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wealthy plantation owner stood between two of his barns, glowering at the twenty-nine-year-old slave who was being dragged toward him by Colvin’s two sons. A group of slaves stood looking on, fear evident in their widened eyes. Two of the younger women held small babies.
    Twenty-three-year-old George and twenty-one-year-old Edward Colvin held the cowering slave as their father said, “Nathaniel, George told me you refused to work in the fields today! Don’t you realize we’ve got to get the spring planting done? What’s this stomach problem stuff?”
    Nathaniel had been beaten several times during his years at the Colvin plantation. His lips quivered as he said, “Massa Finn, it’s true. My stomach is a-hurtin’ me bad today. I tol’ Massa George this when he come to the shack an’ asked why I wasn’t in the fields.”
    Finn set cool eyes on George and said, “Give me the details.”
    “Well, Pa, like I told you, when the slaves showed up to work their assigned places in the fields this morning, Matilda was there, ready to do her work, but she said her husband wasn’t feeling well … that his stomach was hurting him, so he stayed in the shack.”
    “Go on.”
    “I got the rest of them started to work, then went immediately to the shack and found Nathaniel, here, washing clothes. I asked himhow he could do the wash if his stomach was hurting him. He told me he was doing it for Matilda to help relieve her work load. He said that doing the wash wasn’t as hard as working in the fields, so he could do it. That’s when I came and told you about it.”
    Finn glared at Nathaniel with cruel eyes. His voice shook as he said, “If you could wash clothes, Nathaniel, you could plow ground. You need to be punished so this kind of thing doesn’t happen again. Take him to the barn, boys!”
    At the same time Finn Colvin was dealing with Nathaniel, Martha Colvin was on the front porch of the stately mansion, watching the carriage from the Moore plantation wind its way down the lane toward her.
    Her heart leapt with joy at the thought of the weekly visit with her friends Evelyn Moore and Catherine Johnson. The Moores were the Colvins’ nearest neighbors to the north, and the Johnsons were their nearest neighbors to the south. Today the ladies would spend their time at the Johnson plantation. Although Martha would have loved to entertain Evelyn and Catherine in her own home, Finn objected because the women were Christians.
    Martha recognized Evelyn Moore’s favorite male slave at the reins of the carriage as it pulled to a halt. “Good morning, Malcolm,” she called.
    Malcolm flashed his white teeth in a smile and said, “Mornin’, Miz Colvin.” Immediately, he was out of the carriage and opening the door for Martha.
    Inside were Evelyn’s seventeen-year-old daughter, Priscilla, with Priscilla’s personal slave, sixteen-year-old Dorena. In the seat just ahead of them, Evelyn sat beside a middle-aged woman who was a stranger to Martha.
    “Good morning, everybody,” Martha said.
    “Good morning,” echoed a chorus of greetings.
    The ladies and young Priscilla were prettily dressed in spring pastels,and each held a dainty parasol. White lace gloves adorned their hands. Martha was dressed in like manner.
    “Martha,” Evelyn said, “I want you to meet my cousin from Delaware, Earline Faulkner.”
    Martha smiled amiably. “I’m so glad to meet you, Earline. Evelyn has mentioned you to me several times.”
    “Earline is leaving tomorrow,” Evelyn said. “She could only stay three days.”
    “Well, then, I’m glad she could be here today.”
    “My husband is in New York on business,” Earline said, “so I took a train down to Charleston.”
    Martha nodded, then looked behind her. “So how are you girls doing?”
    “Just fine,” said Priscilla.
    Setting her eyes on Dorena, who was strikingly beautiful, Martha said, “Dorena, that’s a pretty dress you are wearing.”
    Dorena looked down at the dress