Israel waited alone. He had sent his mother away, which had been no small task. She was determined to stay by his side. He began to chip away at her resolve when he pointed out that both his sisters had witnessed the fight. Eventually, he had managed to convince her to go home to make sure Rose was alright.
"Israel?" A voice from outside called. He walked over to the small barred window in the door of the jail.
"Yes, sir." He looked up into the face of Matthew Bradley. He swallowed hard and waited.
"We found Anna Lee, Israel. She was in that cave you spoke of." He studied Israel in the dim light. "I wanted to say thank you. I know it'll cost you dearly speaking up for Anna Lee like that, but we are thankful. Her Ma and I appreciate it. As for Anna, well she can speak for herself." He turned to step away, but then paused saying, "I'll be waiting just over there." Before Israel could even speak he disappeared and suddenly he was looking into Anna's beautiful brown eyes.
"Oh Israel! Your poor face! I am so sorry. Does it hurt much?"
"Are you alright, Anna? I was worried."
"Worried for me? I am fine. But he hurt you. Israel, I am sorry for causing all this trouble." She lowered her eyes and the moonlight shimmered on her long lashes.
"You didn't cause the trouble. It was Master Jacobs. I'm sorry I frightened you. I didn't mean to scare you so. I'm ashamed that I caused you to run off."
"But that isn't why I ran. I'd never be afraid of you. You would never hurt me. I ran off because I was so ashamed to have you hear the things he said. I was going to tell you about my grandmother being a slave but . . ." She looked down ashamed.
Looking at her in the moonlight so sad and worried about him, Israel longed to put his arms around her. He longed to kiss her and tell her everything he'd ever hoped or dreamed. When he was younger, he used to complain about the way his parents carried on. It embarrassed him to no end to see them holding hands or worse to stumble upon them locked in an embrace. But now he understood what Mima had once tried to explain to him when she had married. He had grown up in a house filled with a true and steady love. And now, looking into the beautiful eyes of Anna Lee, he had found a love of his own.
"Oh, Anna! How could you think I'd care about thing like that? My Uncle is a Cherokee, my mother was indentured and my father is Kentucky trapper who is happiest away from civilized folks! It is you who might want to consider things. After all, I am a criminal now." He grinned at her.
She smiled shyly. "I am sorry for running off though."
"Oh, I am glad you ran off. I'm ashamed I lost my temper, and I wouldn't want you to get hurt. I am sorry for losing my temper. A man should manage his temper." He said. "Master Jacobs should have never spoke to you like that though. It made me angry, and I had to do something." He smiled at her thinking again that he'd never seen a prettier girl.
"Both my parents are grateful that you spoke up for me, and we are sorry that you are here now because of it. I wish I could do something for you, Israel. It must be just awful to be in there. Are you hungry? I could fix you something. I'm a pretty good cook, well, not near as good as your Ma."
"I would love anything you made for me." He said knowing it to be absolutely true.
"Anna, we best get home." Her father called.
"You better go now. Don't keep your Pa waiting. Thank you for coming to see me. I'll sleep better now, knowing you are alright."
"Good night, Israel. Thank you for all you did." She slid her hand through the bars and he reached out and held it tightly. Her fingers were soft and cool.
"Good night, Anna." He said trying to think of something else to say to her. She smiled at him and turned to go. She paused as he called out to her.
"Anna?"
"Yes?"
"Would it be alright, if I spoke to your Pa? Spoke to him about calling on you, I mean?" He held his breath.
"Yes, I would like that very much." She smiled and walked away.
Anyone passing by the jail that evening and looking in, might have assumed that Israel Boone had suffered a severe blow to the head during his fight with Master Jacobs. He sat in the small cell, in the dark and cold smiling from ear to ear.
***DB***
"I am glad Anna is alright." Becky said. "That poor sweet girl. I don't know how Grace and Matthew have managed to keep from harming that man." She sat on their bed, but hadn't climbed in. She was having difficulty laying down on their warm, soft bed knowing that Israel was alone in a dark, cold cell.
"Well, I think your son beat them to it. I don't envy Matthew, I'll tell you that! Grace has a temper that nearly rivals yours."
"Why did she run off?" She asked.
"She was upset that he had heard that she was the granddaughter of a black slave. She was afraid it would matter to Israel. She cried and cried afraid he wouldn't care for her anymore. It was so sweet, Becky." He said climbing into bed. "Oh, she was sad, crying on her Pa's shoulder saying, 'Oh, Pa! What if he never speaks to me!' I wanted to tell her that she has Israel's heart in the palm of her hand. But I figured, I'd let him. I won't mind a bit having her as a daughter in law."
"They are so young." She said turning and looking at him.
"Well, so were we." He said smiling at her. Seeing that she still hadn't climbed into bed, he said, "Becky Ann, you know, sitting up all night, isn't going to change anything."
"I know, but I just keep thinking of him there, all alone." She sighed. "And you know how I feel about that name, Daniel."
"Matthew said he was going to take Anna to see him. I don't imagine he's suffering, love."
"You didn't see his cuts and bruises. Master Jacobs hurt him badly." Her voice was angry.
Reaching for her hand he said, "Get in bed, please, Rebecca. You are wore out. It is late and you've had a difficult day. As for Israel, if he's anything like his Pa, just a smile and a kind word from his girl should be enough to heal a thousand injuries." He smiled as she
blushed. "I'm sorry for calling you, Becky Ann." He gave her his best grin.
"You think that grin will get you out of anything, Mr. Boone." He nodded and sighing, she climbed into bed beside him.
"What will happen? You can't reside over the case."
"No, but the town council can. I've agreed to let them decide. They'll release him in the morning, and then in the afternoon he will speak before them. Mr. Jacobs will speak to them first. Then they'll decide." He said quietly. She said nothing. He pulled her over and into his arms and she rested her head on his chest. "Listen, Becky, we can trust them. They know Israel and they know Master Jacobs. They care about the Bradleys. If we send the case to Salem, it would be strangers who may or may not feel that like Anna Lee needs defending."
"They could send him away, though. He is guilty and he admits it. They could send him to prison." Her voice was quiet; frightened.
"They could." He sighed. "One thing about Israel though, he always seems to manage. Remember the time that he was outside the fort and all alone. You thought for sure, you'd never see him again, and then he comes walking through the gate with a turkey and your father! One little boy alone in all the Kentucky wilderness, and he crosses paths with a beautiful fat turkey and his grandfather. What are the odds?"
"I know, but I can't help but feel afraid for him. I know he's nearly grown." She sighed and was so quiet he thought she'd fallen asleep. Finally she said, "Remember how tiny he was? He was the tiniest little thing. I was so scared after the others. He was so sickly I thought for sure we'd lose him too, but every day he got bigger and stronger."
"Seems like he was always smiling too. No matter what, he'd be coughing and sneezing and make you worry half the night away, but he'd just grin at you." He tightened his arms around her. "Rebecca, I promise I won't let anything bad happen to him. We'll see what the council decides and then go from there. We could still go to Salem if things don't work out."
"God watches over us all." She said, as if reminding herself. "Israel's in His hands. I should trust that, and I know you'd do everything you could to make things right for him." She kissed his cheek.
"They won't let you sit in on the hearing, sweetheart." He had been dreading telling her this. He could feel her stiffen in his arms. "I'm sorry. You know how these things go. Women aren't generally allowed, and they fear you might, um, well . . ." He hesitated.
"They are afraid I'll lose my temper and then they'll have me in jail too?" She laughed. "They aren't wrong, Dan. You know I would. Can you imagine me sitting still with him speaking about Israel? I am almost grateful they won't let me."
"Still, I wish that Jacobs had to face you! I am sorry I didn't take him down when he was here, Becky. The things he said and right in front of you and the children! My anger burns when I think on it. No one should ever speak so of you! I almost lit out after him. I should have, then Israel wouldn't be where he is." He sighed.
"I'm half sorry I held you back, but Dan, you would've killed him. You are much stronger than Israel and he's a weak man. You'd be in a sight more trouble than Israel. And who'd prevent me from attending that hearing? It would be a mess for certain."
He looked out the window at the moon. "Its late, sweetheart, and today was terrible. Go to sleep." He kissed her forehead. She nodded and rolled onto her side and closed her eyes trying not to imagine Israel all alone in the tiny cell. She sighed.
"Dan?" She asked after a time. "I'm going to bake a pie."
"What?" He asked.
"I can't sleep. I'll bake a pie, maybe two. Israel can have pie for breakfast." She got up and went into the front room.
She was lighting the lamp as he came in. He studied her.
"Don't look at me like I have lost my mind." She said grinning. "You can't sleep either. Besides baking makes me feel better."
"I didn't say anything. Did I say anything?" He asked her.
"No, but I can hear you thinking." She looked at him as she put her apron on over her nightgown. "Wanna chop up some apples for me?"
He nodded his head, and accepted the knife she handed him. "You know, I never once helped my Ma cook. 'Course my brothers would have laughed at me, and my sisters never would have let me."
"It's a shame. You could use some cooking lessons." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Leastways, that's what Mingo says."
"Well, Mingo's eaten too much of your food to be a fair judge of anyone. I sure hope Anna Lee's a good cook. Poor girl, she's got a lot to live up to. You better give her some recipes, darlin'. Israel's fond of your cooking."
"I don't think he'll mind how she cooks, leastways, not at first." She smiled at him.
"Remember that turkey dinner you fixed? Oh, Lord! It was wonderful! It must have been the very first year we married. I ate so much and I made myself sick, but I couldn't stop. That was the best meal I'd had in my whole life! I thought I'd died and gone straight to heaven!"
"Yes, and then you said, 'Becky, I didn't really love you 'til just now!' after you finished it. And I burst into tears and didn't speak to you for three days!" She laughed, remembering. "Oh, I was mad!"
"I remember! I tried and tried to explain what I meant, but you'd just stomp your foot and walk off." He laughed too. "I can't remember how we settled it."
She smiled up at him in the soft candle light. "I do."
"I can remember the turkey; it was the most delicious thing I'd ever, ever eaten. I remember looking up from that plate at you standing there so ridiculously beautiful. And I remember thinking I was the luckiest man who had ever lived and trying to tell you that, but it coming out all wrong. I remember being absolutely miserable and trying desperately to fix it. I can't for the life of me, remember how we managed to settle it, though."
"You remember, James, don't you?" She said softly.
"Oh!" He said and she blushed. "That's how we settled it. I remember now."
She had rolled out a beautiful crust and gently lifted it into the pan. He helped her layer it with slices of apple.
"He'd be nearly twenty-five now." He said thoughtfully. "I wonder what kind of a girl he would've picked out."
"Oh, he'd still be a bachelor. He'd be out there in that wilderness with you and Mingo. How would he ever have found time for a girl?" She sighed. "'Course, knowing him and his headstrong ways, he'd probably would have married a beautiful Cherokee girl."
"I can't imagine how a child of ours ended up being headstrong!" He let out a long, slow breath. "Oh, but he was a good son."
"Oh, that he was." She agreed. She paused in her work and looked up at her husband. Wiping her hands on her apron, she walked around the table to where he stood and wrapped her arms around him.
"I don't know why . . . " He began, surprised by his sudden tears. "It's been years and years." He buried his face in her hair.
"Well, Israel's in jail, and in love. No doubt he'll be leaving us soon. Its probably four in the morning and you haven't slept. I suppose those are all reasons enough." She said soothingly, running her fingers through his hair. "But I think it is because you are such a good father." She kissed his forehead.
"A good father! I don't understand sometimes, how you can say that still." He spoke bitterly. "I never should have . . ."
"That's all done and buried. Nothing we can do will change it. James would be angry that you still feel that way. He wouldn't want you hanging on to blame all this time. You know that. You were then, and are now, a good father. So stop that nonsense. You're just missing him." She said quietly.
He sniffed and drew in a big breath. "You're right. I miss him all the time."
She nodded. "I try not to think too hard about how much I wish he were here. He would've loved Kentucky, don't you think? Can you imagine Jim and Mingo together? Oh, they would have had the best time!"
He nodded his head. "I think how he would have loved Israel, and Katie-Grace and Rose. He would've spoiled Rose something terrible."
"He was well on his way to spoiling Mima." She said remembering him holding his baby sister. She let out a long sigh, and kissing him, she gently wiped the tears off his face. She turned back to the pie and swallowing down her own tears she said, "Come on. You said you would help."
Wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. He finished cutting the last few pieces of apple. They worked in silence until she put the pie into the fire and then sat down in her rocker to keep a close eye on it. She watched his face in the firelight remembering all the times he and Jim had gone out hunting together, bringing back piles of game for her. Two peas in a pod, happy as can be. She sighed.
"Sun's coming up." She said looking out the window just beyond his shoulder.
"It always does." He said thoughtfully and smiled at her understanding just what she meant.
"I'll get dressed and then we can go to the fort. That pie will be ready in a bit." She rose, and as she turned to go he caught hold of her hand and said softly, "Becky, I . . ." But he struggled wishing he had Mingo's skill at stringing together all the right words.
She smiled and kissed him understanding completely. "I love you too." She said and disappeared into the other room to prepare herself for a day that would determine Israel's fate.