Free Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati Page A

girls:
Elizabeth
watched him
flirt outrageously with Katherine Witherspoon and with Molly Kaes, a young
woman who ran her father's farm; there were games and dances and absurd
behavior to make light of. There was very little to occupy him except the
things he liked most; he did not take note of his sister's distress.
Elizabeth
knew her
brother too well to expect anything else.
    Every
man in the room seemed to want to have a conversation, from the toothless Mr.
Cunningham to Mr. Witherspoon, the minister. There were three or four young men
who seemed to be unattached, and who followed
Elizabeth
with their eyes wherever she went.
This was something unaccustomed for her, as she had grown up with three
prettier cousins.
Elizabeth
had long resigned herself to spinsterhood, in fact, she found certain promises
and comforts in the idea, and she was not pleasantly surprised or flattered by
this unexpected and unwanted attention. She did not believe that these men were
interested in anything but her father's holdings. But she managed to deflect
their advances without hurting many feelings, by gesturing to the guests she
must greet and look after. Only Richard Todd was truly persistent; he would not
be put off and followed her around the room until she realized she must spend
at least a few minutes talking with him.
    Dr.
Todd wore an expensively cut coat of deep blue with brass buttons, and a stock
of linen and lace at his throat. His breeches were perfectly skin—tight and
showed not a wrinkle from the floral waistcoat to the knee. He had trimmed his
beard and cut his hair and his manners and address were everything polite and
refined. He complimented
Elizabeth
on the brilliancy of her complexion, on the beautiful simplicity of her deep
green gown, and on the wonderful table. She accepted some compliments
graciously, disavowed any credit for preparations for the party—never letting
him see that it was not a compliment to assume she had been busy in the
kitchen. He worked very hard at presenting himself as a gentleman, and she did
not want to embarrass him.
    "You
are an admirer of Mrs. Wollstonecraft," Richard Todd said when a lull had
come once again into their conversation. "I saw your copy of Vindication and your father told me you
had lent it to him."
    Elizabeth
glanced at him. "Yes. It is my book." She hesitated. "You are
familiar with Mrs. Wollstonecraft's work?"
    "I
haven't read her volume," Richard Todd said. "But I would like
to."
    "Really,"
said
Elizabeth
,
her face averted. "I am surprised that her writings interest you."
    "Because
I have slaves?"
    "Because
you have slaves."
    They
were silent for a long moment.
    "I
inherited my slaves from an uncle," Dr. Todd said finally.
    Elizabeth
did
not answer.
    "There
may be circumstances of which you can't be aware, which would make you less
severe upon me in this matter," he added.
    Elizabeth
was
a little engaged by his honesty; it was hard not to be. But she remained silent
to see what else he might volunteer.
    "When
they are twenty—one, I will give them their freedom," he added, clearly
discomfited.
    "Not
on my account," said
Elizabeth
.
    "In
part," he conceded.
    Elizabeth
wondered if he was sincere, and decided to test him.
    "Then
do it today," she said. "It would be a fitting thing to do on the
Christmas."
    "Does
Mrs. Wollstonecraft write about slavery as well as women's education?" he
asked, changing the subject.
    "She
writes about liberty, which is relevant to all peoples."
    She
caught his smile and stiffened.
    "No!"
he said, trying to catch her eye. "I was not laughing at you. I was just
thinking how much like a schoolmistress you sound."
    "Like
a bluestocking,"
Elizabeth
agreed. She stood and smoothed her skirt. "I am a bluestocking, Dr.
Todd."
    "You
don't look anything like a spinster schoolteacher."
    "You
needn't make me compliments," she said. "I'm not used to them and
they won't find an eager target."
Elizabeth
was shocked but pleased that she could find it in herself