House Divided Read Free Page A

Father has her portrait.” And he went on: “So Father took me to Yorktown with him, and we saw the English army march out and surrender, and then Father bought a place down there, near Williamsburg. The biggest house around.” There was a querulous contempt in his tones. “He thinks the little house in Richmond County isn’t good enough for him any more. He’d buy Stratford, or Nomini Hall, if he could. He gave the old place to my sister and her husband, so we live at Williamsburg now.”

    She kissed him sweetly. “What do we care? But oh, Tony, couldn’t you come from there before this?”
    He shook his head. “Father kept me by him, Lucy. He went to France for General Washington, to work with Mr. Jay, and took me for his secretary. We were there all last summer. He’s gone to France again now with Mr. Oswald; but I broke my leg when my horse refused a fence, so I didn’t have to go.”
    â€œOh, poor leg! Is it all well again?”
    â€œYes. So as soon as I could ride I came to find you.”
    â€œHere I am, Tony!” About them lay the brightness of the moon, and along the creek warm night air softly flowed. Their voices murmured almost wordlessly a while, till Lucy in his arms asked: “Tony, what’s your father really got against me?”
    â€œOh, all he thinks about now is founding a great family; so I have to marry somebody important!”
    â€œDidn’t you tell him you just wanted to marry me?”
    â€œYes, but he says I’m a child. Says we both are.”
    â€œI’m not, not any longer! Maybe I was, three years ago, but I’m a grown woman now. Tony, I learn real fast. Mis’ Dodsworth says. He won’t have to be ashamed of me.”
    â€œYour father’s as bad as mine, Lucy.”
    â€œPa says your folks think I ain’t good enough for you. He says you’re just—fooling with me, says you won’t ever marry me. That’s why he sold out and moved away up here, to get me away from you.”
    â€œWe have to talk them around.”
    â€œWe don’t need either one of them, Tonyl We don’t need anyone only each other. We can get married and go off to Kentucky or somewhere.”
    â€œI wouldn’t be any good in new country.”
    She spoke teasingly. “Oh Tony, you’re always so afeard—afraid—of things. When I want anything the way I want to be married to you, I’m not afraid of anything.” Her word was a whisper, her breath fragrant against his cheek. When he spoke, his voice was shaken by his heart’s hard pound.
    â€œYour hair smells like cut hay in the sun, like new-plowed ground in the spring of the year.”
    â€œI love the smell of you, too, Tony Currain!”

    â€œYour eyes are so dark in the moonlight, as if they were black.”
    â€œThey are, kind of.”
    â€œDeep, so I can’t see the bottom of them.”
    â€œAwful deep, Tony. And full right to the top of loving you.”
    â€œYou smell like wine just before the first sip of it. I can feel your kisses run all through me.”
    â€œYour hand on my cheek’s so soft and smooth. It’s smoother than mine, Tony. Mine are pretty rough and hard.”
    â€œI hate having you work so.”
    â€œI’ll work both hands to the bone, taking care of you.”
    He was silent; and she felt the doubt, like reluctance, in his silence. “I can’t just—I have to talk Father into it, Lucy.”
    â€œYour father’s a long ways off! You can stand on your own hind legs! You have to, some day!”
    â€œSuppose I did. What would we do?”
    â€œWe’d just go away and away and away.”
    â€œI haven’t anything, nothing but a few things in my saddlebags.”
    â€œWe don’t need anything to start.”
    â€œMy horse won’t even carry double.”
    â€œYou ride and I’ll walk! Oh, Tony, if I was with you, I could