Into the Wilderness
Page 14

It had begun to snow in earnest and the two young women settled before the hearth in the sitting room, where Daisy brought them tea. Elizabeth sighed with relief to find herself in such peaceful surroundings after the last few days and the unsettling events of the morning. Thoughts of her conversation with Nathaniel distracted her for a moment away from the story Katherine was telling.
"I'm afraid I'm taxing you too much after your long journey," Katherine said, breaking off her narrative.
"Oh, no," Elizabeth assured her, wanting very much to set the young woman at ease.  "Please pardon me. Everything is so new to me, I sometimes am distracted by little things."
"Were you thinking of yesterday's accident?"
Elizabeth considered her answer, realizing that everything that had passed between her family and Nathaniel yesterday was now common knowledge.
"Pardon me," Katherine went on, coloring slightly. "I shouldn't have presumed."
"No, that's quite all right," Elizabeth said, but she did not answer Katherine's question. An awkward silence fell between them, and Elizabeth roused herself.
"Miss Witherspoon—Katherine," she said. "Perhaps you could be of assistance to me. You may have heard that I wish to start a school here for the younger children?"
Katherine nodded.
"The first step is for me to find out who my students will be, and to approach their parents. Since you must be acquainted with all the families in Paradise, would you be so kind?" And Elizabeth fetched paper and writing instruments and together the two women began a list.
Katherine listed eight families with school—age children, and was able to give Elizabeth names and directions to their cabins, as well as an approximate age of each child. Quite pleased to have this accomplished so easily, Elizabeth looked over the list and counted twelve names.
"These are all the children, then?" she asked, somewhat apprehensively. She was afraid she would have to directly inquire after the names of the children of slaves, but Katherine seemed to realize this.
"Those are all the children in the village, free or slave," Katherine said.
"I expect that in some cases it will be hard for you to convince parents to let the children come to school. Billy Kirby, for instance."
"Billy Kirby?"
"He's a farmer, hunter, hauls timber, and he does some building. He built this house for your father. Billy is raising his younger brother since his parents passed on." Katherine hesitated. "He won't be very enthusiastic about the idea of sending Liam to school."
"Well, I can talk to him, can't I?" Elizabeth said.
"Those are all the children," Katherine repeated. "From the village," she added.
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow and waited, for it was clear that Katherine had something else to say.
"There is one more name I haven't given you, because that child doesn't live in the village; she lives with her family on the other side of Half Moon Lake, up on HiddenWolfMountain."
Elizabeth made ready to write. "I would like to have her name," she said. "I wouldn't want to exclude her if she would like to come."
Again Katherine hesitated. "I am surprised you don't know of her yet."
"Why would I know about this little girl?" Elizabeth asked, puzzled.
"Because she is Nathaniel Bonner's daughter," Katherine said.
Elizabeth smiled thinly. "His daughter?"
"Her name is Hannah, almost nine years old. A bright little thing."
"Mr. Bonner is unmarried," Elizabeth said, and then wished she had not, because Katherine was looking at her with a kind of understanding that made Elizabeth uneasy. "Perhaps I misunderstood him. No matter."
"Everyone calls him Nathaniel," Katherine said easily. Then, without prompting: "She died in childbed," she said in a low tone. "In spite of everything Cora Bonner and Curiosity and dr. Todd could do for her. Nathaniel has never recovered. She came down with a fever, you see—"
"How very sad," Elizabeth interrupted her gently.
Katherine dropped her eyes, perhaps to hide the eagerness there. She knows it is unseemly to gossip, thought Elizabeth, but she can't help herself.
"Nathaniel's mother—in—law keeps house for them since his mother passed on," Katherine volunteered, her voice trailing away reluctantly. With a nervous smile, she looked up at Elizabeth.
"Did my brother say where he was going?" Elizabeth asked suddenly.
There was a little sigh from the younger woman—relief? Disappointment? But Katherine followed Elizabeth's lead and put the subject of the Bonners aside. "An appointment in the village, he said. Let me tell you, Elizabeth, although I would not say it to him, that it is truly wonderful to have a young man of fashion and taste in Paradise."
Elizabeth smiled at this description of her brother. "What about Dr. Todd?" she asked."He seems a very likely young man."
Katherine reddened and sat back to sip at her tea. Elizabeth saw clearly that she had disconcerted her visitor. Now it is my turn to want more information than is seemly, Elizabeth thought. A good lesson.
* * *
In the early evening her father came to find her where she read in the study, all excitement about the coming party and eager to share his enthusiasm with her.
"Well, Lizzie," he said, trying very hard to appear solemn. "What are you wearing this evening?"