Leaving Independence Read Online Free PDF Page A

way again, I will have your hide, do you understand me? That woman loves you as much as I do. She was present for your birth and has fed you and cared for you every day of your life. You will respect her for it!”
    For the first time in his nine years, Jacob went mute.
    Abigail released him and took a deep breath. She resisted the urge to smooth his hair. Jacob’s hair was darkest of the Baldwyns and stayed as unruly as his spirit. But he wasn’t mean-tempered, and Abigail knew it.
    When Mimi came into the room he threw his arms around her legs. “Don’t clean it up, Mimi. I will. I’m sorry.”
    “You’re all right, Jacob. Corrine done took care of it.” When he left, Mimi turned to Abigail. “What was that all about?”
    Surprised as anyone by her reaction, Abigail sat on the bed and stared at the belt in her hands. “He shouldn’t have said that to you.”
    “I appreciate you sticking up for me, but what’s really bothering you?”
    There were too many threads of fear to name just one, and she had let them grow fatter than she realized. “I guess I’m feeling the weight of what lies in front of me.”
    Mimi sat down beside her. “Which part scares you the most?”
    Abigail shook her head. “That he won’t want us. That I smothered every ounce of love he had for us when he left . . . when we fought.”
    “That letter didn’t sound to me like his admiration for you was smothered. Didn’t he say come join him?”
    “Why would he not want me to bring the children, Mimi? Did I do something to make him stop loving them?”
    “No!” Mimi shooed the thought away. “Maybe he’s ashamed, Miz Abigail, and knows he’ll have trouble looking them in the eye. But if there is any woman who can help a man find hisself again, it’s you. Devil’s going to make you doubt this decision. That’s his job.”
    “He’s good at it.”
    “He’s had lots of practice.”
    “How do you not hate us, Mimi? How do you not hate me?”
    Mimi turned Abigail’s hand over and opened hers beside it . . . pink and pale on the inside. “I could never hate you, Abigail Baldwyn. You didn’t set up the way of things.”
    Abigail clasped Mimi’s hand in both of hers. “You don’t have to come with us. You’re free to make your own choices.”
    “I know. You told me every year on my birthday since you and Mr. Robert married.”
    “I wish you’d take your freedom papers. I know you don’t need them anymore, but Robert wanted you to have them. He wanted you to know that no one owned you.”
    “That ain’t true. Lord owns me just like He owns you.”
    Abigail looked deep into Mimi’s eyes. “I need to know you’re not coming out of obligation. This is a chance for you to—”
    “You got mighty big burdens on your shoulders, Miz Abigail. Don’t let me be one of them.”
    Tears pooled in Abigail’s eyes. “Corrine thinks I’m making a mistake. If it doesn’t turn out well, I’ll have her blame.”
    “You’ll have her blame no matter what. She’s fifteen years old. Don’t you worry about Miss Corrine . . . me and Lina can handle her. She’ll come around.”
    But Mimi didn’t handle Corrine like she promised.

    The day before departure, Arlon showed up at the house. Annie B had fallen ill. Arlon was desperate for Mimi to come to them.
    Blood proved thicker than love.
    “I have to go to her, Miz Abigail. Everybody else is up north, and you know Arlon’s never asked me for a thing before.”
    Abigail couldn’t begrudge Arlon his request. Hadn’t he walked through soldier-infested hillsides to till her garden the past four springs? Hadn’t Abigail herself encouraged Mimi not to forfeit her own independence just because she thought the Baldwyns needed her? Still, Abigail couldn’t fathom a future without Mimi’s brown eyes and good sense. Impending doom seeped into her veins and swam straight to her heart. Suddenly sure she was making a horrible mistake, Abigail felt powerless now to stop the chain of