Page 113 of Master of Paradise
Amanda went back to the house and saidbriskly, "Jenny, we'll do it! Get our things ready. We won't beable to carry much, but there's a cold nip in the air so perhaps wecould wear two layers of clothes. We'll go in the little boat toCharleston."
"I'll get Mammy to help us. Mandy, let's gotonight!"
"No, we can't. I have something I must dotonight," she said firmly.
"What?"
I can't tell you, you'd only try to talk meout of it. But it's something I have to do."
Amanda waited until the floodtide came up theAshley, then she pushed the little boat out into the river andheaded upstream toward Orangeburg and the brick yard. When she drewclose, the evening sky had such a magnificent sunset, she had neverseen the sky so red. She had a struggle with the oars, but finallypulled the little boat into shore and secured it so it wouldn't beswept away.
People were excited and shouting. She couldfind no sign of Jason or Solange and asked where they were.
"Gone! They was wise. They cleared out a weekago. Wish to God I'd had enough sense to go with 'em", said a womanwho was carrying a sack filled with her belongings.
"What's happening?" Amanda asked,bewildered.
"They's burnin' the capital! Can't you seethe sky?"
As realization dawned, she could smell acridsmoke in the air.My God, I can't believe the enemy is onlyabout sixty miles away in Columbia. I must be sure Solange and thechild have gotten away to safety.Amanda went inside the littlehouse where they had lived. All their personal belongings seemed tobe gone, so she could only conclude that they had gone North tosafety.
Mandy pushed the little boat out intomidstream and instantly had a battle on her hands. The tide hadn'tturned yet, and the current carried her upstream closer to theenemy, no matter how hard she pulled on the oars.
She was on the point of panic when theriver's flow began to ebb and slowly, slowly, she was able to getback to Paradise.
Shakily, she told them the Capital wasablaze. "I haven't the strength left, or we would leave tonight.Jenny, we must rest and go early tomorrow." Amanda sewed thediamond necklace into her drawers, then fell into bed exhausted.Her outstretched hand clutched her son in case sudden flight becamenecessary.
In the morning their pitiful belongings wereplaced in the little boat, and while Jennifer clung to her father,Amanda embraced Mammy Lou. "Please don't cry Mammy or you'll setDaddy off and he won't be able to stop. God bless you-- we'll comeback to you someday."
Amanda handed Nicholas to Jennifer while shehandled the boat. She had no definite ideas about what to do oncethey reached Charleston, but Amanda hoped there would be ships inthe harbor and she had a vague idea of arranging their passage onone of them.
Actually, once they arrived, there were veryfew people about, and the empty ships and boats looked neglected,,riding at anchor as if they hadn't been moved in months.
The two young woman and the child were turneddown by everyone they approached. In truth their ignorance waslaughed at. Didn't they know that absolutely nothing was able toget through the blockade?
Amanda and Jennifer sat down wearily at theend of the wharf. They knew they wouldn't be able to stay therelong because of the cold air gusting off the Atlantic.
Jennifer summoned all her practicality."We'll have to go to Aunt Virginia's."
Amanda shook her head. "If I know aught ofVirginia, she has abandoned this unsafe city long ago, and if bysome remote chance she was still here, she wouldn't lift a fingerto help me. I know somebody who would, though."
"Who?" Jenny was skeptical.
"Aunt Billie."
"We can't go to a... to a..."
"Brothel?" Amanda smiled. "Of course we can.Come on, it's down Calhoun Street, and I'm willing to bet it's nottoo far from the waterfront."
The downstairs at Madam Billie's at streetlevel was a barroom. The little trio that entered the bar thatmidday was not as incongruous as one might have thought. In thesebad times beggar women came every day, and it was seldom thatBillie turned them away empty-handed.
Gold and Silver were bar men, who also keptthe place free of anyone who became too drunk and rowdy, so wordwent instantly to Billie that the ladies from Paradise werethere.
Billie waddled out and ushered them into herprivate parlor behind the barroom. She didn't climb stairsunnecessarily, and asEntremetteuseof the establishment,needed to be constantly on the scene.
Jennifer sank wearily into a soft chair andAmanda lifted Nicholas onto the safe where he sat round-eyed,fascinated by the fat lady.
Billie nodded. "Well, well, who is thisthen?" She answered her own question. "He's got his daddy's eyes. Iheard Nicholas had been reported drowned, but that you were hopinghe'd been taken prisoner. I see you never found him."
