FOUR
The sound of the door slamming awakened Maggie.
“Father! Mother!” Elijah shouted.
Still disoriented from sleep, Maggie nearly slipped down the loft ladder as she hurried down.
She’d been dreaming of Henry again, as she had many nights since the first. The only difference was that instead of dreaming of his affection, she dreamed of his return.
Her heart pounded now as she hoped Elijah was rushing in to tell them that Henry was back.
As soon as she saw him, though, she knew it was not the case. Something was wrong.
Levi and Abigail bolted out of their room. “What is it, son?” Levi grasped Elijah by the shoulders.
Elijah coughed, trying to catch his breath. Sweat poured down his temples, despite the wintry night air. “A man. There’s a man—a slave. He’s hurt. I’ve hidden him in the cellar.”
Levi looked at Abigail. A look of understanding passed between them and then she ran back to their room.
“Elijah, calm. What type of injury, does thee know?” Levi pushed his son down into a kitchen chair and lit a lantern.
Maggie poured a glass of water from the pitcher and handed it to Elijah. He took a sip. “A deep gash along his leg. I had to drag him halfway across the yard.”
“I’ll go conceal any tracks or blood drops. Where did he find thee? Did he say whether he was being followed?”
Elijah shook his head. “I was thirsty and went to get a drink from the well. He waited until I had my back turned and came out from the edge of the woods. Must’ve been waiting there for one of us to come out in the dark.
But I don’t know anything else. He collapsed after he asked if we were a safe place. ”
Abigail came back into the kitchen carrying a bag and wearing a pair of Levi’s trousers. She grabbed things from the cupboard, adding them to the bag. “Maggie, I want thee to stay with Elijah inside. Neither is to leave this house until we return.”
Levi followed Abigail out before a response could be given.
Maggie sat next to Elijah. His breathing had returned to normal, but there was a distant look in his eyes.
“Your mother will take good care of him.” She tried to reassure him.
He gave a curt nod. It was several minutes before he spoke, his voice barely audible. “Maggie, does thee think I am a bad person?” The apparent concern was etched on his face.
Maggie reached over and grabbed his hand. “No. Of course not. Why would you ask such a thing?”
“Because I think I might be… I know that I shouldn’t be worried about what will happen—that I should be focused on helping.
But all I could think about as I helped him across the yard was: hurry.
Hurry before someone comes and sees. Before we all might be killed.
We have sheltered so many before now, but with the war ramping up, I’m scared of what could happen. ”
Her heart ached for him. Clearly, this omission was not something he had shared with his parents.
“Elijah. You’re not a bad person. You’re human.
Can I be honest? I’m scared too. I know you care about helping people, and you all have chosen, as a family, to pursue what you believe is morally right, despite what may happen.
But that doesn’t mean that you aren’t allowed to feel the weight of it all. ”
She could still see that he felt ashamed, but she was unsure of what else to say. Feeling awkward, she rose and started a pot of tea. Spotting the leftover bread loaf from dinner, she had an idea. Several sandwiches were placed in a basket to be taken out to Abigail’s patient.
It had been a good distraction, but short-lived. Now that her hands were once again idle, she felt useless. Elijah began pacing the room, watching out of the window into the night. Sheer determination kept Maggie from joining him.
On his twenty-fourth pace across the room, Elijah suddenly stopped and ran to the door. “Something is wrong.”
Maggie leaped from her chair. “What is it? What do you see?”
Before Maggie was given an answer, Elijah opened the door and Levi rushed in. His face was ashen.
“Father—” Elijah began, but Levi cut him off.
“Joseph Brown has been taken. The slave came back to consciousness and told us. He was hidden at Brown’s but ran because Confederate soldiers came. They’re near and raiding homesteads for food, supplies… and for more recruits.”
Levi’s statement was like a bomb exploding. It sent everyone into action. Maggie thrust the sandwiches and any other edible food she could find into the basket. Elijah and Levi ran out to the barn. To what purpose, she did not know. She hurried into the loft to change out of her nightgown.
By the time she returned to the kitchen, Abigail and Levi were throwing bloody bandages into the fire, ridding themselves of all evidence.
With no time to wash the blood from her clothes, Abigail shed the borrowed breeches and shirt and threw them into the flames too.
She hurried from the room to dress, wearing only her shift.
Elijah came back into the house with more water.
“Take it to thy mother, son. She will need it to wash the blood from her arms and hands,” Levi instructed.
There was a change in Elijah. Gone was the boy who had just confessed his deepest fear to her in this very room. Whether it was because he was focused on the task at hand or had something to do with where he and Levi went earlier, he had a man’s face now. Serious and ready to take on the world.
“What are we going to do?” Maggie asked Levi the obvious question.
Levi looked far older than his age in that moment.
Running a hand over his face, he reluctantly answered.
“I apprised him of the situation. We both agreed that his best chance is to stay concealed in the cache. He’d never make it on foot.
Abigail cleaned his leg— we can only pray the wound does not fester.
There’s enough food and water to last for about a week, along with blankets.
We do not know how long it will be until it is safe for him to come out.
If discovered… I don’t need to tell thee the consequences it will have. ”
Ice formed in Maggie’s veins.
“There isn’t time to move the sheep from the upper pastures either.
With it separated from the main farm with the woods as a barrier, it may be possible that they don’t discover the flock.
That would be the optimal outcome, as that will likely be our only food source if we’re raided.
As for the rest of us, Elijah must leave.
He’ll hide out in the woods until the threat is gone.
My bad leg renders me useless to their purposes, but my son—” Levi’s voice broke with emotion.
“If they find my son, they’ll take him.”
Maggie felt sick. Now, she understood what had caught her attention as Elijah hurried from the room. He had worn several layers of clothing and his father’s sturdy boots. The men never wore their boots inside.
Before she could pull herself together, Abigail shouted from the parlor. “Levi!”
Abigail stood in front of the window. It was only a few weeks ago that Maggie watched out this same window at the red cardinal and found peace within herself. Now, panic filled her as she saw what made Abigail cry out.
Dawn was coming. And there was smoke on the horizon.