A Tangled Mercy: A Novel by Jordan-Lake Joy

Author:Jordan-Lake, Joy [Jordan-Lake, Joy]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781477823668
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Published: 2017-11-01T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

2015

Kate leaned with Rose over the photocopied image of “My Tom” at Battery Row and the photocopy she’d made herself of the notation at the bottom of the postwar AME workers list: And also Dinah, a native of Charleston. Stifling a yawn, she flopped back against the settee cushions. “Sorry, Rose. It’s not the subject matter or the company. I just had trouble sleeping last night for wondering about what might have happened. To Tom. And to Dinah. If these are the Tom and the Dinah you and I know. I mean, not know exactly but . . .”

Rose glanced up from the pages. “You can’t be faulted for lack of trying—I will give you that.” Smoothing her skirts, she added, “I hope you were not annoyed with me for giving that sweet and consistently honest contractor of mine Mr. Lambeth your number, sugar.”

“You know, Rose, you add sugar to your speech more often when you want something.”

Rose gave a flip of her delicate hand. “Why, I don’t want a blessed thing.”

“That makes two of us then. Remember, I don’t want any attachments in Charleston.”

Rose raised her chin. “Don’t you think that’s just a wee bit overconfident—to assume Mr. Lambeth’s interest in you? It might very well be he is simply a thoughtful young man. I understand there are one or two of them still left.” Sniffing, she lifted her left wrist with its filigreed watch. “I’ve only a few more moments before my next commitment. Shall we resume reading from the journal?”

“Please.”

Smoothing her linen skirt, Rose began where she’d left off.

My lady’s maid has continued lately in her peculiar distraction. Perhaps it is only her condition and the spring heat well upon us. But then today, things became so much the worse.

Today I’d only just returned from the bookseller’s shop on King when a most horrid clatter sent me racing downstairs, where I found Father standing alone in his study with a pistol, of all things, under one arm.

Dinah stood but a few yards away and seemed . . . I know not what she seemed. Upset by the noise to be sure. I could not help but think that she’d only just come from out of his study.

“To the workhouse. Now!” Father shouted at Dinah. Then, slamming the door so hard it knocked the miniature in the brass frame straight off the wall, he marched out the front door.

I flew after him. How could I not? Dinah’s silence has annoyed me, to be sure, its swings toward anger and even defiance. But the workhouse is a sentence I would never wish on a servant of ours. I tried to stop Father. Let me say only that I was given to understand my efforts were not valued. And that I was to desist. For a moment, in fact, I was certain my father would strike his own daughter.

Do I have any choice now but silence?

I am crushed. I fear what this will mean not only for my lady’s maid, but for the child Dinah carries.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.