Page 80 of Because I Could Not Stop for Death

Tears sprang to my eyes, and I turned toward the street to blink them away. “Did you know my brother well?”

“Quite well,” Holden said. “He stopped by often to collect all the news of the day from us. He knew we were the ones who were really aware of what was happening in Amherst. We know you have been to Washington. There are no secrets in this town as far as we are concerned. We especially know the comings and goings of the Dickinson family. They will be in Philadelphia for several weeks, is that not true?”

I didn’t answer his question. I would not gossip about my employer.

Besides, Holden and his friends might like to think they knew about the Dickinson family, but the longer I worked for the family, the more I learned that they were champions at keeping their own secrets and they were much more complicated than anyone outside of their household could ever possibly know.

“You said my brother enjoyed gossip. What did he ask you about?”

Beard folded his arms. “He was always trying to learn what he could about the slave catchers in town. I can’t say we ever knew enough to satisfy him. He was always looking for more.”

“I think he was concerned because he was good friends with the Black stable hand Jeremiah York. Somehow he got it in his head that Jeremiah was in danger.”

“But Jeremiah is free,” I said.

“Doesn’t mean he’s out of the woods,” Holden said with a shake of his head. “I hate to say it, but he will always have to be on his guard. It’s just the way of the world.”

“Then the way of the world is wrong,” I said with folded arms.

“Not much you can hope to do about it. You are a servant and a woman.”

I dropped my hands to my sides and then let out a breath. “Was there anything in particular that he was asking pertaining to the slave catcher?”

“Who he was in contact with. That was the main concern. Henry wanted to know who was welcoming to the catcher and who chased him off.”

“And did you have an answer for that?”

“Not to his liking.”

I frowned and wanted to ask more about this, but Beard spoke up. “Your brother’s ways got him in trouble. Do you think the slave catcher or his employer would sit by while a young man asked prying questions?” He clicked his tongue.

Holden frowned at his friend. “It’s not right to blame Henry. He did nothing wrong.”

I swallowed. “Thank you for saying that. I’m afraid that Henry will be remembered as being a troublemaker, which he could be from time to time, but my dear brother was much more than that.”

“He was a visionary,” Holden said. “He should not have been born in this time. He was meant for a much later date in this world. Perhaps that is why the good Lord took him so early. He knew he put Henry in the wrong time and place.”

I bit down hard on the side of my cheek to keep myself from crying. When I had composed myself, I asked, “Did you ever tell Henry who the slave catcher was talking to?”

“We told him what we knew, which wasn’t much. The slave catcher was definitely bankrolling someone for information. I saw him drop money near the Amherst Library,” Salinger said.

Holden folded his arm. “You never told us that.”

“You never asked, and it’s difficult to get a word in edgewise where you’re concerned.”

Holden grunted.

“How do you know it was money he dropped?” I asked.

Salinger turned to me. “Because I looked. I saw him drop the bag and I wanted to see what was inside of it. After he left, I walked over and inspected the bag. It was full of cash.”

“Did you take any of it?” Beard wanted to know.

“Are you insane? I don’t want a slave catcher with my name on his list. Those men are a different kind of mean.”

I bit the inside of my lip. It sounded to me with the dropping of the money that the slave catcher didn’t even know who the Reader was. I guessed that this would make it even more difficult to find my brother’s killer.

I thanked the men and decided to go into the post office. Perhaps there were packages or letters for the Dickinson family that I could take home after I stopped at the general store for Margaret’s lye.

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