Cutler 04 - Midnight Whispers

treated their slaves badly, the men raping and beatin' them and the women working the women slaves to death. The west field's full of slave dead. There are no markers, but I know where the graves are. My daddy showed me. If a slave got real sick, he told me, they'd throw him in the grave before he passed on."
    "Oh, how horrible," I said, grimacing.
    "Still want to own up to the Booth side?" he asked.
    "I don't want to disown Charlotte," I said. He nodded.
    "Yeah, I guess that's true enough." He wiped his neck with a rag. "Hotter than a henhouse in heat tonight, ain't it?"
    Gavin laughed.
    "We got a swimmin' hole over the hill toward Howdy Fred's there," he said, pointing. "You just follow the gravel path and bear left when you reach the big oak tree. It's got a little dock with a rowboat. Water comes from an underground spring so it's refreshing."
    He smiled.
    "Charlotte and I, we used to sneak off there once in a while."
    "Sounds great," Gavin said.
    "Yeah, the plantation can't be blamed for the people who owned it, I suppose. Though it must've felt the burden," he added and nodded. "It must have felt the burden."
    There was a long silence as the three of us grew deep in thought a moment.
    "We better see what Jefferson's up to, Gavin," I said finally.
    "Okay."
    "Luther?" He looked up. "Thanks for trusting us with the story."
    "I figured since you've been through considerable pain yourself, you'd understand," he said.
    "I do."
    "1 gotta grease this truck," he declared. "It's due. In case Charlotte asks after me," he added.
    "We'll tell her," I said. Gavin took my hand and we headed back to the house.
    Charlotte met us in the entry way and told us Jefferson had been so tired from his hard day's work, he fell asleep on the sofa.
    "And Homer carried him up to bed again," she added. No matter how gentle and sweet Homer seemed, I couldn't help being worried and hurried upstairs with Gavin right behind me.
    We found Jefferson fast asleep in his bed. He was dressed in his nightshirt and the blanket was tucked in neatly just under his chin. Homer startled us, sitting quietly in the corner of the room in the dark.
    "I was just watching him to be sure he was okay," Homer explained. "Until you got here," he added.
    "Thank you, Homer. That was very nice of you."
    "I best be getting home myself if we're gonna rise early to paint the barn." He started away.
    "Good night, Homer," I called.
    "Night," he said and slipped away as quickly as a shadow under the moonlight.
    "He's all right," Gavin said when I went to Jefferson's side and stared down at his angelic little face. I couldn't help but smile recalling what Daddy used to say: "Jefferson's an angel at least eight hours a day because that's when he's asleep." Gavin came up beside me to whisper in my ear.
    "How would you like to try that lake Luther spoke about? It's hot enough tonight, hotter than a henhouse in heat," he added. I felt a hot blush stain my cheeks.
    "We'll take some towels, take a lantern to light the way," he continued.
    "Jefferson might wake up and be frightened," I said weakly.
    "He's not waking up so fast and he knows where he's at by now. Come on," Gavin said. "We earned some fun."
    "All right," I said. "I'll get the towels."
    Even though we weren't slinking about, I couldn't help feeling we were sneaking of in the night. Gavin didn't light the lantern until we were a dozen yards or so from the house. We found the path Luther had described and followed it over a small hill. There below us was the lake, inky and still in the darkness, but the water catching the stars here and there on its surface.
    We walked down to the dock and took off our shoes and socks to test the water.
    "It's cold," I complained.
    "Only until you get in, I bet," Gavin said. "Are we gonna go skinny dippin'?" he asked. "I can put out the lamp, if that will make you feel more comfortable."
    "No," I said quickly. "You should leave it on."
    "Fine with me," he said and started to undress. My heart was pounding. We had slept side by side naked to the bone the night before, but we had been in the darkness. Now our bodies glistened in the light of the lantern under the stars. Despite how intimate we had been, I couldn't help but be bashful and yet terribly excited. If my heart beat any faster, I would surely faint, I thought. Gavin was naked, his back to me, and I had only slipped out of my skirt.
    He turned and looked at me.
    "I'll go in first," he said and lowered himself off the edge of the