The Abolitionist’s Secret (26 page)

“Jericho and I share a special bond. He was my first pupil when I was teaching in the south and he did me a big favor while I was there. My father offered to buy his freedom while we were there, so we brought him north with us, and Papa got him a job with the livery. I needed to talk to him about getting back to his lessons now that he’s settled into his new profession, so this outing was perfectly timed.”

“So you’re planning to teach the Negroes?”

“I’ll teach anyone who has a curiosity about learning, Mr. Morgan. The color of their skin doesn’t bother me.”

“In England, we keep our classes separate,” Blake replied stiffly.

“Which is why, I suppose, you felt the need to come to America in order to advance your station in life?”

“Touché, Miss Fitzpatrick,” Blake smiled over at her. “This is the land of opportunity. How long has it been since your family arrived here?”

“I don’t know exactly. I was born here, and so were my parents. So whatever lot in life my ancestors escaped from happened a long time ago.” She turned her attention away from him and they rode silently until he cleared his throat.

“I appreciate having your family share the pew with me yesterday at church. It’s been extremely difficult for me to be away from my brother and all alone in this big city.” Blake tipped his hat to an acquaintance as they rode by. “Exciting and challenging, but it can be lonely, even in a city of this size.”

Heather sighed softly. “Yes, I know all about being lonely in a crowd. My family is quite large, and even with my twin, sometimes I feel like I’m all alone amidst all that.”

“But surely you don’t feel that way this year, now that your season is underway? I can only imagine the large number of men who come to call on you every day.”

Heather glanced over at Blake and smiled. “Are you fishing for information, Mr. Morgan? My mother would be scandalized at the course of this conversation. Always one for proper etiquette, she would say that the only way you would be entitled to know what men come calling for me is if you have declared an interest. Otherwise, it is none of your business.”

“Your mother is a wise woman, indeed, Miss Fitzpatrick. I don’t mean to pry, or to overstep my bounds. But I would like to know that you are taking my attentions seriously, and that I do stand a chance with you. It is my most fervent wish to make an appearance in your family pew every Sunday from now on.”

“Believe me, sir, I am taking your pursuit quite seriously. I see how you behave around Amanda and Jasmine, as well as with me. Can you even discern the vast differences between the three of us women? I don’t think it matters much to you. It seems you’d be happy with any one of us.”

Blake placed his hand on his heart, but smiled to soften his tone. “Your words sting, Miss Fitzpatrick. It is only natural, is it not, that I examine all the women who are available before I select the best? How else does one compare?”

“Ahh, that’s just it. If I were truly the one for you, you would have no need to compare. You would just know.”

“You speak as though you have some experience in these matters.”

Heather hesitated. “Perhaps.” She decided to let Blake find out about her background on his own, if he cared to investigate, although she doubted he would trouble himself.

They continued their ride in silence, occasionally waving to acquaintances in the sparse crowd along the path in the park. After several minutes, Blake pulled his horse to a stop and Heather had no choice but to halt her horse as well.

“Why don’t we take a break for a couple of minutes? Let’s sit here and watch everyone else ride by.” Blake jumped off his horse’s back, and holding the reins, he lifted a hand to help Heather down from her horse.

She looked up from Blake to the place where he wanted them to stop and rest. It was the same gazebo in front of Hangman’s Elm where David had a lunch spread out for them, and where he first kissed her! She had no desire to share that same gazebo with Blake and attempt to erase the memories of David only to create new ones with him. And she had no desire to allow David to intrude upon her day.

Her mouth quirked up on one side.

“I’m not the least bit tired, Mr. Morgan. In fact, I think we should give our horses more exercise than walking them through the park. I’ll race you to the clock tower.”

As she watched his mouth open in surprise, she laughed and kicked her horse into a trot, then began to move faster. She weaved around the slower moving horses and their riders, and didn’t bother to look back to see if Blake was following. She knew he would be. Her hat blew off and the wind whipped the pins from her hair. She exulted in the wind teasing her hair and her heart galloped at the same pace as her horse’s hooves. She was alive for the first time since she had returned to New York.

All too soon, the clock tower came into her sights. Sighing softly, she pulled on the reins of her horse, slowing it to a walk as she arrived at her destination. She dismounted, and walked her horse to cool him off as she waited for Blake to come into view.

He arrived several minutes later, trotting his horse along the path. As he vaulted from his horse’s back, he joined her and they walked their horses side by side.

“You continue to surprise me, Miss Fitzpatrick. Just when I think I have you figured out, you present another side of yourself.”

“I just wanted to have some fun, Mr. Morgan. I feel as though I haven’t had a minute of enjoyment since this season began. I’m sorry if I placed you at a disadvantage by waiting until you were dismounted to throw down the challenge, but it was so exhilarating!”

Blake threw his head back and laughed. “You must give me fair notice next time, so it will be a true race. Shall we go back the way we came and see if we can retrieve your riding hat, Miss Fitzpatrick?”

Heather took a deep breath and ran her hands through her hair.

“Oh, I must look a fright.”

“Quite the contrary, my dear. I’ve just seen another, more sparkling, side of your personality, and I’m now trying to figure out how many layers there are to you. You’re a puzzle, and I’m more than willing to spend more time trying to fit your pieces together. You are a most intriguing woman.”

“As long as you promise we can have fun,” Heather said as she remounted for the ride home. Her mother was right — Blake Morgan was a most handsome man with a lovely cultured accent. And it had been a long time since she had enjoyed herself. She was willing to take the long way home.

• • •

Heather, Jasmine, and Amanda were lounging in Jasmine’s room, playing a game of whist and discussing the events coming up in the next few weeks before the summer exodus from the city. Soon, everyone who was anyone would head out to the Hamptons for the Independence Day celebration in an attempt to escape from the oppressive summer heat.

But before the Hamptons, there were two theatrical productions, a masquerade ball, and a musical to get through. And that was just the scheduled events. Such outings as rides in the park, teas and private dinners, or carriage rides through the city were additional items on the list. Heather and Amanda compared invitations to make sure they attended the same events, and made notations on their calendars between now and the first weekend in July. Jasmine sighed dramatically as she glanced enviously at the two of them.

“Damnation, I wish this year was over with. Or I wish I was out of this cast and able to stand on my own again.”

“It won’t be too much longer, Jas. According to the doctor yesterday, he will be cutting your cast off in just a bit longer, and you’ll be able to begin your therapy to get the full use of your ankle and foot back.”

Jasmine threw a dark glance at her sister. “I seriously doubt I’ll be dancing my feet off in the Hamptons this year, even if the cast is off by then. No, I’ll look like an old, tottering lady with a limp. No one will want to dance with me, least of all someone as stylish and handsome as Blake Morgan.”

“Ooh, yes, Blake Morgan,” Amanda said dreamily.

“Speaking of Blake Morgan — we went riding yesterday, in the park.”

“You did not!” Both Jasmine and Amanda countered at the same time.

“Yes we did. It was a lot of fun. We raced each other, and I lost my riding hat and all the pins from my hair. I haven’t felt so good in a long time.”

Jasmine hit a pillow. “So I suppose this means Mr. Morgan has declared his interest?”

“Well, not officially, but I had his interest yesterday, that much is certain,” Heather answered with pride in her voice as she glanced at the two ladies.

“This is so unfair,” Jasmine wailed. “First, it’s David and now Blake. You are not supposed to have more than one man per season. Blake Morgan should be mine!”

“And how many men would you have had by now, if you hadn’t broken your ankle? Remember, dear sister, it was your own mischief that put you into this predicament.”

Jasmine shot her sister another dark look. “That is irrelevant, since I have not been able to have any fun or to entice a man to pay me attention this year. And don’t deny your part in my misfortune. I’m just saying that it’s not fair.”

“Well, fair or not, that’s the way it is. I’m beginning to think Blake Morgan will do quite nicely.” Heather jumped up from her chair and walked across the room, allowing herself to preen in the mirror as she watched the faces of the two women who were closest to her.

“But what of David?” Amanda asked quietly.

Heather stopped fussing with her hair and turned to face the women. “David is no longer a part of my life. He belongs to a culture that I’ll never understand, but it’s where he belongs. So I must forge ahead. I’m not looking for a husband right now, only someone with whom to have a good time. If Blake Morgan fulfills that mission for the rest of the summer, it may evolve into marriage. But right now, I’m just content to be happy.”

“But we want to be happy, too,” Amanda countered with a frown. “Jas is right. It doesn’t seem fair that you get two men this season and we get none. Maybe Jasmine has to wait until next year to have a season full of men, but I’m here right now, going through the season with you, Heather, and I demand that you turn Blake over to me!” Laughing, Amanda threw a pillow at Heather.

Heather tossed the pillow back to Amanda. “Feel free to try and pry Mr. Morgan from my side, Amanda. I’ll fight you for his attentions.”

“What prompted this change in your outlook? Last week, you didn’t care to even talk to the man.”

“Last week was last week. This is now. I’ve decided to lift the veil of melancholy that I have surrounded myself with since coming back from Savannah, and truly enjoy life again. I grew weary of myself, and I’m sure you two have, too. David is part of my past and I will not waste any more time thinking about him, or talking about him. We must take a vow right now to never speak his name again.” Heather plopped down in the chair again beside Jasmine, and nodded her head emphatically.

Amanda and Jasmine exchanged a look, and then glanced at Heather. “I’ll be,” Jasmine finally said. “I think she’s serious, Amanda. Blake Morgan has just been taken off the market.”

• • •

If Blake Morgan’s accompaniment of Heather to the musical during the week caused speculation, his appearance in the Fitzpatrick family pew on a third consecutive Sunday raised a collective eyebrow. Heather had a sparkle in her eyes and laughed often when at his side. Perhaps all the scandal sheet reports about her falling in love with a slave owner was mere gossip after all. Blake’s appearance with the Fitzpatrick family certainly created a low buzz of excitement among the parishioners as they turned their heads to get a look at the new couple.

Jasmine had accompanied the family to the service as well this particular morning. Out of her cast at long last, she now seemed to be the woman around whom the men were swirling. Heather was quite content to stay in the background with Blake by her side and let Jasmine have her moment in the spotlight. As one young eligible man after another bowed before Jasmine and exchanged pleasantries with the family, Heather sighed contently. Perhaps Jasmine could yet succeed in her mission to find a husband this year.

Heather spent the past week setting up her school, in the basement of a church near Blake’s haberdashery. Jericho arrived every afternoon, after the horses in the livery were taken care of, to continue his studies. And the announcement of her school in the window of the church had generated some excitement as the staff of the wealthy homeowners in this part of town did their shopping. She now had one nanny and a maid as students, with hopes for more next week. She had thought carefully about how her school should operate, and decided the best time for her to be open was in the late afternoon and evening, when her students would be free from their chores. Blake had appeared each night to take her to dinner and then walked her safely to her home. She had come to expect his kisses each evening as he left her at the door to her home.

They had settled into a pleasant routine. Blake’s shop was doing well, as more men adopted the silk top hat in place of the warm beaver hats that had been the rage for years. Especially as the hottest months of summer approached, the new silk top hat was achieving wide success. He shared with Heather his vision of expanding the shop into the selling of ladies’ wear as well, since his brother in England had access to bolts upon bolts of the finest silk fabrics. It did make sense, and Heather was sure Blake could present his idea to her father at the bank and procure a loan for his project. Yes, things were going well. She did not think herself out of line at all to expect his offer for her hand to come soon.

Heather brought her thoughts back to the present as she watched Jasmine use her limp as an excuse to hang on to the most attractive man who was near her. She smiled. The gentleman didn’t seem to mind at all. In fact, she listened as he offered to take Jasmine walking in the park the next day, to help build up her muscles, of course. Heather got a small grin on her face as Jasmine feigned surprise at the offer and then graciously accepted. Heather was glad her place next to Blake was secure, and she didn’t need to compete with Jasmine for anyone’s affections.