Putting away the question for later, Camellia moved into the parlor, pulled out a chair, and sat next to her sister.
“Oh good. I can use an extra hand.” Lily nodded her head at the pile of starched linen and clean socks that hid the surface of the table in front of her. “I don’t know how I can get so far behind.”
Camellia made a face. “I’d rather be scrubbing the deck outside.”
“I know you’ve never enjoyed handwork, but surely you learned enough at La Belle to be able to sew a straight line.” Lily handed her a needle and some thread. “Why don’t you show me what they taught you?”
“I doubt you’ll be impressed.” Catching her tongue between her teeth, Camellia concentrated on threading the needle. Nostalgia brought a sad smile to her face as she recalled the day she’d sown her sampler to her skirt. Life had seemed so much simpler then … before she’d seen the ugly face of war. Camellia glanced toward her sister. “Do you ever wish you could go back into the past?”
Lily shook her head. “I’m happy to be where I am. If you spend time always looking back over your shoulder at what was, you’ll miss out on a lot.”
“I just wish things were not so complicated.”
“It’s true that adults have more responsibilities than children.” Lily inspected the napkin she was working on. “But many of our problems are as simple as theirs.”
Camellia huffed her disbelief.
“No, it’s true. We tend to think everything is complicated. Think about how the Pharisees tried to trip up Jesus. They asked him to list the commandments in order of importance.”
“How complicated could that be? There are only ten commandments, after all.”
Lily raised her eyebrows. “Whole volumes of laws have been written to support those ten rules, but that’s not even the point. Jesus pointed out a simple answer. He said that we must first love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. Secondly, we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. He told the Pharisees to forget about everything else and concentrate on those two things alone.”
“It can’t be that easy.”
“I didn’t say it was easy, Camellia. I said it was simple. Even the most ardent Christians may struggle at times with loving God with everything in them. And it’s extremely difficult to love someone who is trying to harm you.”
“But if everyone did the same thing …” Camellia let her voice trail off, trying to imagine a world without strife.
“Someday we will. When Christ comes again, everyone will bow to Him.”
Another thought occurred to her. “If everyone will bow to Him then, why do we worry about following His Word now? I mean, if everyone will be saved when He comes back, what difference does it make how we live?”
“I didn’t say everyone would be saved. Christ promised that some will claim to be His children, but He will not know them. Those pitiful souls will be separated from God for all eternity.” She shivered and reached for another cloth to mend. “I know you believe in God and that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for your sins, Camellia. Listen to God, always keeping your heart in repentance toward Him. Love Him and love the people around you. God will take care of the rest.”
It sounded too easy to Camellia. And how was she supposed to apply her sister’s advice to the problem she was facing? What answer was she going to give Thad the next time she saw him?
“Camellia, I’ve prayed a lot about your future.” Lily hesitated before continuing. “I worried that you might not have the right priorities in mind. But I’ve seen the difference in you since the beginning of the year, and I have confidence you are seeking the path God intends you to follow. It will not be the same path as mine or Jasmine’s, but that’s as it should be.”
Her sister’s words washed over Camellia like a cleansing flood. If Lily believed in her, she must be doing something right. The little voice trying to insist that she still didn’t know what to do was firmly squashed.
She didn’t need to make the decision today, after all. Once they arrived at Blake’s family home, they would probably stay at least a month. Perhaps she would figure out what to do before the voyage home.
“Heave to.” The order was punctuated by a blast from a cannon.
Blake bounded up the steps from the engine room, his gaze landing on Lily before swinging to the gunboat stationed near their bow. “Are you all right?”
Papa stared down at them from the hurricane deck. “You may want to shut off the boiler and weigh anchor before those fellows get nervous.”
Jensen appeared from the galley and moved toward the anchor, releasing the pin with a minimum of effort.
Blake disappeared down the steps into the engine room once again, and Lily heard the hiss of steam being vented. The paddle wheel stopped, and they were still in the water, ready to be boarded.
The tin-clad steamer, not much larger than the Water Lily, was fully outfitted for battle. Three large cannons poked muzzles through the tin that offered protection to the sailors manning them. She could still see smoke rising from the one that had fired a warning shot past them.
Both wooden decks and the pilothouse were encased in sheets of tin that would stop a hail of bullets. As she watched, sailors in dark blue poured from the interior of the ship, bayonetted rifles in their arms. Above them the familiar flag of the United States waved its colors.
Blake came up next to her and slipped a comforting arm around her waist. “You should probably go inside with Tamar and your sister while your father and I talk to the officers.”
“I’m not afraid of them.”
“That’s not the issue here, Lily.” Blake kept his tone light, but his fingers squeezed a warning. “I don’t want the captain or his men to be distracted. Let me show them our papers, and we’ll be on our way in no time. Both of us want to reach Cape Girardeau before the sun sets.”
She cupped his chin with her hand. “Just make sure you don’t get shot or impressed. I wouldn’t relish being left on the bank while the Union navy sails away with my boat.”
Camellia, Jasmine, and Tamar met her at the door to the parlor.
“What will happen now?” Camellia’s face was as white as a bleached napkin.
Tamar didn’t look as concerned as she had the night they crept into New Orleans to rescue Camellia and Jane. She stood next to the doorway, her legs spread and her arms crossed over her chest.
Lily encouraged them to sit down, enclosing Jasmine in her arms. The men would talk to the sailors, show them the papers that cleared the Water Lily for travel along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. Before leaving Natchez, she and Blake had signed sworn statements of fealty to the United States to receive their clearance. At the time she had thought it an unnecessary precaution to take. They had never been stopped by either side before. But now she was glad Blake had insisted.
The minutes passed slowly, but Lily took comfort in the fact that no one was shouting or shooting. She closed her eyes and prayed for the safety of their crew and the men on the gunboat. Peace blanketed her as she took her petition to God, and Lily opened her eyes.
Camellia had moved to the window and was watching the action through a slit in the curtains.
“What’s going on?”
“Not much. One of the Yankees—”
“Federals,” Lily corrected her sister.
Camellia sighed and started over. “One of the Federals is talking to Blake…. Now he’s going back to his boat…. Blake’s waving at our father…. I don’t see Jensen.”
The sound of the anchor chain as it was being wound back up told them what Jensen was doing.
“I’ll be back.” Lily released Jasmine, rose, and put her hand on the door, surprised when it moved under her hand. Had a deserter sneaked on board while the two boats were lying side by side? She took a step back, breathing a sigh of relief when Blake’s dark hair and blue eyes appeared.
“Are all of you going to lollygag in here the rest of the afternoon?” His smile teased he
r. “If this is the effect your debutante sister is going to have on you, we’ll have to leave her in Cape Girardeau.”
Lily rolled her eyes. “And to think I was praying for your safety.”
“And a good thing, too.” He caught her in a hug and dropped a quick kiss on her forehead. “That was the USS Rattler. Her captain is spoiling for a battle and seemed a bit put out that we weren’t blockade runners or spies.”
She looked at him more closely to see if he was still teasing. What she saw made her heart stutter. Whatever had transpired outside had been a close-run thing. Visions of Blake, Jensen, and Papa being carried off in chains while strangers in blue uniforms commandeered the Water Lily took form in her head. Lily closed her eyes and thanked God for His protection before following her husband to the engine room.
The sun had not quite sunk below the horizon as they passed under the guns of a fort south of Cape Girardeau and began looking for an overnight berth. The dock was crowded with warships—steamers, screw steamers, and schooners. All flew the Stars and Stripes, and most bore evidence of contact with Confederates.
They tied up at the end of a pier, and Blake met with the harbormaster before returning to report to the others. “He says we can stay here tonight, but tomorrow we’ll need to come back and move to make way for ships that are currently out on patrol.”
Lily nodded. “Does he know where your family is?”
“He’s heard of a sick preacher who lives a couple of miles downstream.”
“Do you think that’s him?”
Blake shrugged. “It’s as good a place to start as any. After we get the boat settled tomorrow morning, I’ll walk down there and see whether or not it’s my father’s home.”
Touching his arm, Lily gave him an encouraging smile. “I’m glad we’re finally here. As soon as we find your father, we’ll get him on the road to recovery.”
“I hope you’re right.” Blake put an arm around her waist. “But no matter what we find, I know God will help us face it.”
She rested her head on his shoulder. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
The kiss he dropped on her cheek was sweeter than honey. How blessed she was to have such a godly man as her husband.
Chapter Thirty-one
Blake pointed toward the river. “If we’re about to reach my father’s house, we could move the Water Lily over there and tie her up.”
Lily nodded. “It would be nice to have Papa, Jensen, and Tamar close at hand.”
Feeling a trickle of sweat down her back, Camellia wished they would reach the house. She had told Lily she could stay on the Water Lily as Jasmine was, but her older sister had insisted she wanted Camellia with her.
It seemed they had been walking an hour. At first Camellia had enjoyed the view of the colorful hills. The reds, golds, greens, and browns of the leaves made them look as though God had rained paint down on them. But all these months on board one riverboat or another had meant little walking. Her legs ached, she was huffing like a racehorse, and one of her hat pins was drilling a hole into her head.
“Is that it?”
Lily’s question brought her head up. A small house squatted at the end of a twisty lane. Camellia frowned. It looked like a face to her. The door was a nose flanked by two window “eyes.” The steps up to the porch looked like a mouth, and the roof continued the image with its brown shingles rising steeply above the porch in imitation of a head of hair. It was smaller than Lily and Blake’s boat.
Blake bounded up the steps and knocked on the front door, but Lily and Camellia waited on the lane behind him.
After a moment, the door opened a crack. Camellia thought it might be a woman who answered, but she wasn’t certain.
Blake said something, and the door flew open.
A girl about Camellia’s age flung herself into Blake’s arms and hugged him tightly. “It’s a miracle.”
Blake put his arms around her and bent his head. “How have you been, Anna?”
After a moment, he turned and waved to Lily and Camellia. “I have some special ladies I’d like you to meet.”
Camellia planted a smile on her lips as he performed the introductions. After hugging Lily and welcoming her to the family, Blake’s sister turned to her. “You’re ever so beautiful, Camellia. I hope we’re going to be good friends as well as sisters-in-law.”
She noticed Anna’s threadbare cuffs and the old-fashioned cut to the dress that was partially hidden by her apron. She looked tired, too, and her figure was certainly not as rounded as Camellia’s. But she did have a pleasant face and natural gracefulness. With a little time and effort, she could be made into a very presentable young lady. “I’m sure we will.”
Anna waved them into the house. “Aunt Tessie, come to the parlor. I have the most wonderful surprise for you.”
The older woman who came to greet them had silver-touched brown hair and light blue eyes. Her smile was warm and welcoming as she surveyed them. Then her expression froze as she recognized who stood in the doorway to the parlor. “Ezekiel.” Joy rose in her face like the first rays of the morning sun. “You’ve come home to us.”
Ezekiel? Camellia saw the frown on Blake’s face even though it was quickly absorbed into a smile of recognition. “Aunt Tessie, you’ve not aged a day since I was fourteen.”
She waved a hand at him. “Go on with you, Ezekiel. You still haven’t lost that slick tongue of yours.”
“Aunt Tessie.” Anna’s voice brimmed with concern. “You know Blake prefers to be called by his middle name.”
“I know, I know. But old habits die hard. You’ll always be Ezekiel to me, dear, but I’ll try to remember.” Blake’s aunt hugged him before turning to Lily and Camellia. “And who are these lovely ladies?”
“This is my wife, Lily, and Camellia, her—”
Aunt Tessie’s shriek interrupted him. “You’ve gone and gotten married!”
Camellia watched, bemused, as Blake’s aunt pulled Lily out of her curtsy and wrapped her in an enthusiastic embrace. Then it was her turn to be bear-hugged. At least she could set aside the concern that her family might embarrass Blake. If this lady was any indication, his family had at least as many eccentric characters as hers.
“God bless the two of you for bringing Ezek—” She halted and shook her head. “Blake back to us.”
The parlor was small. A sofa, whose worn covering was imperfectly disguised by several doilies, looked like a castoff. The rest of the furniture looked old, too, including several wooden chairs that boasted neither cushion nor upholstery. At least the tables in the room gleamed with furniture polish, somewhat softening the air of spartan frontier existence.
Camellia and Lily sat next to each other on the sofa, leaving sufficient room for Blake to join them. Anna and Aunt Tessie took two of the straight-backed chairs.
“You’re an answer to prayer.” Anna twisted her hands in her apron.
“Pa?” Blake’s voice trembled with the single syllable.
Anna looked out the window for a minute as though gathering her thoughts. “He’s growing weaker every day. After the accident, his leg wouldn’t heal, and the doctor had to … had to remove it. Since then, it seems he’s lost the will to live.” She put a hand up and swiped at a tear.
“I’ve tried every remedy I know to help him recover, but your father’s an obstinate man.” The aunt continued the explanation while Anna recovered her composure. “I’m at my wits’ end, as is your sister. But perhaps all that is about to change now. Maybe seeing you will give him a reason to get out of his bed and resume his life.”
Blake’s face looked as though it had turned to stone. Wasn’t that why they were here? Lily had told her that Blake and his father had had an argument years ago. This trip was supposed to give him a chance to make amends. So why did he look so frozen? “I won’t feed his ego just to keep him alive.”
The words fell into the silent room, and Camellia wished she could be somewhere else. Was there s
omething she could say to diffuse the tension? The weather? The trip to Cape Girardeau? Nothing seemed appropriate, so she kept her gaze trained on her lap and waited.
“No one’s asking you to lie to Pa.” Anna stood and paced across the room, her stride too wide to be considered proper for a young lady. Mrs. Dabbs would have corrected her, but no one said a word in this parlor. “But I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive him for whatever wrong he’s done to you.”
Blake stood and walked to his sister. Camellia looked up and caught the determined look on her brother-in-law’s face. “I’ll do my best.” His words, like his face, were filled with determination. “That’s all I can promise.”
Anna reached up and touched his cheek. “That’s all anyone can ask of you.”
“How long will you and your family be staying with us?” The aunt turned her attention to Lily.
Lily glanced at her husband for an answer, but he was still talking to his sister. “I’m not really certain. We weren’t sure what the situation would be. The note Blake received was rather cryptic.”
“You received a note?”
“Yes.” Lily took a deep breath. “The note said Reverend Matthews was very sick and that y’all needed Blake’s support.”
A frown appeared on the aunt’s face. “I wonder who sent the note? It had to be someone who knows us and who knew Blake and where he was.”
Lily shrugged. “I’m just glad whoever it was took the time to let us know. Blake would have been distraught if he’d learned about this when it was too late to help.”
“We’ll be happy to have you as long as you’ll stay.” Anna left her brother and walked to the door. “I’m going to let Pa know you’re here before I leave for my job at Devore’s. I’ll be back before dark.”
“Oh no.” Her aunt also stood. “Your lunch is not ready yet. I forgot all about it in the excitement.”
The two of them exited the room.
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