She heard Saint speak in a low voice to Thackery, and soon the carriage jolted forward.
They were nearly ten miles south of San Francisco when the sun came up. The air was clear and there wasn’t a hint of rain.
‘This is lovely,’Jules said, staring out at the rolling green hills. ‘I can smell the ocean. I wish we could see it.5
‘The land was too rugged to build a road closer,’ Saint said. ‘Perhaps someday!
‘We’ll stop for breakfast soon. Lydia packed us a hamper!
They stopped on a rise that gave a view of the ocean to the west and rolling hills to the east. The sun was warm and there was a crisp early-morning breeze. Jules stood for a moment near the edge of the rise, breathing in the clear air. Saint watched her a moment
after spreading out one of Lydia’s checkered cotton tablecloths. He loved the way the breeze caught tendrils of her hair, lifting them, and the shine of the sun through the flame strands.
‘Beautiful,’ he said quietly, lightly closing his hands over her shoulders.
‘Yes,’ she said, leaning her head back against his shoulder.
She felt his hands ease beneath her cloak and cup her breasts. She shivered slightly and pressed herself more tightly against him. ‘Shall I tell Thackery to go find the Northwest Passage or something?’ Saint asked, kissing her ear.
Jules’s stomach growled and Saint laughed. ‘I suppose that’s my answer,’ he said, turned her around, and kissed her mouth.
They breakfasted on fresh, still-warm bread, butter, and jam, and coffee in one of Lydia’s jars, wrapped in heavy cloths to keep it hot.
‘This is decadent,’ Saint said, leaning back a moment on his elbows. ‘How far to go now, Thackery?’
‘Not more than another hour, Dr. Saint,’ Thackery said, and both Jules and Saint could hear the excitement in his voice. ‘The rains haven’t been so bad so far, and the building never stops. Mrs. Byrony never stops
A 7 2
either, and you should hear Mr. Brent yell at her.’
The horses seemed to feel the excitement and quickened their pace. The first view of Wakeville came less than an hour later, and Jules sucked in her breath. ‘I don’t know what I was expecting,’ she said, tugging at Saint’s sleeve, ‘but this is incredible!’
It looked to Saint as if Brent Hammond had managed to buy the most fertile acres in the area. And the activity was astounding. There was even a Village Street, wide enough for two carriages side by side, with new buildings with sidewalks lining it. Nine out of ten faces in the new town were black.
‘All this in six months,’ Saint said. Thackery turned the carriage off Village Street and pulled to a stop in front of a two-story white house with a wide veranda across the entire front. There were trees and flowers everywhere.
Brent Hammond came out of the front door at that moment, a very pregnant Byrony on his heels. An ancient black woman followed closely behind Byrony as if she expected her to keel over like a small ship.
‘Ah,’ Brent said, grinning as he shook Saint’s hand, ‘we’ve got the greenhorns from the big city.’
‘I’m afraid you can’t get any closer,’ Byrony
said, laughing as she tried to hug Jules. ‘This child is going to be born declaiming lines from a play! He certainly is dramatic enough in his movements.’
Byrony saw Jules’s eyes move behind her and said on a mock sigh, ‘This is my keeper, Mammy Bath. Mammy, this is Mrs. Morris.’
‘Just look at that hair, little missis,’ Mammy said, reaching out gnarled fingers to touch Jules’s hair. ‘And all that pretty white skin. Now, you two little ladies come inside and rest.’
Byrony said behind her hand to Jules, ‘And the big strong men will ensure the running of the world. Don’t argue, Jules, it’s no use.’
Soon the little ladies and the strong men were seated at a huge dining table, plates of sausage, eggs, and toast piled in front of them.
‘This isn’t nirvana by a long shot,’ Brent was saying, ‘but we’re working through the problems as they arise. We have few fights, fortunately, and no thievery except for a month ago when some drifters came into town. They saw all our black people and decided to help themselves.’ Brent shook his head, grinning.