Chapter 9
Luke knew he was going to have to do something. Caroline and Grandma had not been getting along all week. He steepled his hands on the surface of his grandfather’s walnut desk as he considered his options.
Caroline, sitting on the other side of the desk, was staring at her lap, looking as innocent as a newborn child. Pale winter sunlight slanted into the room from one of the two floor-to-ceiling windows and made her hair gleam, giving the appearance of a golden halo hovering above her head. But he knew his wife was neither as innocent nor as angelic as she appeared.
Instead of using the formal dining room, Caroline was pushing for them to eat dinner at a small table in one of the sitting rooms. Grandma had been scandalized and lost no time in belittling the idea. Neither female was completely right.
While Grandma had been quick to criticize his new wife, Caroline was misguided enough to try the patience of a saint. He wondered why her parents had not been more diligent in teaching her how to manage a proper household. They’d certainly taught her to be diligent in her prayer life, so diligent that he wondered if she loved her Bible more than she loved him.
He understood her need to put her own mark on the household, but Caroline was not being considerate of the established way of doing things at Shady Oaks. His wife seemed determined to change everything from the number of times the family had tea to teaching his slaves stories from the Bible and having them memorize verses. He never would have dreamed his shy, gentle wife would be so full of subversive ideas. “What is the problem now?”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to waste your time with trivial matters, Luke. I know you have much more important things on your mind.”
“Look at me, Caroline.” He waited until she raised her head. He frowned at the puffiness of her eyes. She’d obviously been crying. “I appreciate your consideration of my time, but I cannot get anything done when I have to listen to arguments and complaints all the time. Wouldn’t it be easier if you would just go along with Grandma’s way of doing things?”
“Yes, but—”
His raised hand stopped her words abruptly. “I don’t want to know what the latest problem is. I just want you to go to her and tell her you’re sorry. Tell her you misunderstood and her way is the right way. Tell her you want to defer to her experience and learn from her. Tell her whatever you need to tell her so that she will not spend another morning talking to me about your lack of consideration.”
Her shoulders drooped. Her head hung low.
Luke felt like a beast, but he had to make her understand how to act if he was to get any relief. So many problems awaited his attention. So many solutions had to be worked out before he left, and the time was slipping past him with alarming speed. He did not have time to act as a mediator anymore. His grandmother and his wife were going to have to learn how to live together under the same roof.
“I’m sorry, Luke. I’ll try to do as you say.” She glanced up at him. “You won’t have any more trouble.”
He sat back in the leather chair his grandfather had used to conduct business. He wished Grandpa was still around. Of course that would mean he’d never have come south, never taken over the reins of Shady Oaks, and never married Caroline. Who knew his life would become so complicated so quickly? Would things have been easier if he’d chosen the woman his grandmother had wanted him to marry? Possibly, but it was too late now. He’d made his choice, and they would all have to live with it. Luke rose from his chair and walked around to the front of the desk. “I’ll hold you to that promise, dear.”
He was ready to give her a hug, but Caroline stood up and, avoiding his gaze, slipped out of the room.
Luke returned to his stack of paperwork with a brief shake of his head. Was it his imagination, or was Caroline hiding something from him?
“You won’t believe this place.” Caroline dragged Dinah down the overgrown path she’d discovered yesterday during a long walk. A walk she’d had to take to keep from exploding at Grandma Darby. She pushed away the uncomfortable memory, along with the memory of not telling her husband about her discovery after she returned to the house and received his lecture. But it was his own fault. He’d not wanted to listen to anything she had to say. All she had done was comply with his wishes.
Dinah tripped over a log lying across the path and would have fallen if not for Caroline’s steadying hand. “I don’t think we should be out here.”
“No one has told me not to come here.” Caroline lifted her chin and pulled the maid forward. “If someone finds out, I’ll be the one to get in trouble.” Not that she could stay out of trouble these days. Who would have ever thought marriage would be so difficult?
She was beginning to be more than a little worried about her husband’s faith. Not since they’d arrived had he offered to pray with her or even read scripture to her like Pa did every night. Sunday had come and gone without a mention of the Sabbath. It seemed the only time God was remembered at Shady Oaks was at mealtimes when Luke blessed their food. What had happened to the man who attended every one of her father’s revival services?
She’d tried to broach the subject of daily prayer and devotion time with him, but Luke had put her off, saying he had too much to do before he left for Vicksburg. While it was true that he worked from sunup to sundown, she wished he would set aside some time for God. She hoped he meant it when he promised things would get better when the war was over.
“Would you look at that!” Dinah’s exclamation brought a smile to her face. “It’s a whole empty house.”
Dinah was the one bright light at Shady Oaks. From their first evening together, they had discovered they were kindred spirits. It had begun when Dinah shared how she had come to be at Shady Oaks. Caroline knew instinctively this was the first time her new friend had shared such intimate details of her life with someone besides Hezekiah. She knew she could trust Dinah to keep any secrets she might need to share.
Dinah was not sure of her exact age because she’d been sold away from her mother when she was only a babe, but she couldn’t be more than five years older than Caroline. She spoke of her good fortune in living at Shady Oaks where she was allowed to marry the man she loved and raise their two children. It humbled Caroline to realize how she took her own freedom for granted.
Caroline let go of her friend’s arm and pushed her way past a wooden gate that had fallen into partial ruin and entered the weed-strewed courtyard. “Come on. I didn’t have enough time to explore the inside yesterday.”
Dinah’s eyes widened. “Do you think somebody lives here?”
“I doubt it.” Caroline marched up the front steps and rapped loudly on the door.
Both of them waited breathlessly for a response, but the house remained quiet. No one peeked through any of the windows, most of which were darkened by grimy layers of dirt.
Caroline leaned against the wooden door but heard no footsteps shuffling toward her. “I don’t think anyone’s been out here in years.” She walked over to one of the windows, rubbing at the dirty surface with the hem of her cloak. “I wonder if the original owner of Shady Oaks had this house built, too. It looks like a miniature version of the main house.”
Dinah finally joined her on the porch. “I wonder why no one lives here now.”
“It’s probably too far from the main house to be practical.” She looked at Dinah, her mouth forming a perfect O. “It might be a dowager house. I wish Luke would move Grandma Darby out here so I wouldn’t have to listen to her constant complaints about my failure as a wife.”
Dinah’s eyes widened.
Caroline took a moment to enjoy the thought before shaking her head. “It would be too mean to exile her out here. I will have to keep praying for a way to please her.”
“I’ve never seen her so unhappy.” Dinah’s sympathetic gaze raked her face. “I’ll pray, too, that she’ll be kinder to you.”
Fighting to hold back the tears that sprang to her eyes, Caroline turned her attention back
to the house. “Let’s see if we can get inside. We can clean up one or two of the rooms. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could use it to help runaway slaves?”
Dinah’s gaze turned dreamy. “You mean like the Underground Railroad?”
“It’d be perfect.” Inspiration struck Caroline with the suddenness of a lightning bolt. “I’ve got it! You and Hezekiah can be the first family we help to escape to a free state.”
Dinah froze for a moment before letting her shoulders droop. She shook her head. “My Hezekiah says God put us here for a reason. He’ll never run away, and my place is at my husband’s side.” A tear slid down one of her cheeks. She brushed it away with a finger. “But it’s real nice of you to think of us. We don’t have a bad life here at Shady Oaks, you know. We have our own house, and your family gives us clothes and food enough to make do. I only have one great dream that will never come to pass.”
“What’s that?” Caroline tried to put herself in Dinah’s place, but it was impossible. She’d always had the support of loving parents and the freedom to do most anything she wanted.
Dinah walked to the edge of the porch and looked back toward the thick woods they’d come through to get here. “Now and again a preacher used to come to Shady Oaks. Master Darby, your husband’s grandpa, used to let us come to the chapel when the preacher was here so we could listen to the stories about Jesus. I loved those times, but there hasn’t been a preacher stop by since the war started.” She turned around to face Caroline. “I know God’s Bible is full of stories like the ones he used to tell. But I can’t read them. I wish I could so I could share them with my children and my husband.”
A yearning to help her friend achieve her dream overcame Caroline. Her excitement returned as a bold idea occurred to her. “That’s what we’ll do here. We’ll have all the privacy in the world, and I can teach you how to read!” She stepped forward and hugged Dinah close. “Let’s get inside, and see if there’s a place where we can work.”
Chapter 10
I’ll be back as soon as I can to check on you.” Luke gave his wife one last hug. “You be careful. No wandering about alone.”
She emerged from his embrace with pink cheeks. “You need to follow your own advice. I’ll be perfectly safe here with your grandmother and the staff.” Tears filled her eyes, turning them into twin pools. “You’re the one who will be risking his life.”
Luke felt the tug to stay, but he knew he had no choice. He really should have left two days ago when his orders arrived, but he’d decided to wait until the last possible moment to join the fighting. He would be stationed with a small group of men on one of the bayous between the Yazoo and Mississippi Rivers. His mission was simple—repel any Federal squads trying to reach Vicksburg. “It’s much more likely I’ll spend my time huddled around a campfire rather than exchanging fire with Yankees.”
They walked downstairs arm in arm. “I don’t want you to come outside, my darling. It’s far too chilly this early.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead. “It wouldn’t do for you to become ill.”
When she would have protested, he covered her mouth with his own. She clung to him and kissed him back. The poignancy of the moment stole his breath. He was glad he’d married her. Glad he would be coming home to her soon.
He pulled away and stared at her beautiful face for several seconds, memorizing the light in her blue eyes, the curve of her chin, the burnished gleam of her golden hair. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” The slight catch in her voice was another detail he would carry with him during their separation.
With a sigh he let her go and strode to the front door. Hezekiah was waiting for him, both their horses saddled. “Are all of the provisions ready?”
“Yes, sir. We’re all set.”
Luke nodded. “You understand you don’t have to go with me.”
“Yes, sir.” Hezekiah swung himself up onto the smaller horse. “I need to go with you. Someone has to protect the master. Your ladies would never recover if something happened to you.”
“Thanks, Hezekiah. I appreciate your loyalty.” Luke mounted his stallion, and the two of them headed north. If they made good time, they’d arrive at the rendezvous before lunch.
Caroline took her cloak from a hook near the front door.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Grandma Darby’s voice made her flinch.
“Oh, you startled me.” She almost lost her grip on her cloak. “I thought you were in the dining room.”
Dressed in a black morning gown, the frowning woman looked like a harbinger of doom. “I finished breaking my fast nearly an hour ago. Since then I’ve met with the cook, the housekeeper, and the overseer. But none of that answers my question.”
“I thought I’d go for a walk.” Caroline waited for Grandma Darby to contradict her. In the week since Luke had left, they’d managed to rub along with only a few disagreements, usually caused when Caroline broke some rule she was unaware of.
Grandma opened the front door and looked out. “I think that’s an excellent idea.”
Caroline’s mouth dropped open. It was the first time Grandma Darby had complimented her choice. After a moment, suspicion wormed its way into her mind. Did she have an ulterior motive?
“I don’t think you should go alone, however. Why don’t you take Dinah with you?”
Caroline gulped. Had her subterfuge been discovered? Was Luke’s grandmother toying with her like a cat with its prey? “Ummm…of course. What a good idea.” She put her cloak back on the hook. “I’ll go find her.”
“Don’t be silly.” Grandma Darby closed the door and moved into the front parlor. “I’ll ring for her.”
Odd to realize how normal the querulous tone of Luke’s grandmother seemed. Her concerns allayed, Caroline hid a smile. She settled on a straight-backed chair in the parlor and waited. A small basket sat at one end of the sofa. She’d never noticed it there before but decided she would follow the adage “Least said, soonest mended.”
One of the slaves came running, listened to Grandma Darby’s instructions, and hurried off to do her bidding.
A short time later, Dinah stepped into the parlor, an anxious look on her face. She had her cloak draped over one arm.
“Thank you for coming so quickly, Dinah.” Caroline ignored Grandma Darby’s snort. She was determined to be polite, no matter what the older woman thought. “Shall we get going?”
“I have a favor to ask of you, Caroline.”
Grandma Darby’s words set her heart thumping once more. She twisted her hands in the folds of her skirt. “What is that?”
“I have a sudden yearning for some sassafras tea, but we don’t have any bark in the larder. Do you know what sassafras root looks like?”
Caroline wanted to answer yes, but she could not truthfully do so. “No, ma’am.”
Grandma Darby sighed. “Well it’s time you do. You’ll find a stand of sassafras trees right at the edge of the woods, a few feet to the right of the path that leads to the creek. The roots have a smooth skin, light brown, and very gnarled. You should recognize it by its smell.” She turned to glare at Dinah. “You ought to be able to help her.”
Dinah’s nod eased Caroline’s concern. If she knew what a sassafras tree looked like, they could bring Grandma Darby enough roots for a gallon of tea.
Grandma Darby picked up the basket Caroline had noticed earlier. “I asked Cora to ready a basket with a couple of sharp knives. Be careful not to hurt yourself.”
As soon as the girls left the house, they began giggling.
Caroline hooked the basket over her arm. “I thought for sure we’d been found out.”
“I knew better than that. If Missus Darby found out, she wouldn’t have sent word for me to bring my cloak.” Dinah’s laughter stopped. “I’d more likely be getting a whipping from the overseer.”
The very thought made Caroline feel ill. “Maybe we shouldn’t go through with this. Maybe I should just teach you the stories. I cou
ld read to you. Then you wouldn’t be at risk of such a severe punishment.”
Dinah planted her feet on the path and both hands on her hips. “Are you saying you don’t want to teach me to read?”
“No, no. Not at all.” Caroline could hear the strain in her voice. “My only concern is you, Dinah. You’re the one who’ll have to pay the price if we’re ever caught.”
“I suppose we’d better not get caught.” Dinah resumed walking. “I think the good Lord knows what we’re doing and why, and He’ll protect us.”
Caroline felt humbled by her words. “Sometimes I think you’ve got more faith than I do.”
Dinah shook her head. “We’re both God’s children, and that’s all that matters.” She paused at the edge of the woods. “Do you want to pick the sassyfras now or when we’re coming back?”
“Let’s do it after your lesson. That way the roots will be nice and fresh. I don’t want to give Grandma Darby any more reason to complain.”
They arrived at the deserted house without incident and settled in for a lesson. Caroline was watching Dinah copy her letters on a piece of stationery. “Yes, that’s a—” Her words were cut off by an eerie sound.
“What’s that?” Dinah’s eyes widened.
“I don’t know.” Caroline kept her voice to a whisper.
“Sounds like it’s coming from out back.”
Caroline had her hearing stretched to maximum. “It almost sounds like a baby crying.” She got up and crept down the shadowy hallway leading to the back porch. She nearly jumped out of her skin when something touched her arm. Whirling around, she found Dinah right behind her. “You scared me half to death.”
“Sorry.” Dinah held out one of the knives from Grandma Darby’s basket. “I thought we might need these.”
“Good idea.” Caroline crept forward again. It was quiet for a moment or two, but then the sound returned. It did sound like a baby. But what would a baby be doing out here in the woods? Had someone set up housekeeping?
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