Here Comes a Candle (31 page)

“
Mr.
Manningham
had the cramp.
”
Kate let all her
dislike
into her voice as she climbed back into the seat by Sarah, who was beginning to stir restlessly in her sleep.

They stopped early that night, since the distance to Washington was just too great to be completed in a day.
“
We
’
ll be there bright and early tomorrow,
”
said Man
ningham,
leading the way into the little inn. But he emerged from the bar a few minutes later, looking badly shaken.
“
Arabella, my love, you had best speak to the man.
”
She had dropped into an upright chair on the inn
p
orch, complaining, as usual, of the heat.

“
I? Why in the world?
”

“
He seems to
think
me a spy! The English have landed at Benedict. The whole country
’
s in an uproar; no one knows where they are headed, and the landlord here seems to
thin
k
I have something to do with the business.
”

“
Well now,
”
the landlord himself emerged from the bar at this point,
“
I calculate I
’
ve got grounds enough. News of the redcoats landing this morning, and you turning up tonight, with your
mealy-mouthed
way of speech. What have you to say for yourself, ma
’
am?
”

“
To say? I? What should I say?
”
But she made a practical suggestion just the same.
“
Ask our driver if we have not come straight from Boston. How can we have any connection with the English landing?
”
And then, on a note of panic that was more convincing than anything:
“
There
’
s no chance they
’
ll get here tonight?
”

The man laughed.
“
I guess they
’
ll have better things to do than trouble themselves with a one-horse place like this. Washington or Baltimore
’
s their goal, I reckon, or Commodore Barney
’
s fleet of gunboats up river. With eight thousand men—and every one of them Peninsula veterans—I reckon they can have the lot, if they want, before Jemmy Madison so much as gets around to saying boo to them. Hang on there, ma
’
am—
”
Arabella
’
s panic and her southern accent had had a mollifying effect,
“
and
I’ll j
ist have a word with your driver.
”
Returning, he declared himself satisfied and shouted for his wife to
“
take the ladies upstairs, do.
”

They were the only guests in the inn that night, and Kate was glad of the company of the landlord and his family, who ate with them according to the gregarious American custom. Any
thing
was preferable to being on their own.

Arabella was full of anxious questions. Had there been any more news? Which way did the landlord think the English would turn? And what should they do? Turn back? Go on? Stay where they were?

“
We go on, of course,
”
M
annin
gham
interrupted heir at this point.
“
If they only landed this morning, it
’
s impossible
—
even if they are going there—that they should reach Washington for several days. If we stay here, we may fall into their hands; if we turn back, we may encounter them between this and Baltimore, which I think their most likely target.
Think
of the damage the privateers out of there have done to English shipping. Besides, if they do march on Washington, it stands to reason it will be hotly defended. Think of a march through
t
his thick forest, in enemy country, with every man
’
s hand against you. And I have always understood
”
—this to the landlord—
“
that your people ware admirable marksmen. I wouldn
’
t want to be part of an army that had to march,
blind, through country like this, with your riflemen everywhere among the trees.
”

“
You might be right at that.
”
The man was mollified by the tribute to American skill.
“
And as to getting to Washington; I reckon you
’
re right there, too. Stands to reason, if the redcoats do turn that way, they won
’
t get there without a fight. And, meanwhile, you can slip in by the back door, as it were. Didn
’
t you say you were heading for a house to the north of the city? Take the old road, and you
’
ve no need to go through the center of town. I guess you
’
ve no cause for-alarm, ma
’
am.
”
He cut
hims
elf a huge slice of blueberry pie.
“
You
’
ll be making an early start tomorrow?
”
to Manningham.
“
You
’
d best, if you want breakfast I
’
m off first thing to join the militia,
and Mrs. Jenks and the girls won
’
t stay here alone. Not with your men about,
”
this, again, directly for Manningham.
“
Not after what happened at Hampton last year.
”

“
But that was French volunteers.
”

“
That
’
s what they
said,
but I
’
m not leaving Mrs. J. and the girls here to chance it, so if you want breakfast in the morning, be up early, that
’
s all.
”

Arabella grumbled a good deal, but they were up early just the same, and drove off at the same time as the landlord and his family, who were going straight to Washington.
“
You
’
re not afraid of running into the British?
”
asked Manningham.

“
Course I am, but I reckon we
’
ve just got to chance it
.
By all reports, they are still at Benedict—God knows why!—With a bit of git-up-and-go they might have been at Washington by now, and not a soul to hinder them, save Jemmy Madison, and Armstrong and Monroe—
”
he used a couple of extremely picturesque native adjectives to describe the Secretaries of War and State.
“
I reckon you British jist can
’
t stand our weather,
”
he decided as he helped his wife and daughters mount their old-fashioned wagon.
“
Mebbe if our soldiers ain
’
t got the spunk to beat
‘
em, our heat will. Let
’
s hope so, anyways. I calculate it
’
s just about all the hope we
’
ve got. So—good luck to you.
”
And he whipped up his ancient horse and moved off down the Washington road.

Silas, too, urged on, his horses and turned them along the little-used country lane that would take them directly to the Rock Creek house.

“
How long should it take us?
”
Arabella leaned forward to ask it eagerly.

“
Not too long.
”
Silas was never one to commit himself.
“
With a bit of luck, I reckon you
’
ll be at your friends
’
for dinner. I certainly mean to have my horses safe stabled by tonight.
”

“
Safe?
”

“
Yes, ma
’
am. Didn
’
t you hear the landlord say the redcoats had no cavalry? Well, stands to reason they wouldn
’
t have; coming by sea like that. So—horses is going to be a mighty vallyable commodity round here, I reckon; and
I’
m taking no chances with mine. No, ma
’
am,
”
and then, for emphasis, to Manningham,
“
No, sir.
”
And he turned his attention to his horses.

They saw a few families that day, obviously in flight, with all their possessions heaped, as the Jenkses
’
had been, in a covered wagon, but those they stopped knew no more than they did themselves. Some were convinced that the redcoats had turned away toward Baltimore, others were equally sure that it was Commodore Barney and his flotilla of gunboats that they were after, but a depressing majority seemed certain that Washington was their target.
“
Well,
”
drawled a harassed-looking man whose shabby blacks indicated that he belonged to one of the professions,
“
stands to reason, don
’
t it? We burnt that Canadian capital of theirs—
Y
ork. They
’
ll bu
rn
Washington, and serve us right, say I. But I won
’
t be there to see. It
’
s me for Tenallytown before night.
”
And he whipped up his horse and hurried past Silas, who refused to push his horses for anything or anyone.

But he was as good as his word, just the same, and it was still early afternoon when he pulled up his horses and pointed with his whip at a narrow track that led steeply up from the road.
“
I reckon that
’
s your t
ur
ning, ma
’
am, by the directions you gave me.
”

“
Do you think so?
”
A
r
abella leaned forward to look out through the open sides of the coach.
“
It doesn
’
t look very well used, does it?
”

He shrugged.
“
We can but go and see. One thing
’
s sar-tin; there ain
’
t so much as a chipmunk about we can ask.
”
And without more ado he turned the coach down the narrow track, which wound upward through thick woods for three quarters of a mile or so.

Kate, on the back seat as usual, with Sarah, was absorbing two shocks at once. She had not realized before that even Arabella had never visited these cousins of whom she spoke so confidently. And—she had taken it for granted that a house on the outskirts of Washington—the capital
ci
ty of America—would be—she looked about her—well, not in the deep forest. What hopes of help had she here among the trees?

But it was no good indulging in second thoughts now. Perhaps she should have asked the Jenkses for help before they parted. Perhaps not. At all events, here she was. And, at this moment, in fact, the coach pulled up a last steep slope and emerged from the trees to the sight of a house perched above them still, in a large clearing among fields that Kate had learned to recognize in the last few days as growing tobacco. It was a big gray stone house, well positioned on the brow of the hill, its pillared portico facing them as they pulled up the last weary incline of their journey.

“
That
’
s better,
”
said Arabella with satisfaction.
“
You see
”
—to Manningham—
”
I told you it was an old estate. My grandfather built here long before the town of Washington was so much as thought of.
”

“
Yes,
”
said Manningham,
“
but where is everyone?
”

It had struck Kate, too, that the scene was oddly lifeless. She had got used by now to the sight of southern plantations with their abundance of black labor—whole families working in the tobacco fields together, and laughing black children who came running from all directions at the sound of a coach. But here was not a soul in sight. The house faced them, as Silas turned his horses into the carriage sweep, blank and silent, its windows shuttered against the afternoon sun.

The big front door, too, that should have stood hospitably open, was tight shut. Silas looked at it.
“
I suppose,
”
he said to Arabella,
“
your cousins are expecting you?
”

“
Well, not precisely. There was no time. Charles—
”

“
You mean you never wrote them?
”

“
Well, what was the use, since we would be here as soon as the letter?
”
She meant to sound reasonable, but merely sounded pleading.

“
Idiotic!
”
He turned away from her to beat a resounding tattoo with the door knocker. Nothing happened. They had all known that nothing would.
“
Your cousins are doubtless safe in Virginia by now.
”
Manningham
’
s tone was withering.
“
But I confess I am surprised that they left the house empty. It
’
s asking to have it sacked.
”

“
I guess they didn
’
t,
”
put in Silas.
“
I guess they left the slaves to run the place. Only I calculate them slaves had a better idea. Have you heard tell of the redcoats
’
black regiments? That
’
s where they
’
ll be, by now, and giving information about this place here, nineteen to the dozen.
”

“
I expect you
’
re right.
”
Manningham turned angrily away from the door to look about
him.
“
So—what
’
s to do?
”
Kate had emerged from the coach now, and he spoke as much to her as to Arabella.
“
But go on to Washington? We can
’
t possibly stay here, with no servants. It won
’
t take long, will it, Silas?
”

“
Depends on the roads—and what you find. You
’
re going nearer to the enemy, every step you take; that
’
s one thing certain.
”