Defiant Hearts Page 29

  Richard looked at Lily with adoring eyes and suggested, “To make it a real home, my love, we should be husband and wife. Do you think we could get a preacher to come marry us tomorrow?”

  “Tomorrow? Are you serious?” Lily asked, afraid to trust her hearing.

  “Since it’s too late to do it today, tomorrow will be fine.”

  “Oh, my, can we be ready by tomorrow?” Lily asked Laura.

  “Without a doubt, Lily. I suggest you grab him while he’s weak and in the mood. I’ve often heard that men change their minds as frequently as we females are alleged to do.”

  “Stop teasing me,” Lily said with a playful laugh.

  “Well, woman of mine, if I take a nap, will you go find us a preacher since I’m unable to do so?” Richard asked with a grin.

  “I’m on my way before you change your mind as Laura warned,” Lily quipped, beaming with joy as she kissed his cheek.

  Richard clasped her hand and pressed it to his lips before he vowed, “I won’t, not today, or tomorrow, or ever.”

  “Did you hear that, Laura? I’m getting married! Me, Lily Hart!”

  “Congratulations to both of you, and I’ll do all I can to make it a memorable occasion.” She couldn’t help but envy Lily’s good fortune when her own looked gloomy at this time. She prayed she would experience that same happiness and success with Jayce Storm in the near future.

  As Laura cuddled in Lily’s old bed, many thoughts—most of them about her mysterious lover—raced through her mind and prevented sleep. She knew both armies had dug in at Petersburg where Yankees outnumbered Rebels three to one. The besieged city endured daily shellings of enemy fire and witnessed skirmishes nearby. Many residents had piled cotton bales around their houses to protect their lives and property, but often both became casualties of the ghastly conflict. Though winter was still officially a day away, the weather was inclement. Heating and cooking fuel was sparse; women couldn’t cut down trees and haul firewood home, and soldiers couldn’t leave their posts to do that task for them. In addition, forests were teaming with enemies on the lookout for such ventures. Crimes were on the increase as desperate people took extreme measures for survival. She had heard that hunger was becoming a serious problem: birds, pets, and even rodents were vanishing and the suspicion was that they were being consumed. She grimaced and shuddered at the recall of that dreadful report.

  She had read in the morning paper that parties were being given to lift barrel-bottom spirits—“Starvation Balls” without refreshments and fine garments—where people danced to ward off the frigid chill and to distract them from their miseries. Soldiers made merry at night; then offered their lives for the Cause the next day. It was said that the smell of death hung over the somber city, a real one from unburied bodies and an illusionary one from having their own demises staring them in the face with evil eyes of fire.

  It was evident to Laura the fate of Petersburg looked as bleak as the Confederacy’s. Christmas—supposed to be a season for harmony, love, forgiveness, charity, and understanding—would arrive in less than a week; and she yearned to spend it with Jayce.

  A Baptist pastor was coming at two o’clock tomorrow to perform their ceremony, and a small party was planned for afterward.

  A wedding…Laura longed for her own ceremony with Jayce. She had always dreamed of a large wedding with family and friends and flowers and a festive reception and a lovely gown of lace, beads, and satin. She had imagined herself floating on wings of love down the winding staircase at Greenbriar on her father’s arm while romantic harp music was being played in their large ballroom. That fantasy could come true if Jayce truly loved her and he survived the Petersburg siege, if he was there, which she—reluctantly and painfully—doubted.

  At least, she thought, Lily would become a wife tomorrow and would begin a bright future with the man she loved. To prevent trouble after her own departure, she had buried the Union cipher key outside last night. She had decided to give Lily most of the money hidden under the floorboard in the couple’s new bedroom, and would leave Lily a note to reveal its presence. She prayed nothing and no one arrived to ruin Lily’s plans.

  As for herself, Laura feared that her own dream was about to move further out of her reach when she left town on Wednesday. Only two nights remained to be spent in Richmond and within Jayce’s reach…

  Laura prayed he would visit before she rode away, as she needed to see him again before they were parted, and she wanted to tell him about her plans in person rather than have him learn that news on paper. If Jayce came, she realized, he would be in for a big surprise if he sneaked into her house and approached her bed!

  Hopefully, Laura worried, Richard wouldn’t shoot him by mistake, thinking him a villain. And hopefully Jayce, in the dark, wouldn’t think she was in the bed with another man and slip away in anguish.

  Chapter Fifteen

  As Generals Hardee and Beauregard pulled out of the Shermanimperiled Savannah and an enemy buildup took place near Wilmington, Lily Hart and Richard Stevens were joined in holy matrimony in the Southern Paradise Hotel in the Confederate capital. The parlor was cozy and romantic with a colorful fire, soft lamplight, flickering candles, small branches of evergreens, and several vases of silk flowers that Clarissa had purchased shortly before her death.

  The Baptist minister and his wife, Alvus Long and his family, Laura, Belle, Cleo, and Bertha Barton witnessed the joyous occasion. The war’s horrors were put aside for a while as the pastor united the couple in wedlock and said a prayer to bless their bond.

  Afterward, everyone enjoyed special treats Bertha had prepared, and the adult guests sipped from one glass of wine each from the hotel’s cellar. To avoid standing too long on his injured leg and stirring his healing wound, the smiling groom took a seat on a sofa near the hearth where he snacked and chatted with well-wishers, with Lily hovering at his shoulder or fetching whatever he needed.

  Laura was touched by Richard’s display of devotion to his bride. He had given Lily a ring from his small finger, and promised her a gold wedding band later. Lily, clad in one of Laura’s best Sunday dresses and matching slippers, looked lovely and angelic with her pale-blond hair, light-blue eyes, and radiant glow. Alvus had presented Richard with a walking cane which he had carved himself, and the two men seemed to have a good rapport. The other three staff members appeared to like and respect and accept their new bosses.

  The minister and his wife left at three o’clock, but the others made merry until five when hotel guests began returning from their appointments. Following more congratulations, Lily and Richard retired to their new home to savor their first moments of privacy together as husband and wife. Bertha returned to the kitchen to finish preparing the evening meal, a stew which had been simmering since morning. As soon as Alvus made certain all of his daily chores were done, he and his family went home. Laura, Belle, and Cleo straightened the parlor and tended other tasks, as Lily naturally would be off duty on this her wedding night.

  Before she went to set the dining-room tables for dinner, Laura took one last glance around the parlor where her friend’s sunny future had been put into motion many months ago. She smiled to herself as she concluded Lily and Richard had done the right thing by not waiting another day to commit fully to each other, and she yearned to do the same with Jayce.

  On Wednesday morning as Laura dressed and prepared to leave town, Savannah fell into Yankee hands without opposition, perhaps the only thing that spared the beautiful city from total devastation. It was on the first official day of winter when the seaport and last Georgia arms-maker was lost, another crushing blow, Laura felt, to the already wavering Confederacy.

  The “Stars and Bars” still flew over its capital, but she wondered how long and how many more lives it would take before the “Stars and Stripes” replaced it. Georgia, the Valley, and other southern states and areas were under Union control. While the Federals were well armed, well fed, and well supplied, Rebel food, munitions, and stores
were almost depleted, were gone in numerous locations. Only South and North Carolina remained free and able to provide any of those needs, and both were in deep jeopardy.

  Surely, Laura reasoned, with the losses of Georgia and Shenandoah Valley, the Cause was doomed; so why wouldn’t the tortured South admit defeat and surrender so peace could come and recovery begin? What dreamy hope or golden illusion were they clinging to in this dark and lethal hour?

  Her part in the war was over; she had been a patriot and done her duty to her country. Her spying days were in the past, and she was going to join her beloved father, who she had not seen or spoken with in going on four years. In the nation’s capital, she would await the war’s end and a reunion with Jayce, or so she planned in blissful ignorance of what loomed ahead of her…

  The letter she had written to Jayce was in Lily’s possession, ready to be hand-delivered on his next visit, whenever that occurred. She had packed the pressed flower and note from him, along with the artist’s sketch drawn of them during their wonderful outing last July. Saddlebags and a cloth sack to suspend over the cantle lay on the bed, holding everything she was carrying with her. She knew where to cross the Potomac River, and soldiers would be waiting there to escort her to her father. She told herself this event, not Richard’s return, was the meaning behind her premonition following Jayce’s last departure. She agonized over their impending separation, as it could be a lengthy and miserable one, but she couldn’t refuse to go when her father was there.

  She gathered her possessions and went downstairs to bid everyone an emotional good-bye. She told Richard, as well as the others, she was returning home to Fredericksburg so none of them could make a slip about her destination. She glanced around the hotel where she had spent the last twenty-two months, where she had met the man she loved, where she had spied for the Union, and where she had met her best friend.

  In less than thirty minutes, Laura and Lily stood in the kitchen of the Stevens’s home to share final words and embraces. Both were glad that Richard had stayed in the hotel parlor to give the best friends privacy.

  Laura said, “I hate to ask you to keep secrets from your husband, but their revelations could be as detrimental to you as they would be to me. You’re happy, Lily, so don’t say or do anything to spoil it and possibly place obstacles between you two. When I see Jayce, I’ll explain everything to him in person; for the present, that letter has to speak for me, though it tells him little to nothing. We’ve been over our deceitful story, so you know what to say to him if he questions you after reading it. I hate to leave without seeing him again, but I have no choice since I don’t know when he’ll return or where to find him. He shouldn’t have kept his whereabouts such a secret! I pray his doing so isn’t a bad omen. Well, enough about that matter. I know you and Richard will have a wonderful life together. I’ll write to you as soon as possible. Mercy, I’m going to miss you.”

  “I’m going to miss you, Laura; you’re the best friend I’ve ever had. We’ve shared so much together. You’re like my sister, and I love you.”

  “I love you, too, dear Lily. Now, I really must get going before I start crying, and I need to take advantage of all available daylight. There are several nice roadhouses along the way, so I’ll stay in two of them tonight and tomorrow. Don’t worry about me; I have my pistol loaded and ready if needed. And I have my official travel pass and plenty of food and water. You shouldn’t have any problems from Ben; I left him a note of explanation in the tree hole.”

  The two women exchanged kisses on their cheeks before they went out the back door and walked to the stable to fetch Laura’s horse, who stood already saddled and loaded by Alvus.

  Laura told him, “Good-bye, my friend, you’ve been a good worker, and I’m thankful for all you’ve done for me. I’m sure everything will be fine between you and the Stevenses. Stay well, Alvus; I shall miss you.”

  “I’m gonna misses you, too. I put grain for your hoss in that other sack; might not be nones along the way. You be real careful on that road.”

  “I will. Good-bye,” she told him again and mounted. Alvus, Lily, and the three women standing on the back porch of the hotel smiled and waved farewell to Laura. She returned those gestures, then kneed her horse into motion. With her journey underway, her emotions were a contradictory mixture of sadness and joy, of excitement and dismay, of worry and relief, as she left several loved ones behind but rode to rejoin another.

  Tears of happiness rolled down her cheeks as Laura embraced her father. “Oh, Father, it’s so wonderful to see you again” she murmured, “it’s been so long, and I’ve been so worried about you and Tom and Henry.”

  Colonel Howard Adams kept his daughter wrapped in his arms as he filled her in on family matters. “Your brothers are fine, Laura, fighting with General Schofield, safe and sound, and I’m certain they’ll remain that way. It’s good to see you again, my beloved child.” He laughed and corrected, “Though I can see you’re no longer a girl but a lovely young woman. You’ve gotten to look more like your mother, and she was a real beauty. Let me take a better view,” he said, grasping her hands in his and leaning back to study her.

  As he did so, Laura’s green gaze scrutinized him. His sandy hair had more gray in it, silvery strands far outnumbering dark blond ones. His clean-shaven tanned face revealed more fine lines and deep creases and was chapped in places from the harsh weather. His shoulders were slightly bent, causing him to appear shorter than his six feet. He had lost weight, though he wasn’t gaunt as were most of the soldiers she saw. Yet, he looked older, and there was a somber cast over his hazel gaze, which must have witnessed countless horrors during the last four years.

  “Beautiful and healthy,” Howard concluded aloud and smiled.

  “And you are as handsome as ever, sir,” she responded. “Has the Army released you from duty? Will we be returning home soon?”

  “No to both queries, but I’ll explain everything to you later when we have more time. I have checked on Greenbriar and, thank God, she’s avoided all harm. Otis is still managing her and all of our workers are still there, guarding her like she was their own. Tom told me how he took off and left you there with Otis and the others. I can’t fault him for wanting to help fight this war. He’s made a good soldier, Laura, so has Henry.”

  “Has Henry heard from Nora? When things looked bad near home, I tried to join her and the children, but they had left Gettysburg; I’m sure you know why; that was a terrible battle fought there.”

  “Nora and my grandchildren are safe and well with her parents in Philadelphia, so Henry doesn’t have to worry about his family. I have a meeting with the President and several officers in thirty minutes, and we’re to dine with the Greeleys and others tonight, so you should rest from your journey while I’m gone. We’ll have plenty of time to talk tomorrow and in the coming weeks. You have the suite next to mine; I already have the key, so I’ll show you there on my way out.”

  “Father,” she said as he walked to the door. “Isn’t there something you want to ask me?” She noted confusion in his gaze after he turned to face her. “I mean, don’t you want to ask me about someone special?” She hated to broach that painful topic during their reunion and when he was in a hurry, but she was bewildered as to why he hadn’t asked about his intended wife. His past letters had said to thank Clarissa for helping her and to give Clarissa his best regards, but nothing personal to pass along or even a note to her, and he hadn’t asked for Clarissa to come with her today…

  “Have you met a sweetheart during my absence?”

  Laura knew this wasn’t the time to reveal her love for a Confederate officer. “I was referring to Clarissa Carlisle, Father. You haven’t mentioned her or inquired about her and didn’t invite her to accompany me. Why?”

  “Why would I invite anyone to intrude on our reunion, friend or not? I assumed you would tell me all about your adventure with her tomorrow.”

  “There is no kind or gentle way to tell you, Father, but
she died.”

  “That’s a shame, Laura; she was a fine woman, a good friend.”

  Laura was stunned by his reaction. She wondered if he had seen and brought about so much death that it no longer moved him. “I was afraid that news would torment you deeply, since you two were to be married.” She saw his hazel gaze widen, then narrow as if in disbelief.

  “What are you talking about, child? Me and Clarissa…marry? Where would you get such a foolish notion? We’re friends, nothing more.”

  “Clarissa told me you two were in love and planned to marry after the war. Before she died, she wrote you a letter to say goodbye. I have it with me. She also showed me a letter from you when she came to Greenbriar to fetch me to Richmond. It said you would be going down to see her soon, that you were looking forward to seeing her, and signed it ‘Affectionately yours.’ Why would she lie to me?”

  “I don’t know, Laura, but what she said wasn’t true. I know she was fond of me and enjoyed my company, as I did hers, but love and marriage were never mentioned between us. I wrote to her whenever I was going to Richmond on business and I always stayed at her hotel, but I never misled her; or if I did, it was unintentional and I deeply regret any suffering I caused her. Perhaps she only told you we were betrothed so you would go to live with her and be safe. Or perhaps she did love me in secret and hoped her rescue of my daughter would make me grateful enough to her to marry her. But she didn’t appear to be a deceitful woman. Fetch her letter and let me read it quickly before I must leave.”

  Laura retrieved the sealed envelope from her bag and handed it to him, then watched him read Clarissa’s words. She saw an array of emotions cross his face.

  “It’s partly an apology for deceiving you about us, but she thought it was necessary in order to win your trust and cooperation after she heard about the perils looming over Fredericksburg. However, she did confess her love for me and hoped for a permanent relationship after the war. She knew, or suspected, she was dying, so she begged my forgiveness and understanding; yours, too. Would you care to read it?”