Dueling Hearts

by McDonough, Vickie;

  Shrugging, Reed turned back to his cousin. “Just wondering what Miss Zimmer will say to all this.”

  Seth frowned. “How could she not be pleased?”

  Reed walked ahead three feet, picked up a large stick, and tossed it in the back of the rubbish wagon. “It’s a difficult situation. She hasn’t had anyone to rely on and has managed to run the plantation and care for her ailing father all by herself.”

  “What’s wrong with her father?”

  Shrugging, Reed stared back at the house. “I tried to examine Mr. Zimmer, but he just lambasted me and sent me from his room. I have my suspicions that it may just be the drink that is incapacitating him—that and his bad attitude about all things.”

  “Hmm. . .I see what you mean. Must be hard for Miss Zimmer to live here alone and never see other people.”

  Reed nodded. “If I have my way about it, I plan on changing that.”

  Seth’s green eyes twinkled. “Do I detect a blossoming romance?”

  “Ha!” Reed barked such a loud laugh that several people turned to see what was so funny. “If there was such a thing, it would be decidedly one-sided.” He lifted his hat and fanned his sweaty face. His gaze followed a man with a scruffy beard and ragged, loose-fitting clothes as he wandered along the edge of the work area closest to the food tables.

  “What do you make of him?” He nodded with his chin toward the man.

  Seth shook his head. “Never saw him before. Must work for another planter.”

  Reed continued watching the man. He’d done little work today, although if one weren’t watching too closely it wouldn’t have been noticed. The man ambled along, picking up a vine or twig here and there, his gaze continually flicking back to the food table, where the women almost had the meal ready. Reed’s mouth watered.

  And where was his mother? She’d promised to come down and help oversee the food preparations. Even as the thought fled his mind, he saw her walking down the road, a basket over her arm with Betsey and Etta close behind her. She looked every bit the mistress of the plantation. He was partly relieved Miss Zimmer hadn’t come, too, but on the other hand, he was anxious to see her again. Excited to show her what her neighbors had accomplished. Wary to see her reaction. Would life with Miss Zimmer always be a constant ebb and flow of emotions and desires?

  He walked out to greet his mother and relieved her of her basket. He nodded to Betsey and Etta. “How’s my patient today?”

  Betsey shook her head. “Fussy. Grumblin’ to get up. Don’t know how much longer I can keep her down.”

  “Are you sure she can’t start moving around some—maybe leave her room? She’s about to go crazier than a chicken in a rain barrel.” His mother glanced up at him and smiled. She might be sweet, but she was a Southern lady and had no reservations about using her feminine wiles to sway him to her side.

  He hadn’t seen Carina in two days, so he needed to check on her anyway. “I’ll stop by when we’re done here and assess how she is doing.”

  “Mind that you wash up first.” His mother’s gaze ran down his dirty shirt and trousers. The shine that had been on his boots this morning was buried under a layer of dust. He wasn’t in much of a state to go visiting, but then he wasn’t going to impress a lady, but rather to check on a patient.

  Seth slugged his arm. “Hey, look over there.”

  Reed turned and glanced in the direction his cousin pointed. The thin man with the scruffy beard they’d discussed earlier grabbed a whole loaf of bread and shoved it into his satchel. He glanced right and left, slid over to another table near a tree, and leaned on it, while his gaze darted all over. Reed looked back at Seth so the man wouldn’t see him staring. “Is he doing what I think?”

  “Look!” His mother gasped. “Why—that man is stealing that slab of ham!” She waved her hand in the air as if trying to flag down a runaway wagon. “Somebody, hey! Stop that man.”

  “C’mon.” Reed yanked on Seth’s shirt. If the skinny man they’d seen earlier was hungry, all he had to do was tell somebody, and they’d willingly give him food. But to steal it, that was something that couldn’t be tolerated. He kicked up his pace, but the thief darted into the wooded area surrounding the swamp. With Seth on his heels, Reed dodged in and out of tree after tree, but the wiry man knew just which way to go to elude him. Finally Reed stopped and leaned over, resting his hands on his knees as he struggled to catch a breath.

  As his breathing slowed and the thundering in his ears subsided, all he could hear was Seth’s loud breaths beside him and the normal sounds of the swamp—the swish of the Spanish moss on the gentle breeze in the trees overhead, a loud splash in the pond’s inky water to his right. Songbirds serenaded the treetops, insects hummed, and a chorus of frogs joined the symphony.

  Swamp grass, a myriad of trees and bushes met his gaze, but not a person other than his cousin. How had that man just disappeared?

  “He’s gone. Let’s head back. I’m starving.”

  Reed nodded. “Just let me wash off in the pond.” Stooping beside the bank, he searched the area near the shore, making sure no gators were hovering close by. He wouldn’t be the first man surprised by one of those big creatures lurking just under the surface of the water. He dipped in his hands and swished them around, washing the day’s grime off.

  Seth nudged Reed’s backside with his leg. “Watch out for the swamp monster.” He chuckled.

  Reed finished splashing water on his face then rinsed his hands. As a doctor, he preferred being cleaner and washing his hands more frequently than most men did. He stood and shook his damp hair on Seth. “You need a bath, cousin. You’re pungent.”

  “Hey!” Seth gave him a playful push.

  They headed back, neither talking. Reed thought about how they’d played as kids around the swamp at Reed Springs and also neighboring Madison Gardens, where Seth had grown up. He hadn’t thought of the swamp monster in years. Those had been fun times.

  “I guess we need to ask around and see who that fellow works for. Maybe they’ll know where he’s run off to.”

  Reed nodded his agreement as they broke through the tree line. The four planters from the surrounding plantations who’d been helping all day headed his way.

  “Looks like that thief got away.” Mason Dugger stared past Reed as if waiting for the man to walk out of the woods.

  “He seemed to know the swamp area quite well, and he was fast.” Reed looked from man to man. “Which one of you does he work for?”

  Each of the planters cast accusing glances at one another. Finally Peter Reynolds shook his head. “Not me. Never saw him before.”

  The others followed suit, each denying having hired the man. Had the thief been hiding in the woods and taken advantage of the situation? Had he heard about the gathering and come to help in order to eat? Not that he’d been all that much help. Reed rubbed the back of his neck, not liking Carina being so defenseless in that big house without a man close by to help if needed. Of course, Betsey would probably come running and wallop an intruder with her iron skillet—if she could catch him.

  “What’s so funny? Is there something you’re not telling us?” Seth stared at Reed like he’d taken leave of his senses.

  Sobering, he shook his head. “I just had a thought. I’m concerned about both the Zimmers being injured and no able-bodied man in the house, should the thief decide to break in.”

  John Bowman grunted. “She can get one of her slaves to stay on the porch and keep watch all night.” He turned and sauntered back to the food tables, where people had started filling their plates. As if the issue had been settled, the others also turned and headed back to their meal, all except for Seth and William Dean, a newcomer to the area. Dean was a hard worker—a widower with two children, Reed had heard, even though the man was only a few years older than Reed.

  He scanned the area and located Woodson and Enoch, still loading wood into the wagon. What his friends didn’t know was that Carina only had one other male servant besid
es those two. She was down to a bare minimum of workers and couldn’t afford to have one of them stay up all night keeping watch. Sammy would volunteer, he was certain, but it wasn’t likely the boy could stay awake all night, and besides, he’d be precious little help when confronted by a grown man on a mission.

  “That Mrs. Zimmer must be a widow, huh?”

  Reed’s gaze jerked back to Mr. Dean. The widower would probably be considered a handsome man to most women with his blond hair and brown eyes. He was about the same six-foot-tall height as Reed, but the planter was much broader in the shoulders. Didn’t women prefer men with big shoulders? He straightened and glanced at Seth, who shrugged and grinned. “Why do you ask, Mr. Dean?”

  He swatted his hand in the air. “Call me Will or Willy. Aren’t you the new doctor? Sure glad to have one closer than Charleston.”

  Reed nodded, relaxing under the man’s welcoming smile. His straight, white teeth would probably be another factor in his favor with females. Reed touched the end of his front tooth with his tongue, the tooth that was missing a corner from when he fell and smacked his face on Cook’s worktable, years ago.

  Will nodded. “And I believe in being straight with folks. I’ve got me a young boy and girl who need a mama. I’m looking to marry again. Don’t much care for being alone.” His gaze searched the crowd and landed in the area where Reed’s mother was passing out slices of bread to the men in line. “She’s a fine-looking woman, although a bit older than I expected. You think she’s open to marrying again?”

  Reed clenched his jaw. Surely Will must be looking at someone other than his mother.

  Seth turned with obvious curiosity in the direction Will was looking. “Which lady are you talking about?”

  Will smiled widely and pointed straight at Reed’s mother. “That one there in the pretty purple dress with the brownish hair. Hat tied under her chin with the big bow. Isn’t that Mrs. Zimmer? I saw her walking from the house with two of her servants.”

  Seth sputtered and doubled over. “Ho, ho! That’s hilarious.”

  Reed narrowed his eyes.

  Will looked at Seth as if he’d turned green and grown six horns. “What’s so funny? I need a wife, and it doesn’t matter to me if she’s a bit older, as long as she’d be kind to my children. Nothing humorous about it.”

  “A bit older?” Reed ground out between clenched teeth.

  Will swung around and took another look. “Well, maybe a tad more than a bit, but she’s still a fine-looking woman. How old do you reckon she is? Thirty-two, maybe?”

  Seth slapped his leg and laughed so hard tears ran down his cheeks. Will blinked, obviously confused, while the people closest to them turned to see what was going on.

  “That woman is not interested in getting married.”

  Will’s chin lifted slightly. “How do you know? Have you already approached her?”

  Seth roared with laughter and fell down to his knees. He cackled like an old hen then snorted and gasped for a breath.

  Will shook his head. “What—is—so—funny?”

  Reed wanted to be angry, but the humor of the situation overpowered his irritation with the misguided man. “That is not Miss Zimmer. That woman you’re admiring is my mother.”

  Seth snorted and managed to get up on his knees. His cheeks were wet with his tears. “Yeah, and she’s twenty years your senior.”

  Will looked at Reed. “Oh.” Then he glanced down at Seth. “Oh.” Suddenly he puffed up, his cheeks the color of the filling of Mrs. Bowman’s cherry pie. He nodded at Reed. “My apologies. I should probably be getting back to my children. Left ’em with their mammy.” He slapped his hat back onto his head and marched to his horse, stiff and proud.

  Seth continued to chuckle. Reed nudged him with the toe of his boot. “Not a word of this to Mother, you hear me?”

  Seth pressed his lips together, but he was still laughing, if his bouncing shoulders were any indication.

  Reed held out his hand for his cousin, and Seth took it, allowing Reed to help him up. Seth wiped his eyes and grinned. “I wish you could have seen your face. I don’t know, though. Were you upset because he confused your mama for Miss Zimmer, or because Will is looking to marry and isn’t too picky?” Seth glanced over his shoulder to where one could see a corner of the upstairs of the Zimmer home; then he caught Reed’s gaze. “You know that you just confirmed to Dean that Miss Zimmer isn’t married, don’t you? When you emphasized she was a miss.” He smacked Reed on the shoulder. “Don’t dawdle too long. If you’ve got designs on Miss Zimmer, cousin, I wouldn’t wait long to tell her.”

  Reed’s jaw dropped as Seth strode toward the tables. How did he know that Reed liked Carina, when he barely knew it himself? He glanced in the direction of the house. Maybe he should stay a night or two to make sure things were all right. Tomorrow his men and Carina’s could finish the drive’s manicure project. Then maybe he’d take her for a short buggy ride and show her what all her neighbors had done.

  He just hoped she wouldn’t be so upset that she’d pull out her pistol again and fire it at him this time.

  Twelve

  Carina was going to shoot Reed Bishop. She’d hoped this could be a new beginning between her and the doctor, not to mention a chance to finally get out of the house, but the day had suddenly plummeted downhill like a runaway buggy. He hadn’t even noticed that she was wearing the new skirt his mother had helped her sew the past few days from some unused fabric she had stuffed in a wardrobe.

  She stared at her trees—chopped, sawed, and whittled back into submission. The horrid vines that had threatened to choke the life out of her bushes and trees were gone. There were even wheel tracks pressing down the weeds in the road. It looked nice, actually. In fact, she couldn’t remember when it had ever looked so orderly.

  “Well?” Reed nudged her shoulder with his, a proud twinkle in his eye. “You going to say anything?”

  She faced him on the seat—the very narrow seat. His cheek was less than a foot from hers. She swallowed. “Part of me is furious. How could you do such a thing without my knowledge, and how did you get it done so fast?”

  “Had some help.”

  “You must have had a whole lot of help. Who was it?”

  He pulled in his lips and looked off to the side, giving her a moment to study him. His cheeks had a pleasing tan, not the pale color of so many businessmen from the city. His nose was straight and just the right size—not too big or too small. Today his clothes were dirty from his physical labors, not spotless as on most occasions. She actually preferred this more casual look. His hair hung down to his shoulders, damp and curling from a recent washing. She exhaled a sigh. Why did they always have to be at odds with one another?

  He turned back to her, his eyes pleading for understanding. “I. . .uh. . .told some. . .uh. . .neighbors about your being injured and how you needed some help.”

  “What!” She shot to her feet, conking her head on the top of the buggy. Rubbing the sore spot, she glared down at him. “I do not need help, Dr. Bishop. I’ve told you before that Zimmers take care of themselves. Who was it who helped, anyway?”

  “Sit down before you fall off the buggy, please.” He gently tugged on her arm.

  She did as asked, but only because standing there with her neck bent so awkwardly due to the low roof made her head hurt. Folding her hands and clenching them, she listened as he rattled off a list of her neighbors who had come and helped clear her long drive. Her ire grew with each name that fell from his lips.

  So many names. So many people to be beholden to. How could she possible pay them all back?

  Now she understood what all the pounding had been about. It hadn’t been her head at all—well, maybe some of it was at first, but not later. Even her fader had fussed about it, according to Betsey, but he merely drank more and spent the past few days in a stupor.

  Carina allowed her gaze to wander down the closely cropped drive. It actually did look very nice. Maybe they could plant
some flowers along the side of the road, but then that would require a lot more labor and someone to locate the plants and then water them. She sighed. Always more work.

  “Tell me what you’re thinking. Are you upset?”

  The gentleness in his voice drew her, made her want to cast aside all her worries and trust him. But how could she ever truly trust a Bishop?

  “Yes, I’m upset. Just think how many people I’m indebted to now—and I don’t even know some of them. How could I ever repay them?”

  He turned slightly in the seat, knocking his knees against her. “They don’t expect repayment. They did it to help an injured neighbor.”

  “Why? Why now, when no one ever offered to help before?”

  “Everyone needs help sometimes. Help from family. Help from friends, and help from God.”

  “You’re avoiding my question, Dr. Bishop. Why help me? Why now?”

  “Because I put out word that there was a need.”

  She glanced down at her hands. “Therein lies the truth. They came because you asked. You—a Bishop, descendant of the Reeds who helped establish Charleston and have lived in the area for more than one hundred years, so the story goes. It had nothing to do with me or my father.”

  His arm slipped around behind her, resting lightly on the seat, almost an open invitation for her to scoot up close to him, but she didn’t move. Could barely breathe.

  “That’s just the way of the South. Neighbors help neighbors. I realize it’s harder for you to understand since you’re not native to here, but accept their assistance and desire to help and be grateful that they did. I nearly got lost in those mangy trees and shrubs every time I rode home. Thought for sure one of these days a vine was going to shoot out, trip up my horse, and drag me into the swamp, never to be heard from again.”

  She giggled at the ridiculous image he painted. Glancing up at him, her smile fled. The intensity in his eyes stole her breath. He reached up and smoothed a lock of hair behind her ear, so gentle, so different from her own father’s cruel touch. She ducked her head and turned away.