“We are leaving! Bye Ma, Nancy,” Eddy hollered from the front door. 
“What time will you be home, dear?” Frances asked her husband. 
“Shan’t be long,” John replied. “Should be home by supper.”
John and Eddy left for Clarke’s Academy. Edgar’s fate as a writer hang in the balance as he and John made their way to the Academy on the Hill for Mister Clarke’s going-away speech.
 Meeting the new Headmaster paled in comparison to the excitement of knowing that night Pa planned to ask Mister Clarke about publishing his work. EFrances excused herself from the event, feeling ill once again.
Once there, Edgar and John Allan stood in the back of the packed house. Mister Clarke made his way through the crowd and took to his podium one last time. 
 “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for coming this evening. As you know, I have made the difficult decision to return to Maryland where I have family. It is with a heavy heart that I excuse myself as the proprietor of this fine academy.  
 “It goes without saying that I shall quite miss my time in Richmond, and teaching the future leaders of Virginia, and God willing these United States. I have no doubt I shall one day be seeing many of their names in print.”
Eddy sat upright, certain that Clarke was referring to him specifically. 
 “I am equally grateful to you all for affording me the opportunity to teach your sons. It pleases me to no end that nearly all our alumni choose to matriculate at the college of their choosing.  
 “We have come a long way from our humble beginnings located above Dr. Leroy’s store on Broad & 5th, to these hallowed halls of the Athenaeum and I wish for the continued prosperity. And so it is my honor to  present my successor- a man whom many of you may already know. I give you your new Headmaster, Mr. William Burke.”
Polite applause filled the room.
 “Thank you ladies and gentlemen, I’m quite humbled by that warm welcome. I only hope your sons will retain that level of enthusiasm come fall,” he said jokingly.  
“As Headmaster Clarke said, am William Burke. I have been an instructor in the lower school of this academy for five years.
“I teach the classics— Latin and Greek, Mathematics, and so forth. I have no tolerance for truancy, and inattentiveness, and like the gentleman before me, I believe in the moral power of the birch rod when students are acting out. [1]
 “And while it is my intention to maintain continuity to this academy, I must inform you of some changes that must take place, namely our location. Details to follow. Thank you for your time.” 
As people filed out of the room, Eddy whispered, “There’s Headmaster Clarke, Pa. Maybe you can talk with him now?” 
John Allan grunted in acknowledgement and made his way towards the retiring Headmaster. He handed the man an envelope of Eddy’s work, smiled and shook hands. Try as he might, Eddy couldn’t hear nor read their lips over the din of the crowd. 
On the walk home, John could feel Eddy’s bated breath. 
“Well?” Eddy asked his foster father. “What did Mister Clarke say?”
“Och aye the noo! Hold your horses, m’boy. Give the man a chance.” 
They walked don, but Eddy couldn’t resist. 
“Did he say when he’d get back to you?”
“In good time, son. In good time.” 

Across town, Juliet stood on the back porch surveying the yard. With Miss Fanny was napping, and everyone else going about their day, this was her favorite time of day. Juliet could be alone with her thoughts. It was a day like this when she first came across a stray copy of Mr. Allan’s newspaper, and decided to practice her reading. That was the day that everything changed. 
Right there on page two of the American & Commercial Daily Advertiser [1] was a report on a special session of House of Representatives. 

It read:

SUPPRESSION OF THE SLAVE TRADE. Resolved, That the President of the United States may deem expedient for the effectual abolition of the African Slave Trade, and its ultimate denunciation, as piracy, under the Law of Nations, by the consent of the civilized world. 

The article went on to say a Mr. Wright of Maryland’ spoke at some length on the necessity of adopting measures for the total abolition of  the Slave Trade.
Until that moment, it had never occurred to Juliet that there was a political opposition to slavery. She had never heard of such a thing. Looking back, Juliet realized she had been made to believe that this caste system was just the way it was— a social norm meant to be accepted. Only now; that appeared to be a lie. 
Juliet’s epiphany came with a harsh reality. No one was going to save her. If she didn’t get out of her predicament, and soon, she’d either die here a servant, or become one of the very people she detested. A clean start was the only way. That’s when her plan  sprang to life. 
Confessing everything to Eddy, and even accepting his offer of help was risky business. Eddy was right about one thing- that embarking from Boston to Monrovia would be easier than it would be from Richmond, where a pedestrian girl of color was given curious looks, if not stopped altogether. Eddy’s plan to run away to Boston together seemed too good to be true. Plus, she had seen so many of Edgar’s promises come and go. He meant well, but the disappointment he caused was palpable. Still, she couldn’t help but put stock in their relationship. She loved Eddy- every wickedly smart, funny, bold, creative, tortured, sad, misunderstood, confusing, part of him. Their relationship was special. If ever Eddy was going to make good on one of his myriad promises, it must be now. She prayed he would make good on his promise to find her papers. But just in case, she needed a backup plan. She resigned herself to make one  and turned to go inside.