AllFreeNovel
Share Us
At the last AASS meeting, Haydon listened for what seemed like hours to the members’ concerns regarding the proper way to abolish slavery. Back and forth they went on how to position themselves on the issue and various others, listing every pro and con, until he could take no more.
“Sometimes what we want is irrelevant,” Haydon said to one of the members who accused him of being too radical and forward in his opinions. “This isn’t just about us. The powder keg of war is already at the ready. And even the pacifists - some who are sitting in this very room - will be pulled into this conflict whether they want to be or not. We must agree on what we want and now.”
Interestingly, it wasn’t just the Abolitionist speeches or gatherings that were causing the nation’s furor and discontent; it was a wildly popular and controversial anti-slavery book by his friend and fellow abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe.Uncle Tom’s Cabinhad been released five years ago and it was still the most popular novel of the day, causing a furor whenever it was mentioned. Southerners, for their part, hated the book and rallied writers to publish “anti-Tom” books as they called them, but it was too late. Harriet’s book had added tremendous fire to the slavery debate and Haydon couldn’t thank her enough for her sheer and utter genius.
Haydon made his way to the den and was reminded once again of Thomas’s urgent request. He picked up the letter and reread it which outlined Thomas’ need for Haydon to use his current connections in the Movement to make inquiries regarding Jeyne. A stack of old letters had led Thomas to believe that Jeyne was still alive, living in New York under a new name and identity. It seemed impossible that she could still be found but Haydon was forced to acknowledge the request. A series of letters would be necessary, of that he knew.
For years, Haydon had stood side by side with Thomas as they made inquiries and used their abolitionist connections to find Jeyne, exhausting every lead they could imagine, but to no avail. She had seemed to disappear without a trace. The more Haydon thought about it, the more tangled the scenario became. If she was indeed still alive and living under another identity, how was Haydon going to help Thomas find her, especially in a large and untamed city like New York? All these thoughts and more came to Haydon in a rush as he thought back to the days of Thomas’ arrival in Boston all those years ago.
It had been a rainy day when Thomas appeared on their doorstep, his dark hair dripping wet on the collar of his woolen frock coat, with his best friend, Jeb, in tow. They were also expecting to see Jeyne as mentioned in Thomas’ letter, but it became clear that was not to be. Thomas was barely able to speak or articulate his feelings due to extreme grief and shock at having his beloved sold. Haydon and his father listened with sympathy as Jeb, acting as Thomas’ mouthpiece, revealed the drama surrounding Jeyne and their eventual departure from Bellevue. Haydon had known his Uncle William to be a harsh man. He was a slave owner after all. But what he had learned of his uncle lowered his opinion of him even further.
How difficult it must have been for Thomas all these years, Haydon thought to himself, to live with such pain and longing, to yearn for a woman he could never have. Haydon understood those emotions all too well. He knew how it felt to love someone with one’s whole heart and not be able to see that love to a natural end.
It had been three years since Ariana’s death, but it was only now that Haydon was able to wake up without feeling an incredible ache in his heart. Ariana had not only been his wife, she had been his best friend and there wasn’t a day when he didn’t think of her. He still remembered her gaiety, her charm, and the winter nights in their home with the smells of ginger bread and coffee wafting from the warmth of the kitchen. Even the long, languorous kisses during their lovemaking seemed to last forever.
Haydon and Ariana had only been married for two years, but Haydon had relished every moment of their time together despite the absence of children. Ariana had suffered two miscarriages, but they accepted this as God’s will and remained content in each other. Even when the merciless pneumonia was racking her frail body, she remained the ever-steady and soothing companion. Thoughts of remarriage had crossed Haydon’s mind once or twice, but only for a moment. Something deep within him refused to let go of Ariana completely. She was the sweetest, gentlest woman he had ever known and he could not fathom loving another woman the way he had her.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Are we ready?”
David White, Haydon’s father, entered the room carrying a black, woolen coat over his arm. At sixty-five, David was a tall, strong and robust man whose shock of white hair always stood out in a crowd. His hair had become a trademark that made him familiar throughout Boston and beyond. Like his son, David was ready to do battle at the American Anti-Slavery Society meeting where he oversaw the Legislative Committee, the committee instrumental in submitting legal briefs to the higher courts on the abolishment of slavery.
“Almost,” Haydon said, still lost in thought.
“You seem distracted.”
“A letter from Thomas arrived today.”
David’s face lit up. “How is he?”
“Something major has come to light,” Haydon said slowly. “Aunt Mary found old letters from Jeyne while going through some of Uncle William’s trunks. Many of them had been written to Thomas months after she was sold. Apparently, Uncle William had intercepted all them and never told anyone.”
David’s eyes widened in shock. “My god...” David said bitterly of his brother. “Why am I surprised?”
“Thomas believes he has a lead to Jeyne’s whereabouts.”
“How so?”
“Something she revealed to him,” Haydon said. “He didn’t say, but it’s quite clear he’s determined to find out. He wants me to make inquiries.”
David looked concerned. “Tread lightly on this one,” he said. “Finding her could open up old wounds and form new ones.”
“What do you mean?”
“Thomas is a married man now,” David said, his tone deep and fatherly. “His primary responsibility is to Elizabeth and the plantation.”
Haydon leaned back in his chair, a sense of guilt washed over him as his father’s words hit home. Haydon could only assume that Thomas’ marriage was a stable one since he had never expressed anything to the contrary. But if it were true that Jeyne was still alive, would Thomas come up North to find her? And if he did find her, what would happen then? Would he remain content in the knowledge that she was still alive? Or would he take her as his lover again? And like his father said, what about Elizabeth? Would he turn from Jeyne and remain the dutiful husband?
Haydon pushed all of these thoughts out his mind. It wasn’t his place to judge or create ill-fated scenarios that did not concern him. His primary concern was his cousin and helping him in any way that he could. After all, there was no need to overthink the situation and worry about things that hadn’t happened yet. Besides, whatever Thomas discovered, he would handle his affairs with the utmost of grace, that much Haydon knew.
Chapter Twenty-Five
It was mid-afternoon when I Haydon’s letter finally came. For weeks, I had paced the floors like a madman, desperate for either Je or Haydon’s letters to arrive. Now that it was here, I was apprehensive about its contents. So much had rested on Haydon’s response that I was unsure how I would handle the news. Privately, I wondered if I had been too foolhardy and rash in reaching out to my cousin with such a monumental task.
Boston, Massachusetts
April 10, 1857
