They had a long drawn out lunch discussing everything except themselves or their feelings. Dominic finally told her to go upstairs and put on her riding habit and they’d ride. She kissed him as she left the room and bounded up the stairs to her old room. When she came back down they were waiting on the veranda for her and the stable boy was holding the reins to her new horse. She walked past them and when she reached the horse the stable boy said something under his breath and she nodded before she mounted the horse. The boys untied their horses and mounted waiting for her to get familiar to the saddle and horse. She kept trying to find the right spot on the saddle as she talked to the horse but they patiently sat waiting for her. When she looked up she started laughing because they looked just like her brothers when they had to wait too long for her to do something.
“I didn’t realize how much I missed my brothers.”
They headed toward the river then a mile from the house cut across the road to the open fields that were the eastern part of the Plantation. The riding was easy once Mirisa learned how to handle the horse. Every once in a while one of them would come up alongside her and give her advice and after a few hours you wouldn’t have known that she had not ridden this way all of her life. It was late afternoon when they returned to the house and Dominic helped her dismount as the boys thanked her again for the hospitality but they were headed to under the hill for a few hours of cards.
“Where is that?”
“It’s down by the docks and no place for a lady.”
“I see.” She bit her lip as she thought about the little things they said. “Then enjoy your evening.”
DR. EPPES was following the medical unit as it moved through the Shenandoah Valley toward northern Mississippi. The countryside brought back so many memories. As they passed burned down homes and farms, he was sad that a country that fought so hard to win its independence would now cause so much destruction and anger. The word was that the Union had planned a campaign against Vicksburg in hopes of capturing the river and stopping the CSA from escaping and regrouping. His sons unit had left a few days before heading in a different direction. They had loaded the last litters on the train then packed up and moved out. He hoped that if he had the time he could steal away to Natchez to see his daughter but it seemed all he did anymore was work, sleep or wait. He had lost track of time and now he could only pray that his sons returned home no worse for wear.
Mirisa decided on a red dress with a cream silk ribbon running down the back. Her hair was pinned up but when Dominic saw it he took out the pins and let it fall. “I much prefer your hair wild and out of control.” She rose up on her toes and stretched up against him provocatively. He hadn’t completely dressed and she knew it would be easy to get him to take his clothes off. He held her tight against him breathing in the freshness of her hair. “You shouldn’t be so beautiful.”
“You might not feel that way in twenty years.”
“In twenty years, I will think you are the most beautiful woman in Natchez and will still tempt you into my bed.” He let her go and reached for his shirt. “We’re going to be late.”
“Have you ever arrived early for an event?”
“It’s fashionable for a bachelor to be late for everything. It makes the anticipation a lot more interesting.” He buttoned his shirt as she watched. “I want you to watch what you say tonight. There will be a lot of officers attending.”
“I will try to be as naïve as I am beautiful.”
“Well, generally your beauty makes it hard for any man to concentrate as I well know but you don’t have to pretend to be naïve because you are.”
“Dominic?”
“Yes Mirisa.”
“Do you love me?”
“I do.”
The ride to the Judge’s home took them through the town and away from the river. His home was large and like all the homes they passed it was decorated so festively. The Judge was standing on the stoop talking to a group of soldiers. They watched as Dominic helped her down from the coach.
“Dominic, can I talk to you a moment about the horses that the Army ordered from you?” Captain McPharson had just arrived with a dozen officers. He excused himself as the Judge took Mirisa’s hand and escorted her into the house.
They stepped out of the range of anyone coming or going. “I just got word that a medical unit is making its way toward Vicksburg. I think it might be Dr. Eppes unit but I’m not sure. I just thought you might want to know.” He lit his cigar and took a short draw. “Also, I wanted to thank you for the box of cigars. They are excellent as usual. I may have to get more from you before I have to move north.”
“I appreciate it. What is the current policy?”
“They pretty much have a ‘hands off policy’ for the medical units, much like the South. They, at least, understand that some things are humanitarian no matter what uniform you are wearing. I think if you go higher you might get a pass but I wouldn’t pin any hopes on that either.”
“Don’t mention it around Mirisa. If we can’t do it she will be extremely disappointed.”
They stood and smoked for a while before walking back into the house. The night was cool and the moon was starting to change to a full moon. He thought about the vows he took in the church and the veracity of his appetite. His scar hurt slightly and he rubbed it but it kept hurting. He looked around for Mirisa but she wasn’t on the dance floor. He walked out the French doors and saw her up against the railing with a young Officer standing in front of her. He walked over and she made eye contact with him and the officer turned with a smirk on his face. “Can I help you?”
“Yes, you can step away from my wife before I shoot you.” His voice was so cold and threatening that the slightly drunk officer backed up a few steps then apologized to Mirisa before staggering back into the house.
“It hurts when you are in danger.”
She looked at him and when she touched his chest the pain subsided then went away. “You were thinking of our wedding. You think about us a lot. Why?”
“I guess because I made a serious commitment to a girl who weighs so little, demands so much and has the cutest nose. Mostly I am feeling vulnerable.” He wrapped her arm through his and took her out onto the dance floor.
James and Garnett were in conversation with McPharson when Meeks joined them with a bottle of great whisky from the Judge’s private collection. Mrs. Lightfoot passed them with a warning look and they just smiled and nodded. The Judge walked up for a refill laughing. “Boys you know not to mock the little woman because I’ll have to listen to it for hours after you have gone home.”
“McPharson, tell me what are they doing with the settlements cropping up across the west when all of the Army has been brought back home to fight?”
“They are pretty much telling them to protect themselves if they aren’t willing to move near the forts. There are so many fleeing to get away from the war but the West is nowhere to be without protection and the law that is being put into service is questionable. Nowhere can you go to bed as an outlaw and wake up wearing a badge except west of the river.” A young private came in with a dispatch for the Captain. He read it and dismissed the private. He found the host and gave his most sincere appreciation for the invitation on what would have been a very lonely Christmas and as he left the house with his men he slipped the envelope to Garnett. The Judge saw the slight of hand but only because he had not taken his eyes off of the Captain after the private left. Sometimes you can take a man out of the South but you can never take the South out of the man.
Dominic helped Mirisa out of the carriage, picked her up and carried her into the house. He kicked the door shut and walked into the library closing and locking the door. Taking off his jacket and gun, he poured two glasses of wine handing her one. She sipped it as she leaned over the desk so that her cleavage was quite visible. He reached out and cupped her breast in one hand before walking around the desk so she was up against it facing him. He started to reach up under her dr
ess when he realized she had very little on. He took her right there on his desk and for the first time he was more demanding and rougher but she relented to him completely. He abandoned everything and made love to her like he had never made love to any woman. When he got up she stood and removed her dress so that she was standing in front of him wearing nothing but the moonlight that came through the window. He took her hand and laid her in front of the fire and they made love all night long. Just before sunrise he took out a small gold box, took out a small gold cross and put it around her neck.
“Happy birthday.”
The week between Christmas and New Years went by fast. Dominic seemed to be busy working on the Plantation and Garnett was at the house more then he wasn’t. In the middle of the week, Garnett, James and Meeks moved into the house to avoid the constant questioning by Unions soldiers who seemed to be up and down the highways. Mirisa realized that she truly enjoyed having them around the house.
She walked out on the veranda and they stopped talking when they noticed her. She knew they did that more and more often but she didn’t question them and attempted to avoid them when possible. James sat on the railing polishing his gun but he was doing it almost absentmindedly.
“Mirisa are you ready to learn how to shoot?”
“Are you teasing me James?”
“No, I’m going to teach you the right way.” Meeks laughed and thought it would be fun to watch James deal with her. He walked out to the wall and lined up a few bottles though he believed one would be more than enough he didn’t want to make her feel bad. She walked down and he stepped behind her. Dominic was leaning on the railing watching and Garnett moved so he would have a better view. They needed to observe her in order to correct her handling of a gun. James put the pistol in her hands and she held it up without help. He said something to her and she broke out laughing and dropped her arms. He put her hands back up and she looked from him to the target. He had her bend her arms just slightly and told her to plant herself so that the recoil didn’t kick her back.
The trigger was a lot easier then Meeks’ gun. The shot missed the bottles and hit a tree beyond the wall. He explained the gun to her so she would understand how it worked. She took aim again but her arm was trembling from the sheer weight of the gun, she pulled the trigger and hit the wall a foot away from the last bottle. James said something to her and they all realized from her body language that she was reacting to him. Garnett came down off the steps and stood on the other side giving her instructions. She took aim again and it grazed the top of the bottle. Meeks got up and sat on the railing next to Dominic so he could watch. She listened to both of them, lifted the gun and aimed. She hit the bottle dead center. Instead of getting excited she swung slightly and took out the other bottle. Dominic stood up as though there was a mistake. Garnett took the gun away from her as James set up six bottles and came back to stand next to her. They gave her the gun back and she hit four of the six before they had to show her how to reload. At the end of an hour she could hit her mark at least fifty percent of the time.
“Not bad. Has she ever handled a gun before?”
“She’s never indicated she has but I feel better watching her because she seems to be getting comfortable handling it.” Dominic looked over at Meeks. “But I don’t know how she will act when faced with needing to.”
“Have you told her you are leaving?”
“No. I need you and James can stay at the house while we’re gone. I don’t feel good leaving her here alone.” He put down his cigar and walked down to the garden. He asked to see James’ gun and put it back in her hand. She went to aim and he told her not to shoot just to hold it out. She did and he looked at how it fit in her hand. He could tell by her shakiness that she was getting tired from trying to hold up the gun. He said okay and walked back up to the porch. She turned back around, took aim and hit the last bottle on the wall.
“Maybe you need to stay home and I’ll go with Garnett.”
“No. I want to do this one.” He took a sip of the whisky. “I’m going to go into town tomorrow and see if they have a smaller gun for her.”
“You’re going to leave me with an armed woman?” Dominic laughed and slapped him on the back. Meeks knew the only reason he married her was to keep someone from stealing her while he was on assignment.
After several days of shooting and riding, it finally dawned on her that they were afraid of something happening when they weren’t around. They rarely joked with her and seemed to be extremely serious about everything she did. Dominic had given her a smaller handgun that the locksmith had sitting in the back room. They showed her how to clean it and put it back together then allowed her to practice with it. Her aim improved and her accuracy was impressive for a woman. In the evenings after dinner they would be in the library with the door closed so she took to retiring to the bed chambers hoping he would be up before she fell asleep.
He came in close to midnight and started to undress. She sat with her arms around her knees watching him. He sensed her eyes and turned to her. “We need to talk.” He sat on the bed facing her and she knew whatever it was she wouldn’t like it. Why she thought that nothing would change she didn’t know but sometimes pretending just seemed to work better.
“I have to go away. Garnett will be with me but James and Meeks will stay here while I am gone.” She started to say something but he put his finger on her lips. “It’s important that you do not leave the house alone.”
“I don’t understand. I have been here almost a year why is it now so dangerous?”
“Because it is. Mirisa, there is so much unknown danger lurking in this war that I would feel more comfortable leaving you in the middle of Apache country.”
“I understand your concern but what about mine?”
“I can’t tell you anything except I am very good at what I do and I love you and will always come home. I can’t do any more except send you to Philadelphia until the war is over.” He held both her hands in his and she knew he was serious but she didn’t like the veiled threat since he knew she didn’t want to leave.
She took in a deep breath and for the first time faced the future without a single tear. “I’ll miss you so terribly but I either go with you or I’ll stay here.”
DOMINIC and Garnett dismounted near the stream and filled up their canteens. They were used to traveling light and fast. The adrenaline had returned as soon as they mounted their horses yesterday setting off in the pre-dawn hours. The sun was starting to set and they needed to find a place to rest the horses.
Dominic’s mind returned to Mirisa and her final words. “Please return to me.” Leaving her was probably the most difficult thing he had done because loving someone had never been on his plate. Garnett hadn’t spoken much knowing that he would have to work through whatever emotions lay behind those cold grey eyes.
They had skirted around both Union and Confederate units since leaving Natchez because it was safer to have no contact with anyone but they paralleled the Natchez Trail when they could. The lack of sleep didn’t seem to bother either of them but giving up the cigars while riding always made them more on edge even though they had snuff.
They found a small outcrop in the side of the hill and decided to stop and rest the horses. The hollow would allow them to hide and there was enough natural cover that someone would have to be on top of them to see them and by then it would definitely be too late. They took off the saddles rubbing down their horses and feeding them. They always left the horses ready to ride but by grooming them it took off a lot of tension and stress in the animal. Both had owned his horse for several years and the ability of the horse to think as quickly as the man on his back was obvious if you watched them move through the countryside.
There was enough cloud cover that it felt like a moonless night. Garnett finished brushing his horse then took tack out of the saddlebag and sat down against his saddle. Dominic sat down next to him.
“Sure would be nice to have a smoke.”
Garnett laughed. “I think we’ve gotten spoiled in the last month.”
“Did you get your court docket handled?”
“Yeah, the judge moved a big trial up in front of mine.”
Dominic nodded and Garnett handed him a piece of tack as they sat in silence. They didn’t have to talk about what they were doing or where they were going because they both knew the job and both were capable of handling it alone if anything happened. They had never failed nor were they planning on failing now. Garnett leaned back and closed his eyes but Dominic stayed awake with his gun sitting next to his right leg. The natural noises of the forest started to fill the void of silence. He could pick out an animal merely by the sound it made traveling in the night, including man. He was amazed how many men were killed for not being observant to the little things around them. Working around white men was really easy compared to the years they spent in Indian country where you could be caught off guard so easily. If the Army had been smart, they would have trained men like the Apache. They were ruthless, honorable people who put survival above all else.
Dominic cleared his mind of Mirisa and instead mused over the year that they came so close to losing the entire Unit. Death did different things to different people but what it did when you faced it together was build a trust that was strong. The sound of a breaking branch to his left was human. He picked up his gun and nudged Garnett who rolled over with his gun in his hand. Dominic thought it was amazing that the man could come out a dead sleep ready to take down whatever was coming. Out of all of them, Garnett was probably the most deadly with a gun no matter what position he was in. Dominic had thought Garnett would quit when he married and for about a year he didn’t travel with them but after the accident he went on a binge. They had to hunt him down and drag his sorry ass out of the bottle and dry him out.
James pretty much handled the drying out part but it was nasty as hell. Garnett was combative and willing to take on his friends in order to fall back into the guilt. It took James over a week to bring him back around then another week to get him back on his feet. There wasn’t a one of them who wouldn’t put their lives in his hands, that was how fierce his feelings were for his friends.
The Visitor 1862 Page 18
