The General's Cook by Ramin Ganeshram

Author:Ramin Ganeshram
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Published: 2018-10-29T16:00:00+00:00

It had been three days since Hercules had first walked with Nate to the shed across from the Chews’ house and he had faithfully shown up every day just after the noon hour. He’d leaned on the shed for a few minutes so that she might see him, but she hadn’t come out.

Today, he had slipped out again after the luncheon was served. He walked slowly around the square and down the Chews’ street, forcing himself to hunch a bit to be less noticeable. He didn’t want the drivers sitting on the carriages that lined the road in front of the house to mark his presence. The Chews must be receiving callers today.

When he was about halfway up the block, Hercules saw Thelma step out onto the stair and he breathed a sigh of relief. He began to speed up but then slowed again as a man emerged and offered her his arm. Hercules cursed under his breath.

She looked quickly down the street, spotting him, and met his eyes before turning toward her companion.

“Have you seen this little building here, Captain Grayson?” she said, loudly, her voice carrying across the road toward Hercules as she dragged him across the path.

The man looked at her uncertainly. What possible interest could there be in a falling-down shed?

“I have …” he said.

“It is so odd, is it not? What is it for?” she kept chattering.

“I imagine it is …” he began.

Thelma did not let him finish but continued to walk quickly now that she was on the same side of the street as Hercules, who started to move slowly toward them, staring at the trees and the buildings as if he were confused.

“I might sketch it, perhaps,” she continued, talking more loudly now.

“Are you quite all right, Miss Blondelle?” Grayson said, attempting to slow down. “Perhaps the heat—?”

“Heat?” Now she laughed, loud and shrill. “Non, monsieur! On my island it is always far hotter than this.”

Grayson’s pale—almost white—eyebrows knit together, perplexed. “What island, Miss Blondelle?”

Hercules’s heart stopped. She had made a fatal error. He dared not look at her as he heard the panic in her shrill voice, but instead, she took the offensive. “Island? I did not say island.”

She pressed on. They were close enough now that surely he would be able to say something quickly before the man intervened. He looked around as if he were lost.

Now they were quite close and Hercules scratched his head as if puzzled.

“’Scuse me, suh,” said Hercules in his best imitation of a country pickaninny. “I’se lookin’ fer Gilbert Stuart’s place? I got to deliver a message from my master but I can’t find it.” He turned around looking more confused and nervous. “Folks say it’s a barn-like thing but I ain’t see no barn … I got to deliver this message, see …”

Grayson moved to the side, forcing Thelma along with him.

“I’m sure I don’t know,” said Grayson coldly, trying to go around him.

“Miss, do you know?” Hercules said, wringing his hands and looking at Thelma, willing her to understand.

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