Read Elysium: The Plantation Series Book IV for Free Online

splash
of yellow handkerchief there made the scene festive and happy.
    Thomas was sauntering
their way, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his collar unbuttoned. My Lord,
what a picture of manhood he was. Musette had to look into her bowl instead of
at him.
    "I’m not free
either," Mr. Chamard murmured in Musette’s ear. "I can’t roll my
sleeves up or open my collar."
    Musette smiled at him. "You
poor thing."
    "That was a fine
speech, young man," Mr. Chamard said as Thomas came up to them.
    "Thank you, sir. Can
I get you some more ice cream?"
    "I already had a
piece of coconut cake and a peach tart. My valet will have something to say if
I can’t button my pants tomorrow."
    "How about you, Miss
Musette?"
    Mr. Chamard stood. "I
need to get back to my guests. But you stay and enjoy yourself, Musette. I
think you are something of a guest of honor, am I right, Thomas?"
    "Yes, sir."
Thomas looked at her. "I’ll see she gets back when she’s ready."
    Thomas took Chamard’s
place on the steps. "Ginny," he called to a girl in pigtails. "Miss
DeBlieux and I would be grateful if you were to bring us some more ice cream."
    She gave him a grin and
ran off. Likely every female on the place would be happy to please Thomas,
Musette thought. Ah, a little jealousy creeping in. Foolish of her.
    "Did I say that the
right way?" Thomas asked. "…’if you were to bring ice cream’?"
    "Yes. Subjunctive
case."
    They watched the mama on
the stoop across the way spooning ice cream into her toddler’s mouth. "What
a face!" Musette said. "You think he ever had anything that cold
before? Oh, look, he wants more."
    Thomas watched with her,
smiling. But his mind never strayed far from the passion in his life.
    "I’m glad you and
Mr. Chamard came down. It helps all of us, to know everybody with white skin
isn’t the enemy."
    "I’m proud to be
here, Thomas. I do feel honored."
    Thomas touched her hand. "You
are. We all owe you a debt."
    She swallowed and tried
to pretend her heart hadn’t sped up. They must have touched at times,
especially at first when she was guiding his hand to write his letters. But
this was deliberate. A warm, gentle touch.
    It didn’t mean anything.
She knew that. There were dozens of people around. This was not meant to be a
private moment, not meant to mean . . . what she wished it meant. It was just
part of his thank you, that was all.
    "You’re all very
welcome." She looked at him. "Truly."
    He smiled at her. "I
know we are."
    Ginny delivered two bowls
of ice cream, a heaping one for Musette, a rather stingy one for Thomas. They
were probably running out.
    She handed him her big
helping and took his smaller one. He just smiled and dug in.
    "God, that’s good,"
he said.
    "They know how to
make it just right," she said.
    "I didn’t know there
was any other way to make it. ‘Cept I had it with peaches once."
    Musette launched into a
discussion of how to make the ice cream smoother, how much salt to put on the
ice, how long to crank the churn.
    "I had no idea you
were a cook, Miss Musette."
    She held her spoon up as
if to pontificate. "It’s not all about book learning, sir."
    Musette startled as Ginny
screamed and jumped onto the porch behind Thomas at the same time three horses
tore into the quarters.
    Their faces covered, the
horsemen screamed out the piercing rebel yell, the same yell that had rattled
Yankee soldiers and made their spines stiff with fear. They snapped their whips
overhead, yelling and whirling their horses in circles.
    Dust rose into the air,
women screamed and grabbed for their children. Men reached for the reins or for
the horsemen themselves.
    Musette stood tall and
shouted, "What is the meaning of this!"
    Thomas took her arm and
shoved her onto the porch behind him. "Stay out of this!"
    Several men from the
picnic came rushing into the lane – Mr. Chamard, Captain McKee, Major Whiteaker,
and Mr. Johnston. "You men are on my property," Chamard shouted. "You
will leave at once!"
    Thomas