Molly meets the steward

That evening, Molly was sitting with the Ingram children in their cabin, getting to know each other. Miss Susan was a polite, talkative girl, looking forward to their arrival in the USA and full of stories about Red Indians. Master William was suspicious of Molly, her accent and her ethnicity, informing her that an Irishman was "worth little more than a negro." Master Thomas, the youngest, was very quiet but curious, listening patiently to the Irish lass and his elder siblings.

Their conversation was interrupted by the steward, a slim black man named Darius who looked to be as old as Molly's father. He brought in a sumptuous meal for the children: fresh game, bread and root vegetables. Molly looked on hungrily as they ate.

"Is there some for me?" she inquired softly.

Darius looked into her green eyes and smiled. "Well, the Ingrams didn't say anything about that. But if you want to come with me, I have some tasty sausage for you."

"Oh, I've never tasted sausage before!" she exclaimed, licking her lips in anticipation and turning to the children. "I'm going to go with Mister Darius for a few minutes. Stay here and be good!"

Darius held the door to the cabin open, and as Molly stepped past him into the hallway, he gave her a sharp slap on the bottom. He winked at Susan before closing the door behind him.