The Known World - Edward P. Jones [136]
“The state would hesitate,” Calvin said. “It wouldn’t want to lose its own people, so many fine white people, as well as all the people the state depends on to work the fields and do all the other work that helps make Virginia the great Commonwealth.”
“Are you two men talking of war?” Dora said.
“Do you know it by some other name?” Louis said.
Dora laughed. “Slaves against masters. Try to place that image in your head, and then follow that with the image of all the slaves lying dead.”
“I have,” Fern said. “I have indeed.” She was thinking of the boldness with which Jebediah walked away whenever he had a mind to. “The only question for us, around this blessed table, is which side should we choose. I suppose that is what those pamphlets want me to do. Choose my side.”
“Have you?” Caldonia said.
“In my feeble way I believe I have,” Fern said. “I do not think I would fare very well as a dressmaker’s apprentice. ‘Yessum’ and ‘Yessuh’ do not come easily from my mouth. My hands, my body, they fear the dirt of the field.”
“You could teach even more,” Louis said. “You could teach all the time.”
“The light of teaching is slowly going out for me.”
“That comes from having bad pupils,” Caldonia said and the five of them laughed. Fern thought she might have a third glass of port, but as she held the empty glass in her hand, the effects of the first two drinks took firm hold and she smiled at the glass and told herself that two would do for the evening. Since Jebediah arrived her husband had been staying home, but nothing was the same. I am . . . I am this night a dutiful wife. This night . . .
“I would leave all of this with any war,” Calvin said.
“You wouldn’t help out the precious slaves?” Louis said.
“Well, now that you say it, now that you put the matter out there, I think I would.”
Caldonia laughed. “Do you think Mama would let you take up arms against her?” In their minds they all saw Maude—arms folded, foot tapping in an exasperated manner—and laughed.
“I would do it with her back turned.” Calvin laughed.
“A bullet in your poor mama’s back, Calvin, how nice?” Dora said.
“You said bullet. I love her too much to do anything more harmful than say no. Besides, my mother lives with a high brick wall at her back. Nothing could penetrate that.” When his mother was ill for all those years, Calvin slept many nights on the floor beside her bed.
“Fine talk for an hour of digestion,” Fern said. “What school taught all of you this?”
“A difficult establishment in Manchester, Virginia.” Louis was looking across the table at his sister, and as he did his traveling eye caught hold of a floating piece of dust and followed it before he blinked.
Her guests slept there that night. In the morning, not long after breakfast, Caldonia and Calvin walked Dora and Louis out to the verandah, where Louis hugged her unexpectedly. “Your hospitality is without equal,” he said, not at all trying to impress her. “The credit,” Caldonia said, “goes to my guests.” The day, much, much later, when Louis asked her to marry him, he would say he had feared asking because he did not think he was worthy. “We are all worthy of one another,” Caldonia would say.
Dora and Louis rode off on their horses. Fern slept late and did not leave until late afternoon. Calvin stayed another night and so was there when Moses came that evening. Bennett came into the parlor to tell Caldonia her overseer was there. She rose.
“What is it?” Calvin asked.
“Nothing of consequence,” she said, excusing herself and going ahead of Bennett out to the kitchen.
“Missus, I just wanted to let you know bout the day, is all,” Moses said as soon as she entered. She did not dismiss Bennett.
“I am entertaining my brother,” she said, walking up to within a foot of him. She wished to see him, her words and posture said, but this was the best she could do for now. “You can tell me all