Carried Forward By Hope Read Online Free PDF

do no more than look at me?”
    “What would you like me to say?”
    Carrie stiffened when she heard the fear in Janie’s voice. Aunt Abby and Rose had been right! She raised her hand to knock but dropped it once again. What if her presence made it worse for Janie?
    “Surely you must agree with me,” Clifford said scathingly. “Clearly you see that having blacks in control of whites is simply not acceptable.”
    “The North won,” Janie said simply. “I suspect everyone in the South is going to have a lot to adjust to.”
    “ Adjust to?” Clifford snapped. “You think I will adjust to having a nigger tell me what I can do?” Scorn and anger dripped from his voice. “You’re even more stupid than you look,” he said coldly.
    Carrie gasped, raised her hand, and knocked boldly on the door, stepping back just a little when Clifford flung it open.
    “What?” he snapped, his face changing immediately when he recognized their visitor. “Well hello, Carrie,” he said calmly.
    Carrie stared at him, wondering that such rage could so quickly become a civilized expression. That, perhaps more than anything else, scared her for Janie. What was hiding within the man they had all grown so fond of? “Dinner is ready,” she said steadily, stepping into the room and smiling at Janie. “I was afraid Janie was too tired after all she did to help me with Robert today.”
    “Yes,” Clifford said smoothly. “Janie was quite exhausted. We thought we would skip dinner tonight.”
    “Oh, that would be so sad,” Carrie said, determined not to leave her friend in the room with Clifford’s anger. “Everyone is quite eager to have you there.” She took Janie’s hand and looked at Clifford. “You’re going back to Raleigh so soon. We don’t want to miss a minute with either of you.” She almost choked on her words but managed to keep her voice casual and light. “Please do join us for dinner. The rest sent me to bring you back.”
    Janie remained silent.
    That alone made Carrie grit her teeth. She hated the look of fear lurking in Janie’s eyes as she gazed at Clifford, waiting for his decision.
    “All right then,” Clifford relented. “You’re right that we won’t be here much longer. We surely want to spend as much time with you as we can.” Only his eyes revealed his tension.
    Carrie squeezed Janie’s hand comfortingly before smiling brightly and releasing it. “Wonderful!” She stepped back out into the hallway and stopped, not willing to leave Janie alone for even a moment and sick at heart that she felt that way.
    Carrie saw Clifford’s eyes narrow with anger, but he kept a pleasant expression on his face as he stepped out into the hallway to join her.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
Chapter Two
     
     
     
    “We saved you some dinner,” Matthew said pleasantly as Carrie, Janie, and Clifford claimed their seats.
    “Wonderful!” Carrie said brightly. “These two were going to hide in their room tonight, but I convinced them we wanted their company too much to let them do that.”
    Clifford nodded as he took his seat. Janie gave a small smile and slipped into the chair next to his.
    Matthew almost frowned when he saw the expressions on their faces, but a quick warning glance from Carrie stopped him. He simply nodded. “You’re just in time to hear our news,” he said.
    Carrie took a bite of steaming beans. “What news would that be?” she asked, trying to keep her voice calm and steady, while her insides churned with fear and anger. She barely kept her hand from shaking when she remembered the fear she heard in Janie’s voice behind the closed door.
    “Matthew and I have decided to return to Washington, DC for President Lincoln’s viewing and funeral procession,” Aunt Abby said somberly.
    Carrie put down her fork slowly, her throat suddenly tight. “You’re leaving?” was all she could think to say. The long day had left her