Desperate (Harris Trilogy Book One)

by Teresa Greene

  As soon as he returned, they packed up and left the farm even before the sun had risen. She wanted to ask him if the young girl was okay, but his hostility kept her from speaking to him. His expression alone could melt rock.

  From the corner of her eye, she looked at Jacobs’ face. It was badly bruised and bleeding. At least Emerson gave him a good thrashing. She wished she could have been the one to make him hurt like he was hurting now. For the past few weeks stress had her nerves on edge. A good fight would go a long way to relieve some of that stress. If she had her way, Jacobs would have been tarred, feathered, and run out of Virginia.

  ****

  It was a somber group that later stopped by a creek to water their horses before continuing to their destination. The not knowing was killing Kate. She walked over to Emerson and asked, “Was the young girl hurt?”

  “She was pretty shaken up. She was going to the pump to get some water when Jacobs came up behind her and accosted her.” Emerson removed his hat and raked his fingers through his hair. “Her mother was upset. Her husband was killed six months ago, and it’s just the two of them. I promised her that Jacobs would be punished.”

  “How is he going to be punished?” she snapped.

  Angry eyes glared at her. “I beg your pardon.”

  Hands plopped on her hips, she continued, “You heard me. How is he going to be punished?”

  “Captain Harris will decide his fate.”

  “Captain Harris did not punish you. How is what Jacobs tried to do to the young girl any different than what you tried to do to me? You are guilty of the same crime.” Voice filled with contempt, she waited for his explanation.

  Arms crossed over his chest, he arched an eyebrow. “Kate, it is different. You made the situation yourself by choosing to dress as a man and join the infantry. You were asking for trouble.”

  She was so infuriated she had the urge to slap him. “I asked for nothing you bastard!” She clinched her hands into fists to control her temper. Before she did something stupid, she mounted her horse ready to be on her way. The sooner she was rid of the insufferable Lieutenant Emerson the better.

  Annoyance flicked in his eyes. “That temper of yours is going to get you into a lot of trouble. Like this morning for instance. Why didn’t you come get me instead of attacking Jacobs yourself? You are much too impulsive. You could’ve been hurt.”

  Too angry to speak, she turned Betsy around giving him her back. She couldn’t win with him. The man infuriated her too much.

  Two hours later, making an effort at being cordial, Mike informed her, “We have entered land belonging to the Harris’ family.” As they rode he pointed out several landmarks and answered her questions in a friendly manner.

  After riding for about another hour, two huge fields on both sides of the road came into view. Small, green shoots grew in straight, furrowed rows. “It’s beautiful.”

  Eyes on the left field, Emerson explained, “That’s tobacco, the chief crop grown by the Harris Family.”

  She followed his gaze as he changed direction and looked at the field on the right. “And that is cotton. We call it white gold. It doesn’t look like much now, but in a few months it will look like a sea of white.”

  The enormous fields were dotted with colored people; backs bent chopping the weeds from the earth. One of the slaves waved to Emerson as they rode by. He left the rest of the entourage to speak to the muscular, tall dark skinned slave. She was amazed at their camaraderie. Both men had huge smiles plastered on their faces. The slave even called him Mike. Horror stories of how plantation owners treated their slaves came to mind. This was not what she expected. The two seemed to be the best of friends.

  As they continued their journey to the house, they rode in silence. Beauty surrounded her as they neared the house. Ancient old oaks lined the entrance to the front of the house, which blocked her view until she was halfway up the drive. She had to hold her composure as the enormous two story house came into view. The front of the house was white with jade green shutters and large columns rising up to the second story. A winding porch wrapped all the way across the front of the house. It was breathtaking. She took a deep breath to steady herself.

  Stopping in front of the house, Emerson dismounted and waited for her to do the same. “Davis, you and Jacobs take the horses and bed them down for the night. There’re a couple of cots in the back of the stables. You can sleep there. We’ll leave at first light in the morning.” He shot Jacobs a single hard look. “You are confined to the barn.”

  Surprised, Kate thought her escorts would be leaving as soon as she was safely at her destination. It was only about 5:00, and maybe Lieutenant Emerson thought it was too late to head back to camp.

  It hit Kate like a ton of bricks. This beautiful plantation home was where David grew up. His parents were probably inside at this very moment. She began to tremble. What would they think when Emerson knocked on the door and left her on their doorstep?

  He tucked his arm into hers and led her up the stairs to the deeply carved, double front door. Her heart beat so fast she thought it would explode. Had she made the right decision choosing David’s plantation over her grandfather’s? What kind of reception would she receive?

  He lifted the heavy knocker rapping loudly on the door. They did not wait long before a short, plump, colored woman opened the door. She looked as if she was approximately fifty years old. She must have been cooking supper in the kitchen when they interrupted her duties because flour covered the apron tied around her ample middle.

  “Mike Emerson, I can’t believe it’s you. I han’t seen you in ages. Ant’ you a sight for sore eyes?” The woman threw her chubby arms round Emerson’s waist and hugged him because she was much too short to hug his neck. “Mmmm, it’s good to see ya.” She stepped back and poked a finger into his stomach. “Looks like ya need some fattening up. Ya too skinny.”

  He laughed out loud. “Annie, how are you? I hope Myra isn’t working you too hard.” His big, wide smile revealed his pretty white teeth. She wondered why he was never that nice to her. It seemed she was the only person who riled him.

  “I’m good, Mike. I can’t complain and the work keeps me out of trouble. Come in. Come in. Who’s the youngun ya got there?”

  With a strong grip, he took her by the arm and guided her into the foyer. “I’ll let Myra explain, Annie.”

  Annie led them to the Harris’ parlor. “I’ll go fix you some ‘em to eat.”

  “Don’t put yourself to any trouble.”

  “No, bother. There’s always some pie.” Smile still on her lips, she disappeared through the door.

  The opulence of the beautiful room had her staring in bright eyed wonder. The parquet floor was shining brightly as if just waxed. A gleaming crystal, candelabra hung from the ceiling. The cream colored sofa with Persian pillows looked inviting, but neither would sit because they were too filthy. Oil landscapes in gilded frames lined the walls all the way up to the high ceiling. Even though her hands were dirty, she moved toward the paintings and touched the edge of one of the frames with her fingers. The room was magnificent. Never in her life had she felt so out of place.

  “Mike!”

  Kate turned toward the sound of the female voice.

  “Myra, you are as lovely as ever.” Emerson quickly crossed the room lifting the woman off her feet and giving her a bear hug. Luxurious, red hair piled high on her head, Kate thought her beautiful. Almost the same height as Emerson, she was tall for a woman. It was easy to see the two were close friends.

  Kate stood in the center of Mrs. Harris’ parlor gripping her hands together in distress. “Who is your friend, Mike?”

  All eyes turned toward her, and her unease grew. She blushed.

  “Kate, give Myra the letter David gave you.”

  The surprise showed on her face. Embarrassed because she assumed she was a young man, Mrs. Harris quickly apologized. “I’m sorry I should have known you were a girl with that angelic face. Please f
orgive me, but I’ve never seen a female wearing a Confederate uniform before.”

  She forced a smile, fished into her pocket for the note, and handed it to Mrs. Harris. She had not read it and wondered what it said.

  While the lady of the house scanned over the letter, Kate held her breath. What would she do if she were asked to leave because of her inappropriate behavior? She didn’t have many options left. In fact the only other option she could think of was staying with her grandfather and that left a sour taste in her mouth. A woman of Myra’s social standing would feel no decent young lady would do something so shocking. Seconds ticked by as she tried to read the woman’s expression.

  “Oh, you poor child! You have been through a horrible ordeal for such a young girl.” Myra dropped her arm around her shoulders. “Don’t you worry about anything, honey. You are welcome here at Harris Plantation for as long as you want to stay.” The warm welcome was not what Kate had expected. The urge to fall into Mrs. Harris’ arms and be comforted like her mother had held her when she was a child and told her everything would be okay was strong. The only reason she did not was because Emerson was watching. She didn’t want him to know just how harrowing the past few days had been.

  The moment the cook returned with a tray of pie and milk, Mrs. Harris, replied, “Annie, you won’t believe what this courageous young girl has been through. She dressed as a man and joined the infantry. She has been in David’s company until he found out she was female. She has no family to help her.”

  All the attention overwhelmed her and she couldn’t get a word in edgewise.

  Annie placed the tray on the coffee table. “Well, don’t that beat all!” Strong arms engulfed her, and she found herself pressed against Annie’s ample bosom. “You po little ting! Tank goodness David saw fit to send you to us. Come on chil’. Let’s go get you a bath, and some clean clothes.” She grabbed a saucer of pie and a glass of milk. “You can eat this in your room.”

  She obediently followed Annie upstairs. Glancing back when she got to the top of the stairs, Kate saw Emerson watching her with intense brown eyes. She wondered what he would tell Mrs. Harris.

  Annie opened the door to the bedroom Kate would be occupying, and placed the pie and glass of milk on the bureau. It was lovely with a huge four-poster bed in the center of the room. Just the thought of sleeping in a comfortable bed for a change made her feel better. If she wasn’t so filthy, she would fall into bed, clothes and all, then sleep for a week.

  A bright red chaise lounge was in one corner. The rock fireplace had a mahogany mantle with windows on both sides. A door led out to the terrace overlooking the grounds in the back of the house. Scared to touch anything, she stuffed her dirty hands into her pockets. She couldn’t believe strangers could be so warm and genuine. Maybe she should pinch herself to see if she were dreaming.

  Not knowing what to say, Kate watched Annie move about the room. She handed her a towel and washcloth. “I’ll fix everyting in the bathroom. You get out of dat filthy uniform. I’ll see if I can find you a pretty dress to wear to supper tonit’.”

  Supper, just the word made her stomach growl. A beautiful room, friendly people, and food; a person couldn’t ask for much more.

  Before Kate could thank Annie, she was out of the room like a whirlwind.

  ****

  The moment Kate disappeared upstairs, Myra asked, “What happened to your face?”

  The last thing Mike wanted was her to discover David was responsible for his bruises. “I had a little disagreement with someone.” He felt his cheeks flush with color.

  “I hope they look worse than you.” She plopped onto the sofa and patted the place beside her. “Mike, you will stay for supper tonight? I know Annie will cook up a special meal just for you. I want to hear all about the war.”

  Inches of dust covered his uniform, so he remained standing. “How can I say no to such a gracious invitation? Of course I’ll stay. I’m just going to get the men settled in the barn, and I’ll be back to get cleaned up before we eat.”

  She stood and placed her hand on his arm. “Please Mike, let them join us.”

  “Sorry, but they still think Kate is Jake. The only two who know she is a female are David and me. I would rather they not find out. David could get into some serious trouble over the situation.”

  “I’ll have Annie send someone to take them a plate.”

  “Make sure a man takes them their meal. We had a dilemma at a small farmhouse on our journey here. One of my men, Jacobs, tried to rape a young farm girl. Kate heard her screams and interrupted his plans before the girl was hurt. I threatened him to be on his best behavior at Harris Plantation, or his punishment will be even more severe when we get back to camp.” He circled the room, still upset that a young girl was almost ruined on his watch. “I dread telling David.”

  Her expression incredulous, she replied, “Kate sounds very brave. I’m glad she was there to intervene.”

  Mike laughed, “Yes, she has been nothing but a load of surprises. David and I were shocked to find out she was a female.” Not wanting to divulge just how they discovered she was a female, he changed the subject. “David misses you and Edward.”

  Her throat closed with emotion. “I miss him also. I hope he is well. The house just isn’t the same without my children. But then the war has destroyed many happy homes.”

  Mike saw the worry on her face. Like other mothers, she feared her sons would not survive the brutal war. “He is fine. His men respect him and trust his ability. He is a great leader.”

  “I can’t believe we will be planning his wedding to Abigail when this horrible war is over.” Mike thought of Kate when Myra mentioned Abigail’s name. He wondered what she would do if she found out David had slept with Kate.

  ****

  Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Kate smiled. Her short brown hair curled perfectly around her face. Annie’s daughter, Lizzy altered one of Myra’s pink silk dresses to fit her shorter frame. Never had she worn anything so beautiful in all her life. She tugged at the neckline which she felt a little brazen, showing too much décolletage. All her homemade dresses back home buttoned up to the neck. She had never worn anything with a bodice this low before. Still she felt the dress magnificent.

  Lizzy tried to get Kate to wear a corset but she couldn’t stand the tightness. It reminded her too much of the binding she wore to flatten her breasts. Her days of being uncomfortable were over.

  “You are so purty, Miss. When mama tole me how filthy you was, and you was wearing a Confederate uniform, I just couldn’t believe it. Well, you don look noting like a man now.”

  Not accustomed to compliments, she felt her cheeks heat. Everyone had been so kind. “Thank you, Lizzy. You are quite the seamstress. The dress is gorgeous.” She twirled in front of the mirror. “It looks as if it was made for me. I feel like a princess.”

  ****

  Mike sat in the kitchen talking to Annie when Edward, David’s father, came in from the fields. “Mike, what in the world are you doing here? Is David with you?”

  He shook hands with Edward. Since Mike had grown up at a plantation nearby, he and David had been very close friends for many years. “No, David stayed at camp. He sent me to bring you a surprise. I’m sure Myra can’t wait to tell you so I’ll leave the honors to her.”

  Even though he was curious, Edward refrained from asking questions. “How have you been, Mike?”

  He sighed in exasperation. “I can’t complain too much. I’m weary of battles. I long for the day when this terrible war is over. It has lasted much longer than I thought it would.”

  “I hope David is handling the stress okay. I know from his letters he has the same sentiment. He is impatient to marry Abigail, and return to overseeing the running of the plantation.”

  Again, Mike wondered where Kate fit in with David’s plans. He had come to admire the daring Miss Monroe. The thought of her getting her heart broke caused him worry. “Maybe it won’t be long and we ca
n all get back to the lives we put on hold.”

  Myra flew into the kitchen and lifted a pot lid, then stirred the contents with a huge spoon. The smell caused Mike’s stomach to growl. It had been months since he had the pleasure of eating a home cooked meal. “Edward, hurry and get cleaned up. We have a surprise guest tonight for supper. I’ll be up in a moment to explain.”

  “Yes dear, I’ll be waiting for you upstairs in the tub.” Edward looked at his wife sensually. “You can scrub my back.”

  “There’s no time for that. Now go.” She pushed him, shooing him out the door.

  Mike laughed heartily impressed with the love they still shared. It did him good to see they were still happy after so many years of marriage. Maybe there was still hope for him.

  ****

  Too nervous to go any farther, Kate stood in the doorway. Mike, Edward and Myra were already seated at the table. The hum of voices had her fretting once again. What would she say? Could she carry on a conversation when her pulse beat like a woodpecker hammering on a tree?

  Suddenly everyone stopped talking and all eyes turned toward her. Butterflies tickled her stomach as Mike’s eyes fixed on her, his mouth open in shock.

  A man that resembled David pushed his chair back making a scraping noise on the wood floor. His gentle smile helped ease her fear. “Hello Kate, I’m David’s father, Edward. We are honored to have you at Harris Plantation. You are welcome to stay as long as you feel the need.”

  “It is nice to meet you. Thank you for your hospitality.” He took her arm, tucked it into his, and led her to the empty chair beside Mike. When she slipped into the chair, she placed her hands in her lap.

  Myra placed a piece of roast beef on her plate as she exclaimed, “Kate, you look lovely. That dress never seemed to look that well on me.”

  She kept her voice low, tried to sound calm. “Thank you, Mrs. Harris. You are so kind to lend it to me.”

  “Please, call me Myra. Consider it a gift. You will need more clothes. We will take care of that problem tomorrow.”

  Shoulders stiffened with pride, she offered a blinding smile. “Only if you will let me work to pay my debt. I’m not accustomed to charity.”