The Gallant South- Part One

Chapter VI- October 6, 1912

        When Cora woke up on Sunday morning, Eveline was gone, and the bed she'd slept in was neatly made. Cora sat up, feeling better than she had last night. Everything that had happened was a blur. And for the first time in her life, she felt bad for Magalee. She may have hated Eveline, but she was still ashamed that she had let everyone's husbands get drunk. Cora actually felt bad for her.
        When she finished thinking about that, Cora was plagued with another question, one that she hadn't even considered since she left. But now it suddenly hit her. What was she going to do for church?
        She got dressed in a simple skirt and blouse before pulling her hair back and walking downstairs. There was no one down there. Wondering where everyone was, Cora slipped on a pair of shoes and walked out into the backyard. She heard laughing from inside the kitchen, so she made her way across the elevated walkway and over to the kitchen.
        "Mornin', Cora," Eveline called. She was helping Jim make breakfast. Henderson was rounding up herbs from the garden, and Cecelia was sitting at the table playing cards with Masterson. When Cora walked in, they all looked up.
        "What are you all doing?" Cora asked, taking a seat at the table. Eveline and Jim brought out plates of eggs and bacon and set them down on the table as Henderson came in from outside.

        When breakfast was over, Cora went upstairs to put on a nice morning gown for church, figuring she'd walk to Magalee's house and ask here where to go. When she was ready, Cora walked downstairs.
        "Where you going?" Eveline asked, coming out of the library.
        "Church," Cora replied. Eveline raised an eyebrow. "Which one?"
        "The..uhh...the...white one?" Cora asked, not really knowing how to reply. Eveline snorted and took Cora's arm, pulling her back up the stairs. 
        "The hell you are. Come on, we're going to a real church, and you ain't wearing that," she announced, walking up to Cora's bedroom and throwing open the closet. She rummaged through a few racks and drawers until she came out with a cotton and leather button-up vest, two blouses and two skirts. She handed the vest, green blouse, and brown skirt to Cora, and she took the pinstripe blouse and black ruffled skirt for herself.
        "We're allowed to wear something this simple to church?" Cora asked, changing into the outfit Eveline had picked out for her. Eveline nodded. "The only rich people at this church are the ones you already know," she commented mysteriously, changing into her own outfit. When she was done, she rummaged through Cora's hatboxes until she found two simple straw hats. She handed the one with the green bow to Cora, and took the boater hat for herself.

        Cora figured that Eveline would have Masterson drive them to this mystery church, but Cora's confusion only grew as Eveline led her into the stables beside the carriage house. In one of the pens was a horse Cora had never seen before, a dark brown one with a saddle.
        "Is that your horse?" Cora asked, and Eveline nodded as she climbed onto its back, then helped Cora up. Eveline was sitting astride, and so Cora did the same.
        "Her name is Rosie. Now come on, or we'll be late! It's almost nine!" Eveline exclaimed, as Rosie walked out of the stables and onto the road.
        "I have a horse, you know. His name is Artemis. We could have taken him," Cora announced.
        "Yeah, but you don't know where you're going. I do!" she shouted, and Rosie increased her speed. As they went faster and faster down the road, Cora desperately grasped Eveline's shoulders, trying to hold on.
        "What's wrong?" Eveline shouted over the noise of Rosie's hooves hitting the cobblestone.
        "I've only ever ridden sidesaddle!" Cora shouted. "And never this fast!"
        Eveline laughed and sped up. Cora shouted and held onto Eveline's shoulders while trying to keep her balance. They made it off of Cherry Coral road and into the city, but then Rosie took a right towards the back of the city. A minute later, they were riding in a tree-surrounded road lined with old wooden houses and small fields.
        "Where are we?" Cora shouted.
        Eveline slowed Rosie's pace. "Welcome to the oldest neighborhood in the city. S'all farms out on these roads." she said. In the distance, Cora saw the hills that surrounded her house, and she realized they'd made a very wide U-turn. They were riding back in the direction of her house, but now about a mile from it.