Stowaway in Time

by Cathy Peper

  “I don’t have the authority.”

  “Officially, no, but I’m a man of my word. If you let me go, I promise not to take up arms against the Union again.” It could be a win-win situation for both of them. Jesse would escape with his life and could go home to Diamond, putting the ugliness of war behind him. And it would spare the Yankees the burden of taking him in. Or shooting him in cold blood. Jesse would have the best of the bargain by far, but the Union soldier could sleep better at night.

  “I’m supposed to take you at your word? A treasonous Rebel? I don’t think so.”

  “I’m fighting for my country, my people. I’m no traitor.”

  The rustling of leaves signaled the approach of another of the Union men. A tall lanky man appeared on the edge of the bank. “You get him, Tom?”

  “Yes,” Tom answered, never taking his eyes off Jesse.

  “Well, what you waiting for? Shoot the bastard and let’s get going. Bart got shot in the arm. Don’t know if the docs will have to take it off, but we need to get him some help.”

  “The prisoner will come with us.”

  “What? Bushwhackers get no quarter.”

  “He’s in uniform. I don’t think he’s a bushwhacker.”

  “So say he got killed in the gunfight. Nobody will know the difference.”

  “I will.”

  “Think he’d do the same for you?”

  “He might.”

  “The only good Rebel is a dead Rebel. We need to get Bart medical attention. Babysitting a prisoner will only slow us down.”

  “I’m your superior officer and you’ll do as you’re told. Bind his hands.”

  The other man resisted for a moment and Jesse’s heartbeat, which had settled after the gunfight and chase, picked up again. Then, with a curse, the man jumped down, yanked Jesse’s arms behind his back and tied them tightly. He shoved him between the shoulders and Jesse staggered forward, recalling how Jack had treated their prisoner in town. He struggled to climb the embankment without the use of his hands.

  Scowling, and perhaps already regretting his decision, Tom grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to the top. “You must keep up.”

  “Understood,” Jesse replied. Not only would he have to prove himself a model prisoner, but he’d have to watch his back. Except for Tom, they wanted him dead. Even Tom might be relieved if Jesse were to meet with an “accident.” He could only hope the coming days would offer him a chance to escape.

  Twenty Eight

  Chapter 28

  “I’ve good news,” Janet told Diamond over breakfast. They had bought a few chickens in town which supplied them with eggs. Diamond did most of the cooking, scrambling eggs in the morning, which Sarah served with fresh bread and butter, also purchased in town. The locals knew Janet had returned, but most were Southern sympathizers and unlikely to say anything to the Union troops.

  Many were curious to see Jesse’s new bride, and a few had come out to visit, but it was awkward to entertain guests in the humble cabins. Janet acted as if she sat in her own parlor, but their guests appeared uneasy and one kindly older woman had invited them to stay with her.

  To Diamond’s relief, Janet had refused. It would have been far more difficult to check on Jack if she had to come all the way from town.

  Jack’s wound showed no sign of infection and Diamond thought he would soon be well enough to leave. She hoped to persuade him to give up bushwhacking and beg his father’s forgiveness.

  Diamond drew her attention back to her sister-in-law. “Have you heard from Finn?”

  “Yes. He received leave for this weekend and will come to New Madrid. We’re to prepare for the wedding.”

  “Here?” Diamond raised her brows. Surely Janet would never consent to hold her wedding in the slave quarters.

  “In the church. Sometimes you say the strangest things.”

  “I realize the ceremony will be performed in the church, but I was thinking about the reception.” As soon as she said the words, Diamond felt foolish. Perhaps there wouldn’t be a reception under the circumstances.

  “The pastor has known me since I was a child. I’m sure he will allow us to host a small gathering in the sanctuary. If not, it will have to be on Finn’s property.” Janet wrinkled her nose. “In tents, since he has yet to build there.”

  “It’s too bad your father can’t be here to give you away,” Diamond said although she thought the wedding might be more cheerful without the dour old man’s presence.

  “Yes, but I thought Jack could do it.”

  Diamond’s fork clattered to the table. “Jack? We don’t have any way to contact him.”

  “You can tell him the next time you sneak food to him.”

  Diamond rubbed her temples. “How long have you known?”

  Janet shrugged. “A few days. At first I thought you were just taking extra food, and it occurred to me you might be increasing.”

  Diamond suppressed a giggle at the old-fashioned term for pregnancy. “I’m not with child, but even if I was, I wouldn’t steal food in the middle of the night.”

  “I agree. That’s why I followed you to see what you were up to.”

  “You’re not angry?”

  “I should be.” Janet smoothed butter over her bread. “Father was very clear in his instructions. But surely you haven’t forgotten I have a job for Jack to do.”

  Diamond glanced at Janet’s ear, hidden beneath her sister-in-law’s up-swept chocolate brown hair. Sarah had nursed Janet through the worst of the injury, but Diamond had tended her once, adding some antibiotic ointment to the poultice Sarah had prepared. Janet’s hearing did not appear to be damaged, but the bullet had mangled her ear, tearing part of it off altogether.

  “You want him to find out who hurt you.”

  Janet nodded, popping the last bit of bread into her mouth.

  “And do what? Kill him?”

  “Shooting his ear off will satisfy me, but I wouldn’t shed a tear if he died.” Her blue eyes chilled to ice. “He knew we were Southerners. Knew we had kin fighting for the cause and he still shot me. I’m lucky he didn’t kill me.”

  “That kind of behavior is exactly why Jack should not return to the guerrillas. Not only is it dangerous, but they attack indiscriminately, hurting and killing innocent people.”

  “He has my blessing to leave as soon as he completes my mission.”

  “I really think he should use this opportunity to make a clean break—”

  “Come,” Janet interrupted her. “Let’s take him his breakfast.”

  Diamond prepared a plate with eggs and toast and led the way to the cabin where Jack was hiding out. “Good morning,” she said as she and Janet ducked inside the tiny structure. “I’ve brought someone with me today.”

  Jack froze when he saw his sister.

  “Did you really think you and Diamond could pull the wool over my eyes?”

  Jack’s posture eased a tad. “Are you going to report me?”

  “No, but you will have to leave before the weekend. Finn is coming to marry me and bringing a few of his fellow officers.”

  Diamond set the plate down on the table and Jack drew up a chair and began eating. His appetite had returned, and he ate heartily, but kept a wary eye on Janet.

  “I suppose congratulations are in order,” he said between bites.

  Janet waved a hand. “Don’t bother. I know you don’t like Finn. But there is something I need you to take care of for me.”

  “This lifestyle not to your taste?”

  Janet raised her chin. “I can suffer hardship the same as you. Besides, it’s only a matter of time until we get back in our house or Finn builds on his property.”

  Diamond didn’t see the Union officers moving out of the big house soon and thought it would be impossible to build in the middle of a war zone, but she left Janet’s assertion unchallenged. “Bushwhackers attacked us on the way here.”

  Jack’s eyes narrowed. “What did they do?”

&n
bsp; “Stole our horses and provisions. And when I resisted, telling them we were on their side, one man shot me.” Janet lifted her hair, exposing her ear.

  Diamond gasped when she saw the slice taken out of the cartilage even though it wasn’t as bad as she had feared.

  Jack leaned forward for a better look.

  Janet dropped her hair, blocking his view.

  “Just give me a name. They’ll regret they ever tangled with you.”

  Janet smiled. “I knew I could count on you.” She pulled a piece of paper from her pocket. “I don’t know his name, but I drew this sketch.”

  Diamond walked behind Jack so she, too, could see the paper. “I didn’t know you could draw.”

  “All women of my class are taught how to draw,” Janet said, her tone implying if Diamond didn’t know how, she wasn’t of the same class.

  “I’ve just never been very good at it,” Diamond muttered. Janet showed talent. Diamond recognized the man who had led the raid and now frequented her nightmares.

  “Do you know him?” Janet asked Jack.

  “No, but he shouldn’t be hard to find.” Jack folded the paper and stuck it in his shirt pocket, behind his extra pistol.

  “I don’t think you should go back to the bushwhackers,” Diamond said. “Your father is right. They’re nothing more than criminals.”

  “We play an integral part in the conflict,” Jack protested. “The Confederate Army has all but abandoned Missouri, but the guerrillas keep the Yankees on their toes. We attack supply lines, burn bridges and tear up railway lines.”

  “Jack can do as he pleases after that man gets what’s coming to him. Don’t tell me they didn’t scare you. I’ve heard you crying out at night and they didn’t even hurt you.”

  “Well, let’s not forget they tried to hang a man.”

  “A Yankee sympathizer. That doesn’t count.”

  Jack pushed away from the table. “No need to argue, ladies. I’ll take care of this fellow and then re-evaluate my options. Can’t say I enjoy getting shot. It was a close call, especially since I fought with regular troops, but didn’t have the same protections.”

  “Regular troops?” Diamond asked. “Did you ask about Jesse?”

  “He was there.”

  Diamond stepped away from Jack, her mouth falling open. “Why didn’t you tell me? Is he all right? Was he injured?”

  “He was fine, last I saw him.”

  “And when was that?” Diamond asked through gritted teeth. She could think of no reason for Jack withholding this information from her except bad news.

  Jack licked his lips.

  Definitely bad news. He can’t be dead. Diamond’s heart stuttered. “Tell me!”

  “We escaped together, but knew we couldn’t keep up with the rest of the men because of my injury. So we broke away and headed home.”

  “Then why isn’t he here?”

  “One horse drew up lame. Since Jesse was in uniform and uninjured, he took to the woods while I continued on.”

  “You left him to fend for himself without a horse.” Diamond felt queasy as she remembered how she had helped him, at some risk to her and Janet if the Union troops were to find him.

  “They shot me,” Jack said flatly, “and I have a target on my back. I wouldn’t have stood a chance if there were men on our trail. Jesse could hide, make his way back to his unit.”

  “But you don’t know what happened to him.”

  “It’s war. You never know what might happen. But even if there were men on our trail—which we don’t know for sure—Jesse should have been able to avoid them. I’ve been doing it for months. If they catch him, they will take him prisoner—a luxury I don’t have.”

  Feeling dizzy Diamond sunk into the chair Jack had vacated. There was no guarantee they would take Jesse prisoner. A small group of men after a lone Confederate. The “rules” of war didn’t always apply, especially when there was no one there to enforce them.

  Janet laid a hand on her shoulder. “He should be all right. Worst case, he’s safe in prison.”

  No, worst case he was dead, his body rotting on the forest floor. She hoped with all her heart he’d gotten away and was now back with his regiment. For she’d heard bad things about Civil War prisons. The southern ones, such as Andersonville, were notorious, but some northern ones weren’t much better.

  “I’ve got to find out what happened to him.”

  “If the Union took him prisoner, Finn might know.”

  “I saved his life when we were kids. He wouldn’t even be here if I hadn’t gone after him when he wandered too far into the Mississippi and got caught in an undertow.”

  “So this was payback for something that happened when you were kids?” Diamond asked.

  “He owed me and he had the best chance of making it out alive.”

  “You wouldn’t be in so much danger if you’d stayed with your regiment,” Janet scolded.

  Jack turned his stony gaze on her. “You owe me almost as much as he does. Father might never have forgiven you if you let Jesse die on your watch.”

  “My watch?” Janet’s eyes widened. “We brought servants with us to carry the food and keep us safe. They should have been watching Jesse.”

  “Sure, they’d have taken the brunt of his anger. He might have sold them down South. But you wouldn’t have gotten off lightly.”

  Diamond gazed at the siblings in disbelief. “Sure, I get it. Everyone thinks someone else is supervising Jesse. He gets into trouble, Jack plays the hero. But this is all in the past. What matters is his safety now. If you had told me this earlier, I could have gone in search of him.”

  “How would you find him? He’s gone to ground. Besides, his near-drowning might be in the past, but he never got over it. Never learned to swim. Practically faints at the sight of water. I was stunned to hear he crossed Reelfoot Lake.”

  “That’s enough,” Janet said. “We shouldn’t be badmouthing Jesse to his wife. It’s good news that he finally put that day behind him and no longer fears water.”

  Diamond nodded, but she still felt sick. Bracing herself against the chair, she stood on trembling legs. The walls seemed to close in on her. Even now Jesse might be dead. She had to get out of here before she broke down in front of her in-laws. She rushed past them into the bright of the morning.

  It was already hot and would only get worse as the day progressed. She would take a walk in the woods, stay in the shade and away from the Webers. Jesse hadn’t mentioned a fear of water, but when she recalled how he had allowed White to steal their raft and how angry she had been at him, she wondered. Neither of them had looked forward to tackling the swampy lake, but Jesse’d had more reason to hesitate than she. It must have taken a lot of courage—and trust in her—to crawl onto that raft.

  She headed into town, see if anyone had heard any news. The more time she spent with Jesse’s family, the more convinced she was that they had adopted him.

  Twenty Nine

  Chapter 29

  Jack hung around their cabin for the next few days before vanishing into the night. Diamond did her best to avoid him. She supposed she couldn’t place the full blame on him. From what she knew of Jesse, he would have agreed, perhaps even have insisted on taking on the greater share of the danger. It was part of what she loved about him.

  And she loved him. To her, their marriage had become more than just one of convenience. More than a way to survive in a brutal war-torn world with the odds stacked against women. More even than a desire to thwart Amy and hold on to what was hers. Having married Jack, Amy was no longer an issue, unless Jesse still cared for her. Diamond hoped Jesse saw the younger girl as only a friend.

  She had plenty to do preparing for the wedding. Janet met with the minister and arranged for the ceremony and a small reception to follow. Diamond ordered a cake, despite the high price tag due to the rising cost of sugar.

  “This may not be the wedding you dreamed about,” she told Janet, “but you have to have a c
ake and a dress. Those are non-negotiable.”

  “It doesn’t really matter so long as Finn is standing by my side, but I wouldn’t want the guests to think it was a shabby affair.”

  Diamond shook her head, still amazed by the dreamy look that stole across Janet’s elegant, but practical, features whenever she spoke of her fiancé. “How is the dress coming?” Diamond had lent Janet the dress she’d worn for her wedding and Sarah had spent most of the past week altering it to fit Janet’s smaller frame. The two women were of similar size, but Diamond was taller and didn’t have a wasp waist from years of wearing corsets.

  “Sarah works wonders with a needle. Thank you for letting me wear it. I always thought I would wear my mother’s old gown, but it’s stored in the attic of our house. Or at least it used to be. No telling what the Yankees have done with it.”

  “I don’t think any of those men would fit into a wedding dress,” Diamond said to encourage her sister-in-law, but they both knew military men took what they needed and sometimes destroyed what they didn’t, just for spite.

  Finn and another young man arrived as scheduled on Friday night. Unsure what to expect, Diamond was surprised by Janet’s intended. He was starkly handsome, with arctic gray eyes and a brisk, impersonal manner. She already knew Janet doted on him, but he didn’t appear to return her affection. Diamond hoped the man was undemonstrative and not as unfeeling as he appeared.

  He displayed a bit of chilly anger when he saw their accommodations. “I can’t have my wife living in the slave quarters.”

  “There’s nowhere else to go. Union officers have taken over my home.”

  “Surely you can stay somewhere in town.”

  “I thought it best to conserve the funds we have rather than try to secure lodgings in town.”

  “Richard and I will stay in the house tonight, but after the wedding I will find you somewhere else to live. You can move to my property.”

  “There are no buildings there.”

  Finn eyed the cabin, lip curling. “We can surely throw up something better than this in a few days.”