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By Root 812 0

lines in his handsome, square face made him look old. I knew by the silvery threads in his hair and in his mustache that he was several years older than my beautiful mother, but just how old I didn’t know. I also had no idea what kind of work my daddy did all day—only that he owned warehouses near the James River, that he sometimes traveled far away for months at a time, and that he constantly worried about his ships, which sailed back and forth to South America. But in spite of the rain and his fatigue, Daddy looked pleased to see me. He smiled the familiar, cockeyed smile that I loved so much, making one arched eyebrow and one side of his mustache lift in amusement.

“Well, now! Nobody told me that we had company! Who is this lovely young lady who has come calling at my house?” He bowed like a gentleman and kissed my fingers.

I covered my mouth with my other hand and giggled. “It’s me, Daddy!”

“No! This can’t be my little Caroline. Why, you look just like a Richmond belle.”

I danced from foot to foot, waiting for Gilbert to take Daddy’s coat, my stomach writhing in an agony of nerves. When I finally found my voice, it sounded very small. “Can I ask you something, Daddy?”

“Why, certainly. Right this way, young lady, if you please.” He offered me his arm and led me into his library. Daddy sank into his usual armchair behind his desk, but I was too fidgety to sit. I stood in front of him, squirming with anxiety.

Suddenly I didn’t want to be a fine lady anymore. I longed for Daddy to open his arms wide and invite me to crawl up onto his lap and hug his neck the way I hugged Big Eli. I loved my daddy because he was so handsome with his neatly trimmed mustache and wavy brown hair, his finely tailored clothes and crisp, white shirts. Daddy was kind to me and brought me all sorts of treats whenever he returned from one of his long trips. But I could never recall sitting on his lap. If I needed a man’s strong arms to hold me close and comfort me when I was upset, I ran to Eli.

“Now, tell me why you are all dolled up today,” Daddy said as Gilbert handed him his evening drink. “Did you have a gentleman caller, Sugar?”

“Daddy!” I blushed at the thought, then drew a deep breath as I remembered my mission. “Mother says I have to go to the Richmond Female Institute.”

“You’ll be the prettiest girl there,” he said after taking a swallow. “But do I have to go? Can’t you hire another governess to come and teach me at home?”

“Now, Caroline. It isn’t good for you to stay shut up inside the house all the time.”

“But Mother does.”

His crooked smile faded. “I know. But that’s different. Your mother is . . . delicate. You’re a strong, healthy girl.”

I waited for him to take another sip of his drink, then I blurted the truth. “But I’m scared to go.”

“All the more reason why you should go. You need to make friends with girls your own age, Sugar. Get over your shyness.”

I hung my head in disappointment, fighting tears. Daddy set his drink on the desk and leaned forward to lift my chin.

“Look at me, Caroline. I happen to agree with your mother this time. You’ve been spending far too much time with Tessie and Eli and all the other Negro servants. You’re a young lady now, and it’s high time you made some proper friends.”

“But they are my friends—my very best friends.”

“No, Sugar. I don’t want to hear any more arguments, understand?”

I nodded, choking back tears and protests. Daddy appeared satisfied as he settled in his chair again. But at the mention of Tessie, I remembered the awful scene I had awakened to that morning and the other question I needed to ask.

“Daddy, where did those men take Grady?”

He selected a cigar from the box that Gilbert held out to him. “You don’t need to worry about all that, Caroline.”

“Tessie said we’ll never see him again. Is that true?”

“Yes,” he said with a sigh. “Yes, I suppose it is true.”

“But why? What did Grady do wrong to make you send him away?”

“Why, not a thing, Sugar. What made you think that he had?”

“Some of the men in that wagon had chains on their legs, like they were going to prison.