through it for a spell before he said, “I reckon it did always make me a little jumpy. The way she was and all. So pretty and smart and yet marked by this curse of knowing things no mortal should know.”
“A curse? I think the Shakers consider it a gift.”
“It’s a curse to know death is coming while there’s still life in the air. I used to hear her crying in the night. The first time was when Martha was ready to birth our boy. When I asked Gabrielle what was wrong, she said she could see the baby wrapped all in white and laying in a box and he didn’t cry.” Hope looked down at the pipe in his hands. “I told her it was all a bad dream and to go on back to sleep.”
Brice waited for him to go on, but when he didn’t, Brice said, “But it wasn’t, was it?”
“The boy never took a breath. My mother wrapped him in white and put him in a box and he never made the first whimper. Gabrielle didn’t either. Not then when he died. She was just a little tyke. Four, the best I recall. Martha thought she should cry for her brother, but Gabrielle told her that the babe was happy. She’d seen him laughing with the angels.” Hope looked up at Brice. “I heard her crying in the night after that, but I never asked her why again. If there’s grief waiting down the road for me, I’d just as soon not know it till the morrow gets here.”
For a long time the two men didn’t speak. The fire popped and Hope leaned forward to shove a chunk of wood into the flames. Brice turned back to grinding his medicines.
He had another batch of powders ready when Hope said, “This mean you’ve give up trying to talk to my girl?”
“I didn’t say that. Though I doubt they’ll even let me tip my hat at her now. But I’ll talk to her. I just don’t know when or how.”
“I may be moving on soon.”
Brice frowned over at him. “I thought you’d come back to take care of your daughter.”
“I did, but from what you say, there’s not much chance of her coming away from there. And even if she did, she’s well past marrying age. I ’spect she wouldn’t have no trouble finding a younger man than her pa to put a roof over her head.” Hope paused and gave Brice a long look before he went on. “But fact is, I hear there’s a war brewing up in the North, and I ain’t about to miss the chance to run them redcoats clear back to England. Maybe make Canada ours. Open up some good hunting grounds. So soon as they call for volunteers to form a Kentucky unit, I reckon I’ll be on my way.”
“Then the young sister would be better off among the Shakers.”
Hope smiled and shook his head. “I never claimed to be no great shakes as a pa. I just wanted to see her free the way I’ve always been. If I knowed that she stayed there with them Shakers ’cause she wanted to and not just because my crazy old wife took her there, then I could go off with an easier mind even if I don’t hold with the way they do. Don’t you see, Doc?”
Brice didn’t see, but then he wasn’t seeing anything very clearly and hadn’t been since he’d heard Gabrielle’s beautiful voice ringing out of the meetinghouse at the Shakers’ village. “All I see is that you’ve come to my cabin bringing me trouble.”
Hope smiled. “It can’t be all that much trouble to pass a few words with a pretty girl. And I wouldn’t want you to get me wrong. I still want you to carry the truth about me being alive to my girl. You owe me that much.”
“I told you I’d talk to her. And I will.” But it wouldn’t be because he owed Hope. Not now.
8
Brice waited three days before going back to see Nathan. Then it was just as he’d expected. Before he even got off his horse in front of the Center Family House, Elder Caleb was standing on the steps waiting for him.
“Good day, Dr. Scott. We’ve been expecting you,” he said mildly. There was no censure in his eyes, but neither was there welcome.
“I came to see to the boy. Bates.” Brice squared
“A curse? I think the Shakers consider it a gift.”
“It’s a curse to know death is coming while there’s still life in the air. I used to hear her crying in the night. The first time was when Martha was ready to birth our boy. When I asked Gabrielle what was wrong, she said she could see the baby wrapped all in white and laying in a box and he didn’t cry.” Hope looked down at the pipe in his hands. “I told her it was all a bad dream and to go on back to sleep.”
Brice waited for him to go on, but when he didn’t, Brice said, “But it wasn’t, was it?”
“The boy never took a breath. My mother wrapped him in white and put him in a box and he never made the first whimper. Gabrielle didn’t either. Not then when he died. She was just a little tyke. Four, the best I recall. Martha thought she should cry for her brother, but Gabrielle told her that the babe was happy. She’d seen him laughing with the angels.” Hope looked up at Brice. “I heard her crying in the night after that, but I never asked her why again. If there’s grief waiting down the road for me, I’d just as soon not know it till the morrow gets here.”
For a long time the two men didn’t speak. The fire popped and Hope leaned forward to shove a chunk of wood into the flames. Brice turned back to grinding his medicines.
He had another batch of powders ready when Hope said, “This mean you’ve give up trying to talk to my girl?”
“I didn’t say that. Though I doubt they’ll even let me tip my hat at her now. But I’ll talk to her. I just don’t know when or how.”
“I may be moving on soon.”
Brice frowned over at him. “I thought you’d come back to take care of your daughter.”
“I did, but from what you say, there’s not much chance of her coming away from there. And even if she did, she’s well past marrying age. I ’spect she wouldn’t have no trouble finding a younger man than her pa to put a roof over her head.” Hope paused and gave Brice a long look before he went on. “But fact is, I hear there’s a war brewing up in the North, and I ain’t about to miss the chance to run them redcoats clear back to England. Maybe make Canada ours. Open up some good hunting grounds. So soon as they call for volunteers to form a Kentucky unit, I reckon I’ll be on my way.”
“Then the young sister would be better off among the Shakers.”
Hope smiled and shook his head. “I never claimed to be no great shakes as a pa. I just wanted to see her free the way I’ve always been. If I knowed that she stayed there with them Shakers ’cause she wanted to and not just because my crazy old wife took her there, then I could go off with an easier mind even if I don’t hold with the way they do. Don’t you see, Doc?”
Brice didn’t see, but then he wasn’t seeing anything very clearly and hadn’t been since he’d heard Gabrielle’s beautiful voice ringing out of the meetinghouse at the Shakers’ village. “All I see is that you’ve come to my cabin bringing me trouble.”
Hope smiled. “It can’t be all that much trouble to pass a few words with a pretty girl. And I wouldn’t want you to get me wrong. I still want you to carry the truth about me being alive to my girl. You owe me that much.”
“I told you I’d talk to her. And I will.” But it wouldn’t be because he owed Hope. Not now.
8
Brice waited three days before going back to see Nathan. Then it was just as he’d expected. Before he even got off his horse in front of the Center Family House, Elder Caleb was standing on the steps waiting for him.
“Good day, Dr. Scott. We’ve been expecting you,” he said mildly. There was no censure in his eyes, but neither was there welcome.
“I came to see to the boy. Bates.” Brice squared
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