by Diane Wylie
Jennifer’s soft hand began to wander down the back of his neck. “I do understand what you have told me.” She laid her head back on his shoulder again. “It is very difficult for me to comprehend how a man could betray a friend and confidante.” Now she found the front of his shirt and put her hand inside to caress his chest. His heart picked up, and his breath caught. “For Lieutenant Miller to behave as he did is dishonorable beyond comprehension.”
She sighed and her hand moved lower under his shirt. “Although I think you have done more than your share in this war, I suppose that I can see how you must go back as soon as you can. I hate that you have to do this, David.”
He tightened his hold on her, and his blood thrummed through his veins as his heart beat faster. “Yes, my Jenny,” he said, “I have to go back, but for now...” With her arms wrapped around his neck, he drank in her sweet taste deeply before breaking the kiss to rest his head on hers.
A long silence fell between them as David tried to make peace with all that had happened this day. Nearly losing the woman he loved in the attack had shaken him to his soul. It had loosened the feelings he had struggled with alone for so long. He needed to talk, to let his loved ones get close to him again. He and his father had opened the lines of communication tonight. His father had said the words he had yearned to hear for many years. The future was so uncertain and precarious. He didn’t want this trip back to Virginia to end without settling and dealing with all the pain.
She stirred in his arms and raised her face to his. He could see the tracks of wetness on her cheeks in the dim moonlight and brushed it away with his thumbs.
“David?”
“Yes, my love?”
“W-will you ask me again, please?”
Suddenly his heart lifted as if a thousand angels had come into his soul to bear him up. He grinned into the darkness. Somewhere nearby crickets chirped their love song to each other. This wonderful, beautiful woman was most definitely his light in this dark world. He asked quickly before the insidious seeds of self-doubt could grow.
“I love you. Will you marry me, an enemy soldier without a penny in his pocket, Jennifer Winston?”
“Yes, David Reynolds, heart of my heart and love of my life, a thousand times, yes.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Jenny wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. It was hard to believe that only yesterday she had nearly drowned, and David had been so totally withdrawn that she had despaired of ever being close to him again.
Picking up the circlet of tiny white flowers, she placed it carefully on her upswept hair and pinned it in position. Turning her head, she surveyed her appearance in the old cracked mirror. Papa had found this pretty white dress for her to wear, and it fit her well. The dress was only cotton with short puffy sleeves. It was not elegant, but it was very nice all the same.
The shameful way she had burned for David Reynolds for so long now made the thought of further delay unbearable. It was hard to be so close to him day after day and not touch him or kiss him…or more. And so, they would be married in less than an hour in this tiny, whitewashed church in North Carolina.
Smoothing her dress, she sat down by the small window in the vestibule, watching the sun slide down in a blazing red ball toward the treetops. Papa waited outside, keeping watch for Confederate soldiers. David, Nate, and Jack, as Union soldiers, were very much in danger this far away from their own troops. When it was dark they would come out of hiding and make their way to the church.
There was a knock at the door. The pastor opened the scarred oak door and stuck his balding head inside. “Mistress, all is ready. As soon as your groom arrives, we can begin the ceremony.”
“Thank you, Father.” She rose and went to the door. “I don’t know how to thank you for doing this on such short notice.”
He stepped back, allowing her to exit in front of him as he buttoned his black frock coat. “My dear, in these troubling times it is like a breath of fresh air to be performing such a joyous ceremony as this. I am happy to do it.” He stopped and turned to look at her with a twinkle in his eyes. “Don’t you be worrying your pretty little head about your companions. Everyone is safe and welcome in the church of the Lord.”
* * *
The summer air was thick, humid, and still among the concealing bushes and leafy trees. David watched Phillip Winston where he stood on the church steps, dressed in his Sunday suit, waiting for darkness to fall. The man’s stance was relaxed and casual, but he looked up and down the narrow dirt road that passed in front of the little picturesque church over and over again. No one was coming.
Slowly the color changed around them. First a rosy glow grew over building and vegetation, which gradually deepened to purple and finally became a shrouded and shadowy darkness, broken by patches of pale yellow moonlight.
Finally he heard the soft whistle. The four men rode slowly out into the open, crossed the road, and stopped their horses in front of the open church doors.
Carefully dismounting so as to not spoil his father’s black frock coat and trousers, David brushed the horsehair from himself. Having lost so much weight was actually beneficial today; normally he would not be able to borrow his lanky father’s clothing. The coat was still tight across the shoulders so he moved carefully, but the trousers fit well.
He looked at his wedding party with affection. They had all cleaned themselves up as best they could. Jack was his pale and somewhat shaky best man, wearing clean clothing borrowed from Phillip. The linen shirt hung loosely on his frame, and the belt was cinched tightly to keep the trousers from puddling around his feet.
Father was his usual impeccable, elegant self, dressed as if he were going to his office in Philadelphia. It was truly amazing that the two fathers had brought such clothing with them on a mission of rescue through the wilderness of the deep South. He shook his head in wonderment. Never would he have dreamed of doing such a thing. Both of them claimed they had packed the clothing in order to portray themselves as wealthy men. Apparently it had worked to their advantage.
Nate stepped up the steps, turned and, with a half bow and a big grin, waved David into the church ahead of Jack and Jeffrey. Phillip had already disappeared inside.
Stepping inside the tiny building, David froze. He could hardly believe what he was seeing. Stubs and pieces of lit candles flickered romantically on every available surface around the perimeter of the church. They cast a warm welcoming glow that made his chest constrict with emotion.
God was here; there was no doubt he was here in this place, in this time. It was a moment of wonderment in the middle of a hellish time. He took a deep lungful of this holy air. It smelled of wood polish, smoky candles, and incense all mixed together in the scent of his wedding night that he would never forget.
“Do you believe it, Dave? This is incredible!” Jack’s voice was hushed with awe.
David could only nod in agreement. His best friend gave him a gentle shove forward as if he needed encouragement. “Come on, soldier, and get yourself married. We cannot linger over long here in this Southern town.”
* * *
Jenny imagined she was playing a game of hide-and-seek as she waited in the tiny room next to the church’s entrance. She could hear the footsteps on the wooden floors and the hushed voices of the men as they passed the closed door. It was easy to pick out the pitch and tone of each one of those dear people, but David’s rich baritone sent a thrill through her, even when he whispered.
Smoothing her hair one last time, she pinched her cheeks to give them some color and picked up the small bouquet of white daisies her father had picked for her from a nearby patch. Spying a small red beetle, a ladybug, crawling on one of the flowers, she put a finger in front of the tiny creature, letting it crawl up on her fingernail. Turning to the window, she let it scurry off onto the windowsill.
“Fly away home, little ladybug,” she whispered. “Very soon now I will be going to my home, too… My Yankee is my home
and my heart.” Deciding that the appearance of such a pleasant little bug was a sign of good luck, she readied herself and faced the door.
The knock came. Opening the door, Jenny stepped out and slipped her hand through the offered arm of her father. Papa’s face was aglow with happiness.
The culminating moment of her life had arrived, and she was sure it was the most perfect, most absolutely correct thing she would ever do. Marrying Captain David Reynolds of the Seventeenth Pennsylvania Cavalry from the Army of the Potomac, the one true love of her life, was all of that and more. She thanked God that he had sent her and Romulus to that glade, on that day, at the right time, so that she would be there to meet him when he arrived.
Together she and her father took their positions and looked to the front of the church. Papa gave her arm a squeeze, and Pastor Wilson beckoned them forward. There was no music and no sound but their shoes on the hard wooden floor. In the face of her beloved, his green eyes shining with happiness, Jenny saw nothing less than the hope for a future filled with abiding love, passion, kindness, and understanding.
The war may have been raging somewhere outside these walls, but for now, to these people, the world outside ceased to exist. Soft candlelight flickered off pale walls, polished wood, and glowing faces from the North and South, civilian and military, black and white, and male and female alike.
The daisies trembled on their fragile stalks in her nervous hands, but only for a short time. When Papa placed her hand in David’s and they turned as one to face the pastor, the little white flowers calmed and stilled.
* * *
David woke slowly. He didn’t want to rush back to reality in case it was all a wonderful dream. If he woke in a filthy rag of a prison tent without his Jenny, well, it would be just too damned hard to bear. Without opening his eyes he moved his hand that was lying on something soft—which was a good sign by itself. Ah, pure ecstasy!
His hand touched and moved north over silky soft skin, following a gentle curve that rose higher over gracefully rounded hips then up an elegant, sensuously curving back. Changing direction, he moved his hand to the west, following the softness over an even more delicious peaked mound. He sighed softly. It was no dream then…she was real, and now Jenny was his wife. So long had he wished and hoped for this, and now it was true.
He wondered how a man like him could have been so blessed as to find the love of a lifetime—a man who had no occupation other than soldier and who had no home or property. He didn’t even own the clothing he wore to his wedding—it belonged to his father.
A few times he thought about talking to Jenny about their future. Particularly the fact that he only had the little bit of money his grandfather had left him and no prospects for financial security after the war, but he was fairly certain she already knew this about him…and married him anyway. Wonder of wonders! He decided to leave well enough alone and just enjoy this time together. Perhaps he would be able to figure out something later.
Unable to resist any longer, David closed his fingers and gave the mound a gentle squeeze. His bride of less than ten hours gave a little squeak of surprise and opened her beautiful blue eyes. His smile widened.
“Good morning, my love.” He brushed golden strands of hair from her cheeks and kissed her passion-swollen lips. Her eyelids came down again, and she yawned.
“Good morning, my husband.” Jenny snuggled closer to his chest, pressing her soft breasts wonderfully against his bare skin. He moaned softly. “Oh, how nice it is to be awakened this way. Much nicer than my father’s method,” she said throatily in his ear.
Shifting, he arranged them both so that she was now lying on top of him. Her long hair hung down, brushing his face softly. “And what method might that be, Mrs. Reynolds?” he asked, closing his eyes and wrapping her silky body tightly to him. He never wanted to let her go again.
Giggling, she ran her hands over his arms and bent her head to kiss his neck before answering. “He likes to sneak in and pull all of the blankets off when it is cold so that you wake up immediately alert…and freezing.”
“I would never do that!” David said in mock horror. “I would prefer to do this…”
Gently he cupped his hands around the back of her head and drew her lips close to his. They were petal soft and opened so eagerly under his that waves of heat spiraled through him. Sounds of pleasure came from deep in his throat. Then lifting her above him, he slid her naked body slowly up his tingling skin until her pink-tipped breasts were in line with his hungry mouth. Sucking, teasing, and kissing each pea-hard tip in turn made him hard again as she trembled and squirmed in his grasp.
“You taste like heaven, Mrs. Reynolds,” he murmured when he could find his voice. She also smelled like fresh air and sweet grass, which was only natural considering they had slept in the open on a blanket spread over long, thick grasses.
“Oh, David, that is silly; nobody can taste like heaven.” She laughed, inflaming him all the more.
“Oh, but you do, my love,” he whispered.
“Mmmm,” was her answer; she was too busy kissing him to reply.
The darkness of the warm, sultry night was just beginning to lighten to a rosy gray. The songbirds were warbling their calls to their mates. The two human lovebirds were as naked as their avian counterparts, but David sensed no threat to either their modesty or their persons. He knew that his father and new father-in-law, along with Jack and Nate, were not too far away, keeping an eye out for intruders.
This was no honeymoon suite, which he wished he could have provided for his new bride, but it was private. A sheer wall of rock rose around the meadow on three sides, and, with the rest of the men protecting the open side, he was fairly certain they were safe.
Capturing her hot mouth again with his, he ran his hands over every inch of her smooth skin within reach. Sounds, he didn’t know he made, escaped from his mouth at the sheer pleasure her body gave him just to touch. He was so preoccupied in this blissful pastime that he paid no attention to her movements until Jenny slid herself slowly down over him.
“Love me, David.” Her voice was low and husky
“Oh, yes,” he answered, “now and always.”
Brushing a fly from his perspiring forehead and kissing his mouth, she wiggled just a bit. He grabbed her hips with his hands and began to move. Heat rippled through him like quicksilver. There were so many sensations—the muscles of his chest flexing and moving under her soft breasts, warm lips on his, and the sharp edge of her teeth nibbling his ear. An aching, consuming need began to grow until they moved together in the age-old dance of love, holding tightly to each other as they soared higher and higher with the rising sun.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Sometime during the happy days that followed their wedding, they finally crossed the Virginia state line moving at a leisurely pace. Phillip rode at the head of the column, followed by the wagon bearing Nate and Jack. The two men had become fast friends on the long trip north. Jack was a born talker, and Nate was a natural listener, soaking up the world and everything in it like a sponge.
Since the fever had left Jack, he ate almost as much as he talked, putting in his mouth whatever they could buy, hunt, or pick along their journey. Right now all three former prisoners were munching on crisp red apples purchased with Jeffrey’s gold from a grateful farmer.
Jenny noted with the satisfaction of a successful healer that all three young men were coming along just fine since their release from Andersonville. Jack had the longest recovery ahead of him. The malaria and starvation had taken the largest toll on him physically, but she could see the bloom of health slowly returning to his cheeks as they began to lose their horrible gaunt look. Their bodies were returning to normal, along with their minds. Now that David had given voice to his burden, he seemed to carry a lighter load on his broad shoulders.
She smiled. Yes, David was doing just fine physically, just fine. Never had she imagined the delights that being married could bring. She found herself
anxiously awaiting the end of the day so she could lie with her new husband again.
Her heart was full to the bursting when she looked over at her darkly handsome husband riding at her side. He turned his head as if sensing her gaze, smiled warmly, tossed his apple core away, and reached for her hand. They rode connected this way for a long spell without saying a word, until the trail narrowed, forcing David to fall back.
The land fell away down a gentle decline, as the group moved parallel to a burbling creek under a tall canopy of oak, pine, and maple trees. A squirrel ran out on an overhead branch, peered down at the single-file riders, and chattered noisily. Jenny laughed and looked behind her for her husband. His face broke into a grin, and he joined in her laughter as the squirrel ran to and fro on the branch, undecided whether to run away from the people or stay and give them a piece of his mind.
Gradually the trail widened slightly as they approached a crossroads screened by thick brush on either side.
“HALT! Y’all there, put your hands in the air where we can see them!”
Jenny’s heart leaped in her chest at the sight of a small party of Confederate soldiers on foot blocking their way. The barrels of eight rifles pointed menacingly in their direction.
Papa stopped his horse and raised his hands in the air. The wagon creaked and groaned as it stopped. She saw Nate and Jack exchange glances before they both raised their hands. Swinging around in the saddle, she looked behind her to see only Jeffrey, who complied as well. He raised an eyebrow.
Slowly turning to face front again, she saw no sign of David in the dense trees around them. Putting her hands in the air as well, she swallowed hard with fear.