When we finally entered Hopewell it looked like our modest population of two hundred had doubled since morning. The news had traveled further than I imagined, drawing spectators from far away. I even saw several Lenape men milling about the crowd.
The main street was so congested we could take the shay no further than the Appletons’ dry goods store. Setting the brake, Henry quickly tied up the horses before helping me to the ground. We proceeded on foot, with Henry keeping a firm hold of my arm to lead the way through the mass of people. My nerves were overwrought to the point that no warmth stirred from his touch. Under the circumstances, he could have been escorting me naked without catching my notice.
The air crackled with excitement. Here and there, I picked up snippets of conversation. Mostly it was just more of the same—speculation about who the witch could be. On my left, when we passed by a small cluster of men, I heard something entirely different. Rather than tossing out names, they speculated on what would happen to the woman. One man thought it would only take the dunking chair to find out the truth. Other men openly argued the possibility of a hanging tonight. I stumbled slightly as these last words exploded like thunderclaps in my head.
Henry’s grip tightened on my arm. “This way, Selah,” he said softly, “not too much farther.”
By sheer will I made myself move forward, one foot followed by the other, until we arrived at the meetinghouse. People were everywhere, laughing and talking, unburdened by any real fear of being accused. One of their neighbors might be the witch, but not them—they were certainly innocent. We had moved into the thickest part of the crowd, gathered just below the front steps when I caught sight of Anne Boyle waving in our direction.
Henry was so tall, people naturally moved aside to let him through. I heard several friendly greetings called our way, and plastered a smile on my face, nodding in return. Phoebe and Katrina stood together with their families, and waved as we passed. Not being Quakers, or any way affiliated with the Quaker faith, I found it infuriating that they were so interested in what Nathan had to say. But like everyone else waiting outside the meetinghouse, they weren’t about to miss out on the all the fun.
Anne greeted us at the top of the steps. “You will sit with me,” she said, speaking in a hushed tone to avoid being overheard. “Henry, a seat has been saved for you straight across from us, next to William Goodwin. Gideon knows and is of a similar mind as me, but must stay up with the other Elders.” She gave me a kind smile. “You have many friends here tonight, Selah. We’ll get through this together.”
Flanked by Anne and Henry, I stepped inside and felt my heart plunge into my stomach. People filled every bench. Smaller children sat on their parents’ laps to make more room. Those unable to find a seat stood along the perimeter, taking any available space near the door and behind the benches. The center of the room remained open just like in regular meeting.
Anne led us midway down the front row, to where Nora held our places. Right away I saw the change in her expression. Gone was the giddy excitement from the other day, replaced by such worry to match my own. She had obviously been told that her best friend was about to be charged for a witch. She subtly crossed her arms over her chest to relay our secret code. I tried to smile in return, but my mouth refused to move.
Reluctantly, Henry let go of my arm and took a seat next to William, who looked equally worried. I sat down between Nora and Anne, making sure to keep my face blank. The members had assumed the customary silence, but in place of the usual calm that prevailed during meeting, anxious glances were moving from neighbor to neighbor, and friend to friend. I glanced toward the raised benches where Nathan sat next to Edgar and Gideon. Poor Edgar looked as though he wanted to be anywhere else. Gideon didn’t look much better, like he had swallowed a toad and now suffered from painful indigestion. Nathan sat with his head bowed and eyes closed, oblivious to those around him.
I hadn’t noticed I was shaking until Nora took my hand. Appalled by such weakness, I clenched my free hand into a fist to make it behave. When had Nathan gained so much power over me? I wanted to be brave, to look him straight in the eye and laugh, but my fear had grown too great. Glancing at Henry, I saw him watching me. In his face was the courage I desperately wanted. In his eyes was the unmistakable evidence of his promise.
I won’t let anything happen to you.