15

THE LETTERS

KATELYN FEARED THE WORST AND suspected that her aunt had something to do with Lilly’s disappearance. With no legal document proving that Lilly’s mother had placed her baby in the care of the Richardsons, she was at the mercy of a wicked woman who would stop at nothing to get revenge. Withholding any documentation would be a perfect way to get back at Lilly. Although Katelyn couldn’t bring herself to believe that Genevieve was desperate enough to sell Lilly to pay off a gambling debt, the notion kept haranguing her. In the days that followed the kidnapping, Katelyn paced the floors crying, sobbing, refusing to eat, and becoming inconsolable with grief.

“You must eat something, my dear. Eat a little of this biscuit with your tea,” Mrs. Dempsey coaxed lovingly. “You won’t do Lilly any good by wasting away like an exhausted rabbit. You shouldn’t blame yourself either. We both know that if this were merely a case of evil men seeking to violate young women, they would have grabbed Betsey, too. It is obvious that Lilly was the target.”

“Please don’t put that thought in my mind. I’m trying to deal with this the best I can without worrying about something so horrible as that!” Katelyn began to sob. She was tired of being polite. She was exhausted from lack of sleep and food, so her nerves were on edge. She began shouting at Mrs. Dempsey. “And stop trying to convince me that God is in control because He isn’t and never has been. Otherwise, I’d still have my parents and my dear uncle at my side instead of an evil aunt.”

She ran upstairs to her guest bedroom and slammed the door.

Andrew rushed into the sitting room, glaring at his mother. “Are you preaching at Katelyn again? Can’t you just stop all the religious talk for now? Can’t you see that she’s distraught and can’t bear to hear any sermons! Leave that task to the vicar on Sunday morning, Mother.”

Feeling dismayed, Mrs. Dempsey shrugged her shoulders and returned to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

* * *

Andrew felt frustrated and helpless over the situation so he returned to the library to continue his research on Lord Milburn’s legal matters. He was preparing a brief with the information given to him years earlier. Much had changed since his death now that Lady Genevieve was the legal executor of his entire estate.

He remained annoyed that his mother or Emily did not see two men boldly enter the yard and snatch a child away right beneath their noses. His little sister still was unable to talk. Dr. Philips explained that it might take months before she could ever speak again. His mother refused to let him coax information out of her, hovering over her like a mother hen. Frustrated, he slammed his fist on the desk and slumped back into the chair. While pondering the matter, he gazed out toward the woods, wondering how the men stealthily moved across the field without being seen by the girls playing outside or his mother who was always glancing out the window to check on them. His mind returned to Katelyn, as it always did whenever he was in a quandary. He was more in love with her than ever, but he didn’t stand a chance. He had noticed her gleeful reaction to Jasper reporting that Bennington had paid her a visit.

Katelyn burst into the room, her face deeply flushed with excitement.

Andrew immediately stood. “Miss Katelyn! What a pleasant surprise.” He bowed briefly. His voice reflected genuine sincerity. “I thought you were taking rest. Mother said you were exhausted.”

“Never mind me. I can’t believe this discovery!” Her face beamed with radiant joy.

He loved the way her blue eyes danced when she became excited. She was truly the most beautiful girl in Savannah, causing his heart to flutter in her presence. She held out two letters. It was the first time he’d seen her smile since Lilly went missing. “These were in a pocket of my dress hanging in the closet. I had left my aunt in such a dither, only to arrive here to learn that Lilly had been abducted. It’s little wonder I forgot to look at them. Lilly’s mother wrote these two letters! She had written to my parents about coming to America to fetch Lilly. She wrote a second correspondence that she refers to in the last letter, but only the first and third letter made it to Savannah.” The excitement in Katelyn’s voice dispelled the heavy dark cloud that had been hanging over them for days.

Andrew grasped the envelopes from Katelyn’s extended hand and sat down at his desk. “This is an amazing discovery. I’ve been at a complete loss with so little information to go on.”

“Yes, I think so, too!” Katelyn’s face was flushed. “Her name is Carmen Wright. She’s made reference to her high social order in England, so Lilly’s birth must have bid her scorn. Well, that is of course . . . ”

Andrew looked puzzled. “That is of course what?”

“That is if anyone in her social circle even knew about Lilly.” Katelyn placed her hands upon her heart when she spoke. “There is so much she doesn’t say . . . um . . . as if my parents already knew why Lilly . . . ”

“There’s no need to speculate why Lilly ended up here. We must contact her mother immediately!” Andrew stood to emphasize his point, his mood and manner suddenly turning methodical. “She can legitimize Lilly’s standing in our country as a free entity. This new Fugitive Slave Act that Congress just passed is causing needless hardship and bloodshed for emancipated slaves. If Lilly has been sold into slavery, we’ll be able to track every liable exchange up and down the eastern seacoast to locate who purchased her. I’ve got scouts scheduled to be in every city with slave auctions taking place over the next few weeks. However, I must be able to produce documents to prove she’s a free Negro child.”

Katelyn’s happy demeanor diminished like the sails of a vessel when the wind dies down. “The letters don’t contain her address, nor does Carmen mention the town she’s from.”

It was time to pay a visit to Lady Genevieve Richardson.