Story: The Secret Slave. Part 17.

by SW

Sophia, all eyes upon her, affected a collapse and she fell upon the carpeted landing with a thump heavy enough to be heard by those below.  Immediately, her maid Sally ran down from the gallery above and her mother hastened from the hall below.  They reached Sophia together and urged her to return to her chamber; but she shook her head, began to rise to her feet and declined their assistance.  She said in a weak voice: “Oh Ma'ma, don't fuss, I shall be perfectly fine and do allow me to attend dinner, it was just a little turn.” But when she regained her feet she faltered and Madame Solano turned to Sally with a grim expression of concern, the slave-girl nodded briskly and supported her young mistress back to the bed chamber from whence they had come.  Once abed, Sophia refused to have her maid undress her and she told her mother, who had followed them, that she would be quite recovered if left alone for the evening to rest and would she please apologize on her behalf to the guests whom she had been so very much looking forward to meeting.

With Sally and her mother gone, Sophia remained upon her bed in a state of tortured anxiety.  She had certainly ensured that she didn't have to sit with the awful man at table but now she wondered what would he say and what would he do?  She wished she could have escaped the house, but even if she might have absented herself, there was no place to go: Elizabeth had written again to say that she had arranged to stay in Augusta until meeting the Solanos at Charleston for the boarding of their ship to Europe and it would be there, at the harbor, that they would next meet.  Every moment of Johnstone's presence in her home was filled with immediate threat and danger and when, after about fifteen minutes, Sally came up after serving the second course to check on her Miss's condition, the girl was interrogated urgently:

“What is happening at table?  What are they talking about down there?”

“Nothin' much Mistiss.  Jes' talkin' about hopin' yo' is goin' ter be alrigh' and maybe it be dis hot weathah that's got yo' out o' sorts Ma'am.” 

“And what of the tall gentleman in the gray suit.  What has he been saying Sally?”

“Oh he jes' sayin' it a real pity yo's taken unwell so sudden an' dat he'd been lookin' fo'ward ter meeting yo', Ma'am.”

Sophia nodded and said; “You listen carefully to all that is said down there Sally.  Will you do that for me please?” and Sally smiled - listening carefully at table was something that slaves always did.

Sally had been sent up a further three times during dinner but she had nothing of significance to report except to tell her mistress: “Dat gen'l'man wonderin' wheah yo's goin' ter stay once Massa and Mistiss is gone Ma'am, but Mistiss tol' him yo' is ter be well taken care of by Miz 'Liz'beth.”

Sophia had expected this - her mother could never keep quiet about anything and it presented a very real danger - would he have the audacity to announce himself at Elizabeth's place and there make trouble?  And she suspected that he could very well be capable of exactly that and more: in anguish she fretted until, at last, after what seemed like an eternity she heard the group depart from the hall to their carriages.  No note for Sophia had come upstairs from Johnstone and when she went down to announce her return to good health and inquire how the evening had gone it was clear from her parent's demeanor that there could have been nothing said to indicate that Johnstone had ever set his eyes upon their daughter until her staged collapse on the staircase.

And so, the immediate danger faded with each remaining day at River View.  No further visits came from Johnstone, nor did any letter arrive from him and all effort and arrangements necessary for the leaving of the plantation proceeded without incident.  Sophia began to think that perhaps Johnstone hadn't recognized her on the staircase after all and, with all of the distractions and upheaval of the imminent departure, she became less preoccupied upon the matter.

oo0oo

Elizabeth had carefully planned her return to Augusta all along but she had elected not to tell Sophie.  The reasons for her return were threefold.  Firstly, it would be seen as unconscionable to have arrived back home in St George's only to learn of a slave revolt so soon after her departure and not then dash to the aid of her cousins - or at least attempt to discover what had happened to them.  Secondly, her own slaves were still on hire elsewhere and it would not do to have to see to her own personal and domestic needs.  Thirdly, and more important by far than the preceding two reasons, she had an assignation with the handsome young planter she had met at the garden party.  While still at Cypress Hill, a slave had arrived with a note from Mr Pryce McGowan in which he expressed his hope that he might have the pleasure of Elizabeth's company to dinner and thereafter to the theater on the following Saturday.  Furthermore, he had graciously offered to collect her from Cypress Hill.  She had written an acceptance for the slave to give to his master, but now that Cypress Hill was destroyed and she and Sophie back home, she had written to him on the very night of their escape from the burning house to inform him: that she was safe, that she would be returning to take a room in Augusta two days hence, and yes, she would be delighted to join him for dinner and the theater. 

However, in view of the tragic events at Cypress Hill, Pryce McGowan was there to meet Elizabeth's arrival at Hamburg railroad depot and convey her not to a hotel but to his family plantation near Augusta – after all, there was, under the extremity of the circumstances, nothing that could be inferred as improper in such an arrangement.   Elizabeth found herself hospitably welcomed and invited to remain there as the family's guest for as long as she desired or found necessary.  Their sympathy and care appeared to be a great comfort to her after she had been informed that although Philip had managed to flee the burning ruin - and was already with his parents in Savannah - there was no knowledge of Caroline's whereabouts and she must be presumed alive though her safety and condition remained unknown.

It was a small matter for Elizabeth to pretend to be greatly troubled by her cousin's disappearance and so allow herself to be distracted and entertained by the charming Mr McGowan and his family, and although careful not to appear too carefree she enjoyed herself immensely.  She wrote to the gentlemen who had hired her staff and made arrangements for her slaves to remain with them for the time-being, and thus, she contrived to prolong her stay with the McGowans until the time came for her to be at Charleston harbor.   And when, at last, Elizabeth left the McGowan plantation to make her way to farewells with the Solanos and take Sophie into her charge, she did so as a betrothed woman and with the warm and enthusiastic approval of her fiance's family.

Though she wasted little thought or concern for her cousin Caroline, the situation with Sophie, however, did trouble her.  Now that her own slaves were conveniently absent from the house she intended to have her girl undertake house duties, but she was unsure as to whether Sophie would have to be persuaded to accept such a sub-ordinate role under her charge.  Would they resume from the way things had been during the calmer and more agreeable days at Cypress Hill: those pleasurable days when Sophie had come to accept her place as her personal slave-maid but before the serious troubles had begun?  Her instinct told her that she must determine Sophie's mood under the greatly changed circumstances that now prevailed in her life before imposing her own will too strongly upon the girl.  However, she retained every hope that Sophie would be attending to her mistress's bath on the very night of their arrival home and she smiled at the thought and gazed absently at the passing countryside from her train carriage.  She considered, too, the longer-term prospects ahead of her: marriage to an excellent match - a wealthy young man of impeccable background - and the service of her girl for, at least, a period of several months.  Elizabeth Deveraux - soon to be McGowan - could not remember ever having felt so happy.

oo0oo

The final few days that the Solano family spent together at River View became increasingly emotional.  The plantation and house slaves had been sold as part of the estate and so, for them, the biggest change would be in their owners and not their home.  Some of the slaves appeared saddened to see the Master and Mistress go but there was none who exhibited any genuine upset at their leaving.  The house slaves though, were truly sorry to see their young mistress leave them and none more than Sally who had become, at times, tearful during her last days of service to Sophia.  Sally had seen a great change take place in her mistress during that summer and thought it unlikely that her recent treatment - in which she had been shown unusual kindness and respect - would continue under her new owners however mild they might prove to be.

After making discreet inquiries in the shop of a Quaker, Sophia had been able to obtain the name and business address of the editor of the Boston anti-slavery newspaper The Liberator and she dispatched her abolitionist tract to him before the day of departure.  With that done, all that remained for her to do was fill a portmanteau with clothing and personal necessities to be sent to Elizabeth's home on the final morning at River View.  When it came, the farewell at Charleston harbor was tearful but thankfully brief, and though Sophia was deeply moved to see her parents leave she was, nevertheless, filled with joy to be reunited with Elizabeth who had come directly from Augusta the day before and had taken a room in Charleston's best hotel.  The family's train from St George's had arrived late and it was only with much haste that the elder Solanos safely boarded their packet ship to begin passage to the port of Cadiz (a voyage that could be expected to take around 30 days in favorable conditions) and so leave the shores of the New World for good.   Elizabeth had arrived from her hotel in good time to say goodbye and take Sophie into her charge, and, after a final embrace with her parents, Sophia joined her protector and they stood shoulder to shoulder by Elizabeth's landau.  When they had waved their last to the receding ship Elizabeth said: “Come now Sophie, 'tis time to have you home.  Open the door and assist me in,” but as Sophia turned and reached for the door she saw the sudden dart of a man's reflection appear in its window and his hand appear on the handle.  He said sharply. “I'll get that, girl,” then his tone changed and he said unctuously,   “Madame Deveraux, please allow me to assist you inside.”

Sophia knew who had come to harass them even before she turned to face him, but Elizabeth demanded in a haughty and slightly raised voice: “I declare! And just who might you be sir? I confess I do not know you and I should be grateful for an explanation for this intrusion!”

Sophia, alarmed and starting to tremble, exclaimed: “Get in! We must get away at once!” But the tormentor grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her roughly to his side while, with his other hand, he opened the carriage door and smiled to Elizabeth.  He said with an air of complete confidence: “Sophia shall be coming with me.  You see I am a friend of the family and she will accompany me at dinner this evening and perhaps later, to a theatrical show.  I feel it my duty to console and divert the child's attentions from her parting.  I shall return her to you tomorrow - I have your address.” adding, “Good day,” as he began to back away and pulling Sophia with him

Elizabeth looked urgently around her and as she opened her mouth to call for help he hissed menacingly: “Now listen here you witless women.  I will ruin you both if you don't comply,” he fixed a dark look upon Elizabeth whilst tightening his grasp of Sophia's wrist:  “You have much to lose if you start any uproar.  I'm sure you wouldn't want your likely engagement ruined would you .... Elizabeth?” Then, pulling Sophia closer to him with a sharp tug he said to her: “As for you, you must do as I say until I return you to your-” here he sneered and chuckled before saying the word, “'mistress'.  Take heed of what I say or I bring you both down,”

Elizabeth stood in open-mouthed horror that the stranger should know anything about her at all far less her first name and that she had a suitor.  He read her expression and pressed on, “As I said, I am a family friend of the girl here and I found Madame Solano to be most engaging company at table the other evening, so personable and happy to talk.”

Sophia understood their defeat at once and she hung her head and began to weep but Elizabeth yet had some spirit, she almost spat the words: “Drop her arm at once and let us be on our way.  She is going nowhere with a blackguard like you.”  But it was Sophia who spoke next and through her sobbing she pleaded: “Do as he says Elizabeth, he knows me from the Morgan's place and he will destroy us both if we don't give way to him.”

Johnstone smiled and said: “The girl is correct and I assuredly will unless you get in that carriage at once.  The Morgan's too were very helpful when I visited them after that dinner.  They willingly provided me with Sophie's owner's address so that I might make an offer to buy.  You have no concerns, I shall deliver your little....'slave-girl'.....to you tomorrow.”

And so it was, that after a short further exchange of futile words and insults, Elizabeth gave up the fight and had to watch through moistening eyes as the treacherous and malevolent stranger led the weeping Sophie away.  Before being bundled into a closed carriage, her girl cast a lingering look back to Elizabeth, and then she turned her eyes to the sails of the vessel bound for Spain that was already clearing into open waters beyond the harbor.  Elizabeth slumped into her own landau, covered her face and she wept.

The Green Goose Inn to which Sophie was taken was just as she had expected: an unremarkable out of town traveler's rest where it's ever-changing inhabitants would float in with the breeze for any of a thousand reasons - often mundane but frequently not; as in this instance.  She was in the hands of a villainous wretch and no struggle, entreaty or plea for help would prevent what she knew was to be done to her.  If she fought he would beat her, if she pleaded he would scorn her and if she called for help then both she and Elizabeth would be publicly disgraced - she, therefore, settled on accepting a private one.

No questions were asked of the well-dressed gentleman accompanied by a young beauty thought to be a 'high yaller fancy' by the Innkeeper and the generous sum given, well in excess of the fee for the two adjoining rooms that he hired, ensured that the gentleman would be left undisturbed to his pleasures.  Once upstairs and locked in the grubby room, Sophia offered no resistance, and as she disrobed for him it occurred to her that her experience as a slave at the hands of Philip Cranstone had prepared her somewhat for the deed that was about to be committed upon her.  Johnstone nodded with approval as she stood naked and facing him and his thin mouth formed a lewd and carnivorous grin.  The note of threat in his voice was suggested rather than overt and it seemed all the more beastly for it:

“I want you like you were back at Morgan's, you're a nigra slave wench as far as I'm concerned. That's what you are and that's the way I like it, you understand me gal?” Sophie nodded - eyes cast down, head lowered and her body trembling.  He went on: “I asked you a question and you'll answer it damn you!”

Sophia shivered and responded: “Yessuh Mista Johns'on suh, I un'erstan's suh,” and he rejoined: “Well now, the way I see it, 'suh' just isn't good enough any longer.  We need better manners than that and I do believe Master is what I am to you gal.  What do you say to that eh?”

“Yessuh Massa, reckon yo's de Massa, suh.”  These words seemed to immediately stimulate him - he moved to her and pushed her onto the bed; forcing his legs between hers and mounting her the moment his member was free from its cottons.  Her maidenhead surrendered with a sharp pain and Sophia sobbed but she gave no fight and for two reasons: she knew that he would overcome her in any way necessary and to resist would serve only to bring further physical harm.  But more than this, she found that acting as his slave property made the violation endurable: she somehow, perhaps through instinctive self-preservation, closed her eyes and managed to think her way back to Cypress Hill - to imagine that she was submitting to the command of Master Philip.  Johnstone worked hard on and inside her; grabbing her right breast he began to roughly squeeze and tug at her yielding flesh.  There was no tenderness in his actions and he slapped her face and told her to beg for him to stop.  Sophia obeyed and she cried and repeated: “Massa, please stop suh!.....No mo' Massa, please, it hurt bad..... Oh Massa!  Please stop suh,” and these words seemed to increase his pleasure, so much so, that the ravishment came quickly to an end.  Leaving her numbed and defiled on the bed, he stood up, wiped the blood from his member with a towel and fastened his breeches – all without a word to his defeated prey.  Presently she heard him exit the room and lock the door behind him to leave her trembling, sobbing, in pain and alone.  And there she remained in solitude until morning.

Not long after dawn she was used again after being roused from a deep sleep that had only come after hours of wakeful torment.  This time he turned her over and when he found the brand on his victim's back he slapped her bottom hard and for several times exclaiming angrily.  “Damn you! You doltish girl - marked for life with a cursed brand!” and Sophie, through the pain and humiliation, wondered why it should so anger him that she'd been marked.  After taking his pleasure he spanked her bottom just once more, but very hard, and said: “If ever I saw a ruined woman, it is you!  Now get dressed.  Quick as you can,”  and it was something fewer than ten minutes later when, still sobbing - though more quietly, she found herself again in a carriage with the monster named Johnstone. 

This time they headed back into the city; and where there had been rage the day before, as she had been taken on her journey to final ruination, it had now been supplanted with utter misery - and no little pain in her once secret parts.  To endure the torture of having his company she clung to the expectation that she would soon be released from his evil grip and delivered into the care of Elizabeth whom she believed to be the only person now who could protect, care for and even, might she be allowed to wish, love her. 

But their destination was not to be, as Sophia expected, the railroad depot for the early departure of the train to St George's.  When the carriage turned off street and pulled up in a yard - what Sophia took at first to be a stock yard - Johnstone took a firm hold of her wrist and hauled her out onto its dusty square.  She looked around and saw two opposing long and shabby clapperboard buildings with small windows positioned high and regular along the length of each.  Between the ends of these long sheds, and furthest from the street, ran a high wooden fence and to its fore, by some ten feet, stout metal bars that allowed no admittance to the space behind.  She spun around in confusion at why they should be in such a place and looking then towards the street she saw the rear of another building, smaller and painted, and between that and one of the sheds there was the open-gated wide entrance through which they had just come.  The place had a tangible air of bleak desolation about it, and when an unshaven and coarsely dressed short man emerged from the rear of the smaller building and walked towards them she knew why.  The man carried in one hand a clinking chain with wrist fetters and in the other a heavy slave collar; and the yellow-toothed grin that he gave Calvin Johnstone after an appraising glance at Sophia, showed that the grubby little slave trader was already reckoning on securing for himself a very fair commission on the newly arrived goods.

  

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