There was no moon, and she had to follow the path from memory. The stable loomed ahead, a hulking shadow. Any other time she might have been frightened, but there was no time now to be afraid. Alton would be waiting by the river, and they would leave together, probably going to his family’s home. By sundown tomorrow they would be married.
Married! She trembled at the thought. To lie in a man’s arms, to be possessed—the idea of doing so with a man she did not love made her feel ill, sick at heart. Yet, she might learn to love him in time, and just wanting to love was important, wasn’t it? Yes, she told herself as she hurried along. She wanted to love Alton, wanted to make him happy, to be a good wife to him. And there was a war going on. Many people were getting married even though they were not starry-eyed in love. War made people desperate.
She reached the stable and set her tapestry bags down while she wrestled with the heavy doors. With a loud creak, they opened. The smell of hay and manure reached her at the same time she heard the horse whinny. Just before dark, she had hitched one of the mares to a wagon. The stable hands had left for the day, and she was careful that no one would notice.
She moved toward the horse, wrapped her fingers around her harness and led her from the barn. When her bags were in the rear of the wagon, she lifted her thick skirts and hoisted herself up onto the rough wooden bench.
The mare moved forward, and soon they were out from beneath the wall of crepe myrtles. She breathed a sigh of relief. Her eyes were adjusted to the darkness, and with care, she would be able to see her way.
The horse moved slowly, but April did not dare urge her on lest she lose the sight and feel of the road. Finally, the sound of gurgling water reached her ears. She could make out the black ribbon of the twisting river and the boat landing just ahead. She gave the reins a jerk, and the mare snapped to a quick halt. April scrambled from the wagon to the ground so quickly that she almost fell.
“Alton…” Her voice was a whisper, lost in the wind. She admonished herself for being afraid to call loudly, and then called out, “Alton? Are you here?”
There was no answer. She could hear only the night wind dancing through the cottonwoods and cypress trees lining the riverbank. She trembled involuntarily and pulled her cape tightly about her shoulders, moving closer to the mare as though the horse could protect her from the darkness.
It was ridiculous to be frightened. He might have been detained. There was nothing to do but wait, and there was no need to be nervous.
Suddenly, leaves crackled. April whirled about and looked toward the dark river, the thick underbrush and trees. “Alton, is that you?” She called out, her voice a shaky whisper.
The crackling sound was louder. Then there was another. Someone was walking toward her. “Alton, for God’s sake, will you answer me?” She laughed, a high-pitched, tinny sound that belied her growing fright. “This is no time to tease me.”
The sound was closer…a few feet away. April pressed back against the mare, feeling her warmth.
“Alton, answer me, please…” She could not keep the tears from stinging her eyes. Her fingers laced around the leather harness, squeezing. Alton would not frighten her this way, no, not Alton.
She wondered frantically if there were time to climb up into the wagon, to ride away. She had to get away—now! Her mind was spinning and her body began to shake, as though in the throes of a deep chill. She gave her frozen body the silent command to move…now!
“Hello, April.”
She spun completely around, searching for a face to go with the voice. Was it fear playing tricks on her?
“Can’t you even speak to your own twin sister?”
“Vanessa?” April gasped, finding the direction from which the voice came. She could make out only a figure in the shadows. “Vanessa? Is…is it really you?”
“Yes, it’s really me.” The voice was mocking, with the hint of an angry snarl. “Did you really think you could get rid of me forever, dear sister?”
“Rid of you?” April echoed, stunned.
“Yes, like you planned. Like you always planned. You wanted me out of the way so you could have Poppa and Pinehurst all to yourself.”
“Oh, Vanessa, that’s not true.” She took a step toward her, but something felt, rather than seen, made her stop. She swallowed hard. “I’ve worried about you so much, prayed you were all right—”
“You can stop your lying, April. I had eighteen years to learn how cunning and convincing you can be.”
“I’m not lying,” she cried in exasperation. “What’s wrong with you, Vanessa? I had nothing to do with what happened the night of our party. But let’s not argue about that. Why didn’t you come to the house to see me? And how did you know I’d be here tonight?”
Vanessa’s laugh was taunting. “Come to the house? Are you serious, dear sister? You made sure that could never happen. Poppa would’ve had me beaten or killed me himself. Who can say what a crazy man might do?”
“Crazy man? Who told you that? He’s sick, but—”
“Sick!” She spat out the word. “I suppose you blame his trying to rape you this morning on the influenza? He did try to rape you, didn’t he? He’s had spells these past months. He thinks you are our mother, doesn’t he?”
April was furious. “Who told you all this? And I asked you how you knew I’d be here! Suppose you tell me what’s going on, Vanessa.”
Vanessa moved closer. April could see her face now, but she felt the hatred even before she saw her sister. “I’m here because Mandy told me you would be here, just as she’s told me everything that’s gone on since I was kicked out of my own home. She’s very loyal to me. I know all about your plans to marry Alton despite Poppa’s objections—”
“If you wanted to talk to me,” April interrupted sharply, “why didn’t you just have Mandy bring me a message to meet you somewhere? I would’ve come to you. You’ve no reason to hate me. I’ve always loved you, and—”
She reeled as a hand whipped out of the darkness to slap her cheek. “Shut up, damn you!” Vanessa screamed shrilly. “Just shut your lying mouth! You’ve plotted and schemed against me all your life, because you wanted Poppa to disown me and disinherit me. You wanted Pinehurst for yourself. And I know how it’s falling to ruins because Poppa’s too crazy to keep it going. And you aren’t smart enough to take over. But I am. Poppa can’t stop me now, and neither can you.”
April faced her with fury blazing through her. “How dare you strike me? And you’ve no right to accuse me of all these things. You’re the one who’s behaving like someone insane. When Alton gets here—”
Again the shrill laughter pierced the air. Vanessa gave her long hair an insolent toss as she taunted, “Do you really think Mandy gave him your message to meet you here, you little fool? She told Alton what I told her to tell him—which was that you don’t ever want to see him again, because you would never go against your dear father’s wishes.”
She rushed on and April stared in horror. “She also told him that you don’t love him and wouldn’t marry him anyway, and that you want him to leave you alone. I’ll wager Alton’s so angry with you that he wouldn’t come now if you begged him.”
“He’ll listen to me. I’ll tell him what you did, and he’ll understand. He’ll help me keep you from hurting Poppa.”
“You won’t be around to help Poppa, dear sister.”
Before April understood the threat, a torch appeared and she whipped her head about to see two men approaching, ominously smiling in the orange glow.
“I don’t believe you’ve met these gentlemen,” Vanessa mocked. “I’d like to present Zeke Hartley and Whit Brandon. They’re going to be looking after you for a while, so it would be a good idea to make friends with them.”
The man called Zeke grinned at April, displaying yellowed teeth. He was short and stocky and wore heavily soiled clothes. His face was craggy and lined, and April winced at the sight of a zigzagged scar that ran all the way from his left temple to the c
orner of his mouth.
Whit Brandon looked much older, and while he appeared as scruffy as his companion, there was something less ominous about him. Perhaps it was the flicker of sympathy that she saw briefly in his eyes. She turned back to Vanessa and cried, “Just what are you planning to do? You’re my sister, but so help me, Vanessa, I’ll not tolerate—”
“You’ll shut your mouth or I’ll have the boys gag you!” Vanessa growled as she gestured to the two men. They came closer. “You’re going away with them. They’re going to take you to a convent up in the mountains near the Georgia border.”
“A convent? Please, Vanessa—” She was fighting to hold back tears, and she did not want to beg. “You won’t get away with this. Now let’s talk. You can go home with me, and we’ll try to talk to Poppa. I’ve sent for Uncle James, and when he arrives, he can help us—”
“Uncle James won’t get your message. Mandy showed me the letter you wrote him, and I burned it.”
April shook her head. “But why? Why are you doing all this? And to think that all this time I’ve trusted Mandy.”
“Mandy’s loyalty is to me. I’ve already told you that I am not going to let you cheat me out of what’s mine. You’re going to a convent, and my men will tell the monks there that you’re incorrigible. Your family can do nothing with you. You can’t leave men alone, and you’re a disgrace. They’ll take you in and keep you there to protect you from your sinful ways. You will be well cared for, but you won’t ever be permitted to leave unless someone comes for you. And I assure you, no one ever will.”
“Vanessa, don’t—”
“Silence her.”
April struggled as Zeke grabbed her arms and twisted them behind her back. Whit jerked the scarf from about his neck and stuffed it into her screaming mouth. Then she was lifted and thrown over Whit’s back. Vanessa yelled, “Take the wagon, like we planned. Get as far away from here by daylight as you can.”
“We know what to do,” Whit replied gruffly. “We’ll get back as quickly as we can.”
“Yes, I want you to hurry back to me.” Vanessa was now leading a horse from the bushes where it had been hidden earlier. “I know I’m going to need help, but I can manage on my own for a while. My father is in no condition to argue with me, and I can handle the servants.”
April was carried to the wagon and dumped roughly into the back. She lay there staring up into the cloak of night, frantically twisting her hands about inside the rope that bound them. She saw Vanessa peering down at her from on top of her horse. “I’ll tell everyone that you ran away because you were ashamed of what happened this morning. I’ll say that Poppa raped you, that he is insane and won’t remember whether he really raped you or not.”
April strained wildly against the gag, and Vanessa laughed.
It would kill her father, April knew, to be told he had raped her. He could not face thinking that he had done something so loathsome. For the love of God, Vanessa, don’t do this evil thing, she screamed silently. She heard the sound of Vanessa’s laughter once again, rising above the clip-clopping trot of her horse. Then the wagon moved and Vanessa disappeared into the night.
The wagon moved slowly. Zeke’s horse, Satan, was tied behind it, and the beast snorted with impatience. After a while, Zeke began complaining about the pace, and Whit murmured, “This is a rough road. I can hear that girl rolling and bumping around back there now. If I go any faster, she’ll be bruised from head to toe.”
“So who cares? I don’t want to risk—”
“You ain’t risking nothing. Nobody’s gonna look for her, ’cause ain’t nobody gonna doubt Vanessa’s story. If you don’t like us goin’ so slow, you get on that fancy horse of yours and ride just as fast as you want to.”
Zeke snickered. “It really tears you up, don’t it? Knowing I got such a damn good horse. Can’t nobody beat him.”
“That don’t bother me. What makes me sick is the way you’re so almighty cocky about it. Always bragging and running that mouth of yours. Someday somebody’s gonna beat you and then you’ll shut up.”
“Well, when that day comes, you crow about it, you hear? Till then, you just remember I own the fastest horse in the state of Alabama, and if it hadn’t of been for what I won this past year racing that horse, we wouldn’t have had the money to keep you in that rotgut popskull you love so good.”
Whit did not reply, and after another snicker, Zeke fell silent. April stared up into the black sky once more.
She suddenly found herself hating the sheltered life she had led. She had always envied Vanessa her freedom, but until now, she had not fully realized just how much she resented the useless life she had been forced to lead. Had she been allowed more independence, perhaps she would be better equipped to cope with this horrifying situation. Survive, she ordered herself. Survive and fight back. She would fight. Then she would deal with Vanessa.
Her eyes closed, opened, then closed once more as sleep mercifully took her. After what seemed only moments, the wagon lurched to a stop and the sun was shining on her face. Raising her head, she looked about to see that they were stopping beside a dilapidated old barn. She could hear the two men discussing spending the day inside.
“We can pull the wagon right inside,” Zeke was saying. “Ain’t nobody around. Nobody’ll see us. We can get some sleep and start out again once it’s good and dark.”
“Suits me. I’m about to fall asleep in my tracks.”
“You want me to take that outta your mouth?” Whit asked her. “I will if you promise to be quiet so’s I can get some sleep. I reckon you’re hungry, too.” He reached down and jerked the scarf away. As she gasped for the sweet air, he warned, “Now don’t you give us no trouble, girl I’m just doin’ a job. I don’t want to see no harm come to you. Now how about some corn dodgers? That’s all I got to offer you. There ain’t nothin’ to drink ’cept whiskey, and I got a feelin’ you ain’t a drinkin’ woman.”
Zeke appeared at Whit’s side and looked down at her, grinning with yellowed teeth. “Naw, she ain’t no drinkin’ woman. She’s all lace and velvet and fluffy stuff. I’ll bet she sips her tea from a china cup.” He threw back his head and laughed. “Bet you’d never see her match drink for drink with a man like her sister can!”
“Leave her alone.” Whit walked to the back of the wagon. “I guess we better take her for a walk so’s she can tend to her, uh—personal needs.”
Zeke spoke up quickly. “You go on and take the wagon inside. I’ll take her to the woods.”
Whit ignored him. He reached into his pocket and brought out a knife and, with one quick movement, slashed through the ropes around her wrists. She rubbed her hands together and stared down at the bruised flesh. He said, “You been strugglin’ against them ropes, girl, and that’s how come you got rope bums. You best just settle on down. You ain’t doin’ nothing but hurtin’ yourself.”
He reached in and clamped strong hands around her waist to lift her up and out of the wagon. Her legs felt weak as her feet touched the red clay ground, and she sagged against him briefly but quickly regained her balance and stepped back. She did not want help of any kind from either of these men.
“Come along.” Whit started toward thick underbrush at the edge of the road.
She held back. Zeke laughed, and Whit shot him a furious look. “Might as well come on, girl,” he snapped. “Or else I’ll tie you up and you can wet yourself. Now come along. I ain’t gonna look.”
With flaming cheeks, April stumbled along behind him.
When they were out of Zeke’s sight, Whit said, “Okay, you get behind that tree over yonder, and I’ll wait right here. Don’t get no ideas about runnin’ off, ’cause these woods is full o’ bobcats and wild hogs, and I’ll just let them tear you to pieces if you try anything.”
For the first time, April spoke. “Mr. Brandon, if I do try anything, you may rest assured it won’t be just an attempt. I’ll succeed.”
“Well, I’ll be doggoned.” He slapped his
knee. “The little filly’s got some spunk after all. Glad to hear that, little lady. I figured we had us a real milksop.”
With a swish of her skirts, April moved behind the tree, tended to her needs, then returned to follow him to the barn. Zeke had already moved the wagon inside and out of sight. Three blankets were spread side by side in a corner. She snapped, “I’ve no intention of lying down beside you two.”
“I don’t see where you’ve got any choice.” Whit sounded annoyed for the first time. “Now stick out them wrists, ’cause I’m going to tie you up good.”
“Let her have her way.” Zeke strode over and snatched up one of the blankets, then walked to the other side of the barn and threw it down in the shadows. “Let her lay over here with the spiders and horse dung if she’s too good to bed down with us. And once you get her hands tied, tie up her legs, too, so she won’t be up wandering around.”
Whit nodded. When he’d finished binding her, he lifted her as unceremoniously as a bag of flour, flinging her easily over his big shoulder to carry her across the straw-littered floor. But when he laid her down on the blanket, he did it gently. Despite his gruffness and hard drinking, something told her she had nothing to fear from this man.
Once the big doors were closed, there was little light inside the barn. She tried to sleep but soon gave up and let herself become lost in worry.
She heard movement before she saw the hulking shadow moving stealthily around the wagon. Footsteps, soft, muted, sneaking. Her skin prickled as she saw Zeke creeping toward her, eyes gleaming as brightly as a cat’s in the dark.
Stricken by terror, she waited too late to scream. He was upon her, covering her mouth with his hand as he fell on top of her, straddling her body. She bit down on one finger, but before she could make a sound, he had gripped her throat so tightly she could not even breathe.
“Now, you just be still, or I’ll have to hurt you.” He leaned close and she could smell the sweet-sour odor of whiskey. “It won’t bother me none to slit your throat. I’ll just tell your sister you tried to get away and you drowned or something. She’d probably be relieved to know you was out of the way for good. So you just relax, and ol’ Zeke’ll show you a real good time.”
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