Eden

by Bobbi Smith

  "How can I help you?" Eden asked, truly wanting to do something to save him. "What can I do?"

  "Just take care of the children for me," Adrian told her. His expression was serious as he spoke. He wanted her to stay out of this. "Make sure they're safe and happy. What did you tell them this morning?"

  Eden explained how she'd told everyone he was away on another trip.

  "Good. They've suffered enough. They don't need to know the truth of what is happening. What of Logan? Has he been back to the Haven yet?"

  "No. I haven't seen him or heard from him since late last night. I don't know where he is."

  Adrian could see how torn she was. "Remember, Eden, Logan used you. The only reason he came down here was to stop me and find out what happened to his brother-"

  "His brother?" She was startled by his statement. "I didn't know his brother was involved in any of this."

  "The guard on the Bayou Belle-the one who was shot. He was Logan's brother."

  "Oh, my God." She paled at the news, remembering their conversation about the raid, and their later discussion in which he'd told her his brother was in the army somewhere in Louisiana and that he hadn't heard from him in a while. She saw now how carefully worded his statement had been. "Where is Logan now? Do you know where he's gone?"

  "He probably left town to free his brother. Nathaniel told him where the prison camp was," he said harshly.

  The thought that Logan would have left without talking to her tore at Eden, even as she told herself she was glad she hadn't seen him again.

  "Protect yourself, Eden," Adrian cautioned. He cared deeply about her, and he could tell how devastated she was by all that had happened. He knew it was too late to change anything, but she must be prepared for the future.

  Before she could say anything more, the guard interrupted them.

  "Ma'am, it's time for you to go."

  "Adrian, I'll come back and see you as often as I can," Eden promised, then asked, "Is there anything you need?"

  He nodded. "I need you to let the children know I love them. That's all."

  "I'll tell them."

  Devastated, Eden left the jail. The responsibility of the Haven rested squarely on her shoulders now. Somehow she had to find a way to keep it running-to keep food on the table for the children. Too many lives depended on her. She couldn't let them down. She would do whatever she had to do to keep the orphanage going.

  Eden started back to the Haven; then, haunted by what she'd just learned about Logan, she changed her mind. She switched directions and drove to the apartment. Reining in before the building, she sat there for a moment, arguing with herself about going in. She'd planned never to return to the home they'd shared, but a part of her desperately needed to know if Logan had left the city to search for his captured brother.

  Girding herself, Eden got out of the buggy and went inside. It angered her that a part of her was hoping Logan would be there. She told herself that she was only going in because she needed to know what to tell the children about him. If he didn't return to the Haven for days or weeks-or possibly never, now that she knew the truth about him-she had to have a believable story for the children.

  Quietly Eden unlocked the apartment door and went in. She only had to step into the room to discover that Logan hadn't been there since she'd left. Nothing had been touched or changed. All of his personal belongings were still there. Both relieved and hurt by the knowledge that she'd meant so little to him, Eden left the apartment. She'd hoped to get away undeterred, but met the landlord on her way out.

  "Hello, Mrs. Matthews. How are you today?" Ben Colvis greeted her in the hall.

  "Busy," she told him with a smile, not wanting him to suspect anything might: be wrong. "I'm going to be staying at the Haven for a while, and my husband was called out of town, so we won't be around for a few days."

  "I'll keep an eye on everything for you."

  "Thanks. I-we appreciate it."

  With that, she left, certain she would never be back there again.

  Eden longed to know how Darrell was doing, but didn't want to go to her mother's home just yet. The search by the Yankees that morning had left her nervous and edgy, and she didn't want to risk creating any suspicion where her mother and sister were concerned. She would return to her normal routine at the Haven when Adrian was away, and keep praying that some how she would manage to make everything turn out all right.

  It was during dinner that night that she stood up to announce that Logan had been called away. She had already spoken with Jenny, telling her everything that had happened, and they had agreed that the less the children knew about what had transpired, the better.

  "Children, there is something I need to tell you." When she had all their attention, Eden began, "As you know, Mr. Adrian has had to make another trip, and he'll be away for a while. I told Mark and Paul earlier that Reverend Logan was called away, too, and I've just learned that he's going to be gone from us for some time, also."

  "Oh, Miss Eden-not Reverend Logan," little Connie cried out in heartbreak.

  "I know, Connie. I feel the same way, but he was called to move on, so he has."

  "When's he coming back?" Paul asked.

  "I don't know, but as soon as I hear from him, I'll tell you what he says."

  "We'll miss him," Connie said sadly, knowing her days were going to be long and empty without Reverend Logan. She loved him.

  Eden didn't mean to say it, but she did. "I know."

  When they'd finished eating and the children had gone to bed, Eden left Jenny in charge while she made a trip to check on Darrell. Her fear that someone might be watching her kept her alert, but she saw nothing unusual around the Haven or her mother's house. Only then did she begin to relax her guard a bit and believe that Darrell would truly be safe there.

  "How is he?" Eden asked Camille once she was inside.

  "He did manage to get some rest today. Mother and I have been taking turns sitting with him to make sure he didn't try to get up or anything. She's with him now," Camille told her.

  "Good," Eden said, looking at her sister in gratitude. Camille seemed to have grown up a lot in the last twenty four hours. Her willingness and ability to help the fugitive cast her in a whole new light. Eden touched her arm. "Thank you for your help."

  Camille smiled sadly at her. "You're welcome. I'm just sorry all this had to happen. And, Logan-the more I think about it, the angrier I get.

  "I know." It was a flat statement.

  "How could he have used you that way?" Camille was outraged for her sister, and deep in her heart she was thankful now that he hadn't been interested in her.

  "I just found out today that the guard who was shot on the Bayou Belle was Logan's brother. Logan came down here wanting to stop Adrian and find out where they'd taken his brother prisoner.

  "His brother was the man you helped on the steamer?" Camille repeated, startled by the revelation.

  "Yes."

  "No wonder he wanted to talk about the Bayou Belle that first night when he came to dinner. Do you think his brother is still alive?"

  "I don't know, but for Logan's sake, I hope ,so.

  "You do?"

  "Yes." Eden found she really meant it.

  They went upstairs to find Darrell awake, talking with their mother.

  "Eden." He smiled in welcome.

  "You are looking much better tonight." She was glad to see that he had some color in his face.

  "I'm feeling much better, thanks to your mother and Camille. They've been taking very good care of me." He gave them a grateful look, his gaze lingering a moment longer on Camille. Then he asked, "Have you heard anything more about what happened at the warehouse or how Adrian is?"

  "Yes. In fact, some Yankees showed up at the Haven this morning and searched the place looking for you."

  "I'm sorry. I should never have come to the Haven and put you and the children in such danger.

  "They would have come there anyway, since they kne
w about Adrian. Luckily, they didn't find anything. I've been watching for them the rest of the day, but they haven't been back. I think everything is fine. No one suspects anything about you being here."

  "That's a relief. And how is Adrian?"

  "He's going to recover." She told him about her visit to the jail to see him.

  Darrell was glad to hear that Adrian would be all right.

  "As soon as you're well enough to travel, we'll make arrangements to get you out of New Orleans."

  "Thank you."

  "It's the least I can do, after the way you helped me with Layton and Moran," she told him, deliberately trying to lighten their mood. "I'll come to see you as often as I can while you're here, but I have to get back to the Haven right now. I know I'm leaving you in good hands."

  "I know you are, too. Your family is very special." He was grateful for all their kindness.

  Eden left the room with her mother while Camille stayed on to keep Darrell company for a while.

  "Who are Layton and Moran?" Camille asked him innocently, wondering what Eden had been talking about.

  "Well..." Darrell hesitated for a moment, unsure whether he should tell her or not. Then he explained, "They were the Yankees who attacked Eden in the Haven."

  "They were? What did you and Eden do to them?" This man was becoming more heroic to her with every passing minute, and all the things she was learning about her sister were surprising her.

  Darrell told her what they'd done and was amused by her expression of pure astonishment.

  "And you left them there, tied up that way?"

  "We did."

  "What happened to them?"

  "The last I heard, they had been transferred out of the city. We haven't seen or heard anything about them since, and that's good, as far as I'm concerned."

  "I hope they're out in the fighting now."

  "So do I."

  "I can't believe everything you're telling me about Eden. I knew she spent a lot of time at the Haven, but I had no idea she was involved in anything like all this."

  "You should be proud of her. There aren't many women who could do the things she's done."

  "I am proud of her," Camille said, and it was a bit of a revelation to her. She'd never realized just how much she loved her sister before.

  "It's not going to be easy for Eden from now on. With Adrian gone, the orphanage will be all hers to run."

  "And then there's Logan, too. I wonder if he'll ever come back."

  "Logan was very good at what he did. He had to be, to fool Eden so completely."

  "There's nothing `good' about Logan Matthews! He's a Yankee, and I hate him!" she said with pure disgust. She had no idea what Eden was going to do about her unfortunate marriage to the vile man.

  "I hope we'll never have to see him or deal with him again."

  "That would be good. The farther Logan Matthews stays away from my sister, the better."

  Darrell watched Camille as she was speaking. He saw the fire flashing in her eyes and knew she was every bit the woman her sister was-she just hadn't discovered it yet.

  Darrell smiled to himself and wondered if he would be around when she did.

  "Taylor-"

  The soldier's call from outside their tent in the middle of the night woke Taylor and Braden from a sound sleep.

  "What is it?"

  "It's Johnson. He's real sick," the soldier explained. "He's down with a fever. Can you come and take a look at him? You did such a good job on the lieutenant here, I thought you might be able to help him, too."

  "Sure." Taylor didn't hesitate. Without another word, she left the tent and went with him to do what she could for the sick man.

  They had no lanterns, but Johnson's tent was close enough to the campfire so Taylor had enough light to see. She was horrified by John son's condition. He was burning up with fever, and dysentery had ravaged his body. She knew how deadly the combination could be and she set to work, hoping to save his life.

  Taylor fought for hours to bring down Johnson's fever, but had little success. His dysentery was so severe she feared it would ultimately kill him.

  "How's he doing?" Braden asked, coming to check on her shortly after sunup. Since discovering the truth about her identity, he rarely let her out of his sight.

  "Not good. Not good at all," she told him sadly as she glanced back at him over her shoulder without leaving the sick man's side.

  "Is there anything I can do to help you?"

  "No. He needs a real doctor. I think I'll go talk to the guards," Taylor told him as she came out of the tent, frustrated and worried. "I don't know if it will do any good, but I have to ask them. I can't just let him die."

  "I'll go with you."

  They started toward the main guardhouse. Taylor let her gaze wander over the camp and the prisoners as they went. She was looking forward to the day when Braden was healthy enough for them to try to escape. She hoped it would be soon, for this was a miserable, filthy place. Close to forty men were being held in the fenced area that wasn't even a full acre of ground. The guards had told them that they were to be sent back north in exchange for Southern prisoners, but they had not said when the trade would happen. So they suffered through little food and terrible sanitary conditions, living on the hope of one day going home. Some of the prisoners were forced to sleep in the open, for there weren't enough tents for everyone.

  "I wonder if hell could be much worse than this," she remarked sadly, looking up at Braden.

  "Not much," he agreed.

  "Of all the places I thought I'd end up when I enlisted with my brother, I never thought it would be a prison camp somewhere in Louisiana.

  "I don't think any of us planned to end up here. We just got lucky, I guess."

  "If this is the kind of luck I've got, remind me never to gamble," Taylor came back at him.

  "I'll do that, just as soon as we get out of here."

  She nodded, then told Braden, "Wait here. I'll go talk to the guards alone."

  Braden didn't like the idea of her approaching them by herself, but he knew she was right. The two of them together would look more like a threat. They had been ordered not to come within ten feet of the perimeter or risk being shot.

  "Be careful."

  "Don't worry. I will."

  Squaring her shoulders, Taylor moved forward alone.

  Braden couldn't believe what a brave woman she was. Taylor had suffered and endured so much, and yet she still wanted to do all she could to help the other prisoners. He knew he owed her a lot-even his life for the way she'd doctored him. He was feeling much better now and his strength was returning-slowly but steadily.

  The guard came out of the building and without a word of warning fired at Taylor. The shot hit the ground in front of her, stopping her in her tracks.

  "Keep your ass back there, Yank!" the guard snarled. He was tempted to go ahead and shoot the damned prisoner for daring to come that close to the guardhouse.

  "I need to talk to you," Taylor called out to him. "It's important. One of the prisoners is very sick. He needs to see a doctor."

  The guard came forward, sneering at the youth. "What are you? Stupid? You think there are doctors out here in the middle of nowhere?"

  "He could be dying," she insisted.

  He laughed cynically. "Good, then there will be one less Yankee bastard I have to worry about."

  "You've got to do something!" she insisted. "You can't just let the man die!"

  "The hell I can't. Watch me."

  "Where's the captain?" Taylor demanded, starting past him toward the guardhouse. A man's life was at stake. She couldn't give up, and she wanted to speak with his commanding officer.

  The guard grabbed Taylor forcefully by the shoulder and shoved her away. "Get the hell back where you belong!"

  Braden tensed as he watched the exchange between them.

  "I'm going to speak to the captain!" she said defiantly, starting past him again. It was life or death for Johnson, and
she would never be able to live with herself if she didn't do everything in her power to save him.

  "Like hell you are!" He brought his gun to bear, ready to shoot. He felt no qualms about making an example of this youth. If the soldier dared to defy him, he'd die for it.

  Braden was ready to go to Taylor's aid. Unarmed, he knew he'd be little help against the armed Reb, but he wouldn't stand by and let the young woman come to harm.

  "What's going on, Private?" Captain Gibson came out of the guardhouse.

  "This one's giving me trouble, Captain."

  The officer eyed Taylor, seeing the anger and defiance in the prisoner's expression. "A little time in solitary might change his way of thinking.

  "Yes, sir." The guard grinned. "It sure might!"

  "But one of our men is dying!" Taylor argued, wanting to plead with the officer for help.

  "Lock him up," the captain ordered, ignoring the protest.

  "Don't!" Braden was furious, and he started forward, determined to help.

  The captain drew his sidearm and turned on him. "Stop right there or you're both dead."

  Braden froze. He was furious in defeat and looked on in frustration as the guard roughly shoved Taylor toward the small, windowless building that served as solitary. Only a few men had been in there in the time he'd been at the prison, but from what they'd told him about it, it was a true hellhole.

  Taylor fought against the Reb's bruising hold as he all but dragged her toward the building.

  "Stop fighting or I'll shoot you right here," he threatened, tightening his grip.

  She ceased struggling against him, knowing it was pointless, but anger raged within her. "You have to take care of the soldier-"

  "Sure, I'll take care of him for you. I'll bury him once he's dead," he laughed as he shoved Taylor through the door and slammed it shut, then locked it securely.

  Braden watched from afar, the captain's gun still trained on him. He turned his hate-filled glare on the officer.

  "Why are you punishing Taylor for trying to help a dying man?" he demanded.

  The captain looked him straight in the eye and smiled thinly. "This is war, Lieutenant. You would do well to remember that. Now, get back. With good behavior, we might let Private Taylor out in a day or two."