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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)

Leon and Sarah let Thanksgiving pass without confronting Roscoe, each cautioning the other that they must not speak or act in haste and heat, but talk to the man, listen to him, and then be guided by their reasoning together. In a less festive time their special thoughtfulness might have been remarked by the gathered family but, excepting Penelope, each of them was so preoccupied with the pleasure of the season, no question was asked of host and hostess. All went very much as usual. Nell ate such a lot that even she did not have to contrive a way to slip to the kitchen later and eat more without anyone’s being the wiser. Felix, revived in health and spirits by the family festivities, managed a rendezvous with his old friend Stella, a happy occasion made happier in the privacy of fresh hay.

The following morning Sarah and Leon drove Penelope and the maid Ricey into Highboro where they took the stage for Savannah, Sarah begging her aunt to return as soon as Uncle Joshua was out of danger, to spend Christmas at Beulah Land and stay into the new year of 1838.

It had most often been Roscoe Elk who requested the formal meetings in the office, but when he and Sarah returned from town, Leon sent word to require his attendance there. Roscoe arrived promptly, looking serious unto solemn. Sarah was again with Leon, waiting. They’d had no chance of a thorough discussion of the situation and had come to no agreement on what to say to Roscoe Elk, or even how to conduct the meeting.

Protected from surprise by his last experience in the room, Roscoe’s eyes found Sarah as soon as he entered, and he greeted her before turning to Leon. He did not wait as he had done before to be given license to speak. “I am pleased that you initiated this meeting,” he said. “Had you not done, I should have myself. I was only waiting to be certain not to disturb your celebration of the yearly giving of thanks. Although it is not generally, I believe, considered a year of special thanksgiving, yet I shall remember it as one that treated me well.”

“Mr. Elk—” Leon interjected.