Pemberley Ranch

by Jack Caldwell

  Pemberley Ranch

  Jack Caldwell

  After losing their eldest son in the Civil War, the Bennet family moves from Merryton, Ohio, to Rosings, Texas, to start over. Their daughter Beth is appalled at the thought of moving to a Southern state, swearing never to forget that she is a Northerner. Her sister Jane falls in love with the town’s new doctor, Charles Bingley, friend of the largest landowner, Will Darcy. The two met during the war fighting for the South. When Charles’ Georgia plantation is burned during Sherman’s march to the sea, he decides to follow his friend home. Beth can forgive Charles his Southern roots after he marries Jane, but she is hard-pressed to like his best friend. Can Beth overcome her prejudice toward Will? Can Will explain his true character to Beth? In Caldwell’s reincarnation of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Caldwell successfully transplants the themes of the original to post–Civil War Texas, where the consequences and the villains are far more dangerous. Both fans of westerns and Pride and Prejudice will enjoy this latest entry in the Austen craze.

  Jack Caldwell

  Pemberley Ranch

  To Barbara, my life, my love, my muse.

  Dramatis Personae

  [*]—Historical Character

  Natives and/or longtime residents of Rosings, Texas:

  Catherine “Cate” Burroughs—Owner of the B&R Ranch and Rosings Bank; widow of Lewis Burroughs and cousin by marriage to Matthew Darcy, William Darcy’s father

  Anne Burroughs—Only daughter of Catherine Burroughs

  William Darcy, Captain, Texas Legion, Confederate States Army (CSA)—Owner of Pemberley Ranch and Darcy Bank

  Gabrielle “Gaby” Darcy—Only sister to Darcy

  José Estrada—Assistant trail boss of Pemberley Ranch

  Hill—Farmhand at the Bennet Farm

  Deputy Jones

  Father Joseph—Rector of the Santa Maria Catholic Mission chapel near Rosings

  Sheriff Lucas—Longtime sheriff of Rosings; widowed

  Charlotte Lucas—Only child of Sheriff Lucas

  Judge Alton Phillips

  Margaret Reynolds—Cook and housekeeper at Pemberley; former slave.

  Deputy Smith

  Reverend Henry Tilney—Minister of the Rosings Baptist Church

  Sally Younge—Owner and madam of Younge’s Saloon, inherited from her late husband

  Carl Zimmerman—Owner of Zimmerman’s General Store and titular mayor of Rosings

  New to Rosings:

  Thomas Bennet—Native of Ohio; now owner of former Thompson farm west of Rosings

  Fanny Bennet—Wife of Thomas Bennet

  Jane Bennet—Eldest Bennet daughter

  Elizabeth “Beth” Bennet

  Mary Bennet

  Kathleen “Kathy” Bennet

  Lily Bennet

  Dr. Charles Bingley, Medical Corps, CSA—Native of Georgia, now practicing doctor in Rosings

  Billy Collins—Native of Georgia, manager of Rosings Bank

  Joshua “Kid” Denny, Quantrill’s Raiders, CSA—Native of Missouri, gunfighter and foreman of the B&R Ranch

  Richard “Fitz” Fitzwilliam, Major, Virginia Cavalry, CSA— Native of Texas, now foreman and trail boss of Pemberley Ranch

  Pyke, Corporal, XIII Corps, United States Army, (USA)—Native of Illinois

  Thorpe—One of Denny’s gang

  Washington family—Newly freed slave family from Louisiana, owners of new homestead farm east of Rosings

  George Whitehead, Major, XIII Corps, USA—Native of Illinois, now Recorder of Deeds of Long Branch County, appointed by the governor

  Others:

  Caroline Bingley—Native of Georgia and sister to Bingley, now resident of New Orleans

  Capt. John Buford—Member of the U.S. Army Cavalry stationed at Ft. Richardson, Texas

  William Tecumseh Sherman, Major General of Volunteers, XV Corps, USA [*]

  Ulysses S. Grant, Major General, Army of the Tennessee, USA [*]

  Prologue

  Oh, I wish I was in the land of cotton

  Old times there are not forgotten

  Look away! Look away! Look away! Dixie Land.

  In Dixie Land where I was born in

  Early on one frosty mornin’

  Look away! Look away! Look away! Dixie Land.

  Oh, I wish I was in Dixie!

  Hooray! Hooray!

  In Dixie Land I’ll take my stand

  To live and die in Dixie

  Away, away, away down south in Dixie!

  “Dixie” by Daniel Decatur Emmett, 1859

  Vicksburg, Mississippi—May 22, 1863

  The day was several hot, stifling hours old when the young, gray-clad captain of infantry once again peeked carefully over the ramparts of his position into the morning sun, telescope in hand. He saw nothing, but he was not deceived. Since the initial assault upon their location three days ago, the enemy had tirelessly moved men and materiel into position for another attack. The sounds of horses and cannon wheels had been constant since before daybreak. The heavily wooded hilly terrain was not only perfect for defense but also for hiding the maneuvers of their attacker.

  “Them Yankee boys are gettin’ ready to come a’visitin’ again, Cap’n?” a voice whispered into his ear.

  William Darcy, captain in the Texas Legion, Confederate States Army, turned his bright blue eyes to his sergeant beside him and wiped a dirty hand across his beard-covered chin before answering. “My compliments to the colonel, and report that the enemy is moving forward.”

  No sooner had the man offered the barest of salutes and moved away from the front lines than the woods opposite exploded with noise. Darcy’s screams of warning were unnecessary as men ducked from the incoming cannon fire. Darcy lay at the bottom of the trench like the others, keeping his head as low as possible. On an impulse, the twenty-year-old officer pulled out the pocket watch his father had given him for his birthday two years before.

  Ten o’clock exactly.

  The cannonballs began to fall behind the lines towards Vicksburg itself. Darcy knew what that was about even before the cries of the enemy reached his ears. He pulled out his sword and stood in a low crouch.

  “To the line, boys, to the line! The enemy is upon us! Give ’em hell!”

  The bedraggled Texans, in various uniforms of Confederate gray, rushed to the ramparts, muskets in hand, screaming the Rebel Yell that had terrified more than one Union solider since Bull Run. Just in time, too, as the first of the men in blue were mere yards away. Darcy’s view of the attackers disappeared behind a cloud of smoke as the muskets fired in a volley. The smoke cleared to show a score of figures in dirty blue scattered on the bare ground before the earthworks, but there were a hundred more advancing. The first line of defenders fell back to reload as the second line took their places.

  “Fire at will!” Darcy yelled as he drew his Colt revolver. “Fire at will!”

  Time lost all meaning as Darcy fired into the advancing horde again and again. The Texans knew that their position, straddling a rail line, was a key point in the defense of Vicksburg, and they fought desperately against the Union soldiers, who were just as desperate to take it. The din was deafening as gunfire, explosions, and screams blended into an unearthly sound.

  Darcy had ducked down to reload his pistol for the third time when he noted that the noise had abated a bit. Creeping up, he saw through the smoke and haze that the Yankees were pulling back in good order. He ordered his men to cease firing and conserve their precious ammunition as he glanced at his watch again.

  Ten fifteen.

  Darcy and his company had been relieved about midday as fresh troops took up their position in the lunette[1]. They were resting as well as they could, with the occasional cannonball falling throughout the aft
ernoon, when they were approached by a group of officers on horseback. The commander of the legion, Colonel Waul, spoke to them.

  “Men, we’ve got some Yankees that have broken through at the redoubt. They’re a stubborn bunch, an’ I need some volunteers to help clear the vermin out. Are you with me?”

  Darcy looked at his men. “Sir, how many do you need?”

  “A score will do, Captain. We muster down the lane here.” With that, the party rode off. Darcy rose to his feet and looked around. A good two dozen men volunteered, and soon the detail moved off to the rendezvous point. They joined up with others and the plan was formed. By late afternoon, the force moved into position near the railroad redoubt.

  Darcy could see men in blue hiding in the trenches or behind shelter. He knew this assault would be costly.

  A shout went up, and the Texans charged. Darcy ran before his men, the Colt in his right hand and a sword in his left. The men to either side fired their muskets on the run and continued the charge, bayonets gleaming in the afternoon light. The enemy returned fire from their positions, but even as men fell around him, Darcy knew it was too little, too late. They were almost upon them. The Union soldiers began to fall back in some disorder. Darcy bared his teeth as he smelled the impending victory…

  There was a mighty explosion, and Darcy experienced a feeling of flying before the world crashed into his face.

  Will Darcy knew nothing, except that he hurt. Hurt all over. Hurt bad.

  After a while, he was able to discern something besides the ever-present pain: a low murmuring in the background of his darkness. It took a moment before he realized that it was the sound of men groaning and crying. Darcy opened his eyes to behold a dark, uneven ceiling, lit by the light of lanterns.

  He suddenly realized that he could only see out of one eye. In a panic, he raised a hand to his face and tried to sit up. A wave of agony crashed into him, and he could not prevent crying out as he fell back.

  Darcy heard voices close by. “Doc—Doc—this one’s wakin’ up.” A moment later a face came into his limited field of vision.

  “Captain, how are you feeling?”

  Like I’m about to die! his mind screamed. He peered closely at the man. About Darcy’s own age, the young man had a broad, flushed face and light-colored hair. It was a face that usually would be happy, he considered. That it wasn’t was a cause for concern.

  “H… hurt,” was all Darcy could manage.

  “I should think you do,” the unknown man said in a soft Georgia accent with a hint of a smile. The break in the man’s serious mien was comforting.

  Darcy waved a hand before his face. “E… eye?”

  “Rest easy,” the man said. “Your eyes are undamaged. You have a serious injury to your forehead, and the bandage must cover one eye. You’re in a hospital, Captain, in a cave to protect y’all from the incoming artillery… Don’t sit up!” he cried as Darcy moved. “Do you want to lose that leg?”

  His patient lay still in fear.

  The man grew grim. “Good thing you were insensible when your men brought you in. I had to do a bit of digging to get all the shrapnel out. You’ve lost quite a bit of blood, Captain. We must keep your leg still and clean, or the gangrene may set in. Do you understand?”

  Darcy managed a nod, which only hurt like blazes. He determined he was speaking to a surgeon, as he could now make out the dried blood all over the man’s apron.

  “Good,” the doctor grinned in return. “I must see to my other patients, but I shall stop by later. Rest, sir, and you’ll be up and walking again.”

  As the doctor began to turn, Darcy fought to speak. “Th… thanks. D… Darcy.”

  The doctor turned in surprise. “I beg your pardon?”

  Darcy gestured again. “D… Darcy.”

  “Ah,” the man breathed in realization. “Captain Darcy, is it?”

  Darcy nodded.

  He smiled. “Charles Bingley, at your service.”

  Meryton, Ohio—June 20

  “Beth! Beth, come back!”

  The thirteen-year-old girl disregarded her mother’s voice as she ran out the back door. Almost blinded by her tears, she managed to reach the large chestnut tree next to the barn without running into anything. The girl threw herself against the trunk, her body shuddering in sobs.

  It was there her older sister found her, kneeling by the tree. Wordlessly, the blond girl gathered her sister into her arms, their hair blowing in the breeze.

  “Beth—oh, Beth!” she tried to console the child.

  “H… he can’t be dead!” Beth Bennet sobbed. “Samuel can’t be dead! He can’t be, Jane!”

  “Beth…” Jane began.

  “He promised to come back. You… you heard him. He promised!”

  Jane bit her lip as she continued to stroke Beth’s curly brown hair, her own tears quietly streaming down her face. She could hear her mother and other sisters wailing in the house, an uproar that began a half-hour before as her father read the words of that hated telegram:

  “We regret to inform you that…”

  “Beth—oh, Beth!” was all Jane could manage. Her own distress was great. Samuel Bennet, the eldest of the Bennet children and the only son, proud corporal in the Ohio infantry, gone to save the Union as part of the mighty Army of the Potomac, had died of influenza in Maryland. Samuel was beloved by all of his family, but Beth was particularly fond of him. Jane might be Beth’s confidante, but Samuel was her hero and could do no wrong. Jane could only hold her sister, allowing her to cry herself out.

  Finally, as Beth’s sobs subsided, Jane said, “Beth, we must return to the house and see to our parents and sisters. We cannot add to their distress. We must be strong, Beth.”

  “S… Samuel was always strong, Jane.”

  “Yes, he was. Now, it is our turn. Our family needs us.” She took the girl’s face in her hands. “It is what he would want.”

  Beth nodded. Their mother loved her only son almost as fiercely as Beth, and their father doted on him. They would be shattered, leaving the three younger sisters little comfort.

  Jane got to her feet and helped Beth up. Hand in hand, they turned to return to the house. As they walked, Jane heard Beth mumble something and asked her about it.

  “I said it is their fault, Jane,” she spat.

  “Whose fault?”

  “Those damned Rebels!”

  “Beth, please!” Jane cried. “Please don’t talk like that in front of Mother or Mary! You know how they feel about coarse language.”

  “Very well, but I’ll never forgive those evil slave-owning Rebels—never! It’s their fault Samuel went away. Those evil, evil people! I hope God smites them. I hate them! I will hate them for the rest of my life!”

  Vicksburg—July 4

  Will Darcy sat up in his cot, listening to the cannons going off. He turned to the doctor sitting beside him. “I suppose it’s noon, Charles.”

  Dr. Bingley checked his pocket watch. “Yes, it is. Precise, aren’t they, these Yankees?”

  Darcy sighed, flexing his body. His recovery from the wounds he suffered in May had been hampered by a persistent fever. He had only grown strong enough in the last week to go to the chamber pot unaided. He desperately wanted to return to his command, but now it was too late. Confederate Lt. General John C. Pemberton had surrendered Vicksburg to Union Major General Ulysses S. Grant after a forty-two-day siege, which brought suffering and starvation to troops and civilians alike inside the ramparts. Pemberton had no choice—he had tons of ammunition, but virtually no food. They could hold out no longer.

  “We’ve already furled banners and stacked arms; we were to do that before the Yankees took possession of the city,” Bingley observed. “I’m told we’re to get parole.” He patted the captain on the arm. “We get to go home, Will.”

  “Maybe.” In the last month, Bingley spent all of his free time with Darcy, playing cards or telling stories, and they had developed a deep friendship.

  Before
Bingley could ask his morose companion his meaning, there was a noise at the entrance of the cave. “I’d best see to that,” he excused himself. Darcy watched him walk off to the exit of the ward when the doctor was pushed back by three blue-clad soldiers.

  “Here, what’s this?” Bingley cried. “This is a hospital!”

  “That’s for us to see, Johnny Reb,” drawled a private.

  “We’re to secure this place and take prisoner any stragglers,” said another.

  Bingley grew angry. “These are all wounded or ill men. Be quick about your business and leave.”

  The third man waved a pistol. “The only one leaving, mister, is you.”

  “I’m a doctor and these are my patients. I won’t leave!” The soldiers ignored him and began searching the belongings of the patients. “What are you doing?”

  “Searching for contraband,” said what appeared to be the leader of the band as he fingered a pocketknife. He put the object into his pocket and picked up a book.

  One of his fellows laughed. “‘Contraband!’ Oh, good one, Pyke!”

  “Since when is a man’s Bible contraband?” Bingley cried. He moved to confront the man Pyke. “Put that back!”

  Suddenly, Pyke drew a knife. “Resistin’ the surrender, mister?” he growled dangerously. “You don’t want ta be doin’ that—no, sir.”

  During the whole time, Darcy had lain quietly, pretending to be asleep, all the while slowly reaching beneath his cot. As Pyke gestured at Bingley with his knife to the enjoyment of his fellows, Darcy whipped out his saber and threw himself at their tormenters. Sweeping backhanded, he struck one on the head with the pommel, stunning the man, before grasping Pyke with his left arm about his throat, threatening him with the sword and using him as a shield against the last soldier.

  Darcy stared at the third man with a cold, deadly look. “You will not threaten the doctor while I live.”