Allegheny Hideaway. Kimberly Tanner GordonЧитать онлайн книгу.
Mister Picket for abandoning his wife in her time of need.
Iris smiled to herself. How nice this young man was to come to her rescue. When the coach arrived, Samuel helped her inside. The cushions were covered in velvet.
“To Lexington,” Samuel told his driver.
As the coach drove her home, Iris searched her mind for something to say. “Mister Reed, you mentioned your father was in the lumber business. Was he at the party too?”
“No, ma’am. He’s visiting my grandmamma in Pennsylvania. She lives in a little town up near the Allegheny Mountains called Williamsport,” he replied. “Ever heard of it?”
Iris laughed quietly. “Well, actually, no. But I’m sure it’s a very nice place.”
“Oh, it is,” he answered quickly. “It’s a beautiful little town in the mountains with a big river running just south. I’ll go back one day.”
Iris smiled at him in the darkness. “Are you from there? How did you end up way down South?”
“My father’s family is from there. My mother’s was from Maryland. I’ve been all over, going with my father where the work goes. Right now, we are harvesting some land …” his voice trailed off. “Do you really want to hear this?”
She smiled slightly. “Do go on.”
Samuel shifted in his seat. “Well, to keep it simple, we are clearing forest here. But the main reason we moved south is for my mother. She hated the cold winters.”
“Is she with your father then, up north?” Iris asked.
“No, ma’am. Not this trip. You see, she died last year.”
Iris regretted the question. “Oh. I’m very sorry. My father died when I was ten. But my mother remarried. She and Tom live in Charleston.”
The remainder of the drive into town was uneventful as Iris and Samuel spoke about families. When they reached her doorstep, he politely assisted her out of the coach. While her hand was still in his, he bent down to offer it a kiss. “If you ever need help again ma’am, or a friend, please call on me,” he offered.
Iris was genuinely touched by his sincerity and manners. What a wonderful person he was. “Thank you very much, Mister Reed,” she told him with gratefulness.
Martin, the Picket’s doorman, opened the front door. Iris thanked her escort and went inside.
After a good night’s rest, Iris awoke with a plan. She knew now what needed to be done to protect herself from Johnathan’s anger. She had to run away; she had to leave and go far. And now, after the conversation with Samuel Reed, she knew where to go. Johnathan would never dream that she would move north. And he would never set foot on Northern soil to come find her. Iris made up her mind to make a plan and leave this very week.
That night at the dinner table, Iris and Johnathan were having a quiet meal when Iris put her plan into action. Butterflies in her stomach churned wildly, but she forced herself to look calm on the outside.
“Johnathan dear, I would like to go and visit my mother,” she began.
“What for?” he barked. “All she will do is try to convince you to stay in the city when you know you belong here.” His eyebrows furrowed angrily.
“Yes, I know. But we haven’t been there since last summer and I would like to go in the spring before it gets too hot. I can take Hattie and stay for just two weeks. That would make me happy. You don’t care do you?” She held her breath for his answer.
“I suppose I really don’t care one way or the other,” he said sarcastically. “But I’m not going. You can stay for two weeks, but after that, you come right back,” he ordered.
Iris nodded, not trusting her voice to speak. She could not believe her good fortune. It had been easier than she thought.
Later that night, Iris secretly began sewing hidden pockets into the folds of her petticoats. After three more days, she was packed and ready. All of her jewelry was secretly stashed away into the folds. She would sell them as money was needed.
As her trunk was lifted onto the back of the wagon, she and Johnathan climbed into the coach. Hattie, with her one bag, climbed onto the wagon. They had a ten mile ride to Columbia. Iris had warned Hattie to say absolutely nothing about their plans. She told her to act normal, that they were just going on a visit to Charleston.
Iris’ cream and peach colored dress echoed her cheerful spirits as the coach pulled up to the train station in Columbia on this pretty spring day. Once on the platform, Johnathan handed her a ten dollar bill.
“Just a little money in case you do something stupid and get into trouble,” he told her. “Be careful in Charleston. Don’t be seen where you shouldn’t be. I have friends down there who will be watching out for you,” he advised. He then turned to Hattie. “Don’t you be uppity to your mistress now, just because she’s taking you on a trip. Understand?” he asked.
“Yes, sir,” Hattie answered obediently with a nod of her scarf-covered head.
Iris nearly jumped out of her shoes as the train whistle blew from nearby. It would depart in just minutes and she would be free at last.
“Take care while I’m gone,” she told her husband, trying to act normal. “I’ll be back two weeks from today.”
Johnathan gave her a quick kiss goodbye. “I’ll sure be lonely at night while you’re gone,” he whispered quietly. “But we can make up for it when you get back,” he added with a wink.
Inside, Iris was repulsed at the thought. For appearances though, she smiled and tried to act embarrassed.
“All aboard,” came the call from the man down the line.
Iris watched as her trunk was loaded. She turned to Hattie.“You go on down to your car now. I’ll see you in Charleston.” Hattie took her bag and headed toward the back of the train.
“Goodbye, Johnathan,” Iris spoke demurely.
“Bye, Iris. See you soon,” he answered.
Iris gripped her closed parasol tightly and entered the train with strong reserve. This was her freedom, this was her escape. She took a seat on the far side of the car so Johnathan would not be able to see her as the train pulled away. She never even looked back to see if he remained on the platform. The whistle blew again and she could hear the captain shouting. Her heart beat wildly. Finally, the train began to pull away. “Goodbye, cruel Johnathan,” she thought in her mind. “You’ll never see me again.”
Iris sat mostly still for the first twenty-five miles of the trip, trying to accept that her surroundings were for real. But after the stop in Kingsville, she began to smile. It was real. It was wonderfully real. The train crossed the bridge over the Congaree River and headed south to Orangeburg. Iris enjoyed the scenery as distance was gained from her past. She chatted easily with a few of the fellow passengers. One family of six was traveling to the seashore for a holiday. Many passengers were men on business. Iris could tell by the way they dressed and the seriousness of their expressions. One young couple sat in the back and the woman kept giggling. Iris supposed them to be newlyweds, off on a trip. She wondered what it would have been like to be happily married. She hoped this woman had not been deceived as she had been. Johnathan had been very charming while he was courting her. It was not until after the marriage that his true nature had shown through. Iris caught herself thinking about Johnathan and resolved not to give him further thought for a long time.
The South Carolina Railroad steamed through Branchville, St. Georges and several other small towns before finally reaching Charleston. Iris was so thrilled to breathe in salty ocean air once more. This was her real home. She searched the crowd on the platform to find her mother and Tom. Tom had been good to her in the seven years they had known one another, and it was obvious that he loved her mother. She knew her mother would always be in good hands.
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