“I’m here, my love,” she answered.
“You will take another husband.”
“No!” she cried, a long and haunting wail from a devastated heart. “I will not. Don’t ask this of me.”
He pinned her with his fevered gaze. “You will do this… My son will have a father…my wife safe…with someone to care for them both. You will go on without me… Swear it, Annie! Swear it on our love.”
“I will not swear,” she tearfully refused, her trembling lips flattened into a grim line on her ravaged face. “I will not do this, Nathan. I will take care of Jeremiah, you need not fear.”
“No…not enough. This…best…you will see. Swear.”
Nathan turned to Jake. “It is time to call St. John.”
Jake’s legs gave way. Suzanna watched him as the realization of Nathan’s request sank in.
“Papers…top drawer of my desk. Our blood oath…sworn on the battlefield. My holdings, my mill and land will be his…if he agrees to take Annie as his wife…raise Jeremiah… We each promised the other… All the money and accounts go to her for her lifetime, not as part of my estate… You will see to it?”
Annie gasped, her gaze going from her husband to his brother.
Suzanna stared at Nathan. St. John—the name he’d been calling. Marry Annie? And what was this blood oath?
“It will be so, Nathan,” Jake promised solemnly, clasping Nathan’s hand.
“Annie? Give me your word…you will marry St. John. He will take care of you and the baby. Say it…”
“No. Your stupid oath be damned. I will not marry another. I won’t. Please don’t ask me to do this. I swear I will care for our son. Besides, you are going to get well. You aren’t going to die!”
“Swear.”
Jake put his hand on her shoulder, and she jerked away from him.
Nathan struggled for strength. “No…no…no, my love…Jake is not your enemy… Death is the only enemy in this room, and he is waiting for me… Shh! don’t cry… Had St. John been the first to die, I would have cared for his family. But he has no one left, and he will care for you just as we swore to each other that day.
“Jake, my brother, I’m sorry to leave all this in your hands. You are a good man… I love you. Take care of my girls… Take care of my son.
“Suzanna?” His voice seemed weaker once his wishes had been made known. “Suzanna, I have loved you always… Be good to Jake. He needs you.”
One last breath and his head fell to the side, eyes closed, an expression of beatific peace on his face.
Life left his body.
Nathan Morrison Cantrell passed from this life into the next surrounded by those he loved. An attentive Suzanna caught her friend as she screamed her husband’s name and collapsed, the agony of her final goodbye consuming her.
Jake gathered both women in his arms as they sobbed, and led them from the room just as the preacher rushed into the building. The man looked at Nathan, then at Jake with compassion and sympathy in his glance.
Jake shook his head.
The prayers for the dead echoed in an unearthly monotone as they left Nathan with the angels.
The trio walked home, stricken with loss and grief, a lifetime with an exceptional man left behind, and a lifetime without him looming ahead.
Chapter Eight
Annie rested in her room, Jeremiah on the bed beside her. She’d finally cried herself out. Suzanna carefully closed the door and whirled to face Jake.
“Who the hell is St. John? And what the hell is this oath he and Nathan swore to each other?” Never, ever, had she cursed in her entire life. The only “hell” she’d heard spoken aloud was from the pulpit and the preacher’s condemning lips. It did, however, seem appropriate under the circumstances.
Jake sighed and ran his fingers through his sun-streaked hair. “David St. John is a distant cousin by marriage. I can’t remember the connection, and it doesn’t matter anyway. He and Nathan were caught in some bloody backwoods skirmish, pinned down with little hope for survival. They each swore a blood oath that if the other lived, the sole survivor would care for the other’s family. Marry the widow, rear the children, run the business—whatever necessary to take the place of the deceased. A battlefield vow made in desperate circumstances. Nathan was absolved. David’s entire family was wiped out when Sherman marched through Georgia.”
“You think he was serious about this oath? The man may have remarried by now. Who knows what has transpired since the end of the war?”
“True, I don’t know his current circumstances. But I can assure you, if he is able, there is nothing that would keep him from fulfilling his sworn obligation. Nathan saved David’s life; David would consider the debt valid.”
She whirled away from the absurdity. Men and their notions.
“Nathan. Nathan. Nathan. What have you done?” she murmured. Poor Annie. Losing her husband, and now the added stress of being forced to take another. Knowing her friend, she would have wished to die with her husband rather than face a life without him.
Except for the baby. Annie would never leave Jeremiah.
Jake came to stand beside her; his big hand rested her shoulder. “He did what he thought was right for everyone. He did what was best. Annie needs a man to help with the business, to provide a masculine influence for her son, to care for her.”
“This is barbaric! She would have found a husband on her own! In her own time; in her own way,” she protested.
“You didn’t. Face it, Suzanna. There isn’t anyone else. Nathan did the right thing.”
She spun round and clasped his shirt, pleading, her eyes welling with tears. “You can’t make her do this. It’s too soon. It will kill her.”
“Calm down. It may not be ideal, but it won’t kill her. I admit it will take some time for her to get used to the idea, but she swore to Nathan she would carry out his wishes. I don’t see Annie as the kind of woman who would break her deathbed promise to her husband, do you?”
“It’s not fair!” she railed, turning away from him, walking to the window to lean her hot forehead against the cool glass.
The hot breath of his ragged sigh stirred the hair on her neck as he came to stand behind her. With strong hands, he took her in his arms, pulled her against his chest, and held her.
“It’s incredibly unfair. Losing Nathan is unfair to all of us. But I will see this through…for Annie and Jeremiah, for you and me, and for my brother. I’m going to send a wire to St. John this afternoon. If I know David, he’ll be here within two days.”
She felt the rumble in his chest, and looked up at the strained working of his throat. His big body shook, then grew rigid as he struggled for control. They were all suffering from Nathan’s death. Had she forgotten he’d lost a brother? Jake was only doing his best to see that Nathan’s dying directives were carried out. She had callously focused only on Annie, not on Jake’s heart, which must surely be broken also.
“My God, Jake. How on earth did this happen? It’s a nightmare,” she whispered, resting against him.
Immediately his arms enfolded her, holding her tightly as his body shook. Suzanna reached around his waist, desperately wanting to comfort him. Burying his face in her hair, he grieved, and a hot tear ran from her head to her neck.
Death was a gruesome equalizer. Big and strong experienced it the same as frail and small. Everyone had lost this day. Husband, brother, friend.
Nothing would ever be the same.
Taking Annie home, she and Jake had done their best to console her, their feet dragging the distance until they finally reached the house. Now, closing the door behind him, Suzanna leaned against the hard surface. Jake had left her to go to the railroad office and send St. John notification of Nathan’s death. One of the women from the church had come to see what she could do to help and offered to care for the baby.
“I’m three houses down, Miss Suzanna. I’ll take him for the night—longer if need be.”
Bringing Jeremiah fr
om the bedroom, Suzanna ran her hand over the child’s soft curls and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you, Mrs. Carnes. I’ll let you know what we need.”
“I’ll organize a few meals, meanwhile, so you will not have to worry about cooking.”
Suzanna nodded her thanks as the woman left.
The next few days were going to be hard on everyone. She needed to be strong. Annie and Jake were going to need her. Behind closed doors she could give way to her personal aching sadness, but not here. Not now. Closing her eyes and swaying, she said a prayer for them all, but most of all, that she could do whatever necessary to ease the pain for her friend.
Suzanna heard keening whimpers from the other room, and went in to console Annie. She wasn’t the only one facing drastic changes in her future.
Nathan’s death had thrown them all into a pool of uncertainty.
Things moved swiftly after Nathan died. The entire town came to bid farewell to him. A longtime resident and friend, he was well known and greatly loved. Annie stoically endured the emotional torture of the service and burial. Suzanna supported her while Jake supported Suzanna.
After concluding graveside services and receiving the townsfolk, she and Annie busied themselves putting away food and clearing the clutter from the kitchen and parlor.
Jake asked the women to join him in the parlor, his hand holding a stack of papers. Annie glanced at Suzanna with fear and trepidation. To her credit, she straightened her shoulders, and bravely followed him out of the room.
Grief from the loss of his brother weighed him down. Stooped shoulders evidenced the heavy burden he bore, and sorrow haunted his eyes. She felt her heart turn over with compassion. This Jake was a man she could respect. A man of character. It had fallen to him to make sure Nathan’s last wishes were carried out, and she knew Annie wasn’t going to like him very much when she heard what he had to say. No doubt he knew it, too.
Her friend fired the first volley before they could take a seat. “There is no way I will be pushed into this marriage, Jake. The idea is absurd. I have never even heard of this St. John person. I just buried the man I loved more than life itself, and I don’t care if he wanted me pawned off on another. He was in pain. He was dying. He wasn’t thinking clearly. The thought of being near another man disgusts me.”
Jake leaned his chin in his hand and heaved a weighty sigh. “I realize that, Annie. But there is more at stake here than your feelings, however justified they may be. You heard my brother. Making sure you are cared for was his dying request. We all heard it and swore to carry out Nathan’s wishes. My brother spent the last painful minutes of his life outlining his plan to make sure you and Jeremiah would be safe. I swore it, and so did you. You will honor that vow. Everyone understands it won’t be a marriage like the one you shared with Nathan. But marriage does not always have to be an affair of the heart.”
Annie stubbornly shook her head. “You can’t bully me into this. I won’t take this stranger into my house or my bed.”
She and Annie looked at each other with an understanding deeper than ever. Suzanna would have felt the same had their situations been reversed. Surely there was some alternative.
Jake came to kneel beside Annie’s chair, took her hand gently in his, and stared up into her watery eyes. “You and Nathan had something special—you loved each other dearly. In time, you may find you can love again. I pray you do. But in the meantime, I will do what my brother asked me to do. I will see you settled—your son cared for as his father would have wanted. You will have the time you need to grieve and heal.”
She jerked her hand from his, cold daggers shooting from her eyes. Her recognized the message she meant to convey, and ignored it. Jake stood, towering over her, his reprimand firmly delivered. Expecting obedience.
“Listen to me, Annie. How you deal with it is your own business. You’re a grown woman. No one would expect you to make a love match before you’ve even grieved the loss of your husband, least of all David St. John. Think of it as a business arrangement. Hell, I don’t even care if you live in the same house. But St. John is capable of running Nathan’s businesses, rearing his son, and is committed to caring for you by virtue of a solemn blood oath sworn on a field of battle. It will be done.”
Annie started again, “I won’t…”
“Enough!” Jake lashed out and stalked to the window.
Suzanna felt badly for him. Jake was suffering as much as Annie, weighed down with the responsibility Nathan had placed on his shoulders, and no one was concerned about the effect Nathan’s wishes had on him. A glimmer of genuine respect came over her. Only an exceptionally strong man could shoulder his own grief as well as carry out such a difficult request.
Suzanna went to Annie and pried her cold, clenched fingers apart. Gathering them in her firm grip, she matter-of-factly replied, “Yes, you will, Annie. You will do as Nathan asked. You aren’t the first woman to experience the loss of the man she loved, nor will you be the last. There’s Jeremiah to consider. His future. His inheritance. You don’t think so now, but you will survive, and you will go on with your life as best you can under the circumstances. At least hear what Jake has to say.”
Annie held Suzanna’s gaze, tears flowing down her face and quiet sobs wracking her slender frame. “How did you do it? How did you bury everyone you loved and carry on through the pain?” Grief etched her entire being, and Suzanna’s heart broke for her friend.
“I did the only thing I could. I did what was necessary. One day at a time. You will, too,” she answered softly.
Annie addressed her brother-in-law in a quivering voice. “I suppose you have already wired David St. John and secured his agreement for this ‘business partnership’?”
Jake sighed from the depths of his boots. “Yes, I have. I’ve thought of little else since. David will be arriving within the week. He instructed me to convey his deepest sympathies, and assurances that he will do his utmost to abide by the terms of the oath. He’s an experienced businessman, Annie. He can handle the mill, the furnace, and the other concerns. And he’s known loss, as well, so he understands what you’re going through. You needn’t worry; he won’t expect anything more of you than you’re prepared to give. I have every confidence he’ll deal fairly with you and Jeremiah.”
Annie interrupted bitterness evident, “Wonderful. Your confidence makes me feel ever so much better. His presence should make for a happy life. Living with a total stranger, having him usurp Jeremiah’s inheritance and enjoy the services of a wife and ready-made family—”
“He’s a good man, Annie, and an honest one. Give him a chance. You could do worse. His family was quite well off and had extensive business concerns before Sherman came through and burned everything to the ground. St. John is personally acquainted with grief and pain. His wife and daughter were killed in the attack on his holdings. Nathan once told me David St. John was one of the most honorable men he knew. I trust my brother’s judgment. This was what he wanted. He wouldn’t have done anything to hurt you or your son; he loved you too much. It’s the best solution for both of you, and I’m convinced St. John will treat you well.”
Annie got up and walked to the window to stand beside him. She stared into the encroaching darkness, her tiny body hunched in pain.
“David St. John.” Her eyes glazed as she mused, speaking to no one in particular. “In the space of a week my entire life has changed. I can’t seem to keep up. Why did Nathan have to die? He was so young, so full of life—dear God, I miss him! And why now, when I should be allowed to grieve in private and mourn my husband, has he insisted I submit to such an absurd plan? What have I done to deserve this?”
A familiar taste of the same bitterness lay on Suzanna’s tongue. “Lord, have mercy, Annie. People have been asking those same questions since time began. I don’t think we were created with the ability to completely understand death. Life is what it is; we do our best. We learn from it, do what we must, and endure the rest. Yes, it will be hard, but as hard
as living alone to run a business you know nothing about, and rear a son without his father? Weren’t you the very one who told me arranged marriages were not uncommon, considering the circumstances in which many women find themselves?”
Annie’s angry voice said it all. “I don’t care. If I said it, I was a fool.” She cast them a final glare and stormed from the room.
Suzanna looked at Jake, feeling his despair, wanting to reassure him. “She’ll come around, Jake. She just buried her husband.”
“I just buried my brother, Suzanna. How am I supposed to make this better for all of us?” He ran his hands through his hair and leaned against the back of the chair.
“You need to rest. It won’t help any of us if you don’t stay strong.” As she stood to say goodnight, she placed a comforting hand on his arm. “You’re doing the right thing, Jake. All our emotions are raw right now. Thank God you’re here to deal with all of this—I don’t know what we would have done without you.”
“I’m not sure ‘thanks’ is what’s on Annie’s mind.”
“Maybe not now—but some day. Nathan was right to make an arrangement to care for his family. Time makes its own solutions. All we need is patience and time.”
The next morning Suzanna hurried to Annie’s house. Just as she arrived, she found Jake knocking on his sister-in-law’s door. He’d received a reply from David St. John.
Annie opened the door without a word to either of them. Sad and angry, she sat in Nathan’s favorite chair and watched as Jake laid the wire on Annie’s side table. She reached for it and crumpled it without reading a word.
Had she bothered, it would have confirmed what Jake told her. David St. John expressed heartfelt sorrow at the loss of his comrade and would honor their oath. He would come to Alabama to meet Mrs. Cantrell and see if an arrangement could be worked out.
Jake, Suzanna, and a coldly indifferent Annie waited at the train station later that week. Billows of steam belched from locomotive seventy-three as it shuddered and whooshed to a stop. Through the obscuring haze, they watched as a tall, dark man stepped down from the car and strode toward them with his hand outstretched. Jake clasped his firm handshake and led him to the women waiting at the end of the platform.
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