The Widow of Rose Hill (The Women of Rose Hill Book 2), стр. 59

“I agree.” Eunice stood on the other side of Natalie, as though she needed their physical protection from Levi. “Indeed, little Samuel will never know his father because you killed George Ellis.”

Levi seethed at the charge, fighting to remain calm. He’d had about enough of the accusations, and he was preparing to challenge them when Samuel brushed past him, staring up at Levi with wide, troubled eyes.

“Did you hurt my papa?”

Levi’s indignant wrath evaporated at the sight of the fatherless child. What could he say? “I … I don’t know, Samuel.” The truth sounded pathetically inadequate.

“Samuel,” Natalie said, breaking free of her protectors and coming to kneel in front of her son. “I need you to go play in your room while I talk to the grown-ups. Then I’ll come up, and we’ll talk about your papa.”

Samuel’s frown deepened, and he put his pudgy hands on either side of Natalie’s face. “Did the co’nel hurt Papa, Mama?”

She gathered him into her arms and carried him from the room. “I don’t know, Samuel,” she whispered as they went out the door. Samuel’s head was on her shoulder, but his teary eyes landed on Levi.

They disappeared, leaving Levi with the strongest urge to follow and capture them both in his embrace. He’d never intended to hurt them. To hurt anyone. War, they surely must understand, left lives broken, even those who never saw a battlefield.

“You are not welcome here, Colonel.” Eunice drew herself up to her full, rounded height. “You need to leave.”

The officer in him refused to budge. He didn’t take orders from the woman. Besides, he had to talk to Natalie. Between her supposed engagement to Lopez and his involvement in the battle where her husband had perished, they had plenty to discuss. But one look at Lopez’s stony face told Levi he would not have an opportunity to speak with her alone. Not now, anyway.

Without a word, he spun and exited the house. The yard was devoid of soldiers and horses, every available man off searching for Jezro. He’d put Banks in charge of the details, knowing the corporal would make certain every inch of the plantation was searched. Moses felt the field workers should not be involved in the hunt since there was no way to know if Jezro had been working alone or not. Levi agreed. Looking to the cotton fields now, he made out the shapes of people at work.

“Colonel, suh?”

Moses strode toward him.

“I done searched all the buildin’s like you asked, suh. Didn’t find no stolen things anywhere. Thought I might look in the quarter houses whilst the others are out in them fields.”

“I’ll join you,” Levi said, glad to have something to occupy his mind besides the debacle between Natalie and himself. “Until Mrs. Ellis is able to ascertain what’s missing from the house, I want to be certain Jezro doesn’t have more goods stashed somewhere.”

Together, they walked down the sloping lawn to the quarter, passing a larger cabin that had probably once served as the overseer’s home. When they reached the two rows of small houses, he and Moses entered the first one. Though it had plank floors and a fireplace, there wasn’t much else to offer comfort. Two sagging rope beds, several straw pallets, and a few crude furnishings occupied the cramped space. Unwashed dishes were stacked in a bucket, and a few items of clothing hung from pegs on the wall. There were very few personal belongings, despite the cabin housing a half-dozen people.

“This here the cabin where Jezro was stayin’.” Moses glanced around the area that wasn’t even as big as Rose Hill’s parlor. “I’ll look over here.” He indicated the bed farthest from the door.

Levi nodded, trying to imagine where Jezro might have hidden the treasures he’d stolen from Natalie. That the Negro had been in her bedroom, going through her things, and then attacked her … well, that man better be long gone. If Levi got his hands on him—

“I feel responsible for all this mess with Jezro, Colonel.”

Levi looked up to find Moses’ troubled gaze on him.

“How so?”

“I shoulda been more careful, keepin’ a better eye on them boys.”

The same guilty thoughts plagued Levi. “I suppose we’ve all learned a valuable lesson, especially when it comes to keeping Mrs. Ellis and Samuel safe.”

“Yessuh, I ’spect we has.”

They continued their search. A few minutes later, Moses tapped the floorboards with the toe of his stiff-looking leather shoe.

“What are you doing?”

“I’s listening for a holler spot underneath them boards. Makes a good place for hidin’ things you don’t want found.”

Levi got the impression Moses knew this from experience. A few more taps, and Levi’s curiosity reached its limit.

“Did you ever hide something in the floor you didn’t want found?” He expected a guilty expression to fill the other man’s face, perhaps from stealing something from his master and keeping it secret, so he was surprised when Moses grinned.

“Shore did. I hid my Bible under them boards. First while I’s at the Langford’s then after I come to Rose Hill, up over the kitchen.” He smiled. “I shore am pleased I don’t got to hide that book no more. I got it sittin’ on the table there in our room, as proud as can be.”

Levi nodded, and they both went back to work. The old Negro was a puzzle—that was for certain. He never seemed angry at Natalie or her family for keeping him in bondage all those years. Even telling a story about having to hide his Bible brought a smile rather than righteous anger.

They went through each cabin but found no stolen items. Exiting the last one, they walked into hot afternoon sunshine. Levi glanced over and saw a small shack off by itself. Although a horde of flies buzzed around it, it wasn’t an outhouse. Those were in the opposite direction. Too small to be of much use for storage or animal care, he wondered at