Kindred (17 page)

“No. No. No.”

“Sir,” Adeline interrupted. “I am Missus Harkness. Cassian’s wife. The other doctor in the house.”

“Pardon me. It is just that when I saw you, angel that you are, I assumed you were my cousin’s wife. Cassian? Cassian you say? That injun fella?” Sebastian scratched his head. “Well, I’ll be. In my neck of the woods, those kinds of people are only good for a coupla things and marryin’ ain’t one of ’em.” Sebastian winked and swigged more cider.

Douglas looked up. Kindred and Lelaheo carried trays of food and drink from the house.

“Nachman!” Douglas yelled. “Supper!”

The awkward configuration of diners found their places around the table. Kindred had managed to put together a cold supper of chicken, a mutton joint, biscuits, cheeses, some pickled side dishes and jellies. Cider and fruits in season rounded out the meal.

Lelaheo carved and Kindred put out crockery. She smiled to herself. If it were not so pathetic it would be amusing. No, in fact, it was amusing. Kindred had vowed not to serve Adeline, Rozina had vowed not to serve her ex-master. Preparing and serving food required ingenuity. Kindred envisioned buffet style for a long time.

“So this here is Kindred,” Sebastian said as he stuffed ham into his mouth with one hand and pulled at her skirt with the other as she passed. “You wouldn’t recall me. You is as pretty as your mama. You cook just like your grandmamma.” He chewed while he talked. “I have missed her cooking.” He looked toward the house. “Where is that ole gal?”

“My grand is not well,” replied Kindred. “Take your hand off me.”

“She been ill?” Sebastian tugged on her skirt again, this time palming the back of her thigh.

“Came on suddenly. The moment you appeared. I repeat take your hand off me.”

“That some mouth you got on you, gal. What you gonna do if I don’t let go?” He kept feeling her thigh and grinned.

“That’s enough, Sebastian,” said Douglas.

“Let her go,” said Lelaheo, who had stopped carving and stood still twirling the knife.

“She your business? Thought that one was your wife. You got a belligerent bunch, cousin.” Finding no smile on Lelaheo’s face, he let her go. “ I was just havin’ fun.” He knew his cousin was a man of science, but this human experiment was wrong. An abomination. When Joshua, Kindred and Lelaheo sat down to eat, Sebastian could not contain himself any longer.

“Douglas, you let the help sit at table with you?”

“They are not help.”

“Not help? Then what the hell are they?”

“Family.”

“Family?” Sebastian glanced around the table at the many hues. “You done lost your mind, cousin. Not a one of them looks like the people in them pictures you got hanging on the walls in that house. If that don’t beat all. It ain’t supposed to be like this. You makin’ these people think they equal. It’s wrong.” Sebastian slapped his hat on his

thigh. “
I
a blood relation and you ain’t never treated me or mine like that.”

“Because you have never warranted it!” Douglas slammed down his cup. “Why are you here, Sebastian? What do you want? Have you fallen on bad times?”

“Tobacco is fickle, cousin. Just like a woman. Ups, downs. We are square, but we ain’t nowhere near as well positioned as other planters.”

“Stop trying to live up to impossible expectations. Find a way of living that suits you.”

“Like the way you live, Douglas,” Sebastian said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

Chapter Twenty Seven

“And that is how and why you are part of this abomination called a family? You fooled that injun into marryin’ ya?”

“Lower your voice please,” said Adeline. She admired this Southerner’s pluck. They had retired to the parlor. Adeline poured sherry after sherry for Sebastian. It was working the desired affect by loosening his tongue.

“You
care
him?”

“I
need
him.” Adeline was filled with humiliation at the sound of her own words and sighed. “He was, is, my only chance at respectability.”

“But here, missy? This is a hard land to work. You may get to be its mistress, but never its owner.”

“I have no intention of remaining in this cesspool of a British outpost. I simply want my portion of it.” She patted her coif and fanned. “I want to return to England, be a doctor’s wife. Cassian would have a thriving practice. Those of means would come far and wide to be treated by him. Why, curiosity alone would draw them “So that red skin of his would be worth something finally.”

“I call it fulfilling his destiny.” Adeline cocked her head to one side and asked, “Sebastian? May I call you by your Christian name?”

“You may, angel.”

“You do flatter me.” She mustered her best concerned tone, seized his free hand and patted it. “Sebastian, you have an ax to grind with your cousin?”

“What makes you think that?”

“Your contempt for him was thinly veiled by your drollery.”

“Uh?”

She laughed and arranged her skirts about her. “You dislike him and your joking did not hide it. What occurred?”

“I do have a lil grudge.” He swigged more sherry and burped. “Almost a lifetime ago, Douglas was in my neck of the woods. A slave rebellion was in the works. Me and other planters squelched it. Douglas objected.”

“Objected because you squelched it? How did you do that?”

He cleared his throat and squirmed a bit. “We killed defiant slaves and tried to capture escaped ones.”

“I see.”

“Rozina was one. She fled with her granddaughter and another boy. Douglas found ’em and brought ’em here.” He shoved his arm out for emphasis and sloshed his drink. “Illegally!” “Best damn cook I eva had.”

“I see.”

“Theft. Cut and dried. Like my tobacco.” He guffawed at his own joke. “They were mine. Still are mine. Douglas owes me. Sanctimonious ass.”

The immediate satisfaction Adeline received from hearing that information made her purse her lips. “Kindred is your property?”

“Damn right! I hear she whelped a child. That’s mine too. Any child born to one of my slaves is mine. I’d take her and the young’un back if I could. I’d call it even. Got my eye on her. Y’all can keep ’Zina and Joshua. The girl is pretty. Young and fertile. You see, I have a wife like you. Blonde, fair. But I prefer the darker hues for my appetites.”

“The return of your ‘property’ would make all right?”

“For you too lil lady.” Sebastian winked. “This ole Southern fella ain’t as dumb as he looks. Them two gone would clear the way for you.”

Adeline threw back her head and let loose a tinkling laugh. “You are too amusing.

She is but a fly in the ointment.”

“
Your
ointment, Adeline. Now who is hiding contempt with drollery?”

“We need to discuss this at greater length, Sebastian.” She raised the crystal decanter again. “More sherry?”

****

August 6th, 1777

British plans to take back the Mohawk River Valley had been in motion since January, and only just now were coming to fruition. The Oneida and Tusacarora and the colonists who had fought to stay here were now frightened. Native and farmer alike were hurriedly fortifying their palisaded villages, farmhouses and forts. The British, any old Loyalist neighbors and the remaining nations of the Haudenosaunee, who had sided with them, were banding together in Canada to reclaim their place in the Valley. These former valley dwellers were returning with a grudge. The fighting, when it broke out, was guaranteed to be gruesome.

In a three part invasion, General Burgoyne would sweep down from Montreal on his way to Albany, cutting through patriot strongholds, burning Saratoga farmlands. Admiral Lord Howe would depart a conquered Manhattan, cruise up the Hudson River and join Burgoyne. Lastly, St. Leger, by way of Oswego Lake, was to take the Oneida Carry near Fort Stanwix, and proceed down the Mohawk River to Albany. The three forces together would be unstoppable, their troops would crush any and all dissenters. Fighting with them would be four nations of the Haudenosaunee: Mohawk, Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga. This development broke Lelaheo’s heart.

“I fear leaving you and Twainhaven, but I must try to get to the fort. I have word my family went there. Together we will return here and hold this place.” Lelaheo unfolded his mother’s parting gift to him and prepared to dress. Kindred watched him as she nursed Lela. She loved this man and it was reciprocated. They had a child together.

They were wed in every way. To Hell with Miss Adeline Penvenen and her documents! Much more was at stake. This morning before he departed she had to let him know she would stay with him until her dying day. Lela fell back asleep. Kindred put her in the center of the bed and surrounded her with pillows.

“I fear your leaving too,” she sniffed. Our world is coming apart, Leleheo. Your mother was right.” She came to stand beside him as he dried off with a length of linen. “The League will never be the same. Being forced to choose sides has broken it.” She took another square from a nearby chair and began drying his back slowly.

“Kindred, you’ve dried the same spot for the last minute.” At his words she put her mouth to the small of his broad, sculpted back and licked a water drop. “There, I believe you are dry now.” Lelaheo reached an arm behind him and pulled Kindred around to face him. He smoothed her wooly hair from her eyes. His woman. His life. His home. Everything he held dear was in this room and on this land. He hoped it all would still be here even if he did not survive. He took both pieces of damp linen and tossed them aside.

“Wife,” he murmured, pushing her shift from her shoulders and down her body. He grasped her to him and rubbed his body against her. He took her face between his two hands and kissed her moist, parted mouth. They claimed each others lips for what seemed like forever until Kindred broke it off.

“Love, I thought you had to make haste.” She gasped as his sturdy erection prodded her thighs.

“A pox on haste.” He slowly kneaded her breasts and stroked her firm bottom. With each contact his voice grew more husky. “Besides, you initiated this.

“I did, did I not?” She sighed against his solid, bare chest.

He had missed that keening sound she made when he worried the soft flesh of her inner thigh with his teeth. He had forgotten how delicious it felt just to be naked with her in his arms. The exhilaration at seeing their contrasting tones merge when they made love.

“It has always been and will only be you, Lelaheo,” she said, locking her arms around his neck. Kindred was always amazed at how Lelaheo’s flesh responded to her touch. How his muscles rippled and jerked under her hands as she explored him. She had missed the sheer joy of sharing.

“Kindred, I hope the Great Spirit grants us many years together. But I have learned nothing is promised. This could be our last moments together.” He nuzzled and kissed her neck and held onto her for dear life.

“Do not even say that.” She put a finger to his lips. “ Do everything in your power to come back to us. I love you.”

“No matter what happens remember that I love this place, you and Lela,” he said hoarsely, urgently pulling her down to the rug with him.

Chapter Twenty Eight

Kindred woke to find herself back in bed with Lela across her chest. Lelaheo had deposited her sleeping form there, and then had departed with Joshua for Fort Stanwix. She got up and prepared for the day. After dressing them both, she went to the kitchen. She quickly ate cold biscuits and ham before going out to the barn area.

Douglas, Nachman and Rozina were in a precision assembly line making shot for muskets and pistols. Rozina kept watch on the lead bars melting in several little iron pots over fires around them. When ready, the men poured the liquid into prepared shot molds.

“Meke mo’, suh?” asked Rozina.

“Use it all, ’Zina. Never know what may come down the pike,” said Douglas.

“Let me finish up, Gramma.” Kindred handed Lela to Rozina and took her place.

“Kinny, ’yuh come trubble,” Rozina said, indicating Adeline’s approach.

Adeline hurried past the pig pen and the chicken coop with a handkerchief over her nose. The smell was more than she could bear. It was early morning and the air was heavy and thick with bugs. These surroundings confirmed that she was a city girl, London to be precise. She knew London was no sweet-smelling garden, but it was home, and better than this privy with a view.

“I do not know which will succeed in killing me first. The heat or the smell,” she declared to an amused group. Nose wrinkled, she stood holding her silk skirts above some imagined filth. “I have become accustomed to not being served, but I will be damned if I will cook my own meals also! Where is breakfast? And where is my

husband?”

Kindred tossed the pot she was holding to the ground. This selfish bitch demanded food when all the countryside around her was about to explode, she pondered.

Kindred spoke without looking at Adeline. “Lelaheo and Joshua will be gone for several days.”

“He has left us to fend for ourselves?”

“He has gone to Fort Stanwix to find his family. If you could cease admiring yourself in that mirror of yours long enough, you might notice there is a war going on.” Kindred stood up and stretched her back. “As for breakfast, go prepare it yourself, you spoiled cow. We have urgent business to finish here. Familiarize yourself with the

kitchen. Being mistress of Twainhaven requires more than a nice frock and a pretty face.”

Bold with the knowledge about Kindred that she had charmed out of Sebastian, Adeline yelled, “Shut up, slave! I have had enough of your trained monkey airs.”

“Oh no,” said Rozina.

“Did she say what I thought she said?” asked Nachman, moving out of the way.

Stunned, Kindred looked up and squinted at her. “What did you say?”

“Kindred, no,” said Douglas.

“You heard me? Do not tell me you are a deaf slave too?” Adeline picked up a stone by her foot and pitched it at Kindred, hitting her in the chest.

“I have had my fill of you, my prim Tory miss.” Kindred rushed her, hands balled into fists. She pounced on Adeline, pushing her into the baked earth. “Fix breakfast for you, indeed! May I be stricken with plague before I do that.” The two grappled and screamed at each other before Nachman and Douglas could pull them apart.