Chapter Text
“Grandma?” Samuel looked up in delight from his bed, an expression of sheer joy in his eyes. He hated being sick, but he loved spending time with his grandma. She always told the best stories. Grandma had been everywhere, had seen everything, Granny said that Grandma was the sole surviving heir to an old fortune, from long ago when they were young. Samuel loved his parents, his Daddy was a blacksmith in town, and he sometimes let Samuel come to his shop. Mama worked with Auntie Harriet, and she never told Samuel what she was doing, though whenever she left for weeks at a time, he got to stay with his grandmothers. Granny carried him on her strong shoulders, let him sit beside her while she decorated the pastries and candies she sold in her shop in town. But this visit, he’d come down with a cold, and sadly, he was confined to the big feather bed that Grandma had made. Not that he really minded, he decided with a smile. Before she left in the morning, Granny made him oatmeal with blueberries, and at night she made the chicken soup that always made him feel better. Grandma tried to cook, but after she accidentally left a towel on the burner and set the kitchen wall on fire, Granny had banned her from entering the kitchen again. So at lunch time they had leftovers. Grandma worked as well, but after a long ago injury, she couldn’t do as much as she used to.
“How about I tell you a story? One Im sure you haven’t heard before.” Grandma sat down slowly, in the rocking chair beside the bed.
“Ive heard all of your stories” Samuel smiled, shaking his head as he turned over, to face her, excitement gleaming in his eyes. “Well, I think I have.”
“No, you haven’t heard this one. I guarantee it.” Grandma’s eyes danced, and she took out her knitting from the basket beside the bed. When she did that, Samuel knew it was going to be a long story.
“What’s it about?” He asked, getting impatient. She liked to tease him by stalling the beginning.
“Well, It’s about two people, who fell in love, and their story together, apart, and together again. It’s about an outlaw, who’s heart was a pure and beautiful as the stars themselves. Its about a mother who would do anything for her children, and about a mother who was so blinded by hate, she let it rule her life.” Grandma finished, sighing as she settled back into her chair, the rhythmic rocking telling Samuel the tale was about to begin.
“It was the summer of 1845. Annabelle and Suzanna Macon were in their late teens. Suzanna was their mother’s favorite sister, destined to be the heiress of the great Macon fortune. Annabelle was the wild one. She never sat still, never had any interest in any of the boys who Mama sent around to try to court her. She’d out ride them, beat them at poker, and, to Mama’s absolute horror, curse like a sailor to scare them off. Unknown to Mama and Suzanne however, Annabelle’s heart was already promised to someone. That someone was their house girl. Ernestine. One glance from that woman could melt her very heart, turn her to mush, and when she smiled at Annabelle, it seemed that the very world stood still.”
“Grandma” Samuel groaned in annoyance. “This better not be a kissy story. Get to the good stuff.”
“Alright Kiddo, alright. I’ll get to the good stuff. Just hold on a second.” She laughed, then continued.
“But they had to hide their love. If discovered, Ernestine would be sold further south, and Annabelle likely would be sent away to an institution. So they developed an arrangement, a code of sorts.
“House girl.” Annabelle would call out, several times a day, “Mend my riding pants? I tore them on this mornings ride.”
“House girl. Fetch me a glass of tea?”
“House girl. Fluff my pillows?” And as many other requests she could fathom up, each more pointless than the last. Anything to have Ernestine close to her.
“As you wish.” That was all. Ernestine had the same response each time to whatever Annabelle asked of her. To anyone else listening, it was the respect that white folks commanded of their slaves. But to the two of them, it meant I love you. They shared their secret smiles and codes, until one fateful day.
Annabelle’s father was a horrible drunk, a man who, at times, got physical with her, when he was angry, but never with his golden girl, his Suzanna. For some reason lost to memory, Robert Macon chose Ernestine to take his anger out on that hot August afternoon. Annabelle heard the screaming, the cursing, and Ernestine’s frightened voice. Annabelle didn’t even think, she just lunged between her father’s whip and her lover. The whip landed, slicing her across the front, tearing her dress, slicing her from shoulder to thighs. She didn’t scream, didn’t cry out, refusing to allow him to hurt her beloved. Her father’s eyes widened, and he stepped back, dropping the whip to the ground, stalking off muttering obscenities under his breath.
“Stine” Annabelle could hardly breath, the scent of blood filling her nostrils, the pain so unbearable she could barely focus on anything other than the warm hand that clutched her own.
“I’m here. I’m right here. Come on now. Lets get you on your feet.” Ernestine tried her best, but Annabelle couldn’t manage to rise, couldn’t manage to do anything other than squeeze the hand that held her own.
For six weeks after that night, Ernestine never left Annabelle’s side. When Annabelle had been able to speak the day after, she had told her mother that her father had attacked her, which was true, in part, and her mother allowed her to have Ernestine take care of her, since the others were busy preparing for Suzanna’s engagement party. Those six weeks meant everything to them both. When they were sure no one would notice, or step in, Ernestine would lay beside her in the bed, at first, barely touching her, except to change the herbal dressings that were slowly healing her destroyed flesh.
“You didn’t have to do that, you know?” Ernestine whispered one night, as she was helping Annabelle out of a cold bath. Annabelle could see the grief in Stein’s eyes every time she looked at Annabelle’s slow healing skin. To make matters worse, Annabelle had been hit over the heart, and the Doctor her mother had called in had cautioned her that she likely would no longer be able to do a lot of the things she once had, at least with the same intensity.
“Yes. I did.” Annabelle responded, suppressing a yelp as Ernestine helped her to lay back down, against the pillows, and softly began to spread the cream on the healing scars. “I love you. I WON’T let anyone hurt you. You’re my heart.”
Gradually, Annabelle began to heal, and was allowed to walk short distances. Ernestine supported her as she walked down the path to the stable for the first time in nearly two months. She never rode again, like she had before. Oh, she rode. But she missed jumping the hedges, and racing against the suitors, that used to come to call, but she never let Ernestine know just how much that broke her heart. She wouldn’t change it, if given the chance, shed take those lashes for her a million times over.
“Grandma” Samuel asked. “What happened to Ernestine? You’re telling me all about Annabelle, but what happened with Ernestine?” He sighed. “Do she and Annabelle get married? Run away together? What happens?”
“Sam, Im getting to that. They get their happy ending, but a LOT happens first.” Grandma laughed as she stood slowly, leaning on the chair for a moment, as she often did upon standing, before taking Samuels glass and heading into the kitchen to get him some more lemonade, one of the few things she could make without causing damage to the house.
“Hi Sweetheart.” She nearly jumped out of her skin as a pair of arms wrapped around her middle, lips kissing the back of her neck. The scent of flour and icing filling her nostrils.
“Hello My love. Have a good day at the bakery?” She asked, turning, wrapping her arms around her partner’s waist, resting her head against her chest. She smiled as she felt the calloused hands at the back of her neck, massaging the spot just at the base of her spine. “Darling…I’ve got to get back to Samuel. We’re in the middle of a story.”
“Hmmm. How about I join you. Havent seen you since breakfast. I miss ya.” She giggled at the tickle of breath in her ear, and she raised her head to look into the beautiful honey brown eyes.
“Id like that.” She whispered, leaning forward to capture the soft lips with her own. “I swear, we’re still like two teenagers, you and I” She laughed, breaking away and filling up the glass with lemonade, sighing gently as she turned back towards the guestroom. “G…give me a second.” She whispered, sinking down into the chair placed in the hallway for exactly that purpose.
“Sweetheart- stay with me now, alright? Hey…hey…eyes on mine, come on now, breathe through it, itll pass.” She focused on the soft voice, the gentle song for her ears and her ears alone.
“Granny” Samuel stood in the hallway, his eyes wide. “Is Grandma alright?”
“I’m fine buddy.” Grandma’s voice was strained, weak as she lifted her head. Granny held out the lemonade glass to Samuel, the quiet authority in her voice again.
“Get back in that bed. We’ll be in there in a minute. Go on.”
“Stine- Im fine.” Her voice was soft, and she leaned forward, moving to get up when she fell backwards again. “This doesn’t…doesn’t happen…much lately…”
“Shhhhh….Here. Youre not getting back on your feet until your heart rate gets back to normal. Its flying like a…Damn, I did this didn’t I? When I surprised you? Im sorry about that.”
“If It costs me a couple minutes feeling like absolute horse shit in exchange for you being your romantic self, Im glad for the trade.” She again moved to get up, sinking back down into the chair. “ Stine, honey, come on, I’ll be fine.”
“Last time you said that you collapsed getting out of the carriage. Harriet had to CARRY your ass inside. Just sit still. Stop being so damn stubborn. Just let me hold you.”
“I love you.” She whispered softly, “I love you more than you could ever know.”
“I know you do.” She raised her head, giving a long heavy sigh. “Come on my love. We’ll get into the room, its only a couple more steps. Lean against me. There we are. Very good. Easy darling. Easy..”
Very slowly, they made their way into the guest room, sinking onto the couch, cause Samuel to smile brightly.
“Are you gonna finish the story now? You were gonna tell me what happened with Ernestine. Did they get married?” Samuel laughed when Granny raised an eyebrow.
“Lets let Grandma rest. How about I tell a bit now?” Granny asked, her eyes dancing with mischief.