Embers of Anger (Embattled Hearts Book 1)

by Anna St. Claire

  She nodded.

  “Is Carter here? I need to see him.”

  “Yassuh. He is. I’ll send him to you, but you will want to know the rest.” Distress was evident in her voice as Lizzy continued to relate all that she knew. “Oh, Massa Nolan, there is one thing you need to know. The colonel added another guard to the house, here. They are now watching the front and the back of the house. He is very protective of Miss Ella and Aiden.” With that, Lizzy left to find Carter.

  He looked for Sara and saw her sitting on the cot, her arms wrapped around her legs, drawn up under her neck. There was so much he wanted to say to her. What if he was captured and never got to tell her? He went over to her and dropped to his knees. “Sara, look at me.”

  With the tip of his finger, he nudged her chin up and kissed her. “You understand, don’t you? I have to help. I could never live with myself if I didn’t try to find my sister.”

  “We are both lucky to have you, Nolan Whitford.” Wiping tears, she smiled up at him. “I’m gonna be here when you get back.”

  “I love you, Sara.” He started to say more just in case he got captured. But he wiped that thought away. He would be back, and he would see his sister home. He needed to get to his daddy’s guns, and he hoped they were still where he left them.

  It wasn’t long before she heard Carter coming back to the kitchen. Lizzy was sitting at the table, waiting for him. His face looked grim. Cook had taken some scraps to the pigs and was out of the room when Carter returned. Lizzy needed to talk to him about being careful when he came in that pantry door. She also wanted to hear what he and Nolan had discussed.

  “I remembered something—Jason said he had a place. He called it ‘de cabin.’ Do that make any sense to you?” He looked towards Lizzy. His hands clenched into fists by his side. “I let Massa Nolan know about it.”

  The pantry door slammed open and Sara appeared, breathless from taking the steps so quickly. “Nolan took off to look for Ella. I couldn’t stop him. Took one of his daddy’s guns. The posted guard walked around the corner of the house, and he left in the other direction.” Fear colored her voice as she wrapped her arms around her middle.

  Carter jumped up and helped Sara to a chair.

  “Miss Sara, you know he had to find his sister. Those two are closer than most.” Lizzy thought of Nolan and his antics when they were all growing up, and it made her smile. She and Carter were slightly older than Ella and Nolan, and the four had known each other most of their lives. “Massa Nolan will be back. Can I get something for you to do to take your mind off things? I know how you feel about this family. My mamma always ‘tol me that when you can’t do nothing more to change a bad thing that’s happening, find something to occupy your mind. Would you like to work on a sampler? You know Miss Ella has never been able to finish one.” Lizzy tried to laugh.

  “Yes, she was always more interested in riding and doing things with her daddy.” Sara laughed and wiped at her tears.

  “You are right there! She’d come in from the fields with her daddy and her dress be torn. The missus tried to change that, but she quit when she seen how happy Miss Ella was running around with her daddy and then, Nolan. She told me she figured Ella would find her a special husband one day—one that could do his own stitching.” Her voice weakened with a slight tremor, as she continued. “But her mamma also knew Miss Ella could do anything she set her mind to do. The missus adored her beautiful girl. They adored each other.”

  “Well, I guess I could pick up one of Ella’s samplers. Yes, that would help. Your mother was a wise woman, Lizzy. I will do it. Wait. Ella said she has a dress she has already cut out. I’ll work on that. You are right. I need something to stop putting this wrinkle of worry on my forehead. Ella will wear her old dresses until they disintegrate on her before she will start another one.” She gently touched Lizzy’s hand.

  “I’ll go get it. She cut one or two dresses out, but Miss Ella never worked any more on them. Shoved them in her closet. She doesn’t know, but I’ve been working on one in my spare time.” Lizzy reached into the closet and after rustling around pulled out a large brown package.

  “Well, then. It’ll give us both something to do to keep our minds off this mess we are in here. We can’t do anything until we know more. I’ll meet you in the parlor.” Sara accepted the package from Lizzy and picked up her basket.

  Nodding at Sara and Carter, Lizzy left to retrieve the stack of mending that needed attention.

  Carter and Sara walked past the library, and Sara stopped and looked inside. The gun cabinet was still ajar. “Carter, can you help me fix this so no one notices the gun missing?” The two moved the remaining items around, and Carter took the key and put it back in the desk drawer.

  “Reckon we should get on to the parlor, Miss Sara.”

  Sara glanced back at the gun cabinet. “Oh Nolan, do be careful,” she said, softly, before the library door clicked shut behind her.

  Chapter 18

  Ella awoke slowly and found she was lying in the middle of the same bed where she had been earlier. She tried moving her arms a little, just to get the blood moving. The covers underneath her felt gritty.

  Oh! Was that something crawling? A spider?

  A cold chill went through her and her body jerked. She was deathly afraid of spiders. She wanted to look, needed to look, but how? Her arms were going numb from their bindings. They had not been tied so securely earlier, but they felt much tighter now. At least they were in front of her. Small consolation, but she’d take it.

  The sun had long since gone down, leaving the room chilled. She heard no sound in the room so she chanced to open her eyes and look around. It was dark, but after a minute, her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She could see the door and an old fireplace on the far wall. The fire had burned out long ago.

  The bed smelled bad. No, it stunk. There was no telling what prizes it was bestowing on her hostage body. The thought of bedbugs—or any bug, sent a shudder through her. Something moved across her forehead--it had to be a spider. She rubbed her bound hands over her forehead as panic gripped her. Sweat soaked the back of her dress, and she fought to stay in control, aware her life might depend on being alert. Ella closed her eyes and took slow, even breaths.

  Stay calm. Inhale. Exhale.

  Turning her head, Ella noticed a window with a broken pane. Glass, or even the pane, might cut the ropes off. I have to get to the window.

  How much time did she have? They mentioned finding someone to tend her wounds. How long could that take? And who would that be?

  Ella listened to the footsteps and sounds outside the room. She recognized Jason. He sounded angry and loud. Another man sounded nervous. The door opened, slamming against the wall.

  “Gunner, I will kill you if she doesn’t wake up.” Still raging, Jason stood over her. Ella willed her breathing as shallow as possible, feigning sleep. Angry she had not awakened, he huffed and stormed out the door, banging it shut behind him.

  The door opened again, and another man entered. She dare not open her eyes, even a hair. She tried not to react to noises, but that last slam frightened her and she almost gave herself away.

  Ella heard his heavy breathing. Was this Gunner? He stood over her. She smelled him--his foul breath on her face and his dirty body assaulted her senses. He touched her face, smoothing her hair back, behind her ears.

  “I didn’t mean to hurt you bad.” He harrumphed. “I know you isn’t dead, but dat crazy man might make you wish it.” He said nothing else and left the room. She recognized him as the nervous one.

  She took a deep breath when the door crashed opened again. Jason. “You are a beauty.” His Creole voice sickened her. Ella struggled to breathe out slowly. She wanted to kick, yell, fight…anything but lie still. But she knew better.

  Her captor touched her lips. His clumsy and heavy hand moved down the front of her dress. Shame threatened to burn her up. She tried to forget what he was doing to her.

  He thinks I�
�m still passed out. Stay calm. She could feel her heart pulse in her throat. My gun is strapped to the other leg. Please God, don’t let me have one of my attacks right now.

  Ella paid close attention to her breathing, keeping it slow and even. Trying not to cry or let him know she was awake was so hard. He stood over her prone form, lifting her dress enough to touch her inner thigh.

  “Damn dark room. I want to see your body. All those days wanting to touch you. You can’t move away now.”

  His sweaty smell was pungent. She knew that odor from riding into town close to him. It was hard to remain still when her nose needed immediate attention. She normally turned her head and covered her nose to avoid the stench, but he had her at a disadvantage this time.

  God, please give me the strength to stay still and help me get away. Don’t let him see my gun…

  His hands were all over her. He was touching her breasts. What was he going to do?

  Oh, God. What do I do?

  She lay perfectly still. Think of Jackson…his smile, his smell…so clean and wonderful. Would he know she was missing? Rage replaced fear. She wanted to slap Jason. How dare he abduct her! How dare he touch her!

  If my brother finds out…if…I can just reach…

  Ella strained but still couldn’t reach her gun. It was impossible without a free hand.

  The bottom of her dress moved up again; he was looking at her. His hand inched up her inner leg. Her skin reacted to her fright, breaking out in goosebumps to what he planned.

  If he doesn’t stop he will discover—

  The front door to the cabin opened and slammed shut.

  “What are you two stupid men doing?” Jason shouted profanity in his native Creole at his partners and jerked her dress went down. She opened her eyes to see him leave, slamming the door closed behind him.

  Bound or not, she had to escape. Jason would not leave her alone. She got up and went to the windowpane she had seen earlier. Jason’s shouts rose above the ruckus in the front room. She hurried back to the bed and tried to lie down, closing her eyes just enough to still see beneath her lashes.

  “You bring her out of the sleep. You hear me, old woman? Make her well. Your life depends on it.” Jason pushed the door open and shoved Ol’ Indie inside and followed her.

  Ol’ Indie watched Ella for a moment. Them reaching into her bag, she pulled out a small white jar of salve. “You men, you get outta here while I min’ster to de lady. Or you find someone else.”

  “Don’t threaten me, sorcière. Wake her up. Now!” Jason pulled out a knife and jabbed the tip to the woman’s ribs. A trickle of blood stained the front of Ol’ Indie’s dress.

  “You can threaten Ol’ Indie, but I need to be afeard you to be skeered. And, I ain’t skeered of you. I ain’t doing nothing ‘til you leave the room. Kill me now or get out.” Ol’ Indie held her ground, her eyes never leaving him.

  “You think you need privacy? She’s out cold. She ain’t going anywhere.” Jason jeered at her.

  “I am not afraid of you, Mista Overseer.” Ol’ Indie starred at Jason, saying her words slowly. “I know you been sniffing after des here girl. I seen you. But she be out and be injured bad. If ‘n you want me to care for her, you will leave da room.” Ol’ Indie’s fingers were behind her, fumbling in her skirts for something.

  “Fine. Five minutes. Do what you need to do. We will be right here. Try anything funny, and I will kill you both.” Jason looked at his pocket watch. Satisfied that he knew the time, he nodded to the short black man, and the two of them left Ella and Ol’ Indie alone.

  The door closed.

  “I know you be awake, Miss Ella.” She lowered her voice to a soft whisper. “I see your eyes move. Girl, they gonna hurt both us if I can’t get dat cut on your head fixed right. That man, he a Devil man.” Ol’ Indie shook her head sympathetically as she looked at Ella.

  “Where are we?” She tried to sit up and rub her head. “I hurt so bad, and my hands…” Ella wanted to cry, but choked out the words to Ol’ Indie’s sympathetic ears.

  Ol’ Indie soothed as she talked, rubbing circles on her arms. “Mista Jason done stirred up a hornet with da colonel. Why your colonel is on his way with lots of men. They gonna find us. We just need to stay alive, you hear?” She rubbed Ella’s cold hands.

  “Does Nolan know I’m gone?”

  “You been missing a whole day, Miss Ella. De men—dey all looking for you.”

  “Not…not Nolan. He can’t show himself. He will be arrested.”

  Ol’ Indie gently pushed Ella’s head forward and examined the back. “He is okay. Don’t you worry about Massa Nole.” She harrumphed and moved her hands gently around Ella’s scalp. “Miss Ella, you got a powerful knot back here. Chile, you gonna have a bad headache. We need to keep you awake. Been practicing my cures long enough to know if you hit yo head like this, you betta not lie down to sleep. I know you just woke up.” She took a deep breath. “My heart ‘bout broke in two when I see my baby lying here.” She soothed Ella on the arm. “But then, I sees your eyes flutter a little…just a little…and I knows you was awake.”

  Reaching into her pocket, Ol’ Indie withdrew a jar of something. She opened it up and dabbed her hand inside, withdrawing some of the foulest smelling stuff. “I’m gonna put this on the big cut on the back of your head, Miss Ella. Be still. It could sting a little, but it will help. Your head been bleeding, and I want to make sure this cut don’t get any worse. Heads bleed bad with a little cut. You are lucky it ain’t no bigger. I know it hurts.”

  “Ol’ Indie, did you see where they have us? I recognize none of this. Pew! Why is it that everything I come into contact here stinks? My nose wants to cry.” Ella noticed Ol’ Indie’s blood-stained dress. “You are hurt!”

  Ol’ Indie sniggered. “It’s gonna take more than a little cut to hurt Indie. And I got them thinking I do Black magic. Maybe that could help us.”

  “But you never do magic anymore. And besides, it was always good magic. I will admit though; a little disappearing spell would be good about now.” Ella smiled at her old nurse.

  “The tall black’un they call Hokum, he tried to blindfold me. Grabbed me when I was heading back to de house to see your brother. He wasn’t good at putting on an old blindfold. Reckon I’m too scary for him.” Indie tittered. “I ‘tol him I’d set a spell on him if he touched me. He grabbed me and then hurried and tied me up and let me go.” She cackled. “Den, he told me it wasn’t his idea to snatch me. I thought your disappearance and him getting me might be connected, so I came to be here with you.”

  The old woman paused and motioned towards the door. “Des here cabin is on the property just outside your Papa’s land. It’s near de marsh at the back of de properties.”

  Ella could not recall a cabin at the back of the adjoining property. Her head pounded in pain, making it hard to think. She knew the land. She and Nolan used to ride horses and had been everywhere, but she struggled to remember a cabin.

  Ella was eager for more information. “Who lived in this old cabin, Ol’ Indie?” Ella shivered. “I declare, this bed is full of bugs. I hope you got something to get those bugs off us. It’s just awful. I had something crawling on me. And Jason, he put his hands under my clothes—all over me.” She flushed.

  “Oh, Colonel Ross, he not gonna take kindly to anyone touching you.” She shushed her charge and tried to soothe her. “Dis here property, I think it’s the overseer’s hut off the next-door property. The Brices, your neighbors, dey didn’t do right by people. Dey had slaves, but Mista Brice, he was mean and nasty to them. He even kilt some, but tortured them, first. These two -- I recognize them. They are from de Brice plantation.”

  She paused a moment. “Massa Brice must have been real bad to dem for they to be working for de likes of Mista Jason.” She drawled the last words out slowly as if lost in thought.

  “Anyways, I dropped some stuff on the way here—until we meet up with an old wagon. Hokum didn’t see me. I’m hoping da
t Mista Jackson sees what I dropped. He surely will find us.”

  The two women sat alone in the room for what seemed like a long time when Ella remembered the broken window. The panes were gone. It was their chance. " Ol’ Indie, help me to the window.”

  “Miss Ella, he said five minutes. He’ll be back.”

  “We must be quick then.”

  Ella placed her binding over a jagged edge of glass and sawed. She felt the rope give way. One loop and then the other fell off.

  Suddenly free, she reached under her dress and grabbed her gun, placing it in her pocket. Taking a log from the fireplace, she cleared the rest of the broken glass, while there was noise out front. “Come on. Let’s go before they come back.”

  Ol’ Indie stepped behind Ella, but her focus was on the door. She mumbled a prayer as the two worked to escape.

  The window was a little high, but Ella grabbed a chair. She stepped up and hoisted herself onto the broken pane’s ledge and looked down. A large prickly bush stood between them and freedom. Looking around, she spotted a man standing off to the side.

  Damn!

  It was Nolan.

  Oh my God! My brother came to help me.

  As joyful as she was to see Nolan, she wished it was Jackson. She immediately felt guilty. Nolan made a huge sacrifice coming for her.

  “Come on, Ol’ Indie.”

  “Lordy, I don’t know if I can…”

  “I’ll help you. She helped Indie put her legs over the outside ledge and then pulled herself up next to her. They were almost out the window when the door opened, and Jason thundered back into the room.

  “Five minutes is up! You are awake, I see.”

  Desperate, Ella tried to nudge Ol’ Indie into a jump from the window.

  Jason jerked the old woman from the window and slammed her on the floor, out of the way. He grabbed Ella before she could jump, pulling her back towards him. She saw Nolan move towards her, but Jason’s arms were too strong. He tore her dress dragging her across broken glass. Pain shot through her as jagged glass raked her back.