his teeth together, then bounded up the porch steps, and said, “You’re wrong to be teachin’ her to read and write, Priscilla! If certain people found out, you’d be in real trouble! You know it’s against the law in South Carolina to teach Darkies to read and write! If the authorities found out, you’d be punished severely … maybe jailed! And for certain, they would take Dorena away from you!”
Lewis’s demeanor frightened Dorena. She trembled and ejected a tiny whimper.
Priscilla jutted her jaw stubbornly, fixing her brother with flashing eyes. “That law you’re referring to, Lewis, is a stupid one! Dorena is my slave, and I can help her become literate if I want to! It’s nobody else’s business! Dorena has the right to be able to read her Bible as much as any white person does!”
A dark flush moved swiftly up Lewis’s face. “You shouldn’t be so friendly with Dorena! You’re puttin’ yourself on a low level to fraternize with a slave like you do! Darkies are nothin’ but animals!”
Hot tears surfaced in Dorena’s eyes.
Priscilla shoved back her chair and took a step toward her brother and swung an open palm at his face.
Lewis deftly seized her wrist and squeezed down hard as he said, “Don’t you ever try that again!”
“Let go of me!” Priscilla leaned toward him in an attempt to ease the pain.
“What’s going on here?” Evelyn’s strained voice came from the back door of the mansion.
Releasing his grip on Priscilla’s wrist, Lewis met his mother’s gaze and said, “We were just havin’ a little disagreement.”
“About what?”
“He’s being his usual repugnant self, Mother,” Priscilla said. “He just called Negroes animals.”
Evelyn’s gaze ran to a teary-eyed Dorena, who was slumped and cowering in her chair. Turning back to Lewis, she said, “Lewis, you apologize to Dorena right now!”
Lewis gave his mother a defiant look, wheeled about, and stomped off the porch.
“Lewis! Don’t you turn your back on me!”
He ignored his mother and set fiery eyes on his sister. “You shouldn’t be teachin’ that black animal to read and write, Priscilla! I’ve got a good mind to report you to the authorities!” With that, he pivoted and stomped away.
“Lewis!” Evelyn screamed. “You leave it alone, do you hear me? Don’t you dare go to the law! Your sister has a right to teach her own slave anything she wants! Do you hear me?”
Lewis did not break his stride. Seconds later, he disappeared around the corner of the house.
Priscilla rushed to Dorena and wrapped her arms around her. Dorena sucked in a sob, feeling a hot drift of tears on her cheeks.
“I love you,” Priscilla said, squeezing her tight.
“I love you too … Miss Priscilla. I don’t want to be taken away from you!”
“I’m not going to let that happen. Nobody is going to take you away from me.”
“That’s right, honey,” Evelyn said, patting Dorena’s shoulder. “Don’t you worry. Master Charles will keep Lewis in line.”
Looking up at Evelyn through her tears, Dorena said, “Why does Master Lewis hate me and my people?”
“I don’t know. But don’t let him frighten you. Everything will be fine.”
Brushing tears from Dorena’s cheeks with her fingertips, Priscilla said, “I’m so sorry for Lewis’s cutting, untrue words. I don’t know what’s the matter with him, but don’t let what he said bother you.”
Dorena drew a shuddering breath and nodded. “I’ll be fine as long as you two and Master Charles love me.”
Evelyn bent over her and said, “Well, then, you’ll be fine. Because we do.” With that, she went back into the house.
Priscilla sat down at the table again, facing Dorena. “I’m so glad we have each other,” she said.
“I am, too. I … I hope we can still be close, even when we are adults.”
“I’m sure the day will come when we will have to part. I mean, when the young man God has for me comes along and I get married. For
Lewis’s demeanor frightened Dorena. She trembled and ejected a tiny whimper.
Priscilla jutted her jaw stubbornly, fixing her brother with flashing eyes. “That law you’re referring to, Lewis, is a stupid one! Dorena is my slave, and I can help her become literate if I want to! It’s nobody else’s business! Dorena has the right to be able to read her Bible as much as any white person does!”
A dark flush moved swiftly up Lewis’s face. “You shouldn’t be so friendly with Dorena! You’re puttin’ yourself on a low level to fraternize with a slave like you do! Darkies are nothin’ but animals!”
Hot tears surfaced in Dorena’s eyes.
Priscilla shoved back her chair and took a step toward her brother and swung an open palm at his face.
Lewis deftly seized her wrist and squeezed down hard as he said, “Don’t you ever try that again!”
“Let go of me!” Priscilla leaned toward him in an attempt to ease the pain.
“What’s going on here?” Evelyn’s strained voice came from the back door of the mansion.
Releasing his grip on Priscilla’s wrist, Lewis met his mother’s gaze and said, “We were just havin’ a little disagreement.”
“About what?”
“He’s being his usual repugnant self, Mother,” Priscilla said. “He just called Negroes animals.”
Evelyn’s gaze ran to a teary-eyed Dorena, who was slumped and cowering in her chair. Turning back to Lewis, she said, “Lewis, you apologize to Dorena right now!”
Lewis gave his mother a defiant look, wheeled about, and stomped off the porch.
“Lewis! Don’t you turn your back on me!”
He ignored his mother and set fiery eyes on his sister. “You shouldn’t be teachin’ that black animal to read and write, Priscilla! I’ve got a good mind to report you to the authorities!” With that, he pivoted and stomped away.
“Lewis!” Evelyn screamed. “You leave it alone, do you hear me? Don’t you dare go to the law! Your sister has a right to teach her own slave anything she wants! Do you hear me?”
Lewis did not break his stride. Seconds later, he disappeared around the corner of the house.
Priscilla rushed to Dorena and wrapped her arms around her. Dorena sucked in a sob, feeling a hot drift of tears on her cheeks.
“I love you,” Priscilla said, squeezing her tight.
“I love you too … Miss Priscilla. I don’t want to be taken away from you!”
“I’m not going to let that happen. Nobody is going to take you away from me.”
“That’s right, honey,” Evelyn said, patting Dorena’s shoulder. “Don’t you worry. Master Charles will keep Lewis in line.”
Looking up at Evelyn through her tears, Dorena said, “Why does Master Lewis hate me and my people?”
“I don’t know. But don’t let him frighten you. Everything will be fine.”
Brushing tears from Dorena’s cheeks with her fingertips, Priscilla said, “I’m so sorry for Lewis’s cutting, untrue words. I don’t know what’s the matter with him, but don’t let what he said bother you.”
Dorena drew a shuddering breath and nodded. “I’ll be fine as long as you two and Master Charles love me.”
Evelyn bent over her and said, “Well, then, you’ll be fine. Because we do.” With that, she went back into the house.
Priscilla sat down at the table again, facing Dorena. “I’m so glad we have each other,” she said.
“I am, too. I … I hope we can still be close, even when we are adults.”
“I’m sure the day will come when we will have to part. I mean, when the young man God has for me comes along and I get married. For
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