Monday, May 27, 1776
- The funeral ends, and Isabel is nervous and jittery. She approaches the pastor, asking him where she and Ruth are to stay while she looks for work—Miss Mary freed the girls in her will, which Isabel read herself after it was composed.
- Unfortunately, this doesn't go over too well with Robert. Actually, it doesn't go over at all, because he doesn't believe her. He doesn't even believe that Isabel can read and threatens to beat her for lying, even though his aunt actually taught her how.
- You're probably wondering why someone doesn't just bust out a copy of the will as proof to this matter. In fact, this is impossible—Miss Mary's lawyer is stuck in Boston because of a military blockade. Plus, Robert is just unwilling to investigate Isabel's claim, and declares that the girls now belong to him.
- At least for now. Isabel's nervousness turns to fear when Robert announces that he plans on selling her and Ruth. The girls were sold once before when they were much younger, and it was really traumatic. Her father was sold to a different owner, and when he put up a fight over being separated from his wife and children, he was beaten until his blood ran in the dust. Isabel begins to prepare herself for the frightening unknown of her coming sale.