The 15th Star (A Lisa Grace History - Mystery) (8 page)

“
You were taken?” Louisa looked shocked.

“
Yes,” Grace said, “All the young-uns were taken from their Mam’s to work in the fields. We was the best height for picking.” Grace noticed she let her English slip to sound dumb, but it was smart to talk ignorant until she had an idea of what Mrs. Louisa wanted from her. She did not want to be beat for being uppity.

“
I am sorry.”

“
That’s the way it was, nothing to be sorry about.”

“
How did you come to be in the employment of Mrs. Pickersgill?”

“
When I was seven, the Missus at the big house took me in, cleaned me up, and had me work on the sewing. And when I come to Baltimore, I hear Missus Pickersgill might have needs of a girl like me. I been with her ever since.” Grace looked shyly at Mrs. Louisa’s fine day dress. “I used to work on dresses nice as yours, but I like working on the flags an the colors for the ships. The captains of the ships are happy with nice flat seams and you don’t have to worry about the rope changing sizes the way some ladies do.”

Louisa looked at Grace blankly for a second, realized she had cracked a joke, and then they both laughed at the same time.

Louisa kept asking question after question about her life before Mrs. Pickersgill. Grace had a feeling that Louisa knew she must have run, but she was too polite to come out and ask outright. Grace also left out the parts, the bad parts, about Mr. Copper and the fire. She was afraid that Mrs. Louisa wouldn’t be as friendly or worse, even blame her and think she was a bad person. She really wanted Mrs. Louisa’s friendship. She’d never had a friend before and she may never have one again.

Ma
’am Pickersgill and her Mam, Missus Rebecca, and Ma’am’s daughter, Caroline, didn’t count. After all, Grace was indentured to them, and a true friendship would mean the freedom to be friends. She had no choice but to get along and do as they said. Mrs. Bethany and her got along, but neither of them was talkative.

But Mrs. Louisa was different. She wasn
’t bossing her, just treating her like a guest, except for asking Grace to pour the coffee for them both. She’d never had a white woman just sit and talk to her for fun. For Grace it was real and perfect, just like her daydreams.

“
I asked George to come and get us when they’re ready to put the flag up. I want you to see what all your hard work went into. Why Grace, you’re a part of history, a proud part of this country. When we go to battle, when my dear George goes to battle, I will feel better knowing your flag, waving high in the sky, puts my man, all our men, closer to the Lord’s sight. Please pray for him and the men, for our safety and our nation’s. Will you do that for me Grace—as a friend?”

Grace teared up. She could see that Louisa was terrified for husband.

“Oh I’ll pray, for you Mrs. Louisa, I will pray for you.” Grace had never seen a woman who loved a man so much. Major George must be a good man to inspire such devotion. Grace could never imagine loving a man. They’d only ever brought her pain and humiliation.

“
Do you have someone special, Grace, a beau?”

“
No, I don’t want no man. I’m happy with myself.”

“
But don’t you want children, a husband?”

How could Grace explain that having children would mean having a man? Something that was a nightmare. Having a man who loved her was something she could never imagine. Men and toads were the same. Horrible, smelly, loud, demanding things. The thought of a man pressed against her like Mr. Copper was, with the toads and cicaydas so loud with their croaking and buzzing, was enough to make her sick. To Grace that was the music of physical love, nothing to want, something to endure.

“No Ma’am, I want to work, earn my freedom, an learn to read an write. That be enough to keep me happy.”

“
How much can you read and write?”

“
Nones at all.”

Grace sat and watched Miss Louisa, waiting patiently for the next question. She couldn
’t imagine what Mrs. Louisa was thinking. Maybe she was horrified that she was talking to someone who couldn’t read or write. Maybe Mrs. Louisa finally realized what poor company Grace was for her. Maybe she would be dismissed and sent back to her dark little room.

“
Well, let us start now.” Missus Louisa got up and went over to a large trunk at the base of the bunks. She took out a box of fine writing paper, a quill pen, and ink.

“
Sit at the table, Grace.”

Grace looked around for a cloth to wipe the table as it was still dusted with flour from the dough Miss Maggie had rolled out. The dough was rising in a bread tin with a towel placed over it. The yeast slowly made the bread rise and take shape. It was almost ready for baking. Grace used the edge of her apron and scooped the loose flour into the palm of her hand. She walked to the fire and let the loose flour fall into the flames and watched it float down and disappear without a sound.

“Here, these are for you to keep,” Mrs. Louisa said, setting the paper, inkwell, and pen on the table. Mrs. Louisa went back and got some envelopes and wrote on the center of three of them, “This will get you started. The first thing you are going to learn tonight is the alphabet. It is all the letters that make up words. When I get home I will send you a packet of things. Maybe a basic reader book and paper and envelopes. You’ll need a slate and chalk for practicing your letters and words. And ink for when you write me letters. All I ask is that you write to me. Will you do that?” She smiled.

Grace was in shock again. Someone who was willing to help her learn to read and write, an answered prayer.
“Yes, Missus Louisa.”

An hour later, while Grace was busy tracing letters, Miss Maggie came back.

“I persevered girls, I persevered. Fresh ground coffee the cook had been saving for the General, and carrots and peas with some dried beef. We will eat like queens tonight, like queens.”

Miss Maggie went whistling and preparing to cook dinner over the fire. Grace was happy to listen to Miss Maggie and Mrs. Louisa chatting away. She had never known such happiness. Somewhere in her heart she knew it was too good to last.

***

An hour later, when the pot of stew was just starting to come to a simmer, the Major knocked on the door.

Mrs. Louisa threw herself into her husband’s arms scarcely before he even had a chance to take a step inside.

“
Now Louisa, I know a flag raising is an exhilarating event, but you will just have to contain your excitement.” He teased her.

“
I missed you and I do not care who knows it.”

“
Well, I’d appreciate a little decorum in front of the men as I must lead them into battle, not love.”

“
I know, but it is only us women here and we will not tell.”

“
Ladies.” The Major held out an arm for Louisa and gestured for Miss Maggie and Grace to follow with the other.

Miss Maggie spoke up from where she stood stirring the stew,
“Well, don’t mind me. I’m busy with dinner. We’ll eat at seven sharp. You seen one flag raising, you seen them all. Will you join us for dinner, Major?”

“
Certainly, Miss Maggie. I wouldn’t miss your good cooking for the world. I’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the army’s cooking for the rest of the duration.”

They headed out the door and took a series of twists and turns through narrow hallways. They passed small rooms with chest-high openings and holes in the walls just wide enough for a gun to poke through, similar to the openings on the ships at the docks where the cannons stuck through. Grace was turned all around by the time they came to a large open courtyard near the front of the fort. There was a pole high up on the parapet that looked like it went a mile into the sky to Grace.

It was then Grace realized the company of men standing at attention had been waiting on the Major’s arrival. At a nod from the Major another man barked out an order and a soldier began a drum roll. A company of six men took the flag in gloved hands and walked it up the stairs to the parapet. When they reached the top, they proceeded to unfold the flag with precision. One of the men worked at securing the flag to the rope on the pole. Grace could see how thick the rope was even from such a distance away. It brought back memories of all the work her, Ma’am, Rebecca, Caroline, and the nieces had put into the flag. Every stitch hand sewn and flat-seamed which took more work and twice the stitches.

She felt pride in her accomplishment for the first time in her life, and realized she was watching her history. This was a good time, something she wanted to hold in her memory forever, these perfect minutes of her life. A tear came to her eye and she quickly wiped it away.

Now she was honored Ma’am had sent her to see this. It
was
a blessing. The soldier tied the last knot to hold the flag to the rope. The drum roll ceased. Another command was given and the flag was raised. It was huge. Forty-two feet long, thirty feet high, “as tall as a four-story building,” Mam had told her when they were sitting and sewing.

Louisa said,
“Oh Grace, I had no idea.” The awe in Louisa’s voice brought another tear to Grace’s eye. It’s true. She had worked hard on that flag, just as much if not more than the other women.

When the flag, all four stories of it, reached the top of the pole, another order was shouted out. Two men worked at tying it in place as the other two held the rope steady.

When the soldiers were done, they stepped back and another command was given. All the men below, including the Major, saluted the flag. The sharp cracking flapping noise the flag made in the wind was like nothing Grace had heard before. The flags she made for ships were smaller and while they rippled and smacked in the wind, the noise they made was nothing like this, she thought. A constant thrumming like a huge angel’s wing.

Louisa looked at Grace,
“Thank you. God in heaven will surely remember our men when he sees what your hands have wrought. Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me.”

Another shout was given and the men snapped back into their formation ready to march. A small band consisting of a flute, piccolo, drum, and bugle struck up a song Grace had heard before, but had no idea what its name was.

As the flag escort marched off, the rest of the troops were put at ease and went back to their business. A man wearing a uniform nicely stitched with highly polished brass buttons signifying some type of high rank approached the Major, Louisa, and Grace.

“
Major Armistead, I see you have other interests to occupy your time while waiting on the completion of your battlements of defense.”

Grace did not like how this man looked at her or Mrs. Louisa.

“Major Rivers, this is my wife, Louisa, and Miss Grace Wisher. Miss Wisher is in the employ of Mary Pickersgill. She’s been sent to see the flag was to our satisfaction.” Grace dropped a quick curtsey as Mrs. Louisa just inclined her head.

“
Will you be staying on at the fort, Major?” Louisa asked.

“
No. No, my contingent and I will be leaving in the morning. We were just delivering armaments and gunpowder for the siege ahead. We will be leaving for another load to keep stocking the fort until the battle starts. I wasn’t as lucky as the Major to draw a commission with a roof over my head every night.” Major Rivers chuckled, but there was no mirth in it. The jealousy he felt for Major Armistead was palpable and Grace was glad he wasn’t staying, for Mrs. Louisa’s sake.

“
Well Major, the faster you can move your troops, the more trips you make, the safer the men here will be. I would say our country is showing a great deal of faith in you and I know it is not misplaced,” Louisa said.

“
My dear, Major Rivers has friends in very high places and he is a rising star—on the
political
track. He holds the defense of our country in his capable and willing hands,” Major Armistead answered his wife.

Grace could tell it was a back-handed compliment.

Major Rivers smiled back at Louisa, “Oh yes, There are those who sign the treaties and those,” he looked at Major Armistead, “who defend them.”

“
Well we must be getting back to our quarters, Mr. Rivers. It was a pleasure meeting you.”

“
Major,” Major Armistead said.

Mrs. Louisa nodded and Grace curtsied and followed. As they walked away, Grace looked back and up at the flag again. When her eyes traveled back down she saw Mr. Rivers looking at her in that bad way. She shivered and turned around to catch up to the Major and Louisa before she became hopelessly lost in the maze of the fort
’s corridors.

***

The ladies had another two hours to occupy themselves before dinner would be ready.

“
Grace, do you know how to count?” Mrs. Louisa asked.

“
Yes, Mrs. Louisa,” Grace nodded.

Grace knew from listening in on the lessons taught to the Ma
’am’s daughter on the plantation, then from counting her stitches, and from saving her money to buy her freedom.