Henrietta

Escape

~Chapter Ten~

Calvin made certain his dark leathered cloak covered his aspect as he scampered his horse through the streets of Theodosia. He fancied no one to know the motive as to why he meandered the streets. His leathered gloves gripped on the horse's reins every time eyes would delay but he enforced himself to pay no never mind to them. His eyes skimmed the long dirt road and inspected as children ran about screaming and pursuing each other. For a second, he stopped to watch an insignificant boy about the age of his son run about chasing his friends. His eyes wrinkled at the corners from his smile, his grin spread from ear to ear.

Never in his life had Calvin ever seen Henry smile in such a manor, only with...her. He recalled that last time he had seen them together. Henrietta nestled close to him near the fire while she told him stories of her past. Henry's smile had reached ear to ear that night, and deep down it had pleased Calvin to see his son show such emotions for the very first time.

His eyes looked away and shame overcame Calvin, as he thought of Henrietta chained to his bed. He had imprisoned her inside his very home, and she was right when she accused him of being a beast. Not because he had acted out in such a manor but because it was the way he had been raised all his life. His father had never tolerated Calvin to interact nor play with his brother's. He compelled them to spend time alone and when they came together, it was only to train so that they grew up to be fine soldiers. It was perhaps the reason why Calvin could not stand his brothers, he did not know them very well nor did he trust them in the least.

Nathaniel had always been too careless to consider what his father had to say, and when he had grown of age he made certain to higher great tax collectors to keep his plantation running and moved away. The middle child, Luther was nearly a complete stranger to Calvin, Nathaniel interacted with him more than he ever had. The last time he had recalled ever seeing them was nearly a year ago.

Refusing to think of his miserable childhood Calvin pushed the horse onward and continued to search the large streets of Theodosia for his son. He failed to think just where he might hide or whom he might consider fleeing with. Clearly, he had not stowed away with Henrietta, so where on earth had he gone? His chest tightened to think he knew nothing of his son. All these years Calvin thought himself well aware of everything Henry did. Now that the time to prove himself a good father came, he had failed. The only other person able to know everything about his own son would be no other than Ettie herself.

Calvin lowered his head when some of the army's soldiers walked side by side watching over the town's people. He did not want to be spotted nor gossiped about; he had avoided people uttering a single word about the family's name. Reaching a small stable to tie his horse Calvin paid the young lad sitting on a bunk and walked the streets feeling his chest tense every minuet that passed by.

Theodosia had grown, and he had not realized this one bit, he hardly ever walked the streets. Not since Lydia had passed away. The last he recalled ever walking through the large market was the day Henrietta had first come into their lives. She had plucked a single grape from Lydia's basket and it had set him off. Now he comprehended how unwise of him it had been to want to lash her for trying to steal a measly grape. From the start of their marriage Ettie had been there every step of the way, she had been the one to console Lydia every time he left her weeping. She had been there through his wife's labor up until she passed away and had been there when Henry had no mother.

Calvin paused as a realization hit him; it washed over him bringing even more shame on him than before. He managed to cross the muddy street and quickly retrace his steps back to the stable boy. Climbing his horse, he kicked its side and rode quickly through the streets as faint rain began to drizzle. Henrietta had been there for them, for his family. She did not deserve to be chained to a bed like a prisoner; she did not deserve to be treated with such treachery nor harshness. Most of all she did not deserve to have someone like him...love her.