Act 4: A Fresh Start



"No shoes, no service..ma'am!"



Pretentious diners at the hotel eatery looked approvingly as the snooty hostess humiliated Amanda.



"Oh, uh..." Amanda stood red-faced, in front of the 'Please Wait to be Seated' sign. "I just wanted to grab a cup of coffee...." she said as she watched the narcissist walk away.



"Can I help you, ma'am? Lover's spat, huh?"



Amanda turned around to face the kinder countenance of ElioraJoy.



"Oh, thank you," Amanda replied as she glanced down at her own bare feet.



"Don't worry about it...you'd be surprised how many paramours trapse through here 'sans shoes," EJ quipped.



Amanda smiled and said "Interesting name" as she read ElioraJoy's name tag.



"Yeah! Hey, let me show you a cozy booth back here. It's got really great light for reading..." EJ said while looking at Amanda's book. "Doing research?"



"Oh, just brushing up on family history..." Amanda uttered as she followed EJ to a secluded booth near the kitchen.



ElioraJoy couldn't resist, "By the way, if I see a guilty looking male come in, I'll let ya know..."



Amanda replied lightly, "Well, he'll be 6'2" with hazel eyes and he better have a penitent expression on his face..."



"I'll be on the lookout," EJ responded. "Just want to warn you though, if he's good looking, I'll keep him to myself!"



Amanda shook her head and laughed.



EJ continued, "Let me go get ya a nice hot cup of coffee! Cream and sugar?"



Amanda nodded as she settled comfortably enough into her booth. This wasn't exactly what she had planned. On this evening, she had very much wanted to spend time in the arms of her new husband. She thanked EJ for the steaming cup of coffee and started to read.



Lee ached as he watched Amanda from a distance. "Man, she's sexy!", he thought to himself as he watched Amanda tuck her bare feet up on the seat and underneath her coat.



Amanda tensed up as she began reading the next journal entry, she could feel someone watching her. She relaxed as soon as she heard Lee's repentant voice softly say, "Hey toots, is this seat taken?" Amanda didn't look up but smiled and scooted over to allow Lee room to sit down next to her.



Lee scooted in and leaned over and whispered "I'm sorry" as his lips bussed Amanda's hair. He then took her hand and emphatically kissed it. "Amanda, ...I love you...it's just that.... I've been..."

"A bachelor for a long time, yes I know Lee...Please understand, I ...can't.... and... don't want to.....compete with 'Debbi'!" Amanda said as she looked up into Lee's apologetic eyes.

"Fair enough Amanda," Lee said as he thought 'Why do I get the distinct impression that I'm going to be apologizing alot from now on?'

Lee grabbed Amanda's coat collar and pulled her face toward him. "Let's go make up...." he murmured into her ear.

"Is that a threat, Mr. Stetson?" Amanda replied as she smiled.

"Definitely" Lee said as he took Amanda's hand and led her back to their room.



****



Amanda snuggled closer to Lee under the covers and squeezed her arms around her husband and...grinned. She was satisfied. Very satisfied.

"Hey, Amanda," Lee said as he pulled his beautiful wife closer to his side. He had been ravished with his wife's love and looked forward now to their 'pillow talk'. "What ever happened to Samuel? Was he set free?"

Amanda propped herself up on both elbows. Lee smiled approvingly at her lovely figure as she looked tenderly into his eyes and said, "I don't know. Grab the book for me and I'll read a little bit till we find out."

"I would love that Mrs. Stetson", Lee said as he reached over to grab the diary from the bedstand. He was so relieved that they had finally made up!

Amanda rested her head on Lee's shoulder and started to read, "Today is October 6th, the year of our Lord 1856. This is a day I'll never forget..."

*****



West heard little Bruce ask his mother Ingrid "Mommy, why isn't that slave free yet? We prayed alot last night and he's still not here yet."

Ingrid smiled at her concerned little one and said, "God answers prayer in His time."

Suddenly, a woman's voice was heard in the distance.

"Let go of me you fool!"

West rushed down the hill, it was Fannie!

As he reached the bottom, he saw Creech wrestling Fannie to the ground. Samuel was still incapacitated and laying in a pool of blood by Fannie's feet.

"Let go of her!" West screamed.

Creech was easy enough for West to fend off. The liquor had zapped Creech's strength.

"What do you think you're doing?" West yelled as Creech passed out. West shook him. It was no use. Creech was out cold.

"C'mon Fannie! You make me sick! What did you need? More money!?" West yelled as he dragged Fannie back up the hill and threw her into the stagecoach.

"We're heading out! Now! Pack it up!" West commanded Ingrid and her boys.

Ingrid was shocked! She had never seen West so urgent and...what was it? Concerned?

The bruised and injured Fannie sat in the coach, tears stinging her eyes. Ingrid settled her boys in the coach, across from Fannie.

"You were trying to rescue Samuel, weren't you?" Ingrid asked Fannie.

"You'll never be able to prove it! You know what they do to anyone who helps set a slave free! I don't even know what you're talking about!" Fannie said as tears streamed down her face.

Ingrid was amazed. Here she and West had thought that Fannie was a simple harlot looking for money. Ingrid admonished herself and repented to God. There was more virtue to Fannie Mae Belle than Ingrid would ever know.



West ran back down the slope. Assured that Creech was breathing but just passed out cold, West heaved Samuel up on his back and ran up the hill.

He dumped Samuel by Ingrid and Fannie's feet and yelled "Hide him!" as he prepared the horses for their rapid departure. There was no need to explain, everyone understood their course had been altered.



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