by Ginny Dye
Clint nodded. “She came by the stables this morning as soon as it was light, just like she always does. When she left to go to school, that filly watched her until she disappeared into the woods. She hasn’t quit watching that spot since then.”
“That filly is more like a dog than a horse,” Robert muttered.
“I keep telling Amber she’s spoiling her,” Clint proclaimed.
“Not a bit,” Robert said. “They adore each other, and All My Heart does whatever Amber asks. She is already leading and walking perfectly. Winning an animal’s trust is the best way to train them—especially with horses. Far too many of today’s trainers think they have to discipline them into obedience. Amber naturally knows that love is the best way. Just like you do.” Robert’s belief that Clint was a natural horseman had been confirmed many times over since he had arrived on the plantation with his family. Robert had worked closely to ingrain his own training methods into the boy, but he also knew how easily a man’s pride could get in the way of gentle training.
Clint nodded, seeming relieved that Robert agreed with Amber’s methods. He grinned suddenly. “I have something to show you.”
“What is it?”
Instead of answering, Clint tied one of the colts to a hitching post and moved forward with the other one, a sorrel colt named Dandy Delight who promised to be the biggest of the crop of babies. Clint stroked the colt’s neck for a moment, whispering in his ear before moving in front of him. He waited a moment and then held out his right hand. Dandy promptly lifted his right leg and placed his hoof in Clint’s hand. “Good boy!” Clint murmured.
He stepped back a little further. “How old are you, Dandy?” The willing colt flicked his ears forward, lifted his right leg and pawed the ground once. “Good boy!” Clint repeated, pulling a piece of carrot out of his pocket for Dandy to devour.
Robert laughed. “How long did it take for you to teach him that?”
Clint shrugged. “Only a few days. He’s a smart one,” he said proudly.
Robert could see the truth in Clint’s eyes. He had been waiting for a good time to talk to his assistant. Now that Amber was in school, that time had finally come. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you about All My Heart and Amber,” he began.
“No need,” Clint replied promptly.
“But…”
“I know the bond you and Amber have,” Clint said quickly. “And I know the time will probably come when you decide to give me a horse, too. I don’t want you to,” he said, planting his feet and squaring his shoulders as he met Robert’s eyes.
Robert blinked and waited for him to continue.
“I want to buy Dandy from you,” Clint continued. “I know you’ll get a good price for him, but I’ve been saving every penny since I started working for you. I knew the day would come when I found the horse I wanted to train to be mine.” He stroked Dandy’s neck as he talked. “Dandy is the one, but I don’t want to buy him yet. I have to know what a fair price is.”
Robert was speechless, remembering the bitter young man who had hated him on sight. “I’m listening,” he finally managed to say.
Clint continued to meet his eyes. “You still don’t have any buyers for the horses do you?”
Robert didn’t look away, but he also didn’t know how to answer the question. How did Clint know?
Clint offered a small smile. “No one told me, but I read horse publications all the time, and I know buyers usually line up for the year’s crop of foals sometime in the summer. No one has shown up, so I figure you’re being shunned because of what you’re doing with all the freed slaves.”
Robert stared at him for a long moment. “When did you get to be so smart?” he muttered.
“Someone is going to be smart enough to understand these are the finest fillies and colts in Virginia,” Clint said confidently.
Robert decided to be honest. “I wish I shared your confidence,” he confessed. Sleep had come slowly the night before. Between missing Carrie and wondering what he was going to do if no one bought any of his stock, he had tossed and turned until late in the night.
“Mama told me not to worry about it,” Clint replied staunchly. “Mama always knows what is going to happen.” He saw the look in Robert’s eyes. “She saved your life, didn’t she? She told me and Daddy you could be trusted, didn’t she? She said you would walk again, didn’t she?”
Robert couldn’t refute the truth of what he was saying.
“So, Mama says somebody is going to come and buy all these horses,” Clint said evenly. “I believe her.”
Robert felt a surge of comfort, but he couldn’t say he had any confidence in Polly’s prediction. Regardless, all he could do was make sure his stock was ready if a buyer did appear. “Back to Dandy…”
“When the buyer comes, I’m going to know what a fair price for Dandy is. Then I’ll make you an offer and buy him.”
Robert calculated in his head the amount of money Clint could have accumulated since he had arrived, and then he thought about the amount Eclipse’s progeny should bring. He was willing to let Dandy go for far below his value, but he knew Clint’s pride wouldn’t allow that. He had to respect the boy who had grown into a young man he was proud of, but he also wanted to figure out a way to make it possible for Clint to own the colt he so obviously loved. There would be plenty more horses in the years ahead that he could sell for top dollar. He searched his mind for how to respond.
Clint read his thoughts. “If I don’t have enough, I’ll only ask you to give me some time to pay what he is worth.”
“Done.” Robert stepped forward to shake his hand. He knew he could stretch the payments out for a very long time.
Clint looked dazed. “Really? I can buy him from you?”
“Absolutely. He’s going to be a fine horse,” Robert said. He walked around him slowly. “If I don’t miss my guess, he’s going to be as big as Eclipse.”
“I think so, too,” Clint said eagerly. “And he’s already faster than any of the rest of them.” His eyes sparkled as he laid a hand on Dandy’s neck. “I’ll take real good care of him.”
“That I’m sure of,” Robert said. “The two of you deserve each other.” A sudden noise caught his attention. He turned to stare down the drive, certain he heard a carriage approaching. He knew they weren’t expecting company that day. “Keep working,” he said quickly. “I’ll go see who is coming.”
Clint started to turn away, but hesitated. “You want me to come with you?”
Robert was the one to hesitate now. Moses had told him early that morning about the unexpected arrival of his men. Could there be vigilantes who were after them? He shook off that thought as soon as it popped in his mind. Vigilantes intent on secrecy were hardly going to drive up in a carriage in the middle of the day. He bit back a sigh, wondering if life would ever return to the way it had been before the war split his country in half and left too many people afraid and paranoid. He shrugged off that thought as well. Given the choice, he wouldn’t go back to a country built on slavery, and he wouldn’t go back to the blind hatred that had ruled him. Everyone would simply have to navigate through the country they had now.
Clint made the decision for him. “I’m coming,” he said quickly as he tied Dandy to a post and stepped up beside Robert.
Robert felt better with Clint by his side as they strode toward the house to meet whomever was coming. The reality was that they all lived in a country full of hatred and turmoil. At the very least, they had to choose to be wise.
Annie joined them on the porch as they waited for the carriage. “You know who it be?”
Robert shook his head. “Where are the children?”
“John went down to play with the other children in the quarters. Hope is just stirrin’. Rose fed her before she left for school, and then that sweet little girl went right back to sleep.”
Robert’s eyes were trained on the curve of the driveway. “Go on inside with her,” he suggested. “Clint and I can handle
whatever this is.”
“The rifles are just inside the door,” Annie murmured as she turned and disappeared.
Robert stepped up to the edge of the porch.
“Want the guns out here?” Clint asked quietly.
“Won’t do us much good if they’re sitting inside,” Robert replied, hoping with all his heart they wouldn’t be needed.
Chapter Eleven
Robert was relieved by the sound of the guns being deposited on the table just beside him. He was also grateful he had taken the time to teach Clint and his father, Gabe, how to handle a rifle. His pulse quickened as he waited for the carriage to round the curve.
When it did, it was still too far away to identify the occupants, but he was relieved to see there were only two people. There were no additional horsemen to indicate an increased threat. Still, he waited patiently, every muscle tensed for action. When the carriage drew closer, the first thing he felt was confusion. “Is that…?”
“Who is it?” Clint asked. “Looks like one of them is a woman.”
“That it is,” Robert agreed, stepping off the porch to wait for the carriage to pull up to the house. “We’re not in any danger.” The carriage rolled up before he could explain further. “Hello, Louisa,” he called courteously. “And I’m assuming the man with you is your husband, Perry Appleton?” He laughed when a third head popped up, blond hair glistening in the sun. The boy was the spitting image of his father. “And this must be your son.”
Louisa smiled brightly. “Robert Borden! I’m so glad to know you survived the war.”
“As am I,” Robert said mildly. Louisa was as beautiful as ever, though fine lines around her eyes at twenty-four said the years had been full of stress and hardships. “To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?” His brain whirled with questions, but he needed to let them tell their own story. The last he knew, Louisa and Perry were in Georgia. The Blackwell Plantation had sat empty for the entirety of the war. As far as he knew, it was still unoccupied. It had not been destroyed, but he was sure everything worth taking had been raided by Union troops when Richmond was under siege.
Clint stepped forward. “I’ll be happy to take your carriage to the barn and give your horse some water.”
“I would appreciate that,” Perry said, his voice and manner dismissive.
Robert narrowed his eyes. “This is Clint. He is my stable manager and right-hand man. Your horse will be in good hands.”
Perry shot him a look Robert couldn’t interpret as he stepped from the carriage. Carrie had told him Louisa’s husband had lost his leg during the war, but still he winced.
Perry caught his expression. “It doesn’t bother me anymore,” he said. “I’ve learned there is very little I can’t do on a wooden stump. Sometimes it takes me a little longer, but it still gets done.”
“My husband is amazing,” Louisa said proudly as she walked to the base of the porch and gazed up. “Cromwell Plantation is still so beautiful,” she said. “It’s almost as if the war never happened. Nothing has changed.”
Robert understood the envy in her voice. He was also grateful there was none of the angry vindictiveness he had grown to associate with her. “We’ve been very fortunate,” he agreed.
“Mama! Can I get out?”
Louisa smiled and reached out her arms to swing her son to the ground. “This is Jasper.”
“Two years old?” Robert guessed.
“He’ll be three this winter,” Louisa answered, her eyes soft with love and pride as she watched Jasper dash up the stairs. “He was born in the middle of a terrible snowstorm in Georgia. He and Perry are the greatest joys of my life.”
Robert smiled. Carrie had been right. The self-centered plantation daughter had changed.
Louisa looked at the house eagerly. “Is Carrie here?”
“She’s in medical school in Philadelphia.”
Louisa’s eyes widened, but she just smiled. “I suspected she would make her dream come true.”
“And you’re all right with your wife being away?” Perry asked.
Robert met his eyes evenly, not sure yet what he thought of Louisa’s husband, but suspecting they believed differently about many things. “I miss her every day, but I knew from the first week I met her that she wanted to be a doctor. I would never stand in the way of what she wants to do. I’m very proud of her.”
“Of course,” Perry said hastily, looking away to scan the pasture. “Those are some beautiful horses.”
Robert nodded. Now that the babies were weaned and their mother’s milk was dried up, he had allowed the mares to rejoin them in the fields. He knew what a beautiful sight they were because he stood right where Perry was and admired them every morning. “Thank you. Cromwell operates now as a horse breeding facility, as well as a tobacco plantation.”
“Congratulations,” Louisa said warmly. “Robert, the last time I saw you I was totally horrid. In fact, all the times I saw you I was horrid. I’m so very sorry for how I treated you. I’m hoping you can forgive me and start fresh.”
Robert didn’t bother to refute her statements, but he was more than willing to accept her apology. “The war changed us all,” he said graciously. “I’m not proud of who I was before the war, either.”
Louisa nodded, her eyes radiating her gratitude.
Robert was still puzzled, however. “I thought y’all were living in Georgia now. What are you doing up in Virginia? Have you returned to check on your family’s plantation?”
Perry scowled. “There’s not much in Georgia for us now,” he said bitterly.
Robert looked at him sympathetically. “Your farm was in the way of Sherman’s Army?” he guessed.
“They destroyed almost everything. Louisa’s quick thinking saved some of it.” Perry’s expression was a mixture of shame and pride. “I was hiding back in the woods with our livestock and as much food as we could load up. Louisa stayed behind, believing they would not burn our home if there was a lone pregnant woman in it.”
Robert’s heart caught at the look in his eyes. “I can’t imagine…” He knew how hard it would have been for him if he had been the one hiding while Carrie stayed behind.
“It worked,” Louisa said brightly. “Our home and most of our food were saved.”
“But they still destroyed our barns and the cotton gin I was counting on to rebuild after the war. Perry’s voice was thick with anger. “Sherman’s plan was to bring Georgia to its knees. He succeeded.”
Annie opened the door and walked out on the porch with a tray of tea and cookies. “I hear there be a little boy out here who might want a cookie,” she called.
Jasper grinned and scampered across the porch on his chubby legs. “Me!” he yelled. “I love cookies!”
Louisa smiled, but also looked confused as she gazed at Annie.
Robert interpreted her look. “Annie, this is Perry and Louisa Appleton. Perry and Louisa, I’m pleased to introduce Moses’ mother, Annie.”
“I’m so pleased to meet you,” Louisa said quickly, but her face was still perplexed.
Again, Robert understood. He didn’t know what the rumor mill had already told them, so he would have to try to clarify things. “Rose and Moses used to be slaves here on the plantation.”
Louisa nodded slowly. “Rose was Carrie’s slave. I remember now.”
“Yes. Now Moses and Rose are co-owners of Cromwell Plantation.” He stifled a laugh as both Perry and Louisa stared at him, their mouths gaping open with shock. “Moses’ mother, Annie, lives here with us and takes care of the kitchen and children.”
Annie grinned, obviously enjoying the look on their guests’ faces. “I do believe I hear a little girl hollering,” she said easily. “Y’all sit down and enjoy this tea and cookies.”
Robert continued to hide his smile. “Moses and Rose have a four-year-old son, and a ten-month-old baby girl. As well as a ten-year-old they adopted after the race riots in Memphis back in May.”
Perry was the first to fi
nd words. “I see.”
Robert made no attempt to hide his laughter now. “Surely you had heard things were rather unconventional on Cromwell Plantation.”
Louisa nodded. “We had,” she said faintly. “We just hadn’t heard the whole story.”
Carrie could smell death before they entered the cholera hospital. Classes and clinic work had kept her going nonstop in the last several weeks. She was still struggling with what to do, but she’d had no time to explore further or make any decisions. Or maybe she was using the activity as an excuse to avoid the issue.
The death rate from cholera was rising. In spite of her misgivings, she had volunteered to use her one free afternoon to visit the hospital. The city had provided nurses and doctors. Carrie knew she wouldn’t be welcome if it was discovered she was from the Female Medical School, but she couldn’t stay away.
She smiled warmly when a harried, weary-looking nurse met her at the door. “Hello.”
The nurse had a kind face, but it was evident she was completely overwhelmed. “What can I do for you, ma’am? You do realize this is the cholera hospital, don’t you?”
“I do,” Carrie assured her. She had decided to do whatever it took to get inside. She had to see what was happening for herself. Up to this point, she’d only heard stories. “I served as a nurse during the war.” At least that much was true. She didn’t feel the need to say it was a Confederate hospital, or that she had actually worked as a doctor. “I’d like to help.”
“The city has sent nurses,” the woman replied.
“Yes, but do you have enough?” Carrie knew by the look on the woman’s face that they were woefully understaffed. “I have experience with cholera patients.” She didn’t feel the need to explain that her experience was only from the books she had been devouring in the last weeks. She hid her smile when the woman’s eyes lit with quick interest.
“Experience?”
Carrie nodded. “I work in one of the other hospitals, so I don’t have a lot of time to give, but I’d like to help if I can.”
The nurse, evidently accepting her explanation, led her back toward one of the rooms. “There’s not much we can do but try to make them comfortable,” she said sadly.