Redfield Farm: A Novel of the Underground Railroad Read Free Page B

an arm around Ben’s shoulders and walked him out the back door. When the water was hot enough to wash dishes, I left Rachel and Betsy to the task and climbed the narrow, curving steps to the loft, passing through the boys’ room into the room we three girls shared. There were two beds: Rachel and Betsy slept in one; I had the other to myself since Mary left. Lined up along one wall were three wooden trunks, one for each of us.
    I opened mine, rummaging through clothes: two grey dresses, two bonnets, a shawl, stockings, under things and a quilt top I’d pieced. Maybe with a little help and hurry, it could be a wedding gift for Ben and Rebecca. I inspected it with a new eye. It would do, but I’d have to hurry to finish it in two months. I heard Jesse downstairs teasing the girls about getting the dishes clean. I called him.
    “Coming, Mother,” he replied, bounding up the stairs two at a time.
    “Where’s Ben?” I asked, looking behind him.
    “Gone to see his sweetie,” Jesse grinned.
    “I thought I’d finish this quilt for a wedding present. What will you give them?”
    “Natty and I’ll build them a settle for sitting by the fire. One like Uncle Sammy’s that makes down into a table. I have some wood drying in the barn that’ll do.”
    “I’ll set Rachel and Betsy to stitching pillow cases and maybe a table cloth. Jesse?”
    “Hmmm?”
    “Nothing. I was just wondering. What do you think of Ben’s plans? For the horse farm, I mean.”
    “Sure,” Jesse replied. “Everyone needs horses. And you know Ben. He’ll work so hard, it’ll have to succeed.”
    “And Elias?” I tried to mask my intense interest.
    “He’ll be good at it, too. You’ve seen the two of them after meeting. Heads together, talking horses all afternoon. Elias knows good horses, and if I’m not mistaken,” he said slyly, “he knows good women, too!”
    “Jesse, hush!” I swatted at him with the quilt top as he ducked down the stairs. I sat alone in the gathering darkness, feeling warm and happy. Life promised much.
    May and June sped by with the planting and haying. There was never a shortage of work on a farm, but hopefully many hands to lighten it. Farm families rotated around the community, helping each other with the plowing, planting and haying. The women pulled together to feed the hungry workers. Older girls tended the little ones. Older boys helped the men.
    Some of the Hartleys always showed up, looking for a free meal for little labor. Pru’s brothers all had names for trades: Smith, Weaver, Miller, Cooper and Sawyer, and the sisters all had names like Faith, Charity, Honesty and Truth. Jesse called them the virtue sisters. Said the whole family ought to live up to their names instead of always looking around for something to steal. I didn’t like it when the Hartleys showed up. Especially Pru. Her eyes followed me wherever I went. Nothing I did escaped her notice.
    The chance to get together with family and friends balanced the heavy toil. At haying, Ben and Rebecca were the butt of many a good natured joke, but they just looked at each other and smiled. I took advantage of such gatherings for the chance to be near Elias Finley. I was always first to go round with a bucket and dipper to offer a drink to the workers, and I saw to it that Elias got his share of whatever was being served—and a double helping of shortcake, pie or cobbler for dessert.
    Elias understood my intentions and discouraged me not at all. He was just twenty-one, hard working and serious. Not silly or dumb like Jesse could be at times. A little shy perhaps, and slow to move, but to my mind, a fine catch. I was careful not to let my feelings show, and most folks barely noticed, but Pru Hartley got that knowing look in her eyes when she saw us together.
    Ben’s wedding day dawned warm and sunny at the end of June. The hay was in, and there was rest from the heavy labor. Jesse acknowledged this to Ben with a wink. Ben reddened.
    I’d sewn him