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“That’s what she said. I was so danged shocked I couldn’t say anything for a few minutes. But I sure aim to find out more about this.”
“Mr. Lee, she never said a word about that. Look, I saw how hard you took Dil’s death. And frankly I’m sorry you gotta listen to all this and not understand it. But nothin’ you do will bring Dil back. He’s with the Lord now.”
Luke pounced on him with his harsh tone. “I know that Joe. But hung? She said he was a spy for the north and was captured. Give me some time to deal with him bein' dead, Joe. It's hard to bear."
"Yes sir, I reckon you are right about that."
"But Hattie is quite a woman…she’s taken control here, and handled things as I would have. You don’t know how much that pleases me. God, Joe, I’m falling for her so hard I don’t see how I’m gonna keep my hands off of her.”Luke asked, watching Joe for a moment, wondering just how much he did know and wasn’t telling.
“All I know is I’ve heard her cry many nights since she arrived here.” Joe saw the frown on Luke’s face and shrugged. “Late at night when the kids are in bed. I’ve heard her cry out by her window. I wondered about that for a long time, until one day it just dawned on me. She was in love with you…Mr. Lee, and I guess because she thought you were dead she thought there was no hope for her. But now…things are different. Aren’t they?”
“Joe, we live in a time where this isn’t possible. We live in a time where Hattie and I can’t show our love…openly. But I swear to you by all that’s holy, I love her, Joe, and I’m gonna find some way to make this all come right.” Luke went back to pulling corn. It wasn’t his voice as much as the way he pulled the corn that spoke of his confusion.
Before the sun went down, she brought out some baskets for them and began taking back the full ones to the house. The kids helped carry the baskets to the house for her. She introduced Violet and Daisy proper this time. And Sam.
Sam nodded but said very little, just watched.
“Why does she wear those men’s clothes?” Luke asked Joe when she had left.
“Don’t know, that’s kinda personal, don’t you think?” Joe smiled as he studied him.
“It’s just that she’s a pretty woman, but to dress like that…” Luke turned to see Joe staring at him strangely. “What?”
“Maybe you should ask her.” Joe chuckled. He shook his head. “Some women knows they gotta work, and they knows they can’t do things in a dress. And, she don’t want the Jeffries’ men thinking she’s trying to capture their attention. She’s not trying to snare a man, she’s trying to keep this land, this home for her babies. But she’s got a lot of worries. That woman is more worried about keepin’ a roof over them babies’ heads than impressin’ a man.”
“Is she that afraid of them?” Lu
ke’s gaze was full of concern.
“I think she is. After all, you said it yourself, she’s a beautiful woman.” Joe chuckled. “Only she don’t know it, and she thinks they are just mocking her. She knows they want to take her down, any way they can.”
“Sometimes not knowin’ how beautiful you are makes you more so,” Luke agreed with a smile.
They’d gotten the corn picked and as evening drew near they found her outside shucking it and they pulled up a couple of barrels and began helping her. Her kids were helping too. The bigger ones especially, Luke could tell.
“Tell me Luke…” She glanced up at him. “You said you’d been in the war. Were you a confederate?”
“Yes ma’am,” he answered, picking up the corn and shucking it quickly. They all watched him and Hattie smiled.
“You’ve done this before.” She smiled, not realizing she had relaxed in front of him.
“Yes ma’am. Many times,” he replied, continuing his shucking and doing his best not to ogle her. He kept his eyes trained down. He wanted to gain her confidence. “My Mama taught me how to do this when I wasn’t much older than Daisy.”
“Don’t know why, but I thought maybe you fought for the north,” she said, as Joe eyed them both carefully. In fact, everyone was eyeing everyone this evening.
“I don’t reckon there is many in Alabama that would fight for the north. I fought for the south. A man should take care of his own. Somehow it would seem wrong sidin’ with the north. Not that I believed the south was right about slavery. Never had a slave in my life. Don’t believe in it.”
Hattie nodded, satisfied with his answer.
“It strikes me funny that you don’t find it odd that I’m a black woman and I own this land. You haven’t said a word about that. How come?” she asked, staring at him, point blank. “I sure expected it.”
“Well, I guess because I’ve been to a lot of places. I nearly got in a revolution down in Mexico, spent some army time in Texas that was sure enlightening. Been all over. Color of skin don’t matter one way or another. We’re all just people. The good book preaches to love thy neighbor.”
“Did you like Texas?” Her eyes flashed.
“Met some of the best people in the world in Texas. I’d live there, if I could make a living…”
“Then, you liked it there?”
