She gasped. What is wrong with me? Why am I thinking such things? Immediately her hand went to her neck in search of her brooch. Elizabeth remembered all too late she had chosen not to wear it today.
David drew near. “Have I a story to tell you,” he said.
Her heart was pounding, for more reasons than one. She hoped he hadn’t read her previous thoughts. She would be mortified. “Did you find Mr. Lodge?” she asked.
“I did indeed.”
Those blue eyes of his were full of life, of promise. Elizabeth knew right away that the news was good. Her heart leapt as David embraced her and whispered in her ear.
“They are in Canada—all four of them. They are safe and have become a family.”
Was it true? “You mean, Joshua and—”
“Shh,” he warned, squeezing her a little more tightly. “Yes.”
Blood coursed through her veins. She wanted to shout. She wanted to dance. She wanted to remain exactly where she was. The familiar scents of coffee and peppermint drifted about her. Oh, how she had missed them. “Tell me more...”
“Not here.” He released her and stepped back.
Elizabeth felt an overwhelming sense of disappointment but reminded herself they could not discuss such details at the train station. There’s no telling who might be lurking about.
“Mother has supper waiting,” Trudy said, ready to be on her way.
“Yes,” Elizabeth agreed. “We should go home straightaway.”
He grinned. “Well, in that case...”
Instructing a porter to have his trunk delivered to the Barnum, David called for a carriage. After assisting both sisters inside, he claimed a seat beside her. Elizabeth couldn’t help but grin.
Across from them, Trudy was beaming, as well. “Just wait until you see the table,” she said to David. “Mother has been in the kitchen all day.”
“Is that so?”
Trudy nodded. “Mother said more than likely you’ve not had a decent meal since you left Baltimore.”
He laughed at that. “She’s right.”
The meal that evening was by far the grandest and liveliest they’d experienced in quite a while. As they enjoyed it, David told the story he had learned from Mr. Lodge. The Martin women hung on every word.
“As you probably know, Joshua and Abigail were aware of Elijah and Elisha because of their friendship with Sam Ward. They were afraid Wallace would try to sell the boys because of the pending changes to the state constitution. When our interview and sketch of Jack Lodge was printed, they sought him out.”
Elizabeth’s jaw dropped. “They tried to hire him?”
“In a sense,” David said. “They asked if he might know of someone whom they could hire. They wanted someone to snatch the boys so they could be free. Joshua and his wife planned to lead the children to safety.”
Amazing! Elizabeth thought. “I suppose Mr. Lodge knew someone who could accomplish the task.”
“Apparently so.”
“Who?” Trudy asked.
“I don’t know. Lodge would not tell me. He only said it was someone like him. A former bounty hunter who now wanted to do something to benefit those he had once harmed.” David smiled. “Lodge laughed and said it was someone who could now put the skills of planning, sneaking and snatching to a good cause.”
“Then it was this unnamed man who absconded with the children?” Mrs. Martin asked.
David nodded. “While they were in the middle of one of their deliveries.”
The very moment you and I were in the dry goods store, Elizabeth thought. “Did Mr. Lodge know anything about the money that was delivered to Mr. Wallace? Did he know who the person was?”
“It was Joshua Davis.”
“What?”
“He told Lodge he wanted to pay the man what was due him under the present law.”
“So Joshua Davis himself just walked into the store and laid the money on the counter?”
Again David nodded. “Wallace assumed he was just an ignorant slave settling a bill for a master. He was settling a bill all right, but he was the master.”
“What happened next?” Trudy asked.
“He didn’t give me all of the details, but what I do know is those little boys were delivered on a certain night, at a certain secluded spot outside the city. Joshua and his wife were waiting for them when they arrived. They explained what they had done and offered to take the children and raise them as their own if Elijah and Elisha so wished.”
“What did the children think of that?” Mrs. Martin asked.
“They were skeptical at first, but when the couple explained they knew Sam Ward and his wife, they became far more trusting.”
“How did Abigail, Joshua and the boys get to Canada?” Elizabeth asked. “Did Mr. Lodge escort them?”
“No. He took them as far as Philadelphia where an association of unnamed abolitionists then assisted them in their journey north.”
“Do Sam and Julia know of this?” Elizabeth asked.
“Yes, they do now—though they had no idea what was happening at the time. Jack Lodge told them everything. They were in Philadelphia when word arrived that the four had safely crossed the border.”
Elizabeth sighed with contentment as she held David’s gaze. What a happy ending! She knew he was thinking the same. She could feel his joy all the way across the table.
Trudy and their mother offered their own satisfied sighs and smiles. After a few moments they then moved to put away the dishes. David stood to assist.
“Oh, no, son,” Elizabeth’s mother said. “Trudy will help. Why don’t you and Beth retire to the parlor? I’m certain you have much more to discuss.”
He smiled pleasantly. “Indeed. Thank you.”
When David offered his arm, Elizabeth slid her hand into the crook of his elbow. Comfortable and secure, she followed him to the parlor.
“It is so good to have you home,” she said.
“It is good to be home.”
“Did you like Annapolis?”
“On the whole it was a pleasant town,” he said, “but I missed Baltimore.”
“I’m glad you did.”
He chuckled warmly.
They settled on the settee. Elizabeth adjusted her hoop and smoothed out her skirt.
“Your dress is lovely,” he said. “That fabric suits you.”
She blushed. Elizabeth didn’t know exactly how to respond to his compliment, but she loved the fact that he had paid her one. “Trudy convinced me it was time to put aside the gray,” she said, “that there was much to celebrate.”
“I believe she was right.”
“I can’t help but marvel over it all,” she said. “To think what has come about! Joshua and Abigail had no children of their own. Now they are the proud parents of two young sons.”
“Indeed. One wonders what they will grow up to become.”
“You played a large role in all of this, you know.”
Now he was the one turning red. He rubbed his whiskers. Elizabeth felt such a closeness to him tonight, a sensation she couldn’t fully describe. It was simply a pleasure to be near him.
“I really didn’t do anything,” he said.
“Yes, you did. It was your article on the possibility of apprenticeship which made Joshua and Abigail take notice in the first place.”
“It was your sketch that sent them to Jack Lodge.”
When he grinned at her, she recognized at last what she was feeling, and it shook her to the core.
I am falling in love with him.
David talked on about his time at the statehouse, but in actuality Elizabeth heard very little of what he was saying. Her thoughts were in a panic. Her heart was racing.
How could this have
happened? How is it even possible?
She prayed David hadn’t realized. She couldn’t bear the thought of him addressing the issue. She could just imagine what he would say.
“Elizabeth, you were to be married to my brother...”
Yes, she reminded herself. I was in love with Jeremiah. I still am! I am only assigning David’s face to his memory. That’s all. My respect and admiration for him, along with his resemblance to Jeremiah, are simply playing tricks on my mind.
She told herself that repeatedly over the next few weeks, but it was all to no avail. History was repeating itself. A man was filling her heart, and once again Elizabeth found herself pleading for his life.
The headlines of the Free American and every other newspaper in the city spelled out the danger. The Confederate army was marching on Baltimore.
Chapter Thirteen
Alarm bells rang out, and the entire city held its breath as Southern forces crossed the Potomac. Much of Maryland’s defenses had been stripped to replace the huge losses General Grant was sustaining in Virginia. Only a few units remained in Baltimore, leaving the city perilously vulnerable.
In hopes of counteracting the rebel assault, commanding officer General Lew Wallace shifted what remained of his small force and met the enemy in a little crossroads called Monocacy Junction. He was outnumbered and outgunned, but David prayed the Union general would somehow win the day. If he didn’t, little stood between the rebel army and Elizabeth’s family.
She was standing in the corner of the telegraph office, sketching the worried looks on the reporters’ faces while they anxiously paced about. David felt the blood drain from his face when news of the battle’s outcome finally came. The Union troops had been defeated. The rebel army was advancing.
His colleagues immediately bolted, rushing to get the news into print. Elizabeth hurriedly secured her sketchbook and took hold of his arm. She was trying to look brave, but he could tell by the quiver in her voice she was scared to death.
“What will the city leadership do now?” she asked.
What David had feared, what had compelled him to return to this city in the first place, was actually happening. In spite of that he did his best to keep an objective tone. He needed to be strong for her sake. “More than likely, the leadership will call for volunteers to man the barricades, but try not to worry. What the South really wants is Washington.”
She nodded, but she knew as well as he that the rebels had their eyes on Baltimore, also. They raced back to the newsroom. Peter was waiting at his office door.
“Well?” he asked.
“They’re advancing.”
Immediately their editor issued a string of commands. “Detwiler, go tell Bowman to change type. Scratch the entire front page! Keedy, find Collins and have him prepare for extra copies!” Peter then looked at Elizabeth. “Give me what sketches you have whether they are completely finished or not.” To David, he then said, “Get your notes in readable form as quickly as possible.”
Elizabeth scurried for her drawings while David flew to get his words into print. Responsibility weighed heavily upon him. In such a time of fear, he knew his words had the power to either calm or incite further hysteria.
God, give me wisdom.
By the time David had finished his article, Peter had sifted through Elizabeth’s sketches. After choosing the ones he wanted to feature next, he told them, “I want the two of you to head over to city hall. Find out what the local leadership intends to do.”
On the street the crowds had begun to gather. Rumors of the latest wires and dispatches circulated. Desperate for news, people were creating their own. Some confidently proclaimed the city’s defense was sure, that the Confederate army would not dare make a move on Baltimore, thus putting so many of its own supporters in jeopardy. David hoped that would indeed be the case.
Surely the South will not risk an attack on Baltimore. They would not endanger their wives, sweethearts, their own children. The Army of the Potomac isn’t about to let go of the waterways, rail lines and industry of this city without a fight. Soldiers would be lost and citizens, both loyal and secession supporting, would die with them. No one could possibly want that.
Elizabeth said not a word but kept a tight grip on his elbow as they snaked their way through the throng. When they arrived at city hall, she claimed a spot in the corner of the room where she could fully observe the proceedings. The chamber was packed. Every member of the press, public official and concerned business owner who could manage his way in had come to find out what measures the city intended to take to keep its citizens safe.
David wrangled his way to the front, ready to take down everything that was said. The mayor of Baltimore stepped to the podium and addressed the group.
“Gentlemen, I regret to inform you that we have just received disturbing word. Rebel cavalry has been sighted in Carroll County.”
A collective gasp rose throughout the room, for the county mentioned was only a day’s march from the city.
The mayor continued. “They have burned bridges along the Western Maryland Railroad. We do not know exactly how large the force is that is advancing against us because the Westminster telegraph wires were cut before we could receive such information.”
David’s heart was pounding. They mean to strike us from the west. He glanced at Elizabeth. Her eyes were fixed on him. Her face was extremely pale.
“We are working closely with the war department,” the mayor insisted, drawing David’s attention once more. “Rest assured we will shore up the area defenses. We have already wired Washington requesting additional troops. Orders have been issued locally for the impressment of horses for use by the army, and for the time being, the sale of alcohol is restricted. To maintain proper order, the board of police commissioners will deputize any willing loyal volunteer. There will be no time for uniforms, of course. Badges and ribbons will denote the men’s special status.”
“What about the rumors surrounding the civilian defense force?” David asked. “Is it true you have called upon all men, slave and free, to defend this city?”
The mayor nodded. “We have called on all loyal men.”
“Will you issue arms to the negroes?” Another reporter asked.
The mayor hesitated for a second before answering. “We will issue arms.”
A murmur rippled through the crowd. Clearly some did not like the idea of slaves or freedmen carrying guns.
The mayor dismissed the assembly, and the room immediately cleared. David returned to Elizabeth. She had sketched the worried citizens’ faces, and those of the leadership who were trying so hard to appear confident and in control. She looked much the same.
“This could all be just a false alarm,” he told her. “The Confederate forces that were sighted may turn out to be just a few cavalrymen.”
“But what if it’s more than that?” she asked. “What if it is infantry? What if George is on his way here right now?”
David inwardly shuddered. That was a very real possibility. “Try not to think that way,” he said. “It won’t do any good to speculate. We have to stick to the facts.”
He’d said those words for his benefit as well as hers, but he realized they were of little comfort to either of them.
Elizabeth’s voice quivered. “D-do you think we might be able to check on Mother and Trudy?”
“Of course. We’ll go now.”
David had been mulling over ideas of where the ladies might best take refuge until the danger had passed. He didn’t want them remaining in Mount Vernon. If Lee’s army gets within striking distance, the local secessionists are likely to take up arms. And if that happened, then the guns at Fort McHenry, which were pointed directly at Monument Square, would fire such a salvo that there would be nothing left of Elizabeth’s neighborhood.
Sketch
book clutched tight, she stayed close to his side. The crowd milling about outside was thicker than it had been previously, and by the looks of things, growing more anxious by the second. David hoped their high levels of emotion would not lead to any rash actions, for the volunteer police had yet to take to the streets, and soldiers were few to be seen.
The closer they got to Mount Vernon the more apprehensive David became. Some homeowners had taken to hanging out the Stars and Stripes, surely an effort to convince the authorities they were indeed loyal to the Union. Other citizens had decided to flee. Their carts and carriages were piled high with necessities as they sped out of town.
“David, do you think—”
He heard not the rest of Elizabeth’s question, for her words were drowned out by the sound of shouting, then gunfire.
* * *
Elizabeth crashed hard into a brick wall as David fell against her. He had pushed her into a narrow gap between two buildings, then shielded her body with his own. She could not breathe, but her heart and thoughts were racing. They’ve come! They’ve come! The Confederates have come! Any second now she expected more shots and screams. Instead, David turned her about.
“Are you all right?” His eyes quickly scoured her looking for any sign of a wound. “Your face...”
He reached out. She followed his fingers with hers. She must have scraped her cheek against the brick. It stung, but it was nothing compared to what could have happened had he not acted so quickly. A chill then ran through her as she thought about what could have happened to him.
“It’s nothing,” she said quickly. “Are you well?”
“I’m fine.” David glanced over his shoulder.
The gunfire had stopped, but Elizabeth could hear the sounds of panic still coming from the street. “The army—”
“That’s not musket fire.”
“What is it, then?”
“Stay here. I’ll find out.”
There was no telling who or what was out there. It may not be the Confederate army, but there were still many in this city who might do harm to a man who spoke with an obvious Northern accent.
Second Chance Love Page 19