Carried Forward By Hope

by Ginny Dye

  “Me too,” Moses said wryly.

  Thomas laughed. “Just be willing to change. I could never have guessed the roads I have gone down in the last four years. I can’t say the journey was always fun, but I’m grateful for the destination.” He paused, a wide smile on his face. “All I know is that at this very moment I have made an agreement for you to become the co-owner of Cromwell Plantation. I don’t know about you, but that’s plenty to keep my brain cells occupied for a while.”

  Moses shook off his thoughts about Rose as he let Thomas’s words sink in. “I do believe I would like to go talk to my wife,” he said, a wide grin splitting his face.

  ******

  Abby was waiting at the foot of the stairs when Carrie came down with the breakfast tray. “How is Robert this morning?”

  Carrie smiled. “Peaceful,” she said slowly. “Absolutely peaceful.” She had a look of wonder on her face. “I wasn’t sure I would ever see him this way again. He and Amber have read two books already.” She glanced down at the tray. “And he ate a full breakfast,” she murmured, raising shining eyes to Abby’s face. “I do believe my husband is going to get well,” she whispered.

  Abby stepped forward to give her a warm hug. “Your determination to bring Amber here has made all the difference.”

  Carrie stared at her. “Yes…but I was so frightened that it wouldn’t work. I almost didn’t do it.”

  “But you did,” Abby said gently. “My grandmother asked me one time to think about who the happier woman would be — one who braved the storm of life and truly lived, or one who stayed securely on shore and merely existed.”

  “I already know how you answered.”

  “Yes,” Abby mused. “Her words gave me the courage to leave home, but there have been other times I’ve forgotten my answer and decided to stay on shore. I’ve always regretted not taking the risks. I hope I’ve learned to never do that again, but life can be scary. It’s easy to want to hunker down where you believe it’s safe.”

  Carrie listened carefully. “I have a feeling all of life is nothing but taking one risk after the other.”

  “At least it’s never boring,” Aunt Abby said lightly.

  “Do you feel you’re taking a risk by marrying my father?”

  Abby looked at Carrie closely and smiled. “Any time you choose to love you risk not being loved in return. You risk pain and you risk failure. But…” She laid her hand on Carrie’s cheek. “…the risk must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.”

  Carrie took a deep breath and nodded. “You’re right,” she said softly.

  “Why are you thinking about this so much?”

  Carrie held her gaze. “Because if Robert doesn’t get better, I have nothing else to try. I keep thinking about things that will bring him back to life. I know he thinks constantly about Oak Meadows. He talks about it during his dreams.”

  “And if he gets well and wants to go back to Oak Meadows?”

  Carrie flushed. “Sometimes I wish you couldn’t see through me quite so easily.” She shook her head. “But I wouldn’t want it any other way.” She walked over to the open front door and stared out over the pastures. “I don’t know,” she finally answered. “I don’t know that it would bother me. Father doesn’t need me here anymore. And I…” Her voice trailed off.

  “Have you been reading the medical books Dr. Strikener sent?”

  “Every night. I am learning so much. The advances in medicine during the last four years have been astounding.”

  “And your desire to become a doctor is growing more intense,” Abby finished for her.

  “Yes.” Carrie knew it would be pointless to deny it. “I’m content for now, but…”

  “You’re thinking it will be helpful to spend your time worrying about what is going to happen, or not happen,” Abby said bluntly.

  Carrie stared at her and then laughed. “And that is such a pointless way to destroy an otherwise glorious day.”

  “One could look at it that way,” Abby murmured, her eyes shining with empathy. She took hold of Carrie’s hands. “I don’t know how the path of your life is going to unfold any more than I know how my own path will unfold. All I know for certain is that I can trust God to walk it with me. I also know that if I spend more time listening than I do talking, I’ll figure it out as I go along. I believe you will too, Carrie.”

  The sound of carriage wheels had them gazing down the road.

  “We’re not expecting anyone,” Carrie said as she walked out to the end of the porch. She shaded her eyes so she could see against the glare of the sun. Suddenly she let out a whoop of joy and dashed down the stairs. “It’s Matthew!” she called over her shoulder.

  Abby, Rose, Jeremy, Opal, Sam, and Annie had joined the welcoming party by the time Matthew brought his carriage to a halt.

  Carrie breathed a sigh of relief when Matthew jumped out of the carriage with a smile. Whatever had happened on the Sultana had not left a visible injury. He looked like his old self. “Matthew!” she cried as she launched herself into his arms. “You’re finally here!”

  “And staying for a while, unless your father gets tired of me and kicks me out.”

  Carrie looked closer and saw the strain in his eyes that went with his tired voice. “You will never be kicked out,” she said firmly. “Father has been as anxious as I have been for you to arrive.”

  Abby stepped forward to wrap Matthew in a warm hug. “My dear boy,” she murmured. “It is so wonderful to see you.”

  Matthew grinned and hugged her back. “I’m surprised you’re still here,” he admitted. “I thought you would be back in the city by now.”

  “I prefer to wait until Thomas can join me,” Abby said lightly. “I find I prefer to start my new life in Richmond with my new husband by my side.” Her eyes danced with fun.

  “What?” Matthew exclaimed as he looked at Carrie.

  Carrie laughed. “It’s true! Father and Abby are getting married on July fifteenth, and then they will be leaving the plantation to build the factory.”

  “Well…”

  Rose launched herself forward. “You can hear all about the love affair later,” she proclaimed as she kissed him on the cheek. “I think the woman who is about to be a mama again should have gotten the first hug.”

  Matthew laughed loudly. “Congratulations! Another baby to join little John? I bet Moses is about to pop with pride.”

  “About more than that,” Rose murmured, pulling away with a teasing grin. “But I’ll let him tell you the rest of the news.”

  Matthew glanced up at the porch then. “Sam! Opal! It’s good to see both of you.” He strode up on the porch to shake Sam’s hand and give Opal a hug. “I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about your pies, Opal.” He looked hopefully toward the kitchen.

  “I got some strawberry pies about to come out,” Opal assured him. “But it’s a good thing you got here now. I’s leaving in just a few days to head to Philadelphia. I’m gettin’ married to my Eddie and going north to start my very own restaurant!”

  “Good for you!” Matthew cried. He bent down to look at Annie. “I don’t believe we’ve met,” he said cordially.

  “Nope, but I done been hearing a whole lot about you from my boy,” Annie responded.

  Matthew gazed at her and his eyes grew wide. He looked back at Rose, breaking into laughter again when she nodded her head. “You’re Annie? You’re Moses’s mama?”

  “I sho ‘nuff be!”

  “He found you,” Matthew whispered. “He’s been talking about finding you ever since I’ve known him.”

  “Found both me and Sadie,” Annie announced proudly. “You go sit down on that chair over there,” she commanded. “I’ll be bringing you out some ham biscuits and tea to go with that strawberry pie Opal is dishing up.”

  “I have died and gone to heaven,” Matthew murmured as he followed orders.

  “You learn quickly,” Jeremy said, walking over to shake hands. �
�Everyone has learned it’s just easier to do whatever Annie says.”

  “Moses came by his order-giving honestly, eh?” Matthew asked with a wide smile. He gazed at Jeremy. “So, what’s your—”

  Suddenly a head popped out of the window above them. “How am I supposed to read to Robert if all of you be making so much noise? I need you to be a little quieter!”

  Matthew stared up as the little head disappeared again. “And that would be?”

  Carrie laughed. “That would be Amber. She came from Maryland with her parents and brother.”

  Matthew’s eyes grew even wider. “The family that took care of Robert after he was shot?”

  “The same,” Carrie assured him. “Amber has taken over Robert’s care.”

  “And…?”

  Carrie could tell Matthew wanted to ask so many questions but was afraid how she would respond if the answers weren’t good ones. “She is working wonders,” Carrie assured him happily. “Robert is sitting up and talking, reading books, eating full meals…”

  “Is he—?”

  “Walking yet? Not yet, but I’m sure Amber will know when it’s time.”

  Amber’s head popped out again. “You got that right, Carrie. Now why don’t alls of you go inside and leave us in peace!”

  “Mercy,” Matthew murmured, his eyes dancing with laughter. “I hope the women get the vote soon. I have a feeling Amber should be running for something important.”

  Everyone laughed as they moved into the house. Annie bustled out of the kitchen with a platter full of food. “I thought I done tole you to stay in that rocker,” she snapped.

  “Yes, ma’am, you did,” Matthew said hastily, “but Amber told us we were making too much noise.”

  Annie scowled. “I declare…that little girl done think she runs all of us.”

  Jeremy grinned. “She does run all of us!” He indicated toward the back of the house. “How about if we take this party into the backyard?

  ******

  “I’m afraid I have some bad news, Carrie,” Matthew said once they had settled down in chairs in the backyard.

  “What is it?” she asked quietly, glad everyone she loved most was with her to hear it. Still, she braced herself for whatever was about to take a piece of her heart.

  “Robert’s mother and aunt have both passed away.”

  “Both of them!” Carrie gasped. “When?”

  “His aunt passed away right before the war ended. His mother, not wanting to be on the plantation alone, went into Charlottesville. She caught pneumonia and passed away in May.”

  Tears filled Carrie’s eyes. She knew how much Robert had wanted to see his mother and aunt again.

  “I knew how much Robert would want news about them, so I went through there on my way here,” Matthew explained. “One of his neighbors told me what had happened.”

  “Thank you,” Carrie said softly. “Oak Meadows?”

  “It is fine,” Matthew said firmly.

  “Because of you,” Carrie murmured. “Thank you,” she said again. She took a deep breath. “I will not tell him now,” she said firmly. “He needs to be stronger.”

  Abby nodded when Carrie looked at her for affirmation. “He will have to be told, but certainly not right now.”

  Silence fell on the group. The only sounds were the buzzing of bees as they flitted from flower to flower along the edge of the yard. Even the birds and squirrels were silent, lulled into complacency by the summer heat.

  Abby was the first to break the silence. “Will you tell us about the Sultana?” she asked softly, her heart squeezing with pain when she saw the look on Matthew’s face.

  “I can’t,” he finally said in a broken voice. “I wrote a series of stories for the Philadelphia Tribune before I resigned. I’ve brought them with me. It’s just…”

  “Too difficult to talk about,” Abby said gently as she laid a hand on his arm. “I understand.”

  “Perhaps…” Matthew murmured.

  “Perhaps you will feel like talking about it someday, and perhaps you won’t,” Abby finished for him. “It doesn’t matter. The only thing that is important is that you are here with us.”

  The haunted look finally faded from Matthew’s face again. “It’s good to be here,” he managed.

  Carrie’s heart ached for him, but she knew only time could heal the memories and scars. All of them had read the most recent newspaper accounts of the accident, but there hadn’t been a lot of information. No one seemed to want to talk about the deadliest maritime disaster in the United States history. She could almost understand. The country wanted to celebrate the end of the war and mourn the death of their beloved president. There just didn’t seem to be enough emotional energy to handle more.

  “Is that horse pulling your carriage any good under a saddle?” Carrie asked suddenly, knowing Matthew would benefit from a hard ride.

  “I’m told he is,” Matthew replied. A smile flitted across his mouth, though his eyes remained somber.

  “I’m taking Granite out for a ride. Has the war made you too soft to keep up?” she challenged, knowing competition would light the fire in her friend. She laughed when Matthew’s eyes sparked.

  “Soft?” he scoffed. “How about if I agree to take it easy on you?”

  “You do that,” Carrie said loftily. “Granite and I will just let you wonder what is happening when a gray blur flies past you.”

  ******

  Abby smiled when she watched Matthew and Carrie return from the barn, both of them relaxed and laughing. She was sure Carrie had taken Matthew down to her place by the river to let him take advantage of its healing qualities.

  Thomas came to stand beside her. “Does Carrie have any idea Matthew is in love with her?” he asked quietly.

  “No,” Abby said sharply. “How did you know?”

  “It’s not so hard to read his eyes,” Thomas answered. “I’ve known for a long time. Just as I’ve known he would never say anything because of Robert.”

  “Matthew is a man of honor,” Abby said with quiet pride. “Carrie is lucky to have two men who love her so much.”

  Thomas glanced up and lowered his voice even more, but still the anger snapped through. “If Robert loves her so much he needs to get out of that bed.”

  Abby looked at him quickly. “You’re angry?”

  “I’m trying to not be, but it’s hard. She is giving everything she has to him. I’m not sure he’s doing the same.” He took a deep breath. “I ache for what Robert went through, but I ache for Carrie as well. I’m sure there are plenty of times she has wanted to curl up and simply quit living, but she has always found a way to press through.”

  “Women are stronger than men, you know,” Abby said quietly.

  “Your voice is teasing,” Thomas observed, “but your eyes tell me you mean that.”

  “Why else would God have chosen women to bear children?” Abby said lightly. “The world would be quite under-populated if the job had been left up to men.”

  Thomas snorted with laughter. “I would like to refute that logic, but I’m afraid I can’t.”

  Abby smiled. “Give Robert a little more time. I believe he is going to come out of this and that when he does, he is going to be the strong, loving husband Carrie deserves. He will feel badly enough about how he fell apart. He won’t need anyone to tell him he fell short.”

  “Especially not his father-in-law,” Thomas said ruefully, squeezing her hand with gratitude before he stepped to the edge of the porch. “Hello, you two. Just how badly did Granite and Carrie put you in your place, Matthew?”

  Matthew grimaced. “Let’s just say it wasn’t pretty. You need to get some horses out here that can give that Thoroughbred some competition, Thomas. He’s getting too cocky. I swear I heard him laughing when he flew past.”

  “That was me,” Carrie said smugly.

  Thomas laughed and hugged Matthew warmly. “It’s good to have you here, my boy.”

  “Not half as good as it
is to be here,” Matthew responded fervently.

  “You’re welcome for as long as you want to stay,” Thomas replied. “I find I rather like Cromwell Plantation acting as a hotel. Especially—”

  “Especially when the visitors bring news from the outside,” Abby finished for him. “I have so many questions for you, Matthew.”

  “Let’s dig into them,” Matthew said, smiling when Rose and Moses moved out onto the porch. He jumped up and gave Moses an exuberant embrace. “So you’re going to be a father again? Congratulations!”

  “You are also looking at the new co-owner of Cromwell Plantation,” Thomas informed him. “Abby and I are moving back into Richmond after the wedding to build the factory. Moses will be in charge out here.”

  Matthew grinned, but Abby caught something in his eyes that made her tense. “What is it, Matthew?”

  “Nothing. I think it’s wonderful Moses will be running the plantation,” he protested. “No one could do a better job.”

  Moses stared into his eyes. “Abby is right. Something is bothering you. You know better than to think you can hide something from us,” he chided. “What is it?”

  “I’m afraid there will be trouble,” Matthew finally admitted.

  “Why?” Thomas demanded.

  “Because you’re doing things differently than your neighbors are doing them, or want to do them. They are going to be threatened.”

  “Not my problem,” Thomas said sternly.

  “Until it becomes your problem,” Matthew persisted.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Thomas took a deep breath. “Why don’t you tell us what’s going on?”

  “Southern planters believe their prosperity and their survival depend upon their ability to command labor,” Matthew began. “The conflict is growing as the freed slaves seek to control their lives, while the plantation owners attempt to re-create a disciplined labor force.”

  “Meaning they are trying to make things as much like slavery as possible,” Moses said bluntly. “They’re okay with calling it something different, as long as things don’t really change.”