The Dancer

Chapter 2

Chapter 2
"It is been a two long days brother when will get to New Orleans?" Victoria exclaimed as she shifted uncomfortably in the carriage.
"Quiet sister, you know how they are about our race here in this unruly country. We must gather our papers and ensure our presence is respected or they shall think we our one of the help. Now do you want that?" Her brother raised an eyebrow at her.
"No..", she huffed. Her stomach was turning.
"You know all I've risked.." he spoke in a more somber tone and shifted his eyes to the floor.
"My deepest apologies Remy. You know I am forever indebted to." She grabbed his hand and searched for his eyes.
They had just arrived to America after a long voyage from home, France. Charles "Remy" LaValle was from an esteemed family in Paris. His father, a married rich white man, had slept with a dark-skinned woman, his mother. He was stripped from his birth mother postpartum, never to see her again. He knew he wasn't the same and was treated as so. He had fought for respect his entire existence. But as his father had told him many times before he still bore the last name LaValle.

Victoria was not his sister, she was the closest thing he had to one since Remy was from a family of five boys. He had met her while walking in the city streets as a young teen. She was frail picking at wasted, rotten fruit next to a local market. She was black orphan, quite less fortunate than him. He felt the need to help and comfort her, since then he always had. He did anything to help her even keep her greatest secret. There was more to Victoria than met the eye.

There was a loud crack and the coach lurched to a stop. Victoria let out a squeal but Remy stood abruptly and flung the door open
"Surely I told you that wheel was lame before we departed!" He yelled at the coachman as he stomped on the Louisiana earth.
"Monsieur LaValle, it will be patched in no time at all" quivered the coachmen with the broken piece of wheel in his hand.
Remy trudged away from the caravan, shaking his head. He sat on a nearby stump, took out his time piece and sighed.