Free Freedom Bound by Jean Rae Baxter Page A

military matters. At
the moment, she was busy organizing a ball. The best of
Charleston society would be invited. If some of her guests
were rebel sympathizers, she was prepared to look the other
way.
    Charlotte’s attention wandered while Mrs. Knightly was
describing her new ball gown. As soon as they had finished
their tea, she politely took her leave.
    â€œDo drop in any time.” Mrs. Knightly clasped Charlotte’s
hand as she bade her goodbye. “Who knows when a message
might arrive from the backcountry?”
    â€œThank you. I shall.”
    Maybe next week there’d be a message, Charlotte thought
as she stepped outside into the fresh breeze blowing from
the harbour. She felt as if she had made an escape. Although
Mrs. Knightly had been most cordial, Charlotte was not at
ease in the elegant surroundings of the officers’ quarters.
Thinking it over, she wasn’t sorry that Nick’s room had been
reassigned to someone else. Despite its drabness, she preferred the simplicity of Mrs. Doughty’s modest home.
    She walked down the brick pathway to the gate and had
just put her hand upon the latch, when through the wrought-iron grille she saw a hand reach for the latch on the street
side. It was a large hand with bony knuckles. It was a masculine hand that she knew very well.
    Charlotte raised her eyes, and there stood Nick. He was
smiling at her through the gate. He took off his tricorn hat,
and his fair hair shone like gold in the afternoon sun.
    For a moment she stood blinking in a dazed sort of way,
too astonished to utter a word. Letting go of the latch, she
took a few steps back to let him swing the gate open and
come through.
    â€œI’m back.” Restoring his hat to his head, he held out his
arms.
    â€œI didn’t expect . . .” she babbled.
    â€œAren’t you glad to see me?”
    Then joy beyond expression welled up within her. They
hugged and kissed and hugged some more. Leaning into him,
she felt his heart beating. Then he released her and held herby the shoulders, beaming at her as if she were the most
beautiful girl in the world. At that moment, she knew she
was.
    She wanted to say, “I love you.” But her throat closed up.
She felt tears well in her eyes. Then, as if a dam had burst,
the tears flowed, rolling down her cheeks. But though she
was crying, she was laughing too, and suddenly floating in a
warm cloud of happiness.
    At that moment the bells of St. Michael’s Church began
to chime most joyously. And though she knew that they
were merely announcing that it was four o’clock, she felt in
her heart that they were ringing for her and Nick.

Chapter 12

    â€œ I RETURNED ONLY an hour ago,” Nick said after the sound
of the bells had faded. “As soon as I’d made my report to
Headquarters, I hastened here.” His arm was about her
shoulders as he steered her toward the door, clearly intending to take her back into the house she had just left. “For
weeks I worried about you, thinking of your ship arriving
and you finding me gone. But I’ve just been talking with
Ralph Braemar, and he assures me that he met you, brought
you here, and delivered my letter.”
    â€œHe did. Captain Braemar was a great help.”
    â€œAnd you’ve made yourself at home. God be thanked that
you found a warm welcome.”
    She stopped, turned to face him.
    â€œNick, I’m not living here.”
    â€œYou don’t live here?” His face looked blank.
    â€œAfter you left for the backcountry, they gave your room
to somebody else and put your things in storage.”
    â€œBut Ralph told me . . .”
    â€œHe doesn’t know.”
    â€œWhere do you live?”
    â€œI lodge with the widow Doughty, in Stoll’s Alley. And I
have to go there right now.”
    The bells that had rung so joyously only a minute earlier
also reminded her that it would soon be time for Noah’s
feeding.
    Nick showed no sign of