Brown back in the forties. Folks call him Box Brown now. Shipped himself from Richmond to Philadelphia. Caused such a stir folks wrote songs about it.”
“Really?”
“Yep.”
Belle echoed Daniel’s earlier thoughts, “Good thing the Morgans were at the station.”
Daniel nodded. “It might have been days before we knew the man was there. I’ll bet the letter Mr. Still sent my father alerting him of this arrival won’t get here until next week sometime.”
Even a former slave like Belle knew how notoriously slow the mail could be.
“Well,” Daniel said, “he made it—that’s what counts, and in one piece.”
Silence slipped between them then. He couldn’t take his eyes off her and she couldn’t look away.
Belle finally found the words to say, “Jo and I are going to do some sewing. If you need me, call me.”
“I will.”
“I’ll look in on you later.”
“That would be fine.”
Long after her departure, Daniel was still smiling.
The man in Daniel’s bed awakened at half past ten. He struggled to sit up. Noticing Daniel, he froze, then his wary eyes swept the unfamiliar surroundings.
“You’re safe,” Daniel reassured him.
The runaway tried to say something, but the words came out as a hoarse whisper.
Belle, who’d just come into the room to see if Daniel needed anything, quickly poured some water into a cup from the pitcher she’d left on the nightstand earlier. She offered the fugitive the cup, but his hand shook so badly she had to guide the vessel to his lips. “Slowly,” she cautioned.
His hands around her own were clammy and cold, but she set aside the unpleasant feel because he needed assistance. When he’d taken another few swallows, he nodded at Belle, then wearily dropped back against the pillows.
Daniel asked, “What’s your name?”
“Parker—Nelson Parker. Where am I?” he croaked softly.
“Michigan.”
His eyes widened and he bolted upright. “Michigan!”
Daniel had a curious look on his face. “Yes.”
The man slumped back against the bedding, then began angrily pounding his fists on the mattress. Tears streamed unashamedly down his bearded cheeks. As if deeply grieved, his head rolled slowly back and forth upon the pillow, and he whispered hoarsely, “Oh, Lily, why? Why?”
Belle looked over at Daniel. He appeared to be as concerned by the man’s demonstration as she.
Daniel asked, “What’s wrong, sir?”
As if talking to himself, the man replied tightly, “She knew I wouldn’t leave without her.” He beat his fists against the bed again once more, then to their surprise tried to get to his feet. “I have to go back—”
Daniel rushed forward. “Whoa, whoa. Hold on a minute, friend. You’re in no condition to go anywhere.”
The man’s attempts to push Daniel aside might’ve been effective before he’d come North, but being confined and drugged had left him so weak Jojo could’ve kept him in bed. Realizing that seemed to drain him completely. Seated on the edge of the bed he hung his head and began to sob as if his heart had broken.
Belle had seen only one other man cry so emotionally before: her father. He had cried just like this the day her mother was sold. Having his beloved Sara torn from his life had left her father even more bitter toward slavery. Nelson Parker brought thoughts of her missing father rushing back.
Daniel ventured forward. “Friend, is there anything we can do?”
“Yes,” he declared brusquely. “Send me home.”
Daniel’s lips tightened. “How about we talk about that after you get your strength back?”
Daniel handed the man a clean handkerchief. He made use of it, then slowly crawled back beneath the quilts. He turned his back on them and didn’t utter another word.
Outside the closed door, Daniel huddled with Belle and Jojo. “I guess we’ll have to wait to hear our guest’s full story. He seems real torn up, though. Hope he doesn’t try and leave.”
“He’s too weak to make
“Really?”
“Yep.”
Belle echoed Daniel’s earlier thoughts, “Good thing the Morgans were at the station.”
Daniel nodded. “It might have been days before we knew the man was there. I’ll bet the letter Mr. Still sent my father alerting him of this arrival won’t get here until next week sometime.”
Even a former slave like Belle knew how notoriously slow the mail could be.
“Well,” Daniel said, “he made it—that’s what counts, and in one piece.”
Silence slipped between them then. He couldn’t take his eyes off her and she couldn’t look away.
Belle finally found the words to say, “Jo and I are going to do some sewing. If you need me, call me.”
“I will.”
“I’ll look in on you later.”
“That would be fine.”
Long after her departure, Daniel was still smiling.
The man in Daniel’s bed awakened at half past ten. He struggled to sit up. Noticing Daniel, he froze, then his wary eyes swept the unfamiliar surroundings.
“You’re safe,” Daniel reassured him.
The runaway tried to say something, but the words came out as a hoarse whisper.
Belle, who’d just come into the room to see if Daniel needed anything, quickly poured some water into a cup from the pitcher she’d left on the nightstand earlier. She offered the fugitive the cup, but his hand shook so badly she had to guide the vessel to his lips. “Slowly,” she cautioned.
His hands around her own were clammy and cold, but she set aside the unpleasant feel because he needed assistance. When he’d taken another few swallows, he nodded at Belle, then wearily dropped back against the pillows.
Daniel asked, “What’s your name?”
“Parker—Nelson Parker. Where am I?” he croaked softly.
“Michigan.”
His eyes widened and he bolted upright. “Michigan!”
Daniel had a curious look on his face. “Yes.”
The man slumped back against the bedding, then began angrily pounding his fists on the mattress. Tears streamed unashamedly down his bearded cheeks. As if deeply grieved, his head rolled slowly back and forth upon the pillow, and he whispered hoarsely, “Oh, Lily, why? Why?”
Belle looked over at Daniel. He appeared to be as concerned by the man’s demonstration as she.
Daniel asked, “What’s wrong, sir?”
As if talking to himself, the man replied tightly, “She knew I wouldn’t leave without her.” He beat his fists against the bed again once more, then to their surprise tried to get to his feet. “I have to go back—”
Daniel rushed forward. “Whoa, whoa. Hold on a minute, friend. You’re in no condition to go anywhere.”
The man’s attempts to push Daniel aside might’ve been effective before he’d come North, but being confined and drugged had left him so weak Jojo could’ve kept him in bed. Realizing that seemed to drain him completely. Seated on the edge of the bed he hung his head and began to sob as if his heart had broken.
Belle had seen only one other man cry so emotionally before: her father. He had cried just like this the day her mother was sold. Having his beloved Sara torn from his life had left her father even more bitter toward slavery. Nelson Parker brought thoughts of her missing father rushing back.
Daniel ventured forward. “Friend, is there anything we can do?”
“Yes,” he declared brusquely. “Send me home.”
Daniel’s lips tightened. “How about we talk about that after you get your strength back?”
Daniel handed the man a clean handkerchief. He made use of it, then slowly crawled back beneath the quilts. He turned his back on them and didn’t utter another word.
Outside the closed door, Daniel huddled with Belle and Jojo. “I guess we’ll have to wait to hear our guest’s full story. He seems real torn up, though. Hope he doesn’t try and leave.”
“He’s too weak to make
Similar Books
