Stockton was not a huge town, but it did have one large dance in midsummer. It was, essentially, a time when all the various churches put aside their rivalries and hosted a joint party in the interests of brotherhood and togetherness. It didn't really make a difference, of course. As soon as the party was over each congregation returned to the usual competition for biggest chapel, or largest bell or most populous congregation or most honored guest preachers even though all guest preachers more or less ended up being passed around. With multiple churches of the same denomination in town, visiting pastors with a decent reputation could count on several weeks of free board and care from whichever church he visited next. Heath had observed once that visiting preachers in Stockton were like machines: drop a meal in-get a sermon out. Thankfully he had avoided voicing this opinion outside of the family; a good thing even if Nick did find it hilarious.

Since the Social involved the congregation of so many churches, a special dancing platform always had to be built for the occasion, then decorated lavishly, sometimes over lavishly, by the competing congregations. Because it was such a communal event, arriving with a specific person was considered as an open announcement of:

'Hi! I am courting this person with the possible intention of marriage soon. It would be in bad taste to ask this person out!'

It was, naturally, the local gossips busiest moment. So, when Jarrod arrived with Doctor Agatha the gossips immediately took note and huddled together to score the couple on presentation, comportment and synchronization. Jarrod would have been gratified by the high marks they received. Heath arrived separately, driving a carriage with Audra and Victoria. He helped them out of the carriage, stepped on the platform and was immediately surrounded by a group of young ladies topped with a truly bizarre assortment of feathers.

Jarrod whirled Agatha through the first three dances, then they briefly retired to the benches under the trees with some refreshments. Agatha sipped at her punch, enjoying Jarrod's company and the cool spot with its gentle breeze. A moment later Heath slipped into the courtyard with a somewhat furtive movement.

"Jarrod, do you mind if I hide with you? I need to escape for a few minutes." Heath plucked a feather from his coat, looking somewhat harassed. "My last dancing partner was molting."

"Was she one of those girls carrying feathers?" Agatha inquired.

"Yes Ma'am."

"What a strange habit." Agatha caught a glimpse of another group of girls similarly decorated. "Jarrod? Is that a local custom or..?"

Heath scowled and Jarrod started laughing,

"They're Heath's um…fan club, so to speak. The feathers are Nick's fault."

"Nick's fault? I don't understand." She loved seeing him smile like this, blue eye's sparkling, dimples showing up in his cheeks.

"You want to tell the story Heath, or should I?"

"How about neither?" Heath growled.

Jarrod ignored him. "Little Brother here is a good looking fellow, as you may have noticed. Unfortunately, he was so shy that the first few dances he attended he didn't have enough nerve to ask any of the girls to dance. Bear in mind, any number of ladies fell in love with the him the moment they saw that Angelic face and blue eyes, but of course, proper young ladies don't ask men to dance, they wait to be asked."

"Of course." Agatha responded serenely. "Boldness is such an unattractive trait."

Jarrod laughed again.

"One day our church had a distinguished preacher from the east, and in honor of his visit we threw a dance. Well things were going along as usual: Heath was staring at the floor, and a group of lovelorn doves was looking longingly at him from across the room. Finally, one the girls decided that being 'proper' wasn't working and she practically dragged Heath onto the dance floor. Heath's other admirers followed her lead and kept him busy all night."

"I was sweating like a pig before the night was over." Heath confided to Agatha's delight.

'The visiting Reverend was appalled at this "Unchristian behavior" and spent the next Sunday Sermon railing against the younger generations lax morals at the dance; young girls dancing with men of -as he put it -questionable background. Everyone knew what he was talking about. Heath was mortified and Mother looked angry enough to walk out of church. The Reverend was giving his hellfire and brimstone speech and he reached the high point asking, "What kind of girl so shamelessly and boldly approaches a man and begs his favors?" And Nick bellowed "Heathens."

'The entire congregation started laughing … and laughing … and laughing. They could not stop. Judge Tyler was in tears, he was laughing so hard. The choir looked like dominos collapsing; the organist fell off the bench. Our honored guest speaker stormed out and hasn't been back since. The next dance Nick showed up early to hand out feathers to any girl admitting to being a "Heathen" and Brother Heath has never again had to stand around wondering if someone will dance with him."

"If I'da know what he was gonna say anything, I would've gagged him" Heath groused.

Agatha laughed in delight. "Nick's very protective, isn't he?"

"Don't give him too much credit." Jarrod snorted. "Last Dance we came in to find a sign on one wall that said "Baptists" and a sign on another wall that said "Heathens." We know Nick did it but he hasn't confessed yet."

Heath leaned over and added "There was also a third sign that said 'Jarrodians.'

"I recall" Jarrod said sourly. "You know Brother Heath, I believe we need to come up with a proper name for ladies who want to dance with Nick."

"Certifiably insane?" Heath suggested.

BVBVBVBVBVBV

A hundred yards away, a third Barkley carriage pulled up in the shadows, keeping carefully out of sight of the revelers. Nick helped Angela out of the carriage and she craned her neck, trying to see dance floor and decorations. Nick provided a pair of binoculars with a flourish.

"Try these."

She lifted them to her eyes and almost dropped them, startled as the dance platform and participants leaped into focus.

"It's pretty." She said wistfully. "An' all them dresses.."

"You wouldn't believe how heavy they are." Nick confided. "I've helped carry Mother and Audra's dresses upstairs. I swear they must be strong as mules to be able to wear those things all day."

She giggled at the picture it made in her mind: two mules with Audra Barkley's golden hair and Victoria Barkley's white hair, dressed in silk gowns and waltzing around the dance floor.

"How da they be knowin' them dances?" She asked.

"Oh, you can take classes if you want. You can hire a dance teacher to come to your houses and give you personal lessons if you'd rather not practice in front of others. Of course that costs more."

"Is the dances hard?"

"No. If I can learn it anyone can."

She looked at him doubtfully.

"Here, just put your right hand in my left hand, and my hand goes here around your waist. Put your feet next to mine so you can feel which way we step. Now one, two, three, four…" He counted out the steps slowly so she could keep up. "Then we turn, and one, two, three, four and turn. See? It's easy."

Angela followed his steps carefully, gaining confidence.

"One, two, three, four. And turn…."

A bubble of laughter emerged.

"It's lak flyin."

"Yeah." He laughed happily, then took her hand and pulled her towards to dance platform. "Come on. Let's go show them how it's done."

Angela froze with anxiety.

"Ah can't go down theya."

"Yes you can, come on." He urged, pulling her another step towards the party.

Her eyes widened in fear. "Ah can't."

"I'll be with you. There's nothing to be afraid of. Dance with me." He started to walk toward the light of party, still holding her hand.

"They won understan-"

"To hell with them! I don't care if they understand or not."

"No!"

"I love you. I'm not ashamed of loving you. They won't dare hurt us."

She wrenched her hand away.

"They won dare hurt YOU! You safe, Nick. What you think they gonna do to me? If we go out there, they gonna find a way ta put me in my place. You ain't always gonna be 'round and they be watching. They be finding a time when Ah'm alone, or with Jordan. And what you think they gonna do to a negro woman dancing with a white man? Ya don't know. Ya can't know."

And she turned and vanished into the forest.

BVBVBVBVBVBVBV

It took Nick almost an entire hour of looking to find her. For a while he feared she decided to walk home without him, but kept doggedly searching until the sound of a lonesome sniffle lead him to the small clearing she was in. She sat on a log, looking down at the ground. He took a long moment to sit beside her before he began speaking.

"I'm sorry. I was being selfish and stupid. I was thinking about what I want, not what was best for you." He stopped and stared down at his clasped hands. "A few weeks ago I tried to talk to Silas about us- you, me. Made him mad. He said there couldn't be an us; that I didn't know anything about what it's like being a negro. I guess I just proved he was right, didn't I?"

"Ya can't know what ya never lived." She murmured, not looking at him.

"Yeah, I guess I can't." He sat silently beside her. "I'll learn." He promised. "I'll be a better listener."

She shook her head slowly. "Ah doan know if that'll help." She said.

"It has to." He answered. "Because I don't want anything to come between us." He sighed for a moment. "I'm looking for a place; someplace for you and me and Jordan. I've hired some agents from the Pinkertons to look for us; to find someplace where we can be a family."

After a moment she reached out and took his hand, stroking it softly. "Wha if they can' find one?"

"They have to." He whispered. A peaceful silence fell between them. "Dance with me here?" he asked.

"Ah already done fergot."

He smiled gently. "I'll show you."

She looked around the clearing and, seeing no one, nodded.

He pulled her into his arms and wrapped her hands around his neck.

"Just follow the music. Nothing fancy, no steps or patterns. Just follow me."

Angela relaxed against him, smelling leather and cologne, leaning into his body.

They could faintly hear the music from the social, and Nick started humming along with a slow ballad from the dance, then singing the words to her, his voice horse and out of tune.

"I never thought
You'd mean a thing to me.
But when I needed your loving
You gave me loving
Natural as can be.

I love your face.
I love your quiet ways.
If I could paint you in colors
You'd be a rainbow
In a summer's day.

And when I feel the way I'm feeling
Can't help believing you made it so easy.
They can't take that away.

It was the sweetest sound Angela ever heard.