Underground Captive (24 page)

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17

Nicki fought back tears of anger, punching the pillow to release her tension, not wanting to believe that Jared could betray her so completely.  He
couldn’t
be the Black Rider.
             

"Mam'zelle?"

"Go away, Sophie.  I want to be alone."

    
             
"Yore pa is right mad at you.  He's tole me dat you has to stay up here fo' a long time because you was wearin' britches."

"
Go away, Sophie!"

"I ain’t leavin' 'til you done said what's wrong."

    
             
Nicki sat up.  She wouldn't get any peace until she answered Sophie's questions.  "I'm not sure.  I saw something tonight that surprised me.  I'm just not ready to talk about it at the moment.  You must respect my wishes now."

    
             
Sophie went to the bed.  Sitting on it, she gathered her distraught young mistress into her arms.  Never had she seen Nicki so distressed.  "Awright, mam'zelle, when you's ready I’m here to listen."

"Merci, Sophie," Nicki began, once she’d composed herself.  "I really would

like to be alone for the moment."

    
             
Sophie got up from the side of the bed.  "'Cose you does, chile.  I understan'."      
             
Dieu de ciel!  He has a black horse.
   Alone again, Nicki thought of Jared once more. 
The man that had come to get Jared was gasping like he'd run for miles.  Jared said the man is his servant.  But he's a white man.

    
             
Getting up, she went to the window, unable to discern anything in the darkness. 
The traitorous bastard! I let him kiss me
!  She walked back to the bed and sank down on it.

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Am I being fair?  How can I be sure Jared is out doing misdeeds as the Black Rider?  Just because I saw him on a black horse, doesn't prove anything.

    
             
Has Jared ever lied to me before?
  She didn't know him well enough to answer that.  She only knew what he told her about himself, which wasn't very much.

    
             
"Pa Pa," she said aloud, remembering his fury at seeing her dressed in britches.

    
             
Non
, she couldn't, and wouldn't, bother herself with that thought now.  Her father could be dealt with later.

 
             
Nicollette decided the night looked too treacherous to sneak out again so she changed into a white silk nightrail and once again called for Sophie to bring her a glass of wine to relax her.

    
             
Non!  Non!  Non!  There had to be another explanation.  A lot of people owned black horses.  Omri, Ricard's horse, was black.

Her brother sat a horse as well as Jared....Nicki's mind crashed to a halt.

    
             
Ricard?  Non!  Ricard can't be the Black Rider.  He doesn't live in the area anymore. Damn!  How can I be sure where Ricard lives
?

    
             
Omri was stabled at Crescent Wood.  Ricard
could
have bought another black horse.   Ricard was sympathetic to the plight of slaves.  So was Jared.  Why would her brother jeopardize their way of life?  Surely, he wasn't
that
sympathetic.

    
             
Was she bringing her brother into this to keep from laying responsibility on Jared?  She couldn't imagine Jared's limp body dangling from a noose.

Bitter bile rose in her throat.

Non
, she rebelled,
it can't be Jared or Ricard.  They'd never hurt me like

that
.

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Lightning flashed, bringing a sudden burst of white light into her room through the French doors that led to the veranda.  The boom of thunder sounded as the rain fell outside.

    
             
Nicki cried out.

    
             
Sophie rushed in, a glass of claret in her hands.  "Mam'zelle, is you awright?"

    
             
"
Oui
.  The thunder and lightning frightened me," Nicki whispered, taking the claret from Sophie.

    
             
"Does you want me to sit in here with you 'til you falls 'sleep?"

    
             
"
Oui
."  Nicki sipped her wine in silence, watching as rain fell in blinding sheets.  Lightning again flashed forebodingly and thunder exploded in the night.  The fire in the fireplace slowly died out, bringing a chill to the room.

    
             
When Sophie started rising from her chair, Nicki waved her back and rose out of bed.  "Get me another glass of claret.  I'll rekindle the fire."

    
             
Taking the crystal wineglass from Nicki, Sophie left the room.  Nicki threw a log onto the dying embers.  It crackled and sizzled, catching aflame.  She threw several more on until the fire once again burned brightly.

    
             
Miserably, she went back to bed and listened to the hard rain outside.  Sophie returned a few minutes later.

Nicki took large gulps from the glass, finishing within five minutes.  The

rain was lessening to a steady drizzle.

Before Nicki's eyelids drooped completely closed, she wondered where Jared was at that moment.

*  *  *

    
             
"Good morning, Pa Pa," Nicki greeted as she sat on the swing on the downstairs veranda and watched as her father came through the double entrance doors.

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"Nicollette," Charles growled, drawing nearer, "what are you doing out of your bedchamber?"

    
             
"I came down for fresh, morning air," she answered dryly.  Last night’s rain cleansed the air, washing it anew.  She considered it pure folly on her father's part to confine her to her room because she’d worn britches.  Awakening this morning, she decided last evening had been enough punishment.

    
             
Charles stared at her for a moment.  "I see you're not dressed for Mass."

    
             
"Non.  I didn't rest very well and I'm too tired to make the trip to the city."

    
             
"Very well.  It
was
a trying evening, so I'll allow you to skip Mass this morning.  Only because I'll not return to Crescent Wood right away.  But I warn you,
cherie
, I'll talk, at length, to you about last evening upon my return home."

"You're going somewhere other than Mass?"

    
             
"
Oui
.  After Mass I'm going to the Foucher plantation on the Teche.  I have business to discuss.  I'll be there for at least three days.  Then I'm going to be in New Orleans for a week.  I'll send word to you when I arrive on Rue Dauphine.  I want you to come to New Orleans when I arrive from Michel Foucher's.

    
             
"You'll be leaving for the Clemenceau plantation in less than two months.  Therefore, you won't be here for the Cotton Ball, so I've decided to cancel it until you return.  It's been four years since you've attended Crescent Wood's Cotton Ball and I'll not have another one without you."

Nicki smiled tenderly at her father, glad that he'd wait for her return.

    
             
Charles hesitated before continuing.  "The widow, Madam Vermierre, feels out of place at Wood Haven Plantation.  Her son recently married and it's now his house."

"Oh, Pa Pa, how dare they mistreat poor Madam Vermierre!"

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"Easy, Nicki.  Her son and daughter-in-law have been very good to her.  She wants to give her son some time alone with his new wife.  That is why she is going to help you run Crescent Wood."  A small lie, Charles thought, but it would do for now.  The time had come to inform Nicki of his upcoming nuptials, which were in three weeks.  He would sit down and explain everything to her when he returned from the Teche.

"She's what?"

"I thought you'd be happy."

She narrowed her eyes at her father.  "I'm sure I'll be able to find some

duties to assign to Madam Vermierre!"

    
             
"Nicollette!"  Charles frowned, then sighed.  "Don't worry,
cherie
. Antoinette is a sweet, gentlewoman.  You two will get along fine."

    
             
She looked suspiciously at her father.  Why didn't Madam Vermierre go to her apartments in the Pontalba Building to afford her son and his new bride privacy?

    
             
"It'll take some of the work off you," Charles said, smiling.   "I know that will make you happy."

    
             
"Why, may I ask, Pa Pa, would you assume that I was bothered with the work? Have you heard me complain?" she inquired testily.  "Besides, the workload has already lessened for me."

    
             
"
Cherie
, please!"

    
             
"Oh, all right," she said irritably, relenting for her father's sake when she saw the pained look on his face.  She trusted her father.  Knowing he'd never lie to her or hide anything from her, she wouldn't give it another thought.   "I'll welcome her here.  As long as she is only coming to help out."

"I am glad to hear that, ma petit," Charles said as his carriage driver

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halted the barouche at the bottom of the veranda near the last step.  "Nicki, if there are any problems, send for me immediately."

    
             
"
Oui
, Pa Pa." She hugged him before he descended the staircase.  Moments later, her father's carriage rolled slowly down the winding drive of Crescent Wood.

    
             
It was early yet.  Looking out over the grounds, the sun barely touched the sky, but it promised to be a clear day.  The beauty of the land always soothed her soul.  She certainly needed soothing this morning.

    
             
She was still unsure about Jared and for the next two hours her thoughts wandered.  A gentle breeze blew and the pungent smell of wet earth reached her nostrils.  It was the end of November and the smell of Christmas was in the air.  Nicki never discerned what it was about this time of year that brought something special to the air, but it did.

    
             
If Ricard was home and she was certain about Jared, this Christmas would be as close to perf...

    
             
"Mam'zelle! Mam'zelle! Come quick, mam'zelle!" Zeke's frantic calls snapped her out of her thoughts.  She ran down the steps, in the direction of Zeke's cries.

The canebrake!

    
             
What on earth had happened?  With Pa Pa gone, she was the only one there to deal with any problems of astronomical significance.  When she reached Zeke, she found several field hands standing over the still form of a man.  As she moved in closer she recognized him immediately.

Jared!  She froze.  This was beyond belief.  This couldn't be Jared!