On the other side of the fence, Lucky whined and pawed at the ground. “You’re just going to have to wait, boy,” she called to him as she scattered the last remains of the bright yellow corn kernels. “I can’t have you chasing my chickens. You might catch one, and then there’d be the devil to pay—” Her voice trailed off as thundering hooves broke the silence of the morning. She soon recognized the rider as Corporal Forbes, the night sentry. He was in a terrible hurry. As he got closer, she could see panic on his face. He galloped by her without a glance, charging to an abrupt stop in front of the soldiers’ quarters and leaping from the horse. He shoved the door open with outstretched hands.
Bewildered, she stepped out of the pen and latched the gate. No sooner had she turned around than the men came running out of the cabin.
Kaid was coming straight toward her, as fast as his legs would carry him. He had a slight limp from his battle with the wild hog and, as he moved, he skipped along on one foot. “Get in that shed!” he yelled to her, his face red, arms waving. “Get in there and don’t you dare come out. Take Lucky with you. I don’t want him sniffing around the door and trying to get to you.”
“What is going on?” She froze where she stood, apprehension making her hands tremble.
“That damn sonofabitch fell asleep on his post, and he didn’t wake up till the patrol was right on him. He told them the road was out due to the hard rains last week, so they’re taking the long way around. But they’ll be here any minute. Now you get in that cabin and stay hid.”
“But why?” she cried as he shoved her along roughly. The feed bucket went clattering to the ground. “What difference does it make if they see me?” Around her, Kaid’s men were routing the other women.
“We ain’t ready for no inspection, and anything could happen. I’ve been afraid of this. Just do as I say, April. I want to make sure you aren’t seen.”
He jerked open the door to the shed and pushed her inside, then motioned for Lucky to follow. She heard the bolt slide into place and cried out when she realized he was locking her in.
“Don’t you worry. I’ll come back for you. Just be quiet.”
She heard him running away and leaned forward to peek through a crack between the door slats. The men were passing out fresh clothes to the women, yelling at them to change and make themselves look okay, warning them they would be punished severely if they did not move quickly. Beside her, Lucky whined in confusion, and she reached to give him a comforting pat. “I don’t know what’s going on, either, boy. We can’t do anything but wait and see.”
She did not have long to wait. Within moments she counted twelve horses and riders coming into the camp. The men all had a grim, set look. An officer rode in front. She could not tell his rank. Kaid ran forward to snap to attention and salute, and the officer dismounted and returned the salute.
“We’re here to inspect, Sergeant,” he said, motioning to his men to dismount. “Where are the prisoners?”
Kaid smiled too broadly and sounded too jubilant as he answered, “Just getting up, Major. By the way, sir, we’re real proud to have you out here. We’ve never had such a high rank inspect us before.”
The Major withered him with a look. “You may not be so proud when I’m finished, Sergeant. We’ve had reports comparing this camp to Sodom and Gomorrah. The women are treated worse than animals. Your men take their pleasure with them whenever they feel like it. The food rations are no better than garbage. And you make them work the fields till they’re exhausted and bleeding.”
“Sir!” Kaid stiffened, aghast. “Wherever did you hear a bucket o’ lies like that? True, it ain’t no social gathering out here. I don’t think I have to remind you that this is a prison. These women have been found guilty of treason and spying and God knows what else. They were sent out here to be punished, not coddled.”
“I believe detainment is more what the Confederacy had in mind. Farming their own food is one thing, but making them produce enough for you to sell for your personal profit is not what the government had in mind.”
Kaid’s face turned a fiery red, and he sputtered, “I…I ain’t got no idea what you’re talkin’ about, sir. We barely grow enough to get by out here. I know food’s scarce now, and I haven’t wanted to ask the army for any more.”
The Major turned to sweep his men with a knowing smile, then faced Kaid once more. “You sold some potatoes to an old man. One of your soldiers was drunk. He offered to sell him something else. One of your prisoners. The old man was appalled. He told his son, who also happens to be a soldier, and he, in turn, reported this to the proper authorities. His father was asked to see just how much he could learn of the goings-on here. He learned a great deal. That is why we are here today. To see for ourselves.”
“Well, now, I reckon I remember that old man. Caught him trying to steal some of my chickens.” Kaid appeared to calm down. “Made my boys mad, and they roughed him up a bit to teach him a lesson, so’s he wouldn’t come back. He wanted revenge, so he made up some lies. You just come along with me and see for yourself how nice everything is here.”
April watched Kaid lead the Major and his men through the camp. She knew the women would not dare answer any questions truthfully. But would the Major realize that or not?
“Things aren’t too clean right now,” she heard Kaid say as they moved away, his voice growing fainter. “We got crops comin’ in, and the rains last week helped things along, so we’ve all had to pitch in and do our share to get ’em in so’s we’ll have plenty to eat this winter.”
She could hear no more, but she continued to stare through the crack, watching as they moved in and around the other buildings. A half hour or more passed, and finally Kaid and the Major came close enough that she could again make out what they were saying.
“I still don’t like what I see here, Sergeant,” said the Major. He was an older, distinguished-looking man, with a quiet authority about him. “It’s not a good environment for ladies.”
“Ladies?” Kaid chuckled. “There ain’t a lady in the bunch. You know that.”
The Major regarded him coolly. “They are women, and Southern gentlemen regard their women with a protective attitude. It would be a disgrace to the South for it to be known that women are being kept in a place like this. I may as well tell you that it has already been decided that Tarboro prison will be turned into a compound for Yankee prisoners. These women will be moved within the week to a new unit set up near Richmond. It’s larger, and you will probably have three times as many women there, as we are combining several smaller compounds.”
Kaid’s voice was worried. “Am I going to be in charge of the new one?”
“If not in command,” he was told, “you may still have a responsible position. That will all be decided later. In the meantime, I want you to get these women ready to move. A special company of men will be sent here to harvest your crops. We can’t let them go to waste.”
The Major’s men were mounting their horses. “We’ll be leaving now,” their commanding officer announced. “I have a report to file, and there are arrangements to be made.”
“It wasn’t like you thought, was it?” Kaid asked, smiling. “It ain’t like that…Sodom and something?”
The Major returned his smile easily. “It probably is, Sergeant. I imagine your prisoners have been informed of the consequences they could expect for answering my questions honestly. Do you take me for a fool?” His voice rose. “I could tell they were scared to death, and I saw the way you and your men hovered around them.”
Kaid quickly shook his head. “I don’t understand, sir. We’re strict, of course, but—”
“Do you honestly think I believe these women haven’t been forced to submit? Raped at will? Give me credit for having some intelligence, you idiot!”
“But, sir—”
The Major had allowed full vent to his fury and would not listen. “That won’t happen at the new prison. There will be women matrons to serve as chaperones to m
ake sure the prisoners are not abused by the guards. I don’t like what I’ve seen here, Sergeant.”
He mounted his horse, reined him around in a complete circle, then snapped, “Just be glad you have properly intimidated your women, or the Confederacy would have your head.”
He signaled and his men followed in a swinging column. The Major called back with a sardonic grin. “We will go out through the main road, Sergeant. I’ve a feeling all that water has miraculously dried up by now.”
As soon as the soldiers were out of sight, Kaid hurried to the shed and unlocked the door. April rushed out, crying, “Why did you lock me in there? I wouldn’t have told them anything.”
He fastened possessive fingers about her arm and led her toward his cabin, motioning the anxious guards away as they started toward him, boiling over, he knew, with questions.
“I’ve been expecting a surprise inspection,” he told her as soon as they were inside. “It was just a feeling I’d get when I’d go in for supplies. The top dogs were startin’ to ask a lot of questions. I think what happened was that somebody got jealous of my setup out here.”
“All right, so you were expecting it,” she said, exasperated, “but that doesn’t tell the why you locked me in that shed.”
“They did a head count of the prisoners. I figured they’d do that, too.”
“Well, why didn’t you want them to count me, for heaven’s sake? They know I’m here. There are records—”
“Hell, yes, I know that!” He spoke so sharply that she stepped away from him, watching as he began to pace furiously up and down before the fireplace. “I want ’em to come up one short. Then, when they come to take the others to the new prison camp, they’ll find the same number they found today. You won’t be counted.”
“Then what do you plan to do with me? I can’t believe you’re going to set me free.”
He stopped pacing and stared at her as though she had lost her mind. “Let you go? You know better than that, April. I don’t never intend to let you go.” He walked over to pull her into his arms, and she did not resist. She was too frightened. His eyes searched hers adoringly, and the little smile on his lips was sad. “I know you don’t love me. You don’t even like me touchin’ you. But you’re the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen, darlin’, and I can’t let you go.”
He brushed her golden hair back from her face as she watched him fearfully. “Don’t worry,” he laughed. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’d never hurt you. I’d kill anybody else that tried. I want to take care of you, April, and make you happy. I’d do anything in the world for you…except let you leave me.”
Dear God, she had known that he was in love with her, but this was worse than she had ever imagined. He would never let her leave now, even when the war was over, or she had served her time. He intended to keep her with him forever!
Deciding to attempt reasoning with him, she reminded him of the long talks they’d had in the evenings while he and Lucky were mending. “I told you that, someday, somehow, I’m going home, Kaid. I’m going back to Pinehurst. If Poppa is alive, then I want to get help for him.”
He nodded, running his hands up and down her bare arms, knocking away her shawl. “You told me. And I understand. I think what your sister did was rotten. I ain’t scared of her or those scalawags you told me she hired. I’ll take you back there myself, and I’ll get your home back…straighten things out for you.”
Her heart suddenly leaped with joy. “You would? Kaid, you would do that for me? Oh, I’d see that you were well paid, believe me. I mean, I know there’s probably no money at all now. Things were going down so quickly once Poppa got sick, but if you could see Pinehurst, you’d know that it can be a rich plantation again someday and—”
She fell silent, realizing how deeply she was involved in her dream. She hadn’t been paying attention to him.
Kaid was standing very still, his hands on her tiny waist, just staring down into her eyes as though trying to read her mind.
“You don’t have to pay me. I don’t want money from you. I want you to be my wife.”
She cocked her head to one side. “You…you want me to marry you, Kaid?
“I sure do, April. You and I both know the problem I have when…” He paused, swallowed hard, then continued, “…when I try to make love to you. It’s because I love you so much. I can’t just jump on top of you. It’s got to be because you want me. If you were my wife, everything’d be all right.”
He picked her up and swirled her around, then set her on her feet, a wide smile on his face displaying the chipped, blackened teeth. “You might even stop thinkin’ about what an ugly bastard I am, darlin’, when I show you how good I can be to you.” He winked. “You’ll never be sorry, I promise. Oh, it’s going to be the happiest day of my life when I stroll down the street with you on my arm, telling the whole world you’re my wife.”
“I can’t marry you, Kaid.”
“Why, sure you can.” He walked over to glance out the window, and a frown creased his forehead. “Those fools. I’m going to have to get out there and get them into the fields. If we don’t get them crops in, the army will take ’em, and I still stand to make some money sellin’ ’em myself.”
He glanced back at her. “It’s going to be wonderful, April. You’ll see. And I promise to take you back to Alabama, back to your home. I’ll get things straightened out with that sister of yours.”
He sat down and pulled her into his lap, squeezing her gently as she fought to hide her revulsion. “I’ve got it all figured out,” he said, “and I’ve had plenty of time to think about it, ’cause, like I said, I had an idea something like this was gonna happen. What I’ll do is, I’ll fix your prison records to say you died. I’ll say you tried to escape and got killed by a snake in the swamp. We’ll even fix you a grave, with your name on a headstone and everything. Meanwhile, you’ll be living in Richmond, as my wife, and nobody will know nothing.
“I’m not asking you to love me,” he went on in a rush. “I’m asking you to give me a chance, April. Maybe in time, you can love me, once you find out I’m not really so ugly.”
She took a deep breath and prayed for the right words. Looking away from him, she said, “I don’t find you ugly, Kaid. You showed me what a gentle person you can be when you risked yourself to save my dog. You’ve been good to me when we both know you could have had me any time you wanted. I would be most obliged if you would take me back to Alabama and help me reclaim my home. But I can’t marry you.”
“You can’t?” he roared. “Then, damn it you don’t want to go home very bad. You’d rather rot in prison than marry me? Hell, I don’t need you then!”
He stood so quickly that she fell to the floor. He made no move to help her up but strode to the window and stared out in angry silence.
April doubled up her knees and propped her head against them, clenching her fists. Finally, she could control herself no longer and screamed, “Damn it, Kaid, you just can’t see it, can you?”
He whipped his head around, stunned by the outburst.
“I could promise to marry you, get you to take me home, then change my mind, you fool! But even if I don’t love you, I’m your friend. I don’t want to use you, or hurt you. Can’t you see that? You say you don’t want to hurt me, but what do you think you’re doing when you blackmail me into marrying you, for God’s sake? How can you be so blind?”
He scratched at his beard. “I never thought of it like that. You could trick me, couldn’t you?”
“Yes,” she pleaded, “but you’ve been kind to me, and I don’t want to hurt you. Can’t you just help me, anyway, even though all I can promise is that I will try to desire you? I’ll try to give you what you want.”
They stood staring at each other, Kaid wearing a look of veiled hope.
Suddenly a fist began hammering against the door and a man’s voice called out frantically, “Sergeant, get out here, will you? We want to know what’s going on. The men are threatening to
just get on their horses and run away. They’re afraid they’re gonna get in trouble for fuckin’ the prisoners.”
Kaid screamed so loud the walls quaked. “Get the hell out of here, boy. Don’t bother me right now!”
They heard the murmur of the soldier’s curses as he moved away from the door.
Kaid walked over to grip April’s shoulders. “You’re saying that you’ll try to desire me, but you won’t marry me?”
“If you agree to take me to Alabama.”
“But there’s a war.”
“As soon as you can. That’s all I ask.” She turned away, then glanced back at him sharply. “Oh, Kaid, it would be so easy to deceive you. Then, once I was free, I could refuse to keep my part of the bargain. But you’ve been too good to me. I can’t betray you. I know that, in your way, you do care for me.”
“Oh, hell, yes, I care,” he responded quickly, his tongue flicking over his lips once more. “You just don’t know how much. Maybe I’m a goddamn fool to even think a woman as pretty as you could ever want me to touch her, much less be my wife, but a man’s got to dream, darlin’. When he stops dreamin’, he might as well die.”
Swallowing hard, she slipped her arms about his neck.
“Oh, darlin’, darlin’, it’s gonna be so good. I just know it is. I may be ugly, but I know what a woman likes.”
She could contain herself no longer. “Will you just stop talking about how ugly you are, Kaid?” she cried, staring up at him. His hold loosened in surprise. “Will you stop telling me how ugly you are? I don’t see you that way—not till you remind me. Can’t you just for God’s sake stop talking?”
“Blackmon! Open up!”
April recognized Private Ellison’s voice, urgent and demanding.
“Open up or I’m gonna bust this door down.”
“You’re fixing for me to bust your head!” Kaid’s huge body was shaking with fury. “I said I’d be out there in a minute. Leave me alone.”
“You better get out here now if you want any men left by dark. They’re plenty upset. And the prisoners are givin’ us sass, too. They think we’re gonna get in a heap of trouble, so they’re actin’ real cocky. They say they ain’t goin’ in the fields and we don’t dare make ’em.”
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