Glimmers of Change (27 page)

Abby sat at attention the entire way, her pistol ready and her eyes scanning the shadows for any movement. She knew the almost-dark roads increased their danger. The thought of Thomas and Jeremy facing those men without warning kept her pressing forward.

Thomas and Jeremy were just leaving the factory when they arrived.

“Abby!” Thomas cried, whitening when he saw the look on her face. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

Abby quickly told him what had happened, her anger growing as she talked. “It was infuriating!” she finished.

Thomas grabbed her arm. “You could have been killed,” he whispered.

The same thought had occurred to Abby, but she pushed it aside. “So could one or more of them,” she replied calmly, annoyed when she felt her insides begin to tremble now that the danger had passed.

Jeremy was standing at attention beside the carriage, his eyes never still as he watched every movement. “I’d suggest we get home,” he said steadily. “I think Abby is right that they won’t come after all of us, but a man with wounded pride can be very dangerous. I say we finish this conversation at home.”

Abby was happy to stay close to Thomas, her hand firmly in his as Spencer drove them rapidly through the darkened streets. She only relaxed when they turned down their street. She could hardly wait to sit down to a hot meal and then talk with Thomas after dinner.

“Spencer! Stop!” Jeremy yelled.

Abby’s mind froze as her eyes searched the street for signs of danger.

Jeremy stood tall in the carriage, staring down at the city spread below them from their vantage point on the hill. “There is a fire,” he said grimly. “Down in the black quarter.”

“Not another one,” Abby whispered, fatigue pressing down on her like a blanket. “Is there to be no end?”

“I’ve got to get down there,” Jeremy said urgently.

“Of course you do,” Thomas said. Jeremy had already told him what he could about his activities. He knew his brother was leaving things out, but he trusted Jeremy was revealing all he could. “Spencer?”

“Yessir,” Spencer responded grimly. “We’ll get there a lot faster in the carriage. It’s the Second African Church,” he said. “I know right where that church be from up here.”

“We should come help,” Abby gasped, her thoughts flying to Marietta, already knowing Jeremy’s thoughts were centered on the lovely young woman who had shared dinner with them several times.

“No, ma’am,” Spencer replied firmly. “Ain’t no telling what is going on down there. You done been in enough danger for one night.”

“He’s right, Abby,” Thomas agreed. He grasped Jeremy’s hand. “We’ll wait up until you get home with the news.”

Abby and Thomas climbed quickly from the carriage when Spencer brought it to a standstill. “Be careful!” they called, as the horses returned the way they had just come. They stood on the porch until the quiet of the night had swallowed all sounds, and then they went inside.

Jeremy wanted to yell at Spencer to go faster, but he knew the horses were going as swiftly as they could on the dark streets.

“You know we ain’t gonna get there in time to save anythin’,” Spencer said grimly.

Jeremy scowled, knowing he was right. “I doubt it was an accident.”

“Don’t reckon it was.” He looked over at Jeremy. “How many people know you been comin’ down to the church to help us?”

“Only Thomas and Abby,” Jeremy replied, looking at Spencer sharply. “You think someone did this because of me?” His thoughts flew to Marietta. Would she come to harm because of him? He prayed she had left the church right after school. The thought of something happening to her had his throat closing like a vise. He struggled to breathe evenly.

Spencer shrugged. “Them men who came after Abby tonight seemed bent on destruction, but if they was the ones who done it, it weren’t because of you. It was because of us. Them men might not like what you’re doing, but it weren’t
your
church they burned.”

Jeremy gritted his teeth. “I should stop coming if I’m putting anyone in danger.”

“I don’t think so,” Spencer responded quietly. “That would just be giving them what they want. They knows you helpin’ us. They for sure don’t want that.”

“Then they should come after me,” Jeremy snapped. Again, his thoughts flew to Marietta. He would see what he could do for the church, and then he would go to her boarding house to make sure she was safe.

“Be careful what you wish for, Mr. Jeremy,” Spencer warned. “You might just get it.”

“Tell me more about what happened tonight,” Jeremy asked, trying to shake his helpless feeling. “I have a feeling Abby left out some things.”

“She sho nuff did,” Spencer agreed. He spoke quickly as they drew closer to the black quarter, telling Jeremy everything that had happened. “That one man was real bad news. I didn’t recognize him from around town. You got to keep a close eye on Mrs. Cromwell.”

“We will, but I’m also concerned about you. They would have killed you if they had gotten you down from the wagon,” Jeremy growled.

Spencer remained silent, focused on his driving, but the expression on his face said he knew that was true.

“I’m going to get you a pistol, Spencer. You’ll be able to protect yourself, and you can also help protect whomever you’re driving.”

Spencer nodded. “I reckon that be a good thing, but you might oughta teach me how to shoot it once you give it to me. Not many black people, other than them soldiers during the war, ever had a gun. I ain’t never held a gun before. No telling what might get shot. ”

Jeremy chuckled and then fell silent as they rounded the last corner. Spencer had been right — it was impossible to save anything. There was a huge crowd of people standing just outside the ring of heat, but no one was doing anything but staring and crying as the two-story, old wooden building went up like kindling. The roof had already collapsed. The burning walls were sending columns of fire and smoke high into the air.

Spencer pulled the wagon to a stop. Both of them stared at the burning church with a sick feeling. The fire was bad enough, but the malice they were certain was behind it hung in the air like a dark shroud.

Jeremy thought about the simple pews that seated the congregation each Sunday. He could clearly see the rooms set aside for students during the day and then for Secret Society meetings at night. He remembered the picnic he had been invited to a few weeks earlier. Good food, laughing faces, and friendship had resonated throughout the sunny spring day. It was all gone.

“Jeremy!”

Jeremy swiveled his head until he saw Eddie’s wildly waving arm. He jumped down from the carriage and hurried over. “How did this happen?”

Eddie frowned, his eyes a mixture of pain and fury. “It was set. Me and Opal and Marcus was coming over for a meeting. We got here a little early because Opal had made cookies for everyone. She wanted it to be a surprise. Just as we got here we saw a gang of white men running away from the church.” He turned to stare at the inferno. “They started the fires in the back. It done took only a few minutes for it to all go up.”

“Was anyone in there?” Jeremy asked, trying to speak steadily. Not many people knew about his relationship with Marietta.

“I don’t think so. Classes were over for the day and the meetings hadn’t started yet. The pastor is right over there, so I know he’s okay.”

Jeremy nodded with relief — a relief that was short-lived when he turned back to stare at the building. He only had one other question. “Marietta? Is she okay? Are you absolutely positive she wasn’t in there?”

As if summoned by his thoughts, she appeared from the darkness. “I’m fine, Jeremy.” She smiled at him, but her eyes were dark with concern and anger.

This time Jeremy’s relief almost swallowed him. “Thank God!” he said fervently. He grabbed both her hands and stared into her face. “Are you sure you’re okay? No burns from heroic efforts to save anything?” He had vivid memories of Carrie’s description of Clint’s burned hands.

“No heroic measures,” Marietta assured him. “By the time I got back here, it was too late to do anything.” Her voice trembled slightly. “I stayed after school late today because I was grading papers. I had just arrived home when one of my students came running to tell me about the fire.”

Jeremy gripped her hands tighter, knowing she probably wouldn’t have had a chance to escape the building if she had been in there when the fires were set. The arsonists had done a thorough job for the building to burn so quickly. “You’re sure no one else was in there?”

“Fairly certain,” Marietta responded. “I called goodbye when I left the building. No one responded. I believe it was empty.”

Jeremy nodded, continuing to stare down into her eyes. Their relationship was progressing, but there had been nothing else said about his feelings for her. He heard the popping sound of exploding timbers. As a more intense wave of heat rolled toward them, he pulled Marietta close into his arms, shielding her body. He buried his face in her hair for a long moment, pleased when she didn’t pull away. “I was so afraid something had happened to you,” he murmured.

Marietta stood quietly and then wrapped her arms around him. Jeremy felt the trembles rippling through her body. He pulled her even closer. “It’s going to be alright,” he said softly.

Only then did she pull back. “Really? This church was one of the centers of the community. What will everyone do now?” she demanded, anger replacing her fear.

“We’ll build it back, Miss Marietta,” Eddie assured her. “It may take us a while, but we’ll build it back.”

“And until then?” Marietta asked. “What will everyone do? Where am I supposed to teach my students?”

Jeremy had a sudden idea. “Come with me,” he said suddenly. He turned to Spencer. “Can you take us to the old hospital?”

Spencer nodded, a grin spreading across his face. “Sho nuff can, Mr. Jeremy. Can’t do nothing here anyway. Thank God the buildings around here weren’t close enough to the church to catch fire. There are plenty of men to watch things through the night.”

Marietta stared up at him. “The old hospital? Jeremy, I think I should be here.”

Jeremy smiled, glad to have a solution to part of the problems created by the loss of the church. “I thought you wanted a place to teach your students?”

“I do, but…”

“Just come with me,” Jeremy insisted, tipping her face up so their eyes met. “I have your answer.”

“You go,” Eddie urged. “I know my kids gonna be badgerin’ me about school the minute I get home. Sure would be nice to have an answer.”

“You just tell them they have a school,” Jeremy promised. He helped Marietta into the carriage and then settled down next to her.

Marietta stared at him but remained quiet, reconciled to the fact Jeremy wasn’t going to say anything else. The glow remained in the sky, but the farther they pulled away from the church, the quieter the night became. Hundreds of people were crowded around the fire, but there were still curious faces peering out at them as they drove through the streets.

Spencer finally pulled the horses to a stop. “Here you go, Mr. Jeremy.”

Jeremy took a deep breath. He hadn’t been back here since his father’s death. He had stayed away because he feared the memories would be too painful. Now, two years later, the memories produced a warm pride.

“What is this?” Marietta asked.

“My father’s old church. I gave it to the congregation when he passed away, but there weren’t enough of them to keep it going. It’s been sitting empty since the end of the war. I haven’t known what to do with it.”

Marietta stepped out from the carriage, but darkness shrouded the building. “How big is it?”

“Big enough,” Jeremy promised. “The right side of the building was used as the church. The left side was converted into a hospital during the war. Carrie and Janie used to come down here and care for the people.”

“Carrie and Jamie were the doctors?” she gasped. “I didn’t know! I’d heard about the hospital, but I didn’t know where it was.”

“You’re looking at it,” Jeremy replied, a fierce pride sweeping through him. His father had seen needs and filled them. Now it was his turn. “It’s plenty big enough for your school, and the groups can meet here at night. The church portion isn’t large enough for the congregation, but I’ll let the pastor decide what he wants to do about that.” He paused. “The hospital portion has dirt floors. I’m not sure what condition it is in,” he said apologetically, suddenly having second thoughts about offering it. He was having a hard time seeing Marietta working in these conditions, but he understood her commitment.