Underground Captive (31 page)

22

    
             
Awakening early on New Year's Day in 1859, Nicki stretched in her bed and blink
ed at the high ceiling.  Involuntary tears pushed through her eyes.  Feeling lonely and alone, she got up, slipped her feet into her slippers and put on her dressing gown.

    
             
Sophie opened the door, rushed to the windows and laid the curtains aide to let in the morning light.  "Mornin', mam'zelle.  It's a bran' New Year today."

             
Nicki brushed away her tears with the back of her hand.  "It sure is,

Sophie," she sniffled.

             
"Why, Miz Nicollette, you's cryin'!  What is it, chile?" 

    
             
"Oh, Sophie.  I wish Ricard was here.  I miss him so much.  And...and Pa Pa is married now.  And so is
Tante
Blanche.  And...and--"

    
             
"Hesh, chile, hesh," Sophie soothed, gathering her into her arms.   "Yo'
Tante
Blanche is rights downstairs.  I know she's jus' here fo' the holidays.  But she's here.  And showly you don't begrudge yo' Pa Pa another chance at happiness?  Maitress Antoinette is a handsome woman and real nice.  Not like yo' Maman, but she is nice.  I know yo' Pa Pa don't give you a chance to adjus' to the news before he upped and married her, but he's a lonely man.  She's gonna be good fo' him, you'll see."

    
             
"Do you think I'm selfish for feeling the way I do?  I do want Pa Pa to be happy.  Truly I do.  It's just that everything happened so fast.  Nothing's the same anymore.  Nothing!"

    
             
"Is you show it's yo' Pa Pa that's got you in this mood?"

    
             
Nicki carefully avoided Sophie's eyes.  "W-what do you mean, Sophie?"

    
             
"I mean that young Masta Jared.  I seen the way you two looks at one another.  Wit' hot burning looks."

    
             
"Sophie!"

    
             
"This is ole Sophie you is talkin' to, chile.  I knows what I sees when I sees it!"

    
             
Nicki bowed her head, utterly miserable.  She hadn’t seen or heard from Jared in five days.  Her Pa Pa told her that, in life, a person only found one great love.  A quiver surged through her body.  She'd never been in love with anyone before, but she was sure she was in love with Jared.  With that confession to her
self, her spirits sank noticeably lower.

    
             
"Come on, Miz Nicollette."  Sophie broke into Nicki's thoughts.  "There ain't no cause fo' you to be sad.  You's all packed to go up yonder to the Clemenceau Plantation.  Miz Minette is show gonna be glad to see you again.  I done seen how y'all gits 'long when y'all gits a chance to git together.  That's why her mama invited you over fo' a spell.  She done seen it too."

    
             
“Minette is such a dear.  It'll do me good to get away for awhile."

    
             
Sophie grinned wickedly.  "I done hear tell Miz Minette got a coupla mighty good lookin', older brothers.  'Bout how long is you gonna be gone?"

    
             
"I don't know.  It depends.  I may not like
Parc Les Deux
anymore, although I did when I was a little girl.  I may be gone for a week or two or three months.  We'll see."

    
             
"Come on, mam'zelle, I'll help you with yo' bath.  Enjoy the new day and new year.  Tomorry you gonna be gone from yo' family for a long time maybe."

    
             
"You're right, Sophie.  I'm happy for Pa Pa and
Tante
Blanche.  I love them both very much.  Now go!  Fill the hip bath with hot water for me."

             
Neither Sophie nor Nicollette knew how prophetic Sophie's words, of Nicki's absence from Crescent Wood, would turn out to be.

*  *  *

    
             
Charles stood by the coach giving instructions to the driver when Nicki came outside with her arm around Blanche’s waist.  An
toinette followed close behind.

    
             
"I'm going to miss you,
ma petit
."  Blanche kissed Nicki on her cheek.  "But you need to be around someone your own age.  It'll be good for you and Minette to be together.  I love you,
ma cherie
."

    
             
Antoinette embraced Nicki.  "Nicollette, my beautiful, new daughter.  Please enjoy your stay with your friend.  Then come back to Crescent Wood so we can get to know each other.  Who knows?  Maybe we'll become friends." 

    
             
"I'd like that, Madam Verm....I mean Antoinette," Nicki said, her voice small and sad.  A rush of pink colored her face at her faux pas.

             
Blanche and Antoinette looked at each other. 

             
"It's going to take getting used to, petit," Blanche said.

             
"
Oui
, Nicollette, please don't fret," Antoinette added.

             
"Come on, Nicki, you must hasten," Charles said impatiently.   "It'll be

dark when you reach
Parc Les Deux
."

    
             
"The sun's barely up, Pa Pa.  We have plenty of time."  Nicki quickly hugged the two women once again then scurried down the steps to the waiting carriage.  Her two trunks were al
ready aboard.

    
             
"It'll take you a full day to get there, ma
cherie
.  It gets dark early, so don't allow Sam to tarry," Charles in
structed.

    
             
"I won't, Pa Pa." Nicki hugged him for all she was worth, then climbed aboard the carriage.

    
             
Sam pulled on the reins and clicked his tongue.  The two chestnut geldings  circled the garden path and headed down the alley toward River Road.  Sam kept the horses' pace at an easy gallop for nearly half the day.  Then he drew the carriage to a stop near the river
banks, climbing down from his seat.  He walked around to the side and opened the door.  "Mam'zelle? I's thinkin' mebbe you wants to git out to stretch yo' legs a spell and mebbe git yo'self a bite to eat."

    
             
"
Merci
, Sam.  I've gotten stiff sitting here so long."  Nicki stepped out of the carriage. Finding the air quite chilly, she pulled her heavy, woolen cape tightly around her shoulders.  Warmed, she reached inside for the picnic basket the cook had packed for her.  It was filled with small cakes, cheeses, French rolls, smoked meats and a bottle of claret. She instructed Sam to spread her blanket in the clearing near the riverbank. 

             
"Have you anything to eat, Sam?"

             
"No, mam'zelle, Ah sho' don't," Sam answered casually.

             
"Come over here and get some of this food then.  This  is  too much for

me to eat alone."

    
             
Nicki filled a linen napkin with some of everything from the basket.  Sam gratefully accepted it and went over to the big cypress with Spanish moss dripping from it like thin gray rib
bons.  He sat with his back against the huge trunk and hurriedly ate.  Finished, he got up and walked over to where Nicki sat nibbling on a small French pastry.

             
"Mam'zelle, I thanks you fo' the food, but we's gotta git goin'.  We's got

'bout fifty mo' miles to go."

    
             
"Oh, Sam, if it wasn't so cold out, I think I could stay here forever.  It's so beautiful.  I'll be along in a minute.  Take the basket and blanket and run along to the carriage."  Nicki looked over her surroundings and took in a deep breath.  Most of the trees were bare, but there was an abundance of evergreens.  In another two months or so, spring would break through, and the pale yellow and brown grass would once again turn into a dazzling green.  But even the winter colors had a beauty distinctly their own.

             
"Mam'zelle, yo' Pa Pa is 'spectin' me to git you over to Miz Clemonsew

afore hit gits too dark," Sam shouted impatiently from the carriage.

             
"All right, Sam, I'm coming.  Don't worry.  We'll make it."  

"The hosses done rest and don had wadda so we kin jis' go straight on thew to Miz Clemonsew.  Git yo'self settle in there, Miz Nicollette.  We's gon pick up some speed if we's gon' git there afore dok."

    
             
"Don't push the horses, Sam.  It'll be all right.  If dark
ness catches us before we get there just light the lanterns," Nicki instructed, reaching the carriage and climbing in.

    
             
"Yas'm, mam'zelle," Sam answered apprehensively.

             
She settled back in the seat and threw the blanket over her legs.  Before long, the rocking motion of the carriage had her fast asleep.  When she opened her eyes again, it was with a start.  Looking out of the window, the moon
light cast its light through the trees, resulting in lacy shadows along the misty ground.  She called to Sam to stop the carriage long enough to light the lanterns.  Sam reined the horses to a stop and climbed down to get the lanterns off the side.

    
             
Suddenly, through the mist, a jet-black horse ridden by a rider clad all in black from head to heel, came charging down the path.  Sam had nowhere to run, no time to get out of the way.  The powerful horse collided with the slight-
statured man, knocking him off his feet and running over him.  Only the expert handling of the rider kept the horse from toppling over.

    
             
Sixty yards away, he reined the horse in and turned him around.  Reaching the carriage, he jumped off the horse and rushed over to where Sam lay, unmoving.

    
             
Nicki was already out of the carriage, bending over Sam.  "You've killed him!" she screamed.  "You
bete noir
!"  She lashed out at the man, pounding against his hard chest with her tiny fists, having no effect whatsoever.  "Oh, you murderer!" she wailed.  Reaching up, she tore the mask from his face.  Disbelief assailed her, widened her tear-filled eyes.  "Jared!" she whispered.  Darkness enveloped her, the shock of her discovery overtaking her.