An Acquaintance with Darkness - Ann Rinaldi [8]
"In honor of my friendship with Johnny Surratt," I said. "Johnny made the arrangements. His friend works for Mr. Thompson."
He scowled. "Surratt?" He seemed to be searching his mind for something. He set down his wineglass. But he said nothing.
"Johnny and Emily were always friends," Mama told him. "You remember. From Maryland. He's been like a brother to her. You know his mother and I went to school together."
"That fancy girls' school. It gave you notions, Mary Louise."
"All girls have a right to notions," Mama said.
"You haven't spoken to his mother since her brother foreclosed on your home."
"I won't deny the children their friendship. Neither Mary nor I protest it. But it's over now with Johnny. He left the other day on a long trip."
I'll say one thing for Mama. She has always allowed me my friendship with Johnny and Annie. She was defending those friendships now. Of course, she would defend my friendship with the Devil himself if it meant going against her brother. Still, I thought this as good a time as any to tell her I'd been invited to live with the Surratts.
"My friendship with Johnny isn't over," I said. And I told her about the invitation. To my surprise, it wasn't Mama who was upset by it. It was Uncle Valentine.
"You can't be meaning to let this child go and live with the Surratts, Mary Louise," he said.
"I'm glad to know she has people to care for her."
"She has me."
"Don't start that again, Valentine."
"I'm your brother! Her blood uncle. You'd rather have her live with strangers?"
"Mary is still a dear friend to Emily. She runs a good boardinghouse. Her daughter, Annie, is only a few years older than Emily and like a big sister. Emily can't go to Richmond now. And she needs to stay here and finish her schooling."
"She can live with me," Uncle Valentine said again. "For once in your life, Mary Louise, listen to me. You never did before."
"I know. And I married Edward. He wasn't a good provider. And we lost our home."
"Edward was a good provider. It just wasn't enough for you, Mary Louise. You were too much the Southern belle."
"I never was!" Mama said. But she preened, nevertheless, tossed her head; and for a moment I could see the remains of the Southern belle my uncle accused her of being. "You may be right about me," she sniffed, "but you are not right about the Surratts."
I fetched a tray of tea and poured Mama a cup, then put honey in it. I feared for her. She was using all her strength to best Uncle Valentine. Tomorrow she'd be spent.
"Don't argue," I pleaded.
"We must settle this," Mama told me. Then she turned to her brother, and it was as if I were not even in the room. "You may know baseball, Valentine. And sickness. But you do not know people."
"I know of the Surratts," he said. "They are trouble."
"Trouble?" Mama even managed a laugh, though she near choked on it and I had to give her water and pat her back. Then she waved me away. "Trouble? And you are not?"
"I have honest dealings, Mary Louise."
"Honest, indeed!" Mama smiled. It was a smug smile, as if she knew something. "I am too close to the grave to have you mince words with me, Valentine."
"I won't mince, then. The Surratt house in Maryland is a stopping place for blockade runners, spies, and no-'counts."
"We know Johnny has run the blockade. He's Secesh. We are at war, Valentine."
"Dr. Mudd, a colleague of mine in Maryland, told me of them. John Wilkes Booth made a trip down there with Johnny Surratt. Booth claimed he wanted to buy a farm from Mudd. Mudd thinks Booth just wanted to get to know the lay of the land."
"What is wrong with wanting to know the lay of the land if you are going to buy a farm in Maryland? I wish my Edward had learned the lay of the land."
"Why would anyone venture into Maryland now, with such devastation there, to buy a farm? The Surratts are up to no good, the lot of them. Something evil is brewing there."
"Evil," Mama repeated.
"Yes. I know evil when