As I rode Bleu slowly up Queen Street I could see Grandfather Henshaw’s carriage in front of our house. It was piled high with baggage. I felt sick with foreboding. Now I not only had Mother to face but Grandfather and Rebeckah as well. I brought Bleu to the barn and took my time feeding and watering him. Then I went into the house the back way and was about to slip up the stairs when Rebeckah called from the parlor.
“You might have the decency to come and say hello, Jemima.”
They were having coffee. A cheery fire was burning on the hearth. Grandfather Henshaw was seated on one side of the fireplace, Mother on the other. John Reid was perched on a window seat. Rebeckah, in scarlet silk, stood in the middle of the room.
“Jem, what happened?” Mother jumped up when she saw me.
“I’m all right, Mama. I took a spill riding Bleu and hurt my hand, but the Indian women at Grandfather Emerson’s bandaged it for me. It’s much better now.”
“Grandfather Emerson’s! Is that where you were! And I’ve been sitting here worrying about you! Jemima, how can you be so inconsiderate?”
“I’m sorry, Mama.” I was suddenly aware of my torn and muddy petticoat and disheveled appearance.
“You look a fine mess, I must say.” Rebeckah stepped forward. “Did it ever occur to you that Mother may have wanted you here today, after Dan left? You never change, do you, Jem?”
For the life of me I could think of no reply. They were all looking at me accusingly. John Reid watched me knowingly, but said nothing.
“Honestly, Jemima, sometimes I don’t know what to do with you anymore,” Mama was saying. “I sent John out to look for you. He searched all over town. Why did you go to Grandfather Emerson’s?”
“Because she was off on one of her wild jaunts again with no thought for anyone but herself, that’s why,” Rebeckah said. “She ought to be whipped for worrying you so.”
“You’re one to talk,” I shot back. “You haven’t had any consideration for Mother since you’ve been home!”
“How dare you?” She stepped forward and grasped my good arm. “You little ruffian, how dare you speak to me like that.”
“I speak the truth. You’ve given Mother more heartache than anybody.”
She drew back her arm to slap me, but the next thing I knew John Reid was there restraining her. “That’s enough, Rebeckah. It isn’t your place to punish her.”
“Whose is it? Yours? You can’t even keep her from running off on her lessons when Mother is paying you so dearly. She’s out cavorting with Indians instead.”
Reid laughed. “So your grandfather Emerson is an Indian, eh? I knew there was some reason I didn’t marry you.”
“Your grandfather Emerson is not an Indian, Rebeckah,” Mama said, sharply.
“Well, he might as well be. He’s married to one. If he is, indeed, married. No wonder Jem feels so at home there, with that Indian servant, or whatever he is to Grandfather, hanging around.”
“You leave Canoe out of this,” I said. “He’s a good person. He escorted me to the outskirts of town.”
“Thank heaven he had the sense to stay on the outskirts. At least everyone didn’t see you riding with that savage.”
“He’s not a savage!”
“Dear, dear, this is intolerable.” Grandfather Henshaw sat mopping his brow.
“Rebeckah! Jem! For heaven’s sake, show some consideration for your mother, both of you!” John Reid spoke in his best schoolmaster’s tone.
Rebeckah calmed herself. “It wouldn’t be intolerable if Mother would take my suggestion,” she said. “I tell you, Mother, you’d do the right thing if you let me take her to Philadelphia.”
The room was suddenly silent. Mother had turned and was standing at the window, her back to us, rigid and silent.
“Mama? That isn’t why Becky and Grandfather are here, is it? You’re not sending me to Philadelphia.” I saw the smug look on Becky’s face and started to understand.
“You’d learn how to behave in civilized company at least,” Becky said. “One year in Philadelphia with me and you’d learn manners. I can promise you that.”
“Mama?” My voice cracked and my heart was hammering inside me.
“Go upstairs, Jem,” she said without turning around, “and clean yourself up and rest.”
The sobs started deep inside me and then the tears came. I didn’t know where to look. I put my hands to my face.
“Come here, Jem.” It was John Reid’s voice, but I didn’t move.
“Jemima Emerson, I said to come here.” He used his schoolmaster’s tone again. Numbly I went to him.
He looked at me, his brown eyes intent but not unkind. “Now, listen to me. Rebeckah says I can’t do anything with you. Do you want to prove her right?”
I couldn’t speak. I shook my head no.
“It looks as if I can’t. Not only to Rebeckah, but to your mama right now. She would have every right to terminate my services today. It seems as if I’ve failed as your tutor. Perhaps the only thing left for your mother to do is send you to Philadelphia.”
“I don’t want to go to Philadelphia, Mr. Reid,” I appealed.
“Then do as I say, and perhaps we can redeem this day. There will be no packing you off right now, not until your parents discuss this. So go to your sister and grandfather and kiss them goodbye.”
“Kiss Rebeckah?”
“Yes.”
“I won’t.”
“You will do as I say!” His eyes flashed and his voice held a dozen familiar threats. I went and kissed them.
“Dear child,” Grandfather said, wiping his eyes. He was quite beside himself. “Mind your tutor, there’s a good girl.”
Rebeckah accepted my kiss coolly. “Grow up, Jem. You must, sooner or later, you know.”
“Mama?” I looked at her, but she wouldn’t turn around.
“Leave your mother be, Jem,” Reid directed, “and come along with me.” He took hold of my good wrist and pulled me from the room. Closing the door, he looked at me. “You’ve all but ruined things for yourself today, you know that, don’t you?”
I said nothing. I was nearly falling off my feet with exhaustion.
“Your sister’s been working on your mother for two hours to take you to Philadelphia. If you think I’m bad, try having her for a teacher. You’d come crawling back in two months.”
“Thank you, Mr. Reid.”
“For what? I’ve done nothing yet. You’re still in danger of going. Your mother is at her wit’s end with you. If you’ll take my advice, you’ll go to your chamber until after supper and pretend exhaustion. Which shouldn’t be too difficult, the way you look. At the table I’ll try to smooth things over with your parents.”
“Why would you do that for me?”
He smiled. “If you think I’m going to let Rebeckah have anything to do with the way you turn out after I’ve invested two years in you, you have another think coming. Besides, I owe more than that to your parents.”
He kept his eyes down while he spoke. I moved toward the stairs.
“Jemima.”
“Yes, Mr. Reid.”
“I’ll fight for you to stay. All I have to fight with is my promise to your parents that I can do a good job with you. If I win and they let you stay, things will be different with us, however. There will be no more nonsense. I won’t tolerate it. Do we understand each other?”
I looked at him, thinking of how I hated him and here he was offering me the only hope I had at the moment. “Yes, Mr. Reid,” I said. I ran up the stairs.