Part 5 (1/2)

”Why not?” Livie countered. ”I is doin' jes' fine here. Never ate so good in all my life. Back with Ma.s.sa, there was times when my belly was so empty, I could have ate the soles off my shoes.” Livie laughed as she stuck out her heels to show off the frayed rags tied around her feet. ”But I never had a bite's worth of sole to eat.” Livie chuckled so hard she had to hold her hip to keep from crying in pain. I, on the other hand, was mortified at how much this poor girl had stacked against her. Yet from the smile on her face, you would never know it.

”Livetta,” Colt continued. ”Once Augusta returns, Hannah will be restricted from running up and down the mountain to feed and look after you.”

”I can fend fo' myself till Marcus gets back.”

”I don't think the two of you understand how long he will be, if ever he does return.”

”Colt . . .”

”I am being practical, Hannah. Their chance of making it north alive is slim enough, but his chance of returning here is even slimmer. I am sorry, Livetta, but it's the cold, hard truth.”

I reached over and patted Livie's hand. ”Marcus will make it back, Livie. I just know it.”

”Fine, then,” Colt pressed. ”Let us say he makes it back, against all odds. Are you aware of how much time will pa.s.s while he is navigating such a journey?”

It was a thought I had yet to consider. Even with a reasonable amount of education and some travel experience, I had no sensible estimation of how far the journey was to the North. And with Livetta's limited exposure beyond the boundaries of plantation life, she had less understanding of it than I. My wordless stare cued Colt to continue.

”Well, it's not like taking a five-day carriage ride to c.u.mberland Gap. They are traveling by foot . . . in the dark . . . guided only by the stars of a clear night. We have no way of knowing what hards.h.i.+ps they will face along the way, but you can be sure there will be plenty. Once they are north, they still must go far enough to find a place where they are truly safe. And don't forget the winter months, when it's nearly impossible to travel. So, the three of us must be prepared. If Marcus succeeds where most fail, it could be a year or more before he steps foot on Echo Ridge again.”

Livie's hand tightened over mine with the realization provoked by Colt's words. I lowered my head to spare her my sullen change of expression. The thought of Livie leaving was unbearable, yet I realized keeping her hidden and safe was not possible. Crazy thoughts filled my head, like hiding her in the vacant cabin at Mud Run or stealing a wagon and taking her north myself. Or maybe . . .

”I have an idea” popped out of my mouth. ”I shall buy her!”

Livie took her hand from mine and leaned her blotchy elbows on her knees. Pressing her forehead into the palms of her hands, Livie shook her head from side to side. ”Ma.s.sa won't never partake in such a deal. He be afraid the others would think I got over on him and make him look a fool. If he finds out I am here he will grab me up fo' sure. Ma.s.sa would rather tan a colored hide to save face, even if it means gold coins left on the table. He will gladly pay fo' the pleasure of vengeance on the poor soul who got over on him. Ma.s.sa burned the feet of his prize field hand when he ran off to be with his woman after their chile died while birthin'. Ma.s.sa made him stand in boilin' water clear up to his knees. That sorry slave was never good fo' nothin' again. It's a mighty spiteful streak that drives a man to render the best of his lot worthless. Worst be told, it took nearly two years fo' that poor soul's agony to end. One night, he got his hands on a suckering knife and slit his own throat. Marcus said they found him with a smile on his face.”

If Colt was as mortified as I, it was not reflected in his stony expression. He simply propped his boot on a rock in front of him and tugged thoughtfully at his ear. ”It would be hard explaining to Augusta,” he mumbled to himself. ”But maybe there is something to be made from Hannah's idea.”

”Gracious be, Colt,” I said with piqued curiosity. ”What are you contemplating?”

”Well, what if I took a day trip and returned with Livetta in hand? I could profess to own her.”

”Is it possible, Colt?”

”I think it's worth attempting. Livetta may have a chance if our explanation is believable and the papers look authentic.”

I shuddered at the boldness of the suggestion. ”Do you know what you are saying? We would be bringing a runaway right under the nose of Twitch and Aunt Augusta. It's entirely outrageous.”

”Exactly,” Colt said with a sly grin. ”A plan so outrageous no one would suspect it. They would have no reason to question my truthfulness. I will wait for Augusta's return. If I ride in before the dust of her carriage has time to settle, the commotion and fanfare of her arrival will keep scrutiny at a minimum.”

”The risks are enormous.” I put my hand to my breast in hope it would slow my surging heart. I was terrified of the consequences likely to rain down on us if we failed; however, I was equally intrigued by the possibility of Livie staying at Hillcrest with me.

”Of course it's a precarious choice,” Colt stressed. ”But I believe there is greater risk in roaming the countryside with your injuries. What do you think, Livetta?”

Livie had licked her plate clean and set it aside. She stretched her stiff legs in front of her and gently tested their mobility as she considered her options. She c.o.c.ked her head toward me and drew in a deep, confident breath, punctuated with a nod of her head.

”Well, as sure as flies sit on a dead mare, the likes o' me is likely to be boiled one way or the other. But so far, Miss Hannah's done right by me. Now, ya'll may think Marcus is a know-nothin' fool fo' sayin' he's gonna come back fo' me, but my brother's word is stronger than a hundred-year-ol' oak. So I'd best stay put. Anyway, if there's boilin' to be done, I jes' as soon it be done here with you than out in the woods with strangers.”

Colt stood and brushed the dust from the back of his pantaloons. ”There's much to be done. Hannah, see to it that Livetta crosses the river tonight at the Horse's Bend. Can you swim?”

Livie shook her head with some hesitation.

”It will be a clear night with the glow of a full moon, so it won't be a blind crossing. Once you are on the other side, head downstream using the heavy trees along the river for cover. You must move with extra caution when you see the candlelit windows of town on the opposite bank.”

”How on earth is Livie supposed to make it across the river and downstream with a lame hip? It's much too dangerous.”

”I know this is not an easy venture, but it's the only way. Livetta, you must keep moving as long as possible under the cover of night, but when you see the first hint of daybreak, you should stop and stay out of sight until darkness comes again. South of town, you will come to three large boulders wedged side by side, each a different shade of gray. I will wait for you there. Now, I better get on back to West Gate so I can set in motion some practical reason for making a short trip.”

Colt walked toward the cave entrance and then turned before exiting. ”Hannah, after tonight, it is important you are seen in your normal routine at Hillcrest. When Augusta returns, simply let things unfold as they will.” Colt then directed a serious gaze toward Livie. ”Livetta, do the best you can. I shall wait two nights for you. If you have not arrived, I will a.s.sume you were delivered a different fate.”

The ticking mantel clock taunted me as I pushed my uneaten pork chops around my plate. My mind was crowded with details to sort through and ready for Livie's journey, but my nonchalance was a necessary part of the charade. Esther Mae peeked through the door to see if I had finished my meal. ”Lordy, Miz Hannah, you will be paler than a mornin' glory on a rainy day if you don't eat some supper. Miz 'Gusta will have my hide if you take sick.”

”Don't fret, Esther Mae. I am a wee bit tired is all. Excuse me while I take my plate to my room. I shall retire with the birds tonight.”

The belligerent sun hung low in the evening sky for what seemed like an eternity, illuminating its perverse pleasure in making me wait. With growing antic.i.p.ation, my mind played out what soon would transpire in the shadowed moonlight. I could follow the path to the peak with my eyes closed. It was as natural to me as geese winging through a crisp autumn night. However, traversing the angled cliffs to the river was territory I had yet to navigate in the dark of night. But even that did not rattle me as much as the thought of what would happen once we came upon the river. Unable to wait any longer, I headed for the cave.

Livie and I cleared away all evidence of her stay. We burned the quilts and pine bed in the fire pit and stacked the unused logs against the inside wall, as if they'd been stashed by a hunter for another day. When all looked undisturbed, we flopped on the ground and rested, side by side in anxious stillness. Finally, Livie heaved a long, jittery sigh.

”I ain't had no cause for swimmin' in a mighty long time. There was a fair-sized pond at the edge of Ma.s.sa's land where we cooled off when our heads gots'ta spinnin' in the summer heat. Marcus showed me how to swim 'cuz he said someday I might need the know-how. But 'twas long ago, and I don't have much kick in this shot-up leg right now.”

I wanted to rea.s.sure her, but more importantly, I wanted her to be prepared for what the Red Hawk River demanded. The Horse's Bend was a half-mile stretch of water between two fierce sets of rapids north of Echo Ridge. This slow and steady stretch of water provided Livie with her best chance at crossing. Still, the Horse's Bend had its challenges, as evidenced in its name. Legend had it that when the untamed mountain region was settled, a band of renegade Shawnee Indians chased a group of Lutheran missionaries to the river's edge. When the missionaries rode their horses into the deep current of the Red Hawk, they were sucked under midway across the river. The missionaries eventually pulled themselves up on the banks of what is now Echo Ridge, but not one of the horses ever resurfaced.

With that in mind, I used a stick against the dirt floor to sketch the flow of the river so Livie could picture in her head what she would face once she hit the water. ”Now, don't forget,” I said, circling a spot on the craggy diagram. ”We will hike to the bottom of the first set of rapids, and you will enter the water here. You must swim hard, steady strokes toward the far sh.o.r.e as the current moves you downstream. If you swim fast enough, you will reach a large boulder called Turtleback Rock, which curves above the water halfway between the first and second set of rapids. Grab on to it and catch your breath. When you are ready, you can start a paddle sprint across the far section of the river. When you reach the other side, follow Colt's instructions downriver where he agreed to meet you. Then the second part of our plan will be put into motion.”

Contrary to my earlier wish for sunset, now I prayed the sun would freeze to a standstill and remain orange in the sky rather than sink away and lead Livie into uncertain darkness. Betrayed by the natural flow around me, I watched the sun defy my wishes and disappear behind the indigo mountains on the western horizon.

Livie reached into the satchel tied around her waist and removed a strip of stained chambray cloth. I recognized it as part of her brother's neckerchief, used to stop her bleeding the day she was shot. She smoothed its length and then tied it to her ankle.

”Fo' luck,” she said, looking up at me. My stomach twisted, knowing our time together was slipping away. She then pulled a tin cigar box from her satchel and handed it to me. ”Take this, and keep it safe until I return.”

I nodded and smiled to hide my mounting fear. We knelt over the map I had etched in the soil and traced her route one last time. Her eyes were wide and attentive, as if hearing the plan for the first time. ”Try not to let the river's strength frighten you, Liv. Never fight against the current. It's a battle that is impossible to win. Flow with it and use its power to help you get where you are going.”

Coaxed by the urgent hoot of an unseen owl, we gathered ourselves for our journey down to the river. I scuffed the toe of my boot across the lines in the dirt. My foot stopped at a crude stick figure Livie had carved into the drawing. Twists of familiar braids protruded from the circular head, and a wide crescent smile looped from one side to the other. I don't know if it was fear or superst.i.tion that kept my foot from smudging away that innocent expression, but I refused to brush her away into oblivion. Livie's no-nonsense practicality took over as she shuffled her ragged feet across the happy face and erased the last remnant of our time spent together on the peak.

Moonlight bathed down from the forest ceiling, illuminating our path like we were winding our way through a dream. Racc.o.o.ns and deer scampered as twigs snapped beneath our hurried feet and warned them of our approach. A hint of the day's warmth lingered in the air, giving us one less obstacle to overcome. However, I was certain it would not be a courtesy extended by the bone-chilling waters of the Red Hawk River.

The sweet fragrance of mountain laurel wafted around us as we descended the cliff to the river. Livie kept pace until the heaviness of her pained hip required her to grip the back of her thigh and pull each hard-fought step from her injured leg. Finally, the ground beneath our feet softened and gave way to the mist-covered mud along the river's edge. There, the lower end of the first set of rapids rushed into the slow, swirling currents of the Horse's Bend. Livie and I stepped from the cover of evergreen and let the bright, full moon wash over our tight, breathless bodies. I looked out across the sleek, sparkling blackness that slid bleakly past us, silent and unyielding. In contrast, the rapids feeding her north and draining her south rumbled in the darkness like a stampede of angry cattle. My breath caught in my throat when the silhouette of an uprooted tree twisted helplessly by us, carried by the river like a feather on its current. My heart sank, realizing Livie had less of a chance in the unforgiving current than the dredged tree slowly swallowed by the Red Hawk. It was the first true moment of regret I felt since meeting Livie.

”You should sit for a while, Livie. You will need all the strength you can muster once you enter the river.”

Livie limped alongside of me, her dark saucer eyes entranced by the sight of the river. I wondered if she thought a lynching would be a kinder fate.

”Gots'ta keep movin',” Livie said with eyes fixed straight ahead, ”so my leg don't have time to stiffen, nor my thoughts time fo' frettin'.”

I rested my hand across her shoulders as much for my own rea.s.surance as I did for Livie's. The longer we waited, the harder it would be to go forward, so I drew in an anxious breath and struggled to unearth some parting words of encouragement.