WE RODE HARD ABOUT HALFWAY BACK TO Rosewood.
But after about another twenty minutes, Jeremiah could tell that I was getting faint again. I began to slump and collapse in his arms, and he realized I needed a rest.
He slowed. Then he and Katie began looking for a place they could stop for water. A few minutes later Jeremiah led us off the road, down an incline, and across a small grassy field to the river—the same one that bordered Rosewood two or three miles away.
Katie and Jeremiah helped me down off the horse, and I nearly collapsed at the water’s edge.
“Water …” I tried to say, “… thirsty.”
Katie jumped to the river, took off her bonnet, scooped it full of water, and hurried back to me. She helped me sit up and held the water to my lips before most of it soaked through the cloth to the ground. But I managed two or three swallows.
She went back, and after a few minutes I had managed to get some water into my belly and Katie had washed my face.
I smiled faintly and said softly, “Thank you.”
“Oh, Mayme,” Katie said, “it breaks my heart to see you like this!”
She embraced me again. I stretched my arms around her and we held each other for the longest time. Katie relaxed, and I saw Emma and Jeremiah kneeling beside her. I reached toward Emma, and she came forward and embraced me too. My back ached with pain when they hugged me, but the hugging was worth the pain. Then I smiled at Jeremiah, still too worn out to wonder what he was doing with the others.
“We wuz so worried fer you, Miz Mayme,” said Emma. “I knowed it wuz my fault an’ I’m dreadful sorry what you had ter go through on account er me. Miz Katie tol’ me dey wuz lookin’ fer me, an’ you din’t tell ’em ’bout me—I know you didn’t an’ I don’ know how ter thank you. I’m so sorry, Miz Mayme. But Miz Katie, she’s so brave, and she said we wuz gwine git you away from dem, but I wuz skeered—”
Katie laughed. “We were both scared, Emma,” she said. “I’m not sure about Jeremiah,” she added, looking at him, “but God helped us do what we had to do.—Do you think you can ride, Mayme?”
“I feel better now,” I said. “I’ve hardly had anything to eat or drink in two days. I was just feeling faint.”
“Then let’s get you home.”
We mounted again and rode the rest of the way, not quite as fast but with Katie still pushing the two horses at more than a walk.
When at last I saw the white buildings of Rosewood in the distance, I was so relieved I thought I would burst for happiness.
We had hardly come into sight when a small figure came running and yelling from the house. “Mayme … Mayme!”
Katie and Emma jumped down from their horse. Katie steadied me while Jeremiah got down and then I slumped off the saddle into his arms.
I looked toward the house and halfway opened my arms just as Aleta rushed into them and embraced me like I never thought would happen for as long as I lived. My back was screaming in pain from the drying welts, and as she grabbed me it was all I could do not to cry out. But my heart was so warmed from the look in her eyes that I thought I could endure just about anything.
“Mayme, you’re back … I missed you so much,” she said. “I was so worried about you!”
“I’m fine now, Aleta,” she said.
Still she kept clinging to me and didn’t want to let go.
“I love you, Mayme,” she said.
Tears filled my eyes. I looked over at Katie. Her eyes were wet too.
“Welcome back, Mayme,” Katie said. “Welcome home.”
Jeremiah lifted me in his arms and carried me toward the house. Katie led the way inside and up the stairs. I don’t know what Jeremiah thought, but he didn’t ask any questions. A minute or two later I was lying on the bed while Katie and Emma and Aleta were scurrying about fetching water for the tub and talking about getting some food and liquid inside me.
Whatever Jeremiah was thinking as he stood in the kitchen watching all the commotion, he kept to himself. But he couldn’t be in much doubt that Katie’s mother wasn’t anywhere around, or that there wasn’t a sign of any other grown-up either. It was clear enough that Katie was mistress of the place.
Once she had Emma and Aleta about their jobs—one stoking the kitchen fire to warm some soup and the other carrying water upstairs for a bath—she went over to Jeremiah and led him outside.
“I don’t know how to thank you, Jeremiah,” she said. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“I’m jes’ glad Miz Mayme’s safe,” he said, “an’ dat I could help.”
A moment of silence passed between them.
“Please …” began Katie after a few seconds, “you won’t tell … will you? Someday … maybe we can explain what is going on here. But for now, nobody can know.”
He stood looking at the serious expression on Katie’s face.
“I reckon I can do dat, Miz Clairborne,” he said slowly. “ ’Tis mighty strange, I gotter say, seein’ two coloreds an’ two white girls all livin’ in a big house like dat together. But I reckon I can keep my mouf shut fer a spell. But you’ll tell me someday, I hope, ’cause you got me mighty curious.”
“I will try to,” said Katie with a relieved smile. “Thank you, Jeremiah.—Do you mind walking back to town? I’d let you take one of the horses, or ride you in myself, but …”
“Don’ mention it, Miz Clairborne,” said Jeremiah. “Dat’ll give my pa an’ dose other folks in town dat was watchin’ us wiff dere big eyes a chance ter settle down an’ ferget what dey seen. I’ll jes’ sneak in a round’bout way so no one sees me.”
“Maybe you’re right,” laughed Katie. “Thank you again!”