quickly, wiping her hands on a nearby rag. “Poppa never believed in owning slaves. The only reason we ever had any at all was because of my mother. To her, slaves are a status symbol. Poppa finally freed what we had, but Jacob and Fanny stayed on, because they love Poppa so.”
Leaning against a post, he watched as she rinsed her face and arms in a pail of clean water. “I remember when we used to go to the settlement school,” he said thoughtfully. “James Freeman came to school one day with a little slave boy totin’ his books for him. The slave boy dropped the books in a mud puddle, and James thought he did it on purpose, so he took the book strap and started beating him with it. You jumped on James and shoved him down in the puddle. You really gave him a beating. I never saw a girl fight like that before. You punched him right in the face with your fists.”
Kitty felt her face grow hot. “It wasn’t very ladylike of me to fight like that. Momma gave me one of the worst whippings of my life when she found out, but I couldn’t stand back and watch James beat that boy like he was a mongrel dog.”
“I’ve never forgotten that day.” Nathan smiled.
“Slavery gets me all fired up,” she retorted.
“You might feel differently if your father had a large plantation and needed a lot of slaves to run it. I’ve heard when he did have slaves, he actually paid them for working.”
Their eyes met and held, and, for a moment, Kitty was able to shove aside her feelings for Nathan as she said vehemently, “I would never hold to putting a man in chains or thinking it’s right to own his soul, Nathan. I think it’s wrong to buy and sell human beings as though they’re no more than animals. On this subject, you and I and everyone else in Wayne County…in the whole South, it seems, differ in our opinions.”
He gave her a mock salute, and his eyes crinkled once again at the corners. “It’s refreshing to find a young woman with an opinion. Maybe that’s why I like you so much…because you’re so different from the girls I’m usually around.”
“Well, if that’s meant to be a compliment, thank you.”
“I came here to invite you to a party,” he went on, “but I’m afraid when you hear the reason for the party you’ll refuse my invitation.”
“I’m curious about the party, Nathan,” Kitty said, “and I’d like to hear about it.”
He took a deep breath, then said, “You know who Weldon Edwards is?”
“Who doesn’t? He’s a Radical. I know who he is and why he comes to this part of the state. Poppa talks to me about politics, and he says that Weldon Edwards is trying to round up support for the secessionist meeting planned in Raleigh.”
“My father is honored to have him as a guest, and he’s planned a barbecue in his honor on Sunday, the eleventh. I’d like for you to come as my guest.”
“Me sit down to a table to eat with a Radical?” she cried, then she realized that he was looking at her with amusement, and that was annoying. She hated the way men felt women should not know, or care, anything about politics, much less dare to voice an opinion.
And now he stared at her as though she were an amusing child, and she stamped her foot and glared up at him, eyes stormy. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m not trying to be funny, Nathan. I know what I’m talking about. That man wants war…”
He raised an eyebrow. “I guess you’ll tell me next that you know enough about the subject that you don’t feel secession—or war—is wise for North Carolina.”
She nodded firmly, eyes still fiery.
Shaking his head, Nathan sighed and reached out to touch her shoulder, but she stepped back. “Katherine, secession, like war, is imminent. It’s merely a matter of time. Whether you like it or not, you’ve got to be loyal to your state—and to the South.”
“I have no sympathy for the Radicals and all those who want war,” she stormed. “And neither does my
Leaning against a post, he watched as she rinsed her face and arms in a pail of clean water. “I remember when we used to go to the settlement school,” he said thoughtfully. “James Freeman came to school one day with a little slave boy totin’ his books for him. The slave boy dropped the books in a mud puddle, and James thought he did it on purpose, so he took the book strap and started beating him with it. You jumped on James and shoved him down in the puddle. You really gave him a beating. I never saw a girl fight like that before. You punched him right in the face with your fists.”
Kitty felt her face grow hot. “It wasn’t very ladylike of me to fight like that. Momma gave me one of the worst whippings of my life when she found out, but I couldn’t stand back and watch James beat that boy like he was a mongrel dog.”
“I’ve never forgotten that day.” Nathan smiled.
“Slavery gets me all fired up,” she retorted.
“You might feel differently if your father had a large plantation and needed a lot of slaves to run it. I’ve heard when he did have slaves, he actually paid them for working.”
Their eyes met and held, and, for a moment, Kitty was able to shove aside her feelings for Nathan as she said vehemently, “I would never hold to putting a man in chains or thinking it’s right to own his soul, Nathan. I think it’s wrong to buy and sell human beings as though they’re no more than animals. On this subject, you and I and everyone else in Wayne County…in the whole South, it seems, differ in our opinions.”
He gave her a mock salute, and his eyes crinkled once again at the corners. “It’s refreshing to find a young woman with an opinion. Maybe that’s why I like you so much…because you’re so different from the girls I’m usually around.”
“Well, if that’s meant to be a compliment, thank you.”
“I came here to invite you to a party,” he went on, “but I’m afraid when you hear the reason for the party you’ll refuse my invitation.”
“I’m curious about the party, Nathan,” Kitty said, “and I’d like to hear about it.”
He took a deep breath, then said, “You know who Weldon Edwards is?”
“Who doesn’t? He’s a Radical. I know who he is and why he comes to this part of the state. Poppa talks to me about politics, and he says that Weldon Edwards is trying to round up support for the secessionist meeting planned in Raleigh.”
“My father is honored to have him as a guest, and he’s planned a barbecue in his honor on Sunday, the eleventh. I’d like for you to come as my guest.”
“Me sit down to a table to eat with a Radical?” she cried, then she realized that he was looking at her with amusement, and that was annoying. She hated the way men felt women should not know, or care, anything about politics, much less dare to voice an opinion.
And now he stared at her as though she were an amusing child, and she stamped her foot and glared up at him, eyes stormy. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m not trying to be funny, Nathan. I know what I’m talking about. That man wants war…”
He raised an eyebrow. “I guess you’ll tell me next that you know enough about the subject that you don’t feel secession—or war—is wise for North Carolina.”
She nodded firmly, eyes still fiery.
Shaking his head, Nathan sighed and reached out to touch her shoulder, but she stepped back. “Katherine, secession, like war, is imminent. It’s merely a matter of time. Whether you like it or not, you’ve got to be loyal to your state—and to the South.”
“I have no sympathy for the Radicals and all those who want war,” she stormed. “And neither does my