Only when the lane to the barn came into view did she slow the horse. In the bright morning light, everything seemed eerily quiet. Her gaze slid over the wagon and the closed barn doors. When the gray rounded the wagon, her gaze fell to the ground where a wide pool of red made her blood race. She raised her head. “Theo?” She ran to the barn, and grappled a bit with the door. It swung open and she entered. “Theo?”
A lantern flickered at one end of the barn and she ran to it. A black man was standing up and another man lay in the hay, eyes closed. Theo. A wounded sound came from Ellie’s throat.
The black man held up a hand. “He is asleep.”
Ellie didn’t recognize him. “Who are you?”
“He needs a doctor. Bad. I done all I could, but he’s got the fever.”
Ellie sank to her knees and pressed a hand to Theo’s brow. “What happened?”
None of it made sense. The blood on the drive must have been Theo’s. Ross had gotten to him. It couldn’t have been the black man, or why would he care for Theo afterward?
“Am I in the North?”
Ellie turned to the man. “Yes, you are.”
Relief relaxed the black man’s lips, and the lines around his eyes faded. “I was afraid I was at the wrong place. The old man in the blue coat came and shot him”—he indicated Theo with his eyes—“then found us in the wagon. He was taking us south, going to get the bounty for us, but the mister here stopped him.” The black man stood and motioned for Ellie to follow him.
She plucked at his sleeve, and the black man stopped. “What about the others?” she whispered.
His teeth gleamed in the low light. “Got ’em to the place. I stayed to help the mister.”
In the empty stall next to Libby’s, her uncle sat on the ground, his legs and wrists bound, a cloth around his mouth. His eyes were bloodshot, and one was swollen and blackened. When he lifted his head to see who had approached, he scowled at Ellie and turned his face away.
Words wouldn’t come to Ellie, and Theo’s need trumped her desire to hear what her uncle had to say. She spun on her heel. “Can you help me load him in the wagon?”
The black man didn’t move. “I’m safe here?”
It would be a natural worry, Ellie understood, but she needed the man’s help. “If you want to stay here in Gettysburg, you can work for me. I have a lot of repairs that need to be done.”
“My name’s Josiah, ma’am, and I’d be grateful to work for you and the mister.”
Ellie didn’t bother wasting the time to explain Theo’s relationship to her, not with the fever pulling strength from his body every minute it raged.
❧
Martha sat on the porch, rocking in her chair, when Josiah pulled the wagon up to the house days later. Ellie allowed Josiah to help her down. Rose followed, with baby Colin bundled tightly.
Josiah turned to Ellie. “Will you be long, ma’am?”
She smiled at him. “I might. Come on in. I’m sure Martha would like to see you.”
She delighted in watching the black man’s obvious consternation at being found out. For all the times his face masked his emotions, it had been obvious to her from the start that Martha captured his attention. Ellie stared up at Martha who had stood and come to the edge of the porch. Seemed Martha felt the same way about Josiah.
“Josiah, you put that horse away around back. I’m guessing Miss Ellie’ll want to put in a good long visit now that he’s awake.”
Ellie’s head came up, and she gasped in surprise.
“Oh, that’s wonderful news.” Rose gave words to the moment.
Ellie started toward the steps, excitement lifting her spirits. It had been nearly two weeks since Theo had been awake for more than a few minutes, though Martha kept saying those few minutes were a good thing. Still, it had worried her. But now. . . “When?”
Martha led the way through the door and to the back of the house. “Just this morning I went in and noticed him stirring more than usual. About an hour later, he was wide awake and asking for something to eat. Full of questions, he was. Plumb wore me out with all the tongue waggin’ he done.” She opened the door to his room and rolled her eyes toward the man on the bed. “I’ll be out here talkin’ with Miss Rose. We needs to decide what to do now that the doctor isn’t coming home.”
Ellie purposely didn’t look right at Theo at first. She had waited for this moment for so long. It was one thing to see him when he was unconscious, but now that he was awake and able to see her, too. . .
“Who are you?”
Her heart plummeted, and she turned toward him.
His face split in a huge smile that told her he was teasing. “I thought maybe I’d grown so ugly you couldn’t stand the sight of me.”
Ellie took the seat next to the bed where she’d sat for the many days he struggled through the fever then lingered in unconsciousness.
His jaw sported a few days’ growth of beard, and his cheeks were hollowed from the weight he’d lost, but his eyes. . . Her breath caught at the light that glowed from his eyes.
A happy light passed over his face and grew in intensity until she felt the heat rising in her cheeks. “Really, Theo.”
“I can’t help it. You’re a beautiful woman.”
She pressed her hands to her face. “We’re not even courting.”
“I hope to be asked as soon as I get back on my feet.”
“You lost a lot of blood.”
“So I heard.”
“Josiah said the only reason he found the barn was because he’d paid close attention to the road Uncle Ross used.”
“Josiah?”
“The black man who helped you get back here.”
“I must have passed out.”
Ellie pulled at the fabric of her skirt so that it settled around her legs more comfortably. “You did. Josiah wasn’t sure if he was at the right place or not.”
“Your uncle Ross figured he would capture whatever slaves we were hiding then take them down south to collect the bounty. Did he confess to everything?”
Ellie pressed her lips together. “Yes. They put him under arrest.”
Theo slid his hand over and waggled his fingers in invitation.
She took it, her heart full because of this man. The rough bandage rubbed against her fingers, and she lifted his bandaged middle finger for examination. “I’m sure your being unconscious has helped this heal.”
“It’s the least of my hurts right now.”
“Still bad?”
Theo raised their clasped hands and placed hers against his chest. “This helps.”
“I’m serious.”
He widened his eyes. “So am I.”
❧
How Theo loved to see her cheeks awash with color. Her blushes always made her eyes bluer. If she truly knew the pain that spiked along his arm and neck every time he moved his hand, she would have never allowed him to even hold her hand. But he didn’t care. The pain was worth it.
“Tell me about this black man.”
Ellie gave a little laugh that amused him, though he didn’t quite understand her mirth. “Ask Martha. She probably knows more about him than anyone.”
He couldn’t believe it. “Martha? And Josiah?”
Ellie gave an enthusiastic nod. “I think so.”
Theo’s mind clicked along at the news. But something else troubled him. “Your uncle was spying on us, wasn’t he?” He recalled the whinny of the horse he’d heard at the springhouse and when he’d been woken in the night by a sound he couldn’t pinpoint. “He must have been watching my movements.”
“He’d been watching you, mostly, trying to figure out your connection to me and if it went deeper than merely a hired hand. And, of course, he overheard my conversation with Martha and decided to cash in on the moment and take care of you at the same time. After shooting you, he found the slaves in the wagon, got Josiah out, and made him pick you up and put you in the wagon.”
“Good thing for me. If it had
n’t been for Josiah’s help, I don’t think things would have worked out quite as nicely.” He pulled in a slow breath. “What about the runaways?”
“When Josiah got back to the barn, he told them all to go ahead as planned. They would have been a little bit behind schedule, but being in the North seemed to give them some peace of mind.”
He heaved a sigh of relief. “That’s good to know.”
“You’re getting tired.”
“No, I’m fine.”
“You are not.”
“If I fall asleep, will you stay?”
“I have to.”
He cracked his eyes open. “You have to?”
“Martha and Rose needed to talk about their plans for the office now that Robert isn’t coming home.”
Was she deliberately avoiding what he meant? “You sound like you don’t want to stay.”
Her eyes danced. “I’ve watched you sleep for the past nine days.”
“Did you miss me?”
She tilted her head, a sparkle coming into her eyes. “Not as much as I will when you leave.”
“Where am I going?”
“Well, seeing as how I need those repairs done and you’re lying in here sleeping, I hired Josiah to take care of things.”
“So I don’t have a job then.”
She shook her head, but the light danced in her eyes. “No.”
“I guess I’ll be leaving then as soon as I’m able.”
“I guess so.”
He was going to have to pry it out of her. “That makes you happy?”
She leaned forward, her breath on his cheeks. “It does because I was hoping that you would decide to stay if I offered you a promotion.”
He turned his head toward her, all vestiges of sleepiness gone. “A promotion to. . . ?”
“Suitor?”
“Ellie Lester,” he breathed, “are you inviting me to come courting?”
When she pressed her lips to his, he knew he had his answer.
epilogue
Dear Rose,
It has been a wonderful time. The Bedford Springs Resort is lovely, though the ride out here from the train was rough. Theo and I have enjoyed our time together so much. He has been so patient to wait so long before we wed. But I wanted to be sure. I’m sure that makes you laugh, since you were convinced far before I was. I knew I truly loved him when he agreed to risk going south to bring home Martin’s body. Still, it troubles me that some view our marriage as a slap to the face, even daring to treat him—us—with such derision. I believe it helps him that Josiah, Martha, and most of the blacks view him as a hero for what he did that night. If only the white people were as convinced, but I must not judge them too harshly, for I can understand how they feel, especially those who lost their husbands and sons.
We leave here in a few days to go out to Council Bluffs, as far as the train will take us, but still plan to return on the agreed date. I hope Josiah asks Martha to marry him soon. Please make sure he gets paid. The money will help ease his mind on the matter.
I hope by now you have found someone to buy our house and that you are getting settled in with Martha. I know she is a comfort to you, just as she was a help to Robert. Give Colin a kiss for me. Tell him his Aunt Ellie will bring him a wonderful toy to play with.
Oh, and please let Josiah know that we’ve decided to take his idea and build a wall in the largest room on the second floor of the farmhouse. We’ll need the room should we have children. Not that I’m in the family way yet, but it is one of our dreams to raise a family on the farm where I spent all my growing-up years.
Take care, my dear friend. I’ll write again soon.
Love,
Ellie
About the Author
S. Dionne Moore is a multi-published author who makes her home in Pennsylvania with her husband of twenty-one years and her daughter. You can visit her at www.sdionnemoore.com.
Dedication
In loving memory of Jacalyn Wilcoxon, pastor’s wife, friend, mentor. I miss you.
I love to hear from my readers! You may correspond with me by writing:
S. Dionne Moore
Author Relations
PO Box 721
Uhrichsville, OH 44683
Promise of Time Page 15
