Chapter 8

Robert quietly made his way up the stairs and to bed. He had stayed outside a little too late for his liking. One of the twins was throwing a fit of some sort and was crying and screaming for the better part of a couple of hours and it was giving him a headache. He leaned over the basin of water on the dresser next to his bed. He dipped his hand into the basin, catching some water in his hand. He pulled his hand up toward his face, the water spilling through his fingers like the finest silk. He rubbed his hand over his eyes, slowly making rough circles around this forehead, cheeks and jaw. He let out a long sigh, and yawned deeply. He let himself fall wearily onto his small cotton bed and closed his eyes. He fell into a deep sleep almost instantly.

Robert woke up just as the first dazzling light form the sun peeked over the horizon. He sat up at the side of his bed and stretched his arms above his head and let out a sigh, "ugh... I must be getting old," he muttered to himself. He rose from the bed and placed his feet on the cold wood floor. He slipped into his trousers and buttoned up his shirt. He sat back on the bed and rolled his sock over his right foot and then his left, his big toe slipping through a hole at the top of his sock. I am going to have to ask Mary if she will mend these for me, he thought. He slipped his feet into his boots and laced them up tight.

Robert made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen. He could hear a baby crying within the house. He put on a pot of water on to boil, took a couple of biscuits out from the cupboard and sat down at the small table. He looked out the window and noticed a light fog lifting from the lawn of the estate. Fog, he thought. Surely it will be too dewy to start the trimming; I might have to wait a few hours.

Samuel opened the kitchen door right then and practically knocking Robert out of his seat, he shouted, "Mista' Robert! Please you must come quickly! There is carriage overturned at da gate!"

Robert got up from his seat and ran after Samuel out the kitchen door and towards the stables where the mounted two horses and rode down the long drive to the front gate.

"Whoa!" Robert pulled on his horse's reigns. He dismounted and ran over to where the carriage was turned up on its side. He was looking at the belly of the wagon.

"Hello? Anyone in there?" Robert called out. He climbed to the top of the carriage and opened the door. "Samuel! There is somebody in here! Climb up here and help me get her out!"

Samuel awkwardly scaled the belly of the wagon and lowered himself into the small compartment. "What should I do Robert?"

"Is she breathing?"

Samuel leaned over her body, looking and listening for any signs of life, "Yes, yes she is!"

"We have to get her out of there. Can you lift her to me?"

"Yes, I think so, here let me try." Samuel placed his arms under her limp body and lifted her up out of the carriage.

Robert was able to position himself to take on her weight without falling.

Samuel lithely pulled himself out of the carriage and hopped down to the ground, he held his arms out for Robert to place the woman in.

Robert hopped down as Samuel placed the woman on the ground.

Robert removed the woman's bonnet and took her face in his hands, "Samuel, we need to get her up to the house. Help me get her up on the horse."

The two men got the woman on the horse. Robert began the long walk up the drive leading the horse along with him. Samuel looped a rope through the carriage's door and tied it off at the frame. He took the other end of the rope and tied it to the horn on his saddle. He began easing the horse forward, pulling the carriage back on its right end. When it was right side up he hooked his horse to the carriage and began towing it up the long drive to the house. He caught up with Robert as he neared the house. "I'ma put da carriage in da barn und go looking fer da lady's horse."

Robert shook his head, "That's a good idea Samuel; after you put the carriage away will you come and get this one so we aren't looking for two horses?"

"Right ya are mista' Robert," agreed Samuel.

Robert pulled the woman from the horse and carried her into the house. He clamored through the foyer and Mary rushed out to meet him. "What in heaven's name are you making all that racket f," Mary stopped. "Oh Robert, here put her down here in the sitting room." Mary hurried to open the door to the sitting room.

He laid the woman down on the sofa; turned to Mary who was bustling back into the room with a basin of hot water and a few cloths. She placed a cloth on the woman's forehead and turned to Robert. "What happened Robert? Was she hurt? Was she thrown from her horse? Where did you find her? Robert?"

Robert quickly explained what he knew.

Mary found herself nodding in shock as Robert spoke. She composed her face as she said, "Oh, Robert, I am so glad you found her. Mr. Clifford would have been terribly upset if anything had happened to her."

"Do you know who she is, Mary?" Robert asked.

"I do, and so do you!" Mary proclaimed, "She is the woman Mr. Clifford has been expecting. The one that came to visit the summer before Mrs. Clifford got pregnant. Don't you remember her Robert? That is Mrs. Satta."