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that he was into her. This awareness made something in my gut twist. For the first time since we’d arrived, I wished I wasn’t masquerading as Casey’s brother.
    “ He is so into you,” I whispered into Casey’s ear, wanting to see her reaction. I wanted to know if she could possibly return the feeling.
    All the answer I got to that was a “shhshh” to be quiet.
    “ I heard that if Lincoln wins,” Willie began,” the southern states threaten secession.”
    Robert nodded. “There is talk about a separate union. The Confederacy.”
    “ That’s dreadful,” Sara said, pushing a stray red curl away from her forehead. “All so they can work humans like animals.”
    “ Well,” Robert said, “one could blame the north for that phenomenon.”
    “ How so?” I said. Casey shot me a warning look that said stay out of it.
    Willie answered me. “The industrial advancement of the northern states, particularly in the case of factories that spin cotton and weave cloth, has created a greater need for raw material.”
    “ The only way to meet the demand for cotton,” Robert added, “is to increase the work force. Thus the need for slaves.”
    I couldn’t help but think of my buddies who were black, and I felt the muscles in my face grow tight. “Couldn’t you meet that demand by hiring free men? Black or otherwise?”
    “ We’re talking about the need for an enormous amount of manpower, impossible to manage, not to mention a centuries old tradition.”
    I felt Casey’s hand squeeze mine under the table. She was telling me to stay out of it. I closed my eyes and squeezed back, letting her know I understood.
    The host announced the arrival of Senator Charles Sumner. Loud applause rose as a man in a tweed suit limped to the podium, his cane knocking the wooden floors.
    Casey leaned towards me. “He once spoke against slavery,” she whispered, “with a speech called The Crime against Kansas . A congressman from South Carolina beat Sumner with his cane until he was unconscious. Do you believe it? That’s why he limps now.”
    I didn’t know this. Unbelievable .
    She continued, “This beating became a symbol in the north of southern brutality. I’m sure we’ll hear about it tonight.”
    This girl was endlessly surprising. “How do you know all this?”
    She smiled widely. “I told you, American History is my best subject.”
    The room grew quiet and Charles Sumner cleared his voice. “To quote Ralph Waldo Emerson,” he began, who, I see is kind enough to attend tonight, “An immoral law makes it a man’s duty to break it....’”
     
    ***
     
    After the lecture the stage was cleared and a four-piece band began to set up.
    “ What’s happening now?” Casey asked.
    Sara clapped her hands, her face bright with anticipation. “A dance.”
    The hall filled up with couples swirling around the room. The women were in big frilly dresses, the kind actresses wore in those period movies Jessica made me watch, and the men in tuxes and top hats. I felt like I was on a movie set and that some director was going to shout, “cut” at any minute.
    Willie snagged Casey before I had a chance to, though watching her laugh and engage in an animated conversation while dancing with him was quite enjoyable. I sat at the table waiting for my turn to step in. I wasn’t sure why I was so eager to dance with her again, except that something drew me to Casey. I wanted a legitimate reason to touch her.
    I should’ve paid closer attention to what was going on with Casey because Robert Willingsworth had cut in on her and Willie when I wasn’t looking. I found it comforting to see the delight on her face diminish as they waltzed around the room. His mouth kept moving like he was in love with the sound of his own voice.
    I didn’t like the way he stared at her. She was something he coveted and I had the feeling Robert Willingsworth was the kind of man who was used to getting what he wanted.
    Without thinking it through, I was on