Impending Love and War

by Laura Freeman

He was sculptured like a marble statue, and she felt soft and yielding in his presence. But he had raised the wrong arm. “The wound is on the other side.”

  “The pain must be spreading.” He flexed his left arm.

  She squatted and balanced herself by grasping his thigh.

  Tyler groaned.

  “I haven’t even touched it.” Cory tugged on the bandage, and Tyler grimaced. The soiled rag was stuck. She wrung the towel from the basin and dampened the bandage, easing it loose from the wound. “It’s beginning to heal.” She wiped away a bit of blood. “Once it scabs over, you can take off the bandage.”

  Tyler held the square of cloth while Cory wrapped a new strip of her former petticoat around his chest. He sat motionless while she worked. “I hope you remember me fondly after I’m gone.”

  “I’ll dream about you every night.” She had meant the words to be mocking but feared the truth behind them.

  He frowned. “I wouldn’t want you to lose any sleep because of me.”

  “Then I won’t.” Her anger matched his and fled as quickly. She wanted their parting to be amiable. “Keep the wound clean and don’t do anything strenuous until it’s healed.”

  Tyler examined the new bandage and tested the flexibility of his arm. “Your father taught you well.”

  Cory scrunched her face and tossed the soiled bandages into the basin. “My sister Jennifer is much better at handling all the blood and guts. I prefer teaching.”

  “What do you enjoy about teaching?”

  Cory smiled. “It always amazes me when one of my students puts together the words on the page and realizes it all makes sense. What about you? Do you enjoy being a lawyer?”

  “I apprenticed for a Boston firm in my second year of law school. Their philosophy was to keep the rich wealthy. When a client wanted to foreclose on a poor family because they couldn’t pay their rent, I wanted to quit the case. I wish I had.”

  “You didn’t?”

  “I was warned that even if I did graduate, I wouldn’t have any references to find work with the prestigious law firms of Boston or New York. I saw my future evaporating and kept my mouth shut. The family was evicted from their home, and I was offered a position with Brennan, Brewster, and Waxman.”

  “Is that who you work for?”

  “For about four months after I passed the bar exam. Then fate had other plans.”

  Cory handed him his shirt. “You’re unemployed?”

  Tyler slipped his left arm carefully into the sleeve. “I bet Douglas looks mighty tempting by comparison.”

  “So what are you going to do now?”

  “I’m going to see what the world has to offer a young man with a good education, no responsibilities, and a lack of any moral constraints.” He grinned. “Be warned, Miss Beecher, I’m a man of the world, a cad, a threat to young women like yourself.”

  Cory had thought the same thing last night but knew better. In a few more years, he might fulfill his self-description. She played along and shouted to a non-existent crowd. “Lock up your daughters! Tyler Montgomery is in town.”

  Chapter Eight

  Tyler stood and buttoned his shirt. How could Cory take his confessions so lightly? If she knew the truth about his family, she wouldn’t be laughing. But she didn’t know his past or the burden of hiding it. He enjoyed her lighthearted teasing but wasn’t going to let her think she had the upper hand.

  “Your mocking will not go unpunished.” He grabbed the basin of dirty water and threatened to toss it on her.

  “You’ll ruin my dress.” She raised her hands to shield herself.

  Tyler swept the pan past her without spilling a drop. “You look very pretty,” he complimented. “But I don’t like your hair.”

  Cory’s hands touched her coiffure. “What’s wrong with it?”

  “I like a few curls hanging free to tickle my nose when I kiss you.”

  Cory backed against the wall as he stepped closer.

  “Food is getting cold!” Adelaide called out.

  “Food!” Tyler opened the door.

  Cory stood where she was. “Aren’t you going to…”

  “Kiss you?” He shrugged. “Maybe later. I’m hungry now.”

  Cory stomped into the kitchen behind him and shoved him when he didn’t move out of her way. Tyler stood firm like a brick wall. He enjoyed baiting her temper to the surface. He wondered if her lively retorts were muted in parlor conversations. Did Douglas appreciate her outspoken opinions? He doubted it.

  She shoved his back again. This time he stumbled forward and knocked over a chair with his vest and jacket draped over it. They fell to the floor.

  “Are you all right?”

  He heard the worry in her voice and felt sheepish about faking the trip. He picked up his clothes and righted the chair. “I better dress.”

  “I need to iron those.”

  “A few wrinkles won’t hurt.”

  “It’s a poor reflection on my skills,” she defended.

  “I have no doubt about your skills.” He stood aside for her to precede him into the dining room.

  “I’m sure my skills pale next to Reggie’s.” She nodded toward the vest. “Her needlework is excellent.”

  She had misunderstood his innuendo or had chosen to ignore it. “Mrs. Yoder taught her. She made it for my graduation from Harvard College three years ago.”

  “Her husband didn’t mind?”

  He recognized the sarcasm. Was she jealous? “She wasn’t married then.”

  Cory picked at her food while Tyler attacked breakfast like it was his last meal. He debated whether to put Cory out of her misery. Reggie had only given him the vest to make her future husband jealous. He wore it as a reminder that women were liars and not to be trusted. Reggie had placed wealth and security above any feelings she had for him. She had wounded him, and he had sworn never to become emotionally entangled deeply enough to feel the blade of betrayal slicing through his heart. So why was he flirting with Cory?

  He wanted Cory physically more than he had ever wanted any woman, but his feelings went deeper than the lust that erupted every time he looked at her. She made him smile with her presence, especially now when she was pouting about not being kissed. She hadn’t seen Adelaide peeking out the window. Now she was jealous because of a stupid vest. He would never understand women.

  ****

  Once the meal was finished, Tyler would leave, and Cory would never see him again. Her appetite had fled, and she toyed with the cold egg on her plate. Should she ask him to write? She could send him an invitation to her wedding. Would that amuse him? Would he laugh when Douglas took her to the bedroom and closed the door? She put her fork down and stared at her food. She felt sick. She looked up to see Tyler studying her. Or was it the food on her plate. He’d eaten everything on his.

  “If your appetite is any indication, you’re well enough to travel.” Adelaide gathered the dishes from the table.

  Tyler carried his plate and silver into the kitchen. “I can’t thank you enough for your hospitality.”

  “Cory has some errands to run. She can drop you off in town.”

  “I need to repay you for your kindness.”

  “You’ve done enough,” Adelaide said. “How did a lawyer learn about working a farm?”

  “I lived with the Yoders. They’re Quakers who believed in hard work. Besides farming, Mr. Yoder is a blacksmith and taught me about horses, wagons, and bending iron.”

  “You’re a blacksmith?” Adelaide asked.

  “Only as an apprentice during the summers when I returned home from school.”

  Cory realized Tyler was seeking information, but Adelaide was tightlipped.

  “I’m not the only one Mr. Yoder trained as a blacksmith,” Tyler continued. “He trained a black man named Noah, who worked in his smithy.”

  “Your slave?” Cory finished bringing in the dishes.

  “I didn’t think Quakers believed in slavery.” Adelaide added hot water to the b
asin she used for washing dishes.

  “They don’t.”

  Cory handed her the plates. “But the flier said Noah was a runaway slave.”

  “It’s complicated,” Tyler said. “I need to know if he was here.”

  Adelaide squared her frail shoulders. “I don’t know anything about your slave.”

  “I have to find him.”

  Cory grabbed her apron from the wall hook. “We won’t help you.”

  A loud knock on the front door interrupted their stand-off.

  “Who is that?” Adelaide dried her hands.

  “Wait!” Tyler looked out the window above the dry sink. “It’s the Cassell brothers.”

  “Who are they?” Cory tried to look around him. He stepped aside. Two men stood in the front yard. They were dressed in frayed wool pants, dull gray cotton shirts, and well-worn broadcloth coats. Their hats were slouched low over their weathered faces.

  “They’re chasers.”

  Cory grabbed Adelaide’s arm. “What should we do?”

  Adelaide patted her hand. “We have nothing to be afraid of.”

  “Where’s your pistol?” Tyler demanded.

  “I reloaded it and put it in the desk drawer.” Adelaide led the way to the parlor and retrieved the revolver from the desk. Tyler stayed back from the windows and held out his hand for the gun. Adelaide refused to give it to him.

  Cory stayed out of view but looked through the panes of glass surrounding the front door. She turned to the others and whispered, “The man at the door is well-dressed.”

  “Blonde hair with a long mustache?” Tyler asked.

  Cory nodded.

  Tyler stepped into the shadows near the wall. “Don’t tell him I’m here.”

  “Do you know him?”

  “The two men in the yard are Buck and Clyde Cassell. They make a living chasing down runaways. The man on the porch is probably Edward Vandal. He’s hired them in the past.”

  He knocked again.

  “He’s not going away.” Adelaide looked at Cory. “Do you want me to talk to him?”

  “No, I can get rid of him.” Cory took a deep breath and opened the door.

  Edward Vandal was dressed in a bleached white suit with red velvet piping along the edge of the wide lapels. He wore a silk embroidered vest of multi-colored birds stitched with a skill matching Tyler’s vest. He had deep set eyes and an angular bump on his narrow nose.

  The chasers stood back on the lawn with legs apart, arms at their sides. One of them spat tobacco juice while the other scratched at his scraggly brown beard. They both carried revolvers on their hips, and one sported a large knife sticking out of the top of his boot.

  “Miss.” Edward spoke in a lazy drawl as he swept his wide-brimmed straw hat from his head. He stepped back off the porch to allow room for her wide skirt as she came outside. Cory left the door open so Adelaide and Tyler could overhear.

  His blonde hair was straight and reached his collar. He squinted dark eyes against the bright sun as he studied her in the shadows of the front porch. “I hope I’m not disturbing you. I do apologize.” Edward had crooked front teeth below a thick drooping mustache.

  Tyler had a hint of Southern regionalism in his dialect, tempered by years at Harvard, but Edward took pride in his accent and emphasized the difference.

  “I’d invite you inside, but we’re in mourning.” Cory pointed to the wreath of pinecones with a large, black ribbon on the opened front door.

  “I’m sorry for your loss.” He bowed. “My name is Edward Vandal from Vandalia, Virginia.”

  “Vandalia?” Cory blurted out. Tyler was from Vandalia.

  His face remained bland. “It’s named for my family. My grandfather fought with George Washington during the American Revolution and was rewarded with land in western Virginia.”

  “My ancestors were blacksmiths during the Revolution. They kept the men armed against the British. I’m Miss Courtney Beecher.”

  “Beecher?” Edward repeated. “The Connecticut Beechers?”

  “Formerly of Connecticut. My father came to Ohio as a young man to practice medicine.”

  “Then you’re not related to Harriet Beecher Stowe?”

  “Have you read Uncle Tom’s Cabin?”

  Edward looked like he was going to be ill.

  Cory was accustomed to this reaction from pro-slavery advocates and had devised a lighthearted reply. “We’re both related to the first white man to die in Connecticut, John Beecher,” she explained. “I believe Miss Stowe is a distant cousin, but I’ve never met her.”

  “I hope you are not prone to tales of fiction like your cousin. I would like some honest answers.”

  Cory lifted her chin. “No one has ever questioned my honesty.”

  He put one foot on the bottom step to the porch. “I’m looking for a young woman. She’s in a bit of trouble, and I want to help her.”

  “Do you mean she’s in a family way?” Cory whispered.

  “No!” He hesitated. “But she has a baby with her.”

  “Yours?”

  “Of course not! She’s a servant girl. About eighteen. Have you seen them?”

  Cory frowned. “I don’t know. What does she look like?”

  “She’s petite with braided black hair and medium skin color. She goes by the name of Tess.”

  Cory shook her head. “I haven’t seen anyone like that. Have you talked to Sheriff Carter? He takes note of any strangers in Darrow Falls.”

  “Yes, he said no one fitting that description has been seen around town, but he’d notify me if anyone reports seeing the girl and babe.”

  “He believes in upholding the law. I’m sure he’ll help you if he can.”

  “I apologize for disturbing you.” Edward stepped back and made a low elegant bow.

  Cory had a nagging suspicion. “Mr. Vandal, why did you think she was here?”

  “A man staying at the same inn I’m patronizing inquired about Glen Knolls. Has a stranger been by? He’s tall, broad in the shoulders, and has steely blue eyes. His name is Tyler Montgomery.”

  Cory tried not to react. “Is he a runaway?”

  “He’s white trash,” Edward said, “but fancies himself a gentleman.”

  Cory shook her head. “I don’t know of anyone who fits that description.”

  “One more question, if I may. Have you seen a tall black man? Goes by the name of Noah.”

  She sighed and tapped her foot against the porch boards. “Another servant?”

  “He belongs to Tyler,” Edward said. “Noah ran away after my girl did. They might be together.”

  “Mr. Vandal, this is a farmhouse with a widow in mourning not the local tavern. We see few visitors unless you count Mr. Douglas Raymond. He’s my suitor and hopefully, future husband.”

  “Congratulations, Miss Beecher.”

  “That’s a little premature,” she corrected. “He hasn’t proposed, yet.”

  “A lovely woman like you,” he complimented. “He’d be a fool not to.”

  “Thank you. I’m afraid I’ve forgotten my manners. Would you or your men like something to drink?”

  “We must be on our way.” He nodded to the chasers, and they headed for their horses tied to the post under the elm.

  “Good luck with your search,” she called to him. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you more.”

  He turned. “Well, if you hear anything about them, I’m staying at the Darrow Falls Inn.”

  “Say hello to Mrs. Stone for me.”

  He paused on the slate walkway. “Mrs. Stone?”

  “She and her husband own the Darrow Falls Inn.”

  “Oh, yes,” he said. “She likes to talk.”

  Chapter Nine

  Paula Stone loved to gab and placed great value on being the initial bearer of any news. Tyler must have asked her about Glen Knolls, which led him and Edward here. Cory watched as the three men rode off before she stepped inside. Tyler closed the door and leaned against it. He didn�
�t look happy. “Do you enjoy torturing men? Why did you offer him a drink?”

  “It would have been rude not to,” she excused. “He said he was from Vandalia. The same as you. How well do you know him?”

  “Edward and I lived in Vandalia most of our lives. I’m the one who broke his nose.”

  Adelaide sat in her rocker, the pistol in her lap. “Why did you ask Paula Stone about Glen Knolls?”

  He looked at the desk near the window. “Where’s the flier I brought?”

  Cory searched the drawers.

  “You placed it your apron pocket,” Adelaide said.

  Cory fetched the flier and handed it to Tyler. “Don’t you know what your own flier says?”

  “I didn’t print this flier. Edward did.”

  “Why?”

  “To find Tess. Noah left Vandalia to find her, and Edward has been trailing him. He put a bounty on his head.”

  Cory frowned. “Why not put a bounty on Tess?”

  “He did, but people are sympathetic to a young woman with a child. They’re more likely to turn in a big, strong man like Noah. In fact, they did. He was smart enough to fight the Cassell brothers, and the sheriff arrested him last week.”

  “That was a good thing?”

  “The Cassell brothers could have taken him back to Virginia and sold him as a slave.”

  Cory shook her head. “I thought he was your slave?”

  “It doesn’t matter to chasers who are willing to kidnap and lie to make a profit. The sheriff threw him in the Akron city jail. I received a telegram from a lawyer named Sam Morris and came north to help Noah. But when I arrived at Sam’s office, he had already freed Noah with a writ of habeus corpus.”

  “What’s that?”

  “It required Edward prove he owned Noah. He couldn’t. So the sheriff freed Noah, but he disappeared. Now I need to find him before Edward does.”

  “How did you know to come here?” Adelaide asked.

  “Noah left me a message.” Tyler pointed to the flier in Cory’s hands. “Turn it over. He gave this flier to Sam with instructions to give it to me when I arrived in Akron.” He pointed at the carefully written letters.

  “Glen knows the way,” Cory read. “That’s why you thought Glen Knolls was a person.”