Summer Rose

by Caroline Hartman

  Hal bit into a bean. “You didn’t overcook them. They’re perfect. My body’s starved for decent food.” He chuckled. “The army doesn’t feed us real vegetables. Once in a while the troops will raid someone’s garden and steal or trade some carrots or onions, but the army packages dried vegetables. They call them dehydrated vegetables, but the troops call them desecrated or dissipated vegetables. The cooks add water, boil them, and they end up tasting like paste.” He popped another bean in his mouth and grunted with appreciation.

  Daniel sat back, watching and listening. He could tell she was hungry to talk, as if she’d bottled up words all year, and now all her thoughts came uncorked in a champagne gush. He guessed, too, she made a good front about living alone, and he admired her mettle. Her scrubbed face glowed in the firelight, her sable hair glistened. In fact, he was impressed. He wasn’t sure he could have lived alone for so long. He checked her over again, letting his eyes graze from her toes to her nose, making sure he didn’t spend too much time eyeing her breasts. Had he ever met a girl so lovely in so many ways? His eyes dropped to the big knife and he shook his head.

  He knew what was happening to him. Soldiers, even officers, talked of falling in love. Several of the officers wrote daily to their wives, arranged for them to live nearby. It was something Daniel had always had trouble fathoming. Men in the Charteris family, if they went to war, more than likely did so to escape their wives. Daniel’s parents barely spoke to each other. Two uncles kept mistresses, one of which had two illegitimate children, another never married. In his family, marriage was serious business, intended to keep the wealth among a chosen few. God forbid if you fell in love with the wrong woman, wrong meaning one without money.

  She laughed, presenting him with an image of loveliness. He chuckled silently at his naïveté, and a warm softness thrilled through him. I haven’t fallen in love, he realized. I’ve crashed, smacked, a full cavalry charge into love. He thanked God or the heavenly powers or whatever, so relieved he hadn’t proposed to Mary. The thought of being married to that sweet, pale girl sent his stomach into somersaults. The only reason he’d ever considered marrying her was because of his mother’s urging.

  Summer Rose sipped the wine and regarded them both through eyes flashing in the firelight. Her lips glistened red from the wine. “What do you think of President Lincoln? Do you think he did the right thing with removing habeas corpus? When Da and my brothers first went to Washington, they had great difficulty getting there. The southern sympathizers in Maryland burned the bridges in Baltimore. My father commandeered boats, found railroad men among the troops, rebuilt track, then took his boys across the river and into the capital.” She took another sip. “I believe President Lincoln had every right to lock up the Maryland legislature.”

  She expelled a loud breath and blew a fringe of hair from her forehead, then lowered her voice. “You know, it’s all about slavery, though they try to whitewash it with talk about states’ rights. Ever since Clay and Calhoun dominated the Senate, they proposed state’s rights—of course they did—the right to buy and sell slaves in the new territories.”

  Her lips tightened and her eyes, if it were possible, burned brighter. “We went to Washington when I was nine. I saw them chained together, tied up like I tie my goats. Negro women came around begging for money so they could buy their children. It makes me sick even now. Have you read Uncle Tom’s Cabin?”

  She didn’t give them a chance to answer. “And did you ever meet Generals McClellan or Alexander Webb?” Large pink circles bloomed on her cheeks. “I’d spit on them if I ever met them. You know, at Antietam they held back a division and my father and brothers died …”

  Daniel and Hal had dined at the Executive Mansion with President Lincoln, and to Daniel, this conversation wasn’t far removed from what he’d experienced there. While most people didn’t say so out loud, he was well aware a number of them wanted to spit on several generals, including those she’d mentioned.

  As darkness settled over the lake, Hal cleaned up the dishes and pots while Daniel observed. Hal fixed more coffee, and the three of them sat, drinking it, around the fire. The dogs had settled beside her as they always did, their golden eyes never seeming to blink, though every once in a while a pointed ear would come to attention.

  She held up her coffee cup. “You’ll have to forgive all my talking. The wine went straight to my head.” She nodded sweetly to Hal. “Thank you for the coffee and for cleaning the dishes.”

  Hal returned her smile, nodding amiably, then sat back down.

  She took a deep sip of coffee. “Tell me what you can of the battle yesterday. I could hear the cannon. It had to be the loudest thing I’d ever heard. My house shook.” She petted the dogs, smiling fondly at them as she did so. “My brave beasts hid under the porch.”

  Daniel reached for a handful of small sticks to the side of the fire and started snapping them into smaller pieces. “On Wednesday,” he said, laying out the twigs in a pattern of some kind, “we were some of the first troops on the field. We carried messages from our headquarters to the other generals, so we saw a lot.”

  Hal went to the water’s edge and brought back a handful of pebbles, dropping them by Daniel’s twigs. Together they drew maps in the sand showing the locations of regiments, the formations of each day of the battle.

  “What you heard was just about every cannon in North America firing at the very same time. I never saw anything like it before,” said Daniel. “We were supposed to go back to Maryland to protect supply lines, but our colonel lent us to General Hancock’s division to protect the flanks of a battalion of light horse artillery. I ended up having a front row seat.”

  He shook his head and told her how the minié ball had hummed before it drilled into him. “I heard the damn thing coming at me. Sounded like a killer hummingbird.” He winced at the memory. “After I was hit, one of Hancock’s sergeants pulled me out of the way and wrapped a bandage around my leg.”

  Hal let out a nervous chuckle. “That’s not the worst thing, either.” He related the story about the artillerist’s head. “I saw it happen, Summer Rose. It happened during the cannonade, before Danny was hit by the ball. The poor fellow’s head flew like a missile and exploded a few inches from Danny’s chin. Blood and gore and his teeth like dice … all over Danny. I almost got sick.”

  Even Daniel grinned when she cringed, then he picked up the telling. “Then Lee sent about fifteen thousand men marching, flags and guidons flapping, drums pounding, straight at us. I swear I heard a piper.” He shook his head. “They knew we were there, but they still marched uphill toward us. Our cannon cut ‘em down with canister and shot.” He hesitated for a breath. “Mowed them like grass. I never saw such a slaughter, such bravery.” His voice cracked as he recalled the collapsing wall of men, then he took a deep breath and swallowed down the memories. “Our forces held and wiped out Pickett and Pettigrew’s divisions. Wally Stackhouse, from our class, was one of Pickett’s captains. He grew up in Philly, but his father’s family came from Virginia.” His eyes burned with unshed tears. “What unit is your brother with?”

  “Last I heard he was on General Heintzelman’s staff in Washington.” She made a dismissive motion with her hand, stood, and poked at the fire. “Jack wasn’t wounded physically at Antietam, but he’s not well. They created a staff job in Washington for him.”

  She took her knife to the water’s edge, washed it, and dried it on her skirt. Glancing down, she slid the knife back into its sheath then sat beside the dogs, petting them. “We should sleep out here tonight. The heat will be unbearable away from the water. In the hot weather, we often sleep on the island.” She leaned back, taking in the sky full of stars. “I feel close to my family here, and it’s safe. The dogs will let us know if anyone even comes near the shore.” She laughed. “Oh, and you’ll meet the geese tomorrow. They’ll let us know if anyone comes over the bridge.”

  Daniel didn’t want to talk about war anymore. But he didn’t want
to go to sleep yet. He wanted to know more about her. He leaned forward and spoke gently. “Would you tell us what happened earlier? We saw you dive into the lake. Where did you go? How did you come to live here?” His voice softened even more. “And another thing. I dreamed of three men last night. I think they may have been your father and brothers. The dream was so real I could have sworn they were ghosts, actually. Their names were Micah, William, and Colin.”

  Her eyes went dark, staring past him toward the night horizon.

  “Would you tell us about … you?”

  CHAPTER 6

  STORIES

  Her legs were tucked beneath her, the head of one of the dogs resting in her lap. She settled back, not seeming the least bit cowed by his questions.

  “I dove into the lake to fetch the medicine. I swam to an underwater cave, one an old Indian showed my father when he first moved here. The entrance is down about five feet on the side of the island. You swim through a wide tunnel, then up, then left, then down again,” she said. Daniel was fascinated by the way she moved her hands, showing the path. “It’s frightening down there. The first time you do it, you need someone to show you exactly where to turn and where to push up or down. My father said the cave sprawls under the entire valley.”

  She chuckled. “It’s very damp, but there’s a little light from fissures. I was afraid to leave during the thunder and lightning.

  “Da and my brothers hauled kegs of his medicines there. I took the bottle with me and filled it.” She shivered, and a soft look came into her eyes. “The names you mentioned belong to my father and brothers. They died at Antietam.” She shrugged, a small, delicate movement. “Maybe their ghosts came up with me. Jack gets angry when I talk about ghosts, and I really don’t know. I’ve never seen any ghosts, but sometimes it’s like I feel a presence. That’s one of the reasons I insisted on staying here in this valley.

  “I live—we lived here,” she said, opening her arms as if to embrace the whole valley, “because my father, Colonel Micah Angus McAllister loved this little piece of paradise.

  “My father and his five sons emigrated here from Scotland after his first wife died. Micah and the boys settled in Philadelphia, where Micah met my mother, Lillian Fitzmartin. He told us he honed in on her like a bee to honeysuckle.” She giggled and her eyes sparkled with remembrance. “My da was a great storyteller.”

  Her dark lashes threw shadows across her cheeks. “My mother adored him. She told me everyone who knew my father joked that he could sell horse manure to the Army. She said he could have married any girl he wanted, but …” She arched her eyebrows. “My grandmother tells the story a little dif-fer-ent-ly. Grammie claimed he cast a spell over my mother.”

  Summer shook her head and took on a crotchety old voice. “‘Your mother went wild over that crazy Highlander.’” She wiggled an admonishing finger. “‘Mind you, young missy, keep your head about you where men are concerned. Your mother disobeyed us and married him. He charmed all the sense out of her.’”

  Summer giggled at the memory and Daniel watched thoughts tickle behind her eyes.

  “Micah was a lot older than my mother, and he had five sons. The oldest, William, was fourteen. Mother was nineteen.” A log shifted and a great swell of embers floated into the night sky. “Grammie especially didn’t like those almost grown-up sons.

  “After they eloped, my grandfather forgave them. Granddad even took my father into the family business. All the boys loved my mother. But yellow fever swept through the city the summer before I was born. Micah’s two youngest sons, Martin and Ian, died. They were only seven and eight years old. The Fitzmartins had a summer place near Gwynedd where they went to escape the heat and the fever ravaging Philadelphia, but after the two boys died, Gwynedd wasn’t far enough away from the city for Micah.”

  Daniel took advantage of the moment, leaning in to fill her coffee cup. He still didn’t feel quite right, and his leg hurt like a son of a gun, but there was nowhere else on earth he’d rather be than sitting on this hard dirt, listening to Summer Rose. She smiled thanks at him and blew on the hot coffee.

  “One of my grandfather’s businesses was a large lumber yard, and my father worked for him as a lumber merchant. He traveled all over Pennsylvania and as far away as Michigan and Maine buying timber rights, hiring loggers, and seeing the logs floated to a railhead. He bought these thousand acres, everything you can see from here. He bought this land for himself.”

  She tried a sip, winced, and set the tin cup down again to let it cool. Her face glowed red-gold in the light from the fire. “My first winter, so I was told, four of us lived in a one room log and mud hut. William and Colin were off to school in Lancaster, so my parents, Jack, and I stayed in that little room. I use it now as a shed for a few goats and a dozen or so chickens. On very cold nights I drag Benjamin in there. I can’t imagine how we lived in such a tiny place.” She arched her eyebrows, her face giving the illusion that she was no older than twelve. “If you had ever met my genteel mother, you’d understand.”

  Hal stood and added wood to the fire. “Benjamin?”

  “The donkey. He’s stubborn. I’ll give you a tour and introduce you when you’re better. Anyway, when the war started, Micah and his three sons all joined up. Micah was charismatic. He had military experience and a good reputation from Scotland. He also knew people from all over the state.” She snapped her fingers. “He raised a regiment quickly. His three sons, William, Colin, and Jack became officers. William and Colin were captains, Jack a lieutenant. He’s a captain now. They were proud as anything to fight for their new country. Ezra, our neighbor, took Mother and me to see them off.”

  She sighed. “You know what it was like then. No one expected the war to last more than a month. Bull Run changed our thinking. My father and his two oldest sons died within seconds of each other at Antietam, mowed down like a row of corn.” Her voice quivered, her eyes glistened. “Jack brought them home in a cart.” She sipped at her coffee and her eyes grew wider and wetter. She lifted her face to the wide ribbon of the Milky Way. “The Germans took care of us. They made the coffins and helped us bury them. Their graves are up on the mountain.”

  Daniel passed her the canteen. She took a long sip. “A month later my mother became ill with a fever, and I feared she was dying. I ran to the Germans again and they raced to town to send a telegram to Jack. My grandparents were too old to travel. A doctor came out, but he couldn’t help. When he left, Ezra, my neighbor, stayed with me.” She choked a little. “So I wouldn’t be alone when … Anyway, Jack came up from Washington on the train. When he arrived, she’d already died.” She took an involuntary gulp of air.

  “Jack wanted me to live with my grandparents, but I refused. I told him I’d run away. I needed to stay here. Ezra and Margie promised to watch out for me, and they do. My decision was a good one. I’ve cried almost as much as I can and I feel strong now. I’ve learned how to take care of myself.” She sat up, still petting the dogs. “How did you hear their names?”

  Daniel breathed deeply then shrugged. “Like I said, they came to me in a dream that felt incredibly real.”

  Hal tossed a stick into the fire. “Remember when you came to us as Kip? You told us the names of your father and brothers, as well as their ranks.” He turned to Daniel. “Perhaps you remembered from then.”

  Daniel shrugged. “Seemed real. It wasn’t frightening. In fact …” He let out a loud breath. “I’d love to see a ghost. It might help me believe in God again.”

  For a few minutes no one spoke. They studied the coals of the fire. A fish jumped close to shore, sending slow circles edging toward them. Summer Rose yawned. Her eyes kept closing and drooping, and she seemed to be losing the battle to keep them open. Among all the clotheslines, Hal found enough somewhat dry blankets for the three of them. While he banked the fire, Daniel stood and worked the stiffness out of his leg, then fixed her a bedroll and tucked the blanket around her.

  She touched his face and told hi
m to put more salve on his leg. “I’ll check it in the morning.” Her hand fell away, those big eyes closed, and she dropped into sleep.

  The touch of her fingers on his cheek sent heat and chills racing through him. He wanted to lie down beside her, hold her, comfort her. Nothing else, he told himself. The dogs, not trusting him an inch, nudged between him and the girl, then showed their teeth and growled. Although curled beside her, their foxy noses resting on their tails, the dogs’ golden eyes followed his every move. Daniel held his hands palm out. “Honest, boys. My intentions are honorable.”

  Growls rumbled through their throats until he returned to the fire.

  Hal and Daniel refilled their cups then Daniel sat on the big rock. He checked his leg and applied more of the thick potion while Hal made sure the girl slept. The dogs growled at him, too. With a shrug, he headed back and added more wood to the fire.

  “I met her half-brother a couple of months ago,” Hal said quietly. “Captain Jack McAllister. He’s a sad case. Nerves appear to be shot, so someone assigned him a desk job in the War Office. Lincoln’s taken to talking with him while he checks the flimsies. Jack’s thin as a tent pole, thinner than I am, and his body does a crazy tick. I also remember seeing him at one of the brothels. I doubt he’d remember me. He was in a corner, nursing a drink. The worst of Hooker’s gang treated him like a pet. You and I need to contact our fathers soon about buying this land, to protect her if nothing else.”

  Daniel froze. “What is your purpose?”

  “Easy, Danny,” Hal said, holding up one hand. “I know we always seem to hone in on the same girl, but I got your message. You’re serious. I’m just saying if you want the girl, you’d better own the land. My guess is someone will steal it out from under this Jack McAllister as soon as the war ends. And you and I both have the money.”

  “Yes, well, answer my question. What is your purpose?”