Twenty Eight

Twenty-Eight

I was left alone with Roy in the unnaturally quiet room. After what seemed like the longest period of silence ever, he spoke, quiet and frighteningly composed.

“So this is how you did it,” he said, looking around the room. “This is how you managed to hide him all this time.” I did not answer. He made his way over to the cot. “Is this where you spent your hot, sticky summer nights?” His tone made me sick. “Is this where you let him rut on you like the animal he is? Or was it you who lured him here, like a b***h in heat?” He looked at me, cruel mocking in his tone. “Did you meet here every night, before you were found out? Was this your special place, the place where you could pretend there was nothing sick about playing w***e to a slave?”

Though this hurt me more than almost anything else he could have said, I remained silent. There was nothing I could do. When he saw I wouldn’t respond to his taunting Roy hit me hard across the face. “This would have happened no matter what, Adeline,” he continued coldly. “Oh, yes, you could have gotten away from here together, if you were smarter. But he would die for being with you, no matter where you went, so I might as well just save you the trouble. You can’t. Escape. The truth.” He stressed each phrase emotionlessly.

“Then let him go,” I breathed, my voice shaking a little. “Let him go and I won’t see him again. Just don’t hurt him.” I didn’t know if I meant it, but I was willing to say anything to keep Isaiah safe.

Roy seemed taken aback by this for a moment, but regained his icy glare in an instant. “That was you’re promise the first time, wasn’t it, when you let them beat him half to death?” He paused, letting me cringe at the memory. “Yes, I know all about that. I’ve heard the story. I’ve seen his scars. And I know how that didn’t work out. He came back. Even after that, he still wanted you.”

His eyes turned colder than ever. “He certainly wanted you this morning, didn’t he? You didn’t even bother to close the window, didn’t bother to notice my carriage outside.” The wicked smile returned to Roy’s face and he reached out, lightly touching my breast with his fingers, the breast Isaiah had kissed that very morning. I suddenly knew how we had been found out.

I slapped his hand away. “Don’t touch me,” I said, trying to match his terrifying composure.

Roy laughed without humor. “No, I have not touched you for a long, long time. But then, how could there be a baby?” With everything else, I had not even thought of that. It had been far too long for me to have just found out I was pregnant.

Knowing nothing would sway him, I did not respond to Roy. He looked at me with more contempt than ever. “He will die at dawn. And believe me, by the end of the night I’ll have him begging for death.”

Then he turned and left the attic, leaving me utterly alone.

I did not waste my time crying in the attic. It took only a few minutes for me to gain the will to go back to my room. When I entered, however, I suddenly wished I had stayed where I was. Mama and Abigail were waiting for me, having had the door opened for them.

Abigail was absolutely beside herself with scandal. “Oh my Lord!” she was squealing, her voice even higher than normal. “What an awful scene! Adeline, why in heaven would you go up there? To think that slave has probably been in your room and all that, what with the attic…”

“Yes, Abigail, it was most unfortunate situation,” Mama cut her off, throwing a harsh look at me. “But I wouldn’t worry. I am sure it will all be taken care of.”

“Yes,” I said, feeling broken. “I… I’m afraid all this excitement has gotten me feeling rather faint. I think I’ll go on to bed.”

“Perhaps that would be best,” Mama said sharply. It looked like they had more to say, but I could not resist the urge to slam the door in their faces.

Once I was alone, it was nearly impossible to contain myself. I wanted to scream and cry and throw things around the room. But none of that would do any good, or so I told myself. I would find a way out, to help him, but there was nothing I could do yet, not with everyone still awake downstairs. There was nothing to do but wait.

Frustrated, panicked, and at a loss for anything else to do, I began throwing everything I had brought with me back into my suitcase. Though this kept my hands busy, doing this did not distract me from thinking of what could be happening to Isaiah right then.

I slammed a dress irately into the bag and felt something sharp prick my finger. Momentarily distracted from my distress, I cursed out loud and rummaged angrily throw the messily packed clothes to find the source of my injury. I stopped short, however, when I spied something sparkling among the fabric.

The pins sat there in the bottom of my bag, both of them. I had completely forgotten that I had so impulsively packed them, and seeing them again, at this time, felt very strange.

It did not hurt to see them, as it had before, but somewhere inside I felt stronger. It was like I finally captured some of the strength Isaiah had always possessed. It gave me the power to want to go out there, to risk everything, to save him.

It was like I finally knew how and why Isaiah had put himself in danger over and over to come back to me.

Conversely, I also had the strength to hold back, to keep myself from climbing the wall and running out into the dark while there was a chance someone in the house would see me. If I was going to help Isaiah, I was going to have to keep myself from making foolish decisions that would do nothing but hurt him.

It was with that mindset that I restrained myself, while pacing and plotting, until I heard my mother turn into her room on the floor beneath mine. By the time I was certain there was no one was awake, I had made up my mind. I had a plan. Then I opened my window and climbed down the wall for what I knew was the last time.

I dashed through the night, letting myself for the first time think of the severity of the situation. Isaiah was tied in the barn, probably being beaten by Roy. If I failed, he would die.

Realizing that it was not helpful to let myself think that, I focused again on my plan. I dreaded the first part of my more than the other, though it involved considerably less danger. I had to talk to Hannah, who would most certainly be both furious and distraught. I felt the anxiety spread through me as I reached Eli’s cabin.

They were there. Hannah and Eli sat at the table with worry and fear on their faces. Jordan slept soundly on the bed in the corner.

Hannah gasped in surprise when I opened the door. “Adeline!” she almost shrieked, clearly on edge. I could tell she had been crying. “You shouldn’t have come,” she said after a moment.

I was surprised by her coldness. “What are you talking about, Hannah?” I asked sharply, confused. “I couldn’t just leave him. I…”

“She didn’t mean it like that, Adeline,” Eli stood and put a comforting arm around Hannah. “You shouldn’t have come because Roy knew you would.”

I was hopelessly confused. “What?”

“I’ve been keeping an eye on them, Adeline,” Eli said solemnly. “We saw them coming out of house with him and I followed. I kept out of sight, but I could hear them talk. Roy knew you would come. He wants you to try and free him because he thinks you’ll fail. He wants you to be there when he kills Isaiah.”

I stood in silence for a moment, waiting for the rage to pass before I said anything more. “Well he’s wrong. Eli, I need a knife.”

“What?” Hannah’s head snapped up. “You can’t be serious! You’re going in there after him?” she said, pushing Eli’s arm off of her as he went in search of the knife.

“Of course I am. I have to. Hannah, if it were me Isaiah would never leave me…”

“He did leave you, Adeline,” she argued, “he left you for four years…”

“So he deserves to die?” I cried, shocked that she would reason that point.

“Of course I don’t mean that,” she snapped obviously insulted. “But believe me, it will be the best thing for Isaiah, for my brother, if you stay out of there. If you don’t go after him, maybe Roy will let him go. If you try and save him, you’re just letting Roy win.”

Eli returned with the knife and handed it to me. I look at my dim reflection in the metal while I thought about what she had said. “Roy wins either way,” I said quietly, not meeting her eyes. “Roy always wins. But I can’t leave Isaiah. I have to try. Roy won’t win this time. Not without a fight.”

I was out the door before either of them could protest.

Reviews

[C. Porter]

Oh, for God's sake!! You have created the SICKEST PERSON EVER in Roy. He wants to kill Isaiah in front of her?? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE?!?!?!
At least Addy's gonna try. I'm proud of her...if this had happened in the very beginning of the story, she would have stayed with Eli and Hannah like a good little girl...she grew some backbone.

[trish420]

Glad to see the new chapter!! I like where it's going, seems to eb leading up to the final confrontation. Can't wait to see what happens next!!