Page 75 of Stay Buried

“Yes,” I agreed. “But a pipe—”

“Is not very ladylike at all, is it?” Pearl finished, laughing. “Come on, now I’m eager to try it.”

We sat side by side on the settee, puffing on the pipe I pulled from my jacket pocket and loaded with tobacco from my pouch.

“I much prefer this to cigarettes,” Pearl said.

I laughed. “I’ll have to get you your own little pipe then.”

“And we’ll smoke each night together like this, sipping brandy, telling each other all about our days.”

We were quiet for a few moments, passing the pipe back and forth, filling the parlor with the sweet smoke.

“Pearl,” I said at last, hating to break the spell, to ruin the night, but I knew it had to be done. Pearl had her head on my shoulder and was trying to blow smoke rings.

“Yes, my love?”

“There’s something I need you to do.”

I felt it again—that thick, hard lump in my throat that madespeaking difficult.

“What is it? Do you want coffee? Dessert? Or shall we go up to my room?” she asked with a twinkle in her eye. “There’s no one here to catch us. My father hasn’t so much as twitched since yesterday. He’s dreaming, though. I can see his good eye moving behind the lid. And he mumbles in his sleep.”

I shivered a little, imagining the things Benjamin might be dreaming.

“No,” I said, though I wanted nothing more than to have Pearl lead me up to her room, let me undress her slowly, stretching each second of pleasure out as long as I could, memorizing each detail of her body.

“Well, what is it then?” Pearl lifted her head, looked at me.

“I want you to go away. To leave Boone’s Ferry.”

“When will we go?” Pearl asked.

I swallowed hard. “Not with me. With Aunt Margaret. She’s leaving with David, Mercy, Harold, and Stewart.” I paused a second, then forced myself to finish, to spit the name out. “And Chauncey.”

Pearl’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open. “Wh—”

“Tomorrow morning, on foot. Going to Amsterdale. You must go with them.”

“You—”

“Has Chauncey asked you to join them?”

Pearl blew out an angry breath. “Yes, he asked me. But I told him no! I am not running off with Chauncey. I’m not leaving my father. I’m not leavingyou.”

I took her hand tightly in my own. “I want you to go.”

Pearl drew back and gave a wicked laugh. “You’re fooling, right? You truly want me to run off with Chauncey Banks?”

I laughed bitterly. “I hate that vile bastard, and nothing can change that. But you’ll be safest with the group and away from all this. When this is over, Uncle Thomas and I will come and meet you all in Amsterdale. Then, if you still wish, you and I can leave. There’s a train station there. We can go to Boston. Start a new life together.”

“Why don’t you come with us tomorrow?”

“I can’t. I need to stay and help my uncle.”

“Then I’ll stay too. I can help you. I can be your nurse. Blood doesn’t trouble me at all. You saw yesterday, didn’t you? How helpful I could be. And I’m clever, Frankie, you know that. A quick learner. We can work together, side by side, and it will be—”

“Pearl,” I interrupted, “that’s just why you must go. What if Aunt Margaret needs help with the baby on the journey? Thomas and I are going to be worried sick about her, but if you’re with her, my clever Pearl, that will be a comfort. I’m begging you. Please. Do this one thing for me. This one, huge, hard thing.”