Chains

Isabel and Ruth travel two nights by boat from Newport to New York City. They are stowed below deck with animals and other cargo. Isabel is very seasick for most of the journey but comes up to the deck on the second night for fresh air while Ruth sleeps. She takes in the calm night and wonders about their fate. She remembers her mother saying that ghosts cannot travel over water. Her father was stolen from his homeland in Guinea, leaving his ancestors to mourn his loss; Isabel imagines her ancestors wailing in grief. This has been the fate for so many more. She also imagines her mother mourning her and Ruth now as they are stolen away once again.

The ship docks, and a bevy of workers begins to unload the ship’s cargo. Isabel and Ruth stand, taking in the grandeur of the harbor and the new city stretched before them. It is bustling with activity as well as soldiers preparing for battle. Isabel sees many people of color and remarks, “In truth, I had never seen so many of us in one place, not even at burials” (27). A stately wagon pulled by two gold horses arrives to collect the Locktons and their luggage. Madam Lockton is particularly concerned with one chest. They are stopped by a man wielding a gun; their cargo must be inspected before leaving. A short man named Charles approaches and is not happy to see the Locktons. They speak quietly as another man, named Bellingham, approaches, followed by a clerk and servant boy.

Isabel notices the boy as he is about her size and is carrying a writing desk and stool. He wears a red hat and the clothes of a sailor. He also has a gold earring and a prominent scar on his face. Charles warns that Bellingham is here to arrest Elihu as he is a rumored Tory, or sympathizer to the monarch. Anne and Elihu proceed to put on an act pretending to be revolutionaries, swearing no allegiance to England. Anne makes quite a scene over the searching of her linens in the chest. The officials relent, but not before Ruth lets out a chuckle over the scene. Isabel takes the blame, and Anne slaps her on the face. They finish loading the chest onto the carriage and Elihu praises Anne for her performance. They send Isabel to fetch water, and the boy offers to show her the way. His name is Curzon, and he knows the way to the Locktons’ estate on Wall Street.

Curzon and Isabel chat briefly, and he nicknames her “Country” because she is a “[c]ountry girl.” He takes Isabel to Tea Water Pump, so named by the wealthy citizens for its superior tasting water. On the way, he stops by a stationer’s shop to deliver a message for his owner. He returns with food, which Isabel devours. They talk about Ruth, and Curzon calls Lockton a “dirty Loyalist” (38) and explains his master is part of the rebellion. New York is divided between Loyalists and Patriots—Loyalists being loyal to Britain, and Patriots being loyal to the revolution—but the Patriots are in control. They need people to join the cause, and Curzon suggests that Isabel could help and learn some information to help herself in the process. He wants her to act as a spy in the Locktons’ home, collecting information that would lead to Elihu’s arrest; because Isabel is a slave and not seen as a real person, household members will say things in her presence they might not otherwise. Moreover, says Curzon, a man named Colonel Regan might have rewards for someone like Isabel and might help her find the lawyer to secure her and Ruth’s freedom. Isabel is to collect intel and report her findings to Curzon at the shed where he sleeps. Isabel is uncertain, worried for their safety.

Curzon leads Isabel to the Lockton house, a five-story stone mansion. He hurries her along and tells her to never enter the front door. She is introduced to Becky Berry, the housemaid, who is flustered at the hasty return of the Locktons after their absence for eight months in Boston. She instructs Isabel on her chores and tells her that Ruth is peeling potatoes. Isabel is to keep her mouth shut and never go into the master’s library. Becky is well aware of the Locktons’ Tory affiliation, but she is not interested in their politics, only in survival. Lady Clarissa Seymour, Master Lockton’s wealthy aunt, will arrive soon, and they must work quickly to prepare for her visit. From now on, Isabel and Ruth must address Anne and Elihu as “Madam” and “Master.”