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THERE WAS NOTHING MORE mesmerizing than the beauty of nature untouched by man. Miles of vegetation flew past the train as Charles stared out the window.
After his conversation with Virginia, he had gone back to the sitting car to be alone and think. He had never shared his heritage with anyone else, not even Mr. Taylor. By no means was he ashamed of his mother and grandmother. In fact, he celebrated their beauty. But the paleness of his skin was a blessing and a gift he wanted to use to help others.
He had to protect his secret and be careful with whom he shared it. Any person with even one ancestor of African heritage was classified as Negro. Being found out would demolish his chances of practicing law for the betterment of all people. And, right now, the world needed more men willing to do just that.
With the information he had shared, Virginia could tear down his entire world. But he knew she wouldn’t; the way she’d held him and cried in his arms reassured him of that.
“Excuse me, sir. Is there anything I can get for you?”
Charles looked up at the attendant smiling down at him. The young man had a genuinely pleasant disposition. “Yes. A Scotch, please.”
“Make that two,” Richard said, coming up the aisle.
“Right away, gentlemen,” the attendant replied with a small nod of his head.
Richard took the seat across from Charles.
“We arrive in Chattanooga tomorrow,” Charles said. “I’m not sure if there will be a reply to my telegraph waiting for us, but I gave Mr. Taylor all our stops along the way, so we should hear something back from him soon.”
“Excellent. Thank you. And, again, I apologize for not telling you about Rose’s condition.” Richard cast a remorseful gaze at Charles, who stared back unmoved.
Charles cocked his head to the side, studying the man before him, debating how he should deliver his next words. “I want you to understand something,” Charles said in a firm, level tone. “When I initially agreed to assist you on this mission, my life was in a different place than it is now. Nothing that has happened since then has been planned, but I must admit I like this unforeseen turn of events. With that said, I need you to know that I won’t tolerate any more lies or surprises from you. If you do anything to put Virginia’s life in danger, I will have no choice but to break our arrangement and possibly your legs. Do we understand each other?”
“Yes,” Richard confirmed with a nod. A wide smile spread across his lips. “If the roles were reversed, I would tell you the same thing. So, your wife is growing on you, I see.”
“That she is, the little spitfire. One minute, she glares at me as if she wishes my death, and the next, she’s wrapping me in a hug that could cure any ailment.”
“I understand; Rose is the same way.”
“How did the two of you meet?”
Richard’s smile grew wider as he slipped into the memory of meeting the one and only Rose Fletcher. “I was in Memphis on holiday a few years back. The ale is cheap, and the women loose,” he said with a wink. “I was completely sloshed and arguing with a bloke about something I can no longer recall as I stumbled out of a whorehouse. I found myself hungry and meandered into the market searching for food. I wasn’t paying attention and ran right into her, knocking her over.
“She cursed me out good and proper, and I fell in love with her right then and there. Although, it was probably the alcohol talking, for the most part. When I sobered up, I asked around as discretely as possible and found out where she lived. It took me an entire month to get her to talk to me, but it was a month well spent.”
“She sounds like just the woman you need.”
“She is, in every way. When I found out she was expecting our child, I didn’t think my heart would be able to contain all the joy. I’ve wanted to take her back to England since she first told me she loved me, but Rose is a stubborn one. She was afraid of getting caught, but our child has given her courage.”
Richard smiled to himself, and Charles watched him closely. What would it be like to feel that? To know that the woman you loved would be bringing the child you created together into the world.
“Here you are, gentlemen,” the attendant said as he came back with a tray holding their drinks. He bent low so Richard and Charles could take their drinks.
“Thank you.”
“Thanks.”
The attendant gave a small bow and smile before turning to leave again. Charles took a sip of his Scotch, enjoying the smooth burn as it went down.
“So, what is your plan to win over your wife?” Richard asked with a knowing smile.
“I could pretend I don’t understand the meaning of your question, but since we’re both intelligent men, I will not insult us in such a way. My answer is, therefore, that I have no plan.”
Richard chuckled into his Scotch. “Then today is your lucky day. As repayment for helping me free my wife, I will help you win the heart of yours.”
“You think yourself an expert in such matters?”
“Winning over Rose was like trying to sell ice during an English winter. If I can get that girl to love me, I must know a little something. That is, if you want to win her over.”
Charles mulled that question over. Did he want to win Virginia? The ever-present, logical portion of his brain presented the fact that he barely knew her. The other portion returned that that was part of the process of winning her over—learning more about her and what she was made of. “All right, then. Impart your wisdom upon me.”
Richard leaned in as if the information he was about to share was more precious than the crown jewels and not to be missed. “Here is what you do,” he whispered. “Tomorrow, on the steamboat...”