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Chapters (153)
  1. Beulah Land
  2. Dedication
  3. PART ONE
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. PART TWO
  27. 1
  28. 2
  29. 3
  30. 4
  31. 5
  32. 6
  33. 7
  34. 8
  35. 9
  36. 10
  37. 11
  38. 12
  39. 13
  40. 14
  41. 15
  42. 16
  43. 17
  44. 18
  45. 19
  46. 20
  47. 21
  48. 22
  49. 23
  50. PART THREE
  51. 1
  52. 2
  53. 3
  54. 4
  55. 5
  56. 6
  57. 7
  58. 8
  59. 9
  60. 10
  61. 11
  62. 12
  63. 13
  64. 14
  65. 15
  66. 16
  67. 17
  68. 18
  69. 19
  70. 20
  71. 21
  72. 22
  73. 23
  74. 24
  75. PART FOUR
  76. 1
  77. 2
  78. 3
  79. 4
  80. 5
  81. 6
  82. 7
  83. 8
  84. 9
  85. 10
  86. 11
  87. 12
  88. 13
  89. 14
  90. 15
  91. 16
  92. 17
  93. 18
  94. 19
  95. 20
  96. 21
  97. 22
  98. 23
  99. 24
  100. PART FIVE
  101. 1
  102. 2
  103. 3
  104. 4
  105. 5
  106. 6
  107. 7
  108. 8
  109. 9
  110. 10
  111. 11
  112. 12
  113. 13
  114. 14
  115. 15
  116. 16
  117. 17
  118. 18
  119. 19
  120. 20
  121. 21
  122. 22
  123. PART SIX
  124. 1
  125. 2
  126. 3
  127. 4
  128. 5
  129. 6
  130. 7
  131. 8
  132. 9
  133. 10
  134. 11
  135. 12
  136. 13
  137. 14
  138. 15
  139. 16
  140. 17
  141. 18
  142. 19
  143. PART SEVEN
  144. 1
  145. 2
  146. 3
  147. 4
  148. 5
  149. 6
  150. 7
  151. 8
  152. Copyright
  153. Books by Lonnie Coleman published by Classica Libris (digital editions)

Next morning she woke and rose, bathed herself and dressed, went downstairs and subsequently carried a tray upstairs to Lauretta’s room. She knocked on the door cheerfully and went in without waiting to be invited. Lauretta was not there, and her bed had not been slept in. The sherry glass Aunt Pea had sent up brimming full the evening before was now empty and served as paper weight to the letter Lauretta had written.

15

Dearest Sarah,

As I write this, you and Aunt Pea are at church. When you read it, I shall be married to Mr. Douglas Savage. You have been so good and kind, dear Sarah, and I have not meant to deceive you, although I admit that I allowed you to misread my own state of mind. What you saw as my distress at losing Douglas was in reality my distress at knowing I should soon lose you and be leaving the safe harbor of my girlhood. How tenderly I shall think of you! You most of all, but Aunt Pea too, and Clarice and Ricey and Uncle Joshua and yes even Ichabod and all our funny acquaintances. And won’t they be jealous of my marrying before them and going away to live an exciting life far from Savannah!

But I must be more serious (although not solemn, please!) because I am so soon to be a married woman, and you must not think my responsibilities sit lightly on my shoulders, for they do not. When the Company ended their engagement here, they were to go on this morning toward Atlanta by stages, but Douglas has separated himself from the Bledsoe Players, something he has long wanted to do, feeling himself ready for larger challenges of Thespis. He has gone to nearby Port Wentworth to arrange for our marriage this night. When you are all asleep, and the house is quiet (always early on a Sunday evening, you know), I shall creep away with one traveling bag. Douglas has said he will be waiting in a hired buggy near the water pump at the corner intersection of streets. We shall return to Port Wentworth, to take our marriage vows before the minister who will be waiting, and to stay the night. Then tomorrow morning—it will be now, or even an hour or so ago when you read this!—we shall travel on to—guess!

North? South? West? We cannot go East, can we, because there is the Atlantic Ocean! Unless we are to take a sloop or packet boat—and I shall not say as to that!