Rogue's Widow, Gentleman's Wife
Charleston, South Carolina—1880
A long column of sullen–looking convicts—black and white—moved slowly and painfully down the sun–baked street. Ragged and barefooted, they were fettered together like beasts of burden, their heavy iron ankle chains rubbing pitilessly against their skin, tearing and making it bleed. The men guarding them walked alongside, thick canes in their hands, urging them along with curses and threats. Others rode in front and behind, the harnesses jingling on their horses.
The traffic was heavy, the pavements swarming with people of all colours, passing through every shade of brown to black. Their clothes were gaily coloured, and the soft blur of the southern speech fell pleasantly on a stranger's ears.
Having become stuck in a mass of horses and traps and fine carriages of the well–to–do to let the convicts shuffle past, Amanda sat beside Nan, her maid. With the sun beating down on them the heat was intense, the humidity making it feel even hotter. Amos, Aunt Lucy's faithful old retainer, was sitting with an air of dignified authority, loosely holding the reins. ... read full excerpt from Rogue's Widow, Gentleman's Wife ebook
