by Tara Johnson
He was a fool.
Cadence was right to keep her distance.
Cadence shut the front door behind her and dropped her reticule onto the foyer table with a weary groan. A steady thud, thud, thud told her Tate was approaching the entryway. He appeared seconds later, cane in hand.
“Good evening.” His warm greeting cheered her. She offered a tired smile in return.
“Had a profitable day?”
He shrugged. “If you consider reading half the morning, taking an hour to dress, eating, and napping profitable, then yes.”
She stretched up on tiptoe to buss his cheek. “Be patient with yourself. You’ve been through much. Is supper ready?”
Louisa bustled by, carrying a soup tureen. “Just ’bout ready to call everyone to the table. Good to see you here before eating time, missy. You’ve been burning the candle at both ends lately. Getting too skinny.” She frowned. “Just felt like coming home earlier than usual?”
Cadence took a sudden interest in her nails. “Guess I’m missing your delicious meals.”
“Glad I am of it. Sit. Eat.”
Cadence would never tell her the reason she’d left the hospital early. Since denying Joshua’s request to attend the benefit, she’d felt him watching her all day. She could not tell him why she refused to participate in such a noble event. The confession would be too humiliating.
Father opened the front door, sniffing. “Is that chicken and dumplings I smell?”
Louisa beamed. “Yes, sir. Everybody enjoy them. Flour prices are rising. Might be the last ones we have for a while.”
Father stopped when he saw Cadence. “You’re home early, my dear.”
She smiled weakly. “A little more tired than usual, I suppose.”
“I think your charity work at the hospital is too much for you. Perhaps it’s time to set it aside.”
A frisson of alarm skittered down her spine. “What do you mean? I love helping the soldiers.”
“I know, darling, I know, but your brother is home now. His healing is coming along nicely. I understand that you wanted to do your part in the great conflict and step up for our family’s honor. You’ve done so. But now—” he offered a smile filled with hope—“don’t you think it’s time to put an end to it?”
She stepped back, shaken. All this time she’d thought Father understood, at least in part, her desire to find purpose. To serve. To be something more than a listless spinster floating through the house. He’d said he was proud of her, boasted of her to his friends. And now he would ask her to give it up?
A fist squeezed her heart.
She forced herself to speak slowly. “The hospital depends on me, Father. I can’t just leave. The physicians, the other nurses, the patients . . . I can’t abandon them.”
“No one is irreplaceable.”
“Of course not, but—”
Father looked toward Tate and beamed. “Congressman Ramsey is working on getting your brother a job at the Capitol when he’s ready. Oh, I know it will be a lower-level secretarial employment of some kind, but still, that’s something, eh?”
Cadence looked to her brother. He was staring at her, apology in his solemn eyes. He was as uncomfortable as she with the turn of events. Bitterness coated her tongue.
“Yes, that’s something all right.”
Father patted her shoulder. “All I’m saying is that it’s not proper for a genteel woman to work among disease all day long. I strongly urge you to resign your post.”
Before she could respond, he turned to Louisa with a smile. “Now, let’s eat. I’m famished.”
As chairs scraped and dishes were filled, she stood still in the foyer, dismissed.
One thing was abundantly clear: she should not have pushed Dr. Ivy’s invitation away so swiftly. Clearly he was one of the few who understood her.
Perhaps the only one.
Chapter 12
JOSHUA SWALLOWED against the tight collar constricting his throat, but it was the loveliness of the woman on his arm that rendered him breathless. Cadence’s gloved fingers dug into his arm as if she were terrified. He glanced down to her petite frame wrapped in lavender silk. Her bare shoulders were like cream, and with her glossy curls swept up, it was all he could do not to stare at the slender curve of her exposed neck. The gown’s bodice revealed her slim waist and feminine form to perfection before flaring out into a billowing skirt. Yet she trembled like a leaf in a spring gale.
He had no idea why she’d recanted on her initial refusal to attend, but he was thankful.
As they stood in the darkness before the steps of Society Hall, with the bright lamplight pouring from its windows and the sound of revelry vibrating through its foundation, he placed his free hand on the gloved fingers she tucked in the crook of his arm.
“You look stunning, and I have no doubt you’ll do Judiciary Square Hospital proud.”
She looked up at him then, the traces of window light dancing across the gentle curves of her face. “I pray so. Are you nervous?”
He tipped his head. “A little. Giving grand speeches is not my strong suit.” He winked. “I prefer surgery.”
She smiled. “Or barking at nurses.”
He feigned horror. “Never!”
“Joshua, I—I don’t think I’ll be able to speak.”
So that was her concern? His shoulders sagged with relief. He’d thought she didn’t want to be accompanied by him. A ribbon of hope unfurled through his chest.
“You needn’t if it upsets you. Many people are terrified of speaking in public. I’ll speak for the both of us. I’ll tell Congressman Ramsey you’re not up to talking or singing, and—”
She placed her free hand on his chest. “No. That’s not what I meant. I’ll happily sing. Just not give a speech.”
Curiosity flared. “Of course, if that’s what you desire.” He would think singing would be twice the torment of giving a speech. Why the angst?
Her entire body relaxed and she looked at him, her eyes large and bright. “Thank you.”
“Think nothing of it. After all, I must pamper my best nurse.”
He led her inside to the dazzling bright gaslights and swirling colors of silks as couples spun their way through a Virginia reel, lining up and clapping in time to the sounds of jaunty violins. Shoes stomped in rhythm to the music, vibrating the floor beneath. An array of booths lined the great hall, decorated with brightly colored bunting, some serving food and drink, others collecting donations for various charities. A number of black-clad widows and clergymen manned the tables, doing what they could to seek help for those in need. The crush of people was overwhelming.
“Oh, my,” Cadence breathed at his side. “I had no idea there would be so many people.”
He chuckled. “When Congressman Ramsey does a thing, he does it up big.”
As if summoned, the large man appeared, his wife at his side. “Dr. Ivy! Miss Piper!” He shook Joshua’s hand and gave Cadence a gentle kiss on the cheek. “So glad you could both attend.”
Mrs. Ramsey took Cadence’s hand and squeezed. “Oh, do tell me you’ll sing tonight, my dear.”
“Yes, that is, if you and your husband still desire me to do so.”
“Of course!” The congressman chuckled, eyes twinkling. “How could we have a benefit without hearing from the Songbird of the North?”
Two bright spots of crimson stained her cheeks. “Oh, dear, you’ve heard the nickname then?”
He grinned. “Yes, from several of the soldiers who have been discharged from Judiciary Square Hospital. It seems many have an especial fondness for Nurse Songbird and her gentle way of bringing comfort to the ill.”
Joshua smiled at Cadence’s discomfiture. And to think he’d once thought her vain. How wrong he’d been.
Congressman Ramsey turned to him. “Please tell us whatever you’d like about the hospital, Dr. Ivy. How many patients you’re attending each week, what your needs are, about the soldiers, anything. Paint a picture that will help
people understand the depth of need.”
“Yes, sir. Tell me when you’d like Miss Piper and me to do our part, and we’ll be ready.”
“Very good. In the meantime—” the congressman turned to wink at his wife—“I believe my lovely bride owes me a dance. Dr. Ivy, Miss Piper.” He whisked his wife away.
“He’s a good man. I like him.”
Cadence watched him spin his wife into the reel with a laugh. “One of the k-k-kin—” she abandoned the vexing word—“uh, nicest souls I know.” She looked away.
“He’s given me a wonderful idea.”
“And what’s that?”
“I do believe it’s time for a dance.”
His chest pounded when she answered with a saucy smile and slipped her gloved fingers into his waiting hand.
“Lead the way.”
“May God save the Union! The red, white, and blue,
Our states keep united the dreary day through;
Let the stars tell the tale of the glorious past,
And bind us in Union forever to last.”
Applause erupted as the last note died away. Cadence let her body relax and curtsied to the cheering crowd. She’d done it. Her gaze landed on Congressman Ramsey and his wife, beaming from the side of the hall. They were pleased with her. A buzz of giddiness swept through her chest.
After receiving congratulations and more enthusiastic introductions, Cadence walked out of the hall, blessedly free of the stuffy air, and fanned her overheated face. The relative cool of the evening was a welcome reprieve after dancing, singing, and greeting people congratulating her on a job well done. Her shoes pinched and her back ached, but the evening had been grand. The dance still continued inside.
She looked up into the night sky, drinking in the sight of scattered diamonds stretched across a canvas of ink. And Dr. Ivy . . . Joshua had been the perfect escort. Who could have imagined that the gruff, demanding surgeon who’d tried so desperately to chase her away mere months ago could be such a gentleman? And a charming one at that.
She’d noticed the way the other women stared at him tonight, as if he were a prize they longed to dig their fingernails into. And when he’d arrived to escort her to the benefit and she’d seen him in his suit, looking so tall and handsome and strong, his eyes studying her in that intense way he had, her knees had felt strange. Weak and watery.
Odd.
The urge to cool her too-warm skin caused her to extend the lacy fan. The puffs of air toyed with a curl against her neck.
“You align yourself with danger.”
A cold sensation slithered down her spine. Gooseflesh rose on her arms. She froze and spun, looking for the source of the pebbly voice. A man stood watching her in the shadows of the building. She shivered.
“Who are you?”
“Tell the doctor the Knights see all. Have a care, Miss Piper. The Knights of the Golden Circle come for you next.” His shadowy presence fled.
She lurched backward but couldn’t suppress the question begging for release. “Wait! What do you mean?”
But he was gone, evaporating like a spirit.
Joshua sipped the punch, letting the flavors of lemon, black tea, and rum coat his tongue. A bit strong for his taste. He never had developed a fondness for spirits. Papa John had seen to that.
He set aside the cup and strolled through the crowded room, eyeing the brightly decorated booths and clusters of boisterous people. Where was Cadence? He had lost sight of her after her performance, so pressed was she with admirers, and rightfully so.
Large potted palms in the corners of the room provided auspicious alcoves to catch one’s breath . . . or hide from ardent pursuers. Perhaps she had sought refuge in one of these corners.
Weaving his way through the crowd, he explored the quiet spaces behind the palms. Nothing but a shadowed corridor. Did the passageway lead outside? Shoving his hands in his pockets, he followed the papered hallway lined with gaslit wall sconces. Raised masculine voices came from behind a door on the left. The barest crack in the door left its secrets unguarded, its occupants’ voices clear as angry tones vibrated through the slit.
“Poppycock! I don’t care if Barrister was dead! Parading right up to his house to claim his slaves and divvy up his property was a foolish thing to do. Have you no sense?”
Joshua frowned. Congressman Ramsey? He’d never heard the statesman sound so riled.
“How were we to know the papers would get wind of it? Bunch of no-good, mealymouthed . . .”
The unnamed man let out a string of profanities so vile, Joshua cringed.
Glass shattered, effectively silencing the cursing form.
“I have Miss Piper singing the Union’s praises for us so we can move freely. Do you not understand what we are doing here?” Congressman Ramsey’s voice was low. Controlled. Then it burst in a yell of fury. “There’s too much at stake!”
His voice grew louder, his footfalls heavier. He must be approaching the door. Joshua pressed himself against the wall, frantically searching for a quick escape. Then the footfalls faded again and he breathed once more. The congressman must be pacing.
“I’m doing all I can from the inside. Don’t you think it kills me to extol the Union day and night, much less that insipid Lincoln? Show some self-control. That’s all I’m saying . . .”
Joshua swallowed hard. What could this mean?
“. . . not tolerate any further outbursts. Oaths require blood. Do I make myself clear?”
A heavy silence descended.
“Perfectly.”
“Good.”
Their footfalls grew heavy again. Rapid. They would leave the room in a matter of seconds. Joshua hastened back down the hallway, his mind reeling.
He burst onto the crowded dance floor and inhaled long pulls of sticky air.
Never would he have thought freedom could be found in such confusion.
Cadence’s heart hammered. Her throat pinched. “Tell the doctor the Knights see all.” The doctor. Did the stranger mean Joshua?
“The Knights of the Golden Circle come for you next.”
Her eyes slid shut as she placed a hand to her quivering stomach. She should go back inside. It wasn’t safe here.
“There you are.”
The masculine voice caused her to jump. Gasping, she whirled, only to see Joshua staring at her.
“Forgive me. I didn’t mean to startle you so.”
“I—uh, no. It wasn’t you.” She shook her head. “It’s nothing.”
His eyes narrowed. “No, it’s not. Something has frightened you. What is it?”
Cadence’s breath thinned as she stared into his face. Could she trust this man so full of secrets with moods as unpredictable as a spring storm? The stranger had issued a warning to both of them. What danger might befall him if she were remiss in telling him the truth?
Please, God, help me know what to do.
He stepped close and tenderly cupped her shoulders. “Did someone hurt you?”
She shook her head. “No, but a stranger was here. Lurking in the shadows.”
He frowned and glanced around. “Where?”
“Over there.” She pointed. “He fled moments ago after uttering a warning.”
“A warning? For whom?”
“Both of us.” Her voice felt strained.
A frightening intensity flooded his face. “Tell me.”
“He said . . .” She shut her eyes to remember all he’d relayed. It had happened so quickly. “He said I had aligned myself with danger. Wanted me to tell the doctor that ‘the Knights see all.’”
Joshua was silent for a long moment, his face granite. “Did he say anything else?”
“Yes. He told me I should have a care. The Knights were coming for me next.” Her brows pinched. “Who are they, Joshua?”
A muscle twitched in his jaw as he grabbed her wrist and tugged. “Come.”
“Where?”
Fire blazed in his dark eyes. “I’m taking you home. Im
mediately.”
She yanked away from his hold, fearing his harsh reaction would draw the attention of people outside the hall. “Why? What are you not telling me?”
“The less you know, the safer you are.”
“Joshua, please—”
“Don’t you see?” He drew her so close, his warm breath fanned her cheek. She could smell the clean scent of his shaving soap. “I never should have brought you here. I didn’t know . . .”
Despite the shadows of the evening, the stormy conflict in his eyes was plain to see. That, and the tense coil of his muscles. She fought to keep her voice soothing. “I wanted to come.”
“What I’m engaged in, what I do . . . I never should have involved you. Just being around me is a danger.”
“What if it’s a risk I’m willing to take?”
His jaw firmed, lips pressed tight. “But it’s not one I am willing to take.” He signaled for a hack passing by and helped her inside.
After Joshua settled across from her, the carriage lurched into motion. The clip-clop of the horses’ shoes was loud against the road in the silence of the enclosure.
He dropped his head in his hands. “I’m sorry, Cadence.” His voice was hoarse. “You cannot be anywhere near me. Not at hospital benefits nor anywhere else.”
Sharpness pierced her chest. “What are you saying?”
His eyes slid closed. “Your work at Judiciary Square Hospital is henceforth no longer needed.”
Blood leached from her face. She grasped his hand and curled her fingers around his. They were limp. “Joshua, no! You can’t do this.”
He lifted his head as he slumped across the back of the seat. “You’re the finest nurse I’ve ever worked with, but for your sake, for your protection, you must stay away.”
“I will not.” Would she forever be doomed to being ordered about by demanding males, denied her passion and purpose? “You know what good I can do there. What help I can be. Please—”
“Your position has been terminated. I’ll—” He cringed. “I’ll write Dorothea Dix if I must.”