The All-True Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton_ A Novel - Jane Smiley [198]
I AWAKENED WITHOUT OPENING my eyes and lay in bed listening to the voices in the room. Through my eyelids I could tell that they had lit two candles. That, just that, was a divine luxury. And I lay between sheets, I could feel them, and I wore a nightgown, far too fine to be my own—where was my own?—and the voices were low and smooth.
"There, now," said the mistress, Helen. "That looks nice, I do think. Don’t you, Lorna?"
"Very nice, missy."
"You didn’t even look, Lorna! Take it in your hand and hold it up to the light. I mean that stem stitch. Look at those vines! Don’t they look real?"
"Lak weeds, you mean? Dat mornin’ glory vine is a weed, no mistake."
"Oh, Lorna. I think they look very pretty, and Minna will love them."
"Round de hem of her petticoat? Who gone see it?"
"She will simply know it’s there. That’s the best joy of being well dressed, if you ask me. Whether or not anyone notices—"
"Massa James ain’ gone notice, dat’s for sure."
"Lorna, you shouldn’t say that. Master James is going to be Minna’s husband—"
"Then she de one who gone hafta love him, not me. I jes’ got to keep my mouth shet."
"Yes, you do!"
"I know it!"
"I won’t say another word."
They sat quietly for a few moments, then Helen said, "He’s very handsome. He’s a regular cavalier. And he’s been to college in Virginia."
"So he say."
"Lorna!"
"Well, missy, ifn you don’ want me to speak my mine, don’ temp’ me."
"I think he’s a gentleman. He just has his own ways, is all."
"You nevah met no Virginny gentleman, Missy Helen."
"And you have?"
"Well, I have. Yes, I have."
"In Saint Louis?"
"Yes’m."
"And what do you know about them, pray tell?"
"I ain’ sayin’, ’cause den you’ll say I talk too free."
"I won’t."
There was a pause. Finally, Lorna said, "Well, missy, dem Virginny men, dey thinks awful highly of demself. Everythin’ dey do say, ’I am bettah den you, and I know it and you know it, too,’ but den dey treat everbody real nice, and dey always apologize when dey is forced to bring loaded guns and such into de house. And dey nevah nevah evah carry no knife in dey boottop. Dat’s a fact."
By this time, Helen was laughing, and finally she said, "Goodness, Lorna, you do talk so free. I’m not saying too free; just free."
Now there was a long silence, and Lorna said in a low voice, "Well, sure ’nuf, she be awake, I reckon."
This was my cue. I stretched and yawned and opened my eyes. I was in a high-ceilinged white room with two tall black windows. Lorna sat near me, on the right side of the bed, sewing a shirt by the light of one candle, and Helen sat at the foot of the bed, beside the other candle. She had set aside her work and was leaning forward to look at me. I pushed myself with my hands and raised up out of the pillows.
"Oh!" exclaimed Helen. "How are you?"
I shook my head back and forth, then said, "I don’t think I know."
"Do you have any pains?"
I reconnoitered. "A little. An ache, nothing much."
"Does your head hurt? You were holding your head and moaning in your sleep."
"I was?"
"Lorna gave you some drops, and you slept right through the storm."
"She did?"
"Deadly poison, I’m sure. Lorna is a deep one."
"My head feels like it did hurt, but doesn’t hurt anymore. You know? It remembers hurting." I sounded silly.
"I’m dying to know who you are and why you were wearing men’s clothes. I’ve so wanted to do that!" I saw Lorna look at her. "But Lorna says we have to let you rest absolutely for twenty-four hours, so you needn’t tell me a single thing right now, but just think pleasant thoughts."
"Call me ... Louisa," I said.
"Louisa?"
I nodded and closed my eyes. It was more pleasant to listen to them talk than to talk myself, which reminded my head to hurt again. There were steps out of the room, then back in again, and after a moment, I felt Lorna’s cool hand under the back of my neck. When I sat up and opened my eyes, I