Stone That the Builder Refused - Madison Smartt Bell [161]
Now Pauline came onto the gallery, bearing a covered platter which sent out a warm fragrance. Sophie and Robert and Héloïse (who had just awakened) trailed her like a string of hungry chicks. Suzanne tapped her palm once more with the stick, gathered her skirts, and rose.
“But you must—” Elise began.
“No, no,” Suzanne said. “I have no appetite this morning. And I would return to Sancey before the heat.”
“Well, if we cannot persuade you . . .” Elise got up, absently handing Mireille over to Isabelle. Bibiane now began to scrabble at Isabelle’s chair leg, wanting to climb to join her companion. Zabeth clucked at her as she set down the platter. Elise clasped Suzanne’s free hand in both of hers.
“You are kind to bring us the news,” she said.
“It is only your kindness I return,” Suzanne said. “I have never wished harm to my neighbors.” Suzanne’s eyes were deep beneath the spangled headcloth; Elise could not read them.
Suzanne withdrew her hand and went briskly down the steps, the stick now flicking against her skirted thigh. Elise stood at the gallery rail, watching Isaac hand his mother up onto her donkey. When she was settled, Suzanne gave the donkey a tap on the flank, then raised the stick to the vertical as the animal broke into a trot. Isaac lengthened his step to catch up with her; soon they had both disappeared behind a screen of avocado trees.
Sophie and Robert and Héloïse were in their places at the table, whetting knives against their forks. Paul stayed down by the pool with Caco, watching the two snares that had now been set and baited, but the ducks were not attracted by the corn; they were diving for something underneath the water. Then the doctor appeared in the doorway, fringes of his rusty hair ruffled up around the bald center of his head. He let go Nanon’s hand as he moved toward the table. Elise inspected the two of them a little sourly, as Nanon covered a yawn with her graceful hand; she half wanted to slap them both out of their voluptuous contentment.
“Omelettes!” said the doctor, as he uncovered the platter. “What’s the occasion?”
“War,” said Elise.
“Ruin,” said Isabelle.
“Destruction,” said Elise.
The doctor sat down, took off his glasses and polished them on his loose shirt tail, then resettled them on his nose.
“But we’re told we shall be quite safe here!” Elise said, full of false brightness.
The doctor thumbed his beard and shrugged. “Then that’s a comfort,” he said, and reached to slide one of the small omelettes onto his plate.
Daspir would not have thought it possible to have crossed this range of mountains so many times in so few days. They’d waited out the period of armistice at Habitation Sancey, dully enough, though in the company of Isaac and hospitably entertained by his mother. A few other relatives were in residence, so that the dinner table was well attended, but though the food was excellent, Daspir thought wistfully of the two French-women at Habitation Thibodet, especially the enchanting Isabelle Cigny. Suzanne Louverture had two nieces staying in the Sancey grand’case; both girls were strikingly pretty, but subdued as a pair of nuns.
The two French captains were under no obvious restraint, left at liberty to explore the plantation as they chose. Their horses were well cared for at the Sancey stable. But every stablehand wore a pistol in his waistband, and every man on the property seemed to go armed; even the field workers propped muskets in the hedgerows before they lifted their hoes.
If Isaac took any pleasure in how the tables had been turned on his former guardians, he did little to show it. On the contrary, he seemed to court their favor with more interest than before. He escorted them through the house and grounds, relaying anecdotes he must have picked up recently from his mother or younger brother Saint-Jean—the two captains knew that Isaac had not had much of his raising in