"Biddie, pray tell August to hitch Revellie to my buggy. We are going to call on Missus Miller this afternoon. She must be near her time and I've some comfits fixed up for her relief," Patience told her housemaid. She watched as the young mulatto walked away, saying "Yez, Ma'am." Patience knew she wasn't to think of them that way, but the girl's beauty took her breath away everytime she looked at her. Her deep and wide brown eyes, set in a perfect oval face of the most exquisite shade of light mocha was unnerving in its beauty and elegance. Biddie matched that with a lithe grace, petite limbs moving as if gliding instead of striding as most folks.

Once again, Patience also was reminded of the distinctive "Locke" nose, aquiline, just right in size and most definitely Biddie's second best feature, after her eyes. Patience sighed, thinking back to when she'd had her third child, Daniel.

It had been a long, difficult confinement and delivery. In the midst of the pain she vowed to herself to never share her marriage bed, again. Her exhaustion lasted many months. Daniel did well under the care of the wetnurse, Cecilia, pregnant herself. Ephraim was kind for awhile and left her alone. He made short-lived attempts to cajole, romance, demand his conjugal rights, but finally gave up. He never bothered her, again, until Daniel was up and walking about, near his first birthday. That night, Patience smiled at him, at supper. She asked if he would join her for a late cup of mulled wine in her sitting room, adjacent to her bedchamber. From that night on, they'd resumed their usual relations having three more children in the span of the past few years.

It wasn't until Daniel was almost two that Cecilia's sister, Maddy, gave birth to Biddie. Patience had attended her with herbs as the slaves became scared for her when she began bleeding uncontrollably. The minute Patience held Biddie in her arms, she knew without doubt, where Ephraim had sought solace from her rejection...

Maddy was still moaning with pain. Patience handed the baby back to Cecilia, flung back the rough bedsacking and could only watch in helpless rage and shock as the bleeding started up, again. Unable to stop it, Patience watched in anguish as Maddy's lifeblood literally slipped away; the girlchild was now an orphan.

"I am sorry, Cecilia. There was nothing we could do. She is gone," Patience said quietly. "It is a loss the Master will not be happy with, she was a good worker," Patience dared not let on she knew of other reasons why her husband might miss this particular slave.

"When the child is weaned, bring her up to the Big House. She will be good company for my little Daniel and Cook will help with her training," Patience said. Holding in her emotions, she turned and left the small hut.

Now, while she daren't treat Biddie as anything more than a slavegirl, she did as much as possible to ease her life, while still expecting a good deal of work from her. Patience grabbed her bonnet, put it on, tying the ribbons in a sweet bow just to the side of her chin, lifted her basket of remedies and walking purposefully out to the verandah. She was taking Biddie with her to the Miller's not only to help, but because she knew, through her kindness, she could trust Biddie never to say a word to anyone when Patience began to question Dolly Miller about the Friends and how they might help with young Lucius. She was glad she had on her linen gloves. She was nervous and her palms were sweaty, something ladies were not supposed to do.

"Come, then, Biddie, let's be on out way," and with that, Patience climbed up into her buggy, waited for Biddie to settle in the seat, then took up the reins and clucked to the horse, "Ayup there, Revellie, let's go, there's a good boy!"

As they went down the long drive, little tufts of dust flew up from the buggy wheels, settling on the leaves of the gracious old trees lining their way.