept her pretty dresses so nice? 

        "Your dresses will be fine, dear," Missus promised. 

        "Don't let that negro put her smell on them," Thomas warned. "They always stink and she'd stain them up with that dirty dark skin." 

        Saraphine felt her fists clench but she breathed deep through her nose to steady her temper. Sparing a glance at Daniel, Saraphine realized the boy was barely holding on to his own temper. He was glaring at his cousin with narrowed eyes, his shoulders were squared and his nostrils flared. Saraphine worried he was mere seconds away from leaping across the table. 

        "Thomas?" Missus quickly snapped. "I do not like it when you speak that way. A gentleman of your breeding should never lower himself by using words such as '

negro’ .“

        Thomas glared at Saraphine as if she were to blame for his scolding. "Yes, mama." 

        "I will allow you to get back to your schooling," Missus informed Miss Perkins before ushering Saraphine from the room. 

        Saraphine followed her down a long corridor, coming to a brown door delicately adorned with golden filigree. 

        Stepping into the heavily decorated, bursting at the seams room told Saraphine that she most certainly had her work cut out for her. "Okay, Saraphine. First step for you to complete is to empty the wardrobes and the chests of drawers. You can use the cart in the hall closet to take them to the spare study. Lay them neatly. I don't want to see a single wrinkle." 

        "Yes Missus." 

        "Once that is complete, you can use the cart to relocate all her baubles and belongings to the spare study as well." 

        "Yes Missus." 

        Missus' icy blue eyes became stern. "It is very important that you are careful in handling my daughter's things. Any damage done to them will result in stern punishment." 

        Saraphine nodded. "Yes Missus." 

        Missus' bejeweled hand patted Saraphine's head. "Good girl. When you finish, send Cecil or one of the other foremen after four slave men to aid in moving the furniture." 

        "Yes Missus." Saraphine repeated. 

        Missus nodded once before breezing away. Saraphine glanced around the room and sighed. It was cluttered and overflowing with dolls, music boxes, jewelry boxes, knick knacks and baubles of every shape and size. 

        How many 

‘things’ did one person need? Saraphine owned not one possession of her own. Except perhaps her silk lined dress which she was wearing right now.

        Knowing that nothing would be accomplished by simply standing there looking, Saraphine headed back into the hall to fetch the cart and get to work 

---

        Saraphine paused a moment to wipe the sweat from her brow. It had taken the better part of the day but Saraphine had finally finished emptying the room. Now she would have to find a foreman and have men sent to finish the work. 

        She was halfway down the staircase when Thomas came barreling up it, knocking into Saraphine. The girl scrambled for the banister, desperate to avoid falling headfirst down the staircase. 

        "Watch where you're going, negro," Thomas spat. 

        Saraphine said nothing as the boy sneered at her. If she opened her mouth to speak, shocked laughter was going to slip free. Thomas' lips, teeth and tongue had somehow been dyed black! 

        "Are you laughing at me?" he demanded. 

        Saraphine shook her head and averted her gaze. 

        "You think this is funny? Daniel's gonna pay for what he done to my tea—and you'll pay for laughing about it!" 

        Thomas lunged for Saraphine and she slipped from his grasp before dashing downstairs. She collided with Daniel in the foyer. "What's wrong?" he demanded as he caught her against his chest and steadied her. 

        "Thomas..." she gasped. 

        Daniel grinned. "He's good and mad over his new look." 

        Saraphine frowned up at her friend. "What did you do?" 

        "Ink in his tea." 

        Saraphine giggled. "You shouldn't have done that." 

        Daniel quickly tossed Saraphine away. "Watch where you're going," he grumbled. 

        Saraphine wondered at the change in him until Thomas' voice filled the foyer. "I'm gonna kick your ass!" Thomas roared, clenching his fists and stepping toward Daniel.

        "You got a friend I can't see, black mouth? That's the only way you'd get that done." 

        Thomas glared at Daniel who simply grinned. "I done whooped you once, Thomas," he reminded him. 

        "You blacked my mouth because you love that little slave girl." 

        Daniel snorted. "I blacked your mouth cuz you're an annoying twit." 

        "You damn hillbilly!" Thomas spat. 

        Daniel crossed his arms over his chest. "Are you gonna run and tell your mama?" 

        Saraphine bit back a laugh. Daniel glanced over at her. "Ain't you got something you should be doing, slave?" 

        Saraphine took the opening and quickly slipped away. She hoped they wouldn't come to blows. She didn't want to see Daniel get himself into more trouble because of his mischievousness. 

        Though, Thomas certainly was much more entertaining to look at with his newly improved mouth. 

        Saraphine found Bill, a foreman she had never had much dealing with. He had been taking a long drink of water from the well. "What do you want, girl?" Bill demanded while water dribbled down his whiskered chin. 

        "Sorry, Mr. Bill, but Missus wanted to have four men sent in to help move the furniture from Ellen's room." 

        "Alright then." He swiped his shirt sleeve across his mouth. "I'll send them up." 

        Saraphine stood there a moment, unsure of what she was to do. Deciding she would return to Ellen's room and wait for Missus to return with orders, Saraphine headed back up the steps. 

        Daniel and Thomas were gone from the foyer when she stepped inside. Saraphine made her way up the staircase and froze outside the door to the spare study. 

        The unmistakable crash of ceramic shattering had her rushing into the room. There stood Thomas, a smile on his face as he tossed Ellen's belongings about, shattering and destroying them. 

        "What are you doing?" Saraphine demanded. 

        "Let's see the hillbilly get you out of trouble this time," Thomas spat. 

        Heran from the room and before Saraphine could ask where he was going, his voicerang out. "Mama! Mama, come quick! Saraphine has destroyed Ellen's things!"

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

Saraphine stood frozen in place. She stared at the damage Thomas had done. Shattered shards of Ellen’s beloved possessions littered the polished wood floor.

        The ink well on the desk had been tipped over and the black substance was soaking into several of Ellen's nicest dresses. 

        "What the hell happened?" Daniel was suddenly beside her as Saraphine attempted to move the dresses and save them from further damage. 

        "I walked in and Thomas was destroying everything," Saraphine sobbed—fear bubbling out of her like water from a spring. "He's telling Missus it was me... she'll never believe me when I say it wasn't" 

        Daniel shoved his hand through his shaggy hair and glanced around the room. "That son of a cow sucking mule..." 

        "My things!" Ellen's shrill exclamation reverberated through the study. "You've destroyed my things!" 

        Saraphine opened her mouth to speak but before a single word could escape, Ellen shrieked, leapt forward and tackled Saraphine to the ground. Saraphine cried out with shock and pain as Ellen clawed at her and ripped at her hair. 

        "Get off of her!" Daniel roared. 

        Saraphine didn't dare fight back. She would be in enough trouble without adding to it. Saraphine had no choice but to curl up and take the abuse. Just as Saraphine became convinced that Ellen might kill her, the other girl was ripped away. 

        Saraphine opened her eyes to see Missus holding a seething Ellen tight against her. "Ellen Marie Levenworth! You are to never lower yourself so such a lever that you are brawling with slaves!" 

        "But mama!" Ellen implored. "Look what she did!" 

        Missus' gaze traveled slowly across the room while Thomas grinned a proud black-toothed grin. "Saraphine?" Missus snapped. "What is the meaning of this?"

        Saraphine was trembling as she lay on the floor with blood on her lip. "It wasn't me, Missus. Please believe me. I left to fetch the men and when I came back...." 

        "She's lying mama!" Thomas interrupted. "That negro slave is lying. I caught her red-handed destroying Ellen's things. She was even laughing while she did it." 

        "Why you little..." Daniel started forward but stopped when Mr. Levenworth entered the room. 

        "Who destroyed my property?" the man demanded. 

        "It was me," Daniel lied before anyone else could speak. "Just like it was me that stained that little brat's teeth." 

        "No, it wasn't...." Daniel cut Saraphine off with a sharp glance. She slowly got to her feet as Daniel walked to stand before his uncle. He squared his shoulders. "I did it because the damn brat girl has too much and needs to learn about having less." 

        A muscle ticked in Mr. Levenworth's jaw as he looked his nephew in the eye. Thomas seemed surprised but was keeping his mouth closed. Saraphine knew he would be just as happy to see Daniel in trouble as he had been to see her in trouble. 

        "If you made this mess, why did Saraphine seem ready to blame Thomas and why did Thomas say it was her?" Missus inquired. 

        Daniel shrugged. "I threatened Saraphine and told her to blame someone else. Thomas blamed Saraphine cuz the little mouse is scared of me." 

        "I ain't scared of you," Thomas countered. 

        Daniel made a move toward him and Thomas nearly fell backward in his attempt to scurry away. 

        "Enough!" Mr. Levenworth bellowed. "Daniel, I believe you had a part in this but I doubt the slave girl is innocent. I think you did this together." 

        "Daniel didn't do anything..." Saraphine insisted. 

        "Silence!" Missus' hand fell sharply across Sarapine's bleeding mouth. "Thomas, Ellen, go to the library." 

        "But..." 

        Mr. Levenworth cut off Thomas' argument with a raise of his hand. "You heard your mother, boy." 

        Saraphine and Daniel found themselves alone with a rather angry Mr. and Mrs. Levenworth. "Daniel, I don't know what to do with you," Mr. Levenworth admitted. "Your mother and father entrusted us with your care. We have given you a lavish home, fine clothes, food and even an education. You repay our kindness and generosity by corrupting our slaves and destroying our property." 

        "And Saraphine," Missus began. "Time and again, I have forgiven you your transgressions and allowed you back into my home. You are fed, clothed and allowed a roof over your head. I have considered you a valuable asset. Yet, you insist on continuing to forget your place. You are our property, Saraphine, nothing more. And now you have destroyed our possessions. I have hanged slaves for such things." 

        Saraphine fell backward as her legs seemed to disappear beneath her. She was barely aware of Daniel catching her. Saraphine's stomach churned and her lungs burned for air she seemed unable to provide them. 

        Hanged. Missus was going to put her to death for something she had no part in?

        "Aunt Levenworth, you can't be serious," Daniel argued. "You can't hang Saraphine for something she didn't do." 

        "You have far too much of your father in your," Mr. Levenworth spat. "No self-respecting man of any worth would befriend someone so far below him. Those slaves are little more than cattle, ignorant boy." 

        Saraphine ignored the man and instead focused her attention on Missus as the woman studied her. Saraphine searched her ice blue eyes for any small sign of compassion or caring. 

        All she found was cold. 

        "We need to speak a moment," Missus snapped. She and her husband turned their backs on Saraphine and Daniel. They lowered their heads together and their hushed whispers were too low for Saraphine to make out. 

        She pulled out of Daniel's grasp and stood beside him on weak legs. Daniel reached out and took her hand, squeezing it tight. Saraphine glanced his way and his gray eyes were full of sadness. 

‘I tried.’ He mouthed.

        Saraphine nodded. 

‘I know.’

She wished he hadn’t. If Daniel hadn’t stepped in, he wouldn’t be in trouble. Her best friend was too protective and impulsive for his own good.

        Saraphine returned her attention to her owner's backs. Were they having a discussion on how best to kill her? That thought terrified Saraphine. She did 

not want to die.

        After what seemed like several long, agonizing hours, Mr. and Mrs. Levenworth turned to face them once more. Saraphine quickly pulled her hand from Daniel's but not before Missus took disapproving notice. 

        "You are both to follow my husband," Missus announced. "He will take you to Cecil and see to your punishment." 

        Saraphine stared at Missus, wondering if she had heard the woman correctly. Daniel was going to receive a punishment from Cecil? Saraphine had been certain only slaves received such punishments. 

        Without another word, Saraphine and Daniel followed Mr. Levenworth from the study. Saraphine was surprised when Daniel's hand found hers once again. 

        Her first instinct was to pull away—such contact was forbidden! But Saraphine fought that instinct. She and Daniel could not possibly get in any more trouble simply by holding hands. And something told Saraphine she needed to take what comfort she could from Daniel and enjoy his nearness while she could. Saraphine sensed their time together was nearing its end. 

        She wondered if Daniel could sense it too.

        Stiff-legged, Saraphine followed her owner into the fading light of the evening. Cecil was found far too quickly on the path to the slave quarters. "What's going on, sir?" Cecil asked, his jaw tensing at the sight of Saraphine and Daniel. 

        "We've had a bit of trouble," Mr. Levenworth replied. "My wife has determined that ten lashings will be given to the boy and the girl is to spend one week in isolation. 

        Saraphine nearly cried out as her grip on Daniel's hand tightened. Ten lashings? Ten lashings would leave poor Daniel bloody and broken... and for what? Why had the boy opened his big mouth and attempted to help her?

        Saraphine knew Cecil well enough to see he was unhappy with his orders. But she also knew that he would have no choice but to obey them. "Yes, sir," Cecil nodded. 

        Mr. Levenworth leaned in and whispered something that the children couldn't hear. Cecil paled but nodded. 

        Mr. Levenworth strode back toward the house without so much as a single glace toward the two children he had just sentenced to punishment. 

        "Let's go," Cecil growled, turning his back on them and heading toward 

the barn .

        Daniel's grip on Saraphine's hand never loosened. They stepped into that barn still hand in hand. Ceil turned to face them, his mustache drooping with his lips. "You damn kids. I don't want to have to do this."

        "Then don't," Daniel muttered. "Stand up to these rich jackasses." 

        Cecil chuckled. It was a cold and hollow sound. "If it was that easy, I would have done it years ago." 

        Saraphine disentangled her fingers from Daniel's. "Cecil.." she whispered, stepping forward. "Please, we didn't' do anything to earn this punishment..." 

        Cecil stepped back and grabbed the whip from the wall. "That's not for me to decide." 

        He motioned for Daniel. "Remove your shirt and stand next to the log." 

        Daniel cast an uneasy glance at Saraphine. "Could you take her downstairs first? She doesn't need to see...." 

        Cecil shook his head, his eyes flashing with temper. "Mrs. Levenworth requested that I punish you first." 

        "So the bitch wanted Saraphine to have to watch?" Daniel snorted. "Why? To prove a point about bein' my friend?"

        Cecil nodded, that whip seeming to weight a hundred pounds in his hand as it dragged the ground. "Pretty much." 

        Saraphine shook as she felt her legs weaken once again. She fell down hard on a hay bale behind her. "Close your eyes, Saraphine," Daniel urged. 

        Saraphine nodded and squeezed her eyes shut tight. She heard the rustling of fabric as Daniel removed his shirt. Saraphine heard Daniel take in a sharp breath and then there was the unmistakable sound of that whip striking flesh. 

        Daniel didn't make a sound. Saraphine cracked open an eye and a choked sob left her lips. Blood already dotted the skin on his back. Then Saraphine opened her eyes wider as the whip fell again—cutting its way across old scars. 

        Daniel had been whipped before.

        Eight more times that whip fell and yet Daniel made not a single sound. 

        Saraphine was trembling and sobbing on her hay bale. All she wanted was to rush to Daniel and comfort him the best she could. 

        Cecil hung the whip back on the wall with a heavy sigh. 

        Daniel stood slowly, his pale face slick with sweat and etched with pain. "Alright girl, it's your turn," Cecil spoke. 

        Saraphine stood on shaking legs and stepped toward the door to the isolation chamber. Fear was thick in her blood. She didn't want to be alone in the dark again—she didn't want to be in the damp, musty blackness with legs scurrying across her skin and glowing eyes watching her from the corners. 

        But if Daniel could be whipped ten times without complain then Saraphine would step down those stairs without voicing her own fear. 

        "I'm not supposed to tell you but I will anyhow," Cecil said, glancing toward the barn door. "Missus wants to end your friendship once and for all. When Saraphine comes out of isolation, Daniel, you'll already be gone. They're sending you away again." 

        Saraphine shook her head and stared at her best friend. His gray eyes were full of pain but he somehow managed a small smile. Cecil sighed. "I'll step outside for a minute so you can say your goodbyes." 

        Finding themselves alone, Saraphine rushed to Daniel so he wouldn't have to walk to her. "Daniel, I'm so sorry. Why did you do that? Why did you get yourself punished?"

        Daniel shrugged, the familiar gesture causing him to wince. "I hoped they'd leave you alone if I took the blame." 

        Saraphine shook her head. "But you're back—" Tears filled her eyes. "I'm not worth that." 

        Daniel nodded. "Sure ya are." He laid his hand gently on her cheek. 

        Saraphine swallowed hard. "They're sending you away again." 

        Daniel cleared his throat roughly. "They're brain addled if they think that'll stop our friendship." 

        "You've been whipped before, Daniel. I saw the scars. When?"

        Daniel shifted his feet as his hand fell away from her cheek. "It don't matter." 

        Saraphine nodded. "It matters to me." 

        Daniel averted his gaze. "They whipped me before they sent me away the first time." 

        Saraphine felt tears slip down her cheeks. "You foolish boy! Why did you come back to this place? Why would you let them do this to you twice?" 

        Daniel sighed as he took Saraphine's hands in his. "Because I want to be where you are." His gray eyes locked on hers as his cheeks colored. "I love you, Saraphine. I know we're young but I love you. I'm gonna come back and someday I'm gonna find a way to take you away from here." 

        Saraphine couldn't speak. She knew she should say something but she could only stand in shock and stare. Daniel swooped down and tenderly kissed her brow just as Cecil stepped back in. 

        "Time's up." 

        Cecil opened the heavy door to the isolation chamber and Saraphine walked to the rickety stairs, keeping her eyes on Daniel as she went. 

        "I'm coming back for you, Saraphine," he vowed. 

        He offered her a small smile before Saraphine's head dropped beneath the floor and Daniel was gone.

jPe

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

July 4th 1842

        Saraphine curled up in her bed, cursing the sounds of morning. Her thirteen-year old body was sore and tired far beyond her years. 

        She had spent all week tending the vegetable gardens and today she had to prune the shrubs and tend to the flower beds to ensure everything would be perfect for the annual party that night. 

        Saraphine had no interest in the party. She didn't want to see the lights or the fancy women dressed in silk. She dreaded the music. The part would only make her think of Daniel. 

        He had been gone over a year and it had been a hard year. Saraphine never went a day without thinking about him Was he safe? Did he have food wherever they'd sent him? Did he have trees to climb and creeks to wade barefoot in? Was he allowed to 

finally be himself?

        Did he still think about her?

        Pulling off the covers, Saraphine stood slowly, taking time to stretch her back. She had grown nearly a foot in the last year and had been forced to part with her silk-lined dress. She had folded it neatly, laid it into a box and buried it beneath the tree where she had first met Daniel. 

        "Hurry up, girl," Cecil called, pulling Saraphine from her thoughts. "Missus is in a raw mood this morning." 

        Saraphine nodded, thankful for his warning. Cecil stepped inside the quarters and stooped to Saraphine's level. "When you finish your work tonight, find me. We need to talk." 

        With that Cecil walked away leaving Saraphine to wonder what the man could possibly want to speak with her about. 

---

Saraphine was exhausted by the time the crowd had faded and most of the mess had been cleared away. The rest could wait until the light of the next day.

        Saraphine was grateful that Missus had not given her the evening off. Idle time left her nothing to do but think. Think of her mama. Think of Daniel. Think of how badly she missed those she had lost. 

        Saraphine had grown to hate idle time. 

        She had forgotten about Cecil's request to speak with her until the man grabbed her arm and stopped her entrance to the slave quarters. "Can we have that talk now?"

        Saraphine stifled a yawn and nodded. Cecil seemed angry. When he began to lead her toward 

the barn she hesitated. “Am I in trouble?”

        "Just come along now," Cecil snapped. 

        Saraphine chewed her lip but did as he ordered. She knew she had no choice. Once inside 

the barn , Cecil closed the door and his entire demeanor changed.

        He smiled and clapped his hands together. "Sorry I scared you, Sarpahine, but I had to make it seem as if I'd singled you out for punishment." 

        Saraphine rubbed at her arms and frowned. "Why 

did you single me out if not for punishment?“

        Cecil motioned for her to sit on a hay bale. After a moment's hesitation, Saraphine did. Cecil sat beside her, his giant, callous covered hands on his knees. "Something big is happening in about five and a half months. I want you to be a part of it." 

        Saraphine blinked several times as she counted months in her head. "Christmas? What's happening at Christmas?"

        Other than the decorating, working, wrapping and extra work that went into the dreaded holiday. 

        Cecil shook his head. "This has nothin' to do with Christmas." He shrugged. "Then again, you might see it as a gift." 

        Saraphine felt her confusion grow. "Then what is it? What's happening in five and a half months?"

        Cecil tapped his fingers on his thigh and Saraphine realized the man was excited—but for what?

        "I've been in contact with some folks, Saraphine. Folks who spend their time helping slaves leave their owners and escape to freedom in Canada." 

        Saraphine's head spun. "Escape?" she whispered. "Freedom?"

        "Yes, Saraphine. Do you want to be free?"

        Saraphine didn't answer right away. How could she?!

        Freedom was a concept entirely foreign to her. Freedom meant making our own choices. It meant making your own life. It mean no punishments and no beatings. 

        "How? How is anyone going to escape?"

        Cecil sighed as he shoved himself to his feet. He rubbed at his bearded face. "Me and them folks are working on a plan to get ten slaves out."   

        "Ten?" Saraphine frowned. "Only ten?"

        Cecil nodded. "That's the most we can travel with at once and conceal ourselves. I'm not leaving. I'll stay here and, after a while, we'll work on freeing another group." 

        Saraphine could not see how it would be as easy as Cecil was making it sound. "What if we're caught, Cecil? That's a very long trip and Missus won't just let us walk away." 

        She remembered studying maps when she'd been younger. Canada was north—a long way north.

        Cecil's excitement faded a bit. "We have to trust that these folks know what they're doing." He rubbed at his thick neck. "And pray we don't get caught." 

        Saraphine swallowed hard. Her mind swirled as her heart raced. She was smart enough to know what Cecil was not putting into words. 

        The cost of their attempt at freedom, should they fail, would be death. 

        "I want to get you out of here, Saraphine. I want to send you on up to Canada where you'll have freedom and peace. Missus will be furious after the first group leaves and I don't want you here for that." 

        Saraphine knew it would also be a nearly impossible task to slip another group of slaves past Missus once her guard was raised. 

        But could Saraphine do it? Was she brave enough to risk death in order to achieve a free life in Canada—a land she knew nothing about.

        "I.." Saraphine plucked at her tattered skirt. "I don't know." 

        Cecil's mustache drooped but he nodded and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I guess I understand. I know all of this must seem real sudden and scary. Just think about it, okay?"

        Saraphine nodded. Cecil headed toward the door but stopped before opening it. He glanced back at her. "Just don't think on it too long. I can only send ten slaves. If you don't want to come, I'll have to pick someone else." 

        Saraphine watched him leave and still she sat. 

        Freedom. Escape. A life all her own.

        Could it really happen?

        Maybe her dear mama was among another group? Perhaps she had made it to Canada and was now happy and free. Saraphine could find her and there would once again be braids and gentle humming. She would hear that sweet voice saying, '

Saraphine, it’s time to wake up, child.’

Shaking her head, Saraphine gave a sad little sigh. Her mama was not in Canada.

        Rising up, she left the barn and headed toward the slave quarters. Despite her worry that her thoughts would keep her from finding sleep, Saraphine's fatigue proved her wrong. 

        Her dreams were a mind-spinning mix of good and bad. In them she saw flashes of all the abuse she had suffered and seen other suffer. She saw her mother raped and then once again led away forever. 

        She found herself locked in that dark, terrible place called isolation 

        The sound of that whip slicing its way through Daniel's scarred flesh echoed in her ears. 

        But then Saraphine heard his laughter. She recalled their day of 

freedom beside the pond so long ago. Daniel loved her and had vowed to take her away someday. Saraphine had branded him a dreamer but what if she could take herself away……?

        Saraphine could run. She could escape. And once she was a free woman in Canada, she could send word to Daniel. She could 

free him from a life of abuse at the hands of his aunt and uncle—or a life in whatever terrible place they kept sending him.

        Saraphine was up earlier than usual the next morning, full of determination. She found Cecil standing outside the slave quarters smoking a cigar. 

        "You asked me a question last night." 

        Cecil blew out a puff of smoke. "Have you given any thought to your answer." 

        "Yes." Saraphine chewed her lip and squared her shoulders. "My answer is yes." 

        Cecil grinned beneath his thick beard. "I was hoping it would be." He patted her shoulder. "Glad to hear it, Saraphine." 

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Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

December 27th 1842

Saraphine was struggling to focus on the horses she was grooming. Tonight was the night Tonight Saraphine and nine other slaves would escape and begin their journey to freedom.

        Saraphine was terrified. They'd had a meeting in 

the barn several nights before with the man Cecil said would lead them all away from the plantation.

        Cecil would lead them to a rendezvous spot in the woods where the other man would be waiting. Once they left with the other man, Cecil would return to the plantation and give them as many hours as he could before raising the alarm that slaves were missing. 

        Saraphine had never, in all her years of life, been more terrified. 

        Would they make it? Would they escape to freedom in Canada or would they be caught and killed for their impulsiveness?

        Saraphine trembled as she ran the brush across the roan mare's shimmering withers. She had been sure of herself and sure of what she wanted to do until they'd met with the man. Meeting that man had suddenly made everything all too real. 

        Saraphine was going to run away—the end result would be freedom... or death. 

        How she longed to have her mama beside her! Her mama would know just what to say. She had always been so strong—until Horris had stolen that strength from her. 

        Saraphine shook those thoughts from her head. They were foolish and would serve no purpose other than bringing her down. 

        Saraphine finished up her chores for the day at just after dark. She hurried to the slave quarters to eat a few meager bites of potato soup. Her nerves had her stomach too jumbled to hold much. 

        She nestled down beneath her blankets and waited. They had agreed to meet with Cecil at the edge of the woods bordering the swamp. They were supposed to be there at around two hours after the moon was at the top of the sky. 

        Saraphine lay wide awake, fear and nervousness proving too great to sleep through. She rose from her bed often to the check the moon. 

        God, how she wished Daniel were with her. She needed his dreaming ways to make her believe everything would work out. 

        A sudden thought struck Saraphine. Her dress! Her silk-lined dress. She couldn't simply leave her dress behind. Daniel had risked so much just to have it made and give her such a precious gift. Saraphine couldn't leave it here as if it meant nothing. 

        She left the slave quarters and was stopped almost instantly by Mary—the slave girl who had given her a break that night Missus had given her the gray dress so long ago. Mary was also running away to freedom tonight. 

        "Where are you going?" Mary hissed quietly. "We have to go meet Cecil and the others." 

        Saraphine nodded. "I know and I'll be there. I have to go get something I forgot."

        "Don't waste time," Mary warned. "You heard Cecil and the man. They won't wait." 

        Saraphine glanced toward the road to the plantation house. "I know... and I won't be late but I buried something at the old oak and I have to go get it." 

        Mary rolled her dark eyes upward. "Your dress?" she questioned. "From the boy?"

        Saraphine stood in shock. Mary snorted. "Don't act so surprised. I knew about the dress and I knew about your friendship with that boy. Forget it, Saraphine. He is white and you're a colored slave. It's foolish to think you could have a real relationship."

        Saraphine stubbornly stood her ground. "Yes we did—do," she amended. 

        Mary pointed in the direction of the swamp. "Freedom lies that way. Forget the boy and that ridiculous dress." 

        Tears filled Saraphine's eyes as she shook her head. She knew it was foolish to risk so much for that swatch of burlap and silk but she had to. Words could no describe the need she felt. Something was telling her that she 

had to go get that dress.

        Mary sighed with defeat. "I'm going to the meeting place. You should too We can't wait on you." 

        Saraphine chewed her lip furiously. "Go. I'll be there." 

        She took off toward the plantation house without giving Mary time to say another word. Saraphine stayed off the main path, ensuring she'd be out of sight to any wandering eyes. Saraphine knew she was being foolish but she also knew, for reasons she couldn't explain, that it had to be done.

        Her lungs ached and her legs burned when she finally reached the tree. Dropping to her knees, Saraphine began to dig with her hands in the soft earth. It seemed to take far longer than it should but finally she unearthed her most treasured—and only true—possession. 

        Clutching the wooden box to her chest, Saraphine raced back toward the slave quarters. She knew she was cutting it awfully close. They might have already left without her. 

        Just as Saraphine reached a line of shrubs outside the quarters, a rifle blast echoed from the woods. 

        Saraphine knew it had come from the swamp. 

        Cries of fear rang out from the woods and Saraphine buried herself inside the hedges, trembling with fear and disbelief. Something had gone wrong. 

        Murmurs came from the slave quarters as another rifle report echoed in the air. Angry shouts and the glow of swinging lanterns approached the edge of the tree line. Saraphine's breath lodged in her chest when she saw them, all of the slaves bound for freedom, being led back by Mr. Levenworth and four foremen. Rifles, pistols and blades were being used to ensure the slaves cooperated. 

        With heart-wrenching sorrow, Saraphine realized that Cecil was also among the slaves. He was beaten, bloodied and his hands were bound just as theirs were. 

        "Wake up! Step outside!" Mr. Levenworth's angry voice filled the night. 

        Saraphine left her box hidden among the shrubs and slipped unnoticed into the crowd of slaves emerging from their quarters. 

        "I caught these slaves attempting to escape. Escape? What reason would any of you have to escape?"

        Mr. Levenworth paused as if waiting for a response. No one seemed eager to give him one. He snorted. "You are fed, clothed and have a roof at night. I won't tolerate this disrespect!"

        Saraphine peered around the bodies she was hidden among and wept for her friend Cecil and for the other who only wanted freedom. 

        Mr. Levenworth motioned to two of the foremen and they quickly gathered rope and made a noose which they attached to a plank of wood hanging out a window in the loft of 

the barn .

        Saraphine clamped her hand over her mouth to keep from screaming out the denial she felt growing on her tongue. 

        "Each and every one of you who tried to run away tonight will be hanged," Mr. Levenworth announced, holding his lantern high. 

        Wailing sobs and lamenting cries rang out from nearly every slave on the plantation. Saraphine watched in helpless horror as Mary was the first slave led into the barn. 

        Mary was only fifteen! She was barely more than a girl! Was Mr. Levenworth truly so evil as to hang a girl the same age as his daughter?

        Mary stepped out onto the plank above their heads and the rope was secured around her neck. She cried and begged for mercy but her pleas fell on deaf ears. 

        "This is what happens to anyone who tries to run away from my plantation," Mr. Levenworth warned. 

        Mary was shoved from the plank. Her scream of terror was cut short as the noose tightened. 

        Saraphine had never heard anything more chilling or gutting than the hollow snapping of Mary's neck. The girl was silent, her body swayed gently back and forth. Her eyes remained open and Saraphine was certain they were staring straight at her. They were seeing into her soul. Seeing the truth inside her mind—thank God it wasn't her.         

        With thoughts so terrible, Saraphine was left to wonder just what kind of monster she was. 

        Bile rose in Saraphine's throat as Mary's body was hauled up just enough to loosen the rope and send her lifeless body crashing to the dirt below. 

        One by one the remaining slaves were led to the board and shoved off with that noose tied around their necks. 

        Saraphine's body went numb. She stood on legs she couldn't feel and watched a sight she would never forget. Those slaves, humans just like her, had all been hanged, murdered and tossed into the dirt as if they were trash. 

        Finally, only Cecil remained. Mr. Levenworth stepped up to the large man and sneered when he realized Cecil was weeping. "Do you honestly think those tears will save you after your betrayal?" 

        Cecil shook his head and Mr. Levenworth frowned. "Then why are you crying?"

        Cecil glanced at the pile of dead bodies and at the crowd of weeping slaves. "I'm crying for them," he admitted. "No human being, no person, should be treated the way they are." 

        Mr. Levenworth laughed. It was a cold and callous sound. "These aren't people. These are little more than animals." 

        Saraphine shook her head, hidden among the crowd. She was 

not an animal.

        "Can I ask you a question before you murder me?" Cecil inquired, his voice growing stronger. 

        Mr. Levenworth raised a brow in the lantern light. "What do you want to know?"

        Cecil squared his shoulders as blood oozed from a cut on his temple. "How? How did you know?"

        Mr. Levenworth chuckled. He motioned to the horrified slaves. "One of them told me. They were certain it would save you all." 

        Saraphine wanted to scream, fight and demand that the coward show themselves but instead she stood there silently.  She found herself unable to turn her head as Cecil was led up to that board and the noose was slipped around his neck. 

        Saraphine wept fat tears from her red, swollen eyes as her friend, the only remaining one she had on this plantation, was taken from her. 

        "I'm leaving this here—" Mr. Levenworth motioned toward Cecil's body swaying above the pile of dead slaves. "—as a reminder of what happens when you forget your place. You are my property and I will not allow you to leave here. Now get back to bed. Your work day starts in three hours." 

        Saraphine remained rooted in place as the crowd began to clear. A slave man dragged his weeping wife toward the quarters despite her struggles to reach the pile of dead bodies—Saraphine knew that her daughter lay among them. 

        When she made her way back to her cot, Saraphine knew that sleep would not find her—there was a chance she would never sleep again. Closing her eyes simply filled her mind with images of hanging bodies, bulging eyes, swollen tongues....

        Saraphine raced outside and vomited violently. 

        She crawled back to her cot, shaking so uncontrollably that her teeth chattered painfully. All around her, Saraphine heard sobs and whimpering cries. 

        There was no escape. There was no freedom. She had just watched people die! She had just seen a friend murdered. 

        Saraphine curled herself into a ball and covered her ears to block out the crying. 

        One thought kept repeating itself inside her mind. 

        Thank God she'd gone back for her dress. 

ts“:{“sս

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

April 1844

Saraphine had grown to hate life. She resented the very moment she woke up each morning and realized she had lived to see another day. Life was cruel. It was mean. Honestly, Saraphine was sick and tired of it.

        She was sick of the work. Sick of the aches. She was beyond tired of having the people she loved ripped away from her. 

        Her mama. Cecil. Daniel. 

        Saraphine had tasted friendships and love and she wanted them back. But they weren't coming back. Her mama was gone forever. Daniel didn't seem to be returning. Cecil was dead. 

        Nearly one and a half years had passed since Saraphine had watched her friend die and had been taught a very important lesson. Escape and freedom were nothing but useless dreams. 

        She was fifteen now—nearly a full grown woman, and she had never been more resigned or without hope in her life. She kept her head down, did her work and did her best to avoid punishment. 

        As Saraphine stirred in her cot one cool April morning, she heard the coughing from the other slaves. A sickness had attacked the plantation. Saraphine had so far avoided it—though she almost wished she hadn't. It was clear that folks were going to die.....

        Saraphine rose from her bed and glanced around. More than half the slaves in her quarters were ill. They were curled upon their cots, whimpering, writhing and battling lungs that were filling up and fevers that were rising. 

        No doctors had been called to help them. No aid was given. No one cared about dying slaves. 

        Saraphine knew it wouldn't be long before the first death occurred. 

        And it wasn't. 

        She returned to the slave quarters that night with the slaves who were still well enough to work—that was when the sobbing began. 

        Five slaves died that day, four that night and ten the day after. It was the very young that succumbed first—babes dying in their mama's arms. Then the old began to perish. Soon, lives of every age were being claimed. 

        The healthy slaves, few that they were, were left in charge of disposing of the dead. And, according to the foreman, the Levenworth's insisted the bodies be burned in an attempt to stomp out the illness. 

        Saraphine held a swaddled babe tight in her arms—a lifeless swaddled babe. 

        A hungry fire was already roaring. Saraphine had tied a cloth around her face but the scent of the bodies burning inside the flames clogged itself inside her throat. Saraphine knew she would never forget it. 

        She was trembling and unashamed of the tears on her cheeks as she kissed the babe's brow. "I'm sorry, child," she whispered. "You're free to fly now." 

        The hardest moment of Saraphine's life thus far was releasing her hold on that babe and tossing his limp body into the flames. She wrapped her arms tight around herself and remained still a moment before heading back toward the quarters. 

        The babe's bedding would also have to be burned—though Saraphine couldn't honestly see how that would help the infection. It seemed that those who were going to catch it, already had. Those who weren't going to catch it, simply weren't. 

        That night, Saraphine collapsed upon her cot without a meal and pulled her pillow over her head—hoping to drown out the mournful sobs and restless whimpers. She could smell the hot odor of the burning, simmering dead drifting in from outside, while inside the air was thick and stale. 

        Coughing, hoarse and weak, drew closer to Saraphine. She moved aside her pillow to see Thompson, the newest hired foreman, approaching her cot. His pale face was drawn around tired, dark-circled eyes. "Saraphine?" His voice was raspy and he swiped at his sweat-slicked brow. 

        Quickly, she got to her tired feet. "Yes sir?"

        "Missus has asked to see you at the plantation house." 

        Saraphine frowned. "In the middle of the night?"

        Thompson swayed upon his feet and fell sideways against the wall. "Yes'm," he mumbled, seeming to be fighting hard to simply remain conscious. "We shouldn't keep her waiting." 

        Saraphine nodded but when Thompson attempted to lead her toward the door, he tipped sideways once again. Saraphine rushed forward and strained in her attempt to support the much larger man. 

        She had no choice but to guide him to her cot and he fell upon it with a resounding thud. "You rest, Mr. Thompson. I'll see myself up to the house." 

        He didn't even respond as he closed his eyes. Saraphine took note of his labored, shallow breathing and knew the man didn't have long left to live. He would very likely die upon her cot before she returned. 

        Saraphine grabbed a dim lantern, increased the flame and ventured out into the darkness. She was not fond of the darkness. She feared it given her times locked in the inky depths of isolation. She longed to rush back to the safety of her cot. 

        But if Missus was asking for her in the middle of the night, it had to be important and Saraphine mustn't keep the woman waiting. She climbed the steps of the Plantation house and stopped before the grand door. 

        Knocking three times, Saraphine waited for the door to be answered. It simply didn't seem right to barge straight into the Missus' house in the dead of night without an escort.         

        As she waited, Saraphine realized that even from the steps of the plantation house, she could smell the scent of burning flesh. Was that why Missus wished to speak to her? Was she going to ask Saraphine to do something about the smell? What on earth could Saraphine possibly do?

        She was lifting her hand to knock again when the door swung open. "Come in, child," a middle-aged slave woman urged. 

        Saraphine slipped inside, set the lantern down beside the door and wrung her hands. Something was wrong inside the house. The air felt heavy and there was an oppressive silence that even the house of night could not explain. 

        "Missus is in her room, Saraphine. Ya better go on now, child. Don't be keepin' her waitin'." 

        Saraphine nodded. Her footsteps echoed throughout the grand home as she slowly climbed the staircase. She patted down the hallway silently and found the door to Missus' room was open. 

        Saraphine swallowed hard as she took in the sight within. Missus was laying still and pale upon her bed. Her breathing was labored and her dark hair stuck to her cheeks. She was clearly sick with the same illness plaguing the slaves. Saraphine hadn't realized it had traveled all the way to the house. 

        Mr. Levenworth stood to the side of the bed with his hands folded and his head down while another man, a doctor judging by the stethoscope in his hands, listened to Missus' chest. He moved the metal end from Missus' breast and pulled the plugs from his ears. 

        "There's nothing else I can do," the doctor admitted regretfully. "This sickness is spreading all over the state—maybe even further. It's a killer plain and simple. I am truly sorry Mr. and Mrs. Levenworth." 

        Mr. Levenworth nodded, his face drawn. "Are you certain, doctor? I've paid you good money to see to her..." 

        The doctor slid his stethoscope back into the leather satchel at his side and lifted the bag from the ground. "If only illness could be so easily swayed by monetary offerings." 

        "Doctor?" Saraphine was shocked by the weak, hollow tone in Missus' voice. "Please tend to Thomas now. Please save my son." 

        The doctor rubbed at his wrinkle creased neck. "I'll do my best." 

        Saraphine stepped to the side to allow the doctor to pass by her. It was then that Mr. Levenworth noticed her presence. "It's about time you arrived. I sent Thompson after you hours ago!" 

        Saraphine tipped her head. "I came as quickly as I could, sir. Thompson seems quite ill." 

        Mr. Levenworth let out a long sigh that Saraphine thought sounded bone tired. "Damn this sickness."

        "Yes sir." 

        Mr. Levenworth motioned her to the bedside. Missus' blue eyes lit with recognition when they fell on her. "Hello dear." 

        "Hello Missus." 

        Saraphine hated forcing the needed respect  into her voice as she spoke with her owners. These people were not the angels she had once thought them to be. Saraphine was no longer naïve enough to think herself lucky. 

        They were cruel, cold, uncaring murderers. No more and no less. 

        "Dear husband, leave us a while." 

        Mr Levenworth stooped low and kissed his wife's cheek. "I'll be back. I'll go see to Thomas." 

        Saraphine found herself alone with the woman she now despised nearly as much as she had once idolized her. 

        "I am glad to see this sickness has spared you, Saraphine. I wish it could have spared my Thomas as well." 

        "Is Ellen ill?"

        Missus shook her head upon her stained pillow. "No, thank goodness." 

        Silence fell and Saraphine shifted her feet, struggling to keep her yawn at bay. "You wished to see me?"

        Missus clicked her tongue. "Still as impertinent as always I see." 

        Saraphine chose not to respond. Missus let out a long, rattling sigh. "I'm dying Saraphine. My husband and daughter will be left here to manage the operation of day to day life on the plantation. They will be unable to handle such a burden thrust upon them. My husband has more pressing duties and Ellen, being seventeen now, will be busy in her search for a suitable husband." 

        Saraphine stood still as Missus caught her breath. She had no idea what any of this had to do with her. 

        "Since my slaves are dying, I am left with very few choices. I need a slave familiar with both the outside and inside of the plantation. You are that person, Saraphine." 

        "I..I don't understand, Missus." 

        "You are going to be a foreman of sorts. You will answer to Ellen, Mr. Levenworth and the white foremen, of course, but you will be in charge of the slaves and seeing that things run smoothly. If Ellen wishes to learn your duties, you will teach her so that she can fully become lady of the plantation." 

        Sarpahine had no idea what to say. She was in no hurry to teach Ellen anything or have that kind of responsibility, the entire plantation, set upon her shoulders. When she didn't respond, Missus' eyes narrowed. "You 

will do this, Saraphine. You will manage this plantation and you will do it well.“

        Saraphine nodded as the heavy weight of her new responsibilities fell solidly upon her narrow shoulders. "Yes Missus." 

        "You will find all the paperwork you need in my office. You are never to sign any documents or conduct meetings. Mr. Levenworth or Ellen are to handle those chores. Understand?"

        "Yes Missus." 

        Missus licked her pale lips. "You will have full access to my home and office. Any wrong step on your part, any slight forgetfulness of your place, will result in severe punishment. Understood?"

        "Yes Missus." 

        Missus' blue eyes softened a bit as the woman smiled. "Good. You have always held a special place in my thoughts, dear. That's why I have always let you by with so much." 

        Saraphine gritted her teeth, hating the part of her foolish heart that was warmed by the dying woman's words. "Yes Missus." 

        "That's also why I'm going to be honest now. I have something to tell you, Saraphine. Something I should have told you before. It's about your mama." 

“Ⱥj

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

        Saraphine stood still as stone and chewed furiously on her lip. Her mama? What could Missus possibly have to tell her about her mama?

        "I know you were under the assumption that your mama had been sold at auction...." 

        "It was no assumption," Saraphine quickly countered. She saw Missus' eyes narrow and lowered her head. "I apologize, Missus. I merely meant that I saw her loaded into the wagon bound for auction." 

        Missus shook her head. "She never made it to auction, Saraphine. She was never intended for auction." 

        Saraphine's blood froze in her veins. 

        Please no....

        "What did you do to my mother?" she hissed. 

        Missus' eyes widened and she blinked several times, clearly shocked by Saraphine's sharp tone. "I did nothing that was not required of me. She was broken, Saraphine and a broken slave serves no purpose. I could not have attempted to sell her. Would you buy a broke watch or a shattered lantern? Of course you wouldn't." 

        Saraphine's blood went from frozen to boiling. "What did you do to my mama?"

        Missus' breathing became more labored as she attempted to raise herself on her bed. "I only want you to know so you aren't holding out some false hope... Your mother was put down, Saraphine. Just as any broken farm animal would be." 

        Saraphine saw red. "Farm animal?" she snapped, careful to keep her voice low so no one else would be alerted to her temper. 

        "Calm... yourself..." Missus gasped, fumbling for the bell on her nightstand. 

        Saraphine beat her to it and moved it out of her reach. "You murdered my mother?"

        Saraphine stared down at the frail, dying woman upon the bed. She had never had a truly violent nature—but just now Saraphine wanted to kill Missus. 

        She grabbed an extra pillow from beside Missus and stood over the bed. Missus' mouth worked rapidly up and down but no sound came from her lips except a desperate gasping for air. 

        "You used my mother as a slave to do your bidding, treating her no better than a piece of farm equipment. You allowed her to be raped by your foreman and instead of helping her recover, you murdered her?"

        Missus' blue eyes were full of fear and Saraphine felt a power she had never known flow through her. 

        "We are not farm equipment. We are not somehow less than you simply because of the color of our skin. We are flesh and blood. We have thoughts, feelings and souls. We need kindness, warmth and love just the same as you or any other human being." 

        Saraphine was lost in her anger. She could tell wrong from right through the rage and sorrow roaring in her veins. Her mother. Mary. Cecil. All the slaves currently dying in the quarters and every slave who had been senselessly murdered simply because of the color skin they'd been born with. They all needed avenged. 

        Daniel had once said he couldn't see why colored folks put up with being treated the way they were and Saraphine finally saw that he was right. 

        She was done putting up with it. 

        Saraphine stepped to the edge of the bed and held that pillow tight. "Please...." Missus' voice was nothing more than a breathless whimper. "I'm sorry..."

        Saraphine clenched that pillow tightly in her hands. She should lower it over Missus' face. She should hold it tightly in place until all struggling ceased. 

        She should kill the horrid bitch who had murdered her mother. 

        Before Saraphine could decide whether or not to act on the desire in her heart, Missus' breathing changed. A low gurgling rattle sounded in her chest. Saraphine recognized that sound... Missus' eyes slipped closed and Saraphine knew she would never awaken. 

        Laying the pillow on the bed, Saraphine took several steps back and simply waited. She would not become a murderer today. The sickness was going to exact vengeance for her. 

        Saraphine stood there, both unable and unwilling to take her eyes off of Missus. She watched her chest rise and fall. Every now and then there were long pauses and Saraphine would nearly cry out her disappointment when Missus' chest rose again. 

        Until, finally, it didn't. 

        Just like that, Missus was dead and gone. A woman, once so commanding and regal, was now lifeless and completely insignificant. 

        Saraphine did not feel the joy she had expected. Nor did she feel sorrow. Instead she felt numb—and possibly a bit disappointed. Missus had gone quickly, quietly and no one she had harmed could see...

        Turning on her heel, Saraphine quickly left the room. She made her way to Thomas' chambers and found Mr. Levenworth sobbing at his son's bedside. 

        Thomas was dead. 

        He had only been a child but Saraphine could not find sympathy in her heart for him. Thomas had been a monster. His lies had cost her Daniel. 

        The doctor noticed her presence in the doorway and quickly came to her, forcing Saraphine back into the hall. "Is she gone?" he asked, wiping his perspiring brow with a white kerchief. 

        Saraphine nodded. "Yes sir, she is." 

        "So is young Thomas. I don't know how poor Mr. Levenworth will carry on." 

        Saraphine remained silent. How many children had Mr. Levenworth orphaned? How many lovers had he ripped apart? It seemed to Saraphine he was getting a rather healthy dose of his own medicine. 

        "Doctor, perhaps you could accompany me back to the slave quarters? There are many sick people there..." 

        "No. No. No," the doctor quickly refused. He adjusted the satchel in his hand. "I am a physician for white folks only. I don't treat slaves." 

        "But sir.... They need medical care." 

        The doctor peered down his narrow nose at her. "I don't treat animals. Now if you'll excuse me, I must be going. There is nothing to be done here." 

        Saraphine watched the old man go and wondered why she wasn't more surprised or let down by his refusal to visit the slave quarters. It was a sad day indeed when one 

expected to be treated as less than a mule.

        It wasn't until Saraphine was back in the slave quarters, staring at the dead body now occupying her cot, that she realized she now held power. 

        Missus had laid a terrible burden of responsibility on her shoulders. A responsibility that, if she failed at it, would result in Saraphine's death. But....

        Saraphine was charge. She had complete access to the home—even the sapre bedrooms she knew it held. 

        Mr. Levenworth had not been in the room during his wife's final moments. It would be perfectly within the realm of possibility that Missus could wish Saraphine to move into the plantation house to better oversee the running of it. 

        Squaring her shoulders and taking a deep breath, Saraphine gathered up her spare feed sack dress and returned to the plantation house. Mr. Levenworth was standing upon the porch. "Why are you back?" he demanded hoarsely as he rubbed at his swollen eyes. 

        "When Missus and I spoke, she asked that I be in charge of seeing work on the plantation goes smoothly." 

        "I am aware of what you and my wife spoke of." 

        Saraphine hoped he would believe her upcoming lie. "She decided it would be more convenient and productive to have me live at the house." 

        "A slave sleeping under my roof?" Mr. Levenworth demanded. 

        Saraphine swallowed hard and widened her eyes. "It was her idea, sir." 

        Saraphine could do nothing but hope that Mr. Levenworth would believe her. He studied her hard a moment before nodding slowly. "She always did have a certain fondness for you. I know of some families who have a house slave; I suppose we could have one as well."

        "What room should I use, sir?" Saraphine asked, full of disbelief. She had not only lied to her owner but also gotten away with it. 

        "The end bedroom on the third floor hall just before the attic. It's plenty enough for a slave." 

        Saraphine couldn't believe her luck. "Thank you, sir. I am sorry for your loss..." 

        "This sickness is doing nothing but taking good people away too soon." 

        Saraphine chose not to comment. Mr. Levenworth turned his back to her and stared out into the night. "Go on to bed now. Morning will come early." 

        Saraphine wasted no time before doing as he said. She went to the third floor and down a long back hallway. This end of the house was dark and drafty but Saraphine didn't care. She opened the door and stepped inside her bedroom. Hers. 

        Saraphine had never imagined she would have a room of her own. She sat the lantern on a dusty side table and glanced around. The bed, while much smaller than the beds in other rooms in the plantation, was three times larger and ten times softer than the cot she had always slept on before. 

        A bed. 

        Saraphine had never dreamed she would have a real bed. 

        With tears in her eyes, Saraphine slowly lowered herself onto the bed before flopping down on it with a tearful laugh. 

        Her bed. 

        Her room. 

        Who would have thought a slave girl could have such things?

        Saraphine's mind was still reeling and her emotions a jumbled mess. So much death and heartache was covering the plantation. 

        She had learned that her dear mother was dead—she'd been senselessly murdered by those that owned her. 

        Missus was gone. Thomas was gone. 

        And somehow, Saraphine still wasn't certain how or why, Saraphine now had power on the plantation and a real bed!

        Saraphine wasn't quite sure how she was feeling or what she was thinking as she curled up beneath a blanket softer than any she'd covered herself with before. 

        There was only one thing Saraphine knew for certain. 

        When she woke in the morning, life would be forever changed and entirely different.  

f-v6e��U����

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

May 1844

Two weeks had passed since the sickness had claimed Missus, Thomas and so many others. It seemed to have run its course. Those who were going to fall ill had done so. A few had recovered but most had died.

        The slave population on the plantation had been reduced by more than half. But the Plantation hadn't been the only place struck by the sickness. Saraphine had learned in her new household position that the sickness had touched most of the state—and an emergency slave auction would be held in a week. Slaves were being brought in from other states to help supply the dire need the Georgia plantations now found themselves in. 

        Saraphine couldn't help but think of Daniel. Where was he? Was her best friend even still alive or had the sickness taken him away. 

        Saraphine finished writing out the slave list for each foreman to assign the next morning and she stared out the window at the swamp in the distance. Saraphine had discovered that her new position didn't hold quite the power she had believed it would. 

        She was in charge of assigning slaves to tasks and overseeing that the work in the house got completed. The foreman's dealt with all disturbances and the work outside. Saraphine was also not permitted to determine punishments or make business decisions for the plantation. 

        She 

had however been saddled with the duty of organizing a memorial for Missus and Thomas. And she had to okay all her decisions with Ellen who would be receiving credit for the gesture toward her mother and brother’s memories.

        They deserved no memorials. Her mother deserved one. Cecil, who had died for his efforts to aid others, deserved a memorial. 

        But Saraphine had planned a nice, tasteful service despite her own oppositions. The memorial would be tomorrow and, though Saraphine had done all the work to arrange it, no slaves were permitted to attend. A white staff would arrive in the morning and leave, with pay, after the guests were gone. 

        Saraphine, for once, did not care about being left out. She was not at all certain she would have been able to listen to people speak lovingly of the deceased without bursting out with laughter. 

        Saraphine rose from the tiny desk in her room and wrapped her arm around herself. 

        She was lonely. 

        When she had first decided to use her new position to gain a real room and a real bed of her own, Saraphine hadn't given thought to just how alone she would be. 

        There was no one to speak to—no conversations of any kind going on around her as there had always been in the slave quarters. There was no singing, no laughter....nothing. 

        There wasn't even the sound of another living person drawing breaths. 

        It was late but Saraphine wasn't tired. She had a hard time sleeping here alone. 

        Deciding that a walk in the fresh air under the night sky may help her to relax, Saraphine left the plantation house. The night air was cool against her skin as she stepped out the back door. Her feet carried her up the back hill and across the grassy field to her favorite place on the plantation. 

        The oak tree. 

        The place she had always gone when air was needed. The place she had first met Daniel. The place where she and Daniel had snuck off to be together countless times. 

        Saraphine sniffed as she lay on the grass and stared at the stars poking through the tree canopy above. She hated how badly she missed her friend. It had been years since she had seen Daniel and yet Saraphine missed him just as sharply as if it had been only yesterday that he'd been whipped, bloodied and offering her that hopeful smile with promises that he'd come back to her someday. 

        Dreams. Foolish dreams that served little purpose other than to offer sadness and disappointment. 

        Saraphine had no idea how long she lay there staring at the sky. Sleep began to make attempts at claiming her and she yawned. It was time to return to bed. 

        Rising slowly, Saraphine hardly had time to register the sound of footsteps pounding her way before a body was flying toward her and arms were scooping her up, pulling her against a broad chest. 

        Saraphine cried out in shock and struggled to escape her captor. But when he spoke, she stilled instantly. "Damn, Saraphine, am I glad you're still here!"

        Saraphine swallowed hard. She opened her mouth to speak, clamped it shut, took a deep breath and opened it again. "Daniel?"

        He squeezed her a little tighter before releasing his hold and taking a step back. Saraphine's mind could not wrap around, could not believe, what her eyes were seeing. 

        "You sure are a sight for sore eyes, Saraphine. You've grown up." 

        Saraphine could say the same for him! At seventeen, Daniel was over six feet tall, a good foot taller than when she had last seen him. His shoulders were broad and his body was filling out—changing from that of a boy to that of a man. 

        "You're back.." Saraphine whispered. 

        A smile creased his lean cheeks as his gray eyes sparkled in the moonlight. "I told you I would be. Hell, Saraphine, you scared me. I went to the quarters to surprise you and you weren't there. I thought that damn sickness got you." 

        "You know about the sickness?" Saraphine asked, annoyed that she couldn't seem to think clearly. Daniel's sudden appearance was mind-boggling. 

        Sure." He shoved his hand through his thick shaggy hair. "It killed a lot of people everywhere. I'm real glad it didn't get you." 

        Saraphine nodded. "I'm glad it didn't get you." 

        Daniel rocked back on his heels and shoved his hands in his pockets. "You okay, Saraphine? Ya seem like something might be wrong." 

        "I... I just never thought I would see you again." 

        Daniel smiled and once again pulled her into a warm hug. This time Saraphine held him right back and buried her face in his frayed shirt. "I missed you, Saraphine." 

        "I missed you too." 

        "I feel like I've missed something important." Daniel pulled away and took her hand in his. As Saraphine entwined their fingers, she felt her heart beat faster and her stomach swirl. Daniel led her to the trunk of the massive oak. They sat down side by side, their hands still bound together. 

        "What have I missed out on? Why aren't you still in the same bed at the quarters?"

        "First, tell me why you're here," Saraphine insisted. "I didn't think they'd ever let you out to come back." 

        Daniel shrugged, leaning his head back and resting it against the rough bark. "I'm good as grown. That home for troubled boys had no choice but to let me go. As far as my aunt and uncle go—" He shrugged again. "—I'm hopin' time has eased their tempers." 

        Saraphine chewed at her lip. He didn't know. She had assumed his coming back had had something to do with his cousin and aunt's deaths. But it hadn't. Daniel was back simply because he had wanted to be near her. 

        Saraphine wished he would finally see that she simply wasn't worth the scars covering his back. 

        "What?" Daniel frowned, his grip on her hand tightening. "What do you need to tell me?"

        "The sickness... It hit hard here, Daniel. And it didn't only hit the slave quarters." 

        Daniel's jaw jumped. "Who?"

        "Missus and Thomas. They're both gone now."

        Daniel stared out into the night and was quiet a long while. "When?" he finally asked. 

        Saraphine sighed. "About two weeks ago." 

        She wasn't sure what Daniel was thinking. She hadn't expected him to be too saddened by the news but maybe he was...

        No matter what kind of people they were or what things they'd done—they were his blood. Maybe that would mean more to him than she had realized. 

        "That sickness took them fast?" he finally questioned. 

        Saraphine wondered why he asked but nodded. "Yes. In a day's time they were gone." 

        Daniel yanked at the grass with his free hand and threw the blades into the breeze. "They didn't deserve that." 

        Saraphine was unsure what he meant. In true Daniel fashion, he was quick to let his real thoughts and feelings be known. "Those worthless sacks of manure didn't deserve to go fast." 

        Saraphine opened her mouth to scold him but quickly changed her mind. Daniel gave her an odd sideways glance. "Aren't ya gonna tell me I shouldn't say stuff like that?" 

        Saraphine shook her head. "No. I happen to agree with you this time," she answered honestly. 

        Silence fell a moment and Saraphine wondered what he was thinking. So much time had passed and a lifetimes worth of events had happened. Saraphine was no longer the same girl she had once been. Would Daniel find himself not liking the person she was now?

        Daniel finally nodded. "It's about time you stopped defending them." 

        "I stopped a long time ago," Saraphine admitted. 

        "So why weren't you at the quarters?" Daniel asked again. 

        Saraphine fiddled with a frayed string on his sleeve, very aware of his hand still locked with hers. "I live in the house now. I have a room near the attic and I'm in charge of the slaves and housework." 

        Daniel's gray eyes widened. "Damn. You've done good for yourself. How's it feel?"

        Saraphine sighed. "Lonely."

        Daniel clicked his tongue and bumped her gently with his shoulder. "Well ya ain't gotta be lonely no more." 

        Saraphine smiled and surprised even herself by pressing a quick kiss to Daniel's jaw. Color rose high on his cheeks and he sucked in a deep breath which led to him becoming strangled and letting out a long string of coughs. 

        "I think ya damn near killed me," he gasped as his coughing subsided and he swiped at his watery eyes. 

        Saraphine flushed and stared hard at her lap. "I'm sorry...I..."

        Daniel silenced her by placing a tender finger below her jaw and forcing her gaze to his. "Don't be sorry, Saraphine." A smile once again crinkled his cheeks and lit up his face. "I could think of a lot worse ways to die." 

        Saraphine saw him leaning in and knew a kiss was what he was after. 

        Saraphine wanted one too. She loved Daniel. He was the one constant light in her life. No matter the amount of time that passed between them seeing one another, he never changed. 

        Daniel and his smile, his dreams, his teasing... Daniel and his warmth, his caring and his protective spirit.

        Just as their breath began to mingle in the evening air, Daniels words replayed themselves in her mind and suddenly Saraphine was seeing that night so long ago...

        She found herself once again watching one of the worst ways to die. That rope was tightening around the necks of Mary, Cecil and so many other slaves, no different from herself. 

        Tears suddenly stole her breath and her eyes began to burn. Saraphine let out a choking sob and Daniel pulled way. His gray eyes filled with worry. 

        "Saraphine, what's wrong?"

        "This place..." she whispered, between shuddering sobs. "What they've done..." 

        Daniel reached out and pulled her into his lap, holding her trembling body close. "I think you've got something you need to talk about, Saraphine. I'm here to listen so talk." 

        Saraphine clutched tightly to Daniel's shirt, listening to the beast of his heart and did what she hadn't been able to do in years. 

        Saraphine talked. 

i.6t

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

Saraphine hid inside her room the next day to ensure she would have no contact with memorial guests—and to ensure she wouldn’t have to hear kind words spoken about Missus or Thomas. She did not wish to hear nice things about her mother’s killer or the boy who had drawn so much pleasure from her pain and misfortune.

        Saraphine thoughts seemed completely occupied with Daniel. Was he at the memorial? What reaction had Mr. Levenworth and Ellen had to his sudden, unexpected reappearance? 

        With fear Saraphine realized that he may, in fact, already be gone.

        She let out a ragged breath and dragged herself away from the window. Saraphine wondered if she could make a quick escape out the backdoor and slip to the slave quarters unnoticed. 

        She wasn't sure why she wanted to go there—she had no real need to. Most of the slaves were busy in the fields and even those that were not wouldn't wish to speak with her. Saraphine had done all she could to distance herself from them even before she had come to live in the house. 

        Now that she lived among the whites, Saraphine was regarded as the enemy—or at least too good for any of the slaves to speak to. 

        Saraphine shuffled the papers on her desk for what seemed like the thousandth time. Dear Lord, she was bored and lonely. 

        A knock on her door had Saraphine coming suddenly alert. Perhaps her services were needed somewhere in the house. She hoped that was indeed the case. Sitting idly was quickly driving her mad. 

        Saraphine adjusted her sack dress and stepped to the door She pulled it open just as whoever was on the other side knocked again. 

        "Daniel?" Saraphine gasped with genuine surprise. He smiled, emphasizing the split cut oozing blood on his lip. "What happened to you?" she demanded. 

        Daniel gave her that familiar shrug. "My uncle got a little angry when I said I wouldn't be going to no memorial for them people." 

        Saraphine groaned. "Please tell me your temper hasn't gotten the best of you again. Tell me they aren't going to send you away." 

        Daniel chuckled. "I can't help my temper. When I see somethin' I think is horse shit, I just gotta say so." 

        Saraphine found herself laughing for the first time in a very long time. "That's a real nice sound, Saraphine." Daniel tucked a stray strand of hair behind Saraphine's ear. "Now why don't ya let me in before somebody sees me out here and we get in trouble?"

        Saraphine quickly stepped aside and Daniel entered, closing the door behind him. "Does your mouth hurt, Daniel?" Saraphine asked, wrapping her arms around herself. "He shouldn't hit you that way." 

        Daniel shrugged once again as he glanced around. "Your room's...nice. Kinda bare though." 

        Saraphine rolled her eyes at his evasiveness. "I am forbidden to have possessions of my own."

        Daniel snorted. "And yet Ellen sits pretty with three rooms full of possessions that she don't care about." 

        Saraphine clicked her tongue and touched a tender finger to Daniel's wounded lip. "Stop changing the subject. Is your mouth hurting?"

        Daniel swallowed hard. "Uh..." He cleared his throat with a shaky chuckle. "No.. No, it don't hurt too bad." 

        Saraphine felt that odd swirling in her belly once again. Her fingertips, resting against Daniel's mouth, seemed hot and tingling—almost as if they were on fire. 

        Daniel took her hand gently in his and pressed a slow, tender kiss to her fingers. "If it means I can be here with you, Saraphine, I'll put up with a few punches." 

        "Why?" Saraphine whispered. "I'm hardly worth that." 

        Daniel shook his head and pulled her closer, smoothing his free hand over her cheek. "I sure as hell wish you'd quit saying stuff like that about yourself." 

        Saraphine swallowed hard. "And I wish you'd realized I'm right and worry more about looking out for yourself." 

        "You're just a bit more important to me." 

        "Then your own self?" Saraphine demanded. 

        Daniel chuckled. "Without a doubt." 

        Saraphine's heart did a little flip inside her chest. She disagreed with him but it still felt good to hear that she meant so much to at least one person in the world. 

        "Can I.." Daniel's gray eyes locked on hers as his throat bobbed. "Can I kiss you, Saraphine?"

        Words were impossible to form as Saraphine gazed into Daniel's nervous gray eyes. They were young but no longer children. They were a man and a woman and very much in love. The relationship could not go far—or anywhere further than secret, stolen moments. 

        But those were enough. Daniel was her sunlight—he was her hope. 

        Less than twenty-four hours he had been back and already Saraphine couldn't imagine being without him. 

        "Damn, Saraphine, I'm shakin' like a leaf in a windstorm... Can I kiss you or not?"

        "I don't think a white person has ever asked me what I want," Saraphine admitted. 

        Daniel shook his head and his lip twitched. "Is that why you're so bad at giving an answer?"

        Saraphine felt laughter once again bubble out of her. Daniel kissed her fingertips once more and those sparks intensified. He opened his mouth to speak, no doubt to ask for permission to kiss her. 

        Saraphine cut off his request by rising on her toes and pressing her lips to his. Daniel stiffened at first, leaving Saraphine to wonder if she had made a mistake. Then he changed. His hand cradled her head and his body molded to hers. 

        Saraphine's breath was stolen from her lungs in a rush. Her feet seemed to lift from the ground beneath her. The kiss seemed to last hours and yet ended far too soon. 

        Daniel pulled away and took several steps back, wiping his hands on his thighs. "I've been wantin' to do that for a long time," he admitted. 

        Saraphine went to the desk and busied herself shuffling those damned papers. Her mind was swirling and her body was humming with an energy she did not understand. But it was her thoughts—her doubts—that had her chewing her lip and second guessing everything. 

        "We're impossible," she finally whispered, hating herself for saying the words, no matter how true they were. 

        Daniel shook his head. "No, we're not. We're right here together, Saraphine, and it's real." 

        "But I'm a colored slave, Daniel. You're the white nephew of a rich plantation owner-

my owner.“

        "What your point?" Daniel questioned with a raise of his shoulder. 

        Saraphine threw up her hands. "It means that no matter how much I love you, they'll never accept it. They'll hang me and probably you too!" 

        Saraphine was shocked into silence when Daniel rushed forward. He took her hands in his and the smile on his face put the sun to shame. "You love me? Aww, hell, Saraphine! That's all we need. I won't let them hurt you and I won't leave again—not unless I'm taking you with me." 

        Saraphine laughed but the sound lacked any real humor. "You've always been a dreamer." 

        Daniel brushed a tender kiss to her brow. "Dream with me, Saraphine. I'm yours and I have been since I found you crying under that tree five years ago—tell me you'll be mine too." 

        Saraphine knew it was bound to fail. It could end with death—could Saraphine take that kind of risk? She had seen what came from taking risks. 

        She met Daniel's gaze and saw the love there. She also saw the want and the fear—fear that she would say no. 

        Foolish man. 

        "I've been yours since that same night, Daniel." 

        "I'm damn glad to hear that." Daniel smiled before swooping down for another kiss. 

        Saraphine ignored the taste of blood from his split lip and lost herself in that kiss. 

        They would be found out and Saraphine would very likely die, but Daniel and the happiness that she found in his arms was worth any price. 

        Even death.

-O<zo

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

April 1845

Saraphine rose from her bed and went to her mirror. Fixing her messy hair into a tight bun, Saraphine studied her reflection.

        There had been a time when she had hated her dark skin, her coarse hair, the fullness of her lips and the width of her nose. But Saraphine no longer saw an ugly colored girl when she gazed upon her reflection. 

        She now saw a beautiful colored woman. A woman who turned sixteen today. A woman who had a man who truly loved her. 

        Daniel had been back for nearly one full year and it truly seemed as if, finally, he would be around to stay. He worked tirelessly right alongside the slaves not because he had to but because he wanted to. 

        There was not a single evening that passed without Daniel slipping into her room and visiting with her. Sometimes they sat in her room talking, laughing—and kissing. Other nights they slipped unnoticed from the house and spent half the night out under the stars. 

        He was her rock. Daniel helped her cop with life as a slave. He gave her enough love and laughter to make it very possible to overcome all she had seen in her life. 

        Saraphine stepped into the hall and her good mood was immediately dampened. "Saraphine!" Ellen's shrill voice rang out through the plantation, causing Saraphine to wince. 

        Quickly, she found the other woman down near the kitchen. It was clear she was in a raw mood. "Is there a problem, Miss Ellen?" Saraphine asked respectfully. 

        "Yes, there is a problem!" Ellen snapped, fussing at her perfectly curled and styled blond hair. 

        "Please let me know what that problem is so I can fix it." 

        Ellen glared. "Don't be giving me sass." 

        Saraphine dipped her head. "Sorry Miss Ellen." 

        "That's better." Ellen sniffed and gazed at Saraphine with haughty annoyance. 

        "Samuel coming to dine with us tomorrow and the cooks have just informed me that a special meal has not been planned." 

        Saraphine held up one of the papers she had written out the night before. "I have a menu prepared, Miss Ellen, but I wanted to ensure it was to your satisfaction before I delivered it to the cooks." 

        Ellen snatched the paper from Saraphine's hand and began to look it over. Saraphine thought of Samuel. He was Ellen's beaux and, if the woman had her way, he would soon be her betrothed. 

        Mr. Levenworth was in talks with the middle-aged man about marrying his daughter. Mr. Levenworth's only stipulation was that Ellen had to remain at the plantation and could not move elsewhere. That meant, if Samuel married Ellen, his home would be at the plantation and the entire operation would pass to him upon Mr. Levenworth's death. 

        Saraphine had no real opinion about the man. She had only met him in passing but he seemed pleasant enough. 

        "Dessert says strawberry pies—Samuel is allergic to strawberries. Are you so jealous of my happiness that you're attempting to kill my beaux?"

        Saraphine was quick to shake her head. "No, Miss Ellen, of course not. I was not aware of Mr. Samuel's allergy. I will change the dessert." 

        Ellen tossed the paper back to her and Saraphine scrambled to catch it. "See that you do. Samuel's favorite is apple pie with fresh cream. It is important that we please him." 

        "Of course, Miss Ellen." 

        Saraphine watched her storm away in all her haughty glory. The woman truly was a spoiled twit but she also cared little about the slaves and the daily happenings on the plantation. Which meant the rules were not nearly as enforced, punishments had been drastically waned and everyone could breathe quite a bit easier. 

        Saraphine stepped toward the kitchen but was stopped in her tracks when a strong pair of arms wrapped around her from behind. Warm breath teased her neck. "Happy birthday." 

        "Daniel, someone will see," Saraphine warned, even as she leaned into him and felt her body turn to mush. 

        "Too bad. If they're jealous of my beautiful woman they'll have to go cry alone and get over it." 

        Saraphine smiled. "It's not jealousy I worry about." 

        Daniel pulled away, spun her around and kissed her lips gently. His mouth lingered and Saraphine moaned her complaint when he pulled away. "Do you have the list, birthday lady?"

        Saraphine nodded as she held out the slave assignments for the day. "I gave Silas an easy work load today," she admitted. "Is he feeling any better?"

        Daniel nodded. "A bit. An easy day should be all he needs to mend that ankle."

        Saraphine was glad to hear it. There had been a time when a twisted ankle would have resulted in lashings or worse, but Saraphine and Daniel worked together to see the slaves were for to the best of their abilities. 

        Daniel let her know if someone was ill or slightly injured and Saraphine did the best she could to give them a lighter workload or a day completely off work if she could. 

        "Betsy isn't on here," Daniel noted. 

        Saraphine smiled and thought of the eight-year old girl. "I heard she had a belly ache today. She needs a day of rest—

freedom you might say.“

        Daniel smiled, those sculpted cheeks crinkling. "You're one hell of a woman, Saraphine." 

        She smiled as emotion clogged her throat. "Cecil was a good man and I'll never forget the kindness he showed me. I can only hope to make half that difference to someone else." 

        Daniel caressed her cheek with his calloused hand. "And you still think you aren't worth it."

        "I'm not worth the sacrifices you've made, Daniel." 

        He opened his mouth to argue but Saraphine pressed her fingers to his mouth, causing his words to die on his lips. "But I eternally gratefully that you think I am." 

        Daniel nipped at her fingertips causing Saraphine to cry out with surprise before bursting into laughter. "I better be gettin' back out there and get the foremen going." 

        "I have to turn in the menu for tomorrow. Ellen insisted I change the dessert to apple pie. Apparently Samuel is allergic to strawberries." 

        Daniel frowned and his gaze wavered. "Oh really?"

        Saraphine gasped. "You knew? Why didn't you tell me last night?"

        Daniel chuckled, rocking back on his heels. "Who says I knew?"

        Saraphine swatted his chest. "That mischievous smile of yours does." 

        "I figured he'd notice the strawberries and be smart enough not to eat them." 

        Saraphine suppressed a smile. "He 

is Ellen’s beaux. It’s clear he has neither great brains nor any real taste.“

        Daniel's laughter echoed off the walls. "You know there was a time when you would have scolded me for saying somethin' like that." 

        Saraphine winked. "Times change. Now shoo!" She waved her hand. "Off with you. I'm sure you have work to do and I know I do." 

        "Alright. Alright. Just don't wear yourself out too bad. I plan on going out for a while tonight." 

        "And what does that have to do with me?" Saraphine teased. 

        Daniel kissed her fingertips and she trembled. "Because you're the birthday lady. You have to be there." 

        Saraphine was unable to wipe the smile from her face as she watched Daniel leave. He truly was an amazing man. 

---

        When evening came, Saraphine had lost all her good cheer. 

        Mr. Levenworth had informed her that the auction was two days away and Saraphine was to choose the twenty weakest and least useful slaves and present him with the list within twenty-four hours. 

        There was nothing Saraphine could do to protect anyone. 

        If she wrote her list and protected weaker slaves, the foremen would let Mr. Levenworth know they disagreed with her. 

        Tears had already stained her cheeks and she had been unable to stomach any supper. Damn Missus for saddling her with such a burden on her deathbed. 

        A slight knock on the door was the only warning before it was opened and Daniel stepped in. "Alright, birthday lady, it's time to...." 

        Daniel's words cut off and he rushed forward, dropping to his knees beside the chair. "You're crying," he accused gently. "Why the hell are you crying?"   

        Saraphine sniffed and swiped at her damp cheeks. "The auction." 

        Daniel nodded. "Yeah, the foremen were talking about that today." Daniel frowned. "But you're safe, ain't ya?"

        Saraphine laid a gentle hand on his arm. "I'm not going anywhere. They wouldn't allow me to if I tried." 

        "So why are you so upset, Saraphine? I hate to see you cry." 

        Saraphine held up one of the many lists she had attempted and scratched out. "I may not be leaving but I have to choose who does." 

        Daniel ran his thumb along her jaw and shook his head. "My uncle is a worthless sack of manure that deserves to rot in hell." 

        "Agreed," Saraphine whispered. She glanced toward the window. "I know you had plans..." 

        "Don't worry about that," Daniel insisted. "You look exhausted." 

        Saraphine sighed. "I am. But I have to stay awake until I get this done. Mr. Levenworth wants it in his hand tomorrow." 

        Daniel grumbled under his breath before grabbing her around the waist and standing with Saraphine firmly within his arms. "What are you doing?" Saraphine demanded. 

        "Putting you to bed." 

        "But the list!" 

        "Can wait until morning. We'll do it together before everyone else wakes up." 

        Saraphine chose silence as Daniel lay her down in bed and curled up beside her. "Daniel, you can't sleep here," Saraphine warned even as she curled up against his broad chest. 

        Daniel chuckled. "Quit worrying so much all the time. I'll only lay with you a while and then I'll go to my own room." 

        Daniel's steady heart beat beneath her ear was more soothing than the best of lullabies. He smoothed her hair, caressing her head gently. Before Saraphine could help herself, she was sound asleep. 

Gaw7lSB+\F

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

The next morning came far too early. As Saraphine came awake, she glanced at the clock beside her bed. Five-thirty in the morning… it was early but she couldn’t go back to sleep.

        She had a list to write. 

        Daniel had said he would help but Saraphine was alone in her room. She didn't remember him leaving in the night. All she remembered was falling asleep peacefully in his arms. He was no doubt still sleeping. The man took far too much on himself. 

        Saraphine rose from her bed and walked to her desk. She lit the lamp and frowned. 

        Where was all the lists she had started, scratched out and started again? Even her crumpled lists that had been laying on the floor were gone. But the desk wasn't empty. 

        In the place of all her lists was a letter 

Saraphine

        Don't you worry none about the list. I took care of it while you was asleep. I know you're gonna be mad but that's okay. I'm not about to let you have that auction on your conscience.

                                                                                Always yours

                                                                                            Daniel

        Saraphine couldn't have put what she was feeling into words. Was she angry? Yes, a little. She didn't want Daniel having those hard choices on his conscience either. Saraphine knew at least three babes would 

have to be written down—and knowing the evil man that Mr. Levenworth was, he would insist that Daniel help rip those babes from their mama’s arms.

        Saraphine fixed her hair, washed herself up with water from the basin and slid into her spare work dress. She slipped from her room and headed toward the kitchens. 

        Samuel was coming for supper tonight and the menu was a large one. Saraphine would fire up the stoves and have them ready to aid the cook slaves. It would be one less task they would have to worry about. 

---

Saraphine was exhausted by the time supper was ready to be served. Ellen had requested that Saraphine serve supper and so she cleaned herself up and slid into a black cotton dress that Ellen had given her for such occasions. She tied on a clean white apron and picked up the first of the platters for the night.

        Saraphine felt eyes immediately find her when she sat the platter on the table. While she was careful not to meet the gaze of any diners as that was bad manners and forbidden, Saraphine could feel Daniel's gaze on her. 

        It made her feel warm and a bit unsteady but Saraphine maintained her composure and quickly delivered every bit of food to the table. She filled everyone's glasses with wine and stood in the corner with her hands folded, waiting to serve if she was needed. 

        As Saraphine stood there, boredom nearly had her dozing off. The conversation revolved around business, the plantation and cotton prices. 

        "Slave!" Ellen called sharply. 

        Saraphine's head snapped up. "Yes, Miss Ellen?"

        "Daniel's cup is empty." 

        Saraphine saw that it was and cursed her lack of observation. It was up to her to ensure that no one at the table ever had an empty cup. 

        She rushed forward but Daniel stood and grabbed the pitcher before she could. "I reckon I can get my own drink. No need bothering her." 

        "Bothering?" Ellen barked out a laugh. "She is a slave, cousin. It is her duty to do our bidding. That's what they're 

born for.“

        Saraphine quickly took the pitcher of wine from Daniel. "I thank you, Mr. Daniel, but I am happy to do my duty." 

        It was clear Daniel wasn't happy but he sat down and allowed Saraphine to fill his cup. She refilled everyone's cup and returned to her corner. 

        "Honestly, if a slave isn't going to serve us, why even have them around? Might as well 

sell then at auction.“

        Saraphine saw a challenge pass between the cousins but Mr. Levenworth interrupted it before it could go any further. "I believe we're ready for dessert, Saraphine. Would you bring it out now?"

        Saraphine breezed quickly into the kitchen and returned with the pie.

        "Apple pie?" Samuel grinned beneath his black mustache. "Was this your idea, Ellen?"

        "It certainly was!" Ellen beamed, soaking up the attention. "I even had a hand in making it." 

        Daniel snorted. "Samuel, I'm afraid my cousin tells tall tales from time to time. She has a hard time cooking toast."

        Saraphine bit her tongue roughly to hold back her laughter. Ellen did not find her cousin nearly as funny. "Oh, yes, and Daniel is a professional in the kitchen, I understand. He's known for his squirrel." 

        Daniel chuckled. "Make it up with a little gravy and mmmhmm!" He shoved a forkful of pie into his mouth. "Good stuff." 

        Mr. Levenworth laughed with amusement while Samuel frowned. "I don't believe I have ever eaten a rodent. Are there no cows where you come from?"

        As always Daniel's quick with didn't miss a beat. "Nope, not a single one on the whole state of Tennessee. Ya see, the government up there don't want them critters around so they put up a bunch of no trespassing signs. If there's one thing cows is good at it's reading signs." 

        Saraphine was unable to hold back her laughter which earned her a sharp glance from Mr. Levenworth. 

        "Honestly, Daniel! Must you always act so uncivilized?" Ellen demanded. 

        Saraphine felt her cheeks heat when Daniel winked in her direction before flashing a smile at her cousin. "I was just born that way." 

        Ellen opened her mouth but Mr. Levenworth interrupted. "That's enough! I am certain Samuel did not come here tonight to listen to your bickering." 

        The dining room fell awkwardly silent as everyone finished eating their dessert. 

        "Now that the meal is done, Samuel, do join Ellen and I in the sitting room," Mr. Levenworth insisted. "We have much to discuss." 

        Ellen beamed as her beaux nodded and rose to his feet. "Yes, we certainly do." 

        Samuel helped Ellen to her feet and the woman glanced at Saraphine. "Clean this up." 

        Daniel shook his head. "That slave has worked hard all day preparing and serving this meal. Surely someone else can clean it up." 

        Saraphine couldn't believe what she was hearing. Had Daniel gone completely mad? He was going to get them both in trouble with his mouth. 

        "She is fine. Aren't you, slave?" Ellen challenged. 

        Saraphine was one the verge of agreeing with Ellen when Samuel spoke. "She does appear dead on her little feet." 

        Saraphine felt his eyes scan over her from top to bottom. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. Judging by the clenching of his fists and the tightening on his jaw, Daniel noticed Samuels appraisal as well. 

        "Alright then. Ellen, Daniel does have a point," Mr. Levenworth agreed. "There is no point overworking one slave when we have so many more. Even a good mule needs rest from time to time." He turned his attention to Daniel. "Go fetch two or three slaves to tidy up." 

        Saraphine was glad when Daniel controlled his temper and simply walked away. Mr. Levenworth fixed his gaze on Saraphine. "Go get some rest. Morning will come early." 

        Saraphine wasted no time in doing what he said. Once in her room, she slipped from the black cotton and into her sack dress. The scratchy burlap felt somehow familiar and safe. The way Samuel had looked at her still had Saraphine feeling uneasy. 

        And then there was Daniel. She and he were certainly going to have to talk about the way he treated her—she was a slave and he had to acting like it!

        Saraphine did not make any attempt to go to sleep. She knew it would only be a matter of time before Daniel arrived. 

        After longer than Saraphine had expected, the knock sounded on the door. She opened it without pause, wondering why he didn't just come in. 

        It was not Daniel staring back at her as that door came open. "Mr. Samuel?" Saraphine kept a tight grip on the door. "Are you lost, sir?" 

        "Sir? That sounds nice." He smiled and nodded. "Yes, I'm very lost. Can I come in and get directions?"

        Saraphine felt fear seeping into her core. "Your guest room is on the other end of the home—there's nothing here but attics and drafty rooms." 

        Samuel leaned in the door and sniffed at her hair, causing Saraphine to stiffen. "Is your room drafty? I would be happy to warm it up. I've...." 

        "What the hell are you doing?"

        Daniel's angry voice had Samuel leaping back. "Daniel, what are you doing here?" Samuel demanded, rubbing at his mustache and fussing with his salt and pepper hair. 

        "I live here," Daniel growled. Saraphine had never heard him sound more angry. And the look in his eyes was a blood thirsty one. "Now what the hell are 

you doing here?“

        Samuel took a step back and squared his shoulders. In stature, he was much broader than Daniel. At six feet he was shorter by a few inches but he had more width to his shoulders and a large physique. 

        Saraphine had no doubt who would win a fight between them, however. Samuel was easily twenty years Daniel's senior and therefore should, in theory, win in a tussle, but Daniel was not the average eighteen-year old. 

        He had been a rough and tumble mountain boy who had struggled to survive. He'd been tossed into that home for troubled boys and been forced to scrap and fight for survival and respect. And, most importantly, Saraphine had seen him take all those lashings in that barn and not voice a single whine, whimper or cry in protest. 

        Samuel would lose the battle but Daniel would lose the war. If Daniel laid a single hand on Samuel, he would be forced to leave for good. 

        "I took a wrong turn and the slave was explaining how to get to my room." Samuel flicked a warning gaze toward Saraphine. "Isn't that right?"

        It didn't feel good to lie to Daniel but she had to keep the men from fighting. "Yes. He got turned around and was asking for directions." 

        Daniel's brow quirked up as he focused on Samuel. "Must have been one hell of a wrong turn." 

        Samuel adjusted his jacket. "I'm certain that once I marry Ellen, I'll learn my way around quite well." 

        Saraphine's stomach flipped and she wrapped her arms tight around herself. Daniel stepped forward, standing toe to toe with the other man. "Why don't you return to your fiancée and forget that you ever got lost down this way?"

        Samuel chuckled. "This slave mean something to you?"

        Daniel's arm twitched and Saraphine quickly stepped forward. "Mr. Daniel sees to all the slaves here on the plantation. It is his job to keep us all in line and ensure that we are obeying the rules and able to work." 

        She offered a placating smile. "Mr. Daniel, I am certain that Mr. Samuel meant to harm in his lack of direction. This house is quite large and it's an easy mistake to make." 

        Samuel grinned, quite happy with is victory. "Of course I meant no harm." He cleared his throat. "Thanks to the slave's directions, I know the way and believe I'll be going now. It was quite nice to meet you, Saraphine. I look forward to getting to know you." 

        Saraphine watched Samuel go and didn't realize she'd been holding her breath until Daniel grabbed her and wrapped her in a warm hug. "I'm damned sorry I was almost too late. I was cleaning the kitchens." 

        "I was so frightened..." Saraphine whispered, clinging to him. "All I could think of was my mama... what happened to her..." 

        "Won't happen to you," Daniel cut in fiercely. "I won't allow it." 

        "You can't stop it," Saraphine argued. She stiffened and pulled out of his arms. "And you have to stop, Daniel." 

        "Stop what?" 

        Saraphine crossed her arms tight around herself. "I'm a slave, Daniel, and you have to stop treating me as if I'm more than that...." 

        "But you're more than that to me,' Daniel insisted. "I can't treat you like a slave, Saraphine." 

        "You have to!"  Saraphine insisted, tossing up her hands. "Before anything else, I am a slave. Not your friend. Not your woman. Not 

your anything.“ Saraphine felt a tear slip down her cheek. “I am their slave. That’s all I am.”

        Daniel stared at her and Saraphine was horrified to see the redness in her eyes. "Not to me," Daniel argued. "That's not all you are to me." He shoved his finger into his chest. "I love you, Saraphine. You are a lot of things. You are strong, smart, caring, kind, resourceful, witty, loving, beautiful, breathtaking. That's what you are to me." 

        Saraphine swallowed hard. "Do you know what wasn't on your list?"

        Daniel swiped at his face, attempting to dry his tears. "What?"

        Saraphine's heart ripped apart in her chest to see his pain. She never wanted to hurt her Daniel. "Free, Daniel. Free wasn't on your list." 

        "To me, that's obvious. Free is a human right." 

        "Not for a black-skinned human. I told you you've always been a dreamer. To the rest of the world I am nothing more than a slave. Worth more than a skinny cow but less than a good mule."          

        Daniel shook his head. "You know that's not true." 

        "But it is," Saraphine insisted sadly. 

        Daniel took a shuddering breath. "What are you saying? Do you not want to be with me any longer?"

        Saraphine choked on a sob and clutched at him, grabbing his hand. "No! No, Daniel, I'm not saying that. You are the only good thing in my life!" 

        Daniel pulled her closer and Saraphine wiped away his tears with his thumb. "Then what do you want?" he demanded with frustration. 

        Saraphine stomped her foot and growled with her own frustration. "You have to treat me like a slave around them, Daniel. You have to stop forgetting my place." 

        Daniel snorted. "Your place is beside me." 

        Saraphine rolled her eyes despite the way his words made her heart soar. "Daniel." 

        He sighed. "I refuse to treat you badly."

        "Just don't treat me special." 

        "You are special." 

        She narrowed her gaze and he shoved his hand through his shaggy dark hair. "I'll do my best," he promised. Then he glanced down the hall. "I can't stay tonight. I'm gonna keep an eye on

him tonight.“

        "I'm scared of him," Saraphine admitted. 

        "He'll be gone tomorrow." 

        "Until they get married and he moves in." 

        Daniel shrugged. "I'll keep you safe." He looked into her room. "How about, for tonight, you move your desk in front of the door?"

        "Probably a good idea," Saraphine agreed. 

        "I love you, Saraphine," Daniel whispered. "You're 

everything to me.“

        Saraphine kissed his jaw. "I love you too. Always." 

v

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

Saraphine had a heavy the next day as she stepped onto the plantation porch. It wasn’t the workload that weighed her down. Work would be quite light for all the slaves today because Mr. Levenworth and several foremen would be gone.

        They were leaving in less than an hour. Leaving for the auction.

        Saraphine had never even seen the list. Daniel had turned it in and, with the events of last night, they had never discussed the list. 

        Footsteps sounded on the path and Saraphine looked through the mist to see a large group moving toward the waiting wagon. She studied the figures, slowly making each out as they neared. 

        There was Mr. Levenworth of course, and several of the foremen, and then there was Daniel. His jaw was tight and his face pale and drawn. In his arms he held a babe—a babe he had no doubt been forced to take from its mama's arms. 

        Saraphine felt her heart ache for him and the pain he must be feeling. She tore her eyes from Daniel and saw the rest of the slaves. As always the oldest were among them—four slaves who had dedicated their lives to serving this plantation and were now being thrown away. 

        Two more babies, six young men who were considered too small of stature, four pregnant women, two slaves who were known for laziness and.....Silas. 

        The slave with a hurt ankle. The slave Saraphine had given light workloads to in order to give him time to heal. Saraphine rushed forward. "Mr. Levenworth, may I ask a question?"

        "We're in a hurry, so you'll have to make it quick. What is your question?"

        Saraphine cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, sir, but there must have been a mistake on that list. Silas is a good, strong worker and a great asset to your plantation."

        Mr. Levenworth shook his head. "I added Silas to your list myself. He is clumsy and hot-tempered accorder to the foremen." 

        Saraphine simply lowered her gaze and took a step back. She could not argue. It would serve no purpose. If Mr. Levenworth's mind was made up, Saraphine wouldn't be able to change it.

        Saraphine watched as Daniel placed the babe in Silas' arms. The slaves then climbed into the waiting wagon.

        "Daniel, are you certain you won't come with us to the auction?" Mr. Levenworth asked. "Samuel is coming along to see how they work." 

        "I'm sure," Daniel mumbled tightly. "I'd rather stay here and make sure things run smooth." 

        Mr. Levenworth nodded before climbing up on the front of the wagon. Saraphine saw Samuel and the foremen load up on another cart. Without a word, they rode away and Saraphine found herself alone with Daniel. 

        She glanced at his drawn expression. "Do you want to talk?"He nodded. A nearly imperceptible movement, and Saraphine turned toward the house. "Meet me at the oak. I'll come as quickly as I can." 

        Without waiting for a response, Saraphine stepped back inside. She took her time to ensure Ellen was occupied—the woman was knee deep in fabrics for her new summer dresses and berating the seamstress in the shrillest of tones. 

        Satisfied that she wouldn't be missed, Saraphine slipped out the back. She lifted up her skirt and ran as quickly as her legs could carry her. Daniel had already arrived at the oak. He was sitting beneath the oak. He was sitting at the base of the tree and his expression was haunted. 

        Saraphine sat own beside him and reached out for his hand. Daniel was quick to snatch up her offered hand and entwine their fingers tightly. "It was terrible," he whispered, hoarsely. "I don't think I'll ever forget the sound of their cries." 

        Saraphine rested her head on his shoulder. "They won't blame you, Daniel." 

        Daniel kissed her brow. "They will. I do." 

        "You didn't have to do that, Daniel. The list was my responsibility and I would have helped to gather the slaves."                     

        He shook his head and squeezed her hand tighter. "I'd rather do it myself than have you do that. I wouldn't ever want you to do something so terrible." 

        "You're forgetting my place again," Saraphine warned. 

        Daniel grinned and bumped against her gently. "You're in your place right now." 

        Saraphine sighed but didn't argue. She knew she wouldn't change Daniel's mind. Saraphine didn't 

want to argue. She wished and prayed that her place truly could be at his side.

        But her skin was too dark. 

        The two of them sat there together in silence. Saraphine simply offering Daniel what comfort she could with her presence. 

        "I didn't know about Silas, Sarpahine. I didn't write him down Truth was, I only wrote down nineteen—my uncle and the foremen decided they needed one more." 

        "I know you didn't choose him," Saraphine assured him. "He was a good man and I'll miss him." 

        Daniel was quiet a while and then he let out a sigh. "At least it's over now... until next time at least." 

        "Are you certain you're going to be alright?" Saraphine asked quietly. 

        Daniel shoved a hand through his hair. "No, I'm not. Damn, Saraphine, I reckon I'm realizin' why you've always called me a dreamer." 

        "Daniel, I...." 

        "Hear me out," Daniel insisted. "Hell, I used to think when I was younger, that I could do anything. I didn't figure there was a problem I couldn't solve or a wrong I couldn't right... Now I see that I ain't nothin'." 

        "Don't say that!" Saraphine scolded. 

        Daniel shrugged a shoulder. "It's true, Saraphine. I see you mistreated and all the other slaves mistreated and I can't do a thing to stop it. It makes me feel useless. Just plain useless." 

        Saraphine gazed up at him, taking in the sight of the man who meant so much. "You're wrong, Daniel. You're not useless. How can you not see what you are to me? You are my best friend. No matter what terrible things happened to me, it was thoughts of you that got me through them. Even if you weren't here, you were my strength." 

        Daniel swallowed hard, his gaze never leaving the gently waving grasses. "But those things still happened, Saraphine. I couldn't do a thing to stop them." 

        Saraphine wished she knew what to say, but she didn't. She wasn't even certain there was a thing she 

could say. And so, Saraphine simply curled up against him and remained silent. It seemed to be enough for Daniel as he held her right back, and, slowly the tension drained from his body.

        The two remained curled up together a long while. Finally, as the midday sun beat down, Daniel shifted. "We should head back. I had a few things to do today and I don't want Ellen to start missing you." 

        As badly as Saraphine wanted to come up with some great reason to stay together—she couldn't. Truthfully, neither of them was any more 

free than the other.

        They shared one long slow kiss before going their separate ways. Daniel toward the slave quarters and Saraphine the plantation house. 

---

        Ellen came to Saraphine just as she was finishing the last of her dusting. "We need to speak about to upcoming events I'll be depending on you to plan." 

        Saraphine laid her rag atop her cleaning cart and wiped her hands on her apron. "Which two events, Miss Ellen?"

        "The fourth of July celebration, of course." Saraphine nodded. She had already been working on that. Ellen smiled, practically beaming. "And the second and most important event, will be my wedding." 

        Saraphine stiffened as her mind drifted back to the night before and Samuel's actions. "Mr. Samuel asked for you hand?" 

        Ellen gave a little hop as she all but squealed with delight. "Yes, he did! Isn't that wonderful? Such a rich and refined gentleman for a husband? I'm a lucky woman!" 

        Saraphine did her very best to feign excitement for Ellen. She knew better than to mention the fact that Samuel was twenty years Ellen's senior. And she would be a fool to mention his advances the night before. 

        If Ellen 

did

believe her, she would no doubt find a way to blame Saraphine. “When is the wedding going to be?” Saraphine asked.

            Ellen was smiling ear to ear. "Mid-September. That should be a long enough engagement." 

            Ellen's happiness faltered a bit. "I only wish my mother could be there." 

            "I am certain she would have been happy for you," Saraphine offered. 

            Ellen nodded, dabbing at her right eye. "I know you knew my mother well. She always spoke highly of you." 

            Saraphine frowned. She had? "Your mother was a good woman," Saraphine forced the lie and fought the gag. 

            "I want to have a wedding that would please mother. You knew her taste and the things she liked." 

            "I will do my very best to plan a beautiful wedding," Saraphine promised. 

            "You are good at your job. I'm certain I won't be disappointed. Please ensure you run all decisions by me before they are made final." 

            "Yes, Miss Ellen." 

            Saraphine watched Ellen go and felt the dread settle into her gut. It seemed life had no shortage of a sense of a humor. 

            Saraphine had a wedding to plan. 

            A wedding to celebrate Samuel joining the home. 

            A celebration for the man who could very well become her rapist. 

            Yes, life had an ample amount of humor.

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

July 4th 1845

There was one positive to be found in Saraphine’s job at the plantation. When she chose, she could give herself a few hours without work. Saraphine needed that time desperately. She had worked herself to the bone planning, cooking and setting up for the fourth of July celebration.

            She was more than happy to take the evening off and rest. 

            "How'd I know I'd find you up here?"

            Daniel's voice pulled Saraphine's mind from her daydreams. She looked through the moonlit night to see him approaching her resting place beneath the old oak. "It could be because you 

always find me beneath the tree.“

            Daniel grinned, his lean cheeks crinkling in the dim light from the lantern he carried. His other hand was wrapped around the handle of a large woven basket. "What did you bring?" Saraphine asked. 

            Without a word, Daniel sat down the lantern on a nearby rock and began pulling things from within the basket. A large blanket, which he spread upon the grass, a covered tray that smelled delicious and a jug. 

            "Dinner is served, my lady." 

            Saraphine laughed lightly, the sound floating with the distant music on the breeze. "My stomach thanks you." 

            Daniel settled himself upon the blanket and signaled for Saraphine to do the same. She rose to her knees and moved beside him, sitting with her legs crossed and her hands in her lap. 

            "You look like you're waiting on something," Daniel mused. "What are you waiting on?"

            Saraphine smiled and batted her lashes, a movement she'd seen Ellen do many times when attempting to get her way. "I'm waiting on you to serve me, of course." 

            A deep chuckle followed her admission. "Doesn't that just figure? Be nice to a woman once or twice and suddenly she's spoiled." 

            With light laughter, Saraphine reached toward the basket to grab a plate. Daniel gently grabbed her arm. "I've got it," he insisted. 

            The breath left Saraphine's lungs in a rush as Daniel caressed the tender flesh of her wrist with his thumb. "Let someone take care of you for a change," he added. 

            "Okay." Was all Saraphine could manage to whisper. 

            Daniel slowly released his tender hold on her and pulled his gaze away. As he went about repairing her plate, Saraphine could not help but notice the difference in the air. She had been alone with Daniel many times. She had gotten drunk on his lips and even fallen asleep to the steady beat of his heart. 

            But tonight the air felt thicker, hotter, more charged. There was an intensity in Daniel's gaze and a hunger in Saraphine's blood that she had never felt before. Saraphine's instincts told her that something was going to happen tonight. Something frightening, exhilarating and wonderful.

            She wondered if Daniel felt it too.

            They ate their picnic supper while laughing and conversing with the ease that came from the deepest of friendships and understanding. 

            Saraphine closed her eyes after the meal was finished and she swayed to the music floating on the air. "May I have this dance?"

            Opening her eyes, Saraphine found herself staring at Daniel's knees. She let her gaze drop to his bare feet before smiling up at his handsome face. "What are you doing?"

            Daniel's cheek crinkled. "Asking the most beautiful woman around to dance with me." 

            Saraphine glanced around them. "Daniel, I'm the 

only woman around.“

            He winked. "Less competition." He held out his hand once again. "Dance with me?"

            Saraphine took the offered hand and felt her stomach swirl. "But, Daniel, I've never danced." 

            His shoulders raised slightly before dropping again. "Me neither. But if those high class heifers can do it, how hard can it be?"

            Stifling a laugh, Saraphine fixed him with a stern gaze. "You shouldn't say such things." 

            Daniel simply waved off her scolded. "Yeah. Yeah." 

            "They may not be the perfect people I once thought they were," Saraphine admitted, her gaze straying to the glow of party lights in the distance. "But they 

do look like angels all dressed up and twirling.“

            A snort left Daniel's mouth. "Heifer-assed, hog-faced mule-breath angels...." 

            "Daniel!" she cut in sharply. 

            He offered a sheepish smile. "You're my angel, Saraphine. You've always wanted to dance tot eh that music. We've both watched them do it enough, we oughta be able to figure it out for ourselves." 

            Saraphine's heart did a slow roll in her chest. God, how she loved the man before her. 

            Daniel's grip on her hand tightened and he pulled her to her feet. He held her hand at arms-length while placing her other hand on her hip. Saraphine chewed her lip as she wondered just how terrible and clumsy she would be. 

            But soon laughter was bubbling out of her as Daniel began spinning her in quick leaping circles. It didn't take long before Saraphine's head was spinning. "Daniel!" she gasped, through her laughter. 

            He brought them to a stop and Saraphine shoved a shaggy, dark lock of hair from his face. "I've never seen those ladies do that," she stated. 

            Daniel grinned. "Maybe we could try something else." 

            "What did you have in mind?" Saraphine asked, her heart still racing from exertion. 

            Daniel put one arm around Saraphine's waist and pulled her flush against him. It felt as if a lightning bolt shot through her as Saraphine gasped and stared up at him. Daniel's big hand caressed her low back and Saraphine closed her eyes as she rested her head against his chest. 

            Daniel began to spin them in slow, graceful circles. Saraphine slipped her arms around his neck as he locked his around her waist. Daniel's heartbeat was the most peaceful sound that Saraphine had ever known—outside of perhaps her mama's lullaby, which Saraphine still found herself humming from time to time. 

            "I love you, Saraphine," Daniel whispered against her ear. 

            Her heart skipped a beat as it always did when she heard his voice speak those tender words. "I love you too." 

            Daniel's lips brushed against her temple. "I wish I could make you my wife, Saraphine. I'd be a good husband to you." 

            Saraphine's steps faltered and Daniel's strong arms tightened around her to keep her from falling. "Wife?" she whispered. 

            "Yes. Wife." He pulled away just enough for his gray eyes to meet hers. "Does it surprise you that I'd want to marry you?"

            Saraphine blinked several times and dug her teeth into her bottom lip. "I....but... we can't." 

            Daniel shrugged. "I know we can't," he acknowledged with annoyance. "Too many folks have their heads up their asses." 

            Saraphine was unable to fully quell her laughter. Daniel certainly had a way with words. "Would you marry me?" he asked. "If we could?"

            Staring up at him, Saraphine felt her heart swell with so much love, there was no room left for doubt. "Of course I would," she vowed. 

            Daniel smiled so broadly, Saraphine feared for his face. "Someday," he promised. "Someday you'll be my wife." 

            Saraphine simply smiled and chose not to damper his dreams. It was too nice a dream to take away. They danced together in peaceful silence beneath the shimmering moon and twinkling stars. 

            After a long while, Daniel stopped their spinning and Saraphine raised her head. She was surprised by the fear she saw in his gray eyes. "What's wrong?" she asked, resting her palm against his cheek. 

            "Can I...." Daniel cleared his throat and swallowed hard as color drained from his face in the lantern light. 

            Concern lit Saraphine's features. "What is it?"

            "I...." He took a deep steadying breath. "I want to make love to you, Saraphine." 

            Saraphine stood stone still and silent as her lungs forgot how to breathe. Could she give herself to Daniel? Did she want to?

            "Hell, we don't' have to... I won't be mad if you say no..." Daniel assured her quickly 

            Saraphine stared up at him with her mind racing. Black skin with white skin. Slave with slave owner's nephew. It was forbidden. Many would even say sinful and wrong. 

            But Daniel was all she wanted. She wanted a life with him—they couldn't have that but they 

could have this. They could have tonight.

            Instead of responding with words, which she would no doubt jumble up, Saraphine rose on her toes and pressed a tender yet sure kiss to his lips. 

            Daniel let out a shocked gasp, yet quickly seemed to recover from his surprise as he pulled Saraphine closer. His teeth nipped at her bottom lip and he greedily deepened the kiss. 

            Saraphine drank in the taste of him, moaning deep as his hand slid up her waist and brushed against the fabric covering her breast. Saraphine was trembling when Daniel pulled back. "Lift your arms," he whispered hoarsely. 

            She did as he commanded and Daniel lifted up her dress, pulling it over her head and tossing it away. Saraphine was completely exposed to his hungry gray eyes as she stood beneath the moon. 

            The gentle breeze blew against her tight nipples and bumps rose up upon her skin. It felt quite odd to be standing out in the open nude... Daniel, however, made her forget all about being uncomfortable when he stepped forward. 

            "I knew you'd be perfect." 

            "I..." Saraphine nibbled at her lip, fighting the urge to cover her ample chest with her arms. 

            "What do you want to say?" Daniel urged. 

            Knowing nothing would be gained by being a coward, Saraphine let out a long breath. "I want to see you." 

            Daniel wasted no time in granting her wish. The way he scrambled from his clothing—clumsily jerking at fabric and cursing buttons—was enough to nearly cause Saraphine to laugh out loud. 

            That humor quickly faded when Daniel's bare body was revealed to her. She had not seen him without a shirt since that night Thomas had lied and caused his brother to be whipped. 

            His body had certainly changed since that night. Hard muscles, proof of hard labor, were clearly defined and a mole Saraphine hadn't noticed before dotted his upper stomach. 

            Saraphine let her gaze slide across his broad shoulders, lean stomach and tapered hips before landing on the piece of male anatomy she had 

never seen before. It was long and hard and caused Saraphine to quickly look away.

            She knew what it was for and she understood what Daniel intended to do with it, but Saraphine still found herself trembling violently at the thought. 

            "Are you afraid?" Daniel whispered, stepping closer and cupping her elbow with his palm to pull her closer. 

            "A little," she whispered truthfully. 

            Daniel's lips pulled down and he brushed the fingertips of his free hand down her cheek. They danced along her throat and ended their path at her collarbones. "Surely you know by now that ya ain't gotta be afraid of me." 

            "I..." Saraphine found it difficult to speak with his calloused, tender hands caressing her bare skin. "I've never been with a man..." 

            Daniel winked. "I've never been with a man either." 

            Saraphine found herself laughing lightly and sent up a prayer of thanks for her incredible man. "I've never done this before either, Saraphine. There wasn't any other woman I wanted but you." Daniel kissed her brow. "If you're not ready...." 

            Saraphine lifted her hand and pressed her fingers against his lips. "There's no man I want other than you. We can learn together." 

            Daniel's gray eyes widened a fraction before turning darker with an emotion that caused Saraphine's core to yearn for something she had no name for. 

            As Daniel laid her down upon the blankets, crickets serenaded in the background. Firefly glow surrounded the two as Saraphine was shown the glorious gift of being a woman in love, and, if only for a moment, a woman 

free . Free to share her body with the man who loved her.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

September 17th 1845

Birds were singing cheerfully, welcoming in the dawn. The rising sun shone with renewed vigor, lighting up the grasses, rooftops and windowpanes. A log hanging mist hugged the earth, draping across it as if it were a blanket.

            It was a beautiful, peaceful September morning—and Saraphine was already exhausted. 

            Today was the day of Ellen's wedding and Saraphine had not slept for two nights. She had been far too busy ensuring that everything would be perfect. 

            "Saraphine!" Ellen's shrill call had Saraphine leaping to full attention as she shoved herself away from the wall, which her tired mind seemed to have mistaken for a bed. 

            Swiftly, she found Ellen in the kitchen. "Is there a problem.....?"

            Saraphine's questioned trailed off when she saw Betsy, a young slave girl, standing in a pile of spilled bread dough. "I'm sorry, Miss Ellen..." Betsy gasped. 

            Saraphine turned her attention to the other woman—and a laugh burst from her mouth. 

            Bread dough was splattered across the front of Ellen's morning dress and a large droplet was dangling precariously from her nose. "Are you honestly 

laughing at me?“ Ellen demanded.

            Saraphine quickly lowered her gaze and bit her tongue to quell her laughter. "No, Miss Ellen. Of course not. I merely laughed at the situation." 

            "I hardly think this is a situation that calls for laughter." 

            Saraphine nodded. "Of course, Miss Ellen." 

            "This girl all but threw this dough at me." 

            "No. No, Miss Ellen. I didn't realize you were there and I was startled I turned!" Betsy insisted. 

             "Enough!" Ellen snapped. "Saraphine, take her to the foreman. I want her punished with lashings!" 

            The poor girl's lips quivered as a tear rolled down her cheek. Saraphine was desperate to do 

something . “Miss Ellen, I am certain this was an accident. Would it not be more efficient to have the child clean up her mess and make more dough as punishment?”

            Ellen merely glared and Saraphine quickly continued. "We want today to be a perfect day for you and it will be. But we need 

everyone to help make that happen. If she is lashed, she won’t be fit to do her work.“

            Ellen's cheeks were red and her jaw tight. It was clear she was still very angry. Saraphine had done all she could. If Ellen still insisted on having Betsy punished, there would be no choice but to do as the woman demanded. 

            Slowly, Ellen's shoulders released a bit of their tension. "Fine. I want this mess gone and these floors shining." 

            "Yes ma'am!" Betsy exclaimed, tears streaming more freely down her cheeks. "And I'll bake the best bread you've ever tasted!" 

            Saraphine pulled a clean kerchief from her pocket and held it out to Ellen. "Why don't we go get you a hot bath? You should be resting and relaxing today." 

            Ellen nodded as she took the kerchief and cleaned a bit of dough from her face. "I certainly don't need this stress today," she agreed. 

            Saraphine smiled comfortingly. "No, you don't. Today is a day for joy." 

            As she walked from the room with Ellen in the lead, Saraphine glanced back at Betsy, already busy cleaning the dough, and she smiled. 

---

Saraphine had never known a day when she’d been so rushed. Thankfully, however, the wedding was all coming together nicely. The guests had arrived. They were mingling out beneath the silk tents with Mr. Levenworth and Samuel.

            It was nearly time for the band to begin playing the brides march and for Ellen to make her appearance. Saraphine put the finishing touches on Ellen's fancily beaded coif and smiled. "You look beautiful, Miss Ellen." 

            Ellen touched her lightly painted cheek and smiled. "I truly do, don't I?"  Then her smile faded. "I do so wish my mother could be here." 

            Saraphine bit her tongue as she busied herself cleaning up the vanity in Ellen's dressing room. She had wished for her own mother's presence countless times. She simply could not muster sympathy for Ellen—not when it had been Ellen's mother who had taken hers away. 

            "Saraphine, can we speak a moment?"

            Something in Ellen's tone caught Saraphine's attention. "Of course, Miss Ellen." 

            Ellen stood slowly, adjusting the belt on her silk robe. "I am starting a new life today as I marry Samuel. I feel blessed and loved—cherished even." 

            Saraphine simply nodded and waited for the woman to continue. Samuel was a terrible man. Saraphine still feared what would happen now that he would be living at the plantation. But she said nothing. Ellen would learn the truth about her soon to be husband soon enough. 

            "With my happiness, I have decided that I don't want to deny you yours." 

            A frown tugged down Saraphine's lips. "Ma'am?"

            Ellen straightened her shoulders and sighed. "I know about your relationship with Daniel." 

            Saraphine froze with fear. She couldn't lose Daniel—not again.

            "Don't look so terrified. While I do not understand why any white man would choose a woman of your 

coloring , I can see the happiness you bring each other. As long as there are no issues with your work slacking or outbursts from either of you, I will allow him to remain on the plantation.“

            Her mind whirring, Saraphine struggled to form a response. Ellen's expression became more serious. "Please do not let my father learn of your relationship. It would anger him greatly and I will deny I ever gave you my acceptance for it." 

            Saraphine somehow remembered how to speak. "Of course, Miss Ellen. I don't know what to say...." 

            Ellen fussed with her sleeve. "My mama probably wouldn't be pleased with me for allowing the relationship either. In her honor, I will insist that you never allow yourself to get with child. We do not need the scandal of a half-breed bastard child sired by a member of this family." 

            Saraphine fought the urge to lose her tempera the harshness of Ellen's words. Somehow she managed to bite her tongue and manage a polite smile. The fact that Ellen knew about her relationship with Daniel and was allowing it to continue was a blessing. 

            Saraphine needed to be grateful for it and not greedy in her want for more. 

            "Thank you, Miss Ellen." 

            Ellen clicked her tongue. "Don't make me regret it." 

            "No, ma'am." 

            Ellen glanced at the clock on the polished mantle. "Now, help me into my dress, Saraphine. It won't do to have me late for my own wedding." 

---

            "You look damn tired," Daniel stated bluntly that night as he entered Saraphine's room and closed the door behind him. 

            Saraphine smiled but never paused as she ran a brush over her hair. "Most men tell their women they are beautiful." 

            With a chuckle, Daniel stepped behind her and took the brush from her hand. "You already know I find you beautiful," he reminded her as he took over the brushing. "And I care enough about you to see that you're overworking yourself." 

            "And you have a bad habit of forgetting that I have no choice." 

            Daniel let out a growl before stooping lower and pressing a kiss to her quickening pulse. "My uncle is gone on business and Ellen won't be back for two weeks with Samuel... What are we going to do with ourselves?"

            Saraphine forced indifference into her tone. "We keep up with our work and ensure the plantation runs smoothly." 

            Daniel nipped at her ear, causing Saraphine to squeal and pull away. "All work and no play," he warned. 

            Saraphine batted her lashes. "There's no time for play." 

            Daniel's cheeks curved. "Is that right?"

            Without further warning, Daniel scooped her from her chair. Saraphine's laughter filled the room as Daniel tossed her upon the bed and stretched out beside her. 

            "You're taking it easy until my uncle comes back home," Daniel ordered. 

            "I can't fall behind," Saraphine warned. 

            "You won't," Daniel assured her. 

            Saraphine curled up against him, taking comfort in the sound of his heartbeat. She truly was exhausted, but, as always, Daniel seemed to know that and seemed perfectly content to simply hold her tight. 

            Somehow, Daniel always knew exactly what she needed. 

            "I had a rather interesting talk with Ellen today." 

            Daniel ran his fingertips down her arm. "Interesting and Ellen ain't exactly words that belong together," he stated. 

            With a roll of her eyes, Saraphine entwined her fingers with his and held their hands up in the lamp light. "She knows about us, Daniel." 

            Daniel stiffened. "She told you that?"

            "Yes. But she gave us her blessing." 

            "Well ain't that special," he grumbled. 

            Saraphine didn't understand his attitude. "What's wrong with you?"

            "She wasn't giving a blessing. She was letting you know she has a weapon against you." 

            "It really didn't seem that way," Saraphine countered, thinking back on the conversation. She chose not to tell her about Ellen's warning against getting with child. His mood made it clear he wouldn't appreciate hearing it. 

            And he didn't need to hear the warning anyhow. They'd been very careful thus far to prevent creating a child. Saraphine had been honest with Daniel about her fear of motherhood. Her fear of having her child ripped from her arms and taken to auction. 

            "Why do you defend her?" Daniel questioned. "She's never given you any real reason to trust her." 

            "She's never truly given me a reason not to trust her either. We shouldn't force her to pay for the sins of her mother, father and brother." 

            Silence reigned a while. Finally, Daniel released a long sigh. "You're a good person, Saraphine." 

            He held her tighter. "Now get some sleep. You're gonna take advantage of this time without them here whether you want to or not." 

            Saraphine curled up close to her man and chose not to argue. 

            Shewas far too tired.     6�}^�8�4

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Three

            November 1845

            

Samuel had only been living on the plantation for one month and already Saraphine could see that life was only going to get worse with his presence. He had placed himself in charge of determining punishments and Mr. Levenworth was training him tirelessly so he could one day run the entire plantation.

            Saraphine simply did not trust the man. 

            While he hadn't made any further attempt to be inappropriate toward her, Saraphine sensed an evilness and dishonesty in him. His every move seemed planned, as if he had a constant ulterior motive. 

            Tonight, he and Mr. Levenworth were taking several hounds out hunting. 

            "Do you wish to accompany us, Daniel?" Samuel offered as the men donned their hunting jackets. 

            Saraphine had been sweeping the foyer but she looked up quickly at the sound of the request. Her gut twisted. She couldn't explain why but she did not wish Daniel to leave. She sensed that something bad was going to happen tonight—though she couldn't say what that something was. 

            Feeling his eyes on her, Saraphine was glad when Daniel shook his head. "Naw, I reckon I'll stay here and get to bed early. I've not been feeling real good." 

            "You better rest then, Daniel," Mr. Levenworth warned. "We have to start plowing up the fields and readying them for fertilizer." 

            Daniel snorted. "Yes sir. I'll be ready to spread some bull shit bright and early." 

            Mr. Levenworth's eyes rolled upward. "Please watch your language. There really is no need for such cursing." 

            "It's hard to overcome a raising such as the one he received in the mountains," Samuel noted. 

            Saraphine's eyes widened and she greatly feared what Daniel's temper would cause him to say. "God only blessed a few," Daniel agreed with a mischievous grin. "The rest he cursed with a pampered raisin'." 

            "That's quite enough," Mr. Levenworth warned. "It's probably for the best that you don't wish to come." 

            Daniel crossed his arms over his chest. "Yes sir. I agree." 

            Saraphine busied herself with her sweeping until Mr. Levenworth and Samuel were gone. Then she leaned the broom against the wall and faced Daniel with her hands on her hips. "Must you always push and test your limits where they're concerned?"

            Daniel grinned as he took her by the elbow and pulled her close to him. "Don't worry, Saraphine. That's what they expect from me. If I were to suddenly stop doin' it, they'd probably think somethin' was wrong." 

            Saraphine simply rolled her eyes with defeat. Her man would never learn. 

---

It was late in the night, nearing twelve, before Saraphine finished with her chores. She returned her cart to the closet and was on her way to the stairs when she saw the light shining from beneath Ellen’s door.

            It seemed strange for the woman to still be up at this late hour. Then Saraphine heard the weeping. 

            Ellen was crying. 

            Saraphine shouldn't care. She should simply go on to her own room and pretend to have never heard a thing. Honestly, Saraphine probably would have been punished if she had interrupted Missus' privacy. 

            But Ellen wasn't Missus. Ellen was nearly.....

decent .

            Yes, she was a spoiled, pampered, pretentious brat most of the time. She would never see Saraphine as anything near an equal. Worse, she was the daughter of the monsters who had murdered her mother.... And countless others. 

            But Ellen was not harsh in her own dealings with the slaves—not as a grown woman. She had been unusually kind, nearly friendly, to Saraphine over the past few months. 

            Saraphine had to at least 

check on the other woman.

            Wiping her hands on her white apron, Saraphine stepped tot eh door. She knocked once and waited impatiently, hoping she would not regret her decision. 

            "Who is it?" Ellen's thick voice called. 

            "It's Saraphine, Miss Ellen. I was finishing up for the night and heard you crying." 

            Saraphine stopped speaking when she heard the rustling of moving fabric. The door opened and Ellen was there, appearing more red and blotchier than Saraphine had ever seen her. With her swollen eyes and squinted expression, she was nearly ugly. 

            "Oh, Saraphine! I just don't don't know what to do! I've never felt so lost!" 

            Saraphine was unsure of what to say. Never had any of her owners opened up to her in such a way. Taking a leap of faith that she would not be punished, Saraphine chose to act with Ellen the way she would Daniel. 

            Saraphine reached out and took Ellen's hand. "What's wrong, Miss Ellen? Is there anything I can do to help?"

            Ellen's red eyes widened as she stared down at their joined hands. Saraphine wondered what was going on in her mind. She wondered if she would be punished for her impulsive move. 

            Instead, Ellen let out a choking sob, met Saraphine's gaze and threw her arms around her as her crying renewed with vigor. Saraphine stiffened, unaccustomed to physical contact that wasn't Daniel's, and, more so, unaccustomed to her owner's daughter clinging to her and sobbing uncontrollably. 

            Slowly, Saraphine retrieved her stolen wits. She held Ellen gently and led her to the bed, sitting herself down on the downy mattress beside her. "Miss Ellen, what's wrong?"

            "I..." Ellen sniffed in a most unladylike fashion. "Samuel is not he man I believed he was." 

            Refraining from announcing she had already known about Samuel's darker side, Saraphine folded her hands in her lap. "What has he done?"

            Ellen wiped her face on a dainty lace kerchief. "He scares me, Saraphine... He shows no affection, he speaks so harshly to me and constantly raised his hand. More than once he has even struck me." 

            Saraphine let out a long breath, "Have you told Mr. Levenworth?"

            "No!" Ellen's eyes widened. "That would send Samuel into a terrible temper and I'm afraid of what he would do! And my father may even take his side!" 

            "You know he won't," Saraphine scolded gently, hating that she was forced to defend that monster. "Your father loves you and you are all he has left." 

            "Divorce will cause such a scandal...." Ellen hissed chewing at her nails. 

            "Temporary scandal or marriage to a man you fear... Simply think a moment, Miss Ellen. If Samuel is mean now, imagine how much worse it will be when your father is gone, the plantation is his and he has nothing to fear." 

            Ellen's entire face paled. "Do you... Do you believe that's why he married me? For my plantation?"

            "I can't say for certain..." Saraphine was careful with her answer. "Only you know your relationship behind closed doors." 

            Ellen lowered her head and covered her face with her hands. Her shoulders heaved as Saraphine sat quite awkwardly beside her. "You are so very lucky, Saraphine, and I can't help but feel envious." 

            Saraphine frowned. "Why on earth would you envy me?"

            Ellen raised her head. "You're with a man who truly loves you. He must! You have nothing to offer him but yourself. No money, no property, no children, no real future. He's been punished and sent away. And still he chooses you." 

            Saraphine sat there in silence. She had no idea what to say. Ellen had simply voiced what Saraphine had long ago realized and struggled with. She and Daniel had no future—only stolen moments. 

            "Miss Ellen, you must speak with your father. He would not wish you to be so sad and miserable in your marriage. And he 

certainly would not wish for you to spend your life with a man who would strike you.“

            Ellen took in a deep shaky breath. "I am afraid... If my father doesn't believe me... if he tells Samuel...." 

            "He will believe you," Saraphine interrupted assuredly. 

            Ellen nodded and slowly rose to her feet. "I want to thank you for being so honest and kind to me. I will do my best to do the same for you in the future." 

            Saraphine offered a thank you and wondered if good things may lie ahead for her. Ellen accepting her relationship with Daniel had certainly been a welcome surprise. But, Ellen becoming 

friendly with Saraphine could prove to be life-changing. Not only for Saraphine but for all the slaves on the plantation.

            And, if Mr. Levenworth forced Samuel away, Saraphine would, for the first time in her life, have almost no worries.

            Ellen led Saraphine to the bedroom door. "Can I ask one more favor of you?" 

            Saraphine shrugged, a habit of Daniel's that she seemed to have picked up. "I'm a slave, Miss Ellen. Favors imply a choice. Tell me what you wish of me." 

            Ellen appeared taken aback a moment. Her eyes widened and Saraphine wondered if she had been too forward. "Yes, well, this is one instance where I will accept a yes or no answer," Ellen admitted. "Depending on what you decide." 

            It was Saraphine's turn to be surprised. "What do you need, Miss Ellen?"

            Ellen's bottom lip trembled dangerously before she squared her shoulders. "Will you be there with me when I speak to my father in the morning?"

            "Why?"

            Ellen seemed embarrassed. "Please?"

            Saraphine let out a long breath before nodding. She wondered if perhaps she were still sleeping... this conversation seemed unreal. 

            "Thank you, Saraphine." 

            Before Saraphine could reply, the main door could be heard slamming against the wall. "Help! Quickly! He's been shot!" 

m:443]S^

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

Saraphine raced out of the room with Ellen on her heels.

            Shot?

            That had clearly been a foreman named Billy announcing that 

someone had been shot…

            "Daniel!" Saraphine screamed when she saw him in the doorway soaked in blood. 

            "It's not mine," he was quick to assure her. 

            Saraphine realized that Billy, Daniel and Samuel were working together to carry a body into the home. "Daddy!" Ellen cried out, her voice echoing against wood, stone and plaster. 

            Mr. Levenworth had been shot in the middle of his stomach. Blood poured from him and his clothes were soaked in it. His face was colorless and his breathing was shallow. 

            The man was dying. Saraphine did not need to be a doctor to know that was fact. How had he been shot? Had Samuel.........?

            "Save him! Oh please!" Ellen's desperate pleas shook Saraphine from her shock. 

            "Get him to a bed," she said to Daniel. He simply nodded and led the men upstairs. 

            "Miss Ellen, let's go sit down. We can go to the kitchen and have tea....." 

            "My father needs a doctor," Ellen argued. 

            Saraphine drew in a deep breath. "The doctor could never get here in time.. and even if he could, there's not much to be done." 

            Ellen's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You're probably happy he's dying!" 

            "Of course I'm not," Saraphine countered honestly. 

            Mr. Levenworth dying right now was a curse—certainly not the blessing Saraphine had hoped it would be. Ellen's body sagged suddenly and Saraphine was quick to each out and grab her, steadying the woman on her feet. 

            "I need to sit down, Saraphine. I can't...." 

            Without a word, Saraphine led Ellen to the kitchen and put water on to boil. The kitchen was silent. Ellen's face was colorless and her expression void of all emotion. 

            Saraphine tried desperately to shove down her own fears and worried. Had Samuel murdered Mr. Levenworth to claim quick control of the plantation? She had been so hopeful that life had been looking up just a short time ago. But now?

            Now Saraphine feared it would be worse than ever before. 

            Saraphine and Ellen sat at the small table in the kitchen—each of them staring into steaming, untouched cups of tea, too lost in their own thoughts to attempt conversation. 

            Ellen's weak voice was the first to break the silence. "Saraphine, please... Please check on my father. I can't...." 

            With a slow nod, Saraphine pushed herself to her feet and headed toward the main hall. It wasn't hard to find the room Mr. Levenworth was in. Saraphine merely had to follow the trail of blood along the polished floor and plush rugs. 

            She took a deep, steadying breath and stepped into the room. Saraphine had seen enough death in her life to recognize it upon the bed. 

            Billy wrung his hat in his hands. "I'll let the men know and send for the undertaker." 

            Saraphine stepped out of the way to allow Billy to pass. Her eyes locked on Samuel. The man had blood on his hands and shirt—just as Daniel and Billy had, but there was also blood splattered upon his mustached face. 

            His expression as he stared down at his lifeless father-in-law could only be described as smug. His expression lacked any sadness. Nor was there any shock or surprise. 

            Simply smugness. 

            "Where is Ellen?" Daniel's voice asked. 

            Saraphine pulled her attention from her assessment of Samuel and realized Daniel was standing beside her. Saraphine slipped from the room, unnoticed by a preoccupied Samuel. 

            In the hall, she hugged Daniel tight. "You're gonna get all bloody," he warned. 

            "I don't care. I need to feel you close." 

            Instantly, his strong arms circled tight around her. "Where is Ellen?" Daniel asked again. 

            "The kitchen. She sent me up to check on her father." 

            Daniel pulled away. "Try to get her to a bed. I'll wait on the undertaker." Daniel's expression darkened. "I'll come to your room as soon as I can. We need to talk." 

---

Saraphine sat tense at the edge of her bed. Her nails had been chewed to nubs and her lips were sore. It was just after five in the morning. Saraphine had not slept.

            It had taken a long while before Ellen had cried herself to sleep. 

            Saraphine knew the undertaker had come and gone. Now she was simply waiting impatiently for Daniel, wondering what he had to tell her. 

            A light knock on the door caused Sarpahine to jump. "Who is it?" she called, wondering if perhaps Samuel had gotten 

lost again.

            "Daniel." 

            Saraphine opened the door quickly. "You don't have to knock," she reminded him gently. 

            Daniel stepped inside, closed the door and pulled Saraphine into his warm embrace. He smelled of soap ad his fresh clothes were clinging to his damp skin. "I didn't want to barge in and scare you." 

            Saraphine let out a sigh. "Life will never stop playing tricks and jokes on us, will it?"

            "How do you mean?" Daniel asked, sitting down on the bed and pulling Saraphine down beside him. 

            "Ellen has changed, Daniel. I know you doubted her acceptance of us, but it wasn't the weapon you thought it was. It was genuine acceptance." 

            Daniel frowned. "How can you be so sure?"

            "I heard her crying and went to her not long before you brought Mr. Levenworth back. We spoke a long time. She was preparing to ask her father to help her divorce Samuel." 

            "Divorce?" Daniel scratched at his neck. "Why a divorce? They don't exactly like a scandal around here." 

            "Samuel is hitting her and scaring her... ." Saraphine turned a tear-filled gaze up at Daniel. "He killed him, didn't he?"

            Daniel nodded. "Yeah, I think so. But it can't be proven. My uncle never did wake up so there ain't nobody to say what really happened." 

            "If you went to the law, do you think they'd do anything?"

            Daniel snorted. "I'm not exactly the type the law listens to. I ain't from rich people. I grew up in the mountains and spent years at a home for troubled boys. Samuel's older, richer, higher class and a genuine jackass. They'll listen to him over me all day long." 

            A tear slipped down Saraphine's cheek. "I'm scared. Mr. Levenworth is gone, the plantation is now Samuel's and there's nothing Ellen can do to get him away....' 

            "Why the hell didn't Ellen get rid of him 

before her pa kicked the bucket?“ Daniel muttered.

            Saraphine shook her head. "She feared him, Daniel. He's a monster. What are we going to do? Samuel is going to...." 

            "Stop worryin' yourself so much. I'll keep you safe, Saraphine." 

            Saraphine curled up against him and chose not to say anything. Daniel was a dreamer and, just this once, for at least a short while, Saraphine was going to dream with him.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Five

December 1845

Three weeks had passed since Mr. Levenworth had been placed in the ground. A lawman had come and spoken to Samuel. He’d seemed satisfied in Samuel’s tale of an accidental shooting. No one had spoken up to counter him. Even Daniel had kept his opinions to himself. Fear of Samuel and the power he now held over them was enough to silence them all.

            Saraphine had never lived in such constant fear. She was terrified any time she entered a room Samuel was in, passed him in the hall or laid her head down at night, that it was going to be the moment he did more than stare at her with that stomach churning lust. 

            Daniel's good nature and positive outlook on life seemed to be fading as well. He was tense, on edge and paced the home as if he were a caged animal. 

            And Ellen.... 

            Saraphine had never thought she'd feel so much pity or sympathy for the woman—but she did. She had helped Ellen dress quite often in the past few weeks and had seen Samuel's handiwork upon her skin. Ellen was no longer even a shadow of what she had once been. She still dressed in beautiful clothes and her hair was always neat—but her eyes were haunted and her expression blank. 

            Losing her father had been terrible for Ellen. He'd been the only family she'd had left, since Daniel had never truly been accepted. But marriage to Samuel had truly broken her. In such a short span of time he had killed Ellen's spirit. 

            It seemed the angel's Saraphine had once so admired, were surprisingly weak. 

            Saraphine swore she would be stronger. No matter what happened she would 

not let Samuel break her.

            "Saraphine?" Daniel's voice pulled her from her thoughts. 

            "What is it?" she asked, alarmed by his tense expression. 

            "Samuel has demanded to see all the slaves and foremen down by the slave quarters. He told me to fetch you." 

            Saraphine turned back toward her bedroom window and gazed at the fields glazed with frost, glistening in the sunrise. 

            What could Samuel possibly want with them all?

            "Come along now, Saraphine. Best not to make him angry." 

            After a deep, steadying breath Saraphine went to Daniel. He wrapped her in a tight embrace. "I won't let no harm come to you," he vowed. 

            "Let's hurry along," she urged, pulling away but taking his hand. "So he won't have a reason to harm either of us." 

            They remained hand in hand until they neared the slave quarters. Placing distance between them, Saraphine stood with the other slaves while Daniel stood nearer to the foremen. 

            Samuel rubbed at his thick black mustache and smiled—an action which had no effect on his eyes. "I'm sure you're all wondering why I called you out here. I know there is work to be done, so I'll make this as quick as I can. Have been watching over the past few weeks, evaluating how the plantation operates." 

            Samuel adjusted his tweed jacket before continuing. "I've decided to make several changes." 

            Saraphine's stomach churned when those dark eyes found her. "Saraphine will remain in the home and see to cooking and cleaning duties there. I want a slave close." He licked at his lip and Saraphine laid a hand over her heaving stomach. "One never knows when they might need the 

service of one.“

            Saraphine did not need to look Daniel's way to know he was barely fight back his temper. She knew this was killing him. He felt powerless against Samuel. Any trouble he gave the man could tear him from Saraphine's life forever. So far Daniel hadn't seen fit to risk that but Saraphine had a feeling the day was coming. 

            "However," Samuel continued. "That will be the extent of her duties. I have hired several men and they will be in complete control of your daily lives." He turned a hard gaze toward the foremen. "You ten men will no longer be needed here." 

            "But sir!" One of the foremen spoke up. "I've been here for fifteen years!" 

            Samuel flashed a smile. "Then it's past time for you to find something new." 

            He whistled sharply and Saraphine saw six men step out into the open from behind the slave quarters. "These are the new foremen. I will ask you ten nicely to leave one last time—and then they'll ask you. I can assure you it won't be near as nicely." 

            It was then that Saraphine noticed the belts the new men wore—and the guns that rested in them. Saraphine had only ever seen one revolver and it was kept on display in Mr. Levenworth's old office. 

            There was only one reason men would wear such deadly things on their body—they meant trouble. 

            "What needs to be understood by everyone—" Samuel's gaze flicked toward Daniel. "—is that these men control you. They answer only to me." 

            Scanning the large gathering of slaves, Samuel shook his head. "You will be dealt with swiftly and without mercy if you slack or fail in your duties. Any whispers of escape or running away will be punished by death. Slaves seem to be forgetting their place in this country lately and I intend to see that you remember yours. You belong to me now, negros. You are expendable, replaceable assets and nothing more. Now get to work." 

            Saraphine watched as the ten foremen who had been asked to leave, did so with their heads down. Saraphine herself was quick to make an exit of her own. She had no desire to remain near Samuel or his six hired men any longer.

---

That night, Saraphine could not find sleep. It eluded her as she feared what life would soon become.

            She hadn't been expecting Daniel. His visits no longer came each night with Samuel seeming to watch their every move. When her door opened, Saraphine curled up upon her bed, tightly gripping the covers and peering into the darkness. 

            "It's just me." 

            Daniel's voice was a soothing balm to her battered soul. 

            He closed the door and slid her small chest of drawers in front of it. Saraphine welcomed him with open arms as he slid into the bed beside her. 

            "Is he sleeping?" she asked, hating that even in Daniel's arms, she was unable to feel safe. 

            "He won't be bothering you tonight," Daniel promised. He spoke with such assurance but Saraphine wasn't fooled. He had blocked the door, after all. 

            "Why did this have to happen, Daniel? Just when it seemed life was going to be a better, safer place why did Samuel have to happen?" 

            Daniel was silent a moment as he kissed her hair. "I wish I had an answer. Fact is, I'm just as confused and angry about it as you are." 

            Silence fell and laid heavy over the lovers and they held tight to one another. Finally, Daniel tentatively broke the silence. "I... I have an idea..." 

            "An idea about what?"

            "We can run, Saraphine." He met her gaze in the darkness. "We could run away from here and go somewhere else—somewhere safe." 

            Saraphine sat up straight. "You have lost your mind! We can't run! Did you not just hear Samuel's warnings today?"

            "I haven't lost anything," Daniel countered, remaining where he was. "We can't stay here. Not with him." 

            "We've talked about this before," Saraphine reminded him. "I'm not like you, Daniel. They 

own me. I am Samuel’s property. I can’t just run away.“

            Daniel rose up and took her arm. His grip wasn't painful but it certainly got her attention. "Damnit, Saraphine, you don't belong to that son of a bitch. You are a living, breathing human being with a soul and a whole lot more purpose in life than to just sit around here and wait on him to hurt you." 

            Saraphine pulled away from him and buried her face in her hands. Why couldn't Daniel understand? Why didn't he see? She was a slave. She'd been born a slave and she would die a slave. 

            "I know you're afraid but you don't have to let that stop you," Daniel urged. 

            "Daniel, you weren't here. The last time... you didn't see..." 

            Images of that terrible night flashed in her mind. Mary's eyes looking into hers as she'd been hanged. Cecil shedding tears of sorrow for failing those he'd tried to slave just before being murdered for trying. Saraphine, knowing that she herself would have hanged that night if she hadn't gone back for her dress. 

            "It won't be like that this time. I swear that to you," Daniel insisted. 

            Saraphine swiped a tear before meeting his eyes. "It will be worse. He is ruthless. He has already proven himself to be a murderer. He has hounds to track us and men with guns to stop us. I can't watch you die. I've watched too many people die." 

            Daniel wrapped her up tight in his arms as Saraphine trembled, weeping with old memories. 

            "I can keep you safe out there, Saraphine. I know how to survive and I grew up hunting with hounds with my pa. I know how to trick them. I can't keep you safe here—not like I can out there." 

            He pulled away so he could look into her eyes. "Take this chance with me. We can get away from here. We can have a real future." 

            Saraphine was quiet for a long while. The thought of leaving both thrilled and terrified her. If they left and they were caught, they would be killed. If Saraphine refused to leave, if she chose to stay, she knew she would one day end up like her mother. 

            But, if they left and they made it...If they found that freedom... Saraphine was afraid to even put into thought how life changing that would be. 

            With a heart heavy with both fear and hope, she nodded. "Okay," came her soft whisper. "We'll run together." 

            The relief on Daniel's face was clearly visible, even in the darkness. "Just give me a few days to get things ready and we'll leave." 

            Saraphine swallowed hard. Days. Only days until Saraphine's life would change forever. Whether that change would be good or bad, only time would tell.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Six

Saraphine fastened the back of Ellen’s dress, mindful of the web of bruises along her shoulders. “Miss Ellen…” she began warily.

            Ellen met her gaze in the gilded mirror. "Yes?"

            Nibbling her lip, Saraphine picked up the silver-backed brush and began working it through Ellen's blond hair. "Have you ever thought of leaving?"

            Blue eyes narrowed in the mirror. "Leaving?" 

            Saraphine nodded. "Yes. Leaving this place. Leaving 

him. “

            Ellen's gaze dropped. "No. He would kill me if I dared. He has made that very clear. I mean nothing to him and yet he will not let me go." 

            Saraphine began styling Ellen's hair into a fancy coif. "That's why you don't tell him you're leaving. You run away. You escape." 

            Ellen's head snapped up and her eyes were wide. "Run away? Are you mad? He'd track me down and...." 

            Saraphine wasn't sure if her next move was the correct one. If she was wrong, it would cost both her and Daniel their freedom, and, possibly, their lives. But Saraphine had to try. No woman deserved to go through what Ellen was enduring. 

            "Daniel and I are running. Tomorrow night. Come with us." 

            The silence that followed was deafening. Was Saraphine going to regret her words? Had she just put Daniel's life at risk? 

            "I... you're running away?" Ellen whispered. 

            Saraphine nodded. Her trembling hands were greatly hindering her progress with Ellen's hair. 

            "But you can't leave, Saraphine. You're a slave. You belong on this plantation." 

            Saraphine squared her shoulders. In the mirror she looked a lady with as much poise and dignity as any of the so-called angels she'd watched dance countless times. "I am a woman. I am a human. I will not remain here with that man and let him destroy what happiness I do have. And he will, Ellen. He is going to destroy this place and every person in it." 

            A tear slid down Ellen's pale cheek. "I see now, Saraphine. This is wrong. Slavery is wrong. Forcing people to do your bidding, ripping families apart, treating a person like they are some kind of animal is wrong. I can see all that now." 

            "It opens your eyes when you're the one enslaved, I suppose." 

            Ellen stood from her chair and pulled Saraphine into a tight hug. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." 

            Saraphine remained stiff and, slowly, Ellen pulled away. "I don't want your apologies, Ellen. You were born into this life just the same as I was." Saraphine shook her head. "No, I don't want your apology. What I want is your company or your silence." 

            A frown creased Ellen's brow. "What do you mean company or silence?"

            Laying the brush on the polished vanity, Saraphine turned to face Ellen once more and folded her hands. "I wish you would come with us and escape that man. But, if you cannot, then promise me your silence. Promise me you will not tell your husband our plan."

            Ellen averted her gaze quickly. She wrapped her arms tight around herself and walked to the window. Saraphine was let to simply stand and wonder what it was running through Ellen's mind. She prayed she hadn't just made a grave mistake. 

            After countless long and agonizing moments, Ellen turned to face her once again. "You took a great risk in telling me the truth." 

            Saraphine hoped the fear wasn't plain to see on her face. "Yes, I did. Am I going to regret it?" 

            Ellen shook her head and Saraphine released the breath she'd been holding. "I wish to come with you," Ellen admitted. "Daniel and I could even pose as husband and wife traveling with our slave. We might actually get away." 

            "We 

will get away. We have to.“ Saraphine knew there had to be more to life than this place.

            "When are we leaving?" Ellen asked. 

            "Daniel and I were going to meet at midnight beneath the big oak." Ellen nodded, clearly aware of their favorite place. "Meet us there." 

            "I'll be there." 

            Saraphine paused as she headed for the door. "This journey will be a hard and dangerous one. Are you certain you can endure it?" 

            Ellen squared her shoulders and met Saraphine's gaze full force. "I'm sure." 

            Saraphine simply nodded and left the room. Now she merely had to worry about just how angry Daniel would be when he discovered she had arranged a traveling companion. 

---

“You did what?” Daniel demanded, his anger at about the level Saraphine had anticipated.

            "I couldn't simply leave her here with him." 

            "You damn well could have done exactly that," he countered, pacing the lamp lit room. "She is the one that chose to marry him. My cousin made her own bed." 

            Saraphine remained perched on the edge of the bed, taking in the grace with which Daniel's lithe body moved when he was angry. 

            "He tricked her, Daniel. She thought the man loved her. He changed the moment she changed her last name did. She is covered in bruises and absolutely terrified for her life." 

            "He won't kill her," Daniel muttered as if even he knew the argument was weak. 

            "He killed her father to gain quick ownership of this place. And with those new men he hired, it won't be long before more die." 

            Saraphine stood and still Daniel's pacing by pressing her palms to his broad chest. "Daniel, we know what it is to live in a prison. Can you really say it right for another to suffer that fate?" 

            Daniel heaved out a great sigh. "Her family...." 

            "Is no longer here and Ellen is not the girl she once was." 

            "But, Saraphine, what if she tells him?" 

            Saraphine laid a gentle hand to Daniel's tense jaw. "She won't." 

            His gray eyes revealed his doubt. "But what if she does?" 

            "She wants freedom just as badly as we do. Trust me. Please?"

            Daniel's gaze softened as he pulled her into his arms. "You I trust with my life. It's my spoiled, selfish cousin I don't trust." 

            Saraphine listened to the steady beat of his heart. "It's all going to be alright, Daniel. We'll leave tomorrow, we'll find our freedom and we'll finally have a real future." 

            Daniel didn't offer any further opinion on the matter. Instead, he found her lips with his and they came together on the bed in a joining full of nervous hope for the future they both so desperately longed for.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Something had quite simply felt off all day. Saraphine tried telling herself it was simply nerves over tonight tying her stomach in knots. But the longer the day went on, the worse her trepidations became and the more Saraphine was tempted to tell Daniel they needed to wait.

            Evening was closing in. The sun was hanging lower in the sky. Saraphine had come outside to gather a bucket of water for the kitchen. The hand pump squeaked loudly as Saraphine filled the wooden bucket. 

            Along the back of her neck, each of Saraphine's hairs stood on end. Hefting up the bucket, Saraphine turned to see Samuel and two of his new foreman. The men flanking him wore twin bored expressions while Samuel was sneering at her with rage in his glittering dark eyes. 

            "Hello Saraphine." 

            "Hello Mr. Samuel. I was just about to start supper." 

            "That won't be necessary," he countered as his lips curled over his teeth. Saraphine gripped the handle tight as Samuel tilted his head. "I believe we need to have a little chat, Saraphine." 

            Saraphine didn't have time to ask what that chat needed to be about. Before she could speak, another man stepped into view holding a beaten, battered and bruised Ellen by the arm. 

            Saraphine's blood froze. The bucket slipped from her hands, crashing upon the ground and splashing water on her threadbare shoes. 

            "I'm sorry...." Ellen whispered through her split, oozing lips. 

            "Don't appear so betrayed," Samuel snapped. "My dearest wife refused to tell me what had her acting so nervous today—until, of course, I beat it out of her." 

            Saraphine took in Ellen's nearly unrecognizable face and felt her heart shatter.

            Just how much had Ellen told him?

            "You thought you would just run away, is that it?" Samuel inquired. You have a good life here, slave. A warm, soft bed, three meals a day and a roof above your head. What on earth would make you want to give that up?"

            Saraphine remained silent. Perhaps Ellen hadn't mentioned Daniel's name. If Saraphine could protect him, she would. 

            Samuel chuckled. "Oh yes, I remember." 

            He snapped his fingers and Saraphine heard a scuffle behind her. Turning quickly, a curse flew from her lips. 

            Daniel.

            Samuel's three remaining hired men had the struggling man held tight. His gray eyes met Saraphine's and time froze. She had done this. If she hadn't let her pity for Ellen cause her to invite the other woman, her Daniel wouldn't have been caught. 

            Saraphine whirled on Samuel. "You'll let him go! Do what you must to be but leave Daniel alone!" 

            Snickering met her pleas. "Daniel, haven't you told her?"

            Saraphine frowned. "Tell me what?"

            Samuel rubbed at his dark mustache. "Your relationship with him is no secret. He came to me my first night here and, with a knife pressed against my throat, he warned me that if I ever touched you, he would gut me as if I were a 

critter .“

            Saraphine's eyes widened. That explained so much. She had been wondering for a long while why Samuel hadn't yet acted on his desire toward her. 

            Daniel. Her loving, caring, gentle Daniel had been protecting her once again. 

            "For a long while now I have heeded the warning he gave me but I now strength in numbers." His dark eyes flickered toward the men at his sides. 

            "Daniel has nothing to do with me running away," Saraphine insisted desperately. 

            Samuel stepped closer and his hand fell sharply across Saraphine's face. Stars danced behind her eyes as she swayed on her feet. 

            Daniel fought to escape the men holding him but he was one man against three and several hard punches to the gut had him ceasing his struggles. 

            "When I want to hear you speak, slave, I will tell you what to say," Samuel sneered. "Do not bother me with your lies. My dear wife told me everything." 

            Saraphine moved her gaze to Ellen. Tears poured from the woman's swollen eyes. "I'm sorry...," she whispered. "I just wanted the punches to stop." 

            Saraphine wanted to be angry with Ellen—truly she did—but right now she was full of too much fear; too much raw terror to manage it. 

            Samuel turned to the man holding tight to Ellen. "Take my wife back to our room. I'm done with her for now." 

            As Ellen was led away, Saraphine turned her attention back to Daniel. His gray eyes were locked on her. Saraphine hated that she had caused this. If she hadn't invited Ellen along....

            But Daniel's gaze was full of nothing but love—and fear. Heart wrenching love and fear. 

            "This ain't your fault, Saraphine," he vowed as if he could read her tormented mind. And, given the bond they shared, he probably could. 

            "Aww, how touching," Samuel mocked. "But he's lying." Samuel's fingertips trailed across Saraphine's arm, causing her to shiver and Daniel to curse. 

            "Every bit of this is your fault," Samuel insisted. "You used a poor ignorant mountain hick in a pathetic attempt to further your station. You are a slave, Saraphine. My slave. I am in control of you. If you continue to breathe after tonight, it is only because 

I allow you to.“

            When he leaned in close and she felt his hot breath against her jaw, Saraphine squeezed her eyes shut tight and prayed for death. She prayed that Samuel would simply take her life. However, she had a feeling that he had something much, much worse in mind for her. 

            Saraphine had seen firsthand that there 

were fates worse than death. “Get your goddamn hands off her, you no good son of a bitch!” Daniel bellowed.

            Saraphine heard a grunt and she turned to see Daniel break free. He went for a gun o none of the men's hips. Saraphine screamed his name and lunged forward to help only to be grabbed tightly by the two men who had been standing idly in the background. 

            Saraphine watched in horror as Daniel was tossed away and three guns were aimed at him as he lay sprawled upon the ground. 

            Samuel strode forward and, without warning, he kicked Daniel hard in the face. 

            "Stop it!" Saraphine pleaded as Samuel delivered more kicks to Daniel's body. 

            His feet were joined by the feet of the three men beside him and Saraphine screamed, whimpered and pleaded with them to stop. 

            They were killing him! 

            Saraphine's gut was twisting. She couldn't seem to breathe. Her heart was screaming. 

            Samuel was panting and his salt and pepper hair disheveled when he finally raised his hand and the attack stopped. Saraphine held her breath, hoarse whimpers still tearing from her raw throat. 

            Daniel didn't move. His eyes were closed and he made no sound. Was he dead? Had Samuel and his men just beat the man she loved to death right before her eyes?

            The two men holding Saraphine were all that kept her from falling into the dirt. 

            "Did you truly believe you had a future with him?" Samuel sneered. "You're mine, slave. And I plan on showing you what I expect from you, starting tonight." 

            Samuel reached out and grabbed Saraphine's breast roughly through the coarse fabric of her burlap dress. Saraphine did all she could and spit in his haughty face.  She had no idea where she got the courage, or perhaps, the stupidity to do such a thing. She supposed it came from having nothing left. No hope. No escape. No Daniel. No future. 

            Samuel pointed toward the plantation house. "Take her to her room and keep her there until I arrive." 

            Saraphine didn't fight the men as they led her away. She kept her eyes locked on Daniel's still form for as long as she could. 

            Daniel. Her best friend. Her lover. Her champion. 

            God, how could she ever forgive herself for failing him so badly? For causing this?

            Saraphine found herself locked in her room with guards at the door. She curled into a ball upon the bed and wept. 

            Whatever came tonight, whatever Samuel did to her, she would deserve it for what she had done. 

            Daniel....she had killed her Daniel.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Eight

            Time. 

            Saraphine found it strange the tricks it played. Sometimes it seemed to race by so quickly you could miss a lifetime with a single blink. Other times it crawled along at a snail's pace, stretching minutes into hours. 

            Just now, however, it seemed to have disappeared entirely. Had minutes passed? Hours? Days? Saraphine had no way of knowing. 

            She simply lay upon her bed, curled up into herself. Her tears had run dry, her cheeks were raw, her throat burning and her lungs aching with each and every tortured breath she drew. 

            Footsteps had her focusing her attention on her bedroom door. Murmured voices came from outside just before the door swung open. 

            Samuel smiled as he stepped inside holding a kerosene light to illuminate the growing darkness. Saraphine remained still as she watched him approach the bed. Her gut twisted violently when she saw the red splatters across his white shirt and smeared upon his face. His hands were covered with the same substance. 

            Blood. 

            Daniel's blood?

            "I am certain you're wondering the fate of that hick," Samuel began, setting the light on the bedside table. His red hands began to undo the buttons of his shirt. 

            "He put up a fight. Woke up in the barn and managed to get a gun. He killed two of my men." Samuel slid his shirt from his pale shoulders, revealing the thick black hair on his chest.  "He's dead now, of course. I finished him myself and we dumped his body in the swamp." 

            Saraphine had thought she had run out of tears but to hear Samuel speak so coldly of Daniel's death had more tears streaking her cheeks. Poor Daniel. He had fought so hard. 

            "Now, to get to what I expect from you from now on....." 

            Saraphine felt raw, nearly paralyzing fear clog her senses when Samuel slid himself from his pants. He was pale and lacked the defined muscles that hard work had given Daniel. Her gaze dropped to his exposed arousal and, finally, Saraphine remembered how to move. 

            She leapt from the bed and backed toward the door. "You won't force me," she warned. "You have no right to my body." 

            Samuel chuckled as he stepped from his trousers. "I have

every right to any part of you I desire.“

            Saraphine reached behind her and opened the door. She turned, determined to flee, but was caught by one of the me who had escorted her there earlier. 

            "Put her on the bed," Samuel ordered. 

            Saraphine swung, scratched, kicked and screamed but if any of those things bothered the man, she couldn't tell. She was tossed upon the bed and Samuel was upon her, pinning her helplessly to the mattress. 

            Her underclothes were ripped away despite her pleas. When Samuel attempted to spread her legs, Saraphine's struggles increased. Suddenly Samuel's hand was wrapped around her throat. Breathing became impossible and it didn't take long for her lungs to begin to burn in protest. 

            "Do you want to die, Saraphine? I can do that. I can strangle you to death right here and find another slave to take your place." Samuel's face was so close, his angry words sent spit spraying across her face. 

            How selfishly Saraphine wanted to say yes. She longed to let it end. The fear. The pain. The loss. Just let it all be over. 

            But she couldn't. She couldn't allow Samuel to kill her and do this to another young slave. 

            Her struggles ceased and, almost instantly, Samuel's grip loosened. 

            He used his knee to force Saraphine's stiff legs apart and Saraphine squeezed her eyes tight as he forced himself inside her. 

            It was almost as if Saraphine left herself and floated away, watching the horror take place from a distance. 

            Death, she decided. The life she had just chosen for herself was worse than death. 

---

Rooster crows woke Saraphine the next morning—not that sleep had ever fully claimed her.

            Her body ached. Her skin felt tight and every movement was agony. But the physical pain was nothing compared to the pain she felt inside. Her soul was raw, exposed and bleeding. Something inside of her had died under Samuel's forceful rape but a bigger part had died with Daniel. 

            She understood her mama now. Saraphine realized how easy, how tempting it would be to curl up in herself and fade away. But she couldn't do that. 

            She couldn't make Daniel's death, his sacrifice, be for nothing. She couldn't let Samuel win. She couldn't escape the way her mother had. Saraphine had to live. 

            Forcing herself to her weak legs, Saraphine walked unsteady to her mirror. The sight she was met with caused her stomach to heave and she vomited violently in the wash basin. 

            Once the heaves had subsided, Saraphine quickly yanked the soiled burlap dress from her body and threw it into the corner. Covering that worn brown fabric had been streaks of dried blood from Samuel's body.... Daniel's blood. 

            The wash basin was soiled but Saraphine dipped a clean rag into the pitcher of water beside it and began to scrub at her skin. She scrubbed until her raw skin burned and her arms weakened with exhaustion. 

            Saraphine longed to curl into a ball upon the floor and spend the day locked up with her tears. But she could not do that either. 

            Somehow, Saraphine had to get dressed, leave her room, do her work and pretend as if her entire world hadn't just come to a grinding halt in hell. 

yz?{

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine

April 1847

“Saraphine?”

            Ellen's voice caused Saraphine's spine to stiffen. She had tried hard not to blame Ellen for the turn her life had taken—but sometimes it was easier to blame her than it was to blame herself. 

            Saraphine closed the door of the supply closet and turned to face Ellen. The last year and some odd months had aged the woman twenty. Ellen's every move was stiff from the nearly daily beatings. Her skin was dull and had lost its healthy youthful glow. The biggest change, however, had been in her eyes. They were empty and dead—just like the eyes Saraphine saw in the mirror each day. 

            "I was on my way to bed, Miss Ellen," Saraphine informed her curtly. 

            "Saraphine, please..." 

            "Please what?"

            "What do you want me to do?" Ellen demanded, throwing her hands in the air. "I am sorry that I caused what happened to Daniel." 

            "His death," Saraphine hissed. "You caused his death." She wondered when the pain and anger would fade. When the sadness would lessen. She had subconsciously hoped that somehow Daniel had survived—that he would come back to her. But it had been over a year—Daniel wasn't coming. He'd been tossed into that swamp and made some gator fat and happy. 

            It seemed the only time Saraphine felt anything at all in the last year was when she thought of Daniel's death and those responsible. 

            Ellen's gaze dropped to the floor. "I'm sorry I married Samuel. I'm sorry I brought him into our lives. Don't you think I'm sorry? 

I am the one being beaten every day.“

            "Yes, and I am the one being raped," Saraphine snapped. 

            Ellen paled and winced as if Saraphine had physically struck her in the gut. Saraphine knew it wasn't news to Ellen. The woman had known about the regular rapes. Samuel had made no secret of his attacks and often bragged about them. 

            "How long will you hate me?" Ellen whispered. "You are all I have left... Everything else familiar or kind has been lost." 

            "Only three people have ever been truly kind to me in my life. I've lost my mother, Cecil and Daniel and your family is to blame for it al." 

            Saraphine was shocked by her own bitterness. She knew the hate would do nothing to help her situation. She had been clinging to it desperately because it was all that made her 

feel .

            Ellen nodded and backed away. "Samuel won't be home until tomorrow. At least you'll have one more night of peace." 

            Saraphine watched the other woman walk away and felt guilt fall into her gut. Ellen was just as lost, just as alone and just as abused as she was. But the fact remained that Ellen was the cause of it all. 

            Saraphine was confused. If there was ever a time she needed her best friend, it was now. But life had taken him away from her. 

            Knowing her mind was far too jumbled to find sleep just now, Saraphine made her way to the kitchen and out the back door. She wondered, as she stood in the cool night air, how the slaves in the quarters were doing. 

            Her contact with any of them had been very limited. Samuel had forbidden her to speak with them and she was strictly prohibited from visiting the quarters. Saraphine knew it was simply another way for him to isolate, dominate and hurt her. And yet, she obeyed him because she did not wish to anger him. Samuel was always mean but he was especially vicious when in a temper. 

            Without taking time to think of where she was going, Saraphine began to walk. It wasn't until she was standing beneath the old oak over the hill that she realized she hadn't been to this spot since Daniel's death. 

            With trembling fingers, Saraphine ran her hand over the rough bark, pausing at the 

D and S so painstakingly carved into the trunk. Tears began to fall as she sat down upon the grass and curled up to that tree just as she had curled up to Daniel in this very spot.

            The longer Saraphine lay there, the more she thought of Daniel. Not of his death but of his life and the times they had shared. The laughter, the friendship. 

            Saraphine's breath caught when she realized her lips had curved into a smile. A moment of clarity suddenly struck her. Daniel had always been her rock and the dreamer full of hope for a future. He was gone now but Saraphine did not want Daniel's best qualities—his fighting spirit—to die with him. 

            It was up to her to keep those things alive. Samuel had broken her for a long time but no longer. She may have to endure the rape but she didn't have to let it destroy her hope for a future. Someday she would get away and have a free life. A life of her own. 

            And she would forgive Ellen, and herself, for the mistakes of the past. 

---

            Several hours later, Saraphine stood outside Ellen's door. She had spent all that time sitting under the tree and thinking of every happy memory she had of Daniel. 

            After a deep breath, she rapped lightly on the closed door. It was opened quickly by a frightened Ellen who visibly relaxed at the sight of Saraphine. 

            "Can we talk, Miss Ellen?" 

            Ellen nodded as she stepped aside. "Please, stop calling me Miss Ellen. Simply Ellen will be fine." 

            Saraphine entered the familiar room. It was still as bright and richly decorated with Ellen's baubles as it had always been. There was no evidence of the monster in their lives until you attempted to gaze into the mirror. The mirror Ellen had covered with a swatch of fabric months ago. 

            Seeing the proof of abuse altering her once flawless reflection had proved more than she could stand. 

            "What do you want to talk about?" Ellen asked as she stood beside the window seeming very awkward and unsure. 

            "I was cruel to you earlier," Saraphine admitted. "I'm sorry." 

            "Sorry?" Ellen frowned. "You have no reason to be sorry." 

            Saraphine sat down upon the vanity chair. "I do. I have been lost in hate and anger. I took my pain out on you because it was easier than focusing on my own guilt." 

            Ellen settled herself on the edge of the bed. "Your guilt? What guilt? All you were guilty of was wanting freedom and a real life. There is no crime in that." 

            It was Saraphine's turn to appear awkward. "Yes, but I am the one who shared our plan with you." 

            Ellen's eyes widened. "I never realized you blamed yourself...." She came forward and dropped to her knees in front of Saraphine. She took her hands gently. "You are an amazing and caring soul, Saraphine. I never gave you any real reason to trust me or help me but you took that chance. I could never thank you enough for that. 

I am the one who failed you. The blame is mine.“

            It took a moment for Saraphine to overcome the shock of seeing one of her white owners practically groveling at her feet. Finally, she remembered how to speak. "Perhaps we both need to let go of the blame and guilt we've been carrying. Samuel is the true monster. We're simply left to try to survive him." 

            Ellen smiled, that simple gesture taking years from her face. "It really is no surprise my cousin fell so in love with you." 

            Pain and love alike filled Saraphine's heart. "And I fell just as in love with him. He was a good man." Saraphine's gaze went to the window. "Too good for this place." 

            Ellen gave Saraphine's hands a firm squeeze before returning to her seat upon the bed. "Life will get better, Saraphine. Just have faith and patience and things will change." 

            Saraphine wondered at the meaning behind Ellen's words. There seemed to be some unspoken message within them but Saraphine had no idea what that message could be. 

            "You seem so sure..." she noted. 

            Ellen quickly averted her gaze. "Yes, well, it has to get better from here. Doesn't it?" 

            Saraphine sighed. "For both of us." 

            A sad smile curved Ellen's lips. "I doubt that. I made my bed and, so, now I must lie in it. But there is no reason why you should be forced to lie in it too." 

            Saraphine stood up with a determined shake of her head. "It will get better for both of us. One day he will get what is coming to him—and so will we."                

�[Tr 9�

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty

Saraphine found her strength that night in Ellen’s room. The brave, determined girl she had once been came roaring back to life.

            And with it, her willingness to simply allow the rape to continue vanished. 

            Her guilt had caused her to accept it for far too long. She'd felt almost as if she had deserved it after Daniel's death. But no more.....

            And so, when Samuel came to her room the next night, eager to have her after several days away, Saraphine was ready to fight. 

            "Why are you still dressed?" Samuel demanded, slamming the door behind him. 

            Saraphine stood beside her vanity with a knife she had taken from the kitchen clutched in her trembling hand. "You will no longer use me, Samuel." 

            An odd look entered his dark eyes. "You dare address me so casually?"

            Saraphine frowned. She was holding a knife, telling him he would no longer force her and he was upset because she hadn't addressed him properly?

            "You will leave my room now," Saraphine warned. 

            Samuel nodded but stepped toward her instead of obeying. "What do you plan to do with that knife? Kill me?"

            Saraphine's chin quivered, evidence of her fear as she gripped the knife tighter and held it out. "Yes." She swallowed hard. "Yes, I will kill you before I allow you to force me again."

            A chuckle rumbled from Samuel's chest. "Put down the knife, slave." 

            Samuel stepped forward and Saraphine swung out with the blade, causing him to leap back. Rage replaced the amusement in his voice. "How dare you!" he hissed. 

            "You will not force me any longer," Saraphine repeated, pronouncing each word slowly and clearly. 

            "I have been gentle with you. I have not beaten or abused you. I give you clothes, food and a home. All I ask in return is for you to see to cooking, cleaning and seeing I'm pleasured. Is that such a hard lot in life?"

            "Being forced to lay with you?" Saraphine shivered. "Yes. I am a slave, Samuel. I know that. I will continue to cook and clean without complaint. But the rest is done." 

            "It's time I remind you of your place," Samuel growled, just before lunging forward. 

            Saraphine attempted to swing the knife but Samuel's shoulder crashing into her. The knife flew from her hand and clattered to the floor beside the door. 

            Saraphine attempted to run to her weapon but Samuel's hand found her hair and she screamed as he sent her flying sideways and crashing to the floor beside the vanity. She cried out with pain when Samuel's foot connected with her side. 

            Fear filled her. She had made a mistake. Fighting had been a mistake. His foot struck her again and an image of Daniel in the dirt as boots rained down on him lashed through her mind. 

            Saraphine's resolve strengthened. Daniel would not have given up—neither would she. 

            When Samuel raised his foot again, Saraphine reached out and grabbed it. She shoved him hard, causing the man to topple backward upon the bed. On her hands and knees, Saraphine scrambled for the knife. 

            Samuel's hand closed around her ankle, attempting to pull her back. She turned slightly and swung out her free leg. Saraphine's foot connected solidly with his face and Samuel reeled back, clutching his nose as blood covered his hands. 

            Seeing him bleed, knowing that she had been the one to cause it, sent a thrill of power through Saraphine. She shoved herself forward, gripped the knife handle tightly and leapt to her feet before whirling around to face Samuel. 

            She hadn't expected him to be charging. Seeing the blood and fury on his face had Saraphine blindly thrusting the knife. Her target had been his heart but instead the blade struck higher on his shoulder and went deep. 

            He roared with rage and pain. Saraphine attempted to pull the knife out but it was stuck fast. Her eyes met his for one terrifying moment before he threw her to the side. 

            Saraphine stumbled, fell and her head struck the vanity causing the world to go black. 

---

            Saraphine moaned I pain as consciousness returned to her. 

            A quick glance around told her she was lying on the sitting room sofa with an afghan draped over her. And she wasn't alone. 

            Ellen stood near her, relief clear to see in her eyes when she realized Saraphine was awake. Moving her gaze away from the other woman, Saraphine saw two of Samuel's men standing near the door. And then there was Samuel. He was sitting in the armchair while Doctor Begley tended his wound. 

            There went life's funny sense of humor once again. Not only had she failed to kill Samuel, but, he hadn't killed her either. 

            "I believe you'll heal just fine, sir. It will be a few weeks before you'll want to use that arm too much and longer before you'll have full strength and use of it again. Remember to wear the sling. It will help you heal." 

            Doctor Begley grabbed up his bag and moved aside giving Saraphine a clear view of the man's face. His nose was swollen, crooked and cut on the bridge—both his eyes were black as well. A faint smile curved her lips. She had a feeling Daniel would be proud. 

            "What about my nose?" Samuel demanded, a whistling sound escaping his nose as he spoke. 

            "Broken," Doctor Begley replied. "It will heal. Though it may always appear slightly crooked." 

            Samuel pushed himself up to his feet slowly and his dark eyes landed on Saraphine. "Good. She's awake." 

            Doctor Begley turned to look at her as well. "I can't see why you want her looked over. Most owners would hang a slave who had attempted to kill them." 

            "Yes, well, I'm not most owners," Samuel replied. "Give her a check-up. Pay extra attention to her ribs. She struck her head in the struggle as well." 

            Doctor Begley nodded and his jaw was tight as he approached Saraphine. Gingerly, she sat up, wincing at the pain in her ribs. Her head swam and she fought the urge to vomit. "Don't worry, doctor. I am fine." 

            Doctor Begley shook his head and pulled his stethoscope from his bag. "Your owner wishes for you to be examined." 

            Saraphine glared up at the man. Memories of their last meeting playing themselves in her mind. "Tell him you don't treat animals. Is that not what you told me when I pleaded with you to help suffering slaves in the quarters?" 

            Doctor Begley paled. He stuttered several times as if struggling to find the words to speak. Saraphine stood, hoping she wouldn't fall over as a wave of dizziness once again washed over her. She defiantly held the doctor's gaze, waiting to see what, if anything, he had to say for himself.             

            "I treat whoever, or whatever, I am paid to treat." 

            Saraphine tensed. Her anger flared. How dare this man act as if there was nothing wrong with what he had done all those years ago. 

            Without putting much thought into what she was doing, Saraphine spat in his face. Gasps of shock sounded from various parts of the room. The doctor appeared as if he wished to strike her but Saraphine did not back down. 

            Samuel was chuckling as he came between them. "She's spirited, this one." 

            Doctor Begley adjusted his tweed jacket and lifted his black bag. "You'd do well to teach her her place."

            Samuel cast a warning glance toward Saraphine. "I'll keep that in mind." He waved dismissively toward Ellen. "Go to bed, wife." 

            Ellen nodded and left the room, keeping her head bowed. Then Samuel turned his attention to the two men. "Take the slave to isolation. One week underground should certainly teach her a lesson." 

            The urge to cry was strong but Saraphine fought it. She was 

not going to let Samuel see her fear. Isolation was one of her greatest fears. She was unsure how she would survive a week in the dark silence.

As she was led away, Saraphine heard Samuel speaking to the doctor. “Any news on his whereabouts?”

            "No," the doctor replied. "The sheriff still hasn't heard anything. He disappeared and I think he's gone for good. Surely after this long...." 

            Saraphine was led out of earshot as her mind swirled. Who was missing? Had a slave managed to escape? Saraphine hoped so. Everyone deserved freedom. 

            The night air had a chill to it as the men led her down the long, worn trail. She took in every sound of the night, knowing she would miss those sounds while in isolation. 

            Far too soon, Saraphine found herself alone in the darkness, chained to the wall with only the rats for company. Despite her imprisonment, Saraphine was proud of herself. She had fought back today. 

            Samuel would now know she would no longer be an easy victim. And he would have the scarred shoulder and crooked nose to prove it.

A/N: Hey y’all. I had several complaints last chapter that the Saraphine I introduced at the beginning of this story would never have allowed Samuel to simply have her–She’s not the same Saraphine. That little girl is gone. This is a woman who has lost EVERYTHING. Samuel had his life in her hands, threatening others lives as well if she didn’t give in. She is scarred emotionally and mentally. She was going through a depression, which changes everything about a person (trust me I know). But going to the place she shared with Daniel, letting go of pain and allowing herself to think of good memories, helped heal her a bit. I hope you are much more satisfied with her current behavior….. 

 

Anywho! thanks for sticking with the story! 

Love y’all!

Nicole

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-One

June 1847

Saraphine dreaded the coming night. Samuel had finally healed and gained back strength enough to begin paying her visits once again. Tonight was to be the first since she had attacked him. Saraphine knew because he’d bragged and gloated as if she should be happy to once again have his company.

            Happy?

            Saraphine was down right terrified and disgusted. 

            Over the last weeks she had imagined a hundred ways to kill him. A knife to the heart while he was sleeping. Several drops of poison in his morning coffee. 

            But she was no murderer. Cold blooded murder was a thing her conscience simply would not stand. But still.... Saraphine knew she could not stand another night of his abuse. 

            She stood in the early evening air, resting her back against the rough bark of her beloved old oak. She imagined she could feel Daniel's loving arms wrapped tight around her. The breeze was his warm breath and the awakening crickets, his gentle voice. 

            "What should I do?" she whispered, feeling ten times a fool as her voice floated on the air. Of course, there was no response. 

            Saraphine wrapped her arms tighter around herself and stared off at the horizon. She became so lost in her thoughts and worries that the sudden ringing of the dinner bell nearly caused her to cry out with shock. 

            She was being summoned to the plantation house, not because supper was done, but because she was late in starting it.                                 

            Saraphine's hands shook. Her stomach flipped. Her mind raced. If she entered that house, Samuel would abuse her tonight—she would be forced to spend yet another night as his unwilling mistress. 

            As far as she could see, she only had one choice. 

            Saraphine lifted the skirt of her gray dress and began to run. Her threadbare shoes carried her quickly across the field as she headed for the woods. 

            She couldn't continue to be Samuel's forced lover. She had to run, even if he killed her for it. Death was better. 

            Several slaves in the filed noticed her but none cried out. None gave her away. And the foreman overseeing them somehow took no notice of her. Perhaps life was done having laughs at her expense. Perhaps she would get away. 

            The woods slowed her progress some as her dress caught on brambles and branches. But Saraphine did not stop. Not when her skin was cut from weeds and branches. Not when sweat poured from her body. Not when her lungs ached and her heart thundered. 

            Saraphine ran as if her life depended on it... and it did. 

            She had no idea how long she ran. The sky was darkening when her exhausted body tumbled onto the leaf strewn ground. Saraphine curled up beneath a tangle of bushes and fought back tears. She was terrified and more exhausted than she had ever been in her life. 

            What had she been thinking? She had no food. No water. No real idea where she was or where she was going. 

            But it was too late to turn back. She couldn't turn back. By now, Samuel would know she had run. He was probably looking for her....

            That thought had Saraphine forcing herself back to her blistered feet and dragging her body onward. She had to find a way to outrun those dogs. Daniel had said he knew how to elude them... Oh, how she wished he were here now. 

            Saraphine's steps began to falter as she struggled to put more distance between herself and the plantation. As her vision began to swim, Saraphine's quaking legs gave out and she went crashing down upon the forest floor. 

            Her body refused to rise. She simply could 

not go on. She curled into a tight ball and exhausted sleep quickly claimed her.

---

The braying of hounds jerked Saraphine to alertness. They were deafening and close.

            She could also hear footsteps crashing in the leaves and the raised voices of men. Her heart leapt into her throat. 

            They had found her. 

            Every bit of her soreness and fatigue vanished. Saraphine jumped to her feet and, once again, began to run. 

            Her movements were clumsy and rushed. Branches stung her cheeks and tore her dress. Still, Saraphine ran. 

            The dogs grew closer. Lantern light illuminated the trees behind her. Glancing over her shoulder proved to be a grave mistake. Saraphine's foot tangled on a root and she went down hard. Her face collided with the ground and she tasted blood. 

            There she is!" someone shouted as the three hounds tailing her caught up to their prey and circled round. Her ears rang from the volume of their incessant braying. 

            Feet stopped on the leaves before her and Saraphine lifted her gaze to see Samuel sneering down at her. "Where exactly do you think you're going, Saraphine?" 

            "Away from you." 

            He chuckled before stooping down, taking her arm in a bruising grip and hoisting her to her feet. "Did you honestly believe you could escape me?" 

            Saraphine chose not to respond as she stubbornly held his gaze. Samuel smiled and leaned in to kiss her. She swung her free arm and her fist connected with his jaw. 

            Rage flashed in Samuel's dark eyes and, for just a moment, Saraphine wondered if he was going to kill her. Instead, he shoved her into the arms of one of his hired hands. "Let's get back. It's going to be a long walk." 

            It 

was a long walk. Saraphine managed as long as she could. She was dragged along at first when she began to fall behind and then she was carried, quite unceremoniously tossed over the man’s shoulder as if she were a sack of potatoes.

            Despite her fear and crushing disappointment, Saraphine found herself falling asleep as she swayed against his back. 

            When they reached the plantation, Samuel had her taken to 

the barn and, quite suddenly, Saraphine found herself alone with him. She sat upon a hay bale as he paced slowly and fiddled with his mustache.

            "What am I going to do with you?" he mused. 

            Saraphine was shivering but it wasn't from cold. "Kill me." 

            Samuel stopped and Saraphine swore his face grew paler as he stared at her with wide eyes. "No." He shook his head. "No, I couldn't kill you, Saraphine. You have become..." he paused. "...Very 

important to me.“

            Saraphine nearly laughed—would have if she weren't so damn tired of it all. 

            Samuel sauntered to the assortment of whips on the wall and ran his hand over them. Her gut clenched. Please no. Not a lashing. She simply wouldn't be able to stand it. 

            With a click of his tongue, Samuel stepped away from the whips as quickly as he had approached them. "No, I won't whip you." He closed the distance between them and ran a callous free finger down her cheek. "It would be a sin to mar that smooth, glistening, ebony skin." 

            Saraphine jerked away and he growled before grabbing her hair and jerking her toward him. "I'm going to show you your place, Saraphine. Under me. Then it's isolation for another week." 

            Saraphine screamed. She pleaded. She fought with all her might. But it was to no avail. Samuel forced her, once again taking what wasn't his to take before tossing her alone into the darkness. 

---

            Saraphine sat in the damp dark pit but she realized she wasn't alone. She could hear the scuffling of tiny paws in the corner. The occasional squeak let her know her companion was a rat. She shivered and didn't dare fall asleep despite her fatigue. Her rat friend may decide it was hungry. 

            There was no way of knowing just how long she'd been in the isolation hole. But she knew it wasn't nearly done. Samuel had said she would be here one week... she hoped so. It would mean she would have one solid week before she would have to endure Samuel once again. 

            Footsteps above her had Saraphine holding her breath. Surely he wasn't going to pay her visits during her isolation. Saraphine's heart dropped when the heavy door above her opened and a light appeared. 

            Confusion replaced trepidation when she recognized Ellen coming down the rickety staircase. "Oh Saraphine!" she gasped as she took in the sight of her. "I'm so sorry." 

            "It's not your fault," Saraphine rasped, her voice weak with thirst. 

            "Here." Ellen held a flask of water to her lips and Saraphine drank greedily. 

            "Thank you," she whispered as Ellen pulled the flask away. "But you should go. If catches you..." 

            "He won't," Ellen assured her. "He seemed very tired and fell into deep sleep." 

            Saraphine said nothing. Finally, Ellen sighed. "You must stop." 

            "Stop what?" 

            "Angering him. Fighting him. Giving him reasons to kill you." 

            Saraphine glared. "I will not let him have me willingly." 

            Ellen winced. "Please, Saraphine. I have a plan. Contacts have been made and everything is laid out. But, if you fight him and he kills you then it's all been for nothing." 

            A frown creased Saraphine's brow. "What plan?"

            Ellen shook her head as she took a step back. "It's best to not tell you details. Just trust me, please? I am going to see you have your freedom but it will take time. Give him what he wants until then." 

            "Do you know what you're asking of me?" Saraphine demanded. 

            Tears filled Ellen's eyes. "I know..." she cried. "Just, please, trust me. It will all work out..." 

            Saraphine said nothing as she watched Ellen go. Could Saraphine trust her? Did Ellen truly have a plan and what exactly would it involve?

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Two

September 1847

The last few months had been hell for Saraphine. Despite the damage to her soul, she had decided to place her faith in Ellen and whatever plan the woman had devised. It was hard to explain why she had done that but there had simply been something inside of her urging her to trust the woman.

            Perhaps it had been her overwhelming need for a plan and some kind of hope for her future. 

            Each and every time Saraphine had been close to breaking and declaring she could not stand Samuel's abuse any longer, Ellen had come to her and pled for just a little more time. She would swear that Saraphine's freedom was growing closer with each passing day. 

            But it had been months and, so far, that freedom had not arrived. 

            And Saraphine's life had just gotten decidedly harder. 

            Her womanly courses were late. Nearly a month late. She was growing a child within her womb. A child born of rape. A monster's child. 

            Saraphine knew there were ways to end a pregnancy. As she lay had hands over her flat belly, Saraphine knew she couldn't do that. She stared in the mirror as she thought of the tiny life inside her and watched a tear roll down her cheek. 

            Samuel would destroy her child. Even if he allowed it to live, the baby would either be ripped from her arms and sold or raised by an evil father to be just as evil. 

            Yet again, it seemed life was having a joke at her expense. 

            A knock on her door jerked Saraphine from her tangled thoughts. She frowned. Samuel was gone on a business trip and Ellen was rarely awake and out of her room before eleven. 

            Saraphine cleaned her face with her hands before walking to the door and pulling it open. She was surprised to see Ellen standing there bouncing on her heels as she rubbed her hands together. 

            "You've been crying," Ellen accused, her excitement fading. "Why?" 

            Saraphine blinked several times, then shook her head. "I had troubling dreams, that's all," she replied, unwilling to voice her recent realization. 

            "I have news that might put a smile on your face." Ellen paused and Saraphine wondered what had the typically forlorn woman bubbling with such anticipation. Ellen leaned in close. "Are you ready, Saraphine?"

            "Ready for what?"

            Ellen smiled as her eyes grew moist. "For freedom." 

            Saraphine's heart skipped and she gripped the door frame. "What? What are you talking about?" 

            "Did I not tell you I had a plan? Today is the day. We are bound for auction and you are coming along." 

            Saraphine's lets grew suddenly weak beneath her. She stumbled back and came down hard on her bed. "Auction?" she gasped. 

            Ellen practically bounced to the vanity and leaned against it. "I have been planning this for months." 

            "But Samuel... He would never agree to this." 

            Ellen's throat bobbed as she swallowed hard and ran her fingertips over the wooden brush that lay atop the vanity. "Samuel isn't here. And, for once, he has left me in charge of something. It seems he believes I'm trained well enough. That, and there have been whispers about my lack of appearances away from the plantations in the last few years." 

            Saraphine's mind fought to wrap around and take in what she was saying. "But the foreman....?" she whispered. 

            Ellen shook her head. "Only one is at the plantation house today and he is the only one riding with us to auction. He has been...." Ellen shivered a bit, though Saraphine suspected she was trying to hide it. "...well compensated for his cooperation. And your buyer is all lined up as well." 

            Ellen stepped forward and took Saraphine's hand. "You're going to have your freedom, Saraphine, and the life you've always wanted. I swear it." 

            Tears filled Saraphine's eyes as her heart twisted. No, it wouldn't be quite the life she had always longed for. There was no Daniel and there would be a babe....

            Saraphine took a deep shuddering breath and laid her hand over her stomach. Ellen's eyes narrowed. Her gaze dropped to Saraphine's middle. She gasped and covered her gaping mouth with a trembling hand. "Please no...." Ellen pleaded. "Please, tell me you're not..." She couldn't seem to say the horrible words. 

            Saraphine stared out the window. "Yes." 

            Ellen fell down hard on the vanity chair. "Oh Saraphine...." 

            The women sat for a long moment in silence. "Will your buyer still want me?" Saraphine finally whispered. "I have to leave here, Ellen, even if he won't. I could be purchased by someone else. Anywhere would be better than here." 

            "I...." 

            Saraphine interrupted Ellen, feeling a desperate kind of panic seize her. "Ellen, please, you must understand. I never wanted this to happen." She indicated her stomach. "It was always my greatest fear. I could not stand to have my babe ripped from my arms as I've seen so many other mother's lose their children. And I can't let the child be raised by 

him.“

Ellen held up her hand as a small, sad smile graced her lips. “The buyer will still want you,” she vowed. “I hate that my plan took so long. I wish I could have prevented this…”

            "Who is my buyer?" Saraphine inquired. Perhaps it was a family man with young children who wouldn't mind having a slave with a babe.

            Ellen stood slowly, her gaze stubbornly avoiding Saraphine's. "The less anyone knows, the better. Trust me, you'll be pleasantly surprised when you reach your destination." 

            Saraphine had no idea what she was feeling. Excitement, joy, fear, sadness and once hundred other things all jumbled up at once. 

            As Saraphine tossed her meager belongings into a sack, she frowned at Ellen. "What about you?" she whispered. "What happens when Samuel returns and realizes you sold me?" 

            Twenty years seemed to age Ellen in an instant. "I will deal with that when it comes. You should not be forced to suffer any more than you have because of my mistakes. You are the truly innocent one in all of this." 

            Saraphine opened her mouth to argue but Ellen headed for the door. "Let's go now. We should have already left." 

            Saraphine's heart raced as she was led out to the waiting wagon. Her heart filled with a stirring of hope as she climbed inside and took a seat among the other slaves. 

            She was still afraid. Yes, the uncertainty of her future was terrifying. But she was also hopeful. She was getting away from Samuel, away from this plantation which held so many terrible memories. 

            She and her child would have a new life—a better life—what more could she ask for?

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Three

The trip to Savannah was an exhilarating and frightening experience for Saraphine who had never once left the plantation. Every bit of scenery and each person they passed was something new to her.

            And when they rode into Savannah and she saw the crowds, the willows, the Spanish moss and the stone buildings, it took her breath away. 

            It was all so very beautiful. Their wagon left the main road and traveled down a back alleyway where things seemed darker, danker and far less pleasing to her eye. 

            The smell of blood wafted from a warehouse. Saraphine saw a man chopping meat inside. Now and then he would toss chunks to a group of dogs nearby and they would growl and tear at one another to have a taste. 

            Saraphine wrapped her arms tighter around herself and kept her eyes peeled forward. She saw a wooden stand erected up ahead with tents set up all around it. A crowd was gathered, milling around and yelling occasionally. 

            She saw a slave bound by chains led onto the wooden stand. The man was nearly nude save for a swatch of fabric wrapped around his hips to cover his manhood. His dark skin gleamed in the oppressive summer heat. He was forced to turn slowly and a tangle of scars on his back became visible. 

            

Saraphine’s stomach turned and her temper flared. Why were her people treated worse than animals simply because of the color of their skin? That man had been whipped, beaten and now was being forced to parade around before rich white men and women before being sold to the highest bidder.

            Her earlier awed opinion of this town's beauty faded. She now only wanted to leave. A place that did such things to people could not be beautiful. 

            Ellen brought them to a stop and walked to the back of the wagon. "Saraphine, come with me. Franklin will take the others to the auction." 

            "But I thought I was to be sold at auction." 

            Ellen shook her head. "Privately. The deal I've made for you is a private one. That's how the buyer wished it." 

            Saraphine turned to the large group of slaves who were to remain in the wagon and go to that horrible stage to be picked over like cattle. "I wish you all the brightest of futures. Where you end up, I hope it is a place with love and warmth and hope. Perhaps one day, even freedom." 

            There weren't many warm sentiments returned. Her 

special treatment as they saw it, had earned her hard feelings from them and not much else.

            Ellen helped Saraphine from the wagon and the two women headed for a warehouse that smelled of seawater and fish. "Who is my buyer?" Saraphine asked. "I want to know who would go to all this trouble." 

            "Trouble?" Ellen questioned with a raise of her brow. "What trouble?"

            Saraphine rolled her eyes. "Secret meetings at the auction. Hidden contact over the course of the last months. Wanting me even though I'm..." She didn't voice the word aloud. 

            Ellen did not meet her gaze as they continued walking along the side of the warehouse. "A man named James is taking you today. He works with a group of individuals who specialize in taking slaves to Canada where they'll find freedom." 

            "I'm going to Canada?" Saraphine could not believe it. Cecil had spoken of Canada so long ago. It was a continent away. 

            "Yes," was Ellen's short reply. 

            "But why is 

he helping me?“

            "Because that's what he does and he's being paid well to do it. He contacted me..." 

            "Why?" Saraphine interrupted, desperate to understand. "Why would he ask you about me?"

            "Because..." Ellen fiddled with her hair. "Someone contacted him." She shook her head when Saraphine opened her mouth. "I cannot tell you who. I've been sworn to secrecy because this is all quite dangerous for you and for him. You will have your answers once you're safely in Canada." 

            Saraphine wanted to demand that she get those answers now, but, there was no time. They rounded the warehouse and a wagon was waiting. Two broad, strong horses were hooked to the wagon and a man in a dapper suit and top hat stood beside it. He was puffing a pipe as he leaned against his silver tipped cane. 

            "Are you James?" Ellen asked quickly. 

            The man straightened as he noticed their approach and a smile spread across his lightly wrinkled face. Saraphine noticed immediately that his blue eyes were friendly and warm. "Yes, ma'am. I suppose that would make you Miss Ellen and Miss Saraphine." 

            Saraphine wasn't sure what to make of the show of respect from a white man. "I have explained to Saraphine that you'll be taking her to Canada," Ellen spoke. 

            James tipped his head. "That's right, Miss. I'll be getting her there just as fast as I can. The weather will turn bad but these are hardy horses, accustomed to rough conditions." 

            "Good. He won't want to wait any longer than he must." 

            Saraphine wondered once again who 

he was but she did not ask. She suspected she wouldn’t get an answer. Ellen leaned in closer to James. “See that she eats and rests when needed. Her condition is…” Ellen’s gaze shifted as if checking for listeners. “ …delicate .“

            James' kind blue eyes widened. He scanned Saraphine from head to toe as if worried her belly would suddenly jut out beneath her gray dress. "I hope he'll still want her." 

            Ellen's eyes narrowed. James nearly fell backward when her icy gaze landed on him. There was that arrogant, haughty, commanding woman Ellen had once shown promise of becoming. "He will," she snapped. "You will receive the rest of your money when she is delivered safe and sound." 

            Saraphine wasn't at all sure she appreciated being spoken about as if she weren't present. 

            James stuttered several times, pulling his hat from his head. "It wasn't the money I was worried about," he vowed. "I just don't like the thoughts of taking a young woman in her condition up to the border and leaving her alone and stranded." 

            "She won't be alone," Ellen promised. 

            James nodded and placed his hat back upon his thick gray hair. "Well, we best be going then. You'll have to ride in the back of the wagon for discretion, Miss. But I made sure it was good and soft for you." 

            Saraphine followed Ellen to the back of the wagon before taking her hands. "Come with me." 

            Ellen's eyes widened and her head shook. "No, I can't. I have to be getting home when the auction ends." 

            Saraphine tightened her grip. "Use sense, woman!" she snapped. "Samuel will kill you when he realizes what you have done." 

            Ellen's haunted eyes reddened. "No, he won't." She pulled her hands from Saraphine's and nudged her toward the wagon. "Go on now. James has no time to waste. The weather will be against you the further north you travel." 

            Saraphine felt fear and concern for the other woman overwhelm her. No matter who Ellen's family had been—who she had once been—the fact was that now Saraphine considered her a friend. 

            The only one she had left in the world. 

            "Ellen, please, I beg you to come with me. Find your freedom as well." 

            Ellen's smile was one of the saddest Saraphine had ever seen. "This freedom is yours," she insisted. "I am not the victim you are. I gave my freedom up willingly and I'll suffer those consequences." 

            "You're being foolish," Saraphine accused harshly. 

            "Perhaps." Ellen squared her shoulders. "Go to Canada and be happy. I have nothing there waiting for me." 

            "Neither do I," Saraphine whispered as James took hold of her gently and urged her into the wagon. She turned from her spot upon the pillows, blankets and furs and returned her eyes once again to Ellen who was gazing at her with a heart wrenching mixture of happiness and sorrow. 

            "You do, Saraphine. You do have something waiting on you—someone waiting on you." 

            Her words only served to deepen Saraphine's confusion. "Who?"

            Ellen simply shook her head and stepped back. "Have a good life, Saraphine." 

            The other woman moved out of her line of sight, leaving Saraphine with nothing to do but settle herself down upon the cushions and cling tight to her meager sack of belongings. 

            She heard muffled conversations between Ellen and James and then, with a jerk and a creaking of wheels, the wagon lurched forward, taking Saraphine toward a new life. 

            One of freedom. One with a mystery rescuer who had gone to great lengths to plot her sale with Ellen. 

            Her gut swirled as she lay her hand over her unborn babe. All Saraphine had was hope. Hope that where she was going would be better than where she had been."

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Four

December 1847

The journey was longer and much more tiring than Saraphine had anticipated. Though some of her exhaustion could be blamed on her condition. Her stomach was still fairly flat with only the smallest of bumps, well hidden by her dress, providing evidence of the life growing inside her.

            James had been a very kind and warm soul. Saraphine had gotten so used to the mean and ugly side of humanity that it had taken some doing to adjust to the change and learn to trust him. James seemed to love speaking. Conversation didn't seem necessary. He seemed perfectly content to listen to the sound of his own voice as he entertained her with tales of the world. 

            Saraphine drank in those stories. She had never heard much of the world and James seemed to know so very much. She had learned quickly that asking him about her buyer, however, would get her nowhere and had him clamming up rather quickly. 

            And so she had listened to his stories and avoided thoughts of the future. They avoided large towns and spent most of their nights in the wagon during the three-month journey. When need for supplies drove them to civilization they merely posed as owner and slave. No one questioned them. 

            Saraphine was surprised that they never got wind of anyone after them. She had expected Samuel to send the hounds of hell after her, but it seemed no one cared enough to chase her. 

            Poor Ellen. Many nights Saraphine lay awake and wondered about the fate of the other woman. Was she still enduring Samuel's daily abuse? Or, God forbid, had the man taken his wife's life?

            Whenever her thoughts sent in that direction, Saraphine did her best to turn them off. What good could come from dwelling on them? Saraphine needed to leave her past behind her and focus on the future. A future that was fast approaching. 

            One thing was certain. James had not been lying about the weather, snow and cold. Growing up in Georgia, Saraphine had never felt wind so bitter or seen snow so deep. The further north they traveled, the worse it became. Saraphine kept herself wrapped up deep beneath blankets and furs. 

            If the cold air and flying snow bothered James or the horses, they didn't let it show. Saraphine supposed they were better tempered to the climate. Since this was to be her home, she would temper to it too... eventually. 

            After three long months of seeing beautiful country while jostling around in the back of a wagon and 

wondering , the wagon came to a stop beside a small wooden building with ’outpost ’ written on the wall. It sat where rolling plains met thick pine forests.

            "He should be here but I don't see his horse," James spoke through the flap at the front of the wagon. "Maybe he gave up on us and left." 

            As James helped Saraphine from the wagon and helped her onto the snowy porch, she chewed her lip and gazed sideways at him. "James, please tell me about my new owner." 

            "I can't, Miss. I reckon you know I've told you that more than once." 

            They stepped inside the building and heat from the glowing wood stove began to seep into her bones nearly instantly. Saraphine could have cried from the sheer joy of it. She tugged James' arm slightly to get his attention. "Yes, but James, this is my life and no one seems to care about that. Is this new owner kind? He must have paid a great deal to have me whisked away so secretly away. Please, James, I must know 

something about my new owner.“

            Movement in a dark and dusty corner caught Saraphine's attention. "You ain't got an owner in this world, Saraphine. Ain't a damn soul good enough." 

            The wooden planks beneath her feet seemed to sway and buckle. Saraphine clung to James' arm as she stared in wide-eyed, slack-jawed shock at the man. His appearance was hidden within the shadows of his hood but his voice....

            No. 

            It had to be someone else. Saraphine did not believe in ghosts. 

            "Sir? How do you know my name?" she whispered, unsure how her mouth formed words with her mind racing so badly. 

            James chuckled. "This is the man who paid so much for you, Miss. Where's your horse, Mr. Ryan? I didn't see it outside."

            "It's out back," the hooded man replied. 

            Saraphine felt as if she were in some strange dream as the man walked to the counter and laid his hand on a stack of furs. Mr. Ryan? Saraphine knew no one with that last name. 

            "How much for these, Charlie? I got more important things to get to and can't be jawin' with you all day." 

            "Seventy-five for the lot," a man with thick spectacles and a thicker belly replied. 

            "Sounds good. Take what money you need for supplies and give me the rest." 

            The spectacled man, Charlie, laid nearly Seventy dollars in Mr. Ryan's hand. Mr Ryan stepped closer to her and James and his presence made Saraphine's heart pound. 

            Same height. Same build. Same voice. 

            But it couldn't be. 

            Mr. Ryan laid the money in James' palm. "I'll send the last payment when I get it." 

            James smiled. "I'll wait patiently for it. No rush. Miss Saraphine here has been wonderful company and a delightful traveling companion." 

            The older man turned to her. "Take care, Miss. You'll be real happy with Mr. Ryan." 

            Saraphine barely noticed as the man sat down her bag, kissed her cheek and went out the door. Her attention was entirely focused on Mr. Ryan and attempting to comprehend something that couldn't possibly be true. 

            Charlie adjusted his spectacles on his pock-scarred nose. "She's a pretty one, Mr. Ryan. You're a lucky man." 

            "I've always said she was beautiful," the hooded man whispered, his voice deep and washing over her like a warm breeze. "I'm gonna take her in the back room and let her warm up some more before we head out." 

            Charlie wiggled his thick brow. "Yeah, go ahead. Warm her up." 

            The hooded man chuckled and if he hadn't reached out and steadied her, Saraphine's weak legs would have placed her on the floor. "Damn. That poor woman looks like she's seen a ghost," Charlie muttered. 

            A sigh, tired and long, escaped from beneath that hood. "I reckon she thinks she has." 

            Without another word, Saraphine was pulled across the room. Mr. Ryan led her into a store room, meagerly stocked with supplies, and he secured the door tightly behind them. 

            Saraphine felt as if the room was spinning and tilting. She had no doubts about the man's true identity hidden beneath that cloak. Her lips with trembling as she opened her mouth. 

            "Daniel?" 

            The hooded man took a step back and his shoulders rose and fell in that all too familiar shrug. "Yeah, I reckon."

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Five

A sob tore from Saraphine’s throat just before she threw herself into Daniel’s chest. Instantly his arms closed around her, surrounding Saraphine with the warmth and love she had missed so desperately.

            She laid her head against him and the sound of his heart beating steadily beneath her ear had tears forming in her eyes. "But how?" Saraphine whispered. "He told me you were dead... He was covered in your blood..." 

            Saraphine's tears became too overwhelming and she was forced to stop speaking. Daniel's grip on her tightened and she felt his lips caress her hair. "I'm here, Saraphine. I ain't dead, no matter what that good for nothing bastard might have told you." 

            There were so many answers Saraphine wanted. Where had Daniel been? How had he gotten away? How had he gotten in touch with Ellen? And then, of course, she needed to find some way to tell him she was carrying Samuel's child. 

            But that could all wait. 

            At this moment, Saraphine only wanted one thing. 

            "Kiss me, Daniel. I have missed the feel of your kiss so badly." 

            As if her words somehow pained him, Daniel let out a hiss and pulled away. He yanked his hood lower over his face as if desperate to hide. "We should go. It'll take a little over an hour to reach the cabin from here." 

            Saraphine chewed at her lip. "Daniel? Take off the hood. Why are you hiding?" 

            "Let's just go. You'll have time to get your answers once we're at my cabin." 

            Saraphine suddenly felt very cold and it had nothing to do with the blast of air that accompanied the opening of the back door. There was a distance between them and Daniel had placed it there. Why?

            She followed him silently out into the bitter cold. A massive brown horse was hitched there and Saraphine heard Daniel chuckle when she was forced to climb atop a barrel in order to mount the giant beast. 

            "They're big but they do good with the cold," Daniel informed her. 

            He mounted in front of her and Saraphine slipped her arms around him, using his body to shield herself from the worst of the wind. Despite his sudden separation inside, Saraphine felt him lean back into her embrace. She was instantly assured that being with Daniel was right. He was her one and only just as she was his. Whatever was wrong with him, they would work through together. 

            Saraphine only prayed that Daniel would still feel the same once he knew what was growing inside of her. 

            Daniel's cabin was nestled deep in the thick pine forests. It was small but well built. She also saw an outhouse, a woodshed, a barn and an outhouse. 

            Daniel slid off the horse's back and helped Saraphine down as well. Their bodies brushed against one another and Saraphine felt desire spark to life inside her. It had been two years since she had been with Daniel but her body remembered him. 

            Daniel's grip on her arms tightened a moment and then he released her and stepped back. "Go on in where it's warm. I'll tend to the horse and be in shortly." 

            Saraphine bit her lip to hold back tears and walked stiff-legged up the shoveled path to the cabin. With a deep breath, she pushed open the door and stepped inside. 

            The cabin was small. One main room held a sofa, an armchair, a table with two chairs, a cabinet, a long counter and a cook stove with an oven. An open door led to a room that held a bed, a wardrobe and a dusty full length mirror. 

            Saraphine stepped back into the main room ad felt tears feel her eyes. 

            It was dusty and lacked any decoration or color. It certainly was the fancy plantation she'd laid her head inside for years. No, this was so much better. 

            Home. 

            Together, she and Daniel, could make this a home. A wonderful home!

            There was even a loft that would be perfect for their children to sleep in....

            Children. 

            Saraphine laid her hand over her belly and fear settled in her gut. One of her hopes would mean anything if Daniel learned of the life inside her and turned his back. 

            Saraphine added several chunks of wood to the cook stove to keep heat in the cabin and then settled herself down upon one of the kitchen chairs. She nibbled at her quivering bottom lip until she tasted blood. 

            A cold gust of wind accompanied Daniel into the cabin. He tossed an armful of wood into a basket by the door before turning to face her. His appearance was still hidden behind that hood. 

            "Saraphine? What's wrong?"

            She shook her head. "Why do you think something is wrong?"

            Saraphine didn't have to see his gray eyes to know they were rolling. He came forward and dropped to his knee before her. "You can't hide your feelings from me. I know you too well." 

            "Show me your face, Daniel. It isn't right that you know what I'm thinking based on my face and yet you hide yours from me. I'm tired of staring at nothing but a shadow when what I want to see is your eyes." 

            Daniel's shoulders tensed. "I don't look the same as I used to," he warned. "I don't want you to be afraid of me." 

            Saraphine frowned. "Why would I ever be afraid of you?"

            Daniel's breath left him in a slow sigh and he lifted his hands to the edges of the hood. Just when Saraphine thought he would pull it away, his hands fell, making it clear he'd changed his mind. 

            Saraphine took hold of the hood herself. When Daniel made no move to stop her, she pushed the fabric back and gasped. 

            Her poor Daniel. What had they done?

            The left side of his face was mostly unchanged. There was a small scar on his brow and he had aged slightly, but she could see evidence of the same crinkles on his cheeks and his gray eyes were just as she remembered. 

            What had Saraphine covering her mouth in shock and despair was the right side. 

            It appeared that Samuel and his men had attacked Daniel's face with a heated branding iron. 

            The skin was misshapen, appearing melted and nearly purple in places. It didn't move or show any expression of his emotions the way his left did. From his temple to his jaw, her beautiful Daniel's face was horribly disfigured. 

            "Dammit, Saraphine, I didn't want to see you look at me with disgust..." he grumbled as he shoved himself back to his feet. 

            "It's not disgust!" Saraphine assured him as she stood as well. She lay a gentle hand over the burned skin of his cheek. "It's sadness, Daniel. I'm devastated to know how badly they hurt you, the pain you must have been in because of me. I wish I could have prevented it... or, at the very least, helped you while you healed." 

            "Don't," he warned, his gray eyes flashing. "Don't you blame yourself. Never. Do you hear me? Samuel's a good for nothing, cow sucking, son of a jackass and I'm just sorry I couldn't kill him that day." 

            Saraphine didn't care what Daniel said. Every scar on his body, old and new, were because of her. 

            She wanted to see them all. She wanted to know all he had gone through. 

            "There are more, right? More scars from that night?"

            Daniel nodded slowly, his wary eyes never leaving hers. 

            "Show them to me." 

            "What?" He snorted and took a step back. "No." 

            "Yes," Saraphine insisted. "I want to know what they did to you." 

            "Saraphine, I said no," he grumbled impatiently. "It ain't important anyhow. The past is the past and we'd do well to leave every bit of it back there." 

            Something in the way he said those words made Saraphine's heart sink. "But I have some good memories in that past," she reminded him softly. "Some I don't want to leave there." 

            Daniel shook his head. The pain etched so deep in his face was a tangible thing. "I didn't bring you here expecting you to stay." 

            Saraphine felt as if she'd been punched in the gut. Hard. 

            It became difficult to breathe and her mind raced. Why? Why didn't Daniel want her here?

            Then suddenly, it all became clear. Somehow James had told him her secret—probably while she'd been so distracted inside that outpost. 

            Saraphine laid her hand over her middle and stared out the window. "You know, don't you?"

            "Know what?" 

            She nearly stomped her foot. Why would he be so cruel as to make her say it when he already knew the truth and was turning her away because of it?

            "You know that I'm with child. Samuel's child."

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Six

As seconds of silence stretched on after Saraphine’s confession, she glanced at Daniel, desperate for any clue as to what he was thinking. She knew the moment her eyes met his that she’d been wrong.

            Daniel had not known her secret. 

            His eyes dropped to her stomach. He let out an animalistic sound, caught somewhere between a growl and a hiss. His calloused hands rammed themselves through his thick hair and began pacing wildly. 

            Saraphine had seen him like his before. Perhaps not quite this angry but in a similar temper. She knew it was best to simply sit down and let him pace it out. So she took a seat in the chair once more and began to wring her hands in her skirt. 

            It wasn't until his pacing slowed and his muffled cursing grew silent that Saraphine spoke. "You didn't know, did you?"

            Daniel threw up his hands and fell down hard in the other chair across the table from her. "I reckon I knew...." His voice turned gruff and he cleared his throat. "I reckon I knew he'd force you the minute I was gone.' 

            Silence reigned a moment long and finally Daniel met her gaze. "Is this the first one? Is this the first time you've had a babe in you?"

            Saraphine was surprised by the question and by the concern in his gray eyes. She nodded slowly. "Yes, it's the first." 

            Daniel let out a long sigh. "I'm thankful for that, at least." 

            Her confusion grew. "Why?"

            Daniel reached across the scarred table top and took her hands in his. The warmth from the contact went clear to her soul. "I know how frightened you were of getting with child. You always said you couldn't bear to have your child ripped from your arms like you'd seen so many other women have to endure. At least now, you'll never have to know that pain." 

            A tear slipped down Saraphine's cheek. How had a man so very perfect ever been created? Even in learning she was with a child, another man's child, his only concern was for her. 

            Daniel's thumb raised and gently wiped the tear away from her skin. "Don't cry, Saraphine. It kills me inside when you cry." 

            Saraphine swallowed hard. "You don't hate me?"

            His gaze softened as he brought her knuckles to his lips in a tender caress. "I could never hate you, my Saraphine. Hell, don't you realize you're all that's kept me going since my parents died and life turned upside down?"

            Saraphine was quiet for a long while as his words soaked in. She had always thought of Daniel as 

her rock. Her protector. He was what gave her strength. Never had she suspected that she meant all those things to him.

            "Then why don't you want me here?"

            Daniel's face screwed up tight, the expression pulling at his mass of scars. "Who the hell said I didn't want you here?"

            "You did. Just a few minutes ago." 

            Daniel's eyes became distant as he thought back. Then he shook his head roughly. "I never said I didn't want you to stay. I said I didn't expect you to stay." 

            "What's the difference?" 

            Daniel rubbed his hand over his face. "Hell, Saraphine, you've been a slave your whole life. You've been forced to live where they wanted, do what they wanted and never able to decide anything for yourself. I didn't buy your freedom expecting you to come live in my cabin and be thrown into yet another life you didn't choose. 

            "I bought your freedom so you could have the life you choose to have. You can go where you want. You can do what you want. You can be whatever you want to be. You're not obligated to me." 

            "Obligated?" Saraphine whispered. Was the man completely addled?

            Daniel stood and walked to the dusty kitchen window. "I know you loved me on the plantation when I was the only friendly face around. But, Saraphine, there's so much more out there and you're too damn good to settle on a man like me. I'm an uneducated, ignorant mountain hick. I have no money, nothing to offer and I can't exactly walk around side by side in the city with you." He pointed to his face as he said those words. 

            "Just rest a few days here because I'm sure it's been a while since you've really rested. Then I'll take you into the city, get you settled in there and you can have your own life. There aren't so many small minded folks here. You'll find a few, here and there, but even with a baby, you'll be welcomed by most. Life can be whatever you want it to be, Saraphine. You finally have a choice."      

            Saraphine watched him walk out the door and then she remained there staring at the slab of wood. 

            Freedom?

            A choice?

            Daniel thought he wasn't good enough for her?

            He had always done everything within his limited power to protect her and care for her. Daniel had been her one constant since the age of ten. He had been happiness, joy, love and strength. He had stolen pies and bribed slaves just to let her have a silk lined, burlap dress so she would know how it felt to feel such fabric upon her skin. 

            How could he think there was anything in the world better than himself for her? 

            Daniel was her choice. He had 

always been her choice.

            What good would her freedom be for her if Daniel was not a part of it?

            Saraphine stood and wrapped her coat tighter around herself before rushing out the door. Daniel was standing beside the barn. His back was to her and he was leaning against the wall as if the weight he carried was too great for his legs alone to bear. 

            Saraphine rushed toward him. He must have heard her approach because he turned. "Saraphine? What are you doing?"

            Saraphine chose not to respond. Daniel had always talked enough for the both of them. She threw herself into his arms and kissed his shocked lips. 

            Daniel did not respond at first. But, his shock wore off fast and his lips came alive beneath hers. 

            Two years of heartbreak, of believing her love was dead, all vanished in an instant. 

            Daniel let out a growl beneath her lips before grabbing her hips and lifted her into the air. Her legs went around his waist and Daniel carried her to the cabin. 

            It wasn't until Daniel laid her down on the bed that their lips separated. "I love you Saraphine. But you need to be sure this is the life you want...." His gray eyes were hungry with want as he gazed down at her. "If this goes any further, I won't never let you go." 

            Saraphine smiled up at her man, her forever. She let her careful grammar slip. "I won't never want you too." 

            Daniel smiled—the left side of his face crinkling just as it always had. As he lay down beside her, Saraphine felt a moment of worry. Would the memories of Samuel's abuse taint this time with Daniel? Would she feel that fear?

            As Daniel slid the barriers of her clothes away, Saraphine felt his fingertips against her skin and knew her worried had been pointless. 

            Yes, she felt helpless under Daniel's touch but it was an awe inspiring, breath stealing helplessness that made her moan. When his clothes too fell away, Saraphine saw the scars that had not been there before. There would be time to talk about them later. Now she simply wanted to get lost in what they shared. 

            As they came together, Saraphine wept tears of joy. Their bond, their love, was still very much alive. The Levenworths, that plantation, Samuel, distance, not even death, had severed it. 

            Saraphine knew, as Daniel clung to her like a man starved, that nothing ever would.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter Thirty-Seven

            Saraphine was sitting restlessly on the sofa watching Daniel with a great deal of amusement and annoyance. She had been here three days and had so far been unable, or not allowed, to do anything more than hold down the sofa. 

            "Would you like help with supper?" she offered. 

            "No, I got it," Daniel replied, carrying a smoking pan to the counter. 

            "I can help you around here, Daniel. I'm good with cooking and cleaning." 

            Daniel shook his head, nearly tripping over a bucket of soiled mop water he had yet to toss out. "I can take care of things." 

            Saraphine rolled her eyes. "Daniel..." 

            "Saraphine, you've spent your whole life cooking and cleaning. I don't want you to have to do it ever again." 

            Saraphine laughed. "That's hardly possible. I can't very well spend the rest of my life sitting on the sofa." 

            "Sure you can. And you'll look beautiful doing it." 

            Saraphine stood up. "Surely if I 

choose to help with the cooking and cleaning in my own home that’s a form of freedom. Isn’t it?“

            Daniel sighed with defeat. "Yeah, I reckon." Then he smiled. "We'd probably eat better too. I just can't get the hang of cookin'." 

            Saraphine was laughing as she joined him beside the stove and took over the meal. After they had eaten and cleaned up the dirtied dishes, they curled up together upon the sofa. 

            These were Saraphine's favorite moments with Daniel. When they sat in comfortable silence and she listened to the sound of his heart beating steadily beneath her ear. 

            But Saraphine knew they'd been avoiding things they needed to talk about. "Daniel, we need to talk." 

            "Words of death," he muttered. 

            She glanced up at him but from this angle she could only see the scarred side of his face ad he was avoiding her gaze. "How did you get away from them?" 

            Daniel shifted and Saraphine knew he didn't want to answer.. but she also knew she wanted to know.

            "Do we really have to talk about that? We're together now." 

            Saraphine lifted her head to kiss his scarred cheek. "Please Daniel?"

            A chuckle rumbled from his chest. "You always did know how to get what you wanted from me." 

            "And how's that?"

            He smiled. "By asking." 

            Saraphine refused to let him charm his way out of answering. She remained silent and he sighed. "I lost consciousness while they kicked me. When I woke up I was in the barn. I don't reckon they knew I was coming 'round. They were all jawin' away. I was laying there half dead but when I heard them talking about you—about what he planned on doing to you...." 

            Daniel's jaw popped. "I managed to get to my feet and snatch a gun. I shot two of them. I was aiming at Samuel but he hid behind the others. I surprised them and I might have even got a few more shots off but my damn legs were so weak, I feel sideways and one of them shot me in the shoulder. 

            "I went down and they attacked me again. I was tied up and...." 

            Daniel stopped talking. Saraphine could see the reluctance in his eyes. She didn't need to hear details. It was clear from the scars he carried that the torture had been terrible. It would be cruel to have him relive it all. 

            Saraphine laid a gentle hand on his cheek. "What about after? Samuel told me he killed you and they dumped your body in the swamp." 

            Daniel held her tighter. He turned his face to kiss her palm. "They dumped me in the swamp, alright. I was close enough to dead that I didn't figure I'd be in the land of the living much longer." 

            "They'd burnt up my face and chest. Whipped me. Shot me. Hell, I never should have gotten to my feet again." 

            "But you did," Saraphine reminded him. 

            "All I kept thinking about was you." Daniel's throat bobbed. "I knew I had to live. I had to come back for you. I'd promised you once that I always would." 

            Saraphine smiled as a tear rolled down her cheek. "And you found a way. You've never disappointed me."

            He let out a quiet chuckle. "I don't know about that... but I certainly tried like hell not to." 

            "But how did you survive it, Daniel? The swamp is dangerous for healthy folks and you said yourself that you were more than half dead." 

            Daniel shifted a bit in his seat. He shoved his hand through his thick dark hair and cleared his throat. "You'll think I'm crazy." 

            "I won't." 

            "Hell yeah, you will cuz even I think it sounds like I'm a bubble off plumb." 

            "Tell me." 

            "I was laying out in the swamp dying cuz I didn't have much other choice. And damned if I didn't suddenly feel like someone was there with me...." 

            "Someone?" 

            "Yeah..." Daniel rubbed at his jaw as his hair fell over his brow. "Someone who used to be living but wasn't anymore." 

            Saraphine's brow rose. "A ghost?"            

            "I told you it would sound crazy." 

            Saraphine shook her head. There had been stories about that swamp. She'd heard them as a young child. Daniel wasn't the first to claim the place was haunted. 

            "Who was it?"

            Daniel's eyes widened. "You aren't gonna accuse me of being addled?"   

            "No. I love you and if you say a ghost came to you in the swamp then I believe you." 

            "What if I said I really think it was Cecil?"

            Saraphine's heart missed several beats. She rose up and stared into Daniel's gray eyes. Was he joking? The earnest way he gazed at her told her that he wasn't.

            She thought back to the giant of a man. So large, so very 

red and so very very kind. One of the few truly good people Saraphine had ever known. A man who had died because of his efforts to give freedom to those most turned their backs on.

            "I couldn't see him but I got to my feet and it wasn't on my own," Daniel continued. "Someone was helping me. And I heard his voice—Hell it'd been a long time but I recognized his damn voice, Saraphine. I damn near shit my britches."

            Saraphine nodded instead of scolding his language. That was certainly a situation where shitting britches would be understandable. 

            "What did he say?" she asked. 

            Daniel let out a long breath. "I ain't never told nobody about Cecil helping me. I figured they'd end up locking me up in one of those homes for folks who've lost their minds."

            "You can tell me anything, Daniel. Now what did Cecil say?"

            "He just kept saying, 

‘Come on, boy. Just keep moving. I’ll get you somewhere safe.’ He said that a lot and he said, “Can’t let little Saraphine down.’”

Saraphine’s eyes widened. “He said my name?” she gasped. Wasn’t that some type of bad omen if the dead spoke your name?“

            Then again, it had helped save Daniel and had gotten her here, free to be in the arms of the man she loved without fear. 

            Daniel nodded. "He did. And he guided me through that swamp. I should have died but I didn't... No gators got me, no leaches. Hell, I didn't even see a mosquito. He led me to a rundown, moss covered shack. I fell against the door and Cecil was gone. An old man let me in. Who knew an old colored man would be living in the swamp? And his damned name was Socretes. Have you ever heard anything like that?" 

            "Not until just now," Saraphine admitted. "Did Socretes help you heal?"

            Daniel laid his head back against the sofa. "He tried but then Samuel realized I wasn't dead. I became a very wanted man accused of murder and attempted murder." 

            Daniel smoothed Saraphine's hair from her face as she gazed at him. "That was a bad year, Saraphine. I was closer to dead than alive through most of it. Infection and fevers plagued me. On top of that I had to hide, run  and avoid being captured. 

            "I found my way to Canada. It just made sense somehow to come here. I healed up and everything in me wanted to rush back to Georgia, kill that jackass and get you out of there. But I didn't....

            "I was worried I'd fail again... or get caught trying to get there. I can't exactly hide in a crowd these days." 

            Saraphine's chest ached. "You've never failed me." 

            Daniel appeared unconvinced. "So I had James contact Ellen. Ellen sent word back that she could get you away but not until September. I had some money, don't ask me where I got it cuz you won't like the answer." 

            Saraphine didn't ask. 

            "I paid James a good deal and then had to wait and trust him and Ellen to get you to me. Do you have any idea how hard that was? Knowing you were being hurt and abused and being forced to sit here and twiddle my damn thumbs." 

            Saraphine sat silent a moment to digest all she'd been told. 

            Poor Daniel. How lost and alone he must have felt so sick and so injured and alone running for his life. And Ellen... Ellen had known Daniel was alive. Even Samuel had known. How many people had known her love was alive and had simply watched her grieve his death?

            "I can tell where your mind is going. We couldn't use names, Saraphine. Couldn't take chances. We just needed to get you here." 

            "I just wish I could have known. I was lost without you. Your death almost killed me." 

            "Daniel sighed. "I love you, Saraphine. I wish I could have gotten you sooner."

            Saraphine once again rested her head on his heart. "It's over now. We're together, we're free and we never have to be apart again." 

            She chewed her lip. "I only wish Ellen would have come away with me. I worry about her stuck with that monster." 

            Daniel remained silent and Saraphine could feel the tension in his body. "What's wrong?"

            He pulled away from her and shoved himself to his feet. The muscles in his good cheek were jumping. "Daniel?" Saraphine called warily. 

            He tossed some wood into the cook stove and kept his back to her. "I was gonna just leave a letter so I could avoid this..." 

            "Avoid what?" she asked, dread settling into her gut 

            "I'm going back, Saraphine. I'm leaving in the morning." 

Q8:]!

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Eight

“You’re what?” Saraphine demanded.

            Daniel turned slowly and met her gaze. "I'm going back." 

            Saraphine wanted to scream and yell. She wanted to demand he not leave her when they had only just found each other. She wanted to accuse him of being cruel and unfair... why would he want to leave her now?

            "Is it Ellen? Are you going back for her? Because I can support you if that's your reason." 

            The hesitation in Daniel's reply told Saraphine that saving his cousin was not what Daniel had had in mind. "If Ellen is still there and if she wants to leave when I'm done then I'll most certainly bring her with me. I owe her that much." 

            "Then why?" Saraphine stood up, feeling truly angry with Daniel for probably the first time in her life. "If not to save your flesh and blood then why? Why would you go back?"

            "She's never been anything to me and you know that. She hated me. Never gave me a damned chance in the world. I wasn't family in her eyes... I was just another slave. Someone to spit on, insult and shove around. She 

did help me get you back and that’s why I’d offer her a home here if she needs it—but remember, she wouldn’t have had to help me get you back if she hadn’t ruined our last plan.“

            Saraphine glared. "He beat her, Daniel! You don't understand the fear that can come from something like that?"

            Daniel tilted his head to the side and frowned. "You think I don't know what a beating feels like, Saraphine?"

            Saraphine sighed and chewed her lip. She took a deep steadying breath. "I don't want to fight with you. I 

never want to fight with you.“

            "We're not fighting." 

            "But why? Why are you going back there?" 

            "Because that man don't deserve to still be breathing. I intend to kill him and set things right." 

            Saraphine blinked several times. "Kill him?"

            Daniel simply nodded. Saraphine wrapped her arms tightly around herself. "Why? We're finally together, Daniel. And we're free! He isn't after me. He doesn't know we're here. Why after all we've been through to be together would you want to go back down there and ask for trouble?"

            Daniel rammed his hand through his hair. "I have to!" he all but yelled, wincing at the volume of his own voice. 

            "Because of what he did to you?" she whispered. 

            A snort left his mouth. "Am I pissed every time I look in the mirror and see what he did to me? Hell yes. Does it piss me off when I think of him striking my foolish, spoiled princess of a cousin? Yes, it does." Daniel stepped forward and took her hands. "But what riles me up and makes me wanna kill that bastard is knowing what he did to you." 

            "Daniel...." 

            Daniel pulled away and, once again, began to pace. "No!" he growled. "He forced you! He used you, controlled you, lied to you and took what wasn't his to take! I know he hit you, he hurt you, put his hands on you in more ways than one." 

            Daniel stopped pacing and gripped the chair. His profile was all she could see—his scarred profile. 

            With the tension in his posture, the melted skin pulled tight on his jaw and the flashing in his eyes, Daniel would have painted a very scary picture for someone who did not know him so intimately. 

            "I thought we had agreed to leave the past in the past?" she urged. "We can help Ellen without risking your life. Perhaps James..." 

            

“We won’t be doing anything. I am going down there and I’m killing that son of a mule’s ass and I’ll bring Ellen back with me if she wants to come.”

            "Daniel, if you do this it could be six months before you return... that is if you don't die trying. What am I supposed to do here without you?"

            Daniel met her gaze and her heart broke. She knew from the expression in his gray eyes that leaving her was killing him—but she also could see that his mind was made up and she wouldn't change it. 

            "Charlie is bringing a load of supplies tomorrow and will bring more if you start running low. There's enough wood in the shed to last the winter and I'll tell Charlie to have the Anderson's check in on you. They're an older couple and real good people. They have a cabin about twenty-minutes walk from here."

            Saraphine stood there dumbfounded. Clearly this had been Daniel's plan all along. "You'll be gone until at least summer...." 

            "I know... If I didn't have to do it, I wouldn't. But I won't be able to live my life in peace until he's dead. As long as he's breathing there's always that chance, that slightest chance, that he'll find us. I can't risk that." 

            Saraphine wanted to remind him of the babe she carried. She wanted to remind him that if he left on a vengeance mission, he would miss the birth. But she didn't. This babe was not his—he didn't owe her his presence at its arrival. 

            "And what if....?" Saraphine swallowed hard. "What if you die? Or are caught and tossed in prison? What do I do then?"

            Daniel let out a sigh. His shoulders rose and fell before he rubbed at his neck. "I won't be caught and I won't be killed. I'm pretty good at staying alive." 

            "And if you do?" she insisted, her voice thick. "What happens to me alone here then?"

            "Charlie and the Andersons are good people. I trust them. They'll see you're taken care of." 

            Saraphine was unable to completely stifle her sob. Daniel's shoulders fell. He swooped in and pulled her into his chest, cradling her head against his heart. "I'm gonna come back to you, Saraphine. I didn't get you back after all this time just to lose you again." 

            "Then don't go..." she whispered, clinging tightly to him. 

            Daniel's lips brushed her hair. "I have to. I have to do this. Please... Please, understand and don't hate me for it." 

            Saraphine melted in his arms, every bit of her temper fading. "I could never hate you, Daniel," she promised. 

            Of course she understood why he was doing what he was doing. Daniel had suffered terribly at Samuel's hands. And Daniel had always been impulsively protective of her—it had gotten him into trouble more than once. Of course he was going after Samuel and nothing Saraphine said was going to change his mind. 

            She would support him, love him the best she could tonight, kiss him goodbye in the morning and cry once he was out of sight. 

---

            Saraphine had cried for hours after Daniel had left. They'd been fat, hot tears of bitter sorrow. Life seemed to find great joy in having laughs at her expense. After just getting her love back, he was gone again. 

            Would she ever know lasting happiness? Would she ever be allowed to grow content with her life, her love? Or would it always be such a frail, fleeting thing?

            After several hours of letting herself be lost in her sorrow, Saraphine rose from the bed and dried her face. Tears and feeling sorry for herself wouldn't solve a thing. 

            Saraphine added wood to the cook stove to ward off the bitter cold outside the walls. She was grateful that Daniel's uneasiness and nerves while waiting for her had given him plenty of time and energy to build and insulate the cabin properly. 

            Not a bit of air could be felt coming between the logs and that was a good thing. Her thin Georgian blood probably would have frozen in her veins if not for Daniel's attention to detail. It didn't surprise her that it was perfect. Daniel had been building it for her and he had always done far too much for her. 

            Saraphine had been settling down with need and thread to mend several pairs of Daniel's pants when a cart pulled up outside. "Hello the house!" a man's voice called. 

            Saraphine glanced out the window and recognized Charlie from the outpost. He had a coat pulled tight over his ample belly and a fur hat on his head. 

            Fear gnawed at her gut as Saraphine opened the door. He hadn't given her any reason not to trust him but she found herself uncomfortable with his presence all the same. 

            "Hello Miss Saraphine," he greeted with a jolly smile. "Daniel asked me to bring a load of supplies out here to you." 

            "Oh..." Saraphine glanced at the loaded cart. "I thought you called him Mr. Ryan?" 

            Charlie tipped his head. "Daniel Ryan is his name, I reckon. I apologize if I let my manners slip." 

            Saraphine was quick to shake her head. "No, that's alright, sir...."

            "Charlie," he interjected. "We're not much for formalities way out here." 

            Saraphine smiled politely. Daniel had clearly lied to the folks around here about his name. He'd probably done it because of his wanted status on the other side of the border. Daniel Ryan was actually Daniel Crockett. 

            "Well, Miss Saraphine, if you don't mind, I'll be getting started on unloading."

            "I'll help you," Saraphine offered, reaching for her coat. 

            He shook his head. "No you won't," he replied firmly. "No lady, especially one in your condition, should be packing in supplies." 

            A lady? This white man was calling her, a colored slave, a lady? Then again, she wasn't a slave—not anymore.

            And he knew about her condition. Daniel must have told him... Which meant Daniel 

had been thinking about the babe—oh how she wished they’d truly talked about the life growing inside of her instead of avoiding the subject. But it also meant that Daniel trusted Charlie a great deal.

            Knowing that, Saraphine let her guard down. "I'll let you get to work then, Charlie."

            As Charlie filled the cellar and packed in food, Saraphine boiled a bit of coffee and quickly threw a kettle of soup on the stove. 

            "That's the last of it, Miss Saraphine," Charlie announced from the door. His nose and cheeks were bright red and it was clear the man was freezing cold. 

            Saraphine chewed her lip. She had to trust. Had to make friends. Had to build a life. If Daniel never returned, she would need people. 

            "Charlie, please sit down and warm up a while. I've made a fresh pot of soup and I boiled a bit of coffee." 

            "Oh I couldn't trouble you...." 

            Saraphine ladled steaming soup into a bowl. "I insist. You're frozen solid." 

            "I can't argue that," he agreed, his wind burnt cheeks curving into a smile. "I'd be must obliged to have some warmth in my belly." 

            "Have a seat." Saraphine motioned to the chair nearest to the warmth of the stove. 

            Charlie did as she said and soon he was gobbling down his second bowl of soup and sipping coffee. "Daniel sure did get lucky when he found you. I'll admit you're the first lady of your complexion I've ever met up here. You're beautiful." 

            Saraphine stiffened a bit where she stood beside the table. Samuel had often spoken about the beauty of her skin color when he came into her room at night...

            Charlie seemed not to notice her discomfort. "But a lot of men find pretty face—there ain't no real luck there. Not too many men find a pretty face that's attached to a friendly, happy, welcoming woman who can cook the best soup I've ever eaten in my life." 

            Saraphine had no idea how to take the compliment. She felt her cheeks heat and busied herself with wiping off the counter while Charlie finished his meal. 

            "I thank you again for your hospitality, Miss Saraphine," Charlie said as he headed for the door. 

            He stopped with his palm on the handle. "And thank you for trusting me. I reckon I know you ain't seen much of the good side of folks in your life. But we're good people here and we'll look out for you. The Anderson's will be out in the next few days to introduce themselves." 

            Saraphine nodded, bid him farewell and watched through the window as he rode out of sight. She liked Charlie. She trusted him. Leave it to Daniel to ensure she'd been left with dependable neighbors. 

            As Saraphine washed Charlies bowl, she smiled. Most of her life she had cooked for and served others because she 

had to. She had often resented the task.

            Doing those things for Charlie because she 

wanted to had filled her with pride and satisfaction—happiness even.

            How strange the difference that one little word could make. 

Have to and want to were two very different things and Saraphine was just now understanding that difference.

o

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Joseph and Susette Anderson visited Saraphine two days later. They were a friendly couple, both in their fifties. Joseph was handsome, tall and regal. He seemed more suited for a fancy plantation than a tiny cabin deep in the Canadian woods.

            Susette was something else entirely. She was quite pretty with her red hair and dusting of freckles but what shocked Saraphine was her difference from her husband. 

            Joseph was quiet, polite and quite proper. Susette was loud, opinionated and seemed to say whatever was on her mind no matter how improper. 

            "Well aren't you a beautiful young woman!" Susette exclaimed as she stepped into the cabin. 

            Saraphine, still unsure how to respond to compliments, simply smiled. "I have soup in the kettle. Would either of you like some?" 

            "After the way Charlie spoke of your cooking, I'd like two bowls!" Susette admitted. 

            Joseph smiled lovingly at his wife. "We'd both love to have a bowl." 

            Saraphine had both of them take a seat at the table and she served them their soup. "Well I'll be darned!" Susette moaned as she took a bite. "Charlie's been known to exaggerate from time to time but he wasn't exaggerating about your cooking." 

            "It is delicious," Joseph agreed. 

            As Susette and Joseph ate their meal, they talked to Saraphine about the differences in weather between Georgia and Canada. They had seemed shocked to hear that snow fall had always been minimal in Georgia and Saraphine couldn't remember ever seeing more than two or three inches at one time. 

            "And you came here to a foot of snow!" Susette shook her head. "Aren't you going to miss that nice weather?"

            Saraphine thought of the bitter, bone-jarring cold outside and shrugged. "I suppose I'll miss the weather, but that's all I'll ever miss. That plantation would have never been home. There were too many bad memories." 

            Susette's green eyes turned sad as they softened. "Yes, dear, Daniel spoke a little about your enslavement there. Such a terrible practice that I am glad does not occur here." She leaned closer. "We don't have our heads quite so far up our asses." 

            "You shouldn't say such things," Saraphine automatically scolded through her laughter. 

            Susette waved her hand. "I say what I like and like what I say." 

            Joseph chuckled. "She is certainly honest as well." 

            Finishing their meal, Susette turned to her husband. "Leave the young lady and I alone. We have 

lady business to discuss.“

            Joseph quickly got his feet and pressed a tender kiss to his wife's cheek. "You know just what to say to get rid of me." 

            It warmed Saraphine's heart to see two people so obviously in love, but, it caused her chest to ache as well. 

            She wished Daniel were here with her. 

            "Now that us women are alone, we need to have a serious talk about that babe in your belly." 

            Saraphine choked on the gasp she sucked in. "Excuse me?" she managed to whisper. 

            Susette seemed amused by Saraphine's reaction. "Daniel left a letter with Charlie explaining the situation vaguely. Now, he made it sound as if the baby you're carrying is his, but since he also said you're due in early spring, I know that's not true. And, I also know it's not truly 

business Daniel is gone. Daniel is no businessman.

            "Now here's what I think happened. I think there was a man down on that plantation. A man who was quite mean to you. I think you ran away from him to be with Daniel—but not before he'd left a souvenir in your belly." 

            Saraphine sat down hard in the chair across from Susette. She wasn't sure which part of the woman's ramblings shocked her more. Her stating so bluntly that she knew the babe wasn't Daniel's, or, her admitting that Daniel had claimed the babe as his own in the letter. 

            Oh, how Saraphine wished she truly knew how Daniel felt. Why hadn't they spoken about it before he'd gone?

            "I didn't mean to shock you so badly," Susette announced, laying a hand on her arm. "I just want you to know we're understanding folks and you don't have to lie or hide things because you're worried we'll judge you. We won't." 

            "Okay," Saraphine offered weakly. She let out a long breath. "My master was a cruel man. He....he 

forced me to lay with him.“

            Tears filled Susette's eyes as she shoved herself to her feet and bustled around the table. Susette pulled Saraphine into a tight embrace, nearly lifting her from her chair. "I'm so sorry, dear! That's such a terrible thing to happen to a woman." She pulled away and dabbed at her tears. "I hope Daniel kills the bastard." 

            As much as Saraphine hated the thought of Daniel committing murder, she was forced to agree. If Daniel failed it would be his own death warrant he signed. 

            "Now, I'm sure you're worried about the birth but don't be. When it gets close I will come stay with you and help you bring your babe into the world." 

            Saraphine chewed at her lip. "Do you have experience?"

            Susette laughed and laid her hand over her chest. "Do I ever! I've given birth to ten children and have helped bring more than twice that into the world. We'll get through it fine." Susette winked. "You've got great child birthing hips. There's nothing for you to be worried about." 

            Saraphine felt relief and thankfulness fill her. She had been so very afraid of being alone during the birth of her first child. But now she had a friend who seemed an expert on childbirth. And it was all thanks to Daniel. 

            "Well, now that you have one less worry and my husband and I have full stomachs, we'll be on our way! If you need anything we're only about a twenty minute walk down the path. Don't ever hesitate to call on us whenever you want or need to." 

            Saraphine gave her new friend on more hug and walked the Anderson's ride away. It felt odd but wonderful to suddenly be treated as a person, an equal, after a lifetime of being looked down upon. She thought of her mama. If only the woman could have known a place and a life like this one. 

            Her mama would have seen that she was worth so much more than a healthy mule.

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty

January 1848

Two weeks later found Saraphine at the Anderson’s for lunch. She had been surprised when Charlie had arrived at her cabin and announced that her presence had been requested. Never in her life had Saraphine been a lunch guest.

            Susette had threated to go so far as to tie her to her chair to keep Saraphine from attempting to serve everyone. At first Saraphine had thought the woman was joking—until Joseph had stood up to go fetch the rope. 

            She'd quickly returned her backside to her chair and became a very dutiful guest—allowing Susette to do all the serving. 

            Charlie chuckled as he shoved a chunk of ham into his mouth. "You'll learn that Susette is used to getting what she wants." 

            Saraphine nodded. "I've noticed. It feels odd to me to have anyone do for me. I've always been the one to do everything." 

            Susette's smile was warm as she took a seat at the table. "Those days are over for you." 

            The four companions soon fell into conversation, discussing weather, how different summer would be when it arrived and, to Saraphine's surprise, Charlie's button collection. 

            "The man has jars upon jars of them," Susette informed her. 

            Saraphine laughed lightly. "Buttons?"

            Charlie's cheeks reddened as he pushed his empty plate away. "I have simply always enjoyed them." 

            Joseph stood and began gathering up the dishes. "Charlie will have to show you his collection someday. Everyone agrees that he never found a woman because he was already married to his buttons." 

            Charlie snorted. "Everyone can kiss my backside with all their so-called agreements." 

            "What about you, Saraphine?" Susette chimed in. "Have you ever collected anything? Do you have a favorite pastime?"

            Saraphine shook her head as she dropped her gaze to her lap. "We were not permitted to have personal possessions. Even if we could have, there would have been no time for something that served no real purpose." 

            "That's terrible," Charlie grumbled. "A person needs something that's all theirs." 

            Joseph nodded. "Charlie has his buttons, Susette has her dolls and I have my woodworking." 

            "Dolls?" Saraphine turned her attention to Susette. "You have dolls?"

            Susette laughed as she stood. "Come and I'll show you. Darling, can you handle the clean up?" she asked Joseph. 

            He gave her a warm kiss. "Of course." 

            Charlie chuckled. "At least my buttons haven't turned me into a hen pecked servant." 

            Joseph grinned, clearly unfazed. "But it's too bad those buttons can't warm your bed or fill your stomach." 

            Susette rolled her eyes and whisked Saraphine from her chair. "Come along, dear. We'll leave the men to compare their male appendages in private." 

            Saraphine gasped and covered her laughter with her hand. 

            Susette led her down a short hall and through a door. The room they entered had Saraphine spinning around and around with wonder. 

            Dolls covered nearly every inch of space. Big and small. Fancy and plain. Porcelain and burlap. Some had painted faces while others had no faces at all. Saraphine ran her fingertips over a handstitched silk dress adorning a blond doll with rose, painted cheeks. 

            "Susette, these are amazing... beautiful. It must have taken you years to collect so many." 

            The other woman was beaming with pride as she studied her dolls. "My entire life." 

            She pulled one from a brown jewelry box. It was a cornhusk doll with a fabric head and no face. The dress had yellowed with age and the doll was brittle and appeared ready to fall apart at any moment. "This was my first. My mother made it for me when I was six. She died not long after. You could say this doll is what got me started on all of this." 

            Susette gave one last loving gaze to the doll in her hands before placing gently back into the jewelry box and closing the lid. "I'll expect you to pick whichever one you'd like for your daughter." 

            Saraphine placed her hand over her rounded stomach. "And if I have a son?"

            Susette shrugged her dainty shoulders. "Then you'll pick him a doll. What's the worst that could happen? He'll learn to be a father?"

            Saraphine shook her head in disbelief. Her friend had a wonderfully unique way of looking at the world—and voicing her opinion of it. 

            "Thank you, Susette." 

            "You don't have to thank me." Susette put her arm around Saraphine's shoulders. "Would you like to pick one now?"

            Saraphine nibbled at her lip. She would love a doll and was greatly moved by the gift—but she couldn't pick one just yet. Not until she spoke to Daniel....

            "I believe I'll wait," she replied in a tone she hoped was polite and apologetic instead of nervous and apprehensive. "Daniel and I can pick one together." 

            With a knowing smile, Susette nodded. "Of course, dear. Well they aren't going anywhere and will be here when you're ready."

            The women headed back toward the main room. "Saraphine, you brought a sack with you today. It's not often that lunch guests come bearing burlap. What's in it?"

            Saraphine was suddenly embarrassed and not at all sure she wanted to show Susette. But, she also knew the woman would give her no choice. Saraphine went to the door and grabbed her sack. She pulled out the pillowcase she'd been working on. 

            "I wanted to get your opinion...." 

            She held it out to Susette and the woman took it. She ran her fingertips over the stitches that Saraphine had spent hours painstakingly embroidering into the fabric. 

            "This is absolutely beautiful," Susette gasped. "These dogwoods are near perfection!" 

            She handed the pillowcase to Joseph. "Is this not beautiful?" she asked. 

            Charlie and Joseph both nodded. "That's a real nice job," Joseph agreed. 

            Charlie's belly bounced as he chuckled. "I thought you didn't have a pastime?"

            "I don't," Saraphine quickly assured them. "Or I didn't... I get lonely in that cabin sometimes and I found thread so I began embroidering to pass the time. Daniel didn't have many colors... it would look better with more colors." Saraphine bit her lip. "Do you really think it looks nice?"

            Susette nodded, taking the pillowcase from her husband. "I would have no problem being honest if I thought it was terrible. This is beautiful. I may have to hire you to make a few outfits for my dolls." 

            The conversation turned to dolls, clothes and jokes about Charlie's buttons. Saraphine loved the companionship, the friendship. Never in her life had she sat with a group of people and been allowed to talk, laugh and joke. 

            Hours passed quickly and the sun began to sink low. "We should be heading out," Charlie announced. He opened the door and the blast of frigid, snowy air took Saraphine's breath. 

            "You're not going anywhere tonight," Susette quickly countered. "You're going to stay here." 

            "But..." 

            Susette held up her hand, silencing Charlie's argument. "It is getting dark, it's freezing cold and beginning to snow." She turned her gaze to Saraphine. "Do you want to go out in that cold?" 

            Saraphine moved closer to the warmth of the fireplace and thought about her empty cabin. "Not truly." 

            Susette clapped her hands together and smiled. "That's settled then." 

            Charlie let out a sigh and closed the door. "I suppose it is." 

            "Come on, Saraphine. We'll cook supper while these strong men bring in extra wood for the night." 

---

            Saraphine could not sleep. She had been tossing and turning upon the guest bed for hours. Her thoughts simply refused to turn off. Daniel was laying heavy on her mind. 

            Where was he? Was he somewhere warm tonight? Was he safe? Was he thinking of her?

            Saraphine needed fresh air. She pulled on her coat, slid into her boots and wrapped her scarf around her neck. Tip-toeing through the cabin, Saraphine glanced at Charlie sound asleep upon the sofa. He was snoring and the thin gray mustache above his lip waved wildly with every breath. 

            As quietly as she could, Saraphine opened the door a crack before slipping outside and closing it silently behind her. The cold instantly assaulted her, causing her lungs to burn. Saraphine wrapped her coat tighter and stepped off the porch. 

            The snow had stopped, the sky had cleared and the map of twinkling stars above her head was one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen. The stars seemed closer tonight. It seemed almost as if she could reach through the cloud of breath in front of her eyes and grab them from the sky. 

            Saraphine had no idea how long she stood admiring the view. Her aching neck and the bitter cold had her heading back to the porch when a flash of movement caught her eyes. 

            No sooner had she turned toward the sound and let out a cry of shock, then the black-cloaked figure collided with her.

nBw\

Chapter Forty-One

Chapter Forty-One

“Hellfire, Saraphine. Do you have any idea how scared I was when I came home and you were gone?”

            Saraphine let out yet another cry of shock before gripping the front of Daniel's cloak and clinging to him with all her might. "Are you real?" she whispered. "Or am I holding a ghost?"

            "I'm real. And I can promise that I ain't ever gonna leave your side again." 

            "But why.....?" 

            Before Saraphine could finish asking why he had come back so quickly, the door to the cabin flew open. Charlie came barreling out, a chunk of wood clutched in his hand. Joseph was behind him with a shotgun, which he had pointed at Daniel. 

            "Let go of that woman now," Joseph ordered. "Or I'll blow your head off." 

            Daniel pushed Saraphine behind him. "Fire that shotgun at me standing this close to the woman and you'll end up blowing her head off too. And then you and I would have a problem. I'd have to come back, haunt you and shove that shotgun up your backside." 

            Joseph nearly dropped the gun and Charlie scratched at his jaw. "Well I'll be darned. Daniel, we weren't expecting you back for months and months." 

            Daniel shrugged as his hood fell back. "Plans changed." 

            As Daniel, Joseph and Charlie spoke, Saraphine could do little more than cling to Daniel's back. Why was he home so soon? Had he gotten hurt? Had he been recognized and was now on the run? He'd been so hell bent on his mission of vengeance it didn't make sense for him to have given up so quickly. 

            "Daniel?" Susette's voice came from the door. "Get that girl in here before she freezes solid." 

            Daniel quickly took hold of Saraphine's hand and led her onto the porch. Joseph and Charlie stepped aside as Saraphine was dragged into the house and placed directly in front of the warm stove. 

            "What were you doing out in the cold?" Daniel asked as he rubbed his hands up and down her arms to help warm her. 

            "Looking at the stars," she muttered, still feeling quite dazed and confused. 

            A frown creased Daniel's brow, illuminated by the lamps Susette was lighting. "The stars?" 

            "They're beautiful tonight." Saraphine touched his scarred cheek with her trembling fingertips. She was terrified he would disappear at any moment. "What are you doing here, Daniel?"

            Saraphine knew Daniel well enough to recognize the sadness in his gray eyes and the hesitation in his voice. He turned his attention to Susette. "Can I speak to her in private?"

            Susette nodded. "Of course. Just use the spare room. Saraphine knows where it is." 

            Feeling as if she were trapped in a dream Saraphine led Daniel to the room she had been given for the night. Once the door was closed behind them and they were completely alone, Saraphine was no longer so sure that she wanted answers. 

            Daniel went to the bed and fell down upon it. "I'm dead tired," he moaned. 

            Saraphine sat on the edge of the mattress and plucked at her jacket as she chewed her lip. She felt Daniel's palm on the small of her back. "You scared the life out of me when you weren't at home. My horse was already about dead because I'd rushed back to you, so I ran here on foot hoping they'd know where you were." 

            "Susette invited Charlie and me over for lunch. Time got away from us. It was getting late and beginning to snow so Susette insisted we stay the night." 

            Silence fell and it deafened her. 

            "Daniel... what happened?"

            A long sigh followed her question. Saraphine looked over at him and saw Daniel's gray eyes staring hard at the ceiling. "I made it down to one of the safe houses just below the border. The man who owns it knows me and our story. I told him why I was on my way down south and he had...

news … for me.“

            Saraphine felt her stomach twist. "What kind of news?"

            "I don't.... I don't know how to say it..." 

            Tightening her grip on the hem of her coat, Saraphine swallowed hard. "Just tell me, Daniel. All of it. All at once." 

            Daniel's hand fell from her back. "There's a real good reason why Samuel never came after you." Daniel paused. "He's dead, Saraphine." 

            Surprise and confusion replaced the overwhelming worry she'd been full of moments before. Why had Daniel seemed so afraid to tell her that Samuel was dead. Her attacker would never again pose a threat. Not to her, her child, Daniel or......

            "Ellen!" she gasped. "Daniel's where's Ellen? Did you contact her?"

            Daniel's jaw tightened and his eyes refused to meet hers. "There was an article in the newspaper about what happened. The man had saved it because he'd recognized the names and location and figured he'd show it to me if I ever happened by.

            "Samuel was killed in a murder suicide. Authorities determined that, shortly after returning from the auction, Ellen shot him. She then set the plantation house on fire before turning the gun on herself and taking her own life. It's gone. The whole house burned to the ground." 

            Saraphine sat in silent shock for several long moments. 

            Then an animalistic sob tore from her throat. Tears soaked her cheeks. Drawing in breath became difficult and the room spun. Daniel rose up and pulled her into his arms, cradling her gently against his chest. 

            Saraphine was unable to speak. Daniel didn't attempt to speak either. He simply held her, kissed her hair and stroked her back. Saraphine had no idea how long she cried. Her throat burned and face felt raw as her eyes slowly went dry. 

            "Why?" she rasped. "Why would Ellen do that? Why didn't she come with me and James when I asked her to?" 

            "I don't know," Daniel whispered. "Maybe she saw staying behind and killing him as a way of protecting you." 

            "But she took her own life... why?"

            Saraphine felt Daniel shrug as he continued to hold her. "I wish I could tell you something to help. I wish I had answers. I wish I could take your pain away... but I don't and I can't." 

            Saraphine let him simply hold her and she lost herself in the comfort his touch provided. Saraphine had lost so much in her life. She'd lost so many that she loved. Family, friends—she'd even lost Daniel for a time.

            No more pain. She prayed for life to hand her no more pain. 

            Curling up tightly to Daniel, Saraphine breathed in him. "I'm gonna do my best to make sure you're nothin' but happy from here on out," Daniel vowed. 

            "We both deserve happiness" she replied. "Life has given us far too little of it." 

            Daniel placed his finger beneath her chin and lifted her head to lay a lingering kiss to her lips. "Life gave me you and it put you here in my arms. I'm pretty damn blessed, Saraphine." 

            Saraphine didn't respond with words. Instead, she kissed him with a need that he urgently matched. They joined together with a desperate need for comfort and reassurance. 

            As they lay spent in the darkness, Saraphine listened to his heart beat wildly beneath her ear. 

            The past was over. The threat was gone. 

            Complete freedom was now theirs. 

            It was in that moment of peace that the babe in her belly began to kick.

Chapter Forty-Two

Chapter Forty-Two

February 1848

“You okay?” Daniel’s face was suddenly inches from Saraphine’s and coming between herself and the embroidery she had been working on.

            "What are you doing?" she asked, laughing lightly. 

            Saraphine attempted to gently nudge him away but Daniel remained firmly in place. "I've been back for a month," he stated. 

            "I know. I've been here," Saraphine replied, kissing his nose. 

            "It's been a great month. Spending all this time with you. Falling asleep and waking up in your arms. Not having to settle for only stolen moments when we can manage to find them..." 

            Saraphine laid her embroidery down on her ever dwindling lap and gave Daniel her full attention. "I agree that the last month has been wonderful." She tipped her head and studied his gray eyes—finding concern in them. "Are you okay?" she asked. 

            He frowned in response. "Are you?" 

            "Of course I am." Saraphine shifted upon the sofa. "Why would you ask me that?"

            Daniel shrugged. "Because, I know you're not. There's something on your mind. Something you're afraid of." 

            Saraphine had been dreading this moment. The moment when Daniel, who knew her better than anyone, finally grew tired of waiting on her to open up. 

            Letting her gaze drop, Saraphine drew in a trembling breath. "In a few short months there's going to be a baby in our cabin." 

            Daniel nodded. He rested his chin on her ever-expanding belly and the smile that curved his good cheek shattered her heart. "I know there's a baby coming. I've been rubbing your swollen feet, remember?" 

            Saraphine chewed her lip. "There doesn't have to be." 

            "Doesn't have to be what?" 

            "A baby. Here." 

            "What in the hell are you talking about?"

            "I talked to Charlie... he knows people." 

            Daniel raised a brow. "Yeah, Charlie knows lots of people. What does that have to do with anything?" 

            Saraphine clenched her fists, completely unsure how this conversation was going to go. "He knows a man and wife who live a good distance east of here. They want a baby and are unable to have one of their own. They've made it clear that color and lineage don't matter." 

            Daniel was silent a moment as he stared up at her, his chin still resting on her swollen stomach. "You aren't saying what it sounds like you're saying, right?" 

            Saraphine hated the edge she heard in his voice. "I am only saying we have options... you don't have to raise a child that isn't yours." 

            Daniel pulled away then. He shoved his hand through his unruly dark hair and rose to his feet. The muscles in his scarred cheek jumped and tensed beneath the melted skin. "That's a hell of a thing for you to say to me. Never once, not since you returned to me, have I ever said I didn't want that babe or didn't see it as mine." 

            "Don't be angry," Saraphine pleaded. 

            "I 

am angry,“ Daniel growled. “What have I done to make you believe I wouldn’t want this child? What have I done to have you running to Charlie to find someone to ship it off to? Hell, I’ve been nothing but supportive. I’ve massaged your feet. I’ve been fixing up the loft… I even rub your belly late at night to calm the babe so you can sleep.”

            Saraphine's eyes began to burn. "Yes, but what about Samuel?"

            "He's dead," Daniel snapped. "Good and dead." 

            "And can you look at his child every day without growing angry?" Her voice broke. "Without being overwhelmed with awful memories?"

            Daniel stilled. His features softened and his anger faded. Crouching before her once again, Daniel took her hands in his. "Can you?" he asked gently. 

            Saraphine closed her eyes and thought of her child. The babe she had felt moving and growing inside of her. The baby who was already a piece of her very soul. A child she could so easily believe was Daniel's.... but it wouldn't be fair of her to ask that of the man she loved. 

            Daniel laid a tender hand against her cheek. "Your greatest fear has always been to have your child ripped from your arms. If...." His throat bobbed as he paused. "If giving up this baby is what you have to do for you, then do it. But, don't do it for me. I am ready, willing and able to be a father—to be this baby's father." 

            A tear slipped down Saraphine's cheek. She drew in a breath that became a sob. "I don't...I don't want to lose my child." 

            Daniel smiled up at her. "Then don't." 

            Saraphine rested her brow against his. "But you...." 

            Daniel sighed. "My Saraphine." He sat down on the sofa and pulled her into his arms. "This child should have been ours." Daniel laid his hand protectively over her stomach. "This child 

is ours. He or she never needs to know different.“

            "You are amazing," Saraphine whispered. "But you have to be sure... it wouldn't be fair to you...." 

            Daniel silenced her with a gentle kiss. "I'm sure." 

---

April 1848

            Despite Daniel's assurances that he could raise and love the child without difficulty, Saraphine could not silence her doubts. What kind of life would the child have if it lived resented by its father? She knew that the love she felt for the piece of herself would overcome any bad memories—but Daniel hadn't created the babe. He hadn't felt it growing and moving inside himself. What difference would that make?

            When the birthing pains had grown too great to ignore, Saraphine had been forced to tell Daniel. He had been nearer to panic than Saraphine had ever seen him before as he'd rushed out the door to fetch Susette. 

            By the time they returned, Saraphine's water had broken. 

            "Lord, Saraphine, you look like hell," Daniel muttered, shoving his hand through his hair and shifting from foot to foot. 

            "Thanks," she muttered, gripping the back of the chair she stood behind as another pain began to tear through her. 

            "Come along now, dear," Susette urged. "Let's get you to the bed. You have some hard work ahead of you." 

            Susette hadn't been lying. Saraphine had seen women give birth. She had known it was painful, but, she'd never imagined just how terrible the pain was. After seven hours of crying, shaking, yelling and watching Daniel pace wildly, a baby's wail filled the room. 

            Susette swaddled the babe in a clean white blanket and laid it in Saraphine's waiting arms. "Congratulations," Susette beamed. "You've got yourself a beautiful baby girl." 

            The world disappeared as Saraphine stared down at the beautiful little life she had grown. A squished face and light brown skin, red with anger, painted the most breathtaking portrait Saraphine had ever seen. 

            "Don't cry, mama's baby," she cooed gently. 

            The babe's screams stopped and she blinked up at Saraphine. "You're a natural," Daniel whispered as he slid into the bed and Saraphine realized they were alone in the bedroom. 

            "Isn't she beautiful?" she asked. 

            Her worries suddenly came roaring back as Daniel reached for the baby. It was the moment of truth. Daniel cradled the babe against his chest and rocked gently. 

            Saraphine took a deep breath. If she looked up at his face and into his eyes, what would she see? Sadness? Anger? Uncertainty? Guilt?

            She had to know—had to face whatever she saw. Saraphine raised her gaze and her heart stopped. 

            Love. 

            Daniel was gazing down at the swaddled bundle in his arms with pure, untainted love. 

            A tear slipped down his smile-crinkled cheek. "Look at our daughter, Saraphine. Ain't she perfect?"

            "Yes," Saraphine whispered, her heart so swelled with love she could barely speak. "She truly is. What are you going to name her?"

            Daniel tore his gaze from the baby in his arms. "Don't you want to do that?"

            Saraphine smiled softly. "No, I believe I'll leave that honor up to her pa." 

            Daniel looked back down at the baby who was beginning to squirm. "What about Cecilia? Can we name her Cecilia after Cecil?"

            Saraphine pictured Cecil in her mind. She remembered the way he had always done everything a man in his position could do to ease her life. The way he had died in his efforts to give her freedom and had cried over the injustice of slavery with that noose around his neck. Even in death, Cecil had aided Daniel in his escape, saving his life. 

            Saraphine wiped at her tears. "I think that sounds perfect." 

            Cecilia began to whimper and squirm stiffly. "I believe your daughter is hungry," Saraphine warned. 

            Daniel reluctantly agreed and laid the girl in Saraphine's arms. As Daniel cradled Saraphine against him, she nursed their hungry babe and thought about the future. 

            Cecilia would know a life of only freedom and choices. Her life would be one of more happy moments than sad. More joy than sorrow. 

            And so would the rest of Saraphine's. 

            In that moment, Saraphine knew, truly knew, that her past was over. The future was wide open before her and it would be grand. 

            Cecilia soon fell asleep and Daniel laid the peaceful infant beside the doll Susette had given her in the crib that Joseph had hand crafted. 

            Home, friends, family and peace. Those were hers now—and they were her daughters. Saraphine fell asleep in Daniel's arms, finally perfectly content. 

9

Epilogue

Epilogue

June 1919

“That is one amazing tale, ma’am.”

            Saraphine studied the man in front of her. He was little more than a boy with thick glasses and fancy clothes. He'd been scribbling nearly every word she had said into a large notepad in his lap. He had come to Canada in search of former slaves. It seemed he wanted to write a book and was looking for just the right story. 

            "It's not a tale, child," Saraphine assured him gently as she rocked in her chair beside the fire—she seemed to always be cold these days. Her skin was much thinner, she supposed. "Every word of it was truth." 

            He nodded quickly and shoved his glasses up with his knuckle. "I didn't mean to suggest it wasn't. Just how old are you now?"

            Saraphine smiled. "Didn't your mother teach you it is impolite to ask a woman her age?"

            A blush colored his freckled cheeks. "Uh...sorry ma'am...." 

            She laughed a raspy laugh. "I turned ninety years old in April." 

            He let out a long whistling breath as he jotted something on his notepad. "And just where is Daniel now?" 

            Pain entered Saraphine's heart but it was faint. She and Daniel had shared many beautiful years together—and would be together again very soon. "He passed away five years ago. He is buried at the top of the hill if you'd like to go take a look. My old legs won't carry me there any longer. Several of our children are buried there as well. We had seven of them. Four girls and three boys. Five of them lived to adulthood—we were truly blessed." 

            The man scribbled down some notes and returned his gaze to hers. "And your first child? The one you spoke of..." He glanced at his notepad. "...Cecilia? Did she live?"

            Pride filled Saraphine. "Yes. She grew into a fine, generous and beautiful woman with a wonderful soul. She had five children of her own." 

            "Your life certainly will make a fine book, ma'am. Full of tragedy and joy. Hardships and triumphs. Love and hurt. Folks love to read those types of things." 

            "Can I ask one favor of you, sir?"

            He nodded as he closed his notebook and folded his hands. "Of course." 

            "If my story is the one you choose for your book...." 

            "Oh it will be," he promised. "I won't find one any better suited." 

            Saraphine smiled at his excitement. He reminded her of Daniel in a way. Always so full of excitement with that same light glowing in his gray eyes. "When you write your book, please be sure to include those who had meant so much to me. Daniel and his unfailing loyalty and strength. Ellen and her mistakes that helped her grow and find her own strength as well as tragedy. Cecil, Susette, Joseph, Charlie, James... Don't leave any of them out." 

            "I swear it," he vowed. There was something in his voice that had Saraphine believing him. 

            He stood up. "I'll be on my way now, ma'am." 

            "I would see you to the door," Saraphine said regretfully. "But my legs aren't quite what they used to be." 

            "Don't trouble yourself, Miss Saraphine." He stooped low and kissed her cheek politely. "It has been an honor speaking to you, ma'am, and hearing your story. When my book is finished, you'll get the first copy." 

            "That will be nice, child." 

            Saraphine watched him leave and laid her head back against the chair. She knew she would never live to hold her story in her hands but, she didn't need to. She already held it within her heart. 

            Her name was Saraphine and she had loved, laughed, hurt, cried and hoped more in one lifetime than most people did in twenty.

            Her soul was full but it was tired. Knowing her loved one's stories would not die with her, gave her the freedom to move on. She closed her weary eyes and saw Daniel's handsome face. He smiled that crinkled smile, the scars gone, as his gray eyes twinkled. 

            "Come on home now, Saraphine. I got everything all ready for you and I've been waitin'. Everybody has missed you."

            Saraphine took his calloused hand and moved on—leaving her life behind and heading into the next. 

E}L