Southern Spirits (The Southern Series Book 3)

by Shelley Stringer

  I wondered, did Mrs. Johnson lie in this very room and mourn for her daughter? Had she watched her beloved Elois work out this window? I felt a connection to both her and Marie-Claire like I’d never felt before.

  July 16th, 1865 The War is coming to an end, a dark weave in the fabric of our lives. My life is in ruins as is the South around me. There isn’t a family in East or West Feliciana Parish who is not in black, grieving for a son, brother, father…lost in the name of the cause. Daughters lost during the occupation, or to sickness…There seems to be a gray cloud that hovers over the entire country…

  August 14th, 1865 I have sold the main house and a fair piece of the property left to me by my late husband. As my daughter’s house is closest to town and the newest, I will make my home there. Elois has graciously agreed to stay with me as most of her people have agreed to stay on and sharecrop a piece of the remaining land. My husband’s holdings in the north sustain me now, though I suspect it is those holdings for which many held him in contempt. Elois says not to question his decisions, which provide for us now, supporting four families in our time of need. Elois is of the greatest comfort as she has become my one and only lasting friend. She has confided in me of the last days of my dear Marie’s life, and for that I am eternally grateful. Elois tells of a handsome sandy-haired young Army captain my Marie helped nurse back to health, who held my Marie’s young, grieving heart for a time. The happiest and most in love she’d ever seen a young girl, that is what Elois says. He was away, providing for a way to get her out of this wretched country ravaged by war when she was murdered, her and my two precious unborn grandbabies. I just wish I could hold the dear boy’s hand, and express to him my gratitude at making her the happiest in her life, if for only the briefest of moments. This young man, this Captain Samuels, has my eternal love and gratitude.

  I slowly made my way back to the present. Rain made patterns down the windowpanes…when had it started raining? I had been so absorbed in reading Mrs. Johnson’s words I had lost all concept of time. I reached up and wiped a tear from my cheek. I had to give this to Everett, but I had no idea how I would bring it up to him.

  As if on cue, Ev picked that exact moment to knock softly.

  “Helloooo, Ma Petite…are you awake? Everett needs a little Bebe time,” he flirted, plopping down unceremoniously on the bed beside me. “Have you been working all this time?”

  “Yes, I have. I have to be doing something…I have to stay busy. The more I write about my house the more I am fascinated by it. The story you told me the other day,” I began.

  “Yes, how is that coming?” he asked softly as he pushed a stray strand of hair back behind my earlobe, placing a kiss there.

  “Flowing as if I experienced it myself. But now I have a different point of reference.”

  He pulled back to look at me more clearly. “What do you mean, Ma Petit?”

  I pulled the diary around and handed it to him, opened to the page I’d just read. “Ev, I think you should read this. Here, or in private. It’s Mrs. Johnson’s diary, one of the gifts Aunt Chloe brought to us.”

  Everett nodded and began to scan the page. After a few moments, he raised his eyes slowly to mine. “Miss Elois?” he began. I nodded.

  “Miss Elois – Mr. Jackson’s great-grandmother, and Marie-Claire’s Creole maid,” I whispered. He nodded his understanding. He continued to read until he’d finished the entire entry.

  We sat in silence for several minutes. I knew when he’d finished the last entry, and then had time to read it again. When he lifted his gaze to meet mine, there was a depth of emotion there I’d never seen before. His eyes were the deep, effervescent green of an emotional Aldon, but with a velvety passion that could never be described. He shed no tears, but held the book close to his chest as he exhaled the breath that he seemed to be holding throughout his study of the journal.

  “Everett, would you like to take the diary, and keep it for a bit? I will need to borrow it again, for my research. But, I think you should have it. It should stay with you,” I whispered.

  Everett rose without a word, leaned over to place a kiss on my forehead as he cupped my cheek with his hand, and then left my room silently. I realized Marie’s mother’s diary was to Everett what Banton’s letter had been to me.

  * * *

  As if I hadn’t had enough emotional closure in the day, I had an unexpected visitor that evening. As I was getting ready for bed and for Everett to give me my shots, there was a knock on my bedroom door.

  “Come in, it’s open.”

  When no one answered, I looked up. John stood silently in the doorway, his unease draped on him like a cloak.

  “Chandler, is this okay?” he cleared his throat and began again, “I…I’m so sorry about the way I behaved the other night…Can I talk to you?” he almost whispered. I’d never seen John so unhinged.

  I nodded to him as he closed the bedroom door and walked over to sit down beside the bed.

  “Andie, I…I came to apologize for the other day. I don’t even know where to begin,” he stammered.

  “John, don’t. I love you so much. Besides Everett and Constance, you’re my closest friend. You were Banton’s best friend. There is no need for any apologies between us.” I reached over and took his hand.

  “But the things I said to you, after I’d just…” he paused, running his hands through his hair. “I was so confused about how I felt…how I still feel, about you,” he murmured as he looked back into my eyes.

  “We’ve been through hell and back, together. You finally have Brie back, and nothing that happened before matters. I just want my friend back. I miss you, friend,” I assured him. I uncharacteristically kept my eyes dry. I had no more tears to shed.

  He watched me intently for several moments, and then nodded slowly.

  “Everything is good with you and Brie?” I questioned.

  “Yes. Better than good,” he responded. “I love her so much, even more than before. Things are better than I could have imagined.”

  I smiled at him, and forced myself to be joyous for him. “Then I just need my friend back and the world will be right again between you and me,” I whispered as he finally smiled at me. He stood silently, bent over, and kissed me softly on the forehead. Walking silently to my door, he turned and gazed at me for a brief moment, and then he was gone. I knew we’d never speak of what had transpired between us again.

  Chapter Nine

  “Darlin', where are you waddling to? I swear you’re going to have those babies on this staircase any minute! And Miss Scarlet, I don’t know nuthin’ ‘bout birthin’ no babies,” Everett sang out as he threw his arm over his shoulder dramatically. “What are you doing out of bed?” he scolded as he rounded the bottom of the staircase from the hallway. “It’s impossible to get you to rest! We simply have to get you a couple more weeks down the road, before you go into labor.”

  “Constance just wheeled in the drive like a bat out of hell. Something’s up,” I said anxiously, just as the front door flew open.

  Constance stood breathless, trying to compose herself enough to talk. Her face was white and stained with tears. She looked up at me when I descended the last three steps and found her voice.

  “I don’t know how to say this, I don’t believe it…”

  “What’s wrong, Constance?” I demanded. It was inconceivable we would have any more bad news now. “Has something happened to Aunt Sue or Uncle Lon?” I asked, my voice rising.

  ‘No, no. It’s…I can’t believe it, but just now…” It was like she’d just run out of air, and couldn’t go on. She sank down to her knees, dropping everything in the floor.

  “Constance! Answer me, what is it?”

  “Ty…Ty just…Ty just called me,” she began, gazing up into my eyes.

  “What?” I whispered. I shook my head as my heart thudded painfully in my chest. This was cruel. She was either confused or was finally losing it.

  “I heard him…he was cutting out, and I
lost him. I heard him!” she yelled at us, frustrated we didn’t believe her. Everett walked over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Constance was always so matter-of-fact, usually so level-headed.

  “Okay, darlin’. You just thought it was him.” Everett soothed, picking up her phone. It suddenly rang and vibrated in his hand. Looking at the number on the front, frown lines appeared in his forehead. He glanced up at me and flipped it open.

  “Hello, this is Everett Samuels,” he answered, holding his finger up. “Who? What…You’re…You’re cutting out, I can’t hear,” and then he looked up at me again with the most incredulous look on his face. His jaw dropped as he walked closer to me and handed me the phone. I placed it to my ear, my hands shaking so I could barely hold it.

  “Hello? Hel…Hello? I asked. The signal cracked on the other end, and then faint voices began to clear and get stronger. “Constance, is that you? Can you hear me! It’s me, baby, it’s Ty! We’re coming…”

  “What! No, this is Chandler…” I whispered, my eyes rising to meet Everett’s. I’d never seen him cry openly, but there were tears brimming. Constance continued to sit like a statue in the middle of the foyer. I held the phone tightly to my ear, straining to hear the voice on the other end.

  “…ton, we’re on…home,…how…babies…need…”

  “What? Ty, I can’t hear you…You’re cutting out!” I screamed into the phone, desperately trying to hear what he was saying.

  “…call back, just hold on,…”

  And then I heard him.

  A flash of light, my world had light in it again. A warmth spread over me as his voice came, dreamlike, over the small cell phone.

  “Sweetheart…ndie……love you so…”

  “Banton? Ban…Banton, is that…is it really you?” I whispered, not even able to make myself utter the words. I was afraid I was going to wake up, and this was another vicious, horrible dream.

  “…call back, try…get another chance…” and then silence. The line went dead. I slowly dropped my hand, and sank to the floor. I heard him. I knew it. Banton was alive.

  “Chandler? Did you hear him?” Constance asked, the tears still streaming down her face.

  “Yes,” I whispered, barely able to speak. I raised my eyes to meet hers. “And Banton. I heard Banton,” I whispered as Everett embraced me, rocking me back and forth in the floor.

  “Everett,” I choked out. “Ev, it’s not possible…but I heard him!”

  “Yes, Bebe. I believe you did.”

  Constance shook her head back and forth, crying out loud. Swallowing hard, she looked back up at Everett. “They’ll call back. Surely they will call back!”

  “How is this possible?” I whispered as Everett pulled me back to look into my eyes.

  The doorbell ringing startled Constance back into reality. She stood to open the door.

  “Uh-hum, Mrs. Gastaneau, are you Mrs. Gastaneau?” A uniformed Naval Officer stood behind Constance on the front porch. I looked beyond, another officer stood behind him. I could see the same dark blue suburban that had turned my world upside down just weeks before.

  “Yes, I’m Mrs. Gastaneau,” I answered. He looked around Constance toward me and smiled.

  “Mrs. Gastaneau, we have some news, about your husband and another one of the SEALs. Could we come in and talk with you?”

  Everett stood and pulled me up. “Certainly, come in, gentlemen.”

  “It looks as though someone else may have beaten us here to break the news to you.”

  “Um, yes, I believe we just received a phone call from her husband, and Lieutenant Preston.” Everett smiled as he guided me to the sofa. The second officer steadied Constance with his hand under her arm.

  “Mrs. Gastaneau, I know this news is a shock, but we’ve received word just this morning your husband and Lieutenant Preston have been found alive in Somalia. They’ve both been wounded, but they’re going to be all right. They’re on shipboard now, on their way home as we speak. They’re being de-briefed and should be home by tomorrow evening.” He smiled at me, and all I could do was cry. Banton was coming home.

  Banton was alive. He was coming home to me.

  “I must apologize, there is no way to do these things without shocking everyone, but we need for you to inform your immediate family before the news breaks on the television. These things always leak out, even as we try to shield the family.” He patted me on the knee and then rose to leave.

  “Someone with family services will be in contact with you soon. There will be some red tape to work through.”

  Constance found her voice. “Commander, did they find anyone else? What about Ben…Lieutenant Oakley?”

  “I’m sorry, no. We’ve found no one but Lieutenants Gastaneau and Preston.”

  “Thank you, Commander. Thank you so much” I whispered, hardly able to breathe. Everett rose and walked the officers back to the front door.

  I sat in stunned disbelief for several minutes, unable to find my voice or to form a coherent thought. All at once, my emotions seemed to take over, having been suppressed for weeks. It all came pouring out at once.

  “Constance, you have to call Aunt Sue and Uncle Lon. I’ll call Banton’s parents and Claudia…” The adrenalin rushed into every part of my body. My hands shook as I pulled my cell from my pocket.

  Mrs. Elaine answered on the second ring. “Chandler, what’s wrong? Are you in labor?” Mrs. Elaine immediately jumped to conclusions.

  “No, Mrs. Elaine. Everything is fine. I…I need for you and Mr. Matt to come here. I need to see you, and I need you here. Could you come right away?” I smiled, wiping the tears from my eyes as I glanced at Everett. This was news I couldn’t break over the phone, not to his parents.

  “Certainly, dear. Are you sure you are all right?” she asked in an apprehensive tone.

  “Yes, I am. I’m great. Please, just hurry. I need to see you,” I said, barely able to keep the emotion out of my voice.

  “We’re on our way! We’ll be there in a few hours,” she answered, hanging up. Constance grinned at me as she wiped away tears, and then flipped her cell open to call Aunt Sue and Uncle Lon.

  I stood and walked shakily back into the entry. Everett had just dialed his phone.

  “John, hey, this is Everett…What do you mean, I sound funny? You say I sound funny all the time…Yeah, funny, ha ha. Hey, I need a favor. Could you come over here for a few minutes? It will only take a little while. I just need to talk to you and Brie for a minute…Okay, yeah. See ya in a minute.”

  He grinned as he pocketed his cell.

  “Bebe, are you all right? Can I get you anything?” Everett asked.

  “No, I’m…” I couldn’t even talk. Banton was Alive. He was on his way home. He was on his way home, to me. I would see him in less than twenty four hours. I continued to walk toward Everett, and my knees buckled, my world fading to black.

  * * *

  “Bebe, can you hear me? Sister, you need to wake up.” Everett shook my shoulders as I focused on his face.

  “Where…where am I?” I asked as I glanced around, my eyes focusing on my bedroom.

  “Well, when you decided to faint in all the excitement, I brought you back upstairs where you belong, darlin’. I don’t want you having those babies before their daddy gets home. We’ve gotten you this far, and we are going to see you through until he can take over.” He smiled at me, and I smiled back.

  “Then it is true. I didn’t dream it.” The tears pooled in my eyes as I whispered a reply.

  “You’ve got to stop, Andie-girl. You know how your eyes swell, and you don’t want Banton to see you like this,” John moved into my view and sat down on the bed beside me.

  “He’s really coming home! I’m…I’m so scared, John,” I began to shake uncontrollably.

  “What do you mean? Why are you scared?” he asked as he helped me sit up in bed.

  “I’m afraid to believe it. I’m afraid to ho
pe. I’m afraid something will happen, or I’ll wake up.”

  “He’s really on his way home, Chandler. You can believe it, I promise.” He drew me in and hugged me. “I’m the one person here who knows how you feel. I’ve been through this too, you know. I still can’t believe I got Brie back, but here she is.” He grinned, and took Brie’s hand and pulled her over next to the bed. “You know, Andie, you and I, we’ve been through a lot together. I’ll help you. It’s a hell-of-a-ride, this emotional roller-coaster we’ve been on.” He leaned over and kissed my forehead.

  “Yeah, I guess you do know how I feel,” I sighed, and then glanced up at Everett. He hadn’t stopped smiling since he’d heard Ty’s voice.

  “Commander Singleton called me before I got over here. He’s confirmed the news too, darlin’,” John continued to grin the goofiest grin I’d ever seen.

  “I wish I could talk to Banton. I want to hear his voice!” I exclaimed as Everett walked across my room.

  “Here, Bebe, I got your cell off the charger downstairs. I’m sure whenever they are able to call, you’ll hear his voice.” He placed the phone in my hand.

  I closed my eyes. Visions of Banton walking up the sidewalk, coming through the front door and seeing me after so many weeks had my pulse racing. My eyes popped open.

  “Oh no…” I breathed out.

  “What?” Everett asked as he perched on the foot of my bed.

  “Banton hasn’t seen me since May. I’m so big, he won’t recognize me! How could he possibly want me,” I whispered, looking back to Everett.

  “Chandler! I can’t believe you are even thinking about that! All he is going to be thinking is how beautiful you are, and how much he’s missed not being with you these past months. You can’t possibly think he would be disappointed with how you look. You are the most adorable pregnant woman I have ever seen,” Everett assured me.