Harry sighed and offered his arm. “He’s a lucky man.”
Cass tucked her hand into the space by his elbow as he escorted her. “He’s lucky to have you for a friend. So am I.”
“You’re one of the musketeers.” He laughed as they neared the train. He was too easygoing to hold any grudge about her rejection. “We’ll see you in Ohio.”
“You’ll find the right girl someday, Harry.”
“I hope she’s as wonderful as you.” He claimed the bag he had left by the tracks.
“Where have you been?” Ethan demanded. “The train is ready to leave.”
“Discovering the sad truth,” Harry said.
Cass looked around the depot. “Where’s Zach?”
“He bolted past me and boarded.” Ethan gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you soon in Darrow Falls. We’ll ride the canal boat for old times’ sake.”
“I’d like that, Ethan.”
Harry and Ethan boarded the box car reserved for their company. No windows. No sign of Zach. Cass waited until they closed the door. Why hadn’t he said goodbye?
Chapter Eleven
Zach placed his bedroll in a corner of the box car as the train pulled away from the depot. He couldn’t believe he had seen Cass kissing Harry. All this time he had believed Cass had tender feelings for him alone. How could he have been so wrong? And to be betrayed by his best friend. How could he face Harry knowing he had lost the woman he loved to him?
The men claimed an empty space on the floor and spread their bedding. Ethan and Harry tried to reach him, but there were no open areas.
“We have room over here,” Ethan said, claiming a spot on the other side of the car.
“I’m going to get some sleep.” Zach turned his back to his friends. He couldn’t talk to them. He doubted he could be civil. He stared at the dark wall. What had he done wrong?
Travel was slow with so many troop trains exiting Washington City. They passed Frederick as the sun was coming up. Zach ate his breakfast. Cass had given each of them crackers, cheese, and apples wrapped in linen to eat on their trip. Ethan and Harry joined him in his corner.
“It was nice of my cousin to give us this food.” Ethan looked at the other men. “Do you think we should share?”
Zach had lost his appetite. “I’ll give them mine.”
Some of the men played cards to pass the time. Ethan joined in while Harry watched.
Zach sat near the opened doors that allowed fresh air and sunlight in the dark interior. As they traveled along the tracks, he searched his past actions. Nowhere along the trip did an insight burst forth to explain the awful turn of events.
Zach recognized Harpers Ferry and called to the others to take a look. They had passed this way after Gettysburg. The three of them had marched from Pennsylvania to Georgia and back again. If Cass had chosen Harry, then he would step aside. Their friendship was too important to allow a woman to tear it apart. And yet, he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
His noble thoughts warred against the empty chasm widening in his heart. He loved Cass. Losing her, even to a friend, was bitter and painful. A melancholy settled on his thoughts as the sun lowered in the sky. The train pulled into the depot at Cumberland, Maryland, and the women of the town served coffee and food before the train headed on to Parkersburg, West Virginia.
They boarded the steamer Pickett and transferred to the Ohio No. 3 before another night greeted them. It was a beautiful sunset, and flags were hanging from every building on the northern side of the river. People gathered near the banks and hollered, “Congratulations!” to the men, who tipped their hats in appreciation. They passed Cincinnati and docked at Louisville the following evening. The men gathered their gear and marched to Bardstown to camp.
Once the tents were pitched and campfires built, Zach had no excuse to avoid the company of his friends. Ethan and Harry sat across from him at the fire he was tending. Even though he had decided to be gracious and wish Harry the best, the words stuck in his throat.
“What are we doing in Kentucky?” Harry surveyed the row of tents. “We muster out in Cleveland.”
“Did they think we wouldn’t notice this wasn’t Ohio?” Ethan demanded.
Harry smacked Zach on the back. “Let’s find out what’s going on.”
“You’re not going to find anyone tonight who can sort out this mess.”
Harry tossed another log on the fire. Sparks shot into the sky.
Zach smacked at cinders landing on his sleeve. “What did you do that for?”
“It’s nothing,” Harry said. “You’ve been in a foul mood since we left Washington City.”
“What’s wrong?” Ethan laughed. “Didn’t my cousin kiss you goodbye?”
“She kissed someone.” Zach glared at Harry.
“Is that what this is about?” Harry laughed. “It didn’t mean a thing.”
It was insulting enough to witness Harry kissing the woman he loved. It was beyond forgiveness to dismiss her kiss as unimportant. Zach tackled Harry and drove him to the ground. All the rage he had been nursing on the ride erupted in a fury of fists aimed at Harry’s head. They wrestled in the dirt before Ethan pulled Zach off. “Hey, what’s going on here? The war is over.”
Harry sat on the ground, rubbing his jaw. “You’re in love with her.”
Zach struggled free from Ethan’s grasp. “I wouldn’t trifle with her affections or take them as lightly as you do.”
“What’s this about?” Ethan asked.
“He kissed Cass at the depot.” Zach pulled Harry to his feet, his hands gripping his coat. “Are you going to marry her?”
“No,” Harry said.
Ethan stepped beside Zach. “I should throw a few punches.”
Harry stepped back and raised his hands. “Nothing happened.”
“After I saw you kissing, I retreated to the train. You were strolling arm in arm and laughing.” Zach kicked a stone, sending it flying against the canvas of a nearby tent. “You might as well have stabbed me in the heart.”
“I should let you suffer, but I’ll be a pal and put you out of your misery,” Harry said. “I kissed her and nothing.”
Nothing? “What do you mean?”
“When you kiss Miss Cassie, does the earth spin? Does your breath catch in your throat? Does your pulse pound in your head?”
Zach heaved a heavy sigh. “You, too?”
Harry shook his head. “Not a bit. None of that happened. We were laughing because we realized there was no passion. I’m in the same group as Ethan.”
“Ouch!” Ethan scrunched his face. “At least I’m a blood relative.”
What did they mean? “What are you talking about?”
Ethan put his arm around Harry’s shoulders. “My darling cousin considers Harry a friend only.”
Zach flexed his fists. “Your kissing looked friendly enough.”
“You missed the evaluation,” Harry said. “I failed the test.”
He relaxed his stance. Failed what test? Was a kiss a test? “She’s not in love with you?”
“No.” Harry retrieved his kepi from the ground. “Do you know how she feels about you?”
Zach ran his hands through his dirty hair. “I have a feeling she hates me.”
“She was upset you didn’t say goodbye,” Ethan said. “You should write her.”
He had judged her wrongly. “What am I going to say?”
“I could offer a few choice words,” Harry said.
Zach entered his tent and searched through his haversack for paper and a pencil. He’d been jealous. He’d hit Harry, his friend, because of a misunderstanding. He had ignored Cass, the woman he loved, because of an imagined betrayal. How did a man apologize without looking weak or stupid?
I look forward to seeing you, but our mustering out has been delayed. I regret not saying goodbye. I hope you can forgive me for being rude.
It wasn’t an admission of guilt, but it was an apology. When he arrived in Darrow Fall
s, he’d explain in person.
****
Cass had help Jem and Logan pack their belongings in Washington City and unpack them in their new home in Akron. He was working for the mayor, but Akron was rural enough for them to have several acres with a barn for horses, cows, and chickens. Everyone had pitched in to help with the move from Washington City to Ohio. Sterling and Maureen met Morgan and their grandson, Jackson, who were greeted with open arms.
After the Pierce household was settled, the Ellsworth and Mackinnon families headed for Cleveland to check on Blake’s property, and life at the Beecher home returned to normal.
Cass and Jules helped their mother with the garden and canning the fruit and vegetables as they ripened to maturity. They accompanied their father when he had calls. Jules had shown little interest in medicine, but if Cass married Zach, Jules would have to help with her father’s medical calls. She dragged her along, hoping to teach her baby sister the basics.
Sterling had hired Matt Wheeler to do the heavier work around the farm. Matt’s father owned the general store, and he brought the mail in the morning when he arrived to clean the stalls, chop wood, and make any needed repairs.
Cass was expecting letters from the boys. She hadn’t received any correspondence in Washington City before leaving and nothing had been forwarded by Tootie. Matt arrived, waving a couple of letters as he joined her in the barn, where Cass was milking the cows. “These are for you, Miss Cassie.”
One was from Zach and the other from Harry. “Thank you, Matt. I’ve been waiting for these.” She tucked them in her pocket and carried the milk bucket inside. Her mother was making breakfast. Jules had already gathered eggs and was cracking several in a bowl.
She left them in the kitchen and moved to the parlor. She read Zach’s note first. It didn’t resemble the long detailed letters they had shared during the war. She had expected words of affection after their months in Washington City and shared intimate moments. The short missive was apologetic without any explanation of his behavior. What was wrong with him? The letter from Harry revealed the reason.
Miss Cassie,
Zach witnessed us kissing at the depot when we left Washington City. He believed I had betrayed him. I explained how we had no deep feelings for one another besides friendship. He is writing to apologize for his behavior. I hope you forgive him.
“Forgive him!” Cass crumpled Harry’s letter. She reread the few lines from Zach. “Forgive him for being rude! Idiot!”
Maureen Beecher appeared in the doorway. She wiped her hands on her apron. “What is wrong, Cassandra?”
She waved the two letters in the air. “Men are idiots!”
She wasn’t shocked by her outburst. “What happened?”
She handed her Harry’s crumpled letter. “Zach saw me kissing Harry at the depot and believed I was in love with him.”
She examined the letter. “Why were you kissing Harry Herbruck?”
“That’s not the point, Mama. He should have asked me about it instead of storming off without a word.” She re-read his note. “I’ve been guilt-ridden, thinking I did something wrong.”
Her mother returned Harry’s letter. “Perhaps seeing you kiss another man was reason enough to be upset.”
Cass sat on the sofa, a sigh escaping. “It’s not like I enjoyed it.”
“I’m confused.” Maureen sat on the sofa beside her. “If you don’t enjoy kissing Harry, why did you kiss him?”
“I was hoping Zach would kiss me goodbye at the train depot,” Cass said. “Only Harry surprised me and kissed me. It was the first time. Once it was obvious we had no passion, we headed back to the train.”
“Then you don’t know if there’s any passion with Zach?”
Cass didn’t answer. Her face was warm from the memory of Zach’s kiss.
“When did Zach kiss you?”
She didn’t question how her mother knew. “In Jem’s parlor during a visit. Cole said a woman has to kiss a man to know if he’s the right one.”
“You listened to Colleen?” Maureen stood and paced the floor. “I can’t count how many times I lectured her on proper behavior between a man and woman. She ignored all the rules of proper decorum in the parlor. Who knows what rules she broke when not chaperoned.”
“But Blake married her,” Cass defended. “And it was good advice. I know I love Zach.” She crushed his letter in her hand. “But he’s an idiot.”
Maureen sat beside her and patted her knee. “If he’s as passionate about you as you are about him, he was probably deeply upset by your behavior.”
What did her mother mean by that? “My behavior?”
“How would you feel if Zach kissed another woman?”
“I’d kill him!” Her body trembled with outrage. Had Zach felt the same way? Had he been too angry to talk to her? “How do I make this right?”
“Jealousy is normal when you care about someone and you’re afraid they care for someone else more than you,” Maureen said. “Zach was afraid he’d lost you.”
Cass smoothed out Zach’s letter. “I’ll write him and tell him I forgive him.”
Maureen read the note. “It doesn’t say anything about being in love with you.”
“He hasn’t declared his love.”
“Then you don’t owe him an explanation,” Maureen said. “You can kiss anyone you want.”
Cass studied her mother. “I don’t understand.”
“Until he tells you he loves you and wants to marry you, let him stew a bit.”
Cass sighed. “But that seems cruel.”
“A woman needs commitment from a man. And he won’t stake a claim unless he values you.”
Her sisters had given her advice and now her mother. What should she do? “Why does love have to be so complicated?”
Maureen stood. “Would you prefer your father arrange a marriage?”
“No!” she shouted, shaking at the thought. “But why can’t I tell Zach I want to marry him?”
“Cassandra, the young man is taking on the responsibility of caring for you. He does the asking when he is ready.”
“What if I were rich?”
“Do you have a hidden treasure I am unaware of?”
“No, but it could be years before Zach could support a wife. I don’t know if I want to wait.”
“There’s more to marriage than passion,” Maureen said. “A lot of compromise occurs when two people join lives. That requires communication and honesty to discuss how you feel or misunderstandings occur. Love can fade or grow as a result. Many marriages start out with high hopes only to end in infidelity or unhappiness.”
“Are you unhappy with Papa?”
“Heavens, no.”
“But you work so hard.”
“So does Papa,” Maureen said. “Life is hard. I was a poor canal brat when I met your father. He was a young doctor from a well-known family. It was a mismatch, but we respected each other. We still do.”
“How did you encourage Papa to propose?”
“My father demanded he marry me or stop calling,” Maureen said. “When he walked away, I cried for two days. On the third day, Sterling returned with a ring.”
“I don’t want Papa to browbeat Zach.”
“It’s the duty of your father to voice expectations of any young man who calls upon you. He’s had quite a bit of practice, and I think he enjoys it.”
Cass studied the letter. “It may be some time before Zach visits. I should write him, but how do I accept his apology without condoning his behavior?”
“Wait until you’re less emotional,” Maureen warned. “Then you’ll know what to say.”
Emotional? “Mama, I’m not flirtatious like Cole or bold like Jess. Zach isn’t going to know how I feel if I don’t tell him. He may take advantage of my feelings, but I can’t be dishonest.”
Maureen touched her cheek. “You always favored your father. Straightforward and honest. That’s why I married him, but a lady should maintain a little myste
ry. It keeps a man from taking her for granted.”
Chapter Twelve
Zach and the others passed time writing letters, playing baseball, and planning their futures. As days grew into weeks, Zach inquired about the length of their stay in Kentucky and was given no definitive answer. Because they were enlisted in the army, they weren’t free to leave although a few soldiers threatened to desert. They received their regular pay in late June. Some spent it on beer, and when fights broke out, it was Zach, Harry, and Ethan who had to intervene before someone was injured, maimed, or killed. Morale sunk to an all-time low as they waited on paperwork to send them home.
Harry blamed the fortune teller. “The dark arts are nothing to fool around with. We’re being punished for trying to make a deal with the devil.”
“It was all in fun,” Zach said. “We’re stuck here because someone forgot they sent us to this god-forsaken land.”
“It’s god-forsaken because we fooled around with magic.”
Zach ignored Harry and addressed Ethan, “Do you believe in sorcery?”
“I’m Irish. We believe in enchantments, wee folk, and hidden treasure. It makes life exciting.”
“I was raised on scripture, and there’s a reason witches were put to death,” Harry said.
“I’m pragmatic,” Zach said. “I look at a problem and search for a solution.”
“Between the three of us, we ought to figure out what to do,” Ethan said.
“We’re enlisted men,” Zach said. “We stay put until we’re ordered to move.”
“Why don’t you read us the letter Miss Cassie sent you,” Harry said.
“It’s private.”
Harry circled around him to block his escape. “Did she forgive you?”
“Forgive me? I wasn’t the one kissing you.”
Ethan pushed Zach toward Harry and laughed. “Then kiss Harry, and you’ll be even.”
“I didn’t think I’d be here this long. I wanted to explain in person how I felt.”
“When have you been at a loss for words?” Harry asked.
“Let us help,” Ethan said. “Read her letter.”
Zach retrieved the correspondence from his tent. They sat around the fire pit. “I’m not sure what she means in her letter.” He unfolded the pages.
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