Belle had no idea if the committee would be successful, but she prayed they would be.
Mrs. Best, looking up at her husband with love in her eyes, asked him, “Are you hungry?”
“Starved. They didn’t serve us on the train.”
“Then come with me.” She took him by the hand. “Belle, will you be all right?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I’ll stay with her, Mama,” Jojo offered. “That is, if Belle doesn’t mind my company.”
“I don’t.”
And in truth she didn’t. Belle’d never had the close companionship of a young woman of color before and she enjoyed Jojo’s sunny nature. Having Josephine Best at her side might make the transition from slave to free less bewildering. Belle turned her attention to Daniel standing in the doorway talking with his parents. Even though she’d known him for only a few days, and he probably thought about his shoes more often than he did her, her heart beat faster every time he appeared. It was beating that way now and Belle did her best to ignore it; Daniel Best had studied at Oberlin, a place she’d never even known existed until today. What could he possibly have in common with her, an illiterate runaway?
After Mr. and Mrs. Best left to see about a meal, Daniel told his sister in parting, “Be ready at two. I’m not waiting around for you to fix your hair like last week.”
Josephine’s chin rose. “If I was Franny, you’d wait forty days and forty nights.”
“You’re not Franny, pest. So be ready.”
Jojo mimicked him soundlessly, then stuck out her tongue.
He shot her a warning glance, then politely nodded Belle’s way before leaving the two young women alone.
Belle asked, “What was that all about?”
“Piano lessons. He has to drive me over. Last week I couldn’t get my hair the way I wanted and he got mad because I made him late for an appointment with Francine the Queen.”
Bell couldn’t help being amused by Jojo’s sneering tone. “Who’s Francine the Queen?”
“His supposed fiancée.”
Belle went still. So he had a sweetheart. “Why supposed?”
“He hasn’t asked her yet, but it hasn’t stopped her from acting like the dirty deed’s already been done—”
“Jojo!” Belle snorted, laughing. “Dirty deed?”
“I hate her. She’s so spoiled and mean. Treats me like a boil.”
Belle tried to be diplomatic. “But she has to have some fine qualities, otherwise your brother wouldn’t be with her.”
“Oh, she’s pretty, and got bosoms, but that’s about all. Mama doesn’t like her much either. Just tolerates her for Dani’s sake.”
Belle shook her head in gentle amazement. She wasn’t sure she wanted to meet this Francine the Queen, but then again, she did, if only to see the type of girl Daniel wanted to marry. With a name like Francine the Queen, Belle doubted she’d be an illiterate runaway. Sighing softly, she finished her oatmeal and apples.
three
In the days that followed, Belle’s strength rebounded and her feet slowly healed. One evening, as Belle ate her dinner from a tray in her room, Mr. and Mrs. Best came in to report on the committee’s search for her father.
Mr. Best began by saying, “Wish I had more to tell you, Belle, but so far, all we know is that some of the catchers were Otis Watson’s men.”
Belle hadn’t heard that name before. “Who’s he?”
Mrs. Best said disgustedly, “A spawn of the devil.”
“Owns a livery a few miles away,” her husband added. “Made himself rich by catching fugitives.”
“Do you think he knows where my father is?”
“More than likely, but we can’t just go up and ask him. We’re watching him, though.”
Belle didn’t know if this was supposed to be good news or not.
“Don’t worry,” Mrs. Best said, “William and the committee have contacted conductors all the way down the line. They move passengers from Chicago to Philadelphia, and from Kentucky to Canada; somebody’s bound to hear something soon.”
“The sheriff’s helping out, too, Belle,” Mr. Best added, “so don’t give up.”
Belle held on to her hope.
On the twelfth day of Belle’s stay, Bea Meldrum, the area’s healing woman, pronounced Belle’s feet recovered enough to wear shoes again. Belle sat on the bed watching the gray-haired, heavyset Bea slowly survey her feet. As Bea gently touched Belle’s soles here and there Belle tried not to giggle, but failed.
Bea glanced up, grinning. “Ticklish, are you?”
“Very,” Belle replied.
The spectating Mrs. Best and Jojo both smiled.
“Well, if they’re ticklish it means they’ve healed up nicely. Keep putting the salve on them for another few days, and don’t tire them or yourself out. Anybody that can teach Jojo here how to make a decent stitch is very valuable to this community.”
Jojo’s fist went to her hip in mock offense. “Hey, that’s not nice,” she warned Bea.
All the women laughed in response, then Bea left with a wave.
Jojo asked, “So, what do you wish to do first, Belle?”
“Start earning my keep, if I may, Mrs. Best.”
“In what way, dear?”
“I can do chores. I’m a fairly decent cook. Laundry. Whatever help you need.”
“How about you just rest up for now. You’ve had a hard time these past few weeks; the work will still be here when you’re ready.”
“But—”
“No buts, young lady. In fact, Daniel’s going to the train to pick up a package for me. How about I tell him to take you two along? You’d probably enjoy some fresh air.”
Belle thought that a splendid idea.
Jojo wasn’t so sure. “He’s not going to like it, Mama. Says he gets tired of chauffeuring me around.”
Her mother ignored that. “Help Belle get dressed.”
She exited.
So Belle dressed with Josephine’s help. Like all of the clothing Belle wore, the faded blue gown and scuffed shoes came from a stash of donated articles Mrs. Best kept for runaways. Because of Belle’s height, the hem ended a few inches above her ankles. Belle didn’t mind. The garment was far better than anything she’d owned before and she didn’t wish to remain cooped up inside the house another minute.
Daniel drove the wagon around to the front of the house, and if he didn’t want to play chauffeur he kept it hidden. He had on a nice brown top hat and a matching coat.
Belle knew her attire wasn’t nearly as fine. Her hand-me-down cloak and bonnet, though clean, were neither fashionable nor new.
Jojo, ever in charge said, “Belle, why don’t you sit in the middle?”
Belle looked up at Daniel, seated behind the reins. Her heart began to pound. “I can sit on the outside.”
Daniel told them both, “Come on, you two, I don’t have all day.”
So Belle picked up her skirts and climbed aboard. Once Jojo took the end spot on the seat, Daniel slapped down the reins and they were under way.
Belle wondered if Daniel could sense her nervousness. Not wanting to draw attention to herself, she sat quietly while Daniel drove and Jojo talked. According to Jojo, the train station was just a few miles away in a town called Ann Arbor.
Jojo couldn’t resist the opportunity to needle her brother. “I told Mama you wouldn’t like us tagging along, but she said she didn’t care how you felt.”
He looked her way and retorted, “I didn’t know pests could talk.”
A grinning Josephine stuck out her tongue. Belle inwardly chuckled. It was quite apparent the siblings cared for each other, and their mock squabblings were just that. Belle soon put them out of her mind, though, because she was so happy to be out-of-doors. The April air still held a trace of the departing winter’s chill, but the sun felt warm on her face, and the promise of spring could be seen in the fat brown buds on the trees.
Daniel directed his next words to Belle. “D
id Mama show you the papers?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
The papers he was referring to were her free papers. The documents verified a former slave’s freedom. They also noted the person’s description, age and where they were born. Being a runaway, Belle was not legally entitled to have them, but the Bests had secured her a set somehow. “How’d she get them?”
“Papa forged them.”
Belle’s eyes widened.
He chuckled at her alarmed face. “The slave catchers don’t play fair, so why should we? Papa copies real papers, then adds whatever name is needed to the forgeries.”
“Is that common?” Belle asked.
He nodded. “All over the North. Papa’s even copied my papers a few times for fugitives going through our station.”
“But what do you mean by the slave catchers don’t play fair?”
“Slave catchers have the right to hunt down runaways because of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. We call it the Kidnap Law because there’s nothing in it that prevents them from taking anyone they choose, slave or free, and that’s what they’ve been doing. There’s been lots of free people taken South just so the catchers can collect a bounty.”
“Is that part of the law, too?”
“No. Before a person can be sent back to slavery there’s supposed to be a hearing before a magistrate, but many times the catchers jump that step and take them South anyway.”
Jojo added bitterly, “And even if there’s a hearing, the magistrates are paid more to process the case when the fugitive is sent back.”
Belle didn’t like the sound of that. “So if I don’t have the papers I can be sent back? What if they’re lost or get burned up in a fire?”
“Don’t worry,” Daniel told her. “Mama hid them in a safe place, and Papa filed a duplicate set with the local sheriff. He’s a friend, too. And if you ever have to go to court, your papers will stand up. Papa does papers for folks all over this area, and he’s never had his work questioned.”
Back home, Belle had heard of slaves forging passes so they could escape or travel to visit family and friends, but she’d never personally known anyone bold enough or literate enough to have done it. Even though both Mr. and Mrs. Best offered assurances that the papers wouldn’t be challenged either, Belle couldn’t help but wonder if the forged documents would survive serious scrutiny. She hadn’t expected to be involved in intrigue while seeking freedom. She had naively believed that once she came North her worries would be over.
“Are you warm enough?” Daniel asked her.
Wrapped in the heavy cloak, Belle nodded shyly. Her sixteen-year-old heart warmed at his concern. “Have your parents been helping runaways a long time?”
“Since before Jojo and I were born.”
Jojo added proudly, “Mama freed herself by running away from Virginia when she was twelve. Papa was born free in Canada.”
“Your mother was a runaway?”
“Yes.”
Belle found that information surprising. It had never occurred to her that Mrs. Best was slavery born, but the knowledge gave Belle hope that one day she, too could become as polished and confident as Mrs. Best. Right now, she didn’t feel polished at all, but she was a free young woman. That felt good, even if her worries about her father hadn’t diminished.
A bit farther down the road they saw a wagon approaching. Jojo said to her brother, “That looks like Trudy’s papa’s wagon.”
“Sure does,” he agreed.
Belle asked, “Who’s Trudy, Jo?”
“My best friend in all the world. She’s been gone two weeks visiting an aunt in Toledo. Drive faster, Dani. I need to see if she’s with him.”
“I’m not risking the team just for that. You’ll have to wait until we get closer.”
Jojo was practically falling out of the wagon as she stood, trying to get a better look. “Oh, it is her! Look!”
Jojo started waving for all she was worth. On the approaching wagon stood a dark-skinned girl waving back with the same excitement.
“Stop, Dani! Stop!” Jojo cried.
Smiling and shaking his head, her brother complied. A second later, Jojo jumped down from the wagon and ran pell-mell up the road, cloak flying. Trudy did the same, running to meet her.
Belle had no idea how it felt to have such a loved friend, but seeing them warmed her inside. “They must’ve really missed each other.”
A nodding Daniel watched his sister and her friend hug each other in a laughing reunion, then cracked, “They’re both pests.”
Belle laughed.
Turning, he held her twinkling black eyes for a moment, then said, “We’re never going to get to the station at this rate.”
Belle found she couldn’t hold his gaze very long.
He asked then, “You always been this shy?”
Belle forced up her eyes. “I guess.”
“It’s okay to be shy.”
She dropped her head again. Being with him made her so tongue-tied she couldn’t respond.
Just then, Jojo came running back to the wagon. “Belle, I want you to meet someone. This is Trudy Carr. Trudy, my cousin, Belle. She’s staying with us.”
Trudy was finely dressed in a sweeping green cloak and a matching velvet bonnet. Her dark eyes held a smile. “Pleased to meet you, Belle. Hello, Dani.”
It was easy to see that Belle wasn’t the only girl sweet on Daniel.
“Welcome home, pest number two. How was the trip?”
“Fine,” she replied as she smiled up at him with cow eyes. “I’m glad I’m home, though.”
Jojo rolled her own eyes at her friend’s obvious antics, saying, “Dani, do you think Mama would mind if I went home with Trudy? Her papa says he’ll bring me home later.”
The two wagons were now side by side so Daniel looked over at Trudy’s papa and asked, “Are you sure you don’t mind, Mr. Carr?”
He cracked, “Gonna have to put up with all that giggling sooner or later. May as well be sooner.”
Trudy’s fist went to her hip in mock outrage. “Papa!”
He just smiled.
Grinning, Daniel said, “Then they’re all yours. I’ll let my folks know you’ll be seeing her home.”
Jojo beamed. “Thanks, Dani.”
Daniel then added, “Oh, Mr. Carr. This is our cousin, Belle.”
“Pleased to meet you, Belle.”
“Pleased to meet you, too, sir.”
Jojo climbed onto the Carr’s wagon. “Bye, Belle.”
“Bye, Jojo. I’ll see you later. You and Trudy have fun.”
“Enjoy yourself, pests,” Daniel said.
The girls answered in unison, “We will.”
With a wave, Jojo and the Carrs were off.
In the silence that followed, Daniel said, “Well.”
Belle felt shyer and more unsure than ever. “Well.”
“Guess we should get going.”
Belle nodded.
He then asked, “You sure you’re warm enough? I know it’s warmer where you’re from.”
Belle nodded, again too overcome by being alone with him to form words. He probably thinks you’re a simpleton, she scolded herself. “How far is the station?”
“Another few miles.”
Back home, because there’d been no call for Belle to travel, or to be anywhere but sewing for Mrs. Grayson, she’d never seen a train except in pictures. “I’ve never seen a train station,” she said without thought, then immediately wanted to take the words back.
A simpleton and ignorant!
Daniel sensed her discomfort, so he said gently, “That’s nothing to be ashamed of. Lots of things will be new here. Think of yourself as a traveler in a strange land, and whenever you need help or have a question, remember we’re all here.”
Belle hadn’t thought about being up North in those terms, but realized Daniel was correct; she was a traveler in a strange land.
“So will you let me know if you need anything?”
B
elle looked him straight in the face. “I will.”
“Promise?”
Holding his eyes, she said, “I promise.”
“Good, now let’s take you to see the station.”
Belle wondered if she’d ever breathe again.
When Daniel stopped to park the wagon near the depot, Belle’s limited knowledge of train stations made it impossible for her to judge whether this station was big or small. There were certainly many people milling about, though: folks of all races. Some were hauling trunks; other stood near the tracks waiting, she assumed, to either board the train or meet someone scheduled to arrive. There was so much to see: buildings, people, faces.
Belle had no idea she was standing up in the wagon until she turned to find Daniel watching her. Embarrassed, she said, “I must be staring like a field hand in the big house. I’m sorry.”
“Nothing to apologize for. You’re a traveler, remember.”
Belle knew he probably extended this kindness to all the runaways he encountered, but it warmed her heart anyway.
Suddenly the air exploded with the loudest sound she’d ever heard in her life. Covering her ears, she stared trans-fixed at the sight of the big black train barreling down the track, with cinders, sparks and embers pouring from its stack. It looked almost alive! The sight filled her with such exhilaration, she forgot about being sixteen and grinned like she was six. Turning to Daniel she saw him grinning, too.
He asked, “Like it?”
The train slowed, then stopped father down the track. “I never knew they were so big or so noisy. My Lord.”
Daniel laughed.
“Is this station a big one?”
People were now stepping down from the train onto the platform.
“No, it’s very small. The one in Philadelphia has more tracks than you can count.”
Belle found that amazing.
“Do you want to see it up close?”
Belle nodded excitedly.
So with Daniel Best by her side, Belle Palmer got her first real look at a steam engine. It proved to be even noisier up close: noisy, smoky and quite dangerous, too, she realized watching a man snatch his wife’s hat from her head and slap at the embers threatening to burn a hole in it.