The Widow of Rose Hill (The Women of Rose Hill Book 2)

  She nodded.

  Moses set the book on the chair and left, closing the door gently behind him. Natalie stood where she was, watching the covers over Levi rise and fall with his breath. After a long moment, she settled in the chair, clutching the book to her chest while she studied Levi’s still face.

  How handsome he was, even in slumber. His dark beard and thick brows contrasted with his pale skin, but his lips were pink and full, and she warmed at the memory of their kisses. A bandage covered one shoulder. Oh, how she longed to feel his strong arms around her again, to hear his whispers of love.

  A pang pierced her heart. She didn’t deserve his love. She’d been a fool to trust Alexander, and her foolishness had put Levi in danger. How could he ever forgive her? He’d come to warn her, and all she’d done was defend Alexander. A cattle thief. A murderer had Levi not survived. She’d been so blind.

  After a few minutes of listening to his even breathing, she relaxed back in the chair. Moses had the book open to the Psalms. They’d always been her favorite. She looked at Levi’s unconscious face.

  “Moses thought I should read to you,” she whispered, her voice loud in the quiet room.

  Levi didn’t move. Could he hear her? The flame of the lantern on the bedside table flickered in the warm breeze wafting through the window.

  She turned the pages until she came to the eighteenth Psalm. Swallowing her nerves, she took a deep breath. “‘I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.’” She paused and glanced to see if Levi would stir at the sound of her voice. When he didn’t, she continued. “‘The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.’”

  Levi mumbled, and she leaned forward to listen. “‘I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised.’”

  Her eyes flew to his, but they remained closed.

  “‘So shall I be saved from mine enemies,’” he murmured, finishing the verse.

  “Levi.” She touched his hand. She waited, but he didn’t say anything more. “Levi?” she said louder, but still there was no response.

  She read the remaining words of the Psalm, but he didn’t open his eyes. He looked exactly as he had when she’d first sat.

  Had she only imagined him speaking?

  Moses returned a short time later. “You best get some rest, Miz Natalie. It been a long day.”

  She nodded, glancing at Levi’s sleeping form one last time. When she reached her room, she stood at the window in the dark, staring out into the starlit night. The words of the Psalm echoed in her mind. God had indeed saved Levi from his enemy. And her, too. What if she had gone through with a marriage to Alexander? She would have put not only herself in danger, but her son as well.

  She shuddered at the thought.

  As she readied for bed, the reality of her situation weighed heavily on her. Without Alexander’s money for leasing her land, she had no way to make the mortgage and tax payments. As ill-gotten as the funds had been, they’d saved her from foreclosure. Though there might be enough from the sale of the harvested cotton to keep the banks satisfied this year, without workers to plow, plant, and tend a new crop, all would be in vain. She would lose Rose Hill and Langford Manor anyway.

  A tear trailed down her cheek.

  With Levi lying in the bachelor’s quarters, severely injured, worrying over her own problems seemed selfish. Hadn’t she confessed that sin just this morning?

  “Help me trust in You, Lord,” she whispered, crawling beneath the cool sheet. “You are my deliverer, too.”

  Her eyes slid closed.

  God would make a way. She may not like it, but she would trust Him.

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  Levi opened his eyes and blinked at the muted sunshine coming through a window above his head. The smell of bacon wafted over him, and his stomach rumbled. He glanced around the small room. It looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t place it in his foggy mind.

  “Well, looky there. You’s awake.”

  Moses’ face appeared in his line of vision.

  “Where am I?”

  “You’s at Rose Hill, in the bach’lors’ quarter. Been here since yesterday when we found you out in them woods.”

  Levi closed his eyes. Yes, he remembered now. When he opened his eyes, Moses was smiling. “What are you grinning about?”

  Moses chuckled. “Just seein’ you with your eyes open and talkin’ be a real answer to prayer, suh.”

  “Is Banks here? What happened to Lopez?” He wanted to ask about Natalie, too, but he’d wait and speak with her himself.

  “Corporal Banks went on to the soldier camp a few hours ago, but he said he’d be back. Your men is still out lookin’ for that scoundrel Lopez, but they was able to catch two or three of his cowpokes tryin’ to hightail it to ol’ Mexico. I ’spect that where Lopez is headed too.”

  While the news wasn’t what he wanted to hear, Levi felt a measure of peace knowing Banks was handling things in his absence.

  “I have my Harriet pour you some broth. She has it nice an’ hot, waitin’ for you to wake up. That army doctah say you need to stay in bed a couple days befo’ you try and get up. Says that knot on yo’ head be troublesome if you don’t lie still.”

  Levi frowned. He’d rather be out looking for Lopez, but his head still pounded, and he couldn’t move his left arm. “I suppose I don’t have much choice.”

  Moses chuckled. “I be right back.”

  Levi let his head sink into the soft pillow and closed his eyes. He recalled the events that led him here. He’d need to get a report off to General Granger—if Banks hadn’t already taken care of it— alerting the commander to Lopez’s identity. That the cattle thief had been right under Levi’s nose didn’t sit well, but thankfully, he was no longer a problem. Even if he got away, Levi doubted Lopez would show his face in Texas again.

  A sound near the door brought his eyes open. Samuel’s mop of sandy hair peeked around the opening. A moment later, he stepped over the threshold. He had a streak of mud across the front of his overalls, and his feet were bare. The boy’s bright, curious eyes stared at him.

  “Hi, Samuel.” Levi smiled and motioned him inside.

  Samuel glanced toward the kitchen then entered the room. “Moses said you was awake.”

  “I am.”

  The boy sidled up to the bed, his big eyes taking in the bandage around Levi’s head and the one on his shoulder. “Mama said Señor Lopez was a bad man and that he hurt you. I’m not supposed to talk to him no more if he comes to Rose Hill.”

  Levi nodded. “That is all true.”

  “I’m glad.” Samuel inched his backend onto the edge of the mattress until he was sitting next to Levi’s leg. “I didn’t like him. Neither did Ebenezer. Carolina said Ebenezer bit Señor Lopez before he left.” The boy giggled.

  The sound brought a smile to Levi’s lips. “I always did like that dog.”

  “Samuel, what are you doing in here?”

  Natalie stood in the doorway looking as beautiful as ever. Her rounded blue eyes met his gaze, concern shining from their depths.

  “Look, Mama,” Samuel said, pointing to Levi with a pudgy finger. “The co’nel is awake.”

  Her eyes never left Levi’s. “Yes, I know. Moses told me.” A tremulous smile parted her lips. “It’s good to see you awake.”

  Her soft voice warmed him. “I’m happy to be awake, although I feel like I’ve been chewed up by an ol’ grizzly bear and spit out.”

  Samuel giggled.

  Natalie blinked several times. Was she fighting tears? He hadn’t intended to make her cry.

  Moses arrived with a bowl, steam rising from the contents. “Got some broth here, Colonel.” He glanced to Natalie, a question in his eyes.

  She shook her head. “Come along, Samuel. Let the colonel rest now. You can come visit him again later.”

  Samuel hopped off the bed. At the door, he turned to Levi. “
Maybe I can tell you a story later. I always rest good when Mama tells me a story.”

  Levi nodded. “I’d like that.” His gaze found Natalie again, but she’d already turned away.

  When they were gone, Moses settled into the chair next to the bed. “You think you can manage this here broth, or you want me to he’p you?”

  “Maybe if you put another pillow behind me, I can feed myself without spilling it.”

  Once Levi was propped up a bit, he tried to spoon the liquid while Moses held the bowl, but exhaustion and pain soon had his arm trembling. Ashamed, he let Moses take the utensil. “I guess I can’t do it.”

  “I happy to he’p.” He dipped the spoon into the broth and fed Levi like he was a baby. “You been through a lot. Don’t ’spect it such a bad thing to let someone else come alongside and he’p ’til you strong enough.”

  Levi had to admit the warm broth felt better sliding down his throat than dribbling off his chin. When he’d had his fill, he sat back, exhausted from the effort.

  “Thank you. I think I’ll rest now.”

  Moses nodded. “I be back after a while to check on you.”

  Sinking into the softness of the bed, Levi closed his eyes. His belly full of Harriet’s delicious chicken broth, he already felt a mite stronger. A few more days and he’d be up and about. In the meantime, he hoped Natalie would come see him. They needed to talk. About Lopez. About the plantations.

  But mostly, he grinned as he drifted off to sleep, he wanted to talk about marriage. Facing death out in the woods made him realize life was too short not to go after what a man wanted.

  And what Levi wanted was Natalie Langford Ellis.

  Samuel’s laughter rang out from the bachelor’s quarters.

  Despite sweat trailing down her back and the ache in her arms as she hung wet sheets on the line, Natalie smiled. Her son’s sunny disposition was truly a blessing. He’d taken to spending most of his days in the sick room, entertaining Levi. What they did during all those hours, she didn’t know. Levi had yet to send for her, and she didn’t feel comfortable visiting the bachelor’s quarters uninvited. Not only did her mother’s teachings on propriety keep her from it, but her own muddled feelings kept her away.

  Nearly losing Levi revealed how much he meant to her. More, she realized, than the plantations she’d fought so hard to hold on to the past four years. But after she’d refused his marriage proposal and then defended Alexander, despite the evidence that seemed so obvious now, she feared she may have missed her chance at happiness with the only man she’d ever loved.

  Looking up to the cloudless sky, she heaved a sigh. The army doctor came by that morning to check on Levi’s progress. According to Moses, the older man seemed pleased. He’d said Levi would be fit to travel the short distance to Langford Manor soon. While she was happy his injuries were mending, it would be lonely without him. She may not spend time visiting with him the way Samuel and Moses did, but just knowing he was there at Rose Hill brought her a measure of comfort.

  “Shore gonna be a hot one when this day get finished with us.” Carolina carried out yet another basket full of wet laundry. Ruth and Adline were working the paddles over the hot cauldron, stirring the laundry, so Natalie knew better than to complain about being out in the sun hanging the clean items.

  She wiped her brow with the back of her hand. “Days like this make me wish we could dip our feet in the creek, just for a few minutes, anyway.”

  Carolina eyed her, a mischievous quirk to her mouth. “What stoppin’ us? You the boss woman.”

  Natalie glanced toward the tree line behind the servants’ quarter where the creek gurgled through Rose Hill land. Carolina was right. No one was there to prevent them from enjoying a little fun.

  “I’ll race you!” Natalie tossed a pillowcase back into the basket and took off at a run, going as fast as the bulky skirt of her dress would allow.

  Carolina shrieked and soon overtook Natalie. She arrived at the bank first. In no time, they had their shoes and stockings off and waded into the cool water. Holding their skirts high, they laughed and wiggled their toes, with Carolina splashing out into the deeper part of the creek to cool her calves.

  “I haven’t done this since I was a young girl.” Natalie closed her eyes, relishing the feel of water flowing around her ankles and thinking of her childhood maid and companion. “Zina and I used to play in the creek at Langford Manor, but Mama didn’t approve after I started wearing long gowns. She said it wasn’t proper behavior for a young lady.”

  “I ’spect it must’a been hard always havin’ to follow all them rules,” Carolina said, wading back toward Natalie. “Us slaves, we got one rule to follow: obey the massa.”

  Natalie walked back to the bank and sat, keeping her wet feet away from her skirt and underthings. Carolina joined her.

  “I’m sorry you had to endure slavery, Carolina.” She hoped her soft words conveyed her sincerity.

  Carolina’s brow raised when she looked at Natalie. “Weren’t your fault, Miz Natalie. ’Sides, you done saved me when Massa Luther wants to sell me when he sell my mama and sisters.”

  “How did you know?”

  “Word travel mighty fast through the quarter ’bout such things, ’specially when Massa Luther breathin’ fire, sayin’ he gonna get rid of all the slaves Missy Ellis was partial to.” She looked at Natalie. “You been real good to me. I won’t never forget you.”

  “You won’t forget me? Are you going somewhere?” She had a suspicion she knew the answer.

  A shy smile filled Carolina’s face. “William—that Corporal Banks’ name—he done asked me to marry him. Just last night. Says all this business with the colonel gettin’ shot even though the war over has him thinkin’ it time to get outta the army and go back home.” She grinned, happiness radiating from her. “He want me to go to Mass’chusetts with him. Can you believe it? I gonna go north like all them Negroes talk about doin’ before freedom come.”

  A lump formed in Natalie’s throat. “I am very happy for you. When does Corporal Banks plan to leave?”

  “He say as soon as the colonel mends he gonna write to that general in Austin and see when his time be up. William say it best to get to Mass’chusetts before winter set in. I guess it get kinda cold up north.”

  Natalie laughed. “From what I hear, it gets very cold up there, with lots of snow. I hope you won’t freeze.”

  A sly grin crept up Carolina’s face. “I’ll have me a good man to keep me warm.”

  “Carolina! You mustn’t say such things out loud.” But the truth of her words made Natalie smile. Soon they were both giggling. When their laughter subsided, Natalie sighed. “I will miss you. You’ve become a dear friend.”

  When they returned to their chores, Natalie’s thoughts were on the future. Everyone, it seemed, was moving forward, embracing the new opportunities that unfurled before them. Moses felt called to preach the Gospel to the Negroes now that it wasn’t illegal to own a Bible and read. Carolina and William were making plans for their life together. Even Levi hoped to open his own carpentry shop and settle down once he returned to Pennsylvania.

  A longing to be by his side ran so deep it nearly took her breath away. She glanced at the bachelor’s quarters. All was quiet now, and she wondered if Samuel had fallen asleep, curled into Levi’s side as Moses found them yesterday afternoon. Could she find the courage to march into his room and declare her love for him? To tell him her home was with him, wherever that may be?

  Her heart pounded. What if he rejected her? What if her foolish, misplaced trust in Alexander had opened Levi’s eyes to the silly woman she truly was? She’d put the plantations and her need to control the future ahead of him, of his love. If she were to go to him now, laying her heart bare, and he spurned her, she’d be crushed. It was cowardly, but she simply couldn’t bear that kind of heartache.

  Looking west, she wondered if it were perhaps time to accept Adella’s invitation to visit them in Oregon. Samuel’s hal
f-sister, Mara, was there, and the two had never met. With slavery abolished, the girl could now live without fear of being brought back to Rose Hill as a slave. Perhaps a visit to see family would help Natalie sort out her future.

  Laughter came from the bachelor’s quarters.

  She heaved a sigh. A life in Oregon was not what she wanted. Only one thing—one man—could fill the longing in her heart.

  “God, I love Levi,” she whispered. “Give me the courage to tell him, come what may.”

  Levi scowled. He’d felt grouchy all morning. Endless hours of lying flat on his back were taking their toll. Samuel and Moses and even Banks did their best to amuse him with stories and jokes, but he was ready to get out of this bed and get on with his life. Doc said he could leave for Langford Manor tomorrow, which meant this was his last day at Rose Hill.

  And that, he realized, was the source of his surliness. Or rather, it was the mistress of Rose Hill who had him frustrated. Natalie had not been to see him since he woke up. Truth be told, it wounded his pride a bit that she cared so little that she didn’t come to check on him from time to time. When he inquired after her, Moses said she was keeping busy helping the servants with chores and tending to Samuel. The big man’s answer, however, did not fool Levi. She was avoiding him, pure and simple, and he wanted to know why.

  He leaned back against the pile of pillows Moses had crammed behind him earlier. His shoulder still thrummed with pain, but the dizziness and headaches had subsided enough for him to sit up without becoming nauseated.

  Mulling over the problem regarding Natalie’s absence, he was convinced it wasn’t because she didn’t have feelings for him. He knew better than that. The memory of their kisses played through his mind and warmed his blood. A woman like Natalie would not return such passion without experiencing emotions that went deeper than mere physical attraction.

  So why would she avoid him? One possibility arose in his mind.

  Over the past few days, he’d had plenty of time to consider how selfish it was to demand she leave the land her family had lived on for years. The plantations were her son’s legacy. He couldn’t take that away from Samuel. The reality was that if Levi wanted Natalie as his wife, he had to remain in Texas. And truthfully, the more he thought of going home to Pennsylvania without her, the more he realized he’d be miserable. He’d miss his family if he stayed, especially Ma and Pa, and he wouldn’t get to watch his nephew grow into a man, but his life and his future were with Natalie and Samuel.