Page 17 of The Indigo Heiress
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What you seem to be, be really.
Benjamin Franklin
“He is not what he seems!”
Loveday burst into Juliet’s bedchamber, bergère hat in hand, ribbons trailing on the pine floor. Seated at her escritoire, Juliet looked up from the letter she was writing Aunt Damarus.
She set her quill aside. “Whoever do you mean?”
“Mr. Buchanan.” Loveday sank down upon an upholstered ottoman, out of breath and clearly aflutter. “He told me all manner of things about himself, but it was what he didn’t say that has me most intrigued.”
“Such as?”
“He’s a widower, for one. His wife died and left twins. His Glasgow townhouse is on Virginia Street. Can you imagine? A street named after the fortune that founded him! And he has invited us to Scotland.”
Juliet took a breath as she mulled these new facts. “Twins?” Her weakness had always been children. And motherless children were altogether another concern. “How old?”
A slight lift of her shoulders. “I know not.”
“Their names?”
“He didn’t tell me. He only said they’re both tapsalteerie—whatever that means—and it didn’t sound complimentary.”
“Young, then.” Juliet adjusted to this unexpected news. “Babies, perhaps.”
“They live at his country house, Ardraigh Hall, likely with their nurse.”
“I’ve heard of Ardraigh Hall. Hamish Hunter even worked there before coming here. He said the gardens rival royalty. What else did Mr. Buchanan tell you?”
“He has an interest in history. He asked about our Virginia ancestry, and I told him to talk to you since you know so much about our beginnings here.”
Juliet felt a trill of delight. Could her much-prayed-for plan already be coming to fruition? “So you had a lovely afternoon together.”
“Together? I’d hardly call it that. We spoke briefly over syllabub. He’d just quashed all the men present at ninepins, though he later lost to Judge Beverly at quoits.”
“He’s athletic, then.”
“Quite. And he seemed rather concerned you weren’t with us.”
“A simple courtesy,” Juliet said.
“I wonder.” Loveday was worrying her bottom lip in that way that suggested deep thought. “Later he and Father spoke very seriously, just the two of them, for a noticeably long time.”
“Speaking of Father, where is he?”
“He went out to the quarters with Dr. Cartwright.”
“Very well.” Juliet hid her disquiet with a smile. “Are you hungry? Should I have Rilla prepare us a small supper?”
“Yes, but let’s dine right here, just the two of us, before the hearth’s fire. Though it was warm today in the sunlight, the evening is quite chill.”
Supper was served, and they sat companionably by the circle of firelight in twin Windsor chairs, a tea table between them, partaking of peanut soup, cold ham, and wheaten bread.
Listening for Father, Juliet looked out the front window and saw Hosea lighting the lantern by the mounting block. “Speaking of the doctor, I supplied him with several stillroom tonics.”
“I pray they help. Father was quite alarmed when he received your message at the Ravenals’. I hope you didn’t go to the quarters, as he’s forbidden it.”
“I try to respect him in that, though I’m always wanting to go where help is needed.” Juliet set her spoon down, having little appetite. “I was in the dyehouse when Riggs found me. We had something of a confrontation there. I wasn’t going to tell you, but now I feel I should if only to make you wary.”
“He suspects, then.” Loveday’s face grew shadowed. “What exactly was said?”
Juliet told her in a whisper, eyes on the closed door. The memory, only hours old, still burned. “I suspect Riggs is behind Father’s denial of indentures. They don’t tolerate Riggs’s mistreatment and come to Father to complain, so Riggs is against contracting more of them. And Father refuses to do what Ravenal has done by manumitting his enslaved since they’re irreplaceable in the fields.”
“And so we continue to do what we can, in even a small way.” Loveday looked as worn as Juliet felt. “How many have passed by here since we took up Mama’s work when she died?”
“Counting those who come to us across the river?” Juliet pondered her answer. “Twenty-three.”
Not nearly enough.