Mockingbird's Call (6 page)

The thought was swept away when he saw the person Benjamin was talking to. It was Amelia, his Amelia, the girl who'd captured his imagination and appeared in his dreams with regularity. The girl who'd intrigued him from the first moment he saw her. She was standing at the very center of the group, which he now realized consisted only of young men. These men were acting like idiots, vying for her attention, offering her outrageous compliments, and begging her to dance with them.

Benjamin elbowed his way past a few of them. “I'm afraid I must claim precedence.” He bowed over her hand. “It's nice to see you again, Cousin Amelia.”

Several of her admirers groaned, and one of them complained loudly that Benjamin was not giving the rest of them a sporting chance.

Her laughing blue eyes made Jared catch his breath. She was adorable. It was no wonder all the young men crowded around her. Even now, he could see a blush of innocence cresting her cheeks. She turned to the young man who had complained. “I am sorry, sir.” Her voice held a note of sincerity. “You and your friends have been very kind, but I must give precedence to my family.”

“May I call on you tomorrow morning?” The young man's disappointment of a moment ago seemed to have disappeared. “I have a nice carriage. Perhaps I can take you for a ride in the park.”

“I appreciate your kindness, Mr. Castlewhite, but I already have another commitment.”

A chorus of groans came from the others standing near her, but before they could begin to importune the young lady, Benjamin put her hand on his arm and pulled her away.

“I have a very special friend I'd like you to meet, cousin.” He pulled her toward Jared. “Jared Stuart, please meet my cousin, Amelia Montgomery.”

“It's you.” Her eyes, so deep, so mysterious, shone in the light of the candles. “I never got to say good-bye.”

“You two know each other?” Benjamin's shocked gaze met Jared's sheepish one. “Have you been keeping secrets from me?”

“We rode the train together, but we were never properly introduced.” Jared raised his spectacles to the bridge of his nose. “Luke Talbot made sure of that.”

Benjamin's laughter turned heads in the room. “So that is the reason for—”

“Did you finish
A Tale of Two Cities
?” Jared interrupted Benjamin.

“Yes. I found it very thought provoking.”

“Oh no. Spare me.” Benjamin looked from one to the other. He rolled his eyes. “Please tell me you are not as bookish as Jared.”

“I hesitate to disappoint you, cousin.” She answered Benjamin's question, but Jared could feel her gaze on him. “I must confess that Mr. Stuart and I share a love of Charles Dickens.”

Jared felt as invincible as a conqueror. “If you're not going to dance with Miss Montgomery, perhaps you will allowme to?”

Amelia glanced at her cousin, a question in her gaze. Benjamin's lips curled slightly. “It doesn't look like I have much choice.” He bowed and left them standing on the edge of the ballroom floor.

Jared was finally thankful for the dancing lessons his parents had insisted on. He could partner Miss Montgomery without fear of appearing gauche. He placed one hand at her waist and held out the other for her to grasp before sweeping her into the midst of the other dancers. The feeling of holding her close was heady, but it also caused him to lose the ability to converse. He could feel tension tightening his shoulders as he searched his empty mind for something to say to her. Should he compliment her gracefulness on the dance floor? Or her pretty dress?

“Have you found time to read Mr. Dickens's book, Mr. Stuart?”

“Yes, it was one of my first purchases when I reached Knoxville.” Jared felt his tension easing. He could discuss books all day long. “Tell me, were you as horrified as I by the marquis' brutal treatment of those in his power?”

“Yes.” Amelia shuddered. “I was not at all disappointed by his demise.”

They spent the rest of the waltz discussing the themes of sacrifice and justice explored by Charles Dickens in his novels. So lost was he in their discussion that Jared was surprised when the orchestra stopped playing. He escorted her from the floor, reluctant to give her over to one of her other admirers.

“Good evening, Miss Montgomery.”

The deep voice brought Jared's head up. He nearly groaned as he recognized Luke Talbot. He should have known the man would be here.

Talbot's dark eyes were fixed on Amelia. Jared doubted the man had even noticed him. “It's such a pleasure to see you tonight, Amelia.”

“Hello, Luke. I'm glad you were able to come.” She took her hand from Jared's arm and held it out to Talbot. “You remember Mr. Stuart, whom we met on the train.”

“Ah, if it's not the midnight wanderer.” Luke's voice was full of mockery. “Where is your nefarious partner?”

Jared could feel heat rising to his cheeks. His ears grew so hot he thought steam might be rising from them. “Mr. Talbot.”

Amelia's brow wrinkled. “Must you talk in riddles, Luke?”

“I'm referring to a small matter that occurred at the college last week.” Luke's confident smile was turned to Amelia. “It's nothing to concern your pretty head about.”

Somehow, Luke had managed to once again place himself between Jared and Amelia. Jared watched helplessly as the self-assured man skillfully drew her away from those who were vying for her attention and led her to a corner of the ballroom next to a large plant.

The next hour passed slowly. Jared partnered several young women, but they all seemed shallow and grasping in contrast to Amelia. He was relieved when Mr. Montgomery sent the orchestra on a break and announced it was time for his niece to receive her special birthday gift.

It took two servants to bring in the tall, sheet-draped gift. They put their burden on the floor at Amelia's feet.

She tugged the covering off to reveal a gilded birdcage hung from an ornate stand. A small tree had been wound around the bars of the cage on one side, its branches providing a perch for the small, black-tailed, gray bird inside.

“It's a mockingbird,” explained Amelia's aunt. “We thought you would enjoy hearing its songs. It is quite the mimic, you know, and should fill your room with the most delightful sounds.”

Jared watched Amelia's expression as she cooed to the frightened bird. Did she feel as sad as he did to see the poor thing trapped in a cage? She seemed satisfied with the gift. But maybe she was only being polite. He knew politeness was bred in young ladies from an early age. Amelia would never be ungracious about a gift.

Yes, he nodded to himself. That must be the explanation. A wonderful idea came to him. He would come to visit her tomorrow and offer to set the poor bird free for her. Together they could come up with an acceptable excuse to appease her aunt and uncle. He would ask her tonight about visiting and perhaps even hint at his plan. He would have to be careful, but Jared felt he could summon the requisite amount of delicacy and depend on Amelia's astuteness to grasp his intent.

Six

Amelia laughed, but the sound seemed brittle to her ears. The brightest spot in her evening had been meeting Jared Stuart once again. He was such a fascinating young man. She would like to know him better and wondered if he would come by to visit. Probably not. University students did not have much free time.

But even meeting the interesting Mr. Stuart could not completely turn her mind from the drama occurring in her relatives' stable. She was worried about Tabitha and wondered if she could escape the party for a few minutes to check on her. But the orchestra was still playing, and she still had to dance with one callow boy after another.

Her current partner, Reginald something or other, reeked of pomade and citrus cologne. He had the beginnings of a mustache that unfortunately emphasized his overlong nose and did nothing to hide a mouthful of crooked teeth. He had asked her about the weather and was currently going into great detail about winter and his hopes for an early spring planting.

She wanted to pull away from the poor fellow and escape, especially when she saw Luke Talbot taking his leave of her aunt and uncle. She would have liked to spend more time with him and find out what he'd meant by calling Jared Stuart a midnight wanderer. But it looked as if even that would be denied her. As Reginald pulled her around the floor, she saw Luke's tall form exiting the ballroom. Finally, the dance came to an end, and she escaped her partner.

Aunt Laura was showing off Amelia's birthday gift to a couple of matrons while Uncle Francis bid good night to an older couple. A red-haired young man bearing down on her position at the edge of the dance floor had Amelia turning away quickly. She pretended to trip and faked a groan. She told the approaching suitor she had to repair her dress and hurried to the nearest exit, proud of her quick thinking.

The narrow hall leading to the back door was cool and quiet. The crisp air felt good for a few minutes in contrast to the overheated ballroom, but as she reached to open the door, Amelia wished she'd brought her shawl with her. It was lying across the back of a chair in the ballroom, so she would have to do without it.

The back door opened and Amelia caught her breath, releasing it all at once when she recognized Tabitha's high cheekbones and simple hairstyle.

“What are you doing here?” Tabitha glanced over her shoulder before stepping into the hallway and closing the door. “You need to get back to your birthday party. Someone will come looking for you.”

“I thought you might need help. How are they?”

“Scared, as you can imagine. But safe for the moment.” Tabitha looked down at her apron, and Amelia realized it was streaked with dirt and blood.

“Are you hurt?” Amelia looked for signs of a wound.

Tabitha shook her head. “I had to bandage the child.”

“Was there a bullet? Did you get it out?” Amelia fired the questions out in quick succession. “Was anyone else hurt?”

Tabitha's smile showed her weariness. “Yes, no, and no.”

“You didn't remove the bullet?”

“It went straight through the little boy's arm.” She sighed. “It broke a bone on the way.”

Amelia winced.

“I've seen worse back home during the harvest.” Tabitha's voice sounded weary.

Amelia knew it was true. Accidents and sickness occurred, even on a plantation that was as progressively run as Papa's. She and Mama had spent many an afternoon patching up machete injuries and setting broken bones. But they'd never had to deal with a bullet wound. Mama had showed her how to treat such wounds this summer after Tennessee seceded from the Union. Who knew when the need to treat bullet wounds might arise? Mama believed it was their duty to be prepared for such an eventuality.

“Infection is the biggest danger then.” Amelia took Tabitha's hand in her own and squeezed. “I know you did a good job, but I'd like to see the child for myself.”

The back door opened again, and the cook and some of the staff filed in one by one. Amelia registered their surprise and fear at her presence.

Tabitha took a few minutes to reassure them before leading Amelia to the stable out back.

The wooden structure was dark and quiet since Uncle Francis had hired a public livery stable down the street for the guests' horses. Amelia stood still for a moment, waiting for her eyes to adapt to the darkness. The night air seemed to absorb sounds and made Amelia feel miles away from the music and dancing of the birthday ball.

Tabitha pursed her lips and whistled, moving her mouth and tongue so that the sound imitated the call of a bird. Another bird warbled some feet ahead of where they stood.

“It's Tabitha. I have a friend with me.”

The darkness near the stable door seemed to thicken and became a short, stocky man whom Amelia recognized as the Montgomerys' senior coachman. He waved them inside the stable. Not a word was spoken as he led them to the rear of the building and opened the door of the room used to store saddles and bridles. A kerosene lantern flickered in the corner of the tiny room, highlighting the frightened, dark faces of half-a-dozen occupants.

A muscular man pushed himself from the floor and stood to face Amelia and Tabitha. “What are you doing here?”

His smooth, dark skin stretched across high cheekbones, and intelligence shone from his coffee-brown eyes. His dark clothing looked tattered, but he held himself with all the self-assurance of a prince—chin up, shoulders straight, and legs wide. He crossed his arms across his broad chest and stared at her.

Tabitha bit her lip and looked toward Amelia. “This is Melek, Cook's son. Melek, this is Amelia. She's a friend who knows medicine. She's come to look at Nebo's arm.”

“You trust her?” Melek's voice was deep and full of suspicion.

Amelia understood his doubt. Someone who accepted strangers easily would soon be caught by bounty hunters and sold back into slavery or hung for treason. She stepped forward. “I would never betray you or those you are trying to help.” She lifted her chin and refused to back down as Melek glared at her. Her heart thumped so hard she thought the people in the room might be able to hear it. What was she doing here? She could be inside dancing the night away instead of standing in a dark barn confronting an angry man. Yet something compelled her to her present actions.

No one spoke for a moment, and the tension built. But then one small sound changed everything. A quiet moan.

Amelia remembered why she had come. She followed the sound to a mound of what she'd taken to be rags. This must be the child.

“Nebo.” She whispered the word and was rewarded when a dark head raised up from the ragged coverings.

The other people in the room faded as she knelt next to the young boy and checked his arm, then placed a hand on his hot forehead. “You're a very brave boy.”

Amelia pushed herself up from the floor and faced the cook's son. “I have some willow bark in my room. I can send it down to your mother to make a tea for the child. It should bring him some ease and may reduce his fever.”

He inclined his head slightly. “Thank you.”

She nodded to the others in the room. “Do you need anything else?”

“Only that you will not speak of our presence here.”

She straightened her shoulders and stared directly into his eyes. “I would never do such a thing.”

“I hope your words are true, not the changing songs of the mockingbird.”

A laugh broke out as she thought of the gift she had received for her birthday. “Your secret is safe with me.”

❧

A blush heated Amelia's cheeks as she hurried down the hall to a mirror to check her appearance before returning to the ballroom. She groaned at the bedraggled woman who stared back at her.

Tabitha had fixed rosebuds in her hair earlier this evening, but they had slipped toward her right ear. She poked and prodded at the silly things until they once again perched across the center part in her hair. Pulling a pin from another part of her head, she affixed the flowers and nodded briefly. She opened her fan and waved it in front of her hot cheeks. It wouldn't do to return to the guests flushed.

Amelia glanced downward and groaned. Her skirt was a mess. She smoothed it as much as possible without help and picked off a couple of strands of straw that had clung to the material when she knelt to care for poor little Nebo. Amelia would have liked to escape upstairs, change clothes, and go back to the stable to watch over the child. But that option was out of the question. She squared her shoulders and practiced a smile before turning from the mirror.

The orchestra was taking a break, so the people in the ballroom were standing in small groups talking as she made her entrance. She glanced around to find Jared, eager to resume their conversation about Mr. Dickens and his novels.

“Where have you been, cousin?” Benjamin's deep voice tickled her ear.

Amelia jumped slightly. She'd not realized anyone was behind her. She spun around and opened her fan, waving it briskly in front of her face. “I had a slight tear in my flounce.” The lie slipped easily between her lips and guilt made her heart beat faster. She hadn't had much practice at telling untruths. “It took me awhile to get it mended.”

Benjamin nodded. He spread a hand to indicate the ballroom. “It seems your ardent swains have given up, and I must say I'm relieved. This is the first time I've gotten to talk to you without being elbowed by a dozen eager suitors.”

“Your mother and father have been very kind to introduce me to their friends.” Amelia glanced around the room, hoping to find Jared Stuart, but she could not spot his slender figure. “I'm sure everyone was being kind to me because I'm a newcomer.”

Her cousin raised an eyebrow and started talking about her taking the town by storm, but Amelia didn't pay him much attention. She wasn't interested in making a splash in Knoxville society.

Where had Jared gone? Had he left for the evening? Disappointment pulled her lips down, but then she straightened her spine. She would not allow the absence of one guest to disturb her. She had more important things to worry about. Like how little Nebo was doing. Amelia could hardly wait for the party to end so she could return to check on the child.

Momentary regret for her involvement with the Underground Railroad was pushed to the back of her mind. What choice did she have? She would never be able to live with herself if she didn't do what she could to make the slaves' flight successful.

Even as she smiled at her cousin and pretended to be flattered by his compliments, part of her mind made a list of necessities to smuggle to the hidden refugees.